Road legal track car -advice needed..

[Peter Empson]

ORIGINAL: lali You dont need headlights either... you can get a "daylight only" MOT.

Is this still possible? I quickly looked into this when my awful headlights failed the MOT but no tester we spoke to had heard of it. I had a good look around the net and only came across recent mentions of quad bike type vehicles and couldn't find an appropriate section on the dvla website. I know of a 924 race car that used be registered this way, so I knew it was possible 4-5 years ago.

 

[944 man]

Youd be surprised what many have never heard of: especially with regards to cat testing and brake testing.

 

[lali]

Have a look here: http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_120.htm

 

[Hilux]

especially the reserve cooling,

Seconded, on a hot day if the heating is marginal then the heater matrix can be used to dump heat. I know people that have ducted the heater blower intake to a hole inside the car so as to seal the bulkhead, works fine, no misting up.

 

[Axl Rose]

Pretty handy site that one..should be getting most of my anwers here..[]

ORIGINAL: lali Have a look here: http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_120.htm

 

[Axl Rose]

Question about bonnet quick release pins..where on chassis should they be attached so they'd "secure the bonnet in closed position"? http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_840.htm

 

[944 man]

Personally, Id advise that you fabricate a stainless bracket (shaped like this [ ) mounting the foot on the nose of the chassis leg immediately behind the badge panel using rivets. Secure the pin to the other end. Simon

 

[lali]

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson

ORIGINAL: lali You dont need headlights either... you can get a "daylight only" MOT.

Is this still possible? I quickly looked into this when my awful headlights failed the MOT but no tester we spoke to had heard of it. I had a good look around the net and only came across recent mentions of quad bike type vehicles and couldn't find an appropriate section on the dvla website. I know of a 924 race car that used be registered this way, so I knew it was possible 4-5 years ago.

I think the way it works is... If they are fitted then they HAVE to work. If they aint there then they can only certify you for daytime use.

 

[bw64870]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey Well following on from what John says what about the heater? ISTR that a road legal car must have a means to demist the windscreen therefore needing a heater and fan. Would this be looked for on MOT test though? Glass windscreen as well of course but starting to move away from interior.

My last track car had an engine swap which meant the standard heater matrix etc had to be stripped out and i never got round to replacing it. Can't remember if i got it through an MOT like that or not. However i do know that i will never do that again. I remember a very very long drive back to London from Castle Combe with my wolly hat on, my trousers tucked into my socks, shivering, with window open because otherwise the windows would steam up, and i couldn't wipe the window from the inside because i had a full harness on and it was too much to adjust it so i could get forward and then tighten it up again. Although i have to admit to some possibly slightly sick enjoyment from driving such a thoroughly uncomfortable car on the road... bloody loved it []

 

[bw64870]

ORIGINAL: 944 man You definitely dont need a rear view mirror, but you do need two mirrors. Its perfectly aceptable to have two door mounted mirrors. If you retain the rear view mirror then you can remove one of the door mirrors.

Correct, and even if that wasn't the law driving with one wing mirror only is bloody lethal. Had a car with just wing mirrors and it was fine, but then put it upto the top of the windscreen into a tyre wall and lost one of them. Drive home was horrible. But atleast i had a heater in that car

 

[bw64870]

ORIGINAL: Hilux

You dont need a heater, although in my personal opinion itd be a folly to remove/disconnect it, unless you have to seal the bulkhead. Even then a race car will still have it in order to demist on a wet day. A road car must have a demisting device, as stated above.

So true, have you ever done a cold wet track day with no heater/demister?? Alternative is an electric fan heater designed for the purpose, small, light and removeable on hot days.

I've already removed the standard belts and just fitted E(4) 4-point harness with seatbelt type buckle..used standard mounting points for both, front and rear..the harness i used came out from my '86 Alpine White..although personally i didn't think it was fitted up to standard and rather unsafe (front point were mounted onto bolts that were welded onto the sides of base frame/sliders not chassis!!?!, rear points were joined and bolted through floor using just a bolt and nut!!) it still passed MOT..[:'(]

Unless you need to use them for a very good reason then try and avoid the 4 point belt buckle types. They are cheap but you get what you pay. You also cant get out of them when upside down!! Use a quick release type harness where all straps release and 3" shoulder straps which spread the load better. For an MOT simply bolt in the old seatbelts - its 15 mins work once a year.

I completely agree with that. Never used a seat belt type that felt like it was doing a proper job, regardless of the ease of release. Also, what are peoples thoughts on a harness when you don't have roll protection. Personally i can't see it being a good idea. I have no idea if it is the case, but i can't help thinking that if you had a really nasty roll where the roof gets crushed in, and you are in a harness, there is only one thing that is going to happen to your neck if you are pinned back in your seat with a harness. I would only fit harnesses with a cage or decent roll hoop as a minimum. I may be talking rubbish ofcourse, but i doubt there is much data as rolls on track days are relatively infrequent and in racing you will only ever have the two together

 

[John Sims]

ORIGINAL: bw64870 ......Also, what are peoples thoughts on a harness when you don't have roll protection. Personally i can't see it being a good idea. I have no idea if it is the case, but i can't help thinking that if you had a really nasty roll where the roof gets crushed in, and you are in a harness, there is only one thing that is going to happen to your neck if you are pinned back in your seat with a harness. I would only fit harnesses with a cage or decent roll hoop as a minimum......

I agree 100%

Any excuse to post the picture again [] I must trim the excess length on the shoulder straps though.

 

[bw64870]

Is that just a half cage? how is it fixed up at the top on the C pillar? Looks interesting. Certainly easier to live with than a full weld in job. There is also no better way that to start off giving somebody a passenger lap on track than watching them climb in, put on there three point seat belt, and then you carefully put on your harness and really tighten the shoulder straps, then take a quick glance at their three point belt and drive off. They love it

 

[Neil Haughey]

Personally, and its just MHO because loads of ppl on here will doubtless disagree with me, but harnesses race seats and full cages all go together.

 

[944 man]

Helmets too...

 

[bw64870]

You always look a bit silly driving on the road with a helmet though! One thing is for sure, this thread is really making me itchy for a car with race seats and full harness again, feels great driving when you are properly strapped in . Current timeline means its probably two years away though. ;(