Cabby questions... Track days? Big Engine? Cage?

[miniblob]

Right then - probably another one of my stupid ideas that will never happen, but hey ho!!!

Has anyone used a cabby in anger, on a track day, etc??
Massively worse than a saloon/touring??

Alternatively, has anyone stuck something more powerfull (200bhp+) in one and found it as fun as a saloon/touring??

Anyone ever stuck a cage in one for stiffening or safety purposes?? Does anyone even make one??
I'm guessing it'd look a bit stupid though!!!

Basically thinking, (dreaming), maybe one day, cutting down from several cars to one!!!
So would be a combo track and road car, 2.7 with coilovers, etc!!!
Am happy (almost) with my touring, but I also very much like having a convertible for the nice weather!!!!

So how stupid an idea is it???
Throw some abuse at me until I grow up a bit!! Lol!!!!

[Grrrmachine]

It would be the worst of all worlds, IMO.

It would never be competitive on the track, you'd get annoyed climbing in and out of the roll cage, and you'd look an utter tool rolling around with the top down and a load of scaffold pipe around your head.

I would take great pleasure pointing and laughing at you both on and off the track.

[redcar]

I think a sleeper cab would be awesome.

Say, for example, a cab which has all standard interior, but, for example a 500bhp m50 turbo or a 450bhp s62 or something underneath, would be awesome.

Whip it on coilovers, and of course all the other standard things of bringing a 20 year old e30 into the presend day an age such as an e46 rack, also some r888s and it would be pretty fun and alright on a track day.

Of course, a lot of work to do to a cab, but remember...if you decide you want to move to a more solely track dedicated car, then all the stuff can always be transferred over to another 2dr shell.

[Motorhole]

Weld up the doors for extra rigidity! Dukes of Hazard Style.

[miniblob]

Grrrr - Lol!! Fair play mate!! I'm not looking for competitive exactly though - just fun!!

Redcar - sleeper-ish is what I'm thinking - without a cage obviously!!
Would end up with my tourings spec basically, with full leather and a nice sound system!!
Just wondering if it would fall apart with a bigger lump, or if it could be made stiffer without a cage - I've already got the 2.7, coilovers, arb's and strut brace on my touring

Motorhole - like the idea, but gonna be a bit awkward with the roof on - especially at 6'2 with a bad back!! Lol!!

So I'll call that 50/50 at the mo!!!

[kingcruizer]

i used to run my supercharged lump in the cab in my sig. 321bhp with coil overs/h&r roll bars/poly bushes and front brace.

there so much twist it used to pull the n/s front wheel up on hard cornering and a lot of boost - not good on a track. even with all the stiffening i did there was always that thought floating around my head, "what if i roll this bitch"

moral of the story is.... get a two door and track it up. thats what i did and the difference is awesome.

p.s the cab is a heavy bugger even without a cage.

clive

[nickso]

Open top caged cars are cool. do it!


Or I might

[mrLEE30]

I think the guy who started bayE30 in the US had a cab with a big engine and a cage, he ran it in local auto cross events.

[MattTheHat325]

Have you considered a Baur? Maybe not to everyone's taste looks wise, but I think they're cool factor is rising. I quite like them anyway! You get the open air experience without having to lose the rigidity and a cage would look more discreet due to the fat b pillar.

[universal]

Rob Smith ran a caged cab in last years PBMWC. it was very competative! however he did win the campionship the two previous years in a coupe, if i remember

[Rav335uk]

Japanese engine Cab with Roll cage.

Can be found here.


http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthr ... rt&page=18

[e30topless]

Drive a cab fast in the twisty country lanes.... even a 318i will put the shits up you , they don't handle well at all,

scuttleshake will get you !!

[harry_p]

I think a sleeper cab would be awesome.

Say, for example, a cab which has all standard interior, but, for example a 500bhp m50 turbo or a 450bhp s62 or something underneath, would be awesome.

Whip it on coilovers, and of course all the other standard things of bringing a 20 year old e30 into the presend day an age such as an e46 rack, also some r888s and it would be pretty fun and alright on a track day.

no it wouldnt, it would be horrible.

as has been said, they feel floppy with standard engines and suspension. stiffer suspension and sticky tyres are only going to make things massively worse!

the only solution is to fit a cage, but you instantly lose any 'sleeper' effect

[mrLEE30]

^^ strange, my cab was not like that at all and handled quite well, i could feel the extra 100kg but with regards to loads of scuttle shake i could not really notice any.

perhaps you guys are all such excellent drivers that you notice these things more than me?

[Rav335uk]

^^ strange, my cab was not like that at all and handled quite well, i could feel the extra 100kg but with regards to loads of scuttle shake i could not really notice any.

perhaps you guys are all such excellent drivers that you notice these things more than me?

I agree with you Lee, never noticed much of the above on mine either when I drive it like a loon

[mrLEE30]

people hear Mr Clarkson/wank car magazine journalists talking about skuttle shake then assume it applies to all convertibles.

clarkson wrote for a yorkshire paper, and i know a lad who get Bentleys delivered to his house in UK on a trailer when he goes back there, he is a local motoring journalist, and would not know a 2CV from a CV joint, but he knows what a free Bentley looks like...my point is dont belive all you read about.

of course a convertable car has less rigidity than a tin top, but it also has strengthening too. next you will tell me you can tell a sunroof from a non sun roof car on the road

[redcar]

Rav, any chance you have some more info or link to that sr'd cab?

