E30 Zone

so the old track car has finally gone. thread here:
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=215879

was a great servant and we done some awesome tracks/events together....the ring, spa, donny, brands, snetts, rockingham, goodwood, silverstone etc etc.

I have been thinking about it for a bit and with another nipper on the way I wanted to get out of the track car before it became an issue or could not use it. felt the m3 would be more desirable long term and would need to find a real enthusiast and specialist buyer for the e30.

would be nice to be able to actually go out to car events with the family if its a nice day and all that.

luckily mark (e21) and I were chatting beforehand over some other e30 things and a small chat became a serious reality and why not!!

many thanks for Mark for a lovely car. up on the ramps there were only a few minor things that need doing but all the dreaded rust areas have either been sorted or were never there in the first place.

initial thoughts:
- TOTALLY different to the old e30 track car in so many ways
- the s50 3 litre in an e30 is a mega engine and very torquey too
- you have to work the S14 harder and through the gear but still revs lovely and sounds good too
- its comfortable, does not stink of fuel, you are not perm hot in it and you can get air into it
- feels lighter at the front end with the 4 pot
- supposed to handle really well but not really pushed it
- the 17s are going back to mark and I am going for 16s as I find it a bit floaty on the 17s
- going for sth like the BBS RS 16" rims with the gold centres
- i have got the original 15" BBS rims so will keep those for future and spares
- i think they look great and had loads of comments and waves on way home. 2 guys asked if it was a real one in the petrol station - don't see many of those about mate do you

cleaned and polished:











goodbyes at the shell garage in dartford after inspections:



I wont be keeping the 17 Azevs as going back to original owner. too big for me and the car does not ride great on them.

more to follow. DC

some other pics with car on 15s:

am going to keep the 15s in the garage for originality.

have gone for some nice 16" RZ wheels in gunmetal grey with polished lip. aka the Evo 2 I think. they will be running on 225/45/16 tyres so not too thin on the rubber so should drive better. wheels are 8J ET 23 so should sit well.







going on the car later so will get some pics up.

car seems to be in very good nick with very little rust in the areas you normally find it. there is a little bit by the sill by the front of the rear arch but can be sorted easily when the body kit comes off.

bodykit sills are coming off to be painted as they are the original satin ones so will be tidied up and painted.

Very nice Nicholas. Who is E21 Mark?

Demlotcrew wrote:Very nice Nicholas. Who is E21 Mark?

Hoobs on here.

Great car

That's who I was thinking of too but couldn't be certain.

yeah sorry its Hoobs on here

some more on 15s:







now on 16s. much better look and handling still great:













BMW badges are in the post as forget to pick them up with the wheels. Doh!!

The wheels are looking good on the car

sep 2012:

so in true e30 m3 style we found some rust. let me be clear it was only surface stuff on one side under the plastic sills which is common as they are dirt n mud traps!!





worst offender was off side rear arch but we knew this. from this:



to this:







once painted sills are in it will be not visible at all. if you look at earlier pictures then it all looks fine. to be fair its a really good car as areas like scuttle and in engine bay are fine.

I think its where its been jacked up over the years on the sills that it cracks the under seal and rot sets in.

bit more when rear bumper came off by tow eye. from this:





to this:





total job list:

Fit new handbrake lever cover as old one perished n cracked

Fit Jim contorti turnerchip to ecu (more mid range and higher rev limit)

new iridium spark plugs

new K&N panel filter

oil n filter change

fit spare drilled air box for better air flow

paint side skirts in diamond black

fit new rear brake lines

replace couple of water hoses in engine.

October 2012:

got it back this morning. early start but weather better than the gash that was last night!!

all jobs done and looking much better.

Turner stage one chip has made it a much better drive. its the Jim Conforti one who is a bit of a god I am told for BMW tuning. see here:

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-40...ance-chip.aspx

runs much better with chip and new iridium plugs. better mid range pull and more pull at the top end.

some other additions but more pics and update to follow later of the painted side skirts and finish:

I know the red stripe will divide the purists but it was a surprise from the garage and I was not sure at first but now I like it as it breaks up the car a bit.

off to pistonheads Sunday service this Sunday 28th for the meet at MercedesBenz world, Brooklands. should be a good day out.

Looks great
Really need to get my 16s on...

Quick question, did you have to run a spacer on the front wheels? Mine won't clear the caliper anti rattle clip

Looks lovely

yeah 5mm hubcentric spacer as they do foul every so slightly. pushed the wheels out nicely too to fill the arch.

were these wheels not for sale a short while ago?

looking awesome dude!

cool stuff nice m3 ,I like .

