Winter plans for the spring

[Phil]

Last month, I took my banged up (again) race car to my race shop in New Hampshire. There was body work to be done, some straightening, new bushings, new springs (finally the backorder arrived), and some header work. I thought I would get off easy this off season.

But it is not to be. The dreaded E30 M3 intake manifold leak has struck again and now the engine is apart. So far only some burnt valves so it shouldnt' be too bad. But the rate of exchange doesn't help.

Anyway, it made me wonder what everyone is doing over the winter to get ready for the net track season starting in the spring. Who is tricking out a car and how? Who is taking the plunge into racing? With BMW CR or FSAQ?

And what are you hoping Santa brings you?

Cheers,

Phil

[Gregster]

I have no idea what I am doing... I have a commitment now, she likes to get car sick on the street when I take that off ramp just right.... So I don't have much time to work on the Neon anymore.

However before the commitment I did manage to install my new brakes.. Wanted to keep these a secret but need to tease.

Went from
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/turntwomotorsports/MM4029.jpg

To this
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/turntwomotorsports/M22654.jpg
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s119/turntwomotorsports/wilwood1.jpg

[homer09]

im gonna

- rebuild my head with some new rockers, some DIY casting clean up, valve job, and new head bolts
- replace all suspension/subframe bushings with poly
- drop in a 4.10 rear with OBX LSD
- maybe an X5 shifter
- some body work (paint mirrors, touch ups, front IS lip, shadow trim)
- finish adding heated elements to driver's seat
- rebuild brakes (oem size, with EBC yellows), ss lines
- install OBC
- choose/find some light 16's wrapped in direzza z1's

all for a season of solo2 with cadl.

[Emre]

Here's my agenda for the E30 this winter:

(1) Install Hartge long-tube headers
(2) Install SpecE30 exhaust
(3) Probably install a high-flow, metal-core cat while I'm at it
(4) Install 3qt Canton Accusump system
(5) Rebuild/replace 4.10:1 LSD rear diff
(6) Sort out my mushy brakes

Steps 1-5 are no problem; most of the parts are already sitting in my garage.

Step 6 will be more of a hassle. The main issue seems to be that the piston diameters on my 4-piston BBK are simply too large. I "think" that swapping in calipers with smaller piston diameters will solve my problem.

[Gregster]

Here's my agenda for the E30 this winter:

(1) Install Hartge long-tube headers
(2) Install SpecE30 exhaust
(3) Probably install a high-flow, metal-core cat while I'm at it
(4) Install 3qt Canton Accusump system
(5) Rebuild/replace 4.10:1 LSD rear diff
(6) Sort out my mushy brakes

Steps 1-5 are no problem; most of the parts are already sitting in my garage.

Step 6 will be more of a hassle. The main issue seems to be that the piston diameters on my 4-piston BBK are simply too large. I "think" that swapping in calipers with smaller piston diameters will solve my problem.

Can you get a larger master?

[Emre]

Can you get a larger master?I've already got the biggest brake MC that will fit in the car: the 25mm unit from the E32 750iL limo. It still doesn't move enough fluid for the front calipers.

[Gregster]

I've already got the biggest brake MC that will fit in the car: the 25mm unit from the E32 750iL limo. It still doesn't move enough fluid for the front calipers.
25mm... thats pretty massive.

[Silverblades181]

I'm paying off 2008 track fees from my credit card and saving money for the M3. Hopefully someone will buy the 318is...

Next summer I'd like to do some solosprint, since I can't afford a race car. Racing will be in the futur...when I have money. Club Racing JP or IP most likely. Don't know if I'm keeping the 3.2 or if I'd like to go 2.8.

[Gregster]

Next summer I'd like to do some solosprint, since I can't afford a race car. Racing will be in the futur...when I have money. Club Racing JP or IP most likely. Don't know if I'm keeping the 3.2 or if I'd like to go 2.8.

I know what you should go with under the hood :D

[Silverblades181]

BMW Club Racing requires a bmw engine, CTCC requires 3.0L or less and no I won't put anything with pushrods in my car.

[Gregster]

BMW Club Racing requires a bmw engine, CTCC requires 3.0L or less and no I won't put anything with pushrods in my car.

:(

[white328]

Je vais probablement juste peinturer mes mags d'une couleur plus descente vue que mon auto est "flambant used". J'ai quelque petit quossins a instaler mais rien de majeur encore.

