Scca ita e30?

[Simontibbett]

Looking for opinions.

I picked up a 325E to use as a DD, I sold my SCCA ITA Neon ACR to get it as I needed something I could DD as my mom is in the hospital an hour away and will need to do a lot of driving.

I hate regular cars though and need to race, question is should I slowly build my car into an ITA car (aiming for first race in May) or just DD it and save up for something. I know it's always cheaper to buy VS build but I'd be doing a very limited prep ITA car, not looking to win in it. Plus as I did the Neon, I'd drive the E30 on the street as well. lol

Really my main question is what's the typical prep work involved on an E30 and what type of things commonly fail? Is it a cheap car to run?

[djjerme]

The eta we ran last week at Thunderhill had the following:

Ground control's (was the SE30 setup the year before)
3.25 rear
shorty shifter
fuel cell in wheel well
bolt in cage with some modification (NASCAR bars, cut back for seat)
race seat
long wheel studs

Obviously there is some other small things, but we finished 27th overall, and 8th in class (E3) due to a couple penalties (spilled fuel, pass under yellow.) The owner of the car runs it in conference and it's pretty reliable. The torque and fuel economy helps in Enduro's, we used less fuel than our friends i motor Pro-3 based cars.

It's a balanced car, that is not going to beat anyone on the straights, but it can out brake most others, and is reliable as hell!

[Simontibbett]

The eta we ran last week at Thunderhill had the following:

Ground control's (was the SE30 setup the year before)
3.25 rear
shorty shifter
fuel cell in wheel well
bolt in cage with some modification (NASCAR bars, cut back for seat)
race seat
long wheel studs

Obviously there is some other small things, but we finished 27th overall, and 8th in class (E3) due to a couple penalties (spilled fuel, pass under yellow.) The owner of the car runs it in conference and it's pretty reliable. The torque and fuel economy helps in Enduro's, we used less fuel than our friends i motor Pro-3 based cars.

It's a balanced car, that is not going to beat anyone on the straights, but it can out brake most others, and is reliable as hell!

Enduros would be my main thing, both SCCA and NASA, so reliability, cost of repairs, and typical prep are my main concerns. Sounds like a strong finish for sure.

[priapism]

Better to save up for something purpose-built rather than making a compromise IMO

[NigelStu]

Better to save up for something purpose-built rather than making a compromise IMO

Agreed - plus then you don't have to worry about your DD if something happens while on track.


Having a dedicated race/track car (something that you don't need to rely on) is worth 1 second per lap - subconscious mind tricks.


I wont put anything on a track that I cannot write-off. Or more correctly, anything I do put on a track, I have already written