gathering bits for first track car, opions/advice

[driftmonkey]

after nearly selling my car, ive decided to try and build my first track car.

its a 1989 325i 4 door, pretty much standard as it is, stainless exhaust and a universal airfilter in homemade housing.

just bought some ate powerdiscs for the front, new standard discs for the rear, new top mounts front and back, all arrived today.

plus ordered a set of ssk koni adjustables with springs.

got a 3.64lsd in the garage.

thinking of getting mintex 1144 pads for the front, standard rear pads braided hoses all round, just trying to find the best prices.

poly bushes all round next month, after i find best price.

going to give it a service this month with ate blue fluid.

trying to sort out a second set of wheels to have as track wheels, probably with t1r's

will be stripping her out over xmas and fitting some buckets and 5 point harness' ive knocking about.

good so far? what should i be looking for next?

not having a massive budget im not going all out but also dont want to be let down by poo parts.

[agreen]

dude thats great,

good luck i think before you move to the next step you should do all the baove i have just done some / most of this and its hard work mate

good luck

lets see some pics matey

[gareth]

mintex m1144's... i cook them in 5 mins on the road with my 335i but EBC reds are a lot better (greens are iffy imho). not sure what compounds are available on standard E30 brakes though....

if you don't have them already, get some uprated rear top mounts. koni's will probably punch the rubbers through yours after the first big bump. E46 cab ones are cheap from bmw and a lot tougher.

for the bushes, try sal at the zone shop as his prices are very good. might be worth fitting E30 M3 spec offset front lollipop bushes too instead of oem spec ones.

[driftmonkey]

koni's turned up 2day, wasnt sure if they were on car adjustable as the advert was rather vague, but luckily they are!
Bugger just bought new standard rear top mounts, looks like i'll be getting sum e46 cab ones then.

getting the old girl welded on sat, drivers rear inner arch and battery tray were rusty, cut out the rust and zinc primed them ready for the patches.

Hopefully will get the suspension fitted this weekend, but may only get some of it done as i know i'll end up faffing around cleaning and repainting bits as i take them off!

quality of the konis looks good, only ever used spax back in my shitroen axgt days and they always ended up rusting on the welds and leaking oil.

Instructions with the suspension is just a series of pictures, one looks like its anti freeze you put in the strut before the shock, but i wont be doing anything til ive had a good read up elsewhere.

but its abit crap as having to do the overtime to pay for the stuff, leaving less time to fit it!

And most of my work mates keep asking me down the pub but i keep saying no as im working, saving money for my car! ive missed 3 nights on the lash and the money i didnt spend paid for my koni's!

I'll get loads of pics as i go dont worry about that! One of my friends is building a mk1 golf gti so thats my competion on track nerxt year!

[HairyScreech]

i beleive they are filled with antifreeze as it helps tranfer the heat of the damper to the outside of the strut, otherwise they will overheat with hard use.

[AlpineAde]

Hey driftmonkey!

I've got an 89 325i 4 door too.

I'm doing it as a street/track project:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... sc&start=0


Sort of on a budget myself. Have a read and see if anything helps you out.

[M3GTR]

Sounds like you're well on the way!

You might want to consider an uprated diff bush too. Powerflex now do one and there's an uprated BMW one from the Z3M too (I have one.. £15 plus postage if you want it).

I'm a Powerflex dealer too with pretty competitive prices. Have a look at www.zonemotorsport.co.uk and click on the Shop link.

Cheers
Paul

[Dave_M3]

Consider a set of H&R anti-roll bars too if you dont have a set already.

Looks like you have most of the boxes ticked so far anyway! Good luck with it

[northloop]

Use everything you have bought so far, give it a good service and run it on track a couple of times. Decide what you do and don't like and then move forward.

[oldroydsr4]

Be careful with powerflex control arm bushes, they have be known to split (there has been at least 3 cases in the PBMW championship) the m3 bushes are just as good for this .

Other tahn that i have powerflex thoughout and they are great.

[agreen]

the m3 bushes are just as good for this

treehouse solid ones are better

[oldroydsr4]

treehouse solid ones are better

Not when you compare the price

[agreen]

Quote:
treehouse solid ones are better


Not when you compare the price

what price got to do with it dude

if you want the best you gotta pay

[gareth]

if price didn't matter, i wouldn't have an E30!

[agreen]

well thats not what i ment i earn such sh"t money at the mo but with a 318is as i have the only way i am gonna be quick ish on track is handeling and brakes so i am not skimping here guys

[oldroydsr4]

what price got to do with it dude

if you want the best you gotta pay

M3 bushes =£20 (designed by msport and used on the greatest touring car of all time)

Solid tree bush things = $189USD per pair + shipping + tax (Designed by some yank)


Could YOU really tell the difference out on track.???????

[oldroydsr4]

the only way i am gonna be quick ish on track is handeling and brakes so i am not skimping here guys

On that basis i guess your running leda coilovers and AP brakes all round then?

Remember, 'if you want the best you gotta pay'

[agreen]

On that basis i guess your running leda coilovers and AP brakes all round then?

Remember, 'if you wanr the best you gotta pay'

no beacuse they are not neccersarry for like 5 or 6 track days a year and they cost thousands unlike a pair or £95 bushes !!!

ohh and i did not know ap brakes made a kit for 15 "bbs wheels ?

[oldroydsr4]

Are solid control arm bushes necessary for 5 or 6 trackdays a year

[agreen]

there only £95 not 1000's for coilovers i would not know how to adjust

my point being an extra couple of quid might make a diffrence

not 1000's spent on coilovers

i was just trignng to help by surgesting an affordable good upgrade

and at £95 why not

ps i like that link for those ap 's that fit under 15"bbs's

[M3GTR]

Interesting debate... to be honest though, when you start adding solid bushes to the car, you can do much more harm than good. If you think about it, you are relying on your car being totally and utterly straight and the geometry being perfect. Any form of flexible (rubber thhrough to poly) will have slight give to allow for the variations in manufacturer tolerances. The slightest inaccuracy in your suspension setup when you are using solid bushes WILL be obvious int eh way the car handles.

And for what it's worth, £95 on track day tuition will make you MUCH faster than a pair of bushes ever will

[agreen]

£95 on track day tuition will make you MUCH faster than a pair of bushes ever will

never a truer word spoken

i am not putting sold bushes all round just them ones

i am looking for someone who sells powerflex 80 bushes and can sell me a complete kit i think they are called powerflex 80 anyway the stiffest ones they sell

any ideas

[M3GTR]

I can get them if you want them. Have a look at my website. Prices are the same but lead times are a little longer.

[agreen]

cool i need a full set except the lolipop bushes and i mean a full set diff gearbox everything can you give me a price mate ?

[Bob_S]

tracks arent as billiard smooth as you think arron.. normal polys should be stiff enough by far!

[gareth]

WMS 280mm 4 pot will fit under 15" BBS's and as a few of us on here can verify, make a massive difference. they were developed on my car and tested by the official WMS E30 test pilot, yours truly!
oh, and i'm running leda coilovers for road use

all on a sleeper touring

[agreen]

[quote="Bob_S"]tracks arent as billiard smooth as you think arron.. normal polys should be stiff enough by far![/q

thsnks bob uote]

[Bob_S]

if you still think the car is lacking coilovers would be a good investment.

As I recall your having a cage too which will stiffen the car up nicely if the car is too hard it will simply bounce around the track more time in the air = less tyre on the floor gripping