Car Build Details

The first year of competing, saw us using a Phase 1 1300cc group N1 Peugeot 106 Rallye which had been around for quite a while, so after a few rallies the decision was made to build a new car.
 The Citroen Saxo was chosen as it was a more updated car than the 106 and that it fitted neatly in to the new BTRDA class B8 rules for 2006.
(Plus we had a damaged shell already!)
(Class B8 is for up to 1400 cc 8 Valve cars running standard 'H' pattern gearboxes and no remote reservoir suspension)

 The Saxo shell was fitted to a 'Spit Roast' setup allowing ease of getting to the underside, and was stripped of all the unnecessary steelwork and under seal. The car was then seam welded and strengthened before being sprayed in Seat Yellow and Gunmetal Grey (was to be British Racing Green, but got out voted)
.
Another Saxo was bought in the meanwhile, a written off VTS, which was stripped for spares.
After being returned from the spray shop, refitting of the parts began. The dash panel and wiring loom along with a Peugeot 106 Cup Car Safety Devices roll cage were duly fitted. The suspension, rear beam, brake lines and additional wiring needed for the car were next on the list.
A rear wing was fitted to the boot lip, but after discussions with the local MSA officer, this was changed to a replica Saxo Super 1600 Kit Car item, but this had to be removed after one event as the FIA homologation papers were unavailable for the item.

The efforts were then pushed into fitting the interior of the car, and getting it to our liking. This took the longest time, as thinking about it, measuring twice, rechecking and cutting / fitting takes longer than you think. The fuel filler was also moved to help with flow into the relocated tank and to reduce piping within the cabin.

The engine had been shipped to Withy Race Engines early on in the build, but problems with head modifications meant that a major part of the build was on hold. The rest of what could be fitted within the engine bay was installed along with fitting of the body kit and bonnet / boot. Fitting of the front screen and Perspex windows showed that the car was getting quite close to finishing, and that we were slowly running out of things to do.
The weekend of the local Wyedean rally, saw the car loaded onto the trailer and taken to service to 'show it off', and within minutes of getting into the site, there was a lot of interest in the rolling shell.

The engine was delivered early April, and was mated to the gearbox and fitted. The wiring loom for the ECU had to be tailor made to suit the car, so after a couple of days of work it was ready to start for the first time.
After a few starting problems and a quick rewire, the car ran and took its first voyage under its own steam.

The next jobs were finishing off the decals and finalising the suspension settings, and this has turned out to be the major problem since the finish of the car. After trying several rear suspension units and settings, we have finally found a setup that works for the car, and has transformed the handling, from a jumpy monster into the refined car we have today.
Continued development has so far meant that the stock 1400cc cooling system has been replaced for the bigger 1600cc VTS setup, the cylinder head has been reworked and now develops more torque, and the clutch has a stronger, but lighter unit fitted after the failure of the original unit.
The latest modifications have included rebuilding of the bias pedal box adjuster and the front brakes. The car has also been taken up in the air to improve the ground clearance by fitting of new torsion bars.
Recently, new Citroen Sport AP 4 pot brakes have replaced the standard front callipers, and these have improved the braking immensely. Along side the brakes, new spherical top mounts have improved the suspension control. Fitting of a secondary throttle linkage has also happened.
We are currently looking into ways of reducing the under bonnet temperatures and the making of a new air filter assembly to help the air flow into the engine.

I know its mentioned elsewhere on the site, but a massive thanks to all that have helped build and develop the Saxo

(Photos courtesy of several sources and camera phones, hence the picture quality)