S2 Exige race prep (Plans Motorsport)

General Owners Cars
1

As a few of you already know, I have decided to take the plunge and go racing with the boys in the mid engined series with my S2 Exige. I have been keeping it all abit quite up until now, but the car is getting closer to being ready and the excitment welling up inside me is far too overwelming. I just had to tell someone!!!

It would have been nice to be posting as others have telling you all about the fun and games they went through in converting their road car to a race car…Unfortunately, I have neither time, patience or free space for such antics. I have therefore left it in the hands of the proffesionals to get on with in a far quicker fashion than I could ever have acheived and probably somwhere similar if not cheaper on the cost side of things.

I have decided to start out in the production class as this was the easiest way to get out on track with the motor as she stood (very much standard). The breif I gave to Graham at Plans for the first stage of conversion was basically to make the car as safe as possible and to get it to handle and stop as well as it possibly could, all within a budget of course. Priority was on the safety side of things though.

This was the spec we finally decided on.

Fully welded MSA approved rollcage made from t45 steel, this was designed to suit the car to allow maximum cabin space. The car is still going to be used both on the road and for trackdays so I wanted the most ergonomical design to allow ease of access for driver and passengers and of course in emergency situations. I looked at the FIA approved one from lotus but it made getting in and out certainly more difficult and just filled the cabin with too much steel in all honesty. It also made getting to the light switches and winders tricky with its front legs going into the sills. I knocked that one on the head and plumped for the bespoke unit instead.

Fully plumbed in electronic fire extinguisher system (2007 spec) and electrical cut out points. The external switches are mounted in the rear clam like the cup cars, while the internal switches are mounted on a c/f sheet inplace of the two centre air outlets. I have seen them mounted inplace of the stereo but I cannot reach them in that position when buckled into the seat.

‘Plans’ Ohlins 46mm GT kit with 240r race springs. geo and corner weighted.

Motorsport muti point ARB.

Braided lines with new Pagid 42’s all round + change of fluid (AP discs as soon as my standards are dead).

240r rims (silver)

Set of Yoko full race wets.

Twin oil coolers retro fitted (mine was one of the early cars without them).

Oil temp and pressure gauge.

Perspex front and rear screens.

New front and rear tow points.

Numbers and series decals.

This was about as much as the budget would allow in one go along with a new (in date) sparco race suit and thermal undies to go with it all…

I asked Plans to remove as much unwanted trim as possible in order to get the weight down a little, however I have had them replace the dash board for the momment, this gives me the option to take it in and out at a later date with its cut-outs already inplace (i would have just made a bodge job of it).

The car was going to be ready for me this Weds/Thurs, but one final mod has been decided upon before it gets returned. Im going with quick release fastenings for the front and rear clams. Yes it means drilling dirty holes in my shiny ones but the benefits should far outway the downside. epecially when it comes time for working on the car as I will be able to remove ansd replace in minutes rather than hours.

Thought i would share a few of the pics Graham has been sending across while the project has been going along…

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/622d18e4.jpg[/image]



[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/f7b380a5.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6070015.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6070014.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6080021.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6100008.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6100009.jpg[/image]

2

Cool Man, looks great!!!

Are you going to be at Silverstone??

Sean…

3

Congratulations gav - looks great. How many more can we get from exiges.com?, could be interesting…

4

Nice one Gav

5

Nice one Gav
when is your first race?
I don’t know how you have kept it quiet, I get way to excited to keep ot to myself

6

Looks very good. Can I ask a couple of questions?

  • Do you have any close up photos of where the front hoops of the cage meet the chassis?

  • Did you think about cooling mods?

  • Can I ask @ how much it was to have the quick release fastenings for the front and rear clams? I think I would tinker alot more with my car, and therefore derive more please from it, if i was able to take the clams off without it being the daunting task it is perceived to be.

