Building a Cupra track car... advice needed..

Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Hi all,

I have a 2002 Leon Cupra which a few mates and I bought cheap with the intention of using for track days. It's a fab car, and we really chuffed with it - it's almost too nice to use!

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So far I've done some mechanical bits like the timing kit/water pump and flushed the oil ways etc, and we are moving into the stage of removing weight. Everything has been removed from the front seats backwards. Roof, carpets, bench, boot trim, rear wiper are gone. It's made the car much faster and a real hoot to drive, it's like a little van.

I've got a few questions before I go any further that I need some technical help with before getting into a potential mess, so Any advice would be brilliant.

1. I'd like to remove the AC unit on the engine but I don't know what size belt I'll need if I ditch it, or do I need some sort of idler pulley with the oem length?

2. Are there any issues in terms of what I can't easily remove behind the dash? I need the car to be street legal and MOTd. The plan is to take away everything possible but put the dash skin back in so that it looks like a normal car from the front seat view.

3. I'd like to fit a battery kill switch but will that screw with the alarm? Ideally I'd like to remove the alarm but again I'm wary it'll cause immobiliser issues (unless that can be removed too?)

4. Finally car is leaking water, looks like it's coming in from behind the dash. Are there any areas of weakness I can check first in fixing this? I don't care about the looks so happy to fill it with tigerseal or something lol.

Cheers.
 

Andrewwright

Turbo lover
Aug 16, 2016
1,568
224
Peterborough
1 use the non air con belt. Get one from euro for a tenner.
2 you need the cluster and heater for window screen in case it fogs up you need it for road use.
3 fit it from the ignition ?
4 passenger side? Pollen filter, check this. Driver side? Check bungs are ok under the plastic bit under the wipers.
I too have a stripped out, mapped cupra I use to have a hole lot of fun. I just removed the glove box only. Passed MOT last month with no issues to do with it being stripped out.

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Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Thanks Andrew!

Looks like the 6PK1120 is the one I need.

Yeah I'll take the dash off and remove what I can like the airbags, the radio and changer are already gone, any sounds deadening and wiring I don't need will go too. I'll have to get some pics sorted when I start.

Do you have any tips for getting good value improvements for track use?
 

Andrewwright

Turbo lover
Aug 16, 2016
1,568
224
Peterborough
Air bags removed will fail MOT if not coded out if that is even possible but I guess it is for the 3rd party steering wheel massive.
Do be very careful removing them, disconnect battery for at least 15mins before you touch them.
I kept the "fire blanket" around the dash for obvious reasons.
Tips? Suspension, arb front and rear, strut braces,cage, Polly mount anything and everything that's about it. Good value..just shop about.
Tires I'm not gonna get into as each to there own.

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Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Good thinking. I think it's the wheel airbag that trips it but I'll fit a resistor to trick the ECU light.

Currently the car is OEM (knackered) chassis, but running sticky Toyo r1r rubber. A disc/pad upgrade is first on the agenda, then a suspension refresh and bush replacement would be next.

Possible items then...
Bucket seat
Harness
Arb
Brace (welded tube)
Polycarbonate Windows
Remap

Should end up a flying machine
 

Andrewwright

Turbo lover
Aug 16, 2016
1,568
224
Peterborough
Oil cooler would be a good Idea, nice fmic, intake pipe for flow, de-cat as it's a big restriction and will reduce heat and more flow out the back and then there's the clutch "or run stock till it slips". Then remap it for some descent numbers for little money if you source them second hand as many cupra mk1 are being broken.
List goes on and on with these car's.

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Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Second hand remap???

Can you swap a mapped Ecu over to work with the immobiliser?
 

Andrewwright

Turbo lover
Aug 16, 2016
1,568
224
Peterborough
Second hand remap???

Can you swap a mapped Ecu over to work with the immobiliser?
You can but it's much better to get it on a rolling road and remap that way...£300 ish but worth the money and you can have the delivery of power the way that you want.