[johnmdanskin]

I changed the oil and diff fluid in my race car. I fixed the $613 scratch on my mini (from ice day at meca). I got the mini detailed which apparently involved armor-all completely covering my tires which cost $320 for investigation and alignment + $??? for a new fancy dancy rear passenger JCW wheel. I'd apparently scrubbed the armor-all off the front, but not the back. Beautiful drift through an offramp interrupted by a curb which helped me get around the corner but didn't improve the car.

I'm strongly considering snow tires for the race car to do some ice events, but trailering to the ice events might be too exciting, so I might take the mini and try to keep it off the drifts this time. (I just touched the wall. Honest. Everyone else got fluffy snow. I keyed my car with an ice dagger.)

Now the streets are dry still and I'm riding my motorcycle for some reason. THis happens every year. The motorcycle mostly sits until stupidity of riding hits some threshold and there I am out on the streets wearing the michelin man outfit. I bought a heated jacket but it doesn't work yet. Debugging in progress. I'll be -really- pissed if I have to take the fairing off -again-. I got stuck somewhere with a dead battery and after the taxi ride I had to take the race car out of the giant trailer, tie the momo down somehow, take the momo to a safe place, & etc. Ducati ST3 batteries (a) suck (b) have no aftermarket replacement, and (c) cost $162.53.

I think that's it. I have to put snow tires on my wife's mini before she wrecks it and then kills me.

8-)

[bmwqc]

Lots of excitement here ........ Poured some Stabil in the fuel tank, cancelled the plate and insurance till Apri 09

[Emre]

I'm strongly considering snow tires for the race car to do some ice eventsNot sure how great of an idea it is to expose a race car to road salt. Besides, the suspension would be too stiff for ice racing anyway.

IMNSHO, the best ice racer is a disposable car running screw tires. Lightweight and FWD are also advantageous. Hence my aborted "Festiva Project" a few years back.

[sebdavid]

IMNSHO, the best ice racer is a disposable car running screw tires. Lightweight and FWD are also advantageous.

YES. AWD is even better than FWD. Old Impreza it is for me.

Hope to see you at Mecaglisse John!

[johnmdanskin]

Not sure how great of an idea it is to expose a race car to road salt. Besides, the suspension would be too stiff for ice racing anyway.

IMNSHO, the best ice racer is a disposable car running screw tires. Lightweight and FWD are also advantageous. Hence my aborted "Festiva Project" a few years back.

Some of us can't afford parking, insurance, registration & random breakage for yet another car.

I don't think the race car would meet a lot of road salt if I towed it to the ice course.

I'm sure that fwd, 4wd, or awd would be faster than rwd on the ice. I was thinking that rwd might be more fun. 8-)

Maybe I could make the mini more fun on the ice by replacing my rear snows with those bfgr1 slicks I've got decaying in my foyer. Or I could armor-all the rear snows every 30 minutes or so.

Or maybe I could make LFBraking work better in the mini through thoughtful removal of fuses. The race car doesn't have abs, so no fuse problems there.

It's not about speed. It's about fun.

[Karim E36]

Plans for the winter/spring:

BMW - Oil change, few maintenance/repair issues (window regulator, air pump, air bag sensor). I'll need new rotors and pads (PF or Hawk) and probably a new set of track tires (which ones?).

Datsun - Finish the front end (tie rods, ball joints, brakes), replace entire wiring harness, install the distributor (been sitting on my desk for over a year! Adjust rear drum brakes, get new tires/wheels and finally go drive it :cool:

When the weather gets better, I want to install the weatherstripping (been sitting in a box in the garage for 2-3 years.

[Andrei]

Here's my agenda for the E30 this winter:

(1) Install Hartge long-tube headers
(2) Install SpecE30 exhaust
(3) Probably install a high-flow, metal-core cat while I'm at it
(4) Install 3qt Canton Accusump system
(5) Rebuild/replace 4.10:1 LSD rear diff
(6) Sort out my mushy brakes

Steps 1-5 are no problem; most of the parts are already sitting in my garage.

Step 6 will be more of a hassle. The main issue seems to be that the piston diameters on my 4-piston BBK are simply too large. I "think" that swapping in calipers with smaller piston diameters will solve my problem.

Hmmm, working on your E30, eh?

Does that mean the Location: Istanbul tag is becoming inaccurate?

As for my winter plans.

Take the GT3 to Wetune i.e. Snowmanmtl and he can find what to do with it. He will say that those changes are absolutely necessary and will make it better which I will believe.

