Track Car Build - which car

[LondonTom]

In fairness though, that Duratec has an £800 ECU included, and has already been dry sumped. It is freshly built (professionally which will increase the cost) and its ready to go. I have seen S14's go for not alot less that have over 100k miles on them.

No doubt a great bit of kit - but well out of my price range unfortunately.

[billgatese30]

Fair do's, that one might be, but they don't all have to be that expensive

[UweM3]

In fairness though, that Duratec has an £800 ECU included, and has already been dry sumped. It is freshly built (professionally which will increase the cost) and its ready to go. I have seen S14's go for not alot less that have over 100k miles on them.

for 6k it's a bargain compared to an S14 producing REAL 275 bhp. And the Duratec won't blow up either.
Just ONE MS cam for the S14 will cost you easy £800-900. And then you need shim under bucket, valves, springs.....

Go on www.c3bmw.co.uk and just add up the wear items you need for a regular S14 rebuild. Start with the timing chain assembly to get a rough ide where you will end up. And then come the power increasing parts.....

[LondonTom]

In fairness though, that Duratec has an £800 ECU included, and has already been dry sumped. It is freshly built (professionally which will increase the cost) and its ready to go. I have seen S14's go for not alot less that have over 100k miles on them.

for 6k it's a bargain compared to an S14 producing REAL 275 bhp. And the Duratec won't blow up either.
Just ONE MS cam for the S14 will cost you easy £800-900. And then you need shim under bucket, valves, springs.....

Go on www.c3bmw.co.uk and just add up the wear items you need for a regular S14 rebuild. Start with the timing chain assembly to get a rough ide where you will end up. And then come the power increasing parts.....

I'd rather not - only remind me of how poor I am!!!

[MarkT]

What sort of power are you actually looking for? 200 or 275-300? In all fairness all these figures should be easily attainable. Appletree had about 200bhp ish out of a stock M42 with an eaton charger on the side of it and I expect with the compression dropped and a set of headstuds then the 275-300 is well within reach for a turbocharged M42.

I did think along the M42 route myself, lots of 4 branch turbo manifolds out there which colud have the head flange chopped off and an M42 one welded on, td05 off of an evo 7-9 (good for 360bhp, cost £100), standard inlet manifold or a pulsar GTiR inlet manifold modified to suit (ITB's with a plennum). Thicker MLS head gasket and some headstuds and a dusting of injectors and a clutch to put up with it!

[Screacher]

Looks like an omp to me.

Now I've got to find myself a decent 'is'.

I believe it is - or a replica. It feels comfortable to use, but the black rubs off on your hands when driving. Not an issue on track when wearing racing gloves, but a pain when driving on the road as I'm not into wearing gloves for road use.

Looking at getting a steering wheel like this for mine but there are so many dunno what to get

Apparently it's one of these:

.

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_in ... s_id=13924

As UweM3 says, best with a pair of suede gloves too.

[LondonTom]

What sort of power are you actually looking for? 200 or 275-300? In all fairness all these figures should be easily attainable. Appletree had about 200bhp ish out of a stock M42 with an eaton charger on the side of it and I expect with the compression dropped and a set of headstuds then the 275-300 is well within reach for a turbocharged M42.

I did think along the M42 route myself, lots of 4 branch turbo manifolds out there which colud have the head flange chopped off and an M42 one welded on, td05 off of an evo 7-9 (good for 360bhp, cost £100), standard inlet manifold or a pulsar GTiR inlet manifold modified to suit (ITB's with a plennum). Thicker MLS head gasket and some headstuds and a dusting of injectors and a clutch to put up with it!

200 would be more than enough for me

[billgatese30]

S2000 engine here for not too much money

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1403993.htm

[LondonTom]

Think it might be a good choice - I'd rathher naturally aspirated than forced induction.

Tom

[mattrs]

I have a trackday E30. It started life as an early non-sunroof 316



Fully stripped and rebuilt from the ground up with a M20B25 engine, LSD, Gaz coilovers, welded in cage etc. Had it built professionally, so more than your budget, but you could probably do it in stages and be more selective on the spec. Putting the M20B25 in is relatively easy as it uses the same loom as the 4-pot.

Front brakes are standard 325 calipers with vented & grooved discs but with far harder pads (Pagid RS29s in this case). Rear brakes are 325 discs, calipers and pads - they don't do much of the stopping!

After 5 weeks from ourchasing the shell, it looked like this:



And a few days later, it was doing this:



If I was starting with a smaller budget, I'd go for a sound shell, strip it, uprate the brakes and suspension and have some fun. Whilst doing that, get an M20B25 and get that sorted. Ours hasn't had much done (skim and valve regrind) and decent induction and exhaust and it pushes out circa 190BHP - plenty to be getting on with!

Whatever you do, you're bound to have some fun. Enjoy it!

Roughly how much did it cost including the car, parts and labour?
Cheers

[mattrs]

TBH it depends upon preference. There is much of a muchness about the 325 vs. IS battle. I prefer the sound of the straight six but others prefer the revy charactoristics of the 1.8.

Personally I think the 1.8iS is a little undersized, but it is supposed to be a better handling car due to weight distribution.

Are you going to be looking for more power later on and how do you want to get it?

I will do eventually - most likely an s14.

I know what you mean about the m20 noise, I loved my sport!!

The car will be used mostly at Brands.

I used to suffer fuel starvation at brands, especialy coming out of clark curve (start of the main straight). It may well be worth installing a swirl pot at some stage, if your budget permits.

[Lloydie38]

Hi,

Here's my 325i from 1988 - stripped, put new Bilstein shocks and springs, poly bushed, chipped, LSD - rebuilt) - cage, induction, home made exhaust, OMP RS seats for the lard arse driver (15 st and 6'1") two sets of 15" wheels, toyo r888 track tyres -- great from Camskill for £60 each ish,

Had 3 years of great fun, track days, hill climbs and it's a road going car so can blast it on the open roads here on the Isle of Man....

[MarkT]

200 would be more than enough for me

A well bult IS lump with a set of bike ITB's maby some cams and a decent exhaust manifold/system should get you up there?

How about a 20XE? I had 180 out of a stock one on carbs and pushing 200 on a set of ITB's

[UweM3]

Hi,

Here's my 325i from 1988 - stripped, put new Bilstein shocks and springs, poly bushed, chipped, LSD - rebuilt) - cage, induction, home made exhaust, OMP RS seats for the lard arse driver (15 st and 6'1") two sets of 15" wheels, toyo r888 track tyres -- great from Camskill for £60 each ish,

Had 3 years of great fun, track days, hill climbs and it's a road going car so can blast it on the open roads here on the Isle of Man....

just read your sig, one day I will take the M3 and come over!

[Screacher]

just read your sig, one day I will take the M3 and come over!

Indeed. Tempting, isn't it!

[LondonTom]

200 would be more than enough for me

A well bult IS lump with a set of bike ITB's maby some cams and a decent exhaust manifold/system should get you up there?

How about a 20XE? I had 180 out of a stock one on carbs and pushing 200 on a set of ITB's

The coscast engines are getting hard to come by nowadays and going up in price.

What cost would I be looking at to achieve 200 brake or close to out of a naturally aspirated m42?

[MarkT]

Best ask on here. Looking at ITB's and management, manifold and system, headwork and most prob cams. The cams will really sting though. Or an eaton charger?!

What's wrong with using a sleeved GM head, no more pourosity? The cosworth hand finishing varies on which day of the week they were working on the heads lol.

[Lloydie38]

just read your sig, one day I will take the M3 and come over!

Indeed. Tempting, isn't it!

Bring it over!!! Love to see another E30 and especially an M3