Tick, Tock, waiting for the money tree to bloom

I'm waiting for the funds for this season to materialize, which should hopefully be in the next few weeks.

Although I'm still jazzed about an FP/XP Z3 build, I've been in the hunt for a no-sunroof, manual seat E46 M3 to have as a backup car for F-Street class. E46 M3's took a number of top positions at SCCA Solo Nationals so it would be a great car for a daily driver to replace the 160k, 328i.

I had one sourced, but sadly, the dealership that had it, knocked off $1k in price, and it sold pretty much immediately after sitting on their lot for the better part of 6 months. MurphysLaww racing for ya'

I'm keeping a lookout for more with this lack of options, as it's also that many fewer electronics that can go wrong. This is the weight savings I'd be looking to get out of one.(this is an estimate based on other peoples postings. I will weigh mine myself and update it)



This should bring it down below CSL weight, and be closing in on Z3 Prepared class lb/hp ratio.

I think the CSL is not allowed in stock class, but I may be wrong

New Season coming, closed out the last well

Getting progressively more excited about the coming season. Funds for the season, which I expected in January, won't be available until mid feb, though, so I'm still looking for my rides.

I have a good prospect for a Z3 3.0 that was a former STR car, but it's up north. Logistics could be a problem. I'm thinking somewhat about skipping F-Prepared, and jumping straight to X-Prepared too, which would allow me to pick up a Z3 M instead. There have been a few reasonably priced ones around here locally recently. It's going to pain me though to cut the windshield off of an $8k + car though, so I'm not sure I'll go there.

Finished the season well, and picked up my first season class trophy.

Take it with a grain of salt as the more competitive F-Street drivers in our class with appropriate cars were running in what we call Pro-Pax class. I was probably running one of the lowest powered cars allowed in the class, so there's that.

Two of those three did trophy at Nationals this year, and the other was just a bit out. If I can come up with a more appropriate F-street car for next year, I'll bump to Pro-Pax as well.

Been looking at this one... It will probably last due to some significant issues, but appears to be a no-sunroof, manual seat car. I'm not sure if one would be competitive against the 15' stang, but It will be my daily, and I'll generally be focusing on the F/X-P car so that doesn't really matter.

Dreamin' and list of parts that will be coming off the Z3

VF engineering S/C

308hp on the 2.8, and 330 on the 3.0.

Should wild hair arise, and I pick up a Z3M, it would be more like 350.

This is all at 6 psi, and since this would be for Auto-x only, I think we could bump that some.

I'm hoping for reliable hp in the range of 350-400 at the wheels and then spend some time working on the loose nut behind the wheel.

This is at least the beginning of the list of what will either be coming off, or be altered to make it lighter. I'll be weighing all of this as I go for posterity.

AC blower fan

AC compressor

AC line compress to cond

AC Line evap to compress.

aux condens. cooling fan

bonnet struts

cruise control actuator

dash airbag

door ajar chime gong

driver seat belt

drivers door lock actuator

pass seat belt

pass door lock actuator

engine cover

driverside door airbag

pass door airbag

fan clutch

fan

Fuel injection plastic cov.

fuel cap actuator

headlight ari vent

heating core

high beam light module

hood bonnet hinges

hood weather strip

horn

HVAC compressor mount braket

HVAC condensor

interior sun visors

left window glass

right window glass

Windshield

low side AC line

mirrors

OEM battery cabling

OEM battery

OEM headers

OEM wheels

pass. A pillar trim

drivers A pillar trim

pass AC vent

driver AC vent

pass corner window

driver corner window

pass rear fender liner

driver rear fender liner

pass front fender liner

driver front fender liner

Speakers

Radio Head unit

drive. power mirror switch

pass. power mirror switch

pass window switch

driver window switch

driver seat

pass. seat

spare

spare tire bracket

stearing column trim panel

trunk lid release

trunk lid hinges

under dash trimp panel

vert top hydraulic lines

vert top

washer reservoir

pass. window door trim

driver window door trim

windshield washer pump

wiper motor

wiper relay module

wiper stalk

wipers

wiring harness

Windshield

OEM flywheel

OEM engine

In the interest of not putting the cart before the horse...Tow vehicle acquired

Even a little bigger than I thought I'd go:

5.7L, 4x4 (not intentional), and Tow package (intentional...)

Seems to be solid. but the weird transmission I was warned about is definitely there.

