MR2, MX-5 or 3series Track Toy

On a different note I about to do the towing test and it is a pain you need to take your theory again and effectively do your pratical test on the road again after doing some reverse maneuvers in a test centre. Over 90% of the drivers that fail do so on the road test and are generally unrelated to towing due to bad habits picked up since passing the original car test.

It is also not cheap the test is £115 overall looking at around £500 by the time you have had some lessons and the use of the test centres car/van/trailer for the test.
 
A quick Google shows the maximum braked towing weight of a 320d to be 1.6tons which is more than its kerb weight (assuming the site is correct). With the E36 stripped I assume it will be around 1.1-1.2 tons and the trailer will be around 400kg. You would need to get them weighed at a weigh bridge to confirm but it looks towable with a 320d after taking the additional test as PMKeates advised.
 
Last edited:
[TW]Fox;15808812 said:
Are you really going to strip 300kg from a 328i?
Click to expand...

I don't know but my friend stripped 200kg from a Mk1 Golf which weighed nothing to start with. By the time you remove sound deading, interior, air con, switch the windows to perspex, light weight bucket seat etc I would expect around 250-300kg to be possible.
 
I don't know - maybe. You'd have to be pretty hardcore about it though. I've seen a few clock in at 1300kg and that's with a stripped boot, lightweight battery, most of the interior trim gone, performance exhaust with no cat, carbon fibre CAI kit, racing seats and so on....

Seen another at 1360 but that's with a CF hood, boot, lightweight doors, stainless exhaust, lightened flywheel, lighter wheels - but still with full cloth interior.

Sure someone could tell you precisely what you can get down to - plenty of people must have done it!

Lots can come out though - AC system (although you'll want to keep the heater matrix and cooling fan, otherwise you'll be constantly fighting a misted-up cockpit), things like that.
 
I found one that clocks in at 1200kg dead - stock glass and panels, but completely gutted, lightweight everything (like pulleys, flywheel, intake, exhaust, performance alternator, PAS delete, AC delete, lightweight alloys, alloy dampers, carbon buckets etc).

Pretty expensive though.
 
Surely the easiest solution is to insure the track car and just drive it to where you want to go? Unless you are going crazy with it, it won't be difficult to keep it road legal?
 
Dangerous Dave said:
I don't know but my friend stripped 200kg from a Mk1 Golf which weighed nothing to start with. By the time you remove sound deading, interior, air con, switch the windows to perspex, light weight bucket seat etc I would expect around 250-300kg to be possible.
Click to expand...

Doing all that before his first trackday is a tall order.
 
[TW]Fox;15808919 said:
Doing all that before his first trackday is a tall order.
Click to expand...

True but it doesn't take long to remove parts the problem comes fitting the new ones. Trailers can also vary greatly in weight as with everything the light weight ones are more expensive.
 
PMKeates said:
Surely the easiest solution is to insure the track car and just drive it to where you want to go? Unless you are going crazy with it, it won't be difficult to keep it road legal?
Click to expand...

My friend did this with his he even drove it to Germany in 2008 and his was pretty extreme for a road car. He does however now tow it to track days.

IMG_7443small.jpg
 
[TW]Fox;15808194 said:
For braked trailers, the safety recommendations are that your trailer weighs no more than 85% of the kerbweight of your car.
...
As we can see, it is actually illegal to tow a 328i coupe on the back of a trailer pulled by a 320d even if the trailer is braked - its simply too heavy,
...
Click to expand...

Being a bit pedantic (and I would have gone down the MX-5 route anyway ;)) but is 'safety recommendations' the same as 'illegal'?

(Big Ooops - missed some posts - ignore the above!)
 
Think VERY hard before considering towing what you want to pull with something like a 320d.

One of the most common trailer related accidents I see on my travels usually involves small ish cars pulling similar sized cars on trailers. When it gets out of shape, it happens very quickly, you have little if any chance of correcting and your insurers would soon find a reason not to pay out!

As far as weight reduction for the e36, have a natter with Moseley Motorsport http://www.moseleymotorsport.com/ 01952 503992 - The Workshop off Woodhouse Lane,Horsehay,Telford Shropshire. TF4 3BJ

They do fibreglass bits for the e36 Saloon & Coupe - Bonnet & Boot lid - which both requires pin fittings incidentally are £149 each (+ VAT) for example, they also supply light weight Bumpers front & rear, dashboards,exhausts and headlamps. It all adds up to a considerable weight saving, but at an equally considerable cost.
 
Last edited:
For reference:

P1050863.jpg


That lot weighs a touch under 70Kg. Pretty much gone from rear of the B pillar.

300Kg is a massive ask - you're looking at perspex windows, fibreglass bonnet, very light buckets.

Sunroof and ancilliaries weighs 20kg, the big piece of cabin carpet weighs 8Kg. If you really want to get the weight down more, you can buy M3 Evo doors which are aluminium and will save you a further 20Kg.
 
KNiVES said:
Look, to be honest - you should give up. You aren't gonna be able to tow it.
Click to expand...

Stripping 300kg from an e36 road car - to bring it down to weight - is doable but it will need to be seriously ripped to bits and just about every clip, piece of sound proofing etc you can think of & find will need to be removed. Then the shell will need a repaint on the inside to make it look presentable & stop rust setting in. On top of the fibreglass bits'n bobs I mentioned earlier, perspex glass etc etc

I have a friend sat here with me who works for Moseley's and they do this to e36's all the time - they are race car prep specialists - but be under no illusion, its a very big and time consuming job.

I'd still strongly advise a bigger tow car though, your still borderline in terms of safety imo.
 
Im nowhere near giving up yet, ill be getting the car and trailer (separately) on the local weigh bridge, depending on the total weight ill plan my next steps... Worst case i keep the car taxed and insured until ive replaced the 320d with something more suitable.

Many thanks for all the advice given so far.
 
[TW]Fox;15811215 said:
Why not just sell the 320d and drive the 328i?
Click to expand...

because the last time he had a fast road car he rolled it spectacularly and nearly killed himself ?

I understand darryns reasons for wanting this car not to be road legal. That way theres no temptation to go out hooning in it.



Just a thought, what category license have you got darryn. I passed in 2000 and didnt get a B+E license

only B.

Dont you need a B+E license to tow anything over 705kg ?

http://direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547
 
[TW]Fox;15811215 said:
Why not just sell the 320d and drive the 328i?
Click to expand...

How will he get to work when he's track prepping it?

G'Luck Darryn, will have to join you some time :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom