All Things Mk5 > Members Rides
Very budget track build
Marticus:
--- Quote from: Clarkj93 on June 04, 2023, 04:43:18 pm ---
Duct3d have a product for the fog light hole, it looks decent quality. https://www.duct3d.co.uk/shop/p/vauxhall-astra-h-vxr-foglight-adapters-in-black-53y3f-xdwg2-4r3fk
The real challenge is getting it to the centre of the disc and not the disc face while still clearing the drive shaft, it is going to require some funky looking reducing cylinders welded to some sort of bracket I think so that's why I kinda given up on that idea. If my current idea is not enough I'll probably just install an additional set of ducts.
You can definitely heat up the washer bottle and bend it out the way and also the horns brackets they are mounted to are easy to modify with a hammer to allow you to re-position them out the way.
I've actually today ditched my intake duct today, don't think its required. After reading up on some aerodynamics stuff lately the oem intake slot is in a high pressure zone already so adding another duct probably just adds drag and nothing else. But if you just like the look/idea of it then I won't judge :grin:
--- End quote ---
Haha, interesting, sounds like you're way ahead of me in this process! Good point about the aerodynamics, I had wondered if its possible to get a proper 3d scan of a golf v to do some digital wind tunnel testing on these kind of changes.
The only other option is a lot of track time and real world testing, which could get costly fast.
Outside of the brake ducting this month I was planning on buying aa cheap diy(ish) tempurature monitoring solution with five thermometers for monitoring the intake pathe to the engine, to see where improvements can be made.
It's getting a bit over the top for me who hasn't even had the car on track yet lmao.
Clarkj93:
--- Quote from: Marticus on June 04, 2023, 06:25:43 pm ---
--- Quote from: Clarkj93 on June 04, 2023, 04:43:18 pm ---
Duct3d have a product for the fog light hole, it looks decent quality. https://www.duct3d.co.uk/shop/p/vauxhall-astra-h-vxr-foglight-adapters-in-black-53y3f-xdwg2-4r3fk
The real challenge is getting it to the centre of the disc and not the disc face while still clearing the drive shaft, it is going to require some funky looking reducing cylinders welded to some sort of bracket I think so that's why I kinda given up on that idea. If my current idea is not enough I'll probably just install an additional set of ducts.
You can definitely heat up the washer bottle and bend it out the way and also the horns brackets they are mounted to are easy to modify with a hammer to allow you to re-position them out the way.
I've actually today ditched my intake duct today, don't think its required. After reading up on some aerodynamics stuff lately the oem intake slot is in a high pressure zone already so adding another duct probably just adds drag and nothing else. But if you just like the look/idea of it then I won't judge :grin:
--- End quote ---
Haha, interesting, sounds like you're way ahead of me in this process! Good point about the aerodynamics, I had wondered if its possible to get a proper 3d scan of a golf v to do some digital wind tunnel testing on these kind of changes.
The only other option is a lot of track time and real world testing, which could get costly fast.
Outside of the brake ducting this month I was planning on buying aa cheap diy(ish) tempurature monitoring solution with five thermometers for monitoring the intake pathe to the engine, to see where improvements can be made.
It's getting a bit over the top for me who hasn't even had the car on track yet lmao.
--- End quote ---
I would highly recommend this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modifying-Aerodynamics-Your-Road-SpeedPro/dp/1787112837 he talks about how you can measure efficiency of an intake, and any ducting/cooling via a magnehelic guage and some tubing to a high level of accuracy, all can be had for £35 or so.
Its also worth looking at the old BTCC parts that you can still buy here https://absmotorsport.co.uk/product-category/vw-2/golf-mk5/ because AmD who built a mk5 TCR car would have very likely wind tested it and tested thoroughly cooling efficiency. Not that their design can't be improved mind you, as they only used basic bonnet louvre vents for example, but now the modern VAG tcr stuff all use those plus a big vent in the middle of the bonnet with the intercooler completely re-located from the normal front position to at angle pointed out of the middle vent almost on top of the engine.
Clarkj93:
Back from Retro Resus! Although the throttle body starting mis-behaving on the way back which will need some attention as it almost did not make it home! I'll do a TB alignment and see, if it happens again I'll just stick another 2nd hand one on.
Now fully polybushed front and rear with SuperPro. Interestingly, the ride is substantially smoother which I didn't expect, those old bushes must have just been that bad! I did notice they replaced one of the control arms so it was corroded that bad so it was in quite a state in the end. Another unexpected surprise was the car is much more fuel efficient, a quick 20 minute drive across the motorway to home and 1 or 2 hard pulls so not driving economically really saw over 40mpg on average, nice surprise that!
I did have a chat with the owner Tom at Retro Resus about a cage for next year, got a rough estimated quote for a drive-in/drive-out weld in Production Gti championship spec cage. So next spring hopefully that will get sorted.
As all air bags are now out I forgot I actually have no horn now :grin: So I will have to wire in a button soon for that.
Max'ed out front camber (somewhere around -2.3/-2.5 degrees) and 0.5 degree less camber with 1mm toe out on front and 2mm toe out on rear. Looking forward to testing at Castle Combe sometime soon.
Checked cam follower today, I do check it every it about twice a year or so as it doesn't take long once you've worked out how to do it quickly. Still like no wear at all, they do last much longer than a lot people say for sure
Stripped out some wiring from the fog lights too being as they are no longer on the car anyway so may as well cut out
Hard to get a good picture but here are some snaps of the rear end fully powdercoated:
Clarkj93:
Started refurbing the second set of wheels, damn they were corroded badly. Wire-wheeled/sanded out any corrosion and have started painting. Its a bloody rough job :grin: but they're only track wheels so not too bothered.
Attached some brake ducting, got it as close to the centre of the disc as I could with some beefy cable ties trying to angle it, it fouls the duct on full lock but only slightly so not too worried.
I road tested this, with one side with the duct taped up and one side open. No difference though in temps. The disc was about 230 degrees and the caliper about 95 degrees, I usually see double this on circuit so it may not be totally useless yet. I'll have to test this at Combe soon to be 100%, if it still does shows no progress then I will probably get the MQB ducts and modify them to fit the mk5 and leave it at that... https://www.akstuning.co.uk/shop/home/425-genuine-audi-rs3-8v-brake-ducts-retro-fit-for-other-mqb-vehicles.html
Its still only a 2.25 inch duct, 3-4 inch is well written about as the ideal size of a brake duct if required but its hard to find clearance, it can be done though with some strategic modification with a hammer on heat gun I'm certain of it.
I was at Combe just yesterday to watch the racing. Nick Vaughn's Audi A3 was there and is seriously impressive in person. But the Production Gti championship was there too which I was eager to see. Talking about brakes, they use an R32 caliper, but none of the cars I saw were running any brake ducting at all interestingly, they weigh about 1300kg too so not light either. So its very possibly running the golf r caliper with semi-slicks and MQB ducts at the most is more than enough if a similar setup works for those cars and considering Combe is a very tough circuit on brakes too.
So aiming to visit Combe at 7th or 21st July and do some testing, mainly monitoring various engine temps, brake temps and finding the correct hot tyre pressures. My assumption is somewhere between 34 and 30 psi hot.
pudding:
--- Quote from: Clarkj93 on May 28, 2023, 09:24:01 pm ---Yeah agreed, surprising as I always thought of ECS as the king of VAG tuning and that it was a shame they're only US based with a small amount of their stock making it over here but it is quite dissapointing really.
haha never considered doing that actually, I will try my best to refrain from that approach :grin:
Well AC is staying for now... there was some confusion when it was booked and time restraints meant they're going to leave it for now, not that bothered as the bill is large enough already so :grin: I might have a crack myself later in the year, just thought if I had to have it de-gassed they must as well do the whole thing. The idea of a blower and some ducting have entered my mind as replacement like this one https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/demon-tweeks-in-line-blower-fans-242248/ so swapping a heavy front end 10kg unit that hurts temps and replacing with a 4 inch electric blower aimed directly at the driver, logistics of that is for another time however.
I still have not picked it up yet as I've been busy but its sat waiting currently for next weekend for me. Hopefully they made a note of total weight as I forgot to ask the other day over the phone.
Josh who set it up last time and who I ran into at Pembrey last year mentioned they cannot adjust the seat as it will hurt the integrity of the seat base so they've left it for now and advised to find some universal side mounts that will have far more extreme options in terms of height available. All air bags are now gone though, they mentioned they can leave the steering wheel one in but it would never go off as the front air bags work off the oem seat belt which is now gone so may as well ditch. I know what you're saying about air bags :grin: but with a helmet no air bags is supposedly safer anyway and the amount of road miles will be very small until the car is caged with a harness anyway.
They've put the idea in my head of taking it racing, hillclimbs/sprints will definitely be on the cards for next year but they were mentioning they got have some good links in a few close to home series and can assist in getting to that point... would love to but budget is not there just yet, maybe in a couple of years. It will definitely be going in for a welded up roll cage however next year to meet regs for sprinting and they did mention they can ditch the oem seat mounts and weld in a new base thats custom fit for me so I can try and get it as far back and low as possible that is still drive-able for me and without having to re-engineer the entire pedal and steering wheel position.
I need to stop faffing about with my trying to find extra performance here and there and just focus on getting it to meet regulations, even if its slow in its class at least it is eligibile and being used rather than a fast car that sits on a private piece of land year in year out :grin:
So the focus right now and over the next 12 months will be only very cheap and free mods asside from repairs and maintenance to raise those funds which will be things like:
Build up better brake ducting
Remove any weight possible without cost that allows it to remain road legal
Any cheap/easy/free mods to allow better cooling (that actually work!)
Relocate battery
refurb 2nd set of wheels
try again to convert to solid top mounts and linear springs
Anything else is just not needed right now so I need to pull my finger out :grin:
Bit boring to have no pics I know but I have been reading and watching a lot of Julian Edgar recently on aerodynamics and would highly recommend to anyone, its made me realise just HOW MUCH can be improved on the golf and how many quite mainstream mods out there are probably hurting drag, IAT's, cooling and lift. He shows just how easy you can test this stuff yourself with about 50 quids worth of equipment, its pretty cool.
--- End quote ---
ECS are great, I just wish we had companies like them, Shop DAP and FCP Euro in the UK. I've used ECS several times over the years and they're always easy and quick. They've been good for my Bimmer as well in getting stuff that just isn't available in Europe :happy2: The Americans have special tools and fixes for just about everything :grin: Think I might move there :grin:
Anyway, yeah I'm not a big fan of silicon hoses, no surprises there :grin: They do the job but they're nowhere near as hardy as the stock hoses. I've always viewed them more as engine dressing than anything else :grin: But we try these things and move on to the next thing, so no dramas, it's all good experience :happy2:
Dumping the A/C was on my todo list as it's crap anyway, even when working properly, and you can feel at idle the engine doesn't like the extra load of it. It's easy to remove, get a non-AC drive belt from AKS tuning and you're golden :happy2: It also frees up more air flow to the intercooler :happy2:
I think you just need to put a load resistor on the pump connector and low and high side pressure sensors to stop the HVAC module moaning.
I'm not sure that 4" fan would do a whole lot if you've got a helmet on tbh. Probably better than nothing though :happy2:
Hillclimbs and sprints look like fun. You would probably benefit from a Wavetrac diff to help accelerate you out of the more technical corners, especially the very tight uphill ones. It's a good circuit for dialling suspension as the car has to change direction much more quickly than a bigger track, which should help on regular track days :happy2:
Definitely move the battery to the boot if you can be bothered. The arse end could do with more weight over it. You could use an R32 size rear silencer and fit the oem R32 battery cubby hole panel? It sits the battery nice and low, which has centre of gravity benefits. You can also grab an R32 battery harness from a scrappy and wire it all in as per oem, which will prevent any weird electrical fault codes :happy2:
So yeah, weight reduction, and also weight redistribution rearwards is the order of the day :happy2:
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