From DD to Track Rat, a confession
Posted by Earendil
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Gentlemen, I have a confession to make. I've been seeing other forums. It's not you, it's me
Since I bought my E46, I've been looking more and more at my E30 as a track rat. It's too beat up to ever be a garage queen, and I feel like if she's going to go, it would be fitting for her to "go out" on a track  Someday I may pick up another E30, one that hasn't ever been wrecked and that has seen fewer miles. But for now, trackrat
To that end, I've been doing a ton of searching, and have ended up spending more and more time on more populated boards with more varied track experience. That is not to say I don't hold our own local track/course junkies in high regard. It just made more sense to ask questions about topics in the same forum I found the information to begin with. I'm eager to see what some of you have to say. The information is out there, and it's good, but the stupid immaturity I had to wade through to get to it was at times almost unbearable. But, I like keeping you guys in the loop(whether you like it or not!), so here is a post I made elsewhere that I'll copy paste here. The post was meant as a "sanity check" to see if anyone would suggest a different course of action. You guys are welcome to do the same if you like, but you'd need to back it up with an argument and explanation
Otherwise, just take it as an update! -------------------------------------------------------------------- My Former daily driver, a 1989 325i with somewhere around 260,000 on the clock has finally been replaced with a newer DD. This has allowed me to take my old and dilapidated baby and make her feel like she has a purpose again. Over my poor college years I had kept her mechanically sound, while sacrificing fixing creature comforts, like water leaks Now though, I want to transform my baby into a track rat, but a safe and modest one on a budget. I’m not a “How do I blow 8 grand on a car” kinda guy. I do all the work myself, and I have more like $2000 after the planned repairs. The intention is to build the car towards Pro3/SpecE30. Please keep this in mind. I don’t care about HP so much, which is why no turbo. But it’s also why I won’t be getting 16x9 wheels or a BBK either. Also, I won’t actually seriously consider racing for years to come, so no fire suppression or a roll cage on my list. The intent is to have a car that will serve well for working up to HPDE, AutoX, and sunny days here in the Cascade Mountains. I want to be able to drive to events. If I’m still enjoying myself and employed in a couple years, I might consider a roll cage and actually competing. But for now Pro3 racing is just an end that is helping me define the means. Here is a quick list of how the car stands right now:
Things I believe I will be okay with getting further down the road, even though I’d obviously attract more chicks if I had them now
Are there huge holes in my plan? Any tips? Anyone want to wish me luck? I’ll try and keep this thread updated as I progress. Thanks for reading! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles 
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That is what I hear! And being here in the NW of the US, good wet traction appeals to me. I watched an HPDE at PIR the other weekend. It rained a bit half way through the event and then promptly stopped after the surface was wet. The first car out the gate on the newly wet surface was an E30, that immediately did a 180 trying to get through turn 2
He was running a less than good wet tire.
Yes, the 4.10 would be a bit extreme for daily driving, which is why I hadn't put one in until I had a different daily driver
Also, my understanding is that people will cater the gearing ratios to the tracks they run on. In the extreme case they will swap out diffs when hitting a different track. I have no intention of swapping diffs on a regular basis, but I know that most of the Pro3 guys that race at PIR and Pacific Raceways are using a 4.10. If the "good" drivers are using a 4.10 on the local tracks, I'm not sure there is a reason to learn on anything else? And yes, I already picked up a 4.10 for pretty cheap. Even if I decide to sell it, I could probably get more for it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2011 11:49AM by Earendil. |
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Who am I to naysay where you are at right now...I sold my iX!
Do what makes you happy just so long as you share it with us
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It sounds like you've already put a lot of thought into this and have most of the bases well covered. Good for you! I wish more people approached this as carefully!
Just a few comments: I heartily concur with the Dunlop Z1 Star Specs as a street/track tire. On our LeMons racer we are restricted by the rules to tires with a treadwear rating of 190. After trying a few different tires, we have settled on the Star Specs as our tire of choice. In our experience they are clearly the best dual purpose tire out there; and a walk around the paddock at a 24 Hours of LeMons event will show that the majority of cars are running the same tires, because it's no secret. Be warned, though: after enough events, you will inevitably begin hearing the siren song of R-compounds.  When that happens, we can discuss those choices.
