E30

[D_Eclipse9916]

Yes I know, I like to keep my options open, dont take this as me buying it, just some questions.
What would take for this car to be spec for e30? Good car for HPDE?

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[.RJ]

Wow that price is a little steep - you could get a really nice 99 miata for that money and it would be faster (although I dont even know if you fit in one of those).

[D_Eclipse9916]

Oh, that guy is willing to sell it to me for 3 grand, I may be able to get it a little less.

[BLINGMW]

OOOOOOOOHHHH hock: hock: hock: hock:

[BLINGMW]

:lol:

Ok here's what you would *need* to do that I can think of:
put stock airbox back in
get the rollbar upgraded to a full cage
a few other safety related upgrades (fire system, window nets, cutoff switch, etc)
everything else looks ok I guess

BUT

the 318 is out after the '09 season. Nobody was running them and it's kind of hard to balance it so it's competitive with the 325. So, then you'd need to turn it into a 325. Motor/drivetrain swap. But for HPDE, sure, it looks like a decent track car as is and the price is ok. Lot of miles though....

I'd say you'd be better off buying a 325 to start with if you REALLY plan on doing specE30.

[CaptainHenreh]

:I'd say you'd be better off buying a 325 to start with if you REALLY plan on doing specE30.

So what you're saying is that this is perfect.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I mean, by the time I graduate to do spec e30, that engine and transmission will have seen more than I expected it too. How big a problem is throwing a new engine/transmission in? Is it really that hard? Expensive? I mean takes a few hours to pull a motor...

This thing has seats/wheels/rollbar, for 3 grand. If I decide to sell it im sure somebody would pick it up for this price. maybe not? You guys know WAYYYYYYY more than I do about bmws.

Edit: You dont think ill do spece30? Or by the time I get to spec e30 ill have A) killed myself B)gotten bored or C) totalled the car.

[BLINGMW]

I think it's a decent price if it's ready to go and the motor isn't about to blow up, sure. I'd do a compression test.

And you could probably resell it for a similar price, yes. So not much risk in buying it and tracking it for a while, then deciding what to do with it later. Though the market for busted, old, no-class-to-race-in track cars is limited.

It's engine, trans, driveshaft, differential and rear halfshafts that have to be swapped. Cooling system, ECU, gauge cluster, intake and exhaust and wiring harness as well. And I would double check that swapping into a 318 is still legal before doing it of course, though it used to be and *should* be, it pretty much makes the same car, shell is the same. Seems like a lot of work to ME, but with a lift and lots of tools, that 318, and a wrecked 325 to start with, it could be done in a long weekend with 2 people that knew what they were doing. Sourcing all the parts from multiple places would SUCK to make sure you got everything you needed.

*edit* For reference, I was just looking at (ok, I bid on it too) another "track" 318 with similar miles (though no cage and not so much history) on eBay the other day, it sold for $1125:

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[Evan]

not a bad car for $3k, but keep in mind:
forza seats are suck really bad and arent worth anywhere near a nice sparco fiberglass seat
240+k (face it he probably underestimates if the odo has stopped)

[D_Eclipse9916]

Guy actually turned out to be incredibly nice. I told him I was no longer interested, because of it specifically being a 318 instead of 325i. He runs with NASA and was like...I am building an e36 spec3. Told me it was okay if I came over anyway and knew that I wasnt interested anymore and still let me drive it and shoot the shit with him about his spec3 build.

Impression of the 318i. I just have to laugh, it is god-honest fun like a miata. 195s and she stuck to the road pretty well, im always amazed how light cars feel, coming from my 3176lb boat. It was a bunch of fun buttttttt.....

A) Damn those seats suck lol. The Forzas are a lot worse than even the sparco sprint ive had, and defnitely a ton worse than the Momos I have sitting in the garage.
B) The power isnt as bad as I expected, but I would definitely shoot myself in the face on the back straight of VIR trying to go anywhere in 4th gear in that thing.
C) I can pick up a e36 325i for 2-3 grand and throw in an autopower bar and the momos and have something with way more power and the ability to become spec. Spec3 build will be a bit more expensive, but I could buy 5 e36 325is for the price of one s2000. Meaning a car I truly can view as "disposable".
D) I do all my own work and have no problem to do so, plus I get really good parts prices wether at the dealer/advance auto so I dont mind building my own, in fact I enjoy modding cars so it would be more fun, although a bit more expensive, than buying a pre-built one. Plus there arent any spec3s cars for sale arleady built cause its such a new class.

[CaptainHenreh]

Spec 3 is going to grow, I think, especially if they let them lighten/add power. No excuse for E30's to be faster than E36's.

Id' go with an E36, because they're cooler.

[Jewels]

Spec 3 is going to grow, I think, especially if they let them lighten/add power. No excuse for E30's to be faster than E36's.

Id' go with an E36, because they're cooler.

Spec 3 has 5 current cars, and has 2 more builds coming along. Its been some really good racing so far this year. I forsee them having a good crop of cars by next year. Plus, we need more people to beat McAvoy.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Ouch, roll cage price from Piper......

[.RJ]

Ouch, roll cage price from Piper......

$3k?

[Jewels]

Ouch, roll cage price from Piper......

$3k?

Ask Kaan, You get what you pay for when it comes to cages. Plenty of people come to the track with cars they are trying to prep for racing, and they skimp on roll cages and then Kaan has to tell them that they need to cut it out and start over. I have seen it happen with my own eyes. Piper does a good job.

[.RJ]

I'll add to that, my old integra was destroyed going off and rolling at high speed (I think well over 100) and the guy walked away (well, sort of) but the piper cage was intact and did its job.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Ouch, roll cage price from Piper......

$3k?

Thats what I was expecting, 2 to 3k. Apparently 4-5k (according to the guy I was talking to last night). An autopower is sounding real good for DE duty till the spec3 changeover.

Im going to have to go to some of the spec3 guys and see what they paid, who they had shit done by.

[.RJ]

$4-5k? Wow.

[Evan]

holy damn

[Kaan]

He's definately charging due to reputation. Steel prices arent going up too much higher than when Evan and RJ did their builds, and if you look, its going down because the economy is squishing the demand. Once you pick a car, and you really want to do it... i'm sure we can find you a cheaper roundie round guy to do it.... i can help you draw it up for him and explain all the little legalities. you'll also want to drop off the CCR to him... not that he'll read it...

that all being said, as long as you tell piper its going to run NASA events... it will be 100% NASA legal the first time around... you might be risking it with other people... but $4-5k a cage? thats almost what it cost Packer to get his cage put in i think.