E30 Usage on Track

[Davenotouring]

Hi chaps,

I know lots of your cars are your prides and joys, as is my Touring.

But I use it for the purpose for which it was intended. Driving it, and driving it hard!

What are peoples reasons for not wanting to take their cars on track?

Worries about mechanical failure? Crashing?

There is an opportunity to take your cars out on track at Donington, on the 3rd of December for Ԛ£110.

I would (and have) jump at the chance. Just interested in finding out why more people don't wanna do this, out of our thousands of members!

Would be great to see some e30s out on the track!

[Andy_magic]

Skint

[JOSEMI]

yeah mate its almost xmas...

[jmc330i]

Lack of self propelled movement from mine is the main reason at the moment

It will definitely see some track action when its running - Im not spending out on an engine conversion to drive round our poxy roads at the speed limit.

I might not go as mad as some on here, but I will be having some fun

[glenn]

mine will be on the track soon dave,
hopefully having the thrashing of it's life

[Adammcf]

Id love to get mine on track when I finally get it on the road again but I'd be always waiting on it to blow up.

[Davenotouring]

but I'd be always waiting on it to blow up.

This is what I expected lots of people to say.....

This is also what I thought about track days before I did a few, but so long as your car is well maintained, and there are no glaring problems, you should be ok.

Cooling system needs to be top notch! That's one of the most important things!

[fuzzy]

i agree with yourself mate, i use a car for what its intended...drivind hard and pushing it to the limits. i m not one of the folk who wrap their cars in cotton wool and are scared to take it out in the wet in case it gets a bit dirty, its not an ornament! ,when ive ironed out the teething problems on mine ill be the first around Knockhill racing circuit if it breaks fix it, if it doesnt break then you werent trying hard enough

[jmc330i]

but I'd be always waiting on it to blow up.

This is what I expected lots of people to say.....

I would be worried about the S50 giving up, but if its going to happen, its going to happen. Whether it be on the track or a quick run down to the shops, its the same outcome.

At the end of the day its a car and can be repaired, although I wouldnt fancy a big off into a tyre wall in my Sport

[Davenotouring]

JMC....

When it comes to an engine worth Ԛ£2000, rather than Ԛ£200, I would be starting to question it!



You can get trackday insurance though, for the cosmetic side of things!

[doug325i]

I would love to thrash my tourer round a track, but it's the only car we have, and with no garage I really can't afford to break it.

When I get a garage

[jmc330i]

When it comes to an engine worth Ԛ£2000, rather than Ԛ£200, I would be starting to question it!

I know what you mean mate, but dont get me wrong. Im not about to rag the car around a track as soon as I get it started. I will be making sure its in good running order and will be putting a few road miles on it first and obviously keeping it well maintained.

The point I was making was, Im going to have some fun with it (on and off track) and if the engine breaks, well sh*t happens.

I must admit though, Ive been thinking about getting another E30 for track use, but thats more to do with not wanting to damage the Sport itself rather than the engine. If I did get a 'track E30', the S50 would probably end up in that.

[Wilson325i]

here is me when i went to brands hatch with the guys from bexley, a total mess i made of it, trying to show off with nigel in the car, the guy with the white helmet 4th pic down
the m20 can handle abuse, my engine had 140k and i can tell you i caned it, 3yrs down the line it was still my daily drive, apart from the warped disc's, the car actually drove even better when i got back from track

[Hyperion]

I have been toying with the idea of taking my car on the Kyalami Raceway here is SA!. would be interesting to see a standard baur cab, automatic, cruising (but really fast) around Kyalami.
Hmmm but the only thing holding me back is my car is my daily ride aswell, so i am a bit scared of breaking something..and not have a car to get to work...

[Chaos]

mine will be on the track soon dave,
hopefully having the thrashing of it's life

shud be a good day too glenn

3 or 4 spare spaces if anyone else wants to come.