Thanks

7

Cheers guys, though the real credit goes out to Plans for the work they have done so far, it just up to me now to drive the thing well…obviously wil be lacking in power but that was not what I was after to start with just want to get out on track!!

steve the front hoops anchors are simialr to those on Seans car angle section around the ali box setion. sorry no close up picture (well they should be attached that way).

Cooling?? the window still operate for the momment?? your on about something else though yes?

Best discuus all prices with PLans :wink

8

Congratulations!
It looks like a very nice Exige. Can wait to see some more pictures when the car is ready.
By the way, you�ve said that you want to drive the car on the road too, but as far as I know you can�t with a plastic windscreen. Am I wrong?

9

Nice one Gav, best of luck with the racing.

That cage looks like a really neat install. Was the rollhoop replaced as well, or was the performance pack one good enough?

10

Sorry Sean, yes I will be racing at Siverstone and in at the deep end as they say. I’ve only been there once before and that was on the GP circuit in the piss wet…Nothing like a challenge though… Will be the same at the next round at Pembrey, never even heard of the place before I sign up for the series!! Sort of know my way around Donny and Oulton though

Graham, couldnt tell you about the plaggy window thing, cant say as I have ever seen my MOT guy tapping on windows
so should be alright Long term the car will eventually be trailered but I thought I would try to keep it road legal for as long as possible while it still has insurance tax etc…

Will, yes the main roll hoop was replaced for a t45 motorsport item. My car was just a bogo exige, no aircon or nowt. I know that the 240R is fitted with the t45 hoop, dont know about any of the other cars. TBH the price I paid for the car (It was 2nd hand 1yr old with 500 miles on the clock) and with the mods now done I’m not that much over the cost of a new exige with P/P and with a better spec.

11

good luck gav

12

good luck gav

Dude

13

Glad to see its all working out for you
Remember you telling me to swap with Nick’s 240R, wheel wise - nice to see you took your own advice and got some silver ones

14

Nice!

Great write-up too.

I was surprised though, as safety was your number one objective, that you let Plans send somebody up in to the rafters to take a pic of the work in progress!

Hope to see you at (a sunnier!) Silverstone.

Ian

15

excellent having so many now racing each other…

16

cheers guys,

Plenty of room on the grid for more to jion in of course ,

Yes, sunshine this time please or at least a dry track…

Jamie, the wheels will look good with the colour scheme I have planned for the car…Hey, I’ve just got to get it all stickered up, worth at least 2 tenths

17

few more piccies -

external electrical/extinguisher switches (needing some stickers)
[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6240002.jpg[/image]

couple of the dash re-attached

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6230018.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6230017.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6240032.jpg[/image]

saddled up!

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6220013.jpg[/image]

18

Very, very nice, Gav - well done Plans

Hope you enjoy your first drive of it tomorrow. Is your new suit similar to Mr Stig’s?

19

A couple of pics of the quick release front clam.

Graham is saying it can be removed in a matter of minutes - Disconnect plug, release fastenings, lift off.

The two small body panels under the window are no longer seperate and come away with the clam. havent got any pics of the side fixings yet as they are not quite finished.

top fixings

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6230019.jpg[/image]

q/relaese connector block

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6240030.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/thekevlarkid_photos/P6240031.jpg[/image]





The rear has only been been made ‘part’ q/r for the momment. There are a couple of obsticles to overcome to make it fully q/r which Graham is looking into to make the job a good un.

20

Very, very nice, Gav - well done Plans

Hope you enjoy your first drive of it tomorrow. Is your new suit similar to Mr Stig’s?

Plan has changed again Rob!!

Im now collecting next Thursday…Saves me running up and down the country for no other reason than to run up and down the country. That and it also gives Graham a bit more time to fiinsh off the little touches (race winning touches of course ), no, when I spoke to him this arvo he hadn’t done the geo and c/w and a track test etc…)

yes will be playing some music in the holding area, perhaps blast out some bad ass junglistic just to putt off my fellow competitors1!