Practical Performance Car ?999 challenge

[Lee H]

I have entered my XE Nova into the Practical Performance Car ?999 challenge at York Dragway. For those that haven't read about it it involves a slalom course and 1/4 mile runs. I have about ?100 of my budget left to spend, can anyone advise what else I should do to make the car quicker?

Think rear seats will come out as thats obviously free. Maybe remove bumper carriers etc?

Car is currently as it stands in the pics below although it has a 6 point cage in as well now. Spec is pretty much standard XE and F20 with Pipercross filter and 2 1/4" system, Toyo T1S tyres, shonky G-Max shocks and springs and valver brakes.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z163/Lee_H25/002-1.jpg[/URL]

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z163/Lee_H25/006-5.jpg (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z163/Lee_H25/002-1.jpg)

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z163/Lee_H25/005-2.jpg[URL="http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z163/Lee_H25/005-2.jpg"]

[Will F]

How do you prove that it cost ?999?

Surely you could claim that you bought a rally car for ?800 on ebay or something? lol

[chimp007_uk]

or say you bought it off so and so, and get your mate to do a reciept...

[Lee H]

How do you prove that it cost ?999?

Surely you could claim that you bought a rally car for ?800 on ebay or something? lol

Its just down to honesty really and other peoples judgement, plus lying is not really in the spirit of the event. A Pulsar won it last year :confused:

[Matt2107]

Would you be allowed to have a 2ltr xe as isnt that kinda cheating.

[Lee H]

Would you be allowed to have a 2ltr xe as isnt that kinda cheating.

Yes, as long as its all cost less than a grand its fair game.

[burgo]

How do you prove that it cost ?999?

Surely you could claim that you bought a rally car for ?800 on ebay or something? lolat the end of the day its designed to be a fun day out and if people feel the need to cheat then thats up to them. however if you go on to the ppc forum they explain that if you cant explain how you did only spend ?999 and they cant possibly see how you built the car for that much you will be disqualified. also they do allow you to sell parts off the car and then use that money to buy upgrades

[alan b]

maybe a pair of second hand cams? surely ull find sum for a 100

[mikey14sr]

XE rated front springs could be a good idea for the handling part.......

[Adam]

For ?100, i cant see anything worthwhile doing tbh. Unless maybe fit a set of 2nd hand adjustable shocks, so you can stiffen them right up for the slalom course.
Id leave the engine as it is, as ?100 is not going to make much difference to power(unless you find a mega cheap nitrous kit lol)

Obviously strip the fook out of it for the 1/4.

[Philsutton]

We were talking about this the other day, a crappy xe nova with a second nitrous kit would most things on the 1/4 no questions. Honestly I cant see how a nova cant win imo when looking at cost agaisnt performance.

A certain 12s green nova springs to mind :thumb:


Also does it include some twisties? cant remember or not. If it was just 1/4 mile then weld the **** out of the diff lol

[Adam]

Yeah, theres a slalom course, so the car kind of has to be able to turn lol

From what i saw when i read the mag in WhSmith, i agree, a Xe'd Nitrous'd nova would destroy most of the other cars on the 1/4 easily.
(Cars like a 1.4 Metro GTA's etc etc, which i think i saw in the mag doing 15/16sec 1/4s)

[Will F]

With some shoddy G-Chav suspension and 16v brakes, I would concentrate on that side of things...

for ?100 you will struggle. You could get some V6 caliers and some Fiat Coupe Turbo disks for that though... ?30 for calipers and pads and ?50 (new) for disks...

[Adam]

For the slalom, brakes wont be put under a massive amount of effort(depending on how much speed you can pickup through the course)
256 should be fine IMO.

So id go with improving the handling with better suspension/shocks.

[Lee H]

Not really blessed with the suspension I know, its what came on the car though unfortunately, it didn't use any of my budget.