[Templ8e30]

[quote="wilson325i"]
the m20 can handle abuse, my engine had 140k and i can tell you i caned it, 3yrs down the line it was still my daily drive, apart from the warped disc's, the car actually drove even better when i got back from track

I know what you mean, my 2.7 felt much more responsive after my visit to the Nurburgring this summer. Until I got back here and had to stick to our crappy speed limits

Track days are great, I'll definately be up for some next summer. On the edge or in the hedge

Cheers,

Iain T

[astondg]

I think I would take any car I owned to the track at least once, and probably to a skid pan too just to get to know it a bit better.

I have been racing and going to track days in my 323i for about 2 years now (probably about 30 events all up, maybe more) and the engine still seems to be running ok (at 163,000 miles now). It wasn't looked after very well before I got it either.

I think autocross (dirt circuit) racing has had a bit of a effect though, the car rattles a bit more now and has a few dents and stuff it never used to. The gearbox is also leaking oil (and it has been whining like it has straight cut gears or something ever since I bought it, hasn't broken yet though) and I'm not sure the LSD is quite as grippy as it used to be (might just be me worrying though). I would rather have a race car for that and leave my road car for a track day every now and then.

Aston

[garyp_E30_325i]

I've had my car at Crail raceway, before I fitted the bodykit but that won't stop me going back, first time taking my own car on the track, it was a hoot! Came back with a list of things to work on, most of which have been done, so I'm almost ready for another go.

Cooling system needs to be top notch! That's one of the most important things!

Yip, especially if it's a prolonged thrash.

Also good brakes - big time, I was just doing 10-12 laps of the short circuit at Crail then coming off, but come my 3rd / 4th time on I was experiencing bad brake fade - ran off once, and done a 270 'cause I went into a hairpin too fast - really pissed that I didn't make it all the way round so much for EBC green stuff pads

Donny is too far for me though, also bad time of year, missus & kids to pander too.

[M5pilot]

I dont know why people get worried.

Why do you feel the need to abuse a car on the track? You can just change up at 5000rpm everytime. You dont have to be animal with the car to enjoy a track day or go fast.

Your skill around the bends is really going to dtermine how fast you go round a track anyway.

There are loads of E30 M3's out there which have had so much track time yet are perfectly fine.

Trackday doesnt mean foot to the fllor everywhere and bouncing off the limiter in every gear.

I would happily take my M5 on a track.

[Steviec]

Ill be on a few track days next year, thats why I bought the car (as well as being adaily driver).

[astondg]

M5pilot is right. A good, smooth driver with the correct lines wouldn't put too much extra stress on a car around a normal bitumen circuit. The most wear will be the tyres, and in a lot of E30's it will probably be the front tyres rather than the rear.

There is no need for super fast jerky gear changes, it's not a drag race where gear change speed can count. A reasonably fast but still smooth gear change is all that is necessary and rev match on the down changes to be even easier on the car (with heel & toe under brakes). The clutch in my 323i (standard type) was half worn when I got the car 2 years ago and even with road use and the racing I mentioned above it isn't slipping yet (although the grab point is very high now). I follow heaps of cars on the track where the whole back end bounces when they change gears, often flat changing as well, and that just isn't necessary even for a quick lap. There is far more time to be made up in other places in a road car. Also many people lock up wheels when they down change for the same reason, trying to be too fast, and also not rev matching.

EDIT: I meant to talk about the rev limiter too, I did hit it a bit when I first started because the standard ratios in my 323i's gearbox meant I had to change gears in the middle of corners and my 323i was still pulling all the way to the limiter but with a bit more experience and a 4.1 diff (I can go through a lot of 2nd gear corners in 3rd gear now) I haven't hit it that much recently. There is no need to to that though, just like M5pilot said. Change at 5500rpm and your lap times probably won't suffer too much, even 5000rpm or less if you're not so worried about times. Most M20's don't get going until 4000rpm though so they can handle that with no problems.

With the right lines, a reasonably well set up car and smooth inputs it doesn't take much to get a fast lap. You shouldn't be fighting the car ever, it should be fairly relaxed.

But then again I'm not much of a driver so you might want to disgregard most of that and wait until some of these other guys reply.

