Just dropped a deposit on some M Power - Trackday Project Car

[Clarkey]

Read about this, last week the car was displaying an outside temp of 37.5c so was very glad when I had no issues, even after a good 40 minute thrashing drive.

Read you can try different things as trial and error or the salmon relay to try and resolve it. Just glad mine does not seem to have.

Found an oil leak on Sunday, turns out the bolt for the timing chain which hides behind the thermostat housing works its way loose and it was loosing oil through there. Checked and it was loose, tightened it all up and fingers crossed problem gone.

Might be grabbing a set of KW Clubsports this week, see if my offer gets accepted.

Once the 595 tyres are done, Kumho V70's it will be and hopefully a sub 1:20 Donny time.

Clubsport = win. Be sure to get the pillowball topmounts, they don't come standard, and you definitely want the camber adjustment.
Assume you have read Al's thread on FC by now? He's using 16kg springs with the KWs, a big step from stock and I would totally go along with this philosophy. 6/8 is going to be pretty mild, similar to what I have on the 36 and really it's on the soggy side for running hard on track with sticky tyres and proper setup.

 

[alexisonfire]

Clubsport = win. Be sure to get the pillowball topmounts, they don't come standard, and you definitely want the camber adjustment.
Assume you have read Al's thread on FC by now? He's using 16kg springs with the KWs, a big step from stock and I would totally go along with this philosophy. 6/8 is going to be pretty mild, similar to what I have on the 36 and really it's on the soggy side for running hard on track with sticky tyres and proper setup.

He ditched his (custom) kws for some custom nitron r3's because the car was skittish at the limit iirc. Are you on FC?

 

[alexisonfire]

Gibbo, Al's m3 from DN9 this weekend

 

[NickXX]

Id rate an M3 over any EVO, the engine has way more character, but asking me is unfair because my ownership of M3's is a CSL and this stripped out M3 which handle amazingly well. Stock M3 vs an EVO FQ360 much closer but both completely different cars. As a track or dry weather car the M3 is one of the best. As for all year round ability, wet, snow the EVO is a hard act to beat.

I did a damp track day at Donington with my neighbour - me in my M3, my neighbour in the FQ360. On a damp track, the FQ360 totally lost me. In the dry they were very evenly matched (the M3 had crappy Vredesteins, the Evo had R888s or similar).

Donington is known for being a particularly slippery damp track I guess.

 

[Gibbo]

I did a damp track day at Donington with my neighbour - me in my M3, my neighbour in the FQ360. On a damp track, the FQ360 totally lost me. In the dry they were very evenly matched (the M3 had crappy Vredesteins, the Evo had R888s or similar).

Donington is known for being a particularly slippery damp track I guess.

Yes the M3 is next to useless in the wet, especially when stripped out and on stock suspension. So I just practiced drifting when it rained.

In the dry, I was eating pretty much everything, barr the Radicals and an E36 M3 on slicks.

However the 911 on Michelin Cups with 2-3mm tread in wet conditions on Donnington was marginally faster than my mates EVO 8 FQ-400, he was not happy because in the dry I was so much quicker, so on a wet track day he was like now its my turn for revenge, so you can image how he was still so upset he had to move over eventually to let the 911 pass on tyres designed really for the dry.

That is why the 911 is so damn good, because they are superb in all conditions, even the RWD ones.

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

A little update:-

Since having the car I've removed:-

- All airbags, except drivers, about 10kg worth, including airbag computer module.
- All trim, door panels etc. about 15kg worth.
- All speakers, stereo etc, about 10kg.
- Roof lining, and any other un-used bolts, brackets etc. etc.
- Glove box and everything gone.

Some pictures of interior:-

Things to do now regarding weight saving:-

1. Remove stereo, airbag wiring from within the car, about 4-6kg worth of wires.
2. Look at potentially removing front carpet / sound deadening, but I think its sub 5kg so might not be worth doing for the comfort it gives.
3. Ordered a copy CSL boot which weighs in at 4.5kg, about 10kg saving.
4. Maybe change battery to a braile lightweight one, about 10kg saving.
5. Remove secondary airpump and remap car, about 4kg saving and circa 20BHP more.
6. Look at maybe a copy CSL bumper and GTR bonnet, about 10-15kg saving.
7. Get interior panels trimmed up with lightweight plastic/carbon parts and other areas blanked off, just make it look a little neater.
8. Maybe look at some CSL or Eibach front/rear anti-roll bars.
9. Try to get a CSL pollen filter housing unit orone fabricated - 2-3kg saving.

Had these arrive too:-

Looking forward to getting them fitted, the ride height set low, all corner weighted up, they are KW Clubsports, so ideal for track use, they come with from top mounts with camber adjustment upto -4.00 degrees, going to setup with around -2.3 for the road. Also got strengthened rear top mounts too and will eventually get new rear lower adjustable arms so I can dial about -1.75 degrees on the rear too. Once the tyres are worn down I shall try some of the Kumho V70 medium compounds.