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Das Chin

Active Member
Aug 31, 2016
207
11
put some polycarb windows in all round. will save a tonne of weight high up.

keep the windscreen glass

have a look at acwmotorsport plastics on google and ask for Tony
 

Das Chin

Active Member
Aug 31, 2016
207
11
yep that's the one. you will probably take out 25-30 KGs of high weight which is where you want it out.

if its part road part track then maybe polycarb is not the solution as they can be noisy, rattle and car is easier to break in if you get sliders (which you need for ventilation trust me!). if its track only then get that glass out and safer too if you have a big one.

has it got a sunroof? delete that as heavy.

I think track cars should always have a cage too. safer and makes the car stiffer too.

get the carpets up and remove the horrid noise insulation tar stuff they put down. its a messy job but a scraper and some petrol will help. have seen 5Kgs of the stuff come out of a car that size.
 

Das Chin

Active Member
Aug 31, 2016
207
11
also one of your first things should be good suspension and sticky tyres. makes a huge difference and get the set up to help with that so more neg camber and corner weighting.
 

Jack92

Active Member
I pretty much decided the same thing a while back about turning mine into a track car, and luckily a friend of mine works for vosa so spoke to him about it.
I've got no airbags in mine and a full mot, the only thing being is you have to modify it quite heavily so that it can be mot'd as a rally car rather than a road car.

For me it didn't bother me as I've seen a friend roll on track and he was lucky to survive it without a cage so that's actually currently getting done.

I've gone down the routes of a full strip out, racing seat, 5 point harness, roll cage, fire extinguisher, and quite a lot under the bonnet which I won't go into as we shall be here all day lol.

I am really bad at replying on here but if you do have any questions drop me a pm mate, or if your local come and have a butchers.
I'm south east England in Dartford.



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Jack92

Active Member
A few more that might interest ya mate
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*and before people comment yes the dv is inverted, it's not anymore I'd like to add, this was done during mapping which working out boost flow or something or other Idk lol *

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Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Thanks guys that is exactly my plan - light weight track but need an mot.

Those poly kits looks great and precautions is easy but I've got access to 4mm polycarbonate sheets which I can cut myself for pennies. Did you bond them into the window frames? This is my thinking, so I can completely empty out the doors too leaving only the cards so that there's no sharp edges in the front.

Will definitely need ventilation in the front because I'll be ditching the AC, but if I make my own I'll make the slider vents both lockable and large!
 

Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Do you have a quick hit list of what I can remove in the engine compartment?

Because I'm gutting the cabin I'm afraid the car may be a very nose heavy.

So far only all I've removed is the bonnet insulation and the AC compressor is going next.

I think the front fogs will go and I'll vent through to the brake discs.
 

Jack92

Active Member
I would say just be careful not to do to much as you need to car to feel right with you. One issue you could end up with is it being really light on the front end and keep getting under steer.

One of the major things still on my list is a new diff as when you hit the power both wheels are being delivered to at slightly different times causing a very similar feeling to torque steer but it's not a fun sensation as it randomly aims you towards the barriers lol


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Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Hi all, the car has moved on a bit since my last post.

The current position is:
Coilovers fitted
Rear, boot, roof and floor stripped out
AC pump and pulley deleted

Car handles great, brakes need work because they are old and pitted and the fluid is probably knackered.

My question is on the next phase of lightening, I don't want to really spend on the car so lightweight (mot friendly) measures that are free are definitely more appealing.

What can I remove from behind the dash and inside the engine compartment??? Don't dare what it looks like so feel free to go hardcore. I am still thinking about swapping the rear glass for plastic but I don't want to make the car too light at the rear and would rather get weight from the front.

Also the gearstick struggles to centre, the spring is in place but the nylon ball is really tight inside the cup. Apart from spraying penetrating fluid and dry lubricant has anyone got a tip for sorting this because it makes changes across the box really slow.


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Pete-r

Active Member
Aug 1, 2016
13
0
Hi, we have had some oil sensor issues and the weather coupled with work has stopped us from really spending time on it.

Battery isolator is now in so the car can be left for long periods, and I'm looking to swap the rear glass with plastic in the springs but the next job really needs to be the brakes which are great for road but on pitting is causing overheating.

Was able to keep up with a remapped Cupra R last time out though, a great result for a standard 180 engine. Lightness is the key!!!

Start a build thread it would be great to have someone to compar notes with.