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Das Beast: My E30 track / street build

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    #61
    Two more good projects today: 4.10 Limited Slip Differential Swap and Fuel Cooler delete

    Back to Robs' garage for this project. Here's the current differential ready to be dropped. Pretty easy process if you follow DIY instructions. Definitely a two person job though. It would be a real PITA by yourself.



    One thing DIY guides don't mention is how freaking hard it is getting to bolts on the very top of the diff. Since this is a track car, we came up with a reusable solution. Behold the fast access diff swap bolt holes. No we did not cut the frame rail. Much.



    Here's the new 4.10 limited slip, full of diff fluid and ready to be installed.



    Or so we thought. The tach sender plug on the old diff (shown) did not match the new one. Fortunately it just unscrewed from the old diff and into the new.



    And the diff is in.

    The car drives GREAT! No more table saw in the trunk noise. Pickup is awesome. People are right when they say a 4.10 LSD really "wakes the car up".



    Next project, Fuel Cooler delete. We are getting rid of everything in red. The green line shows fuel from the pressure regulator connected to the tank return.



    Here it is in progress removing crap .........



    And then the final connection ...



    And here's everything that was removed.



    Total removed: Fuel cooler and misc A/C junk 9 lbs, Tool kit 3 lbs

    Curb Weight: 2,340 lbs
    Last edited by dvallis; 11-22-2015, 03:35 PM. Reason: Typo
    "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

    1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
    2002 E39 M5

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      #62
      You'll be into the 2200s in no time! Not much sure where else to kill weight, but I saw some tar still, still have the sunroof and the seats you were talking about. You're probably going to get pretty close to 2200 actually, if these weights are accurate. very cool.

      Are you planning on adding a cage?
      Simon
      Current Cars:
      -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

      Make R3V Great Again -2020

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        #63
        Simon

        A cage is definitely in the plan. I need to get everything sorted first though. Here's a quick list from memory of further big weight reduction items. I'll post an updated spreadsheet tomorrow:

        Race seats -60 lbs
        Sunroof delete -35 lbs
        Floor tar -15 lbs
        ----------------------------------
        Total -110 lbs

        Curb weight 2,230 lbs

        Also planned:
        Fiberglass hood
        Fiberglass fenders f/r
        Fiberglass doors
        Fifberglass trunk
        Fiberglass roof
        Lexan windows

        The body work will get me well under 2,000 lbs. Adding 100 lbs of cage and 60 lbs of turbo brings it back near 2,000.

        It's going well overall. The 4.10 LSD is great. Especially without the "table saw in the trunk" noise from my worn out 3.73 LSD.

        Darrin
        "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

        1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
        2002 E39 M5

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          #64
          Originally posted by dvallis View Post
          Simon

          A cage is definitely in the plan. I need to get everything sorted first though. Here's a quick list from memory of further big weight reduction items. I'll post an updated spreadsheet tomorrow:

          Race seats -60 lbs
          Sunroof delete -35 lbs
          Floor tar -15 lbs
          ----------------------------------
          Total -110 lbs

          Curb weight 2,230 lbs

          Also planned:
          Fiberglass hood
          Fiberglass fenders f/r
          Fiberglass doors
          Fifberglass trunk
          Fiberglass roof
          Lexan windows

          The body work will get me well under 2,000 lbs. Adding 100 lbs of cage and 60 lbs of turbo brings it back near 2,000.

          It's going well overall. The 4.10 LSD is great. Especially without the "table saw in the trunk" noise from my worn out 3.73 LSD.

          Darrin

          You may want to drop to 3.73s or like a 3.46 once you go turbo, unless your running tons of rubber. Or the ass will break loose under boost in the lower gears


          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
          Originally posted by flyboyx
          how about if i yank the anal beads out of your ass like i'm trying to pull start a chain saw?
          Originally posted by Northern
          beer is my new liver cleanse.

          Henna - '84 Hennarot 325e
          Lola - '89 Schwarz 325is - being saved
          Christine - '88 Schwarz 325is - Spec E30 Racecar
          '01 White F150 Lariat 4x4 Supercrew - Daily
          Dad's '05 Interlagosblau M3

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            #65
            Henna

            Good advice. I've been considering that too. I'll probably do a DIY rebuild on the 3.73 LSD that I just pulled. The 4.10 LSD is good for now. At least it's quiet. :mrgreen:
            "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

            1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
            2002 E39 M5

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              #66
              I asked a noob question about springs on another forum when I was learning the E30 suspension ... "What keeps the rear springs from falling out?" Got a lot of "Duh" answers but now I know why. The stock suspension rear springs are 8" long and are really compressed in there. No way they would fall out. However, my GC coilovers are 3" shorter and want to fall out every time we jack the car.



              Solution: Tender / helper springs. These arrived today. 4" long, virtually zero rate, 1/4" compressed. Basically just to keep the coilovers on their upper perch when the suspension is unloaded.

              "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

              1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
              2002 E39 M5

              Comment


                #67
                Houston we have a problem

                Was looking over the engine bay, making sure all is well for the cage install. Plan is to pick up the front shock towers. All is NOT well. The damn fuse box is right where a roll cage pickup point needs to be.

                Hmmm. Relocating the fuse box is going to be a big wiring job. May as well start planning to optimize the wiring harness.

                "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

                1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
                2002 E39 M5

                Comment


                  #68
                  Ok, I'm gonna do it. It's frigging crazy but it's got to be done.

                  The only way to get a cage pickup on my left shock tower is move the fuse box. There's no easy way. Call me crazy, laugh at me, laugh with me or just send money. But it's got to be done.