If I fitted higher poundage springs the front would sit a lot higher than the back which wouldn't help matters unfortunately. Got lowered tie bar blocks to go on which helped my black car a bit. Maybe just try and sort some rear shocks as they are standard on the back.

An XE alone should do better than a lot of the cars last year, only funny was the Pulsar really. I know an XE on nitrous may be able to be done for ?1k but only if using a lot of parts donated from friends or already lying around etc.

[Lee H]

Double post

[Ste L]

I know an XE on nitrous may be able to be done for ?1k but only if using a lot of parts donated from friends or already lying around etc.


Get Chris to lend you his C20LET lol

[novacabrio]

Ebay electric super charger?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAUXHALL-NOVA-ASTRA-CAR-MOD-CHIP-ADD-20BHP-TO-YOUR-CAR_W0QQitemZ180216714546QQihZ008QQcategoryZ32094Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/build-your-own-electric-supercharger-civic-nova-escort_W0QQitemZ230225155922QQihZ013QQcategoryZ366 80QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Buy these and it'll see you with over 200bhp and you'll still have ?98.82 left?

On a serious note, if you can sell bits sell the interior and you'll be ok, or say you sold the interior and you'll have a bit more cash, also what about

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAUXHALL-C20XE-POWERCAP-2-0-16v-NOVA-CORSA-CONVERSION_W0QQitemZ160210409636QQihZ006QQcategory Z10404QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Lee H]

Been led to believe powercaps are pretty pointless and give no power gains over the SFi box.

[nathan.]

Get some Sticky front tyres off ebay.

[CP]

New plugs, octane booster,oil change, slick 50, general tune? Grasping at straws really

As others have said - strip it to **** . the more weight that comes out the better it will be at everything

[dave.gsi]

agreed - strip out everything you don't physically need...............and skip breakfast on the day of the event lol

what about some higher octane fuel? as tesco says... 'every little helps' :thumb:

[Will F]

And some 2nd hand slicks (2 of)

Toyo 888s are just over budgetr at ?68 ea.

[Welsh Dan]

Take the bonnet, passenger door and tailgate off.

[Nick J]

When is this Lee?? I think I may come and watch you put the nova through its paces as its only down the road from me.

[shy witness]

i'd concentrate on the handling side of things a bit more if its a slalom course aswell mate...


and as someone else said.....a half decent service.plugs ...oil.......higer octane fuel....and clean air filter would have it running as welll as it could be.

[Jack]

Take the bonnet, passenger door and tailgate off.
Remove all the glass too :D

How "legal" does the car have to be?

[Philsutton]

Actually you dont need panels on to pass an MOT so if thats al they are asking lol

[dannyb]

Can you cut any metal out of the car, like using a hole saw to remove circles of metal or algle grinding off brackets?

[H15 NVA]

yeah starrut cutter(however its spelt) TO DRILL LARGE HOLES IN EVERYTHIN cut off rear seat brackets, metal on inside of door behind door cards etc, basically "ADD LIGHTNESS"
remove steel bumper bars as very heavy
if fitting courtney front springs id remove anti rollbar, did on my xe and found it improved turn in quite a bit
2nd hand strut brace front or rear or both
unless chance of u rollin it id remove cage too

[Matt2107]

Don't forget to take a big **** just before you have to compete.... every little helps.

[lj]

would it be worth doing the breather mod to the top half of the engine as ur be cornering..... run the oct boost stuff with optimax.....

how about asking someone to lend u a old set of perspex windows.... or make some....

weld the shocks solid that'll make it stiff....lol where and when is this dude?

[RJM25R]

I think some better tyres would prob help? Good luck with it!!!

[Lee H]

14th June at York but last year was no spectating as far as i'm aware.

[loggyboy]

Get some autosolo practice in, that will aid you on the handling course.
http://www.loggyboy.com/Video/AutoSolo-040307/Nova%201%20Hi.wmv
http://www.loggyboy.com/Autosolo.htm

there should be a local MC organising them in your area.