Brakes: along with tires, the biggest wear item on a track car, and something you will replace frequently. Finding a good street/track pad is difficult, since compromises by their nature do not excel in either environment. Too street oriented and you will experience terrifying fade on the track; there's nothing that will get your attention like pushing on the stop pedal at 100 MPH and having nothing happen! They also have a tendency to overheat and crumble before their time. On the other hand, if you go too race-oriented, you also live with loud squealing, clouds of brake dust, and pads that don't work until they're hot. The best compromise that I have found are the Carbotech pads. I'm not sure which models are best suited for an E30, but on my Miata I use XP10 front and XP8 rear, and I expect the E30 would be similar. They are race pads, but unlike most race pads they stop well when cold, and don't make lots of noise. They do produce copious amounts of dust, but I've never seen a track pad worth its salt that didn't dust. They're a bit pricey, but IMHO worth it. It's good to have a pad that will stop you all day. Hawk makes some pads worth considering too. The Hawk blacks and blues are probably too race oriented for street driving (the black might work), but the HP+ is a very popular dual-purpose pad. It's not as aggressive as the Carbotech on the track, but more civilized on the street. Forget the HPS; it's too mild for track driving. Oh, and one other thing about brake pads: with a track car, you'll want to start thinking of rotors as wear items as much as pads are. The more aggressive the pads, the more the rotors will wear. With Hawks, you might get a season or two out of a set of rotors, depending on how much you drive. The Carbotechs are a little easier on rotors. Also, don't forget the brake fluid. You will need to flush your brake system and replace it with a good DOT 4 fluid with a high wet boiling point. I'm a fan of ATE Super Blue/Type 200. Others like Motul. But you really want this, because your brakes will be getting extremely hot, and regular DOT 3 street fluid will boil. (And you really don't want that to happen!) Because brake fluid absorbs water from the air, you will want to flush the fluid entirely at least once a season (more often if you're racing a lot). One more thing before I blather on too long (or is it too late already?  ): don't discount the importance of a proper racing seat. Part of this is a safety thing. A good racing seat with a proper 5- or 6-point harness will keep you safer in a crash. But it's also a comfort thing. It's amazing how much easier and more fun driving becomes when you're not sliding around and using the steering wheel as a brace to hold yourself in place. When you're wedged in tight in a good seat, you can focus on driving instead of not sliding around, and the whole activity becomes more fun, easier, and faster. But again, there are trade-offs in a street-driven car. To be safe, a racing seat should always be used with a 5- or 6-point harness. But on the street, such harnesses are inconvenient (and possibly illegal in some places). On my dual-purpose car I've come up with a way to run the stock 3-point belt through the holes in the seat so I can use the belt when I'm driving on the road, and switch to the harness when I get to the track. But that's not possible with all seats or all cars. Don't be tempted into getting a 4-point harness to use with the stock seats. They are dangerous, and most sanctioning bodies have rightfully prohibited their use on the track.
This will be fun to follow! I've often thought that a good E30 would be a good candidate for a track car when I'm done with the Miata. (Actually, Spec E30 and Spec Miata lap times are pretty close.) So when do we get to see pictures?  __________ Dave '91 325iX Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2011 08:51PM by Dave_G. |
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A quick update.
I've dropped the exhaust, driveshaft, and diff. Removed the clutch slave and loosened a few tranny bolts so that I know it's possible. Hopefully I can get the starter out and the tranny dropped tonight. Calipers have been removed and run through the dishwasher (being a bachelor is awesome). A final scrub down will facilitate the dark grey paint I'll be hitting them with. Rebuilt kit for the Girling fronts are on the way. I have the rebuild kit for the ATE rears. Don't ask, I don't know. The 4.10 is almost rebuilt, with Redline ready to go for it. I wacked away at the subframe but didn't get it to drop. I'm going to go buy a BFH and hope that encourages it a bit
Also, with the event now a week and a half away I ordered my wheels and tires. I was going to save that until I had succeeded at everything else, and knew I didn't need the money. However, being sick and having a dance performance thingy really put me behind. Now I'm scrambling to get done! At least the sun finally came out in the NW, even if it's still low 50's here. More updates to come... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles
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That's what I keep reading. So I've borrowed enough extensions to reach 3 feet, and I bought an elbow as well. Now I just need a pipe so I can "extend" the very short 3/8 breaker bar I have... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles
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Done!
