Recommended / Essential Track Day mods?

[mr2_mat]

Right All. First, apologies for the long post, but I have lots to go through, and thought it best to keep it all in one post... Looking to get my first MR2 (N/A), and will be using it as a track day toy. What mods are recommended first? Have thought the following, but would be great to get some feedback, and some example prices if you have had similar mods. Also, what have I missed?

1. Strip it out
Loose as much weight as possible - Any suggestions or recommendations here?

2. Brakes
Brake pad upgrade - what is recommended
Brake disc upgrade - Does this make a great difference? If so, what is recommended
(Don't think I would want to get a full brake/caliper upgrade, due to cost)
Braded hoses - do these make much difference
What brake fluid should I use, and how often should I change it?

3. Seats/Harness
Bucket Seats & Harness vs. standard seats and CG-Lock. Anyone tried the CG-Lock? What's it like? Obviously buckets with harnesses will be much more expensive!

4. Tyres
Thinking Toyo R888, as they seem to get pretty good reviews, but open to any other suggestions. How long should I expect these to last?

5. Petrol
Tesco 99 or Shell V-Power - do these make any/much difference from running with normal supermarket unleaded?

6. Roll-Cage
Don't think I'll be doing this. Thoughts?

7. Engine
Induction kit - what is recommended?
Engine re-map - is this at all worthwhile?
Exhaust - not sure of this - noise restrictions and all that, plus cost. Does it provide any real improvement in performance?

8. Suspension
Is the standard suspension ok to run on a track car, or is it far better to upgrade? If so, what are good kits for the MR2.

Anything else?

Again, sorry for such a long post, but I would appreciate all feedback on any/all of the above!

Cheers, Mat

[Tomiam]

I would suggest that your top priority should be
1: Tyres - personal preference here. I use R888's as I personally like them, but I know even mentioning the "R888" word makes some people throw a wobbley on these forums so 'do the research - make your choice' here. Its the only thing that connects you to the black stuff, so I wouldnt try to cut corners here. Toyo sponsors the Toyota Sprint Series and I think it also has some involvement in the MR2 Championship too as I see lots of MR2's using the R888s at these events.
ps (whispered): R888's - xxxxx good imo

2: Brakes - I used to use EBC Green Stuff. Found these to be crap in comparison to Carbotechs. Carbotechs have a 'rip your face off' ability coupled with an exceptional level of feedback. Ive found them to strip speed off the car faster than the EBC Greens by a LONG way, yet also provide enough feel that Im not locking wheels up unneccessarily.
http://www.roguesystems.co.uk/forms/pro ... spx?cat=27

3: Suspension. I went for Tein Super Streets and these were / are a bloody good upgrade over the stock suspension & (V6 aside) are the upgrade which transformed the car the most.
http://www.roguesystems.co.uk/forms/Product.aspx?ID=368



After the above are done (and I practice what I preach, as I did those three things first) I would then worry about the rest.

Stripping out a Mk2 is a lot of fun and can take a while if you go a bit extreme.
http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewtopic. ... &start=100
If you are at any of the Toyota Sprint Series events then please feel free to pop over and chat & Im more than happy for you to have a look over my car to see how I removed stuff. Its not rocket science though and tbh, many people on here have stripped their car out.
The current tally for me is that Ive taken 18 stone out of the car in the last month and a bit and Im now struggling to find easy ways to remove more.
....sunroof being removed is looking more tempting though.

[Speedy]

4. Tyres
Thinking Toyo R888, as they seem to get pretty good reviews, but open to any other suggestions. How long should I expect these to last?

5. Petrol
Tesco 99 or Shell V-Power - do these make any/much difference from running with normal supermarket unleaded?

6. Roll-Cage
Don't think I'll be doing this. Thoughts?

Just to answer a couple of these more general points

4. I really wouldn't - but it depends on your style of driving. I prefer the car to move around, be goonable etc. That's just not really possible on r888s - sure they give you lots of grip, but they also are not progressive (they won't give you any warning before they spit you off the track), and they wear pretty quickly. I would certainly say that it's worth getting some reasonably good tyres to run on.
5. More RONs will help protect the engine, for a turbo or SC, i'd say do it. For a NA, obviously, it's less important.
6. Unless you are really going racing, i wouldn't do that either. It'll add a lot of weight, make getting in and out a PITA, and your insurance company won't like it either.

