Improving road holding

[soworththewait]

Hi all,

Am planning to use this year to finally start to upgrade the car progressively. Not quite sure what end result will be as not sure whether long term I will be looking to sell to upgrade to R300 or whether new/tune engine to give the feel of an R300.

Any how, first step for the car will be to improve road handling and ensure the car is in the best form possible come engine time, whenever that may come round. It's still in standard 1.6 K Roadsport spec 120bhp.

So improvements, a guessing wider rears, wide track at front. Will this be something that I will notice on the road? Would it be a worth while investment in its current form.

Also in terms of wide track front, aero coss section wishbones? Alot of extra cash, worthwhile investment or a extra with minimal benifit?

Oh, whats the dimension change for the widetrack? I sometimes use routes which have speed humps (not the best idea I know), the car can take them currently, but i am not sure whether an increase in width could effect this as the wheels would I imagine sit differently over the hump after.

Currently in terms of my uncertainty of the long term car plan I intend to be using as many items from CC during upgrades, as should I decide to sell I would want to maximise the return for the car, I know they become a bit cagey on non-approved items being used. (I have read a few posts referring to a Supersport R upgrade am I right in thinking this is no longer carried out by caterham?)

All thoughts on the above and inputs on other uprades I may benifit from are very much welcome.

Steve

[Drumster]

Surely, if you want an R300 save the money from the potential upgades and put into the cost of buying the new car.

 

I doubt you will see that much of a return on upgrading your current car i.e you won't get back what you spend on it in upgrades. Your car is probably set up reasonably well anyway, so what about considering a driver upgrade like a handling course?

 

Just my 2p worth.

 

Chris Alston

C7CAT 1800 Supersprint

R248 ....and then I jumped in

[Kevsta]

Steve,

 

It depends (in my opinion) on if you would have the funds to be able to buy the car you want or not. If you can then go that route. For me I am able to spend a little on the car each year and so that it what I do. I am not at R300 spec but it is quick enough and I go faster than a lot of other cars. In essence, I am very happy with how it is but I could go a lot further. If I had spent the purchase price and all of the upgrades then I might be able to afford a car quicker than what I have achieved but for me it was the doing that was as much part of the fun and pride in making the car more mine. Now I will always just upgrade what I have as I feel very attached to it. So I'd have a think about the above and go the route that best suits. But to get to R300 spec with what you have will cost a lot of money (you have not given all of the spec but I could hazard a guess if it is a 1.6 standard).

 

Hope this helps (if just make you think about what you are trying to achieve...or more how you can achieve it (or want to achieve it).

 

Kev

[Gary Stone]

I agree with Aeroscreens. If you want a R300 spec car then I think you are better off putting your money into changing the car to one with all the right bits on already.

If you do decide to stick with your car then I think upgrading your suspension is your first step to improve handling.

 

Superlight R'66 GMS 'Flying Very Low'...

[Richard Price]

Any how, first step for the car will be to improve road handling and ensure the car is in the best form possible

What tyres do you currently have 🤔

Different tyres are consumables (unless you have standard fitment Avon ZV3's which last ages!!) You'll see the biggest improvement in grip simply changing to something like A021R's, A048R's, R888's etc.

If you buy another set of wheels, you can stick the original wheels back on when you sell it to buy the car you really want ❗

If its a standard RoadSport, then a stiffer front ARB often makes the car feel very different (far more different than wide track would make the car feel. People often say how much better the car feels after the swap to wide track, but they've fitted a stiffer ARB at the same time.......)

 

Other than the above, I'd agree. Save your money, and put it towards the car that you really want.

 

[Richard Price]

Oh, Just to add, the 5/8" red bushed front ARB works really well with standard springs and dampers (with or without a rear ARB).

I've used narrow track, and standard springs and dampers to good effect in the clubs speed championship for the last few years. If I thought wide track was noticabley quicker, I would have had it years ago.