Nick do you have any photos of the hub centric 5mm spacers?

am sure I can get some.

went to pistonheads meet at Mercedes benz world last sunday and great meet. MB world is an awesome set up and a great place to visit

some awesome cars there too.

M3 seemed to go down well and only one there. loads of 1Ms for some reason.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... &mid=61749

Looks good Nick! You really like BBS RZ's don't you?

Lovely looking motor... will own one of those one day!!

Did MIB 1351 reg come from an E28?

( I have a lovely set of BBS RS for an E30 M3 available )

Answered this myself, its on Mark Browns E21, knew id seen it before!

DasChin wrote:yeah 5mm hubcentric spacer as they do foul every so slightly. pushed the wheels out nicely too to fill the arch.

Where did you get them? I'm having trouble trying to find some for exactly these wheels on M3 hubs.

anothere21323i wrote:

DasChin wrote:yeah 5mm hubcentric spacer as they do foul every so slightly. pushed the wheels out nicely too to fill the arch.

Where did you get them? I'm having trouble trying to find some for exactly these wheels on M3 hubs.

I'd be interested to see those as well. Anything less than 11mm means the wheel cannot sit on a spindle anymore (because the spindle on the cars hub is 10mm), meaning the spacer is 'centric' on the hub of the car, but does not locate onto the inside of the wheel itself. There is no way around this unless using 11mm + spacers. Have you had any problems with balancing/wheel wobble using just 5mm spacers?

Nice car by the way.

bmwe30mtech wrote:

anothere21323i wrote:

DasChin wrote:yeah 5mm hubcentric spacer as they do foul every so slightly. pushed the wheels out nicely too to fill the arch.

Where did you get them? I'm having trouble trying to find some for exactly these wheels on M3 hubs.

I'd be interested to see those as well. Anything less than 11mm means the wheel cannot sit on a spindle anymore (because the spindle on the cars hub is 10mm), meaning the spacer is 'centric' on the hub of the car, but does not locate onto the inside of the wheel itself. There is no way around this unless using 11mm + spacers. Have you had any problems with balancing/wheel wobble using just 5mm spacers?

Nice car by the way.

Surely you don't need them Paul for your car?

I'm running 7mm spacers at the front Tony, to clear the anti-rattle springs on the brake calipers. That is with style 5 alloys, ET20.

bmwe30mtech wrote:I'm running 7mm spacers at the front Tony, to clear the anti-rattle springs on the brake calipers. That is with style 5 alloys, ET20.

Oh right I've got you - I thought you were using the standard wheels!

I have done the same. my wheels are et20 too I think. only 5 mm hub centric spacers and no wobble issues.

have got a new front lip spoiler to go on. needs painting:



got the rubber grommet for throttle cable for bmw which was only a few squids as common part. no M tax. thanks to e30 for part number

got Mtech 2 wheel now so could take her out for a drive before all the snow came:



got a tech 1 wheel as well in case I sell her and buyer wants one.

tucked away now until the spring me thinks.

DC

few pics by the green near me:







off for hibernation:

been a while since an update. mostly locked up in the garage over winter as too cold and wet. sounds like spring and summer too!!

some progress with the suspension as wanted to change the old OEM set up. 25 years old (seems to be ok) but with lowering springs.

went for Bilstein B8, KW springs with rear adj platforms and then some bigger H&R/Eibach ARBs front and ear with adjustable settings.

some old bits:


some new bits:


looks like the rear shocks were H&R standard replacements which was news to me!


the blue BOGE is the OEM insert. the Bilstein inset on the left is like 3 times bigger:



rears:



Eibach 17mm adjustable ARB. KW springs with adjustable rear platforms. new OEM drop links:














Fronts had some very stubborn track rod ends so new ones to make tracking easier. old ones had perished on the rubbers:











settings for ARB are middle for the front. Soft for the rear. seems to work well at moment and I love the ride, turn in and handling now.

now to turn to paint work as its ok from a distance but I want it to be really mint so probably do both sides as some parking dinks and a few marks. bumpers front and rear already done.

sunroof panel is a bit patchy and the rear spoiler defo needs sorting out as some cracks in paint.

onwards and upwards.

car pics:

That's a beauty

Your set up should work well with both ARB's set in the middle with road tyres.

Give it a few months for the front springs to settle (if they are new), then re adjust the rears as I think its a little too low compared to the fronts.

thanks Andrew. I did wonder about that and I might go up a little as should be ok on the set up.

got a new rad top hose put on today to match the other lower ones replaced. old one looked original and starting to corrode:



got the car taken up 4 turns on the adjustable rear platforms from KW:





its not a huge amount...around 5 mm but you can at least see the whole tyre now.

anymore and it would look like I am off to santa pod