 

[madtoady]

Luxurious and homely interior, nice

 

[SDK^]

Have you thought about changing the windows for plastic versions.

 

[Gibbo]

Have you thought about changing the windows for plastic versions.

I have, but its a lot of money for very little savings.

Once all above is done, I shall weigh the car and if its still mid 1300kg area I shall look to see what else can be done as would be nice to get it down to the 1280-1330kg region.

No idea what it weighs at present but it absolutely flies, so with another 30-50kg and a good 20BHP or so more it will be on rapid bit of kit.

 

[Clarkey]

Going to be great on that suspension. Set it with a bit of toe in at your road setting. When you increase the camber at the track or whatever, it will move to toe out. IIRC, 1.5deg camber change (per side) amounted to about 0.5deg toe change (total). Pretty handy because loads of camber gives it mega grip, and toe out makes it turn in and really rotate nicely.
Weird one trying to describe the difference, but it's as if with toe in you are trying to force it to turn when steering, but with toe out it eagerly wants to turn without putting up a fight. Unfortunately it will RUIN tyres on daily duties.
Oh, yeah, a bit of toe in helps with tyre wear on the daily commute with a 36 compared to parallel toe. The guys on the US forums suggested it, didn't make any sense to me but since I had chronic wear problems I tried it and it really works.

 

[Fuzz]

Are you saying you've removed the airbag ECU?

 

[rjk]

I see the whole, track car to save money idea has lasted all of 2 weeks.

 

[~>Dg<~]

I did a damp track day at Donington with my neighbour - me in my M3, my neighbour in the FQ360. On a damp track, the FQ360 totally lost me. In the dry they were very evenly matched (the M3 had crappy Vredesteins, the Evo had R888s or similar).

Donington is known for being a particularly slippery damp track I guess.

nice to see someone actually acknowledge what i said on the track evo would probably beat the m3 most times obviously depending on whether but out of ten evo would win most times in most varied conditions.

 

[~>Dg<~]

I see the whole, track car to save money idea has lasted all of 2 weeks.

this is why i said there is no such thing as a cheap m3 obvious hell end up spending more than what he could have got a clean awesome eg.

before all those dive in just watch this thread and wait and see

 

[Housey]

nice to see someone actually acknowledge what i said on the track evo would probably beat the m3 most times obviously depending on whether but out of ten evo would win most times in most varied conditions.

Evo's are not good track cars in standard form, same as Impreza's. In the wet it is obvious they will had traction advantages, a weakness for an M3 in the wet, but in the dry an M3 would show most Evo's a clean pair of heels.

 

[Clarkey]

this is why i said there is no such thing as a cheap m3 obvious hell end up spending more than what he could have got a clean awesome eg.

before all those dive in just watch this thread and wait and see

Why would he want a clean example to beat around tracks in?

Those of us who've been around the trackday scene know that evos and imprezas are slower than you might think, and not really a match for an M3. Stop trying to teach grannys to suck eggs :/

In fact, I would go as far as to say (R35 not withstanding) that I don't recall ever seeing a Japanese car fast on track, and this coming from someone who just bought one!

 

[hurfdurf]

Why would he want a clean example to beat around tracks in?

Those of us who've been around the trackday scene know that evos and imprezas are slower than you might think, and not really a match for an M3. Stop trying to teach grannys to suck eggs :/

In fact, I would go as far as to say (R35 not withstanding) that I don't recall ever seeing a Japanese car fast on track, and this coming from someone who just bought one!

What's with S2000's having a reputation for being slow on tracks when they are meant to be an absolute weapon? Too difficult to get speed out of them for your average track day goer?

 

[hurfdurf]

nice to see someone actually acknowledge what i said on the track evo would probably beat the m3 most times obviously depending on whether but out of ten evo would win most times in most varied conditions.

I don't think hes saying what you think he is? The evo couldn't lose the M3 in the dry when he was running decent tyres vs the M3's rubbish tyres.... tyres are one of the most important factors on track....

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Still dull with 4wd. And let's be honest if the times were suprisingly fast for any car the driver wouldn't be driving his own car...

 

[~>Dg<~]

Why would he want a clean example to beat around tracks in?

Those of us who've been around the trackday scene know that evos and imprezas are slower than you might think, and not really a match for an M3. Stop trying to teach grannys to suck eggs :/

In fact, I would go as far as to say (R35 not withstanding) that I don't recall ever seeing a Japanese car fast on track, and this coming from someone who just bought one!

no the point is he made the thread as if it was a cheap m3 but it wont be after hes spent thousands more so it wont be special it will be a m3.

as for the track i know about the track and what does what many friends and relatives do races or rallies or many events in many different cars. ive been in most the cars that race/rally.

funny thing is one of my family did a m3 similar to this few years ago .