My e30 DTM car copy build

[///meric]

We use only the finest German hammers and blowtorches to bend tube.

The design of the cage looks decent (you obviously picked a good design to copy) but... work on your fabrication techniques. It's totally unacceptable to weld a tube straight to the chassis. (there are exceptions to this, but not where you did)

You probably shouldn't be using 4130 either...

I agree the rear tube attachment is not optimal. And since i removed the rear X to fully weld it im going to redo the rear shock mounts out of some 1/8 mild steel i have.

I dont see why not use 4130, its what the pro teams use and they use it for a reason.

[2002maniac]

I wanna see the buggBraakes

[robtech]

badass...

[vlad]

what will the body look like, e30 m3 panels ?

[Jand3rson]

Amazing. An H2 IS actually good for something.

[Bill-B]

Amazing. An H2 IS actually good for something.

I believe that is an H3

[DuMa]

I believe that is an H3

so H2s arent good for anything anymore.

[MR 325]

Sorry to see you're wasting so much money on an S14.

Otherwise, I am interested to see how this turns out.

[z50_Jumper]

Awesome, cant wait to see this project done.

[whiltebeitel]

If you use 4130, you can use thinner tubes to get the same strength as mild steel at a lighter weight, but I'm guessing you aren't modelling this in FEA, so just keep doing what you are right now. Better to be too stong than too weak.

[Bill-B]

If you use 4130, you can use thinner tubes to get the same strength as mild steel at a lighter weight, but I'm guessing you aren't modelling this in FEA, so just keep doing what you are right now. Better to be too stong than too weak.

:up:

[iflytii]

What are your intentions for the car? If you are going to race it, you might consider using plates for ALL mounting points simply because most series rules require it. It would be a shame to put all that work into the cage and never be able to race it because of a silly mistake during fab.

The design of your rear plynth blocks is a little large too. The larger it is in the x and y axis, the weaker it will be using the same thickness material. Shrink those bad boys down a little.

**edit** Are you going to do a diagonal in the main hoop? That is also a requirement under most sanctioning bodies (again assuming you might race this).

Other than that cage is looking good!

As for the brake pedals. I have those in my 2002 and contemplated using them again for my e30 but ended up using a firewall mounted setup. It looked like they would be a difficult install because of the front mount master cylinders (even using the short ones), so I am interested in seeing how you make them work.

[iflytii]

If you use 4130, you can use thinner tubes to get the same strength as mild steel at a lighter weight, but I'm guessing you aren't modelling this in FEA, so just keep doing what you are right now. Better to be too stong than too weak.

The specifications for tubing diameter and thickness are pre-determined in most rulebooks - BMWCCCA CR (as do most) does not differentiate between CroMo and Mild steel. **edit** So yeah, you could reduce the thickness and have a "race car" that you can't race... :D

As per BMWCCA CR Rules
3. 2201 - 3000 lbs.
a. 1.500” x 0.120” DOM/Chromolly/Seamless
b. 1.750” x 0.095” DOM/Chromolly/Seamless

[whiltebeitel]

The specifications for tubing diameter and thickness are pre-determined in most rulebooks - BMWCCCA CR (as do most) does not differentiate between CroMo and Mild steel.

As per BMWCCA CR Rules
3. 2201 - 3000 lbs.
a. 1.500” x 0.120” DOM/Chromolly/Seamless
b. 1.750” x 0.095” DOM/Chromolly/Seamless

This is also true, but I figured it was a moot point, he's already fabbed most of it up.

[///meric]

what will the body look like, e30 m3 panels ?

Right now im looking into full fiberglass fenders, rear glass holder and carbon fiber roof, along with fiberglass front fenders

What are your intentions for the car? If you are going to race it, you might consider using plates for ALL mounting points simply because most series rules require it. It would be a shame to put all that work into the cage and never be able to race it because of a silly mistake during fab.

The design of your rear plynth blocks is a little large too. The larger it is in the x and y axis, the weaker it will be using the same thickness material. Shrink those bad boys down a little.

**edit** Are you going to do a diagonal in the main hoop? That is also a requirement under most sanctioning bodies (again assuming you might race this).

Other than that cage is looking good!

As for the brake pedals. I have those in my 2002 and contemplated using them again for my e30 but ended up using a firewall mounted setup. It looked like they would be a difficult install because of the front mount master cylinders (even using the short ones), so I am interested in seeing how you make them work.

I just riped out the rear of the cage. Im going to make full custom rear shock towers. ANd i didnt like how all the tubes intereceted in the rear so im going to make them all meet at the same point. The moment i put the rear in i wanted to redo it basicly. Well now i am. Im also going to do something i havent seen to often. Im going to build an X connecting the bottom of the main Hoop to the strut tower bar.


Im building the car for NASA time trials. they wanted 4130 tubing so thats what i went with. If 4130 was more expensive i would not of used it but i was able to get 170 feet of tubing for under 650$