[trackday_prep] 309 Track Car

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

evening all, thought I'd start up a project thread about my 309 which ive finally started to build up.

 

I've had it over a year now and its sat untouched at my parents farm ever since rolling it off the trailer. Ive had various different plans for it but i originally bought it to build my supercharged engine into and then run on the road. I change my mind more often than i change my pants though so its now going to built into a track car for me, my dad and my brother (if he behaves) to use. anyway heres some pictures of it from when i dragged it out of hiding. Before you ask I'm not gay

 

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA083.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA082.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA081.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA080.jpg

 

and after a wash

 

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA084.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA087.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA086.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/all...NYCAMERA085.jpg

 

Its alot rougher than i remember it being when i bought it not to worry as i'll probably stuff it before long anyway.

We've not got much room in our garage so i'll be building this one in a barn/sheep shed at my parents. This sounds alright but it took a full days graft to clear all the sheep s*it out of it!! I'm quite chuffed with the space now though apart from the floor being sloped cant have it all i guess

 

today I've had the engine in for a bit of a 'way up'

 

 

 

Its the first gti6 engine ive put in anything (apart from my 306) and was suprised how nicely it fits. Nice clearance at the front which I was unaware of. The exhaust manifold I was however aware of, It doesn't touch the bulk head but its very very close and the downpipe would be a bastard to make up

 

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

 

I know there's various ways round this but my method was to re-angle the manifold. IT works a treat on my mi so I cant see it being any less effective on this engine.

So i pulled the engine back out (different method than usual )

 

Then i measured the distance between the manifold flange and a datum point on the back of the block and removed the fani. I then cut all the pipes from underneath with a 9 inch angle grinder

 

once the manifold was buttchered i fitted it back to the engine and 'leant' on it untill the flange was around 15mm closer to the block. Then it was back in with the engine for another look

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

plenty of clearance now

 

 

 

I just need to pull it back out now and run round it with the welder. I'm a little concerned about the clearance between the longest gear rod and the flange though. I haven't had the rod in yet but i'm fairly certain it will hit the flange. How do you usually get round this? is it just a case of bendin the rod?

 

anyhow thats about it untill next weekend. hopefully i'll be chopping the floor up and making some decent seat mounts but i'll probably chicken out and fanny about with something easier cheers al

[taylorspug 7]

Exactly the same way i do the manifolds! And yes i just put a small 'S' bend in the long gear rod to help clear the flange. Usually only find it a problem when the L bracket has been modified for a quickshift though.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

And how it used to look many years ago now

[fast_eddie 0]

That engine bay is so tidy-nice one.

I think I adjusted my tunnel a little then made a segmented downpipe to match the manifold

 

Keep the pics coming

[Baz 421]

I was going to say, recognise that shell!!

 

Good project, nice to see another decent 309 cared for! Keep the updates coming! (And it NA!! )

[Cloverleaf 1]

Good work. Nice to see another 309. Can we have some pics of the cage please

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

Excellent picture miles

 

ive not done anything to the car but heres a few more pictures as requested.

 

cage

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

 

the cage doesnt tie in the rear beam mounts like alot of cages seem to do I dont know if this was to do with racing regs or wether its just because of its age. I'm sure Miles would be able to elaborate.

I've seen pictures of the car in an old X-sport advert so i'm not sure if they had something to do with the cage?

 

The wiring looks an absoloute mess I'm hoping it looks worse than it actually is though.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Looks good al, is this where the you know what is headed for?

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

quick crappy shot of underneath, no underseal and freshly rattle canned by the previous owner

 

 

Picked these up off ebay last week, they were literally 5 minutes away from where i live and have very little use. I paid £160 for the pair complete with OMP steel sidemounts I'm sure if they'd of had Sparco printed on them rather than Motordrive they'd of cost at least twice that amount

 

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

Looks good al, is this where the you know what is headed for?

 

certainly is that reminds me... must get in touch with you know who about the you know what

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Good stuff, he told me you showed him your SC car at Mallory, he said he was mega pissed off as he has been spending hours and hours on the TB conversion for ours, and it won't make anywhere near the power yours does!

 

We used to have Motordrive seats in the old track car, they are pretty decent and light also.

Edited June 3, 2009 by Tom Fenton

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

Good stuff, he told me you showed him your SC car at Mallory, he said he was mega pissed off as he has been spending hours and hours on the TB conversion for ours, and it won't make anywhere near the power yours does!