Best modification you can make is just make sure your stock brakes are working ok (no stuck sliders etc), and fit some performance pads recommended by somebody who's done a trackday at somewhere which canes the brakes (e.g. Tomiam )

[steve b]

I bought a rev 3 n/a 2nd chance offer from ebay last night, today, 14 hours after buying it and not having owned an MR2 since 2005 I did this to it with nothing but topping the oil.










It didn't miss a beat, it had 5 people ask if it was a turbo, it had an BMW MZ Roadster owner comment how well it went and how fast it was down the straights.

Took a BMW 325 coupe (stripped and caged) owner out as a passenger in it while his mate was having a lesson and he was very impressed.

They don't really NEED anything doing to them.

If it was a track only car then i'd ditch the 17"s (i'll probably do that anyway), put some 15 or 16" on, 16" is best I think from my experience.

I'd go hankook RS2 trackay tyres as they look like normal road tyres, with a normal road tread pattern so don't turn rubbish in the rain, that lets face it happens a lot in the Uk.

I'd strip EVERYTHING out that it doesn't need, i'l get a set of coilovers on it and the camskills rear tie rods, some camber bolts and get WIM to align it for track.

I'd get some M1144 or other trackday brake pads on it with braided hoses. Job done

I'd say including the car (a rev3 n/a) this could be done for £3200

[kaiowas]

Key thing is to remember that trackdays are about having fun rather than ultimate performance. There's absolutely no point in wasting money on expensive tyres or mods to get you a few extra horsepower, you're just throwing money away for no reason. You're not competing against anyone so why spend money to get around the track a couple of seconds quicker?

As a number one priority I'd be looking to make sure your brakes are in top condition. Again this doesn't mean spending silly money on upgrades, just make sure they work well, are in good condition and you have appropriate pads to ensure you don't suffer from fade. Also make sure your fluids are topped up.

Removing unnecessary interior parts etc is always good as it gives betterperformance without costing anythingm, however there's no point getting carried away and spending money on weight reduction.

If you must spend money somewhere then I'd suggest it goes towards the seats/harness side of things as it'll help you focus on driving the car to the best of your ability rather than holding yourself in the seat.

[MartG]

No 1 priority I think is brakes - it can spoil your entire day not knowing if you're going to be able to slow down for the next corner. EBC Red or Yellow pads as a minimum, or Carbotech, standard disks are fine ( grooved disks just wear the pads out faster ) if its a mk1a, fit 1b brakes, if its a Mk2 Rev1, fit rev2 or later brakes. Braided hoses and DOT5.1 fluid - change the fluid at least once a year.

[mr2_mat]

Thanks for the replies guys/gals - much appreciated.

I am certainly not looking to spend too much money - this will be about having fun for a couple of years... we'll see if it goes anywhere from there.

I would have thought that a standard MR2 would be fine, but never having actually driven one myself, thought I would check with some people with some first-hand experience! Would like to do some mods over time though, which is why I was asking what was recommended.

Keep any other suggestions coming in!

[skinthespin]

Hey Mat,

I recently wrote an article for MR2only mag on track prep, if you would like a copy mail me at [email protected] and ill send it to you.

Simon

[Icsunonove]

IMHO Brakes are the number 1 priority issue. If you go to a trackday with brakes that can't cope it will ruin your day.

You will lose confidence / enjoyment as you won't know if you can stop. It was after a particularly bad day at Donington (when I went off twice at Redgate with no brakes) that I decided to stop p1$$ing about and bought some Carbotech XP8 pads. Yes they were £200 but it was £200 very well spent.

No.2 priority in my opinion is harnesses. I don't know about the Mk2 seats, but the Mk1 seats are absolutely hopeless on trackdays. After the first trackday in my SC (when I just couldn't drive it properly due to
having to hold on to the steering wheel) I bought a cheap 4 point harness and it made all the difference.

I really wouldn't bother buying specialist tyres. You aren't competing after all. Just get some goodish quality road tyres that are known to cope well with trackday work.

[Bender Unit]

My personal view .. rather than spend money on parts, spend it on doing the track days.

Pads are a good idea but dont spend silly amounts. You can get some very good pads for £50, which will be more than adequate.

As mentioned harness is a key thing people forget. Get one so you wont be sliding about like a greased turd in your seat, holding onto the wheel to keep you falling out.

Other than that get out there and enjoy yourself. You will soon find out the limitations of the car and can upgrade accordingly - suspension, ARB's, tires etc ...

