My 91 325i track car

[drutt23]

This is pretty sweet. Good work man! I like how things are coming together and I especially like that Kirk bar. Keep it comin!

[irish44j]

As for the pass through, thanks but I have the rear back in and I don't plan to remove it ever again. :) What misc parts are you looking for? I have some random stuff laying around the garage I'd like gone, or I can keep an eye out for it at the local yards.

!

that's what I figured. Some guy in Cali wanted it, but no way I'm dealing with shipping a freaking back seat, lol.

I'm not looking for anything in particular.....just anything interesting that could be of use on a rallycross beater. At this point my "to get" list mostly consists of some star specs for the euroweaves, some kind of skidplate, some covers for the Porsche seats, and eventually a roll bar. What random stuff do you have lying around?

[kts]

seems like most of the weight is in the seatback rather than the base cushion. If you're not planning to have anyone sit back there, maybe think about stripping out most of the guts of the seatback and just stuffing it with some light foam or something. Unless it's a classing issue, in which case you're out of luck :)

Yea with the roll bar no one will ever sit back there ever again. With the roll bar and the front seats bolted to the floor (and not on sliders) I don't think I'll be using it for storage either.

It sure looks nice though!

I could try to gut it but honestly it's back in there now. It was such a pain in the ass to get it back in there the first time and now that I have the front seats installed I'm not undoing all of that to save a few pounds.

I did notice the other day though that I forgot to reinstall that grey carpet that goes between the sheet metal and the rear seat so that's maybe 1/2 a pound of weight savings! ;)

As for the pass through, thanks but I have the rear back in and I don't plan to remove it ever again. :) What misc parts are you looking for? I have some random stuff laying around the garage I'd like gone, or I can keep an eye out for it at the local yards.

those wheels are like hot butter.

Thanks. I'm a big fan of the Team Dynamics on E30s. White E30 with black Team Dynamics = swoon!

[dothadance]

those wheels are like hot butter.

[irish44j]

oh btw, I have a tan seatback with the pass-through. In pretty nice shape, in case you're interested in one with a pass-through.. Not sure if the tan is the same shade as yours, but let me know. I'm willing to give it away for not much or trade for random minor stuff, lol....

[irish44j]

Yes, it's a Kirk bar. Picked it up from a R3V member in NJ a few months back. Fitment was great and the install was very easy. If you pick one up let me know I'll give you a hand if you want.

hmm...I suspect that is the one I thought about pulling the trigger on that was posted on a few forums back in August or September....it was in NJ as well. A bar isn't a real high priority for me at the moment, but I'd like one eventually.

I saw that and like your plan for the rear, especially in a sedan where you have easy access to the rear seat area. Having a coupe with fixed back seats that aren't on sliders I don't think I'll be able to use my rear for storing much. I did think about trying to make some kind of carpeted trim to finish up the back but in the end figured I would just put the rear seat in and leave it. With what a pain it was to get it back in there I hope I never need to remove it and put it back in again! I know it adds weight and all of that but I'll live. Gives me motivation to offset that extra weight by losing some of my fatass-ness.

seems like most of the weight is in the seatback rather than the base cushion. If you're not planning to have anyone sit back there, maybe think about stripping out most of the guts of the seatback and just stuffing it with some light foam or something. Unless it's a classing issue, in which case you're out of luck :)

[dnick]

I don't need much clearance. I'll have to see how much a spare seat cushion is from Sparco and maybe give trimming it a shot. It's not bad with just the bare Sparco seat bottom, it's still more comfortable than a Kirkey seat. :)

Ah cool I didn't know the DMEs were interchangeable like that, looks like I'll have to keep an eye out for a 173 at the junkyard the next time I go.

hit up ill4noreason, he might have a 173. i know he has a few dme's laying around!

[kts]

How much clearance do you need above your head? You could try trimming the seat foam.'

I would highly recommend Mark D. Just buy a 173 ecu, they are about $50.

I don't need much clearance. I'll have to see how much a spare seat cushion is from Sparco and maybe give trimming it a shot. It's not bad with just the bare Sparco seat bottom, it's still more comfortable than a Kirkey seat. :)

Ah cool I didn't know the DMEs were interchangeable like that, looks like I'll have to keep an eye out for a 173 at the junkyard the next time I go.

[325ix]

How much clearance do you need above your head? You could try trimming the seat foam.'

I would highly recommend Mark D. Just buy a 173 ecu, they are about $50.

[kts]

Got the driver's seat installed this morning before work. I did the VAC floor/seat mount last night, the seat ended up only taking 30 minutes this morning. I was shocked how easy it was this time compared to how much of a pain it was for the passenger side. (Which still wasn't too bad other than 1 bolt that didn't want to thread.

I also fixed the lengths of the harnesses some since they were WAY too long. Should be good for just about everyone now with the shorter lengths.



