Interesting month with my 323i

[astondg]

It's been a while since I've posted here but I've had an interesting month with the E30 so I thought I'd share it with you.

When I got my 323i about 4 or 5 years ago the clutch was about 1/2 worn. Since then I've done more than 40,000km (the odometer stopped 20,000km after I got it but I've done at least double that) and a lot of track days and autocross events. The clutch wasn't slipping but the grab point seemed to be a long way up and I was heading to another track day so I booked it in to get an Exedy clutch & lightened flywheel. The car had also been running hot (getting into the red on the gauge a lot more often than it used to) so I asked the mechanic to check that out as well.

$2,500 later (he thought it was necessary to replace a lot of stuff because of the age & the impending track day) he reckoned the cooling system was fine and the car was running well so we headed off to the track day, my dad took the 323 out and I took our Lancer Evo VI. I had a chance to drive the 323i the night before and the clutch was really light, much lighter than standard. Apparently this is normal for the Excedy but I didn't like it. It also didn't feel any quicker for the lightened flywheel.

We also fitted some new Kumho V70 tyres to replace the horrible Falken's we had before. Unfortunately I couldn't get the Toyo R1Rs I love but the Kumho's were looking promising on the drive out.

Anyway track day went well, up until my stint in the 323i. I took my sister out for a ride and the first lap was awesome, the Kumho's were great and I caught another E30 who let me past on the main straight. I just got it straight after turn 1 and I was on the brakes and back to 2nd gear for turn 2 but as I got it in gear the clutch pedal went really light and the rear wheels locked up. I managed to get it through the corner and pulled off to the side with no gears. It turned out it was the clutch slave cylinder, the 1 part he didn't replace in the service. So then my dad had to drive it 2 hours back home through traffic with no clutch. It's the first time we've ever had an issue with the E30 at a track day. But for the time it was running it was all over most things in the corners and must have been turning out pretty decent lap times.

Since then I've been on a road trip from Brisbane to Melbourne in the Evo to visit a mechanic. It was about 1242 miles there and 1118 miles back following a few driving roads we'd read about. My parents came as far as Sydney (about 745 miles there) in the 323i. It rained on and off most of the way down and the windscreen wipers in the 323i wouldn't switch off so we had to keep stopping and removing/replacing the fuse. Other than that it ran really well and the Kumho's proved themselves in some wet tricky conditions. Following it in the Evo also reminded me how much I still like the way it looks too, not just the shape but the way it sits on the road, especially through corners. We were also surprised with the fuel consumption. With mostly winding 62 - 68mph roads we got about 31mpg in the 323i and 30 in the Evo, that's two very different cars. I also thought it was alright considering the 323i has a 4.1 diff (and sits between 3100 and 3500rpm) on those kinds of roads and it was running very rich, I could smell it from the Evo when I was following it. We also weren't driving for fuel efficiency. Both cars went on to get closer to 35mpg on the highway on the way back.

I mostly drive the Evo around now and I just bought a Honda CBR 600 RR but I still take the E30 out for a run whenever I can and I'm getting my sister to use it atm so I don't have a reason to sell it ;)

[323iNathan]

I have Falkens on my 323i too. TERRIBLE tyres! I'm trying to get rid of them quick so I can get some of the dunlop 9000's . My brother has them on his e30 and they're awesome (plus I can get them at 2/3 RRP). Interesting story