[jont]

Also, consider the most missed upgrade - the driver. At my first trackday I spent 20 quid on a sessions tuition and it added a good 20-30mph to my cornering speeds simply from having a better feel for where to put the car and how to get the most out of it. I considered myself a reasonably quick/competent driver, but the instruction clearly showed where I could do a lot better.

[steve b]

Also, consider the most missed upgrade - the driver. At my first trackday I spent 20 quid on a sessions tuition and it added a good 20-30mph to my cornering speeds simply from having a better feel for where to put the car and how to get the most out of it. I considered myself a reasonably quick/competent driver, but the instruction clearly showed where I could do a lot better.

so true. The most sensible guys at combe on wednesday were not the typical, more "sensible" 30+ year olds, a fair few of them were all over the track. There were 2 lads who hadn't hit their 20's who had a 325 they had striped and caged, nothing else but had 2 lessons each on how to drive the car. I took one out while his mate was having a lesson so he wasn't to borded standing around, but I bet this time next year they'll be flying round in their next to stock mechanically bmw.

p.s. jont sorry fornot holding out and buying your car, but at least you see I was genuine and wanted a car

[jont]

sorry fornot holding out and buying your car, but at least you see I was genuine and wanted a car

No problem - just means I get to drive it a bit more Just been out for a run with another guy who came to view and I'd forgotten just how effortlessly it picks up speed. Damn sight twitchier than the Elise though

[Lauren]

A standard car should be absolutely fine providing its in good fettle.

Stock brakes again, should be fine as long as they are working correctly.

There is no need to hammer the brakes on a trackday anyway. Being one of the last late brakers simply puts more wear on the brakes and makes it more likely that you'll have an accident, so go easy on the brakes.

Tyre wise, wouldn't recommend 888s. You want the car to move around, look at a some yokos, paradas etc, the best tyres are not those with the most grip, they are the tyres that are the most progressive. Best wheel size is nearly always stock sizes. This is what the car was designed with after all.

You don't need to strip weight at the moment, likewise no specific need for a harness, just use the stock seat belts.

Sure a harness and bucket seat holds you in a lot better, but it won't be undrivable with the stock setup.

Like Bender unit says, spend your money on trackdays rather than modifying your car.

Also spend some money on driver improvement. After all the better you are the more you will enjoy it.

[dgh.mr2]

Just to echo one of Lauren's comments - removing standard seat belts could be a wrong move.

I did it on mine and took all the gubbins out but wish I'd left the standard inertia reel belts in for road use as the harnesses are a real pita especially when swapping between two drivers.

It might be worth trying one of the CG Locks from Demon Tweeks etc. with your standard belts for extra seating 'security'?

For what it's worth, brakes wise I don't think I'm particularly heavy on them and make track pads last for ages but did wear out standard Toyota pads on my sc in one v. hot summer track evening at Donington. I very nearly stayed out for one more lap and found little braking in the pit lane and flames on the driver's side so assume I'd have been straight off at Redgate had I not been lucky enough to cal it a day. Car was a nightmare to drive home even after an hours cool down (pad dead) so I soon swapped to braided lines, Dot 5.1 fluid and decent pads and started to trust the brakes again.

[mr2_mat]

Excellent feedback - thanks everyone... Now I just need to find the right car!!

[CM1GT]

i'm currebtly trying to make my car more track friendly and as a result picked up a pair of buckets and harnesses, got the seats in fine but i've been told to not even think about fitting harnesses without a rollcage as you lose the ability to 'duck' if you do flip it, anyone got any opinions on this?

[Speedy]

i'm currebtly trying to make my car more track friendly and as a result picked up a pair of buckets and harnesses, got the seats in fine but i've been told to not even think about fitting harnesses without a rollcage as you lose the ability to 'duck' if you do flip it, anyone got any opinions on this?

Er - I've never heard of anything like that before?

[System-G]

i'm currebtly trying to make my car more track friendly and as a result picked up a pair of buckets and harnesses, got the seats in fine but i've been told to not even think about fitting harnesses without a rollcage as you lose the ability to 'duck' if you do flip it, anyone got any opinions on this?

Er - I've never heard of anything like that before?

Nor have I

[Lauren]

i'm currebtly trying to make my car more track friendly and as a result picked up a pair of buckets and harnesses, got the seats in fine but i've been told to not even think about fitting harnesses without a rollcage as you lose the ability to 'duck' if you do flip it, anyone got any opinions on this?

Not an issue really. Not much chance of rolling an MR2, if you do its pretty strong given its short passenger compartment.