Aston

[Jhonno]

i have no problems whatsoever taking my car on track, however my bank manager does

[320Touring]

m20b20, fuel consumption, need i say more

lack of skill of driver

no tax

if it wasnt my "everyday car" i'd be tempted to abuse it some

[Fushion_Julz]

I used to take my racing 2002ti on trackdays regularly...

Never had a problem (with a full race 8750rpm limited M10) since trackdays are not for ragging the very last ounce of performance from the vehicle or engine (that's what racing/rallying/sprints are for).

Haven't sorted out my M3 completely, yet....It is getting there, though. If I had more time and more cash I would have already done it...But I don't so I haven't.

My shopping list is looking like:
2 x reclining/tilting sports Recaros/Cobras
2 x harnesses
4 x Spax adjustable shocks
Brake pads front and rear
Spare 16" wheels (already sorted)
Tyres
Rear Strut Brace

If anyone has any (matching) front seats for sale, let me know

[Cabrio]

Any room for a convertible for the track day...who is organising it and how much tracktime is allowed..cheers

[Rearwheel_nick]

my car gets used very hard i cant resist it, replaced engine mounts one was broken 2months later...unfortunately only car and so im now without any workin car, and if i could id be at donnington on track. i guess people have different priorities though.

[tylerma]

I can think of 3 reasons why i wont take mine on track

1) its 4 pot wrongness (for now)
2) Its a convertible
3) I love it too much (must get a 325 track slag)

[racecar]

hi davetouring
who is organising the day on dec 3rd? might well be up for this - is it full or national circuit?
thanks ross

[Davenotouring]

For people who have asked who is organising the track day...

www.track-action.co.uk

Not sure if it's the full or national circuit, it should say on the site.

Hope to see you there!

[chief]

good stuff dave

been on track with my E30 325i 4 times this year , donnington twice and brands twice . Exxxxccccellllllenttt fun.

you correct about the cooling .check those hoses are tight enough and you have enough coolant. check your oil is plenty and brake fluid too . sounds basic but this is all an m20 needs . changed gear at 6100 and never even got past the 2/3 mark on the temp gauge.

if you have standard rubber hoses on brakes be careful after 2 laps on the big straight braking (goddards) you may get a bit spongy. if so cruise for 1 more lap and come in to pits for 25 mins and back out.(to avoid this fit braided brake hoses(60 quid) and you will get no probs . everything else like suspension and tyres are for the more serious track man(you will become this i reckon by dec 4th)

good luck

[Rich_W]

Id need seriously better brakes first. Then some better suspension


But the main reason is I dont really want to damage it. Maybe not by myself going off, but a coming together with another person.

[herman]

Been on a few track days, and main thing is to listen to the talk at the beginning. Go slowly, test your breaking points, your lines, build it up slowly. Its like your fav corner on the road you buld up the speed.

As you go thru the day you start to get the hang of it. Its not a free for all, you can only take over on the left. Anybogy breaking the rules is blacked flagged then its taxi home.

In some ways its safer to drive fast on the track than on the roads, for one thing, nothings coming the other way. You would be knachered if you drove all day, so its a good social event.

Just take your time don't go eyeballs out first lap, the corners look faster than they are cause no kerbs, hedges, walls to judge speed. But main thig no lamposts, how many boy rasers have been killed hitting a lamppost, tree, wall.

[m-dtech]

i regulary abuse my car at knockhill

its not about having an expensive car, top noch brakes or hi spec suspension set-ups.

just getting on the track and driving the car hard it to its maximum. finding where and how to push it.

eurocarparts - pads Ԛ£6.00, discs Ԛ£13

its not expensive.

[Andy335Touring]

As i said in your other thread Dave, if i wasn't a bit short of dosh i'd be there !

Take your time if it's wet in Craner Curves !!!

This is an in car vid clip of a wet Donny lap in my old E34.

(right click and save as)

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.law47/vid%201.mpg

[jmc330i]

This is an in car vid clip of a wet Donny lap in my old E34.

19Mb
Give me 5mins