Street Legalizing IMSA E30 Race Car - Need Help Identifying/Choosing Parts

[E92E30Nut]

Wonder why the black shit under the fenders?

Wonder why the power steering pump is still there?

Try posting in the track section- slower response, but good quality.
It has the 88 front valence....

The diff markings mean bubkus- and even if the tag was there, I wouldn't really
rely on it. Race cars get what they need, and the documentation varies from good
to non- existent.

If it's a track car, re- seal the brake calipers, maybe replace the master (if you can
figure out what it is) and PF08's.
Leakdown and compression tests, change all fluids and examine what the old stuff looks
like, then check all bolts on the driveline, make sure the alternator's stuck on pretty well,
put on your Nomex and your SA2005 and see what it does.

Street car, do the brakes with stock pads, take out the roll cage, and make sure all the lights work.
I don't really recommend this...

t

Thanks for the reply, this is the type of information I have been looking for.
The black shit appears to be an underbody coating..not sure why it's there but its sticky as hell.

Also about the power steering. This is near the top of my list to do. I would like a tighter degree rack and to do away with the PS. Any reccomendations on the best way to achieve this? Rack model and PS delete? Can I just take out the pump and block off PS lines.

Also to clarify, I WILL NOT alter this cars character in any major way due to its pretty damn cool history. I am a bonifide car nerd and understand that we are only stewards of these cars for future car geeks like ourselves. I am to the point where I have collected old decals that were making their way off the car as well as a few chunks of rubber from fenders and brakes that were at the Sebring 12 hr. race. I know that a bit rediculous but I'm honest about my obsession with little details of nostalgia.

I want to go through the car and slowly restore what's here. Having said that, I currently live in Arkansas where we have ZERO race tracks, closest being Hallett in Oklahoma, where this car was very successful in the early 90s COMMA series.

However I cannot continue to pass her in the garage and start her every few days to get temps up, then shut back off...without driving. I have actually yet to drive the car in anger due to my geographical issue. I've been fortunate to have the necessary paperwork coming in as we speak in order to get the car registered and tagged for its very first time. I MUST DRIVE THIS CAR somewhere, anywhere for the matter.

I don't intend on this being a daily driver for obvious reasons but mainly a backroad runner on good weather days, no traffic jams or city driving for this E30.

Therefore my intention is to address any issues that a race car might have with being driven on the street. Cooing is a concern but have yet to find a quality aftermarket radiator that will fit up correctly. Once again haven not driven the car for any length of time it's hard to say how it will respond to the street environment. Also brakes, tires etc are top of the list. Thinking TOYO 888s for street, anyone have experience with these on E30s? Appear to be stock rotors although I was told by previous owner that some part of the braking system was off of E30 M3.

Another bit of neat history are some of the drivers who raced it back in its day probaly most notably Randy Pobst. ***Video links below***

TC Kline at Columbus IMSA : http://youtu.be/TuuDoRjRhsM

Randy Pobst at West Palm Beach IMSA : http://youtu.be/YW34s0EP2t8

Ron Pawley at Topeka IMSA : http://youtu.be/z3Mk0jXKimo

The cars last race outing or drive period was Sebring 12 hrs. in 2012
Lucky for me the car was thoroughly gone through with new parts including fuel cell, brake rotors, valve adjustment, new fluids etc.

One other confusing thing is how to tell what needs changing and what's in good shape. The cars last owner maintained the car at a high level, far higher than my finances currently allow, only letting major race shops touch the car. (Franz Blom for instance) I am planning on trying to send back to Mr. Kline at some point to freshen suspension and do a full alignment to a more friendly character rather than big camber and rebound. The car appears to have an adjustable suspension but I do not have necessary experience to adjust tthat just yet.

If anyone can give me any recommendations for part replacement or adjustment for occasional street use it will be appreciated.
Anyways thanks for the response and I hope to continue this discussion and keep learning new things about these awesome motorcars that we all love.

[E92E30Nut]

More logbook images
Weight 2200 pounds with Ron being around 250 lbs himself. That puts her just below a ton :)

[E92E30Nut]

Last Race

[E92E30Nut]

And if you're looking for a neat symmetry I've been supplying TC with bushings etc for the last 5-6 years. I'm not on here to sell stuff, but if you want shoot me a PM.

Cooling system, just grab the cooling parts applicable to a late model E30 (including the expansion tank) this is what Northern is saying. A parts car would be easiest but if you want to do it nice then start with new parts.

As for the gear ratio, very simple when you think about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yubcxmidj5g

If you want to you can take off the rear cover and check the numbers on the ring gear.

Lastly, neat car. What are you going to do with it? You will quickly find a dedicated race car doesn't make for a fun street car nor does a hotrod street car make a competitive race car.

Thanks for the response firstly
Yes I am very interested with speaking to you regarding bushings. This is quite overwhelming to dive into, not knowing exactly what I have, what condition the bushings are in and what spec to go with for future use.
Thanks for reaching out and hope to speak with you soon

[Massimo]

Can't not help with the identifying but I have to say that interior looks tits

[2mAn]

you dont need that dead pedal ,its heavy. I will take it off your hands ;)

Its a nice looking car. Cant help with anything else

[E92E30Nut]

you dont need that dead pedal ,its heavy. I will take it off your hands ;)

Its a nice looking car. Cant help with anything else

So what's up with the HARTGE dead pedals?
I know that's probably an ignorant question but yet I don't know...
I'm guessing rare?

