Pitchblack Motorsports Rally e30 318i (now with M50) - and some Porsche 924S stuff.

[irish44j]

Today's project: hitch reinforcement and trailer (almost) completion.

As noted previously, I installed a hitch that is basically sold everywhere as *the* design for the metal-bumper e30s. It bolts to the bottom of the bumper and to the bottom of the spare tire well. IDK.....I suppose it works fine, but would like a bit more reinforcement. So I added a piece of 1/2" steel vertically, which is the design that later e30 hitches use, bolting through the trunk vertically. Figured I'd combine the two to get a stronger/more stable hitch, just to be safe.

don't ask why it's not "pretty"......mostly because it won't be seen, so who cares. And yes, that's an ugly-ass weld for sure. The wire kept jamming, so I kept on having to make ugly restarts....



heres the inside of the trunk. It bolts through and then angle bracket leftover from the trailer project as a backing plate.



here you can see up under the bumper where it bolts through. just enough room





I still need to do the trailer lighting wiring from the car. I need one of those little converters since the car has seperate brake/taillight/signal lights and of course the trailer doesn't....an annoying waste of $28. I may have to think of a workaround :)

so, back to the trailer. It was mostly done already, but I finished up the wood deck by coating it in truck bedliner, so it will be "weatherproof" and also have some grip to it. And of course needed it to be black :)

So here's the trailer as it is almost done. Still plan to add a few tie-downs up front once I decide what I want to carry up there, and fab up a mount for the spare (thinking of a few options here).



box bolted down. I left some room behind it in case I want to carry larger diameter tires in the future (I only mention it because someone brought it up over on dirtyimpreza).

[irish44j]

ok, one other little project tonight....else I'm stuck watching the Oscars with the wife :P

after a few events my trunk was full of dirt, coming in through the trunk vents. To fix that at the time I kind of wrapped them up with old filter material. That worked ok but stuff still got in and they tore every time something in the trunk contacted them. Since the car has other "holes" to release air pressure when the trunk is closed, time to block them off.

old vents removed




blanks cut out from old top to a rubbermaid storage bin





installed with some silicone







I know, very exciting. Did lose 1/2 a pound of weight though...and probably twice that in dirt :)

[knuklehead92]

the trailer is awesome! i want to make one.....

[Click]

That's interesting you say that, I've been running that same oil (because it's so cheap for what it is), and I've seen some people say they run 20W-50. I've had that in the back of my mind that I might should switch. I'd love to see some of your findings on that to set my mind at ease.

apparently there is more to the "weight" than just the number of the oil. Rotella T5 in 10W-30, for example, apparently is more like a 35 weight. and T5 5W40 is more like a 50 weight in reality. Some other oils are thinner than the number they say on the bottle. The oil weights in the BMW manual are all dino oils, too.

20W50 is apparently appropriate in midsummer if the car is basically a track rat only. That is way too heavy for winter driving or daily driving in normal climates though.

IDK, BITOG is a great forum and those guys do real analysis on their oil (not the usual "yo my buddy has used it for years and it is the shizzz" that most forum people go by)....so I'll take their word over almost anyone with regard to fluids for my cars :) It can get real technical in there though....worth checking out though.

BTW, I've been using Rotella T5/T6 in my 300+hp WRX for years as well.

of note, I'm also running oil temp and oil pressure gauges in this car now, so I'll have a bit more insight into "what the oil is doing" than a stock e30 driver would have :)

I run 20w50 and for good reason as I DO have Oil temp/press gauges. Don't let the angle deceive you, its around 12-15 pounds at idle. I have an strong running m20 with an unknown amount of miles however.



Regular cruising

Looks like Jesse is the only e30 in RWD Stock this year, so wonder if he'll bump up to run with the rest of us or not.

I'll be in PR this year. I'll be putting a MarkD chip and 19 pound injectors in within the week. 8)

[phenryiv1]

box bolted down. I left some room behind it in case I want to carry larger diameter tires in the future (I only mention it because someone brought it up over on dirtyimpreza).

You might want to get some flat strapping or something that you can use to distribute the load a bit. Those 4 points probably seem fairly sturdy but if you get a good load in there you will have most of the force applied on the points 1-2 of them at a time. Meaning that when turning right the weight will be on the left, when braking it will be on the rear points, etc.

If you boxed all 4 mounting points with strapping you would more evenly distribute the load between mutiple points, plus there would be a lot less chance of ripthorugh. I know that those fender washers are fairly large, but more surface area would never hurt.

