I first got introduced to Ludes by chance. In 2006 I saw on Men and motors an event called Scumball. It was there first event and looked like a laugh. At the end of the show my wife said to me I ought to do something like that. With a bit of investigation I found the guys that had held this event and joined for the following year (2008). The challenge was to buy and set up a car for no more than £1000 that would drive over 800 miles to the Nurburgring and back, also 10 laps of the ring. At your own discretion you could raise money for charity in the process, making it a whole more credible waste of money.
After a lot of though we settled on a Lude, for speed, fun and reliability. We also decided to raise money for CLIC sergeant by selling sticker space on the car.
I didn’t do much research as excitement took over and went for the one that sounded most likely on Ebay at the time. I paid around £700 for it as it had a noisy thrust bearing.
I drove the car back from Wales and as I was putting it through its paces on the way home the gearbox went and I could go no further. Bummer but these things happen.
I called the AA and was collected by a great bloke who after telling him what I was up to suggested I had a chat with a mate of his who would help me get the car back on the road as a way of sponsorship for our charity raising. So the car went to him to have a new box, clutch and cambelt done. I supplied the parts he supplied the labour.
Then the fund raising began, long story short we managed to sell £2500 of space on the car, got a set of tyres and a few other bits for free to do the challenge.
As I said I didn’t know much about the car at all, but found out it had been lowered, Koni adjustable shocks, induction kit, silicone hoses, after market manifold, decat and large backbox.
I also found out that the shell is a BB3 and the engine H22A not standard Honda spec. There was obviously a story on this car before I got it.
The car went fantastic and never missed a beat, I had some fun on the autobahn with a Porsche who I kept up with all the way to 140, the ring was great but bloody scary with all the bikers and rich boys in their Lambos and Porsches.
After we got back I wasn’t sure what to do with the car as it was covered in stickers and probably not sellable for its true worth, I also felt I ought to keep it as it had been a real star.
I put the car through an mot thinking that it may make the decision for me, however it failed on only a headlight bulb. So I parked the car up and except for a drive now and again it was left for a year.
I then worked for a guy who built race and rally cars, I told him I had my own race car of sorts……….lol. We got chatting and he convinced me that I should come along to a test day that he and a mutual friend were attending, at Llandow. He’s in the escort my mate Chris in his single seater
I had a great day but realised that it was time to do something to the old man and make him more fitting if I was going to use it for track use.
I removed the sticker and the paint came with them, the car looked awful. I remembered a chap I had done a kitchen had a body shop, I gave him a buzz and priced up a half decent blow over at about £1000. This was not really an option as money was tight (3 kids, wife, mortgage) and if it was to be my hobby then it had to be on the cheap.
I saw at a car show that vinyl wrapping a car was popular and enquired as to the cost of it….. £1350 no chance there then, but what if I did it. I needed to settle on a colour and if you know vinyl the worlds your lobster. So here is my inspiration.
Priced up the vinyl £350 perfect. Just need a good surface, bere in mind Im a kitchen fitter and car stuff was totally new to me. I set about stripping the car and sanding back.
Now to put the vinyl on, I needed help from a mate who was as much a perfectionist as me. It was tricky but I had done some research and I think for a first effort it wasn’t bad at all.
After trying to wrap the spoiler it was clear that major curves were a real skill which we didn’t posses. I sent the spoiler, bumpers, wing mirrors and door handles to the body shop and traded work with him as he needed a few more jobs doing in his kitchen, so it cost me materials only.
A quick service and a good check over and it was ready for an outing. I had decided to make it a bit more legit and chose to take part in sprinting. This in itself is a fair price to get going- helmet, gloves, race suit and licence. My mate Chris who seems to have loads of dosh (no kids) though he’d have a go at sprinting with me and bought himself an Evo
I had a reasonable season keeping about mid place in my group on the events I took part in. I did about 6 events and loved them all, my buddy with the Evo messed with the boost too much and blow his engine before our last event. Our last event was a return to our first at St Eval Cornwall, he had already paid his entry fee so we double drove the Lude. The poor car suffered a bit from the relentless pounding and it was clear that I needed to do a few more tweeks to get it to be able to cope with this kind of treatment.
For the time being I found a set of 17’s put some part worn good quality tyres on and finished the years driving of at a track day at Castle Combe.
Last year I approached my local garage an asked if they would sponsor me on the South West Sprint championship. They agreed to sponsor labour and I’d do parts. So it was then up to me what I could afford to do to the car.
I booked the car into a local garage for a dyno check to get a starting point, by now the car had been serviced, new leads, platinium plugs, full japspeed exhaust-mani to tailpipe and cleaned up the induction filter.
The chap in the dyno garage said the engine was strong and it didn’t need much adjustment to achieve maximum power with what I had. Given that 197 is new standard 216 seemed amazing from only a few breathing mods. His advice to me was handling, tyres and weight would be where my best gains were to be had for little outlay.
I had my first sprint of the season at Castle Combe and it went quite well but the brakes let me down.
Ignore the music its just me playing with video/music clips
So to the garage for braided brake lines, race pads and drilled and grooved discs..
This would have to do for now as I’d spent more than I could afford and my wife putting the guilt on for my spending (which was fair).
After this work was done back to Castle Combe for a track day with my “racing friends” (inbetweener style).
1 hour in the car was going great, then I lost gears. It appeared that my clutch had gone and as Id driven there this was a disaster, with no way of getting home. The RAC said they wouldn't collect it as it was used for track even though it had tax and mot. Thankfully another chap at the track said he’d drive his car back and trailer mine, what a star.
They guys at the garage were great, I ordered a clutch and energy suspension poly bushes from the states they stripped it down and put the new parts on for me.
Then back to the dyno garage for a suspension set up and alignment. I also thought it best to get a trailer as I cant risk being stranded again. I got a cheap trailer locally and the guys at the garage got it serviced and ready to go for me.
Now up and running again. Next sprint Abingdon.
I was a great event as there was very little waiting around.
I then had a few things going on at home and after a few more sprints I had to ease of for a bit.
Sept was my last outing in the car. Trackday with my son.
At the end of last year I got an ATR intake manifold, throttle body and socketed and chipped ECU from a guy on PUK. It had all been running on a H22 so just bolt on ish.
So to get going this year I needed to fit this stuff, I also wanted a roll cage, proper seats and harnesses and a full interior strip.
Myself and Pete106 went to a guy in Frome and did a deal on both cars getting cages at the same time. I had to remove the interior fit the seats and remove the sunroof in preparation for the cage. The sunroof is crucial as Im 6ft and with a helmet it gets pretty close, so those extra 2 inches make all the difference.
When I saw Pete’s car it had different wing mirrors, He told me they were of a Hyabusa. Massive weight saving over stock so a must I thought.
Now with everything ready for track I just needed to get it tuned up and Im good. Here’s where I’ve hit a wall. The chip I have in my ECU has Ectune on it and there is nobody down my way that does tuning for it. I spoke to Rich at PAW, as he is a Honda god and he won’t touch anything but Hondata. Which means I now need S300 and it fitted to my ECU or get one already fitted. Then it will need setting up. In all about a grand, Im all spent at the mo and cant see me back on the road until late Oct/Nov when funds improve.