[Racing Snake]

Steve - inside information tell me that Linds at Seven Speed is selling his R300 which is one of the best i have seen. Give him a call if interested

Seven Speed Here

Its the car on his website

I think it is for sale with or without all the extra goodies on it

Immaculate car

 

---

Mad Hatter Racing - Feel The Duralight R Torque 😬 Carl

---

[David Brown]

Assuming you are posting because you can't afford to change cars to get your ideal spec but want to do a bit at a time and are not using for competing. If you check the archives you will see most people don't appear to notice much change when moving to wider front. Also most reckon wider rear wheels spoil the handling balance unless you are approaching 180 - 200bhp. Ensure you have decent tyres, upgrade front pads then look at DVA site to see engine upgrade steps. This can be done in easy steps over a few years if you wish. You may not be able to trade in at CC but will find DVA upgrades no hindrance to selling anywhere else.

[Rattie]

Hey, here's a plan. Part ex the car for a R300 now, but when you get it, wind the throttle stop towards you by a couple of cm. Then as you get the urge to upgrade, you can simply back the throttle stop off by a few mm. You can keep doing that all year and still save youself quite a bit of cash over upgrades AND end up with better residuals!

 

Sorry, going stir crazy without the R300, especially on a day as nice as this. Only two week, only to weeks, only .....

 

Martyn

^{_{R300GRR SV undergoing Post Build check - IVA on 12th March}}

[soworththewait]

There is the definitive point over and over again, yes unfortunately it does boil down to the finances available. This is why I was looking at the progressive upgrade route, having said this should I want to get rid of it as you never know what is round the corner (apart from not winning the lottery!), I would want an ease of sale.

I did look at the possiblity of changing car last year but found it very difficult to find what I really wanted. Since then I have spent the money I had available on other areas of living, again leading to the idea of a staged progression.

Some fantastic input on the wheels and suspension, as this has highlighted the fact I don't really need them at the moment if at all, the car is only ever used on the road. Clearly I need to stop looking at the little bits, get some money together then decide what route to go down as the funds build up again.

Thanks for the ideas, gives me some things to think about for now.

Steve

[Rattie]

Sounds like you need one of those progressive upgrade routes called a savings account 😬

 

As you say the "little bits" feel easy to afford, but are hugely inefficient financially. Reckon you need to work out how much to cream off a month into a savings account, while treating yourself occasionally to a pukka driver training day, with folks like Hugh Noblett and Andy Walsh. The upgrades you get from them are directly transferable to any car.

 

Enjoy!

 

Martyn

^{_{R300GRR SV undergoing Post Build check - IVA on 12th March}}

[Ivaan]

Steve, Your roadsport will probably have 14" wheels, with ZV3 tyres. Go down to 13" and get some Toyo R888's. The smaller rolling circumference will downgear the car, lower the centre of gravity and give great levels of grip. Then get the geometry sorted to suit your driving style.

I've done various upgrades to my Roadsport over the past 4 years, but I think this has made the biggest single difference and most bang for buck.

Just watch your sump clearance 🙅🏻‍♂️

 

Clive

[PAUL MARRIOTT]

A bit at a time is best advise

 

Wheels and tyres first

- 13"wheels and Toyo 888s as already suggested

 

suspension

- Wide track - cos it looks good

- Adjustable platforms

- uprated front springs and anti roll bar (Freestyle can help you here)

- Flat floor set up - there's a decent chap nr Kingston Bagpuize.

 

Brakes

- Upgrade pads not expensive or

- Upgrade to 4 pots - Caterham standard

 

engine

- Adjustable verniers

- decent exhaust nb think about emisions

- 52mm throttle body

 

Driver

- Tuition

 

Then take it on a trackday just to get the feel of what the car can do - then decide whether you need R300 performance for the road.

 

Have fun

 

Paul M

 

ps don't do any of this just go for POWER!!!!

[OliverSedlacek]

Tyres, flat floor suspension setup, tyres, track testing so that you can really feel what's going on, and then try some more tyres. Handling gives you the best results, and handling is 50% tyres, 50% everything else.