R5 Alpine/Gordini restoration

I wouldnt be so sure.....the GT5 cup car that did the speed championship 2 years ago had a full race engine and was running slicks and only beat me on the twistier tracks. The GTA is a funny beast...because its wide and low and not a buzz box like the 5 it doesnt appear as quick.....do it against the clock and not just on senses and you'll be suprised.
Barbon, which is a straightforward 2 corner hill is all about power and its where I am within grasp of a course record (this year)...currently held by an Evo8 with about 400bhp.

Barbon, which is a straightforward 2 corner hill is all about power and its where I am within grasp of a course record (this year)...currently held by an Evo8 with about 400bhp.

impressive

i know what your saying peter,my old 5 did feel faster than it was but i did race some quick cars one bloke in a sapphire cossie 2wd he claimed it was running 320bhp he didnt get buy me until i was in 4th ive never seen anyone so shocked

the gt5 cupcar had a standard bottom end didnt it well thats what he told my brother if were on about the same bloke who now owns a t2

russell thorpes gtt is a good example of a quick gtt but that has some nice trick bits

all things equal the alpine is a better car in my opinion its only draw back been availabilty of uprated parts/price of parts

The problem with hillclimbs and sprints etc is that people doing them get brainwashed into thinking that their cars fast . A slow car which handles can beat most things that turn up on an event . I've been in lots of GTA's and i do like them but they aint fast at all . My cars not complete at present but it makes 200 bhp on 15 psi with a tiny gt turbo carb on it . They really handle too , engines right back into the bulkhead , equal length drive shafts , great steering , super light and flimsey bodywork . You could build one just for hillclimbs to "wee wee" over a GTA for half the price , i've still got steel panels , glass windows , most of the interior , heavy seats , heater , winders etc and it's still half the weight of a GTA . Spend some proper money on the engine and fit full management and a big throttle body and expect power to go up the 250 -300 bhp region no sweat . Strip a dini right out and it would be so light that a GTA wouldn't get near it unless it had 600 bhp !!!!!!!

russell thorpes gtt is a good example of a quick gtt but that has some nice trick bits

That is the one Peter is talking about, beaten that.

The problem with hillclimbs and sprints etc is that people doing them get brainwashed into thinking that their cars fast .

I know, I know ,being timed over a set course gives a false impression What they need to do is ask their mates if it is 'seriously quick' ( that's an ISO rating now I believe )

What's going on with this place! It's turning into some kind of chav forum with lot's of 'my car's faster than yours' nonsense! Seems alot of pretty meaningless and pointless arguing to me!

The poor guy only came on here to say hi and ask for some advice. All you argumentative lot should stop hijacking his thread and go start your own to continue your boxing match!




Came over all high and moral there!

...after all wasnt your car putting out way more than 300bhp until you actually tried it?
Youre right on the 1/4 mile thing.....the nearest place is York raceway so I'd need to spend a whole day to get some 1/4 mile times.....not time well spent as far as I'm concerned.
Whats with the 'and if I beat the Dini he'll blow me away in his mk1 Escort'? what mk1 Escort.....I thought we were discussing a still born 200bhp Renault 5 Gordini????
Its getting like school now.....I'm going to get my big brother to beat you up!!!!

I can't even be bothered to talk power figures anymore. If you still don't believe my car has over comfortably over 300 bhp then I might as well stop posting any information up and wasting my time.

I went in said 'dini when it had 190 bhp and it was as quick from 40-110 mph as a modded Escort Cossie. i.e considerably quicker than a GTA.

The Mk 1 Escort runs atmo Cossie power with all the trimmings. I think what we need to remember on here is that even the quickest GTA's around aren't that fast in comparison to alot of machinary out there. But thats not why most of us have them. I bought mine for the way it looks and the way it drives, if I spent on my Skyline what I've spent on getting 300 bhp out of my GTA I'd be looking at 600 bhp but the fact that I chose the former says alot about GTA's in my book.

Oh and I never had a big brother so I learned to fight my own battles!

The problem with hillclimbs and sprints etc is that people doing them get brainwashed into thinking that their cars fast . A slow car which handles can beat most things that turn up on an event . I've been in lots of GTA's and i do like them but they aint fast at all . My cars not complete at present but it makes 200 bhp on 15 psi with a tiny gt turbo carb on it . They really handle too , engines right back into the bulkhead , equal length drive shafts , great steering , super light and flimsey bodywork . You could build one just for hillclimbs to "wee wee" over a GTA for half the price , i've still got steel panels , glass windows , most of the interior , heavy seats , heater , winders etc and it's still half the weight of a GTA . Spend some proper money on the engine and fit full management and a big throttle body and expect power to go up the 250 -300 bhp region no sweat . Strip a dini right out and it would be so light that a GTA wouldn't get near it unless it had 600 bhp !!!!!!!