And I might shed a quiet manly tear for my M3 as it goes away to make place for a 4-door automobile.

[Emre]

I'm sure that fwd, 4wd, or awd would be faster than rwd on the ice. I was thinking that rwd might be more fun. 8-)I think RWD can be more fun...as long as the suspension is relatively compliant. A full-race suspension will be far too stiff. The car would be a sled!


Or maybe I could make LFBraking work better in the mini through thoughtful removal of fuses. The race car doesn't have abs, so no fuse problems there.I'm amazed that you can't LFB on a new Mini. The technique was practically invented on the Mini (well, the Saab 99 if you want to get technical).

BTW, John, thanks for all the Mini advice! My sister bought a 2009 Mini Cooper for her first car. She adores it. I drove it for the first time the other day and I was quite impressed. But I still don't understand why the central speedo needs to be so large :confused:

[Andrei]

But I still don't understand why the central speedo needs to be so large :confused:

Because chicks dig it.

[Emre]

Hmmm, working on your E30, eh?

Does that mean the Location: Istanbul tag is becoming inaccurate?Yes and no. I've got lots of free time between now and May since I'm pretty much done with my teaching and can now focus on research. I'll be splitting my time between my university in Istanbul and my lab at MIT/Harvard. I'll also spend some time with my family in NJ in the meanwhile.

I accepted a post at l'Université de Montréal starting next summer. So, I'll have to spend a few weeks in Montreal at some point to prepare for the provincial French exam. My sucky French is now biting me in the butt.


And I might shed a quiet manly tear for my M3 as it goes away to make place for a 4-door automobile.What about this:

http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/388347/donk2.jpg

Should have enough ground clearance for the winter months. More practical than a minivan if you ask me.

[mightydread]

Last month, I took my banged up (again) race car to my race shop in New Hampshire. There was body work to be done, some straightening, new bushings, new springs (finally the backorder arrived), and some header work. I thought I would get off easy this off season.

But it is not to be. The dreaded E30 M3 intake manifold leak has struck again and now the engine is apart. So far only some burnt valves so it shouldnt' be too bad. But the rate of exchange doesn't help.

Anyway, it made me wonder what everyone is doing over the winter to get ready for the net track season starting in the spring. Who is tricking out a car and how? Who is taking the plunge into racing? With BMW CR or FSAQ?

And what are you hoping Santa brings you?

Cheers,

Phil


i'm planing on changing the cams in the race car , change the rear bushing and then i got to find a bad ground some where in the car , when i was at wgi my volts meter went to 0 ,,,hmmmmm .

for next season the plan is too do the sundown in may , the 3 canadain bmwcca CR and maybe some fsaq races . all depends on the budget gods.

mikie

[sebdavid]

Left-foot braking is nice and all that, and great to casually mention in a conversation like you do it as easily as you turn on the defroster.

But it can't make you HOLD a slide forever. Which you can do in a RWD or AWD car (hence, fun).

The RWD car WOULD be fun. But it would also be slow. Now a RWD car with studded tires, well-driven, vs. an AWD car with normal winter tires, driven by Joe Shmoe... I don't know. I'd like to find out but there are two problems:

1) Buying a set of studded tires and extra wheels for the 332i would cost me as much as buying an old Subaru. Hard to justify.

2) I would need to find a good driver, as I'm the Joe Shmoe...

[Phil]

I accepted a post at l'Université de Montréal starting next summer.

Excellent news, Emre.

We're glad you are coming home.

Phil

[Emre]

Excellent news, Emre.

We're glad you are coming home.Thanks, Phil. But I don't want to count my chickens before they're hatched. The offer is contingent on my passing the French exam and the Royal College. It's not too late for me to screw this up :rolleyes:

[Phil]

Thanks, Phil. But I don't want to count my chickens before they're hatched. The offer is contingent on my passing the French exam and the Royal College. It's not too late for me to screw this up :rolleyes:

You have a PhD and an MD. You were recruited to work at Harvard.

And you are worried about passing a language test?

I know its Christmastime but PLEASE stop drinking the antifreeze.

:D

[Gregster]

Andrei did shed a manly tear today when I was removing the stoptechs and other bits. Then afterwards I shed a manly tear because stock E46 M3 brakes suck.

[johnmdanskin]

Left-foot braking is nice and all that, and great to casually mention in a conversation like you do it as easily as you turn on the defroster.