I'll have to give the full report, and post a few pictures I took along the way at a later time. But for now I want to post that I survived the repairs with minimal blood loss and only one scar. The Track portion of the endeavor was completed with zero blood loss! If anyone is eager to see what my car looks like on the track, here is a link to the photographers proof stamped photos. I'd be in "Group 2", and will be the only E30. I spent most of the straight aways waving people pass me, which shouldn't be surprising if you look at the other cars in the group. The only car I ever got to pass was the old subaru legacy
Oh well, it wasn't a race or competition. But it was extremely fun and educational. I'll give a report of what I replaced and what I didn't later on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles
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Yep, my first time on the track! Only my 3rd time visiting a track! There was also a bronzit E30 there. I don't know what was done to the engines, but we were all stamped as 325i. The white E30 with what appeared to be a very competent driver behind the wheel was pulling away from race preped miatas though, so I'm guessing the engine is in good shape
The white one was very well prepared. The inside was stripped down and looked like it had a fresh internal repaint. The roll cage was also full, and it has racing seats and a few gauges. This car could easily be a race car, and may be headed in the PRO3 direction. Both cars were running 225/50/15 tires, and the White one was lower than mine (I'm on Bilstein sports). I don't know what the suspension was on either. The Bronzit was closer to my car. Relatively stock interior, and about the same height. Neither driver stuck around there car, and they were in a different group than me. It was kind of hard to have EVERY car on the track me significantly faster. It would have been nice to have a few out there that were close so that I knew if my lines were close or fast. But my instructor said I passed the novice level with flying colors, so next time out I'll be in the "Advanced School", with a good chance of proving that I'm solo worthy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2011 03:25PM by Earendil. |
Welcome to the addiction! Your bank account will never be the same again. 
Don't worry too much about that. Too often, beginners try too hard to be fast, and end up learning bad habits and sloppy technique. If you start out trying to be smooth and consistent, learning the line, and listening to the advice of your instructors, speed will come. Your instructor should be giving you pointers about your line as you go. Congratulations! What club is this? What track were you driving? BTW, nice pics. I like your car.  __________ Dave '91 325iX |
Ugh. Don't I know already
It was only dishearting to have every car blast by me. I was supposed to be learning things like letting up on the gas a little to let them pass, and how to properly pass people myself. I never had to let up on the gas, because most of the cars out there had 2x the hp, some of them had near 3x. They passed me like I was standing still. I had little desire to try and keep up with them though. But there is "slow", and there is "holy-crap-what-is-wrong-with-my-car-slow" [/quote]
That he was. But there was at least one turn that we had to experiment with a bit because the coned enter/apex/exit were a little off for my car. After a while we admitted that the only way to figure out the line was to have him drive my car (which he couldn't), have me drive the corner a couple dozen more times, or to watch another PRO3 race and pay attention to how they took the corner. Even though most of the PRO3 cars are quite race prepped, and all running R-compound, they might show me how to take that corner better than the M3's and Mustangs were
The turn in question was turn #7. A little elevation drop, the track goes from 6 car lengths wide to about 3, and it's right before the second longest straightaway. 
The Club was Cascade Sports Car Club. I highly recommend them in the area for HPDE, even though I know that no one reading this recommendation lives near by
The track was Portland International Raceway, which you have probably figured out by now if the pictures loaded. And the car does look good...from a distance. It's certainly a track rat, but she is handling very well, and even though she doesn't have a lot of hp, the engine sings up high ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles 2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles
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Oh, I understand the frustration completely. I drive a Miata on the track, so I know all about low-powered cars. The Miata and E30 (not counting the M3) are actually quite similar on the track: similar power-to-weight, RWD, similar nimble handing.
But I very firmly believe that the absolute best way to learn the art of high-performance driving is to do so in a low-powered car. I see far too many people try to learn in something like a 300-HP STi, and all they can do is point and shoot down the straights, and then tip-toe through the turns. In a low-powered car, that option is not available, so we need to learn to get the best out of the turns, which is where the challenge, and more importantly, the fun is. Drivers who learn to drive in a momentum car like the E30 (or Miata) learn how to squeeze every last bit out of their cars, far more readily than someone in a fire-breathing monster. Those 300-HP cars may be blowing by you now, but I predict in a very short time you will be catching many of them in the twisty bits. Sure, there's a limit to what an E30 can do, and you may never pass some faster cars driven by capable drivers. But you'll get closer than you might think. There's something very rewarding about passing a Mustang or 911 in my Miata. And, if you ever do get that 300-HP monster, you'll be in a much better position than someone who learned to drive in a fast-in-straight-line-only car.
One of the best drivers I know drives a Factory Five Cobra powered by a 5L Ford V8. The thing is an absolute beast, unbelievably fast and also unbelievably twitchy. I'm actually scared to death of the damn thing, but my friend drives it with a big grin, sliding it around corners like he's in a kart. What did he learn to drive in? A stock 115-HP Saturn SC. The majority of the really good instructors I know also cut their teeth on low-powered cars like E30s or Miatas, too. __________ Dave '91 325iX |
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