Has a pretty cool SnugTop bed cover that the PO wired with some lighting. I like it, and already feel more manly, and less of a Texan transplant.

So next, have to decide on open or enclosed trailer. Leaning towards enclosed.

Also, looks like I'll end up winning F-street. No one showed for F-Street in the last event, so it ended up being a done deal.

I don't think I lost a race in class after mounting the Koni's. Made a big difference even on toasty tires. But I lost every race to the guys that were running X-Pro class. Fastest of the also rans. With some new 255's I think I could have been within a second of them, but generally was a good two seconds out. Giving up 200hp can't be made up with just a well balanced car.

Beginning planning for both a DSP 328i, and an FP Z3

So I'm beginning the planning for the conversion of the 328 to DSP(a lite prep), and a future purchase Z3(full on strip and prep pending tow vehicle and trailer purchase).

The trick for me is to get as much stuff that can be used on both cars. This will mainly be Wheels and tires. This will also likely be the order that I begin purchases.

Wheels:

For both cars, I'll likely be trying to run either 17x10 or 18x10 wheels.

Probably hit the easy button here and order these from Vorshlag.com

Tires:


Tires will be R-comp 295/40-17, 295/30-18, or 305/30-18 Kumho V710, or Hoosier depending on availability.

Tire Rack will get this order.

Suspension:

This will probably not be something that will be swappable.

DSP 328:

I may just use the Koni's already on the 328, and add the Bavarian Auto (hard) springs that I already have.

FP Z3:

For the Z-3, I expect to spend some cash:

Suspension

TC Kline Racing Double Adjustable kit:

Brakes:

Wilwood

Forged Narrow Superlite 6R Big Brake Front Brake Kit (Hat)

Near the end of the 2014 Season

So, haven't blogged for a while, but have gone from unemployed, to finishing my CCNP, to employed by a pretty shady company, to unemployed, to employed by the State of Texas, and then a short time later, as a Network Architect for the City of Austin.

Now that I've got a steady paycheck coming in, wife is finished with school, it's time to start taking autocross seriously again.

The 328 has had the Koni's installed, and that's it. It's running in F-street class, which I should win locally as the heavy hitters, including the 2013 F-Street national champion, race in what we call the X-Pro class, which is mainly for people that have had success at the national level and want to run on a PAX basis against the others with similar experience/car prep.

It's a bit fun still to likely win a class in what is probably the most underpowered, mis-classed car in the class, which includes V-8 Mustangs, Camaro's, and the E-46 and E92 M3. I mainly did it by showing up to the required 6 races. I'm not sure anyone else did or will have. A win by default. I'll take it, lol.

I don't think I've finished less than third, so I think I've put out the effort, and I think most of the cars competing had me by 100hp, except for one 128i, which was up by probably 35-50 hp.

This was all done on a set of cast off used Dunlop Z-2's. Autocross on a budget to the max !

and year end points with one race left

The 328 was rear ended a couple months ago, pretty much sealing it's fate to be an autocross car for the rest of it's life. The wreck has cracked the exhaust manifold, it appears, and will get some e-bay headers sometime soon. I'll have coinciding builds going on with it going to D-Street Prepared class, and a to-be-purchased Z3, for which the spare motor and tranny will be built up for for the F-prepared class.

I've been toying around with some ideas for an E-46 M3 as a daily as well, but one of the previously mentioned projects would have to give for that to happen. I'll need a tow vehicle and trailer of some sort as well, but that may not happen until later in the year. I'll be coming into some $$$ around the beginning of the year, but it is earmarked for quite a few different things.

Before

After

I've been toying around with some ideas for an E-46 M3 as a daily as well, but one of the previously mentioned projects would have to give for that to happen. I'll need a tow vehicle and trailer of some sort as well, but that may not happen until later in the year. I'll be coming into some $$$ around the beginning of the year, but it is earmarked for quite a few different things.

The 328 is BACK...

Don't know if I should be setting too much store by this, but the addition of used Dunlop Z1's brought the handling up on the 328i more than I expected. It may be able to be competitive locally.

I now have a second set, so I should be set into next year with tires.

Next up is:

1. pick some street/autocross brake pads
2. rear shock mounts
3. bump stops
4. mount the Koni's 
5. Get an alignment

It will be interesting then to see if I can pick up the second I need to be competitive locally. Ended up 5th this last event, only about a tenth of a second out of third.