Cheers

[Rav335uk]

Link is in my previous post, just above the 1st pic

[redcar]

Oh sorry, didn't see it!

Cheers

[trevski]

^^ strange, my cab was not like that at all and handled quite well, i could feel the extra 100kg but with regards to loads of scuttle shake i could not really notice any.

perhaps you guys are all such excellent drivers that you notice these things more than me?

no problems with my one either, it gets lots of beans on and around the back roads of mk and handles perfectly well.

[oldroydsr4]

As mentioned above, the only way to make a cab any use on track and more importantly safe on track is to fit a cage. Then sleeper image is long gone.

Imo if you want a convertible trackcar, buy one -i.e caterham /locost/ z3m/s2000 etc

[redcar]

surely a 500bhp cab, with coilovers and slicks and strut braces wouldn't be too bad on a track day?
Ultimate sleeper.

[e30topless]

next you will tell me you can tell a sunroof from a non sun roof car on the road

thats easy,
sunroof = rust falls in your Hair while driving
non sunroof = no rust

I have probably owned 20 cabby's and over 50 2/4 doors/tourings or whatever, I know cabs are shit in the twisties, unless you fit a hardtop which isn't really a substitute for a cage

[oldroydsr4]

surely a 500bhp cab, with coilovers and slicks and strut braces wouldn't be too bad on a track day?
Ultimate sleeper.

It would probably quite fun, until you over cook it, end up in the kitty litter , wheels dig in , roll over and the screen/ a pillars get flattened.

[Godber]

My 320 cab PBMWC car will be ready end of April, can't see any reason why it won't go sideways like my Tourer

[miniblob]

Some interesting opinions there - quite a split!!!!!!!!

My 318i cabby doesn't feel too bad really - though it's hard to compare old standard stuff to the touring on coilovers, etc!!!

Pics above have confirmed to me, a cage in an E30 cabby looks horrid!! And I hate baurs, so thats out!!!

I agree with what people have said about having a seperate track car - but that's exactly what I want to move away from!!! The idea was I could cut back down to just one car!! (maybe!!)
Plus it's only going to get occasional track use!!!

[MJJ_ZX6RR]

I have done two trackdays in my M30'd cab, and I thought it was a lot of fun. Plenty of torque to go sideways at will, though the default handling was quite safe and understeery.

I have not driven a hardtop E30, so cannot comment on any differences, but the cab equits itself well on track in my opinion.

Mine went though all 4 discs and pads each day though, it is a big, heavy, relatively powerful car to get stopped all the time. Brakes never really faded or boiled, just wore out in a single day. This was standard size brakes with EBC Yellows.

Since bought an MX5 that weighs significantly less than the cab. Much less power, but conversely, much more fun (and faster laptimes) on track. Does not eat brakes either.

Martin.

[miniblob]

Interesting to hear - just bought some EBC Yellows to fit to my touring, so I might be something else soon after!!!

[matt86]

mine handles excellent too, sticks were you put it, drifts when you tell it to and whip the wheel and redline it in 2nd.lol. Only negative I would say is excessive body roll and a little bit of understeer, but I think once my 40mm lowering springs and a modern rack are fitted, it would be as good as anythng else. I have give mine some shit aswell just to see what its capabilities are, although, I wouldn't drive like that very often anyway due to the type of car and 115bhp is never going to be fast.

apart from being a wallower, I think there good drivers cars and I've drove all sorts believe me nissan 350z, volvo 480, modern ford focus, vans, triump spitfire, nissan micra, peugeot 306, peugeot 206, suziki vitara, bmw e36, honda prelude vtec, audi a3 1.8 turbo, etc etc

[walrus1968]

Have you considered a Baur? Maybe not to everyone's taste looks wise, but I think they're cool factor is rising. I quite like them anyway! You get the open air experience without having to lose the rigidity and a cage would look more discreet due to the fat b pillar.

Get a baur mate...stick a good M50 in it ....the way they are made makes them very safe on rollover....they are the lightest E30 you can get so it would be well quick enough.

Ive been messing about with my baur and im getting it ready to do track days and autosolos. Mine is a M20 325i engine, 1 of 122 ever made and the last Lapis blue 325i rhd in existance....i mean how fucking cool is that?? Its brutally fast much faster than my E46's ive had and once i sort the suspension and bushes then it should be more than fast enough for immense fun on the track and donutting it on the autosolo park.

I know on this forum Baur's are not popular or well liked but tbh mate ive never owned a car that turns more heads than this Baur ive got now and ive had some tidy motors. They are ultra cool mate and and versitile for all weathers apart from snow i suppose.

yes ...Baur with m50 engine or just a good strong 325 baur (if you can find one) is the way to go.

oor and btw i paid £600 for mine....cheap fun imho

[redcar]

Its brutally fast

[walrus1968]

Its brutally fast

lol i say that compared to other 2.5 m52 engined bmw's ive had.

***E30 PENIS SIZE WARNING***
i killed a new golf r32 and a merc kompressor (dont know what engine) in it the other day...very much fun was had and very much speed was done lol

[Dezzy]

The M50 is an ok motor but nothing to get worked up about.

If your going 24v in an E30 your going to want M52B28 at the very minimum IMO.

[redcar]

Ideally you would want a 500bhp m50 turbo or a tuned 300bhp sr20

[matt86]

which engines can you get 200+bhp put of into a 1.8 convertible, without getting really complicated. and spending a absolute fortune.

whats the best way to go about this, tuning a engine, putting a turbo on, or just a big engine 2.5 etc.