Thinking of dumping off that old car in exchange for something that will go fast on a track. Well, do not do that. There are ways to improve your car and generate lap-times that will turn heads. We are gonna go through several tranches of budgets, so do not worry about not being able to afford it.
My wallet is lighter than air category
The good thing about a light wallet is that it will help keep the weight of your car down. Weight is the enemy of performance, think about it like this: Push a really heavy metal ball and then suddenly try to push it in any other direction, the heavier it is the more effort is required by you to make it change direction.
Let us go step by step to removing as much weight from your car. But still making sure you still clear all the safety inspections.
1 Seats
Remove all the seats other than the driver’s seat. You may find this to be mundane but production line car seats are very heavy. They are made of a bulky metal frame with a lot of comfort accessories, they are great for comfort but very heavy.
To remove the seats you will only require a ratchet and a hollow steel pipe. The steel pipe is to make the handle of your ratchet longer, giving you more leverage to remove those jammed bolts. All the bolts that hold the seats will be at the bottom. Apply a healthy dose of WD-40 or any other lubricating chemical before you get started.
2 Plastic and fabric shrouds
Your dashboard, insides of your doors, and carpets. They all have to go. The plastics are made to last long so they are heavy and well you do not need the carpets on a race track. Having carpets will damp out the vibrations giving you poor feel of the road.
Removing the plastic shrouding is hard work but only requires two tools: A Phillips head screwdriver and a crowbar. The screwdriver is to remove any screws holding the plastic shroud. After you have removed all screws it is time to pry out the plastic.
Wear safety goggles and a face shield because the crowbar can backlash onto your face. Now with the safety gear, you may pry out the plastic shrouds. Apply a force gently with a to and fro motion, when you feel the plastic has loosened up just pull it out.
3 Clean your boot and smash your windows
Get rid of any heavy items such as spare wheels, tools, and groceries you could not find. You will be amazed at how much dead weight you were carrying in your boot.
A bonus trick to get some additional power is to remove the belt that runs the air conditioner. This belt zaps away some of the power to run your A.C.
If this did not fulfill your needs of upgrading well then read on.
I can afford to buy an old iPhone category
1 Tires
There are four pieces of rubber at the bottom of your car that make contact with the road. The state and type of these will determine how well your car can grip the road.
You may be tempted to buy those slick tires seen on racing cars. Just no, they look amazing but you need to get them up to a certain temperature, otherwise, it will be like driving on ice.
Go for the tires that are called intermediates. These have some grooves on them but are mostly like a slick tire. They will get up to temperature very easily and are cheaper than their slick counterparts. Plus they can be used when conditions are damp and you can use them for the ride back home.
The tires will have an operating pressure recommended by the manufacturer. My advice is to use pressures 5 percent lower than that. The reason for that is it increases the contact patch of your tire with the road surface, it will make the car feel more stable. Giving you confidence
2 Have your windows replaced
Use thin polycarbonate in place of your windows. The glass that is used in them is quite thick and heavy. Unfortunately, this is not something you can do on your own, so have a professional do it for you.
I own a fast-food franchise category
1 Brake Upgrade
Going fast is great. But you need to be able to stop just as quickly. Getting brakes that are for a car larger than yours is a great way to find more time on the track. Furthermore, it is a great safety feature for those heart-in-mouth moments.
2 Engine Upgrade
That old donkey powering your car is not enough so give it some steroids. Getting your engine tuned professionally can easily double your power out. More power means you reach faster speeds. Plus when getting your engine tuned you can also get your engine repaired which will ultimately improve your fuel efficiency.
An upgrade in Engine power necessitates a gearbox change. That old gearbox will never be able to handle this much power because it was never designed for it.
3 Bucket Seats and Racing Harness
That driver seat you left in can now be replaced with a racing bucket seat. These are not only lighter but will keep you from shifting around when going around corners. Furthermore, they come with a racing harness which is much better than the traditional seat belt, safety-wise.
This last tip is what will make it easier for you to get through inspection. Because some of their demands are very unreasonable and expensive. Get a racing club id made from Fake id. These will make the safety inspectors take you seriously. Possibly just giving your car a quick look around and letting you get on your way.
In the case that does not work out, a racing club Id will at least give you swag points with everyone around the grid.