 

We used to have Motordrive seats in the old track car, they are pretty decent and light also.

 

Those bodies look excellent though I rekon it'll be a lot more reliable than than my setup on track, I wouldn't want to be using mine at high revs for long periods of time, I think the engine would lay a very large expensive egg

 

I love the seats, If I was buying new I'd of gone for the same ones to be honest, just without the stupid EARS logo

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

I;ve got no idea what make the cage was but even when it was done 309 Cages where pretty rare, A 205 was done at the same time with the same basic design too, Not the lightest of cages but pretty strong,

I can confirm X Sport had nothing to do with this car at all it was done at Racing Solution's or in it's previous name Viper Motorsport so all the tubing is CDS, At the time the reg's where strict so the bar that goes from both sides at the rear was called a Harness mounting bar which got around the reg of not allowing it but after a few years this was changed due to a different class.

The shell is pretty good by 309 standard's, A little rust at the bottom Qtr panels when I had it and that was about it, but I think I last used it in 2003

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

progress is very slow babies take up alot of time.

 

Imanaged to get the car leveled up on the very uneven floor

 

 

than set to work removing the old seat mounts, what a twat this turned out to be. I'm sure there are special drills available for spot welds but i didn't have one and the cage doesn' help matters either. managed in the end though

 

 

after doing a fair bit of searching I've copied a mixture of camerons,tom fentons and jamesRs (i think) seat mounts and come up with this,

 

[welshpug 1,661]

stick the nav/passenger seat as far back as practical

 

and yes there are spotweld drills available!

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Looking good, look similar to the ones in Phils and my track car.

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

 

 

I'm by no means any sort of welder and i'm just teaching myself as i go along but i'm fairly happy so far. Its not very neat but I believe ive got good penetration (insert jokes here ) and it seems strong as hell. Hopefully i'll be able to finish the passenger side off soon and ive got a few additions i'd like to make on the cage, al

 

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

thought i'd revive this topic as i've been working on it again

 

I sorted myself a garage out at the back of my house in novemberish last year. I'm frinds with the lad that owns the farm and he's rented me the old milking palour. It took quite a biy of work to get it useable, I had to tin a wall up, enlarge the doorway and make a new door etc etc. I'm quite chuffed with it really, just a few damp issues but I'll hopefully sort them soon.

 

heres a few pics of inside

 

 

 

The s2million is a mates (orange trousers in the second pic), hes storing it in there over winter and we're doing a few jobs on it/ making a few goodies for it. Handily hes also an excellent welder/fabricator

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

we've been getting on with the remainder of the metalwork on the shell

 

I ground out the welds on the dash bar and re-welded it and also tied it in to the steering column. I've also removed the captive bolts of the column and drilled them through. I'll be using some larger m8 bolts and spacers to lower the steering wheel a bit

 

 

re-done the shell stiffeners/ties

 

 

 

added some to the B pillars

 

 

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

chopped out the rot from the front of the sills

 

 

plated it up. I realise its not the same as an original but I couldn't justify spending the time copying the oe sill end. once its covered in stonechip and painted it'll look fine in my eyes

 

 

 

 

The other sill wasn't quite as bad but I forot to take any pictures

 

I think thats about it on the welding front, just the servo brace left to do now.

Edited January 24, 2010 by allanallen

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Looking good Al, what prompted you to crack on with it then, I thought you had abandoned progress on it?

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

The engine is currently in the stand, i've checked it all over, re-sealed the sump, new cam belt, set cam timing and generally cleaned it up.

The exhaust manifold is also finished, again forgot to take any pictures

 

I've also been making a few bits for it in my lunch break at work

 

gti6 resonator bung and vac pump blanker

 

beam mounts

 

my mate also has access to a chemical dip tank so heres a few bits he chucked in for me

 

not sure If i'll be using the gti6 brakes though, they're just so bloody heavy!!

 

jobs on the cards this week are to clean up the gearbox and fit my slippy diff, and get the engine ready to drop in. Then hopefully matty will be back up to finish the welding and I can slap a bit of paint on it.

 

I'm hoping to have the car complete by april but buying a new 'family' car and christmas has left me a little strapped for cash fingers crossed though I should be able to manage it as i've already bought most of the expensive stuff.

 

allan