Post #2
If it's a dedicated track car obviously the things to look out for are very different, here's what I found/bought/learned:
1) If it's going on track, it'll get dented/scratched/chipped. Don't bother spending extra on a car with perfect paintwork, it won't be staying that way. I got mine cheap as one of the panels was dented in; don't care, saves me crashing it myself
2) You will, inevitably, want to upgrade suspension and bushes, so personally I wouldn't worry too much if they're all shot
3) The engine. It's *all* about the engine. It's the only thing you can't easily replace or fix, so make sure it's been serviced regularly, doesn't have any leaks, no gunk squirting out. Check the oil level. Check the coolant level. If they're low, there could be a problem. Check it's got a genuine Peugeot oil filter on it, the cheaper ones don't always have a non-return value and they show the previous owner has been willing to scrimp on maintenance and save £2 by not buying genuine filters.
If you can, find out what oil's been put in. Again if it's cheap, that's not a great sign. If the owner says "I only ever use fully (or at least semi) synthetic", then at least it shows they know the basics of how important engine maintenance is.
4) Sunroof - they're heavy, and they don't give you enough room for a helmet. Personally, I had mine welded up - saved about 30kg and meant about 3" more headroom.
5) Wheels - don't worry about the condition of them, you'll end up replacing them with Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2s anyway
6) Brakes - don't worry about condition of discs and pads, you should replace them anyway if you're doing track work
7) Roll cage - if it has one, make sure it's in properly; a badly-fitted cage can be more dangerous than no cage. If it's a weld-in, there should be reinforcing plates everywhere it touches the car - the same is often forgotten for bolt-ins; just because it's bolted down doesn't mean it can be bolted directly to the standard bodywork. All cages should be attached to thick, welded in plates.
Basically for a track car it's all about the engine.
Any muppet with a screwdriver can turn a s**tbox into an awesome track car bit a bit of patience, but you need a good engine to start with.
With second-hand cars it's obviously always a bit of an unknown, so it's better to concentrate on the bits that you know you wouldn't want to change, and just factor in replacing everything else yourself. You might not be able to tell what pads it's got in - doesn't matter, replace them. Discs - £25 or so for new fronts. Who cares, that's not even near the cost of one trackday.
That's about all I can think of for now, best of luck.
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demondriverdan
Posted 16th Aug 2012 at 20:39
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