But it can't make you HOLD a slide forever. Which you can do in a RWD or AWD car (hence, fun).

The RWD car WOULD be fun. But it would also be slow. Now a RWD car with studded tires, well-driven, vs. an AWD car with normal winter tires, driven by Joe Shmoe... I don't know. I'd like to find out but there are two problems:

1) Buying a set of studded tires and extra wheels for the 332i would cost me as much as buying an old Subaru. Hard to justify.

2) I would need to find a good driver, as I'm the Joe Shmoe...


All the tests I can find say that studless ice tires like the blizzaks are better than normal studded tires. (We aren't talking big screws here.) I haven't been able to find ice racing tires for sale. Apparently everyone makes their own with a drill and a box of which ever kind of screw or bolt makes you happy. Of course an ice driving facility might not let you on the track with anything too exciting. It would be like letting you go bowling in ice skates.

I think it might be possible to hold a drift forever in a fwd car, I just can't do it yet. I don't think you can do it with constant inputs. Any combination of constant inputs I can come up with either eventually stops or pulls the car straight, so you have to oscillate between gas to go and lifting to spin. Maybe lfb is the answer. I've been too busy with my rwd car to finish working this out.

Of course I also think it is possible to put your pants on both legs at a time (standing, all at once, none of your cheesy sliding them on a little bit). I just need more practice. Kind of hard on the neighbors in an apartment building and it's not like I can practice outside at this time of year.

I'm going to miami for the weekend. Right now I'm practicing not renting an elise for the weekend. A "car" is about $110. I'm currently holding a reservation for a mustang at $164. An Elise is $666. Did you notice? That's my number. How could I resist? Only $502 more than the mustang.

Just the look on my wife's face when she figured out how much luggage room there is in the elise would be worth it.

I can hold a drift indefinitely in a fwd car.
I can put my pants on both legs at a time.
I can resist renting an elise for ridiculous amount of $$$ I can't afford.


Oh, I forgot. This winter I am upgrading my truck with a license plate that says "SPLAT". Something to remind me of racing.

[blacksheep]

I'm going to miami for the weekend.can I hide in your luggage?

[Gregster]

can I hide in your luggage?


only if there is room for me.

[Emre]

All the tests I can find say that studless ice tires like the blizzaks are better than normal studded tires.That's true for almost all road conditions. Sheer ice (e.g., a frozen lake in NH) is the one exception.


Apparently everyone makes their own with a drill and a box of which ever kind of screw or bolt makes you happy.In talking to ice racers, the message I got was that the trick was to run inner tubes. Drive a few hundred drywall screws through your tires. Seal with tire sealing goo. Insert inner tube. Mount and balance (fat chance). Go ice racing. Impress [a certain class of] women.


Of course an ice driving facility might not let you on the track with anything too exciting. It would be like letting you go bowling in ice skates.In talking with the folks who own and operate Mecaglisse, my impression is that they actually welcome guys who run studded and even screw tires. It helps to churn up the ice, which makes the circuit grippier for guys running regular, non-studded snow tires.

[Andrei]

I'm going to miami for the weekend. Right now I'm practicing not renting an elise for the weekend. A "car" is about $110. I'm currently holding a reservation for a mustang at $164. An Elise is $666. Did you notice? That's my number. How could I resist? Only $502 more than the mustang.

Just the look on my wife's face when she figured out how much luggage room there is in the elise would be worth it.


I assume Hertz is finished with their Shelby GTH program. Running the convertible GTH under an overpass at full throttle is something you want to repeat again and again. First you find an activity for the wife for the evening (I was lucky, mine has friends in Miami) and you are off the hook for a few hours.

My wife found it mildly amuzing when we rented a Vette convertible and I immediately insisted on putting the top down at the airport. Turns out the roof takes up extra space in the trunk. So she had to keep a suitcase with her in the front seat until we got to the hotel.

But don't rent the Vette convertible. The exhaust has been castrated and muted. The whole point of the car is lost. I know it has 400 hp and can go at Mach 0.5 but Florida has reciprocity with Quebec for traffic infraction points and I believe they throw you into a cell with Bubba if they catch you past Mach 0.25. So if it doesn't make the right noises it's useless.

There is one thing you can always rent in Miami that makes the right noises. They have Lambos available in Maimi Beach on 5th Street but I think you can buy an Elise for what it costs to rent them for a weekend. But they do have less luggage room than an Elise.