I put my helment on and got in the seat and found my helmet still hit the roof. Damnit! I took out the bottom seat cushion which is only held on by velcro and BAM! I fit in there with plenty of room now. A bit less comfortable but I can handle 20 minute sessions with no seat cushion just fine. A bit surprising how much room you gain with that cushion removed since it's not very thick.

On track mode:


Center console will go back on tonight and hopefully I can get the rear bumper finally off in this cold. Then I just need to find a way to get the stripped big bumper bolts off of the bumper shocks. I have a plasma cutter (MUAHAHAHAHA!) coming in the next few days which will probably come into play. Not sure if it will really help much but with a new toy that's as fun as a plasma cutter is I plan to make full use of it even when I really don't need to use it.

Then it's time to install the new exhaust and put the bumper back on and then it will just be time to wait for track season to get here.

Well maybe there are a few other tweaks to do to the car... In the "I can never leave good enough alone" department I am debating about swapping out the chip that came with the car. The guy I bought it from installed an eBay chip in there (ugh) and I know nothing about it (more ugh.) Debating about swapping it out for a Turner. I'd look at Mark D's stuff but I believe he only makes them for 173 DMEs and mine is a 525.

[kts]

Awesome car, nicely build!
I just recently bought my e30, and from a guy in nj also and................mine is alpine coupe also! :pHope u see u around.

LOL that's funny. Small world. It seems like a lot of good (alpine) E30s are hiding in NJ.

[jink0619]

Awesome car, nicely build!
I just recently bought my e30, and from a guy in nj also and................mine is alpine coupe also! :pHope u see u around.

[kts]

lol....that's because I have automotive ADD. Once I start the project, I have to go full-bore otherwise I'll quit halfway when I find another project! It also helps that I'm doing the stuff that isn't terribly expensive (especially with all the used parts I have). I'd be going alot slower if my projects were involving $$ rollbars, sparco seats, etc (I'll get to those eventually, maybe next winter).

I actually autocrossed with BMWCCA (Capital chapter) for the last 3 seasons.....in my WRX (I won the "X2" season points the last two seasons). Done a couple SCCA/AI events but I'm an STU car so I get whooped by all the STi's and Evos, lol.....So I hang with BMWCCA where the classing is more open to my mods :)

I have a couple new steering wheels on the way (Momos, one 350mm one 360mm)....One will go on the e30 and one on my GT6 (the 360mm retro), so we'll see if that makes the steering a bit more manageable for the time being.

My stock steering is very light...but that could also be because I'm running 185-width winter tires at the moment and my car is very light as well.

BTW, is that a Kirk rollbar you have?

automotive ADD? Sounds like the E36 that has been sitting up on jackstands for over a year in the other half of my garage now. :( it will be getting some love soon since the E30 is nearly done. and it needs to become the daily since the STi is going away soon.

I have yet to make it to any BMWCCA events but I ran STU the last few years at SCCA/AI events. (Picked up some cheap Hoosiers and did a few events in BSP this year.) But yea it's hard for the 2.5L WRXes in STU.

Yea everyone talks about how light the BMW steering is, at speed it's pretty good but when I'm in a parking lot it feels more like a manual rack. We'll see what the new rack feels like.

Yes, it's a Kirk bar. Picked it up from a R3V member in NJ a few months back. Fitment was great and the install was very easy. If you pick one up let me know I'll give you a hand if you want.

I haven't had a chance to go through pages 2-4... Any reason you put the rear seats back in after the roll bar? Did you do it for sound insulation or for classing purposes or just for appearance?

All of the above. It will help with autox classing but I did it mostly for sound and appearance. I know it's a track car but I want it to look good too! (I have issues. ;))

Liking your build very much. Be sure to record some track videos when you get this beast ready

Will do. I have a roll bar camera mount ready to go along with a camera so I'll be recording a lot of them to review and figure out how I can get faster.

btw, check out my thread - might give you an alternate idea for the back seat area. Nothing particularly new or creative, but it's made to be easy to take out at the track.

I saw that and like your plan for the rear, especially in a sedan where you have easy access to the rear seat area. Having a coupe with fixed back seats that aren't on sliders I don't think I'll be able to use my rear for storing much. I did think about trying to make some kind of carpeted trim to finish up the back but in the end figured I would just put the rear seat in and leave it. With what a pain it was to get it back in there I hope I never need to remove it and put it back in again! I know it adds weight and all of that but I'll live. Gives me motivation to offset that extra weight by losing some of my fatass-ness.

[irish44j]

btw, check out my thread - might give you an alternate idea for the back seat area. Nothing particularly new or creative, but it's made to be easy to take out at the track.

[robgoesvroom]

Liking your build very much. Be sure to record some track videos when you get this beast ready