Its 2025 who is using there e30 for track days. Include a few words and Pictures.

[Skafrog]

Skafrog,

The Cost on any old car build stacks up quickly but chasing Goals at the track can up faster. With that said if you're having fun then you are optimizing your spare time. Do you use a camera? It would be more than cool to see some in car footage someday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9EmhkDgUxw

[OSAH racing]

That was Fun. Anyone else? Spec E30 guys?

[hoveringuy]

That was Fun. Anyone else? Spec E30 guys?

A few days ago at the Ridge South of Seattle. N52 powered. https://youtu.be/OL0LmiS6epY

Even ballasted by my nephew I'm soft-pedaling behind behind some traffic. https://youtu.be/E2lJ44Z8mk4

[FredK]

I built a racecar with a buddy of mine a few years ago and got it on track for an event at the end of 2022. It's a stock M20 with a stock exhaust and a SpecE30 suspension. I'm not sure where I want to go next. I currently use it to compete in time trials, but since it's sorta SpecE30ish, it wasn't built to optimize for the TT rules. I am not using the spec tires or wheels as I'm currently on 15x8 TRM C1s with 225/50R15 RE-71RS. The M20 feels weak, so I'm currently debating doing a SpecE30 stock rebuild, which would make the car easier to recover from bumbling driving errors. I know that if I do an engine swap, it will launch a fairly uncompetitive platform vs. other more modern cars into a power-to-weight area that will be even more disadvantageous to run. But, if I build to SpecE30, I could jump to w2w racing with other SpecE30s, or run SCCA ITS with some other mods.

Regarding your own plans to jump into the hobby, if you know driving on the track is something you want to do, you should definitely upgrade the safety equipment as soon as possible. For your first track day, sure, you probably don't need much, but if the bug bites you, safety should be a priority, since E30s are not crash safe. Even if you drive slowly, shit happens. I hope you get to the track in October, and for many more events after that!

This is me back in May of this year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

[OSAH racing]

"Regarding your own plans to jump into the hobby, if you know driving on the track is something you want to do, you should definitely upgrade the safety equipment as soon as possible. For your first track day, sure, you probably don't need much, but if the bug bites you, safety should be a priority, since E30s are not crash safe. Even if you drive slowly, shit happens. I hope you get to the track in October, and for many more events after that!"

Great advice. If the bug bites me, I will have to decide either the E30 gets Cage, seats etc. Or I look for a built car.

[FredK]

Great advice. If the bug bites me, I will have to decide either the E30 gets Cage, seats etc. Or I look for a built car.

If you can, get a built car with a good cage. It will save a lot of time. I've seen a lot of folks, myself included, take a while to get back to the track after deciding to make that jump. I have also seen folks with more time on their hands hammer away during a winter and come back early spring with a fully built car, so certainly, take my words with a grain of salt.

While most built cars do need some tinkering, a lot of stuff will have already been figured out already. With just a few small projects to tidy things up, you can get on track and not reduce the useability of a perfectly good street car.

[bradmer]

Have been going to track events for a few years now with our 1987 325i sedan / stock s52. Enrolled in VARA's 'learn how to drive your car fast without crashing' school in the hopes of getting a race license. At the VARA U. safety was a priority and as a result we have invested in race car seats with 5 point harnesses, 4 point bolt in roll bar, HANS devices and nicer helmets.

I met a 1987 325is / s52 member here on the forum that I have attended numerous track events with, it has been absolutely fantastic chasing each other around the various tracks. Sedan vs coupe.
Hoping to get on an endurance team at some point.

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

[OSAH racing]

Bradmer, Thanks for the advice and video. I have seen that VARA U event listed at Motorsport Registration for a few years and wondered how many people show up full built race cars or street cars. What's the newest year cars allowed for their racing class's?

[bradmer]

Bradmer, Thanks for the advice and video. I have seen that VARA U event listed at Motorsport Registration for a few years and wondered how many people show up full built race cars or street cars. What's the newest year cars allowed for their racing class's?

At the event there was everything from newer SUV's, BMW's, Mercedes to an old Ford pick up truck. I think the truck was one of the instructors, pretty sure he wasn't comfortable in the track car the 80 year old student had brought. So pretty much anything. There were a few fully built track cars, but mostly novices and first timers in attendance.

VARA has a classroom in the track tower where they handout their booklet with the corner types and where to apex. After that they send you out on track with an instructor in the passenger seat pointing out where you should be in the corners. Would recommend the event to anyone as the instructors all race vintage stuff and are very familiar with the e30 chassis. I think it was 2 classroom and 3 track sessions each day, with a different instructor each session.

It's a 2 day event, Saturday after the last session they have a whole pig / lamb cooked onsite along with keg beer so you can talk to the instructors (most of them hangout) and gain a bit more insight from them.

[Skafrog]

Finally out of the garage after the MK60E5 swap and the fuel system upgrade. Looking forward to the fall track day schedule.

[OSAH racing]

exciting times soon.

[craz azn]

Finally out of the garage after the MK60E5 swap and the fuel system upgrade. Looking forward to the fall track day schedule.

Do you have a build thread for this anywhere? Curious to hear your take on performance after having used it for a bit!

[s50joe]

After a long hiatus from the track, I've been out 16 times this year. Mostly at The Ridge, twice at ORP, once at PIR. Engine is currently out of commission (head gasket leak). Given that the season is winding down anyways I am taking the opportunity to take the engine apart and make sure everything is good to go. It has around 200k miles on it I'd guess. I'm also going to be correcting some of the sins of when I built this car ~16 years or so ago in college. Putting an e30m3 MCS suspension on it and ditching the e36m3 5lug. Have a very perplexing fuel starvation issue that I've spent all season trying to make sense of as well. Hoping to do even more track days next year and I suspect I could get a few more this year as well since Turn2 does winter track days when it's nice.

[OSAH racing]

Looks like your turning fast laps. Drive, improve car and drive some more. That is a good time. What is your tire size and opinion on 15 x7, 205/50?

[hoveringuy]

Cayman S has slightly better power, aero, handling, electronics, suspension...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO6upmkHx84