Spec E30, no more 1.8?

[RangerGress]

The only problem with SpecE30 is is will only be a matter of time before someone pays sunbelt to build a specE30 motor and dominates.
They need to get a a rule similar to roundy round cars where you are able to buy someones motor for a set amount. This will be the only thing that will keep specE30 from becoming Spec Miata as the series becomes more and more attractive.

SpecMiata has it's own dynamic. Folks are really serious about SpecMiata, and SpecE30 is more fun then serious. SpecMiata has been around a long time so it's a fairly mature series. And there is a SpecMiata ladder right up to "The Show". SpecE30 is still relatively new, and there is no SpecE30 path to anywhere.

Some day SpecE30 may have the same problems that make SpecMiata less fun, but the character of SpecE30 isn't going to change dramatically in the next couple of years.

The Directors have been trying to put together a dyno standard for a while now, but that's a hard road. If the racers thought that built motors w/ too much hp were an issue, they'd all support a dyno standard tomorrow.

The fact that a dyno standard is mostly met with bellyaches and complaints tells us that it's not a priority for the participants.

Note that NASA has created a Showroom Spec Miata to address the complaints with the current series.

[jlevie]

The only problem with SpecE30 is is will only be a matter of time before someone pays sunbelt to build a specE30 motor and dominates.
They need to get a a rule similar to roundy round cars where you are able to buy someones motor for a set amount. This will be the only thing that will keep specE30 from becoming Spec Miata as the series becomes more and more attractive.

That already happened, though perhaps not by Sunbelt. So far I wouldn't say that the cars with built engines dominate, at least in the SE.

The rules being the way they are, there's not going to be major power improvements from a built engine.

[Jonny Cash]

If the need for a swap to an M20 makes it too expensive for you, then it was too expensive to begin with.

no, no.. With everything I have here, I assume putting the car together will be by far the least expnsive part of it. (aside from the cage)

[Skafrog]

The only problem with SpecE30 is is will only be a matter of time before someone pays sunbelt to build a specE30 motor and dominates.
They need to get a a rule similar to roundy round cars where you are able to buy someones motor for a set amount. This will be the only thing that will keep specE30 from becoming Spec Miata as the series becomes more and more attractive.

[RangerGress]

Rob saw the writing on the wall for his 318 many months out. I think that he pressed on with his 318 only to amuse himself (I mean that in a good way), and because he was interested in what he could do with it vs. the 325's.

Re. cheap Spec racing. It depends on your measuring stick. There's no way to do it cheap. But as tracking in general and racing in particular goes, an E30 is a pretty inexpensive way to do it. The most important element in doing it on the cheap is being able to do the work yourself. A year ago I was intimidated to adjust valves, now I can rebuild the motor. When I think back to the things that I had a shop do in years past I'm just annoyed with myself for wasting money. And shops often don't do that great of a job anyhow.

Buy tires on Ebay, sleep in a tent and instruct at Driver's Education events. If you work at keeping costs down, it can be done. There's a book out that about racing on the cheap. I forget it's name but someone here will remember it.

[Justin B]

Lol. Go as fast as you can afford right ? :)

Let me amend that to "Race what you can afford the best of the best of."

Spec racing can be expensive, and to afford the best shit, any racing will be, but if you want to win - what can you afford the best shit of? I've heard of pulling cars along level shop surfaces with a oversized spring scale in line, and if it exceeded a certain amount of resistance to roll, they started going through everything that rolls, starting with the CV's. Heard this from Spec Miata, but still the same applies to just how generally nitpicky and perfect cars can be with the right drivers

[laz]

There's a 318i out here on the West Coast, it comes up to Norcal to race at Infineon occasionally. It's driven by a father/son duo. They qual'd on pole for one race.

I believe it'll end up in ITsomething next year.

[Rigmaster]

No I wasnt, thank god.

I had an e36M3, that I was going to swap into my 318is. Unfortunatley due to lack of room I had to sell it. Since my e30 is dead stock aside from billy's/H+R race, and my budget is a tad tight, Ive been looking into spec racing. (its supposed to be affordable but Ive been reading the opposite)

I got the car for cheap, its bare bones (no sunroof), and the paint is bad. I figured it would be the perfect candidate.

If the need for a swap to an M20 makes it too expensive for you, then it was too expensive to begin with.

SpecE30 racing can be cheaper than other types of racing, but that doesn't mean it's cheap. Even if you take the cost of the car out of the equation, the other costs to go racing add up very quickly. Think entry fees, tires, brakes, stuff that blows up/breaks/gets smashed by some other yahoo on track, towing costs, fuel, lodging, etc.


A perfect example of "cheap" racing not being cheap is the 24 Hours of Lemons series. They say it's for $500 cars- so it must be cheap, right? I can tell you from experience that it's still kinda pricey once you add up all the expenses. And we're doing it on a serious budget.

[Jean]

Lol. Go as fast as you can afford right ? :)

[Dave]

ain't no such thing as affordable racing . . . .

:-)

[Jonny Cash]

No one was running one, and no one was prepping one, so they just deleted it.

Same thing happened to the eta about 2-3 years after SpecE30 started, there were some people who ran them but everyone eventually switched over to the 'i' motors, so they just eliminated the eta altogether.


Were you building an M42 car for Spec E30?????

No I wasnt, thank god.

I had an e36M3, that I was going to swap into my 318is. Unfortunatley due to lack of room I had to sell it. Since my e30 is dead stock aside from billy's/H+R race, and my budget is a tad tight, Ive been looking into spec racing. (its supposed to be affordable but Ive been reading the opposite)

I got the car for cheap, its bare bones (no sunroof), and the paint is bad. I figured it would be the perfect candidate.

[Charlie]

IIRC Rob Keehner had an eta that he was building before they dropped eta motors, now he is building a 1.8 for spec e30.
He is going to be pissed.
Charlie, is this correct?

I think he scrapped the m42 Spec E30 as well, he's going with some balls out motor-relocated thing now.

-Charlie

[Skafrog]

IIRC Rob Keehner had an eta that he was building before they dropped eta motors, now he is building a 1.8 for spec e30.
He is going to be pissed.
Charlie, is this correct?

[Rigmaster]

No one was running one, and no one was prepping one, so they just deleted it.

Same thing happened to the eta about 2-3 years after SpecE30 started, there were some people who ran them but everyone eventually switched over to the 'i' motors, so they just eliminated the eta altogether.


Were you building an M42 car for Spec E30?????

[Charlie]

I just noticed. Spec e30's going M20 only. :(

I cant find a definitive answer why. Can anyone shed some light?

Because no one has seriously built a competitive m42 car in the 7+ years the series has been around? They killed the M10 & 2.7 "e" cars a while back, doesn't really make much sense to try and keep an "equality" formula for the m42 cars when no on runs one, especially when you consider how plentiful the M20 cars are. This isn't 1.6 vs 1.8 miatas.

-Charlie