                  If I can make some slack in the body harness, I might be able to pull the fuse box forwards. Barring that it's just going to be find every wire, amputate if not required or extend to move the fuse box. Yeah, I know. Don't say it.

                  First step in the journey: Print out all 173 pages of our E30 Electrical Technical Manual in 11x17 format. Cost me $46 bound and covered. You've got to give it to the German engineers. They do everything to perfection. It's a superior document. Everything explained, indexed and completely spelled out. Colors on the 100 miles of wiring even match what's in the car. ;-)



                  Starting to find the easy stuff and label it in the car. Feline supervisor approves.

                  "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

                  1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
                  2002 E39 M5

                  Comment


                    #69
                    The adventure continues...

                    Today is final floor tar removal and light wiring cleanup. Here's the driver's side ready to be worked on. Notice the floor tar and many random wires routed from passenger to driver side. I already chopped some of the central harness ... console lights etc.



                    Secret to removing E30 tar is a heat gun, paint scraper and patience. Work slowly and let the tar get hot. It eventually just peels up with no effort. I definitely prefer this method than the dry ice and hammer routine.



                    Found some more tar hiding in the rear quarter panels. Out it comes.



                    The ETM is frigging awesome. Find any bunch of wires in your car, note the colors, any nearby connectors and components. In this case, green/white and blue/white wires near the transmission. Grab a cocktail and start reading the ETM. A few minutes later page 6322-0 "Backup Lights, Except Convertible" I find GN/WT and BU/WT wires connected to BACKUP LIGHT SWITCH at C301 on the manual transmission. Gotta appreciate those German engineers. Racecars don't need no steenking backup lights so that part of the harness gets chopped.



                    Another mystery harness strung side to side under the seats. Turns out to be the right front tweeter wires at C406. Note to self. Most harness wires having to do with the radio have grey in them. It gets chopped too.



                    Looking much better. All interior tar now removed and wiring harness getting under control. Gotta have patience.



                    Here is the last 14 lbs of interior tar and some wiring harness. Curb weight 2,326. Sunroof delete and racing seats will get me well into the 2,200s. :up:

                    "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

                    1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
                    2002 E39 M5

                    Comment


                      #70
                      Latest weight reduction summary ......

                      "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

                      1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
                      2002 E39 M5

                      Comment


                        #71
                        Next weekend project: Prep for sunroof delete

                        Here's what is hiding under your rear headliner. Lots of nasty insulation.



                        Anything glued on can be removed with the heat gun and paint scraper. Including headliner insulation. Patience young skywalker.



                        This nasty crap deserves honorable mention. It's the special foam, exclusively reserved for E30 C pillars. Probably took German materials engineers two years to develop. Fanatically glued on, crumbles to dust at the lightest touch, catches fire from the heat gun and probably frigging carcinogenic to boot. Required a hazmat breather while removing. So was this crap really necessary?



                        And ... here's the money shot. There's a good 35 lbs of sunroof sheet metal and whatnot under the headliner. Saving this for next weekend. It's going to take a lot of work with an angle grinder.



                        Damn. The headliner and insulation weighed 8 lbs and filled up a trash bag. Curb weight is now 2,318 lbs.
                        Last edited by dvallis; 12-03-2015, 08:26 PM. Reason: typo
                        "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

                        1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
                        2002 E39 M5

                        Comment


                          #72
                          Easy project tonight. Removed 4 lbs of central locking, power window and power mirror harness wire. Retained the driver side power window until I go Lexan. Declared victory, did a lap of the neighborhood to make sure everything still works and called it a night.

                          Curb weight 2,314

                          "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

                          1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
                          2002 E39 M5

                          Comment


                            #73
                            Awesome project so far. Simon (2man) and I are weight weenies and have some light e30's. You can remove the
                            exhaust heat shield in the engine bay on the firewall
                            Exhaust heat shield under the car
                            Exhaust heat shield above muffler
                            Cut out spare tire well and replace with a sheet plate
                            If you are for sure putting In a cage you drill out spot welds for the brackets that attach the rear seat.

                            If your driveshaft has a harmonic balancer ring that can be removed.
                            If you removed the ac and power steering system you can remove accessory pulley and keep the main pulley for the alternator.

                            You can remove the fog lights and install brake ducts.
                            Great progress so far. Here are some pics on my brake duct idea with the es valance.
                            The new coil over springs are probably lighter than the stock springs and you don't have the brake backing plate.

                            This is kingstons sweet e30 track car.







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                              #74
                              Great list of suggested mods. Looks like 25 lbs total. Adding that to the build plan will get me down to 1,858 lbs before adding the cage and turbo.

                              Spare tire well 11 lb
                              Firewall insulation 5 lb
                              Muffler heat shield 3 lb
                              Driveshaft tunnel heat shield 3 lb
                              Driveshaft harmonic balancer 2 lb
                              Aux crank pulley 1 lb
                              -----------------------------
                              Total 25 lb

                              I've got the same air dam. That's a IS with the 4 slots on the bottom. Pretty sure ES only has 2. Time to start thinking air ducts. And aftermarket brakes.

                              Oh damn, I'm on the slippery slope aren't I ?
                              "And then we broke the car. Again." Mark Donohue, "The Unfair Advantage"

                              1987 E30 3L Turbo Stroker Das Beast
                              2002 E39 M5

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                                #75
                                slippery slope for sure

                                you can remove the bumper shocks front and rear and convert it solid mount.
                                you can separate the bumper skin and the bumper core a drill a few holes in the core with a hole saw.

                                you can also drill a few holes in the valance that sits behind the bumper

                                i recommend relocation the check panel down by the cluster instead of deleting it.


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