As much as you over-engineer things, I am shocked that you haden't thought of that!

[phenryiv1]

I run 20w50 and for good reason as I DO have Oil temp/press gauges. Don't let the angle deceive you, its around 12-15 pounds at idle. I have an strong running m20 with an unknown amount of miles however.

I need that gauge setup...

I'll be in PR this year. I'll be putting a MarkD chip and 19 pound injectors in within the week.

Just stay out of MR! Getting too crowded!

[irish44j]

You might want to get some flat strapping or something that you can use to distribute the load a bit. Those 4 points probably seem fairly sturdy but if you get a good load in there you will have most of the force applied on the points 1-2 of them at a time. Meaning that when turning right the weight will be on the left, when braking it will be on the rear points, etc.

If you boxed all 4 mounting points with strapping you would more evenly distribute the load between mutiple points, plus there would be a lot less chance of ripthorugh. I know that those fender washers are fairly large, but more surface area would never hurt.

As much as you over-engineer things, I am shocked that you haden't thought of that!

have you ever seen a Contico box? This thing is beefy as hell....it's not some rubbermaid bin. I'd expect the bolts to rip thought the wood floor or the trailer to flip before it would break through the box :)

[e30trooper]

I just started reading this up lastnight. Very good sir
Ive got an extra car now and think of a similar build

[irish44j]

Some other trailer work, after doing more reading and research. Decided that since I'm not going to be carrying even half of the max load of this trailer, might as well soften it up a bit. So I removed the small leaf from the springs.



Also took some advice I saw posted elsewhere on main leaf spring bolt, which in stock form allows the spring to clang against the bolt when the trailer unloads over a bump or something. I cut a small piece of old coolant hose and ran the bolt through it in the housing. This snugs up the spring to the bolt, but still allows it to move, and should get rid of the the rebound noise.





yeah, now it's mad slammed yo...



exhaust should be here tomorrow, so I make take the afternoon off wednesday from work and put it all back together :)

[irish44j]

I just started reading this up lastnight. Very good sir
Ive got an extra car now and think of a similar build

nice....I'm trying to think if I know any e30 rallycrossers out in california. I would think there would be some great places to run out west.

[kts]

That trailer needs more stance! -eleventy degrees of camber!

As for the exhaust work, I think I'd wait until next week when this sequestration BS starts and you are forced to take unpaid time off. In the mean time get, grab, in, out.

In other news sorry our government sucks and there is probably going to be this sequestration crap. Although I can only imagine what the car will look like with all this extra time off! I fully expect to see a turbo with anti-lag system.

Ok maybe not really.



But it would be cool.




Really, really cool.






(Please put an anti-lag setup in this thing?)

[irish44j]

That trailer needs more stance! -eleventy degrees of camber!

As for the exhaust work, I think I'd wait until next week when this sequestration BS starts and you are forced to take unpaid time off. In the mean time get, grab, in, out.

In other news sorry our government sucks and there is probably going to be this sequestration crap. Although I can only imagine what the car will look like with all this extra time off! I fully expect to see a turbo with anti-lag system.

Ok maybe not really.



But it would be cool.




Really, really cool.






(Please put an anti-lag setup in this thing?)

haha.....well, we get 30-days notice of furlough, so at very least it won't start until April. Based on what I do, there is a small chance I could be exempted since half of our budget comes from "other" funding, but I'm not holding my breath.

I just wish they had done this during the winter, so I could work at my other job (ski shop) on those days off to pay for more car stuff :)

[kts]

Soooooooooooooooooo anti-lag, that's a yes then?













(please please please please please please please please...)

[Click]

I need that gauge setup...

http://store.42draftdesigns.com/VW-mk4-Aluminum-Triple-Gauge-Panel_p_15.html

It's really nice but a bit pricey. They sell an plastic one for 25 as well. The rear panel should be a tad bit thicker for an e30 but it still fits ok. It doesn't wiggle around or anything while driving.

[phenryiv1]

http://store.42draftdesigns.com/VW-m...anel_p_15.html

It's really nice but a bit pricey. They sell an plastic one for 25 as well. The rear panel should be a tad bit thicker for an e30 but it still fits ok. It doesn't wiggle around or anything while driving.

Making the panel is not the issue- I do plastic fabrication all of the time (it is how I pay for EVERYTHING on the rallyX car). I just need to bite the bullet and buy the gauges, senders, etc.