I run in the production class so Ive still got all glass and a full interior (I did have a stereo until the start of last year), heater, electric windows etc and its not twice the weight of your R5...its 1040kgs. I also run list 1a tyres (i.e. very ordinary road tyres, not modern sticky tyres). As for your 250-300bhp claims I will believe them when you have the dyno sheets to prove it. The Renault works rally team managed 350bhp for their cars but they were re-bulding them every rally and they were seriously trick engines.
I dont deny a Gordini is a fast car when tuned, I just have a problem with your wild claims. Getting a GTA to 260bhp and huge torque doesnt cost the earth......couple of thousand and you dont have to worry about the bottom end or any head modifications). Building a 200bhp Gordini is going to cost at least that much as you'll need turbo, head, intercooler, carb, inlet and a serious suspension overhaul to make it work (I know.... Ive had an atmo Gordini and they handle like a pram without modification!)
As for dismissing hillclimbing and sprinting down to a handling exercise....you really ought to try it....there are courses for every car. The GTA works far better on open power events such as Knockhill and Barbon where big straights make up most of the course. My car struggles on the tighter circuits because of its size and rear engine. Slow cars that handle come mid field....they dont win. As I said before, Ive beaten some seriously quick cars, so dont tell me that my car isnt quick. 18months ago before I did most of the current modifications it did 60 in 5.5 seconds.....and Ive gained 100lbs of torque and over 40bhp since then as well as having lost over 50kgs. Love your Gordini (which ulitmately will understeer...its front wheel drive), but dont tell me that its going to blow the asp of my GTA when you have no idea how quick my GTA is.....and believe me when its working (hopefully soon!) it is damn quick
Tony...I dont doubt your car has around 300bhp but until you have figures to prove it has more, I, like everyone else on the forum will remain unbelievers!

Is it done now????

A Gordini Turbo does 0-60 in 9.8 seconds and 112mph

The Turbo2 does 0-60 in around 6.5

A GTA turbo does 0-60 in 5.8 seconds...

If you said 'this dini did 40-110 quicker than a modded Escort Cossie' you would get laughed at on any other forums, not because it is not impossible, but its hardly a bench mark for testing what is a faster car, like wise traffic light grand prix, etc...Thats like when you see Corsa owners saying their car is faster than an RS Turbo cause they pipped them at the lights...

Racing is the ONLY way to know who is the fastest, and I don't mean trackdays, or on the road, as because its not serious, the loser has always the excuse of saying 'they had a loss of power, or somebody got in the way, or some other lame excuse'. Proper competative racing has no excuses, theres no ifs or buts as you wouldnt give it any less than 100% or have a car which you were happy with.

You say there are other cars far quicker than GTAs, well yes, but seeing as Pete inparticular has raced these types of cars (not having a go down the motorway ) and beaten then means he is FASTER. Its not rocket science...

As a GTA owner Im damn insulted by the posts on this thread.

So peterg wants dyno sheets now . I can show you some big bhp gt turbo ones if you like ( far inferior to a dini engine but you'll get the idea ). A 190-200 bhp 5 gordini is easy , you just swop the pistons for gt turbo ones , fit a gt turbo carb and a small intercooler , run 15 psi and that's about it really . My claims are not wild , they're true but you don't believe much do you ? You don't believe tony smiths power figuires , you don't believe a 5 gordini handles and you don't believe your car won't keep up with mine Still , ignorance is bliss

The thing is i've heard it all before from the hill climb / sprint / trackday brigade They all go quiet when it comes down to a straight race of the lights . As i've said before , you only need a slow car that handles to win at most motorsport events but a slow car will always be slow when raced from a standstill off the lights .

Gary, your missing the point. There are some far faster 5's in the club than yours ever willl be and Peter knows this, but only as they have proof of figures. One of my mates runs a 12.6 on the quarter, the fastest cars run 11.4, and low 12's are common..

I have a friend that runs 3.98 to 60 in his five, no Dini is going to get even close to that...

Unless you can pull an 11 second run in a 5, then its all weaksauce these days..

At least get some figures or results down or I might as well say my 21 Turbo powered GTA or Biturbo V6 would both eat your car too, but I wouldnt...

David, have you got some times to post for your fleet of GTAs?