[dirty30]

I'd say sell the car to someone who will continue racing it and take the money and buy a nice e30.

[kway]

^ I agree, I've been biting my tongue on this one but what the hell. This seems like an odd choice for what you're looking to do with it OP. It may not be an insanely prepped race car, but it's still a race car. It's not going to be any fun on the street; for a little while, maybe, but not in the long run.

P.S: you're really not doing it any favors starting it every few days. Maybe every six months if you want. Other than that, just put a battery tender on it and leave it alone until you're going to use it.

[Brianreed]

I agree, sell that car and use the money to purchase a nice street E30. You are doing its history no favors by making it a street car. Sell it to someone who will race.

If I may ask, how did you come to purchase this car?

[jalopi]

Also about the power steering. This is near the top of my list to do. I would like a tighter degree rack and to do away with the PS. Any reccomendations on the best way to achieve this? Rack model and PS delete? Can I just take out the pump and block off PS lines.

Cooing is a concern

get an e36 rack. some people like z3 racks, but i found mine to be too "twitchy" for my tastes

why do you keep mentioning the cooling system not holding up on the street? does the car not have a fan or something? does it overheat?

[Shangsta]

I am going to have to agree with the last few posters. You have a piece of racing history and it would be a shame for this car to be converted to a street car. If you have the necessary funds you should give racing a try, I promise you will enjoy every minute of it. If not I agree sell the car and you will be able to buy a nice street e30 that will better suit your needs.

[E92E30Nut]

I am going to have to agree with the last few posters. You have a piece of racing history and it would be a shame for this car to be converted to a street car. If you have the necessary funds you should give racing a try, I promise you will enjoy every minute of it. If not I agree sell the car and you will be able to buy a nice street e30 that will better suit your needs.

Thanks for all of the suggestions to sell what is my dream BMW. Not going to happen at this juncture. But I can understand how it might look with the little information that you may have to this point. Let me try and give you the vision I have for this car and maybe it will make more sense...hopefully :)

Like I had previously stated,

I WILL NOT ALTER THIS CAR IN ANY WAY TO MAKE IT MORE STREETABLE.

Other than a license plate, some Toyo 888s, street pads and fluid the car won't change. It's character and history are too rare to change.

I am more focused on preserving the history than putting that history at risk in ANY way. The goal is to replace any old parts with exact new parts. I would like to do a full restoration but the funds aren't available at this time. So it's going to be a lot of learning and sweat littl by little to get her into top form again. The car is in my opinion decent condition given its age and defiantly compared to all other E30s I've owned. It's has lived a pampered life for sure as far as cars go.

Like I also stated I'm so nutty about my cars that I actually peeled the used race rubber from inside the wheels and fenders in order to store them in a labeled ziplock. I know that's probably going too far for some but it's just how I am with these special cars. Another thing that I've done is to save all old parts including rounded off wheel stud nuts and original MOMO wheel and shifter which sit in my office.

I do appreciate the responses and concern and do plan to have the car back on a racetrack as soon as possible. Until then I'm going to drive her very occasionally on my favorite back roads. I'm a 29 year old car nut and I love to be in these amazing, raw machines on the move. I am quite sure a once week drive won't ever be boring or uncomfortable. I love to drive and who doesn't love to drive their favorite racing car on their favorite driving road?

I also plan to have to car return to its original home at TC Kline Racing for a comprehensive refresh and suspension tune. Once that has been done it should be about time for it to be back on a track. I believe it could still run in the COMMA series at Hallett which has and always was the ultimate plan for this car.

Sorry if I wasn't clear that this car WILL NEVER BE A DAILY DRIVER as that would be sacrilege.

So I hope to gain any insightful knowledge about these E30s and good ways to restore them little by little. The car is also rust free (besides about 10 sq. inches on the firewall area) so major bodywork will be necessary.

A possible major problem that I can see and have been made aware of is that due to the car being raced without any major front strut support up front, caused some hairline cracking on both A pillars near the roof and on the bottom near the windshield. I am looking into reinforcing the engine bay with tubing and tying that into the roll cage. This would be quite a major deal as the motor would have to be pulled and firewall modified.

If anyone has any ideas for reinforcing the chassis to keep this from happening in the future any help is appreciated.

Thanks again and I hope to keep updates coming

[E92E30Nut]

^ I agree, I've been biting my tongue on this one but what the hell. This seems like an odd choice for what you're looking to do with it OP. It may not be an insanely prepped race car, but it's still a race car. It's not going to be any fun on the street; for a little while, maybe, but not in the long run.

P.S: you're really not doing it any favors starting it every few days. Maybe every six months if you want. Other than that, just put a battery tender on it and leave it alone until you're going to use it.

Thanks for the response and to clarify the car has been stored in climate controlled garage hooked to batt tender until recently when I moved it to my home. She is sitting with 5 gallons VP 108 octane and it started once a month. Is once a month not doing it any good and if so please explain as I am ignorant to certain mechanical no-no's....

[2mAn]

So what's up with the HARTGE dead pedals?
I know that's probably an ignorant question but yet I don't know...
I'm guessing rare?

yea they are pretty hard to find, and genuine Hartge parts get a good chunk of change. It will sell quickly if you decide to sell it and price it right