Rally/Autotest Car

[Woody]

Emm... Hi... First of all, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Paul but you can call me woody. I'm 15 and a student, this is my 4th car and my longest project. First car i had was a Seat Ibiza and then a Peugeot 106 before getting a 1 litre micra a couple of years ago for christmas. All of them were either scrapped or sold to fund my current project. A 1.4 2002 Micra. Everything has either been done by myself or my dad helping me so this is a list of spec so far;

Interior
-Two low back bucket seats-leather
-Suede wheel- Deep dished
-Boss
-Rear seats removed..ish (go back in or stay out depending on the event)
-Radio Removed
-Sound deadening from under the rear seats removed.

Suspension
-Front- Coilovers damper adjustable (SPAX)
-Rear- Standard..saving up
-Dropped 35mm all round (APEX)

Exterior
-Spoiler
-White wheels
-White Roof

Engine
-Skimmed head, painted and then polished writting ontop.
-Clutch
-Performance air filter.
-Oil change
-Oil Filter
-Fuel Filter
-New plugs
-Water Pump
-Thermostat
-Fan overide switch
-Quick shift

Exhaust
-Standard at the minute- Plans are to get a 4-2-1 manifold de cat and a straight through with performance backbox.

Wheels (13")
Tyres
-Front-need wider ones but atm 155-65
-Back-135-70

Brakes
-Braided Hose pipes
-DIAMOND front pads, new discs
-REALLY tight handbrake


So i picked this up in Feburary of last year (2011). So I was the proud owner of a 1.4 micra . Completly standard...Brought it home and got to work. Everything had to come out, started to strip it and then my dad told me if I did to much to it then the organisers of autotest wouldn't let me run as I am a junior and ment to be running in the "production class"(completly standard car) So everything went back in and I invested in a new clutch and gearbox oil and new engine oil. I sanded the wheels myself and got them sprayed. Then the next big Item was the sunstrip and roof done with white vinyl. Then i couldnt hold out any longer and had to bite the bullet. I bought new suspension for the front, it really deseerved it. I set about descretly lightening it as the less weight it has to pull the better the acceleration.(Autotesting is all about acceleration as your rarely out of first)



I have done a couple of events in it...
-TSCC (Thoroughbreed and Sport Car Club) -Autotest.
-PMC (Police Motor Club) -Autotest in Carrickfergus.
-PMC -Autotest in Carrickfergus.
-MGCC (MG Car Club) -Production Car Trial
-MGCC -Production Car Trial
-PPMC (Peak Performance Motor Club) -Autotest

Iv always been the youngest competator and never had a dead last Finish so in my books thats pretty good . My best finish was in the second PCT (2nd) and my worst in the first PCT (33rd) (I was having a bad day, However I still didnt finish last)

My first ever event was an autotest held by TSCC. This was my first ever autotest so was very nervous. My dad had to sit beside me as im a junior so i think he wsa as nervous as me!!

 

[Woody]

Anybody know how to upload photos from photobucket

 

[Skinner_87]

Anybody know how to upload photos from pnotobucket

In the Image links box with all the links to your photo mate copy the one thats called IMG Code

Then just paste the link in

 

[Woody]

[/IMG]?

 

[Skinner_87]

 

[Woody]

i cant do it...

 

[Woody]

yeah see thats just annoying i dont get it

 

[Woody]

 

[Woody]

ohhh i get it thanks

 

[Woody]

first micra ^

Practicing^

 

[Woody]

Had a full bucket but was crap for autotesting so got semis

 

[Woody]

And a wheel

 

[Woody]

Sitting on steelies for a pct and i use the alloys for autotesting

 

[Woody]

since the pictures i have lowered it and got the seats and a boss and wheel on ill post pics soon

 

[Woody]

What does everybody think of painting the chrome at the front white? and the wing mirrors? and the grey plastic at the bottom of the front bumper black? Ill remove the side strips soon and get the spoiler on when it arrives.

 

[Woody]

 

[Woody]

 

[Woody]

Got the head skimmed and painted the rocker cover. I think itll look well once its on...I have an autotest on Saturday and I havnt driven it since the quickshift, Skimmed head and semi bucket seats went in.. hopefully it should be fine. I could have done with a bit of practice though.

 

[frank]

good luck Saturday woody

 

[Woody]

Thanks Ill need it!! iv always competed against adults so theres another couple of juniors out so it should be a great day

 

[Woody]

Just a quick update.... Spoiler arrived this morning (second hand so i didn't have to paint it but its scuffed so ill have to paint it anyway grrr ) I also sourced wheel spacers to push the wheels out abit as their hidden in the back arches since i droppped it (because i lightened it so much it sat high so by dropping it down i pretty much put it back to normal ride hight so i might get 50 or 60mm lowering springs...possibly, it is tempting).Anyway, neither the spoiler nor spacers will get down before the competition tomorrow as i dont even have my car at the minute, Its getting the head put back on today and ill hopefully get it tonight to put the passenger semi bucket seat in and go out for a throw to use my quickshift and new wheel, give it a wash and give it a once over with polish. Presuming it runs fine with no immediate fixes needed, I'll then paint the plastic on the front bumper grey and put my spoiler on and that will do me for a while untill Money is available.

 

[sr_steve]

Nice.start to project. Got the seats in yet. There the ones I'm planning to get didn't think anyone else had done it lol

 

[Woody]

Yeah drivers side one is in but it had to get away to get the engine stripped so the passenger on is sitting with my spoiler pre fitted on the standard seat base.

