This afternoon, I have been mostly ragging the arse off the Passat round a
race track.

Casualties: One big chip in the windscreen.

I think it's fair to say I've finally fully explored the handling and
braking limits, (as both the front pads and the edge of the front nearside
tyre will testify), but overall the car did me proud, outpowering quite a
few hot hatches down the straights and nipping up their insides on bends
etc, so it wasn't exactly outclassed handling wise either.

I didn't get overtaken by anything this side of a Caterham / Escort Cosworth
/ Impreza, either. :-D

And I managed to shave just over a second off the best lap from the first
session in the second thanks to listening to advice from other mates who do
this sort of thing all the time and who gave me a few pointers on how to get
the car round the track slightly quicker, so all in all I'm well impressed.

<goes off to look at suspension and braking mods>

--
JackH

Rest: 03 VW Passat TDI Sport
Play: 98 Honda VFR800FiW

"JackH" <jackhackettuk (AT) yahoo (DOT) co.uk> writes:

Found a certain bit of paper then?

Oops. That's rather annoying.

Not bad, torque rules.

Mod the driver instead first, and I don't mean at your local tattoo
parlour. A book that was recommended to me is Skip Barber's "Going
Faster". Certainly helped in my case, as did some training.

--
'88 Porsche 911 Targa '00 Golf TDI estate
'99 Integra Type-R

"Timo Geusch" <tnewsSPAMMENOT (AT) unixconsult (DOT) co.uk> wrote

Apparently it doesn't.

Not on a race track anyway where you really should be revving the nuts off
anything which needs the nuts to be revved off it.

Apparently it really is power that you need.

That's what I'm told anyway.

But I'm no expert.

Bob Sherunckle wrote:

Depends. Grassroots Motorsport did test a bunch of affordable race cars
sometime last year and the one that was turning in the best lap times
and was easiest to drive was a Cobra Replica (Factory 5 IIRC - they've
got their own race series). Out of the bunch it had the best
torque/weight ratio

More power and/or more skill than the other folks .

--
'88 Porsche 911 Targa '99 Integra Type-R
'00 VW Golf TDI Estate

Timo Geusch wrote:
'No neeeed'

Went down there in a huff accepting I probably couldn't run it after all,
and was pleasantly surprised to find the only bits of paper they wanted to
see were ones with the word 'pound' on them. ;-)

Aye... especially as it's right in my line of sight and that screen has only
been in there since February, but no matter really.

As does a chassis which lets you 'chuck it around a bit' with no real drama.

55.1 was my best lap.

Trust me... the bend before you go up the hill to the hairpin proved it
needs to be stiffened up a little, regardless of what I'm doing. ;-)

Overall though, it did well for a 'shagged out barge'. :-)

--
JackH

Rest: 03 VW Passat TDI Sport
Play: 98 Honda VFR800FiW

Timo Geusch wrote:
<Points Sir at the Seat TDI BTCC cars of last season>

--
JackH

Rest: 03 VW Passat TDI Sport
Play: 98 Honda VFR800FiW

JackH <jackhackettuk (AT) yahoo (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

<points at the rather diesel friendly regulations>
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
Alfa 156 TSpark Sportwagon Veloce Selespeed - Alfa 75 TSpark Lusso
Ducati 750SS - BMW R100RT - Company Hack Focus TDCI

SteveH wrote:
*shrug*

Straight line they were invariably quicker.

Cornering, they were slower due to the extra weight killing the handling and
brakes.

'Swings and roundabouts', really.

--
JackH

Rest: 03 VW Passat TDI Sport
Play: 98 Honda VFR800FiW

JackH <jackhackettuk (AT) yahoo (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

Eh?

The petrols were running with a weight penalty, as I recall.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
Alfa 156 TSpark Sportwagon Veloce Selespeed - Alfa 75 TSpark Lusso
Ducati 750SS - BMW R100RT - Company Hack Focus TDCI

SteveH wrote:
Oh... not something I was aware of.

--
JackH

Rest: 03 VW Passat TDI Sport
Play: 98 Honda VFR800FiW