[sebdavid]

Running the convertible GTH under an overpass at full throttle is something you want to repeat again and again.

I agree. The sound is the only good thing about the Mustang GT convertible.

[johnmdanskin]

I turns out that not only can I not put my pants on both legs at once (yet) (just try, we are talking about holding the pants and jumping into them), I can't actually hold a drift indefinitely in my fwd car (yet), and I didn't successfully resist renting the elise. If it had been a dollar less I might have, but #666 was too much. It brought out the beast in me.

I'll let you know how stowing the luggage went. 8-)

[sebdavid]

John,

1) I think putting on pants both legs at a time would actually be easier than holding a slide in a fwd car.

2) Please tell us about the Elise. Too bad you're not going to drive it on track... honestly, for Florida, I think I would have gone for the Mustang, especially given the price difference, even if I could afford it (which I can't). You, sir, are truly hardcore.

I hope you find out that with associated fees, the cost doesn't end up being something like $671 or something...

[Emre]

2) Please tell us about the Elise. Too bad you're not going to drive it on track... honestly, for Florida, I think I would have gone for the Mustang, especially given the price difference, even if I could afford it (which I can't).That's especially true when you consider that there isn't a single curve anywhere in the entire state of Florida.

Methinks John is planning a side-trip to Sebring :cool:

[johnmdanskin]

Florida is full of right angle turns.

The freaking rental place called me back (after sending a confirmation) to tell me that they don't actually have any elises. Back to the mundane world. They had porches (carrera s) and vettes and so on, nothing cool, so I'm going cheap.

[sebdavid]

the mustang has a nice noise...

[johnmdanskin]

the mustang has a nice noise...
I'm getting a convertible mustang. About 1/4 the cost of the elise. I drive faceless econoboxes when I travel on business. On vacation, I try to upgrade at least a little bit.

Is anyone going to try to go to winterfest? I think I won't again this year, due to local shortages of vacation days, but it would be fun. I've already got cabin fever.

[bmwqc]

I'm getting a convertible mustang. About 1/4 the cost of the elise. I drive faceless econoboxes when I travel on business. On vacation, I try to upgrade at least a little bit.

Is anyone going to try to go to winterfest? I think I won't again this year, due to local shortages of vacation days, but it would be fun. I've already got cabin fever.



$164 for the Mustang weekend is pretty good. Is there any mileage charges on top? And what stuff like tire wear?

[Andrei]

I assume that's going to be a 6 cylinder 'stang.
Emre and I can tell you about their ...ahem... handling characteristics.

Just get the convertible and enjoy your time in FL.
Then you can practice effectively taking off your sunglasses just like Horatio on CSI Miami.

[bmwqc]

IBTW, John, thanks for all the Mini advice! My sister bought a 2009 Mini Cooper for her first car. She adores it. I drove it for the first time the other day and I was quite impressed. But I still don't understand why the central speedo needs to be so large :confused:


The speedo was pretty large even in the original Mini


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1096/572369638_f6aaa7a12a.jpg?v=0

[johnmdanskin]

the speedo is in the middle to terrify your date so that he or she grabs onto you in terror. Or she takes of a spike heel and starts hitting you with it.

[Gregster]

The commitment is leaving back home to Florida on Monday. She will be back on Jan 4th. I thought about buying a 10 000 piece puzzle to keep myself busy or collecting more tools. I like collecting tools since in my trade a mans wealth is measured on how much tools he owns.

Then I remembered I had the car to get ready. I am not sure what I am going to do it, most of everything is kinda done short of installing a jet engine. Maybe fixing that massive exhaust leak would be a good idea.

I think some new headlights will be a nice addition first.

http://www.modernperformance.com/images/depo_projectors_95-99-2%5B1%5D.jpg

[davide30]

Hmmm, working on your E30, eh?

Does that mean the Location: Istanbul tag is becoming inaccurate?

As for my winter plans.

Take the GT3 to Wetune i.e. Snowmanmtl and he can find what to do with it. He will say that those changes are absolutely necessary and will make it better which I will believe.

And I might shed a quiet manly tear for my M3 as it goes away to make place for a 4-door automobile.

dont forget me ,for you m3 front brake ducs

thx
Dave

[Gregster]

dont forget me ,for you m3 front brake ducs

thx
Dave


I looked at those yesterday while the car was on the lift at work. They are glued on the rather well... I think Andrei is going to be changing the bumper anyways so maybe you can take his old one.