 

[Woody]

Nice.start to project. Got the seats in yet. There the ones I'm planning to get didn't think anyone else had done it lol

I'll post pics tomorrow, (Inside and out) definatly with her sitting stationary and hopefully a couple of her being thrown about

 

[Woody]

 

[Woody]

Okay so got my car back tonight, seats in, loaded up on the trailer and a couple of photos taken. It's was dark so the photos are crap ill get better ones tomorrow in day light

 

[Woody]

Hi everybody back from an autotest was absolutly brilliant fun.

As you can see the handbrake button is taped in...

I didn't do to badly in the autotest I finished 33rd out of 50 overall and 3rd out of 7 in the junior class. Brilliant days fun !!!!

 

[Woody]

 

[natemicra!]

looking good mate.. a lightened flywheel would be a good mod for autotest alot more responsive.

 

[Harlen]

Love the no nonsense approach to this car - parts and then get right out there and hoon about in it Sounds like it did pretty good at the autotest too

 

[Jay101]

Seats are awesome. What they out of?

 

[Woody]

Seats are from santas sleigh they were bought from motorsport and spares in Ballymena. The no nonsense approach will have to wait for a while because i seem to have run out of money however spoiler still has to go on and i realised i didnt post a picture of the rocker cover so that will be posted soon

 

[Woody]

Oh Iv also decided not to drop it any further as A) I cant afford it and B) the autotest today was rough so if i dropped it any further she would have bottomed out :/

 

[Woody]

3rd in junior category I could have got second but on the last test i clipped a cone with my wing mirror so that was 5 seconds lost but fair play to the two juniors who beat me they drove flawlessly all day Mark Geraghty 1st and James Fraizer 2nd.

 

[Woody]

http://www.stopastride.com/gallery/...ons-12-1-13/ppmc-tony-pattersons-12-1-13-2209
Some pics of it in motion theres some of myself and my dad mixed in with all the other conpetators...you can have a browse theres some good pics of cars hanging the tails out in the b@lls out approach many drivers take to motorsport...it's all well and good if you have the money to fix your pride and joy if she does end up wrapped around a tree

 

[Woody]

Okay...bit of an announcement my dad who dual drove with me finished 9th so shows you what the wee cars capable off compared with my 33rd place finish... defiantly shows that its a quick car, bearing in mind he was up against autotest specials... such as stripped to the bare shell novas minis corsas and even a metro so yeah experience over exuberant driving style is the way to go.

 

[Woody]

Okay how do i take the bump strips down the side off

 

[karlj]

Okay how do i take the bump strips down the side off

Just pull them off

 

[Woody]

just a quickupdate will get spoiler on soon and then thats all I'll do to it. Ill work on my autotester for when im 16 and then turn the micra into a rally car!!


What a nice sight!!

The light isnt good but hats her minus the back seats

 

[Woody]

Over here in Northern Ireland there was a fair bit of snow

How could I resist?!?!?!

I couldnt!


I went out on Friday night on my alloys, with narrow tyres on at the back and they cut down through the snow so the back end was quick grippy. Then on Sunday morning I put the steels on which had wide bald tyres at the back so they slid over the snow making it REALLY tail happy

Steels

The slush was even slippier

And Finally as promised a picture of the polished writing and red rocker cover.
The writing still needs a bit of work and then finished so it doesn't corrode.

 

[infinity]

Great progress and really nice micra. wish i had your garage :O btw how did you polish the rocker cover letters??

 

[Woody]

Great progress and really nice micra. wish i had your garage :O btw how did you polish the rocker cover letters??

There not actually polished yet abit of work still needed but exams came round so it was abandoned for a while but there over so back to what really matters....rally cars

 

[Woody]

Havnt written in a while... Got the bumpstrips off and a sticker on advertising stopastride.com

STICKER

White roofed wonders

I saw this outside my school mates laughing their heads off but i loved it and want to do a shoot with him anybody recognize him or the car??

 

[Woody]

Had another event yesterday Great days fun and not a bad finish either
http://www.tsccni.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Atest-16feb13.xls
a junior betting half the adults not bad in my books.
Finished 18th out of 43 and was the fastest junior. (My dad was 13th so I'm not that far off him)

 

[MaxK11C]

Well. It's official. I'm Damn jealous. Nice work, nice car.. hell, nice life mate .

 

[Woody]

Ha!! wouldn't quite say that. I'm only fifteen and the garage is my whole families, that's where we keep all the rally cars, I only own the micra and the red kit car.... That I'm gonna use as an autotester when the micra gets caged and turned into a rally car.

A rattle came into her at the autotest I reckon its the exhaust whilst my dad thinks its the heat shield so it'll be coming off and a new exhaust when i can afford it.
Okay so this is the list of stuff that needs done:

-New exhaust
-New rear shocks
-Strut brace
-Wheel camber and spacers
-Vinyl sticker of the name of my dads company

 

[Woody]

ohhhhhhh and the autotest was a charity eventand we managed to raise £540 for Marie Curie Cancer Fund

 

[Woody]

Theres another event on saturday run by TSCC at millisle airfield (http://www.tsccni.info/2013/02/24/tsccni-autotest-march-2nd/) so ill hopefully get another run out if your near the area be sure to drop by everybody is really friendly and its a great place to talk cars (and not have the other person looking at you blankly nodding and smiling polity not having the faintest idea what you are talking about) and admire peoples cars and driving skills.

 

[Woody]

Hey havent written in a while i finally got my spoiler fitted and iv been saving up for new rear dampers but i may need to invest in new rubber all round... And spend a bit of time on my kit car ill keep updating as i upgrade but i imagine it wont be for a while now

 

[Woody]

Had a competition yesterday and the mighty micra was a bit lumpy and dead low down so i have ordered plugs to get her off the line a bit quicker and the acceleration back.



Came 11th overall out of 21 and 2nd in class behind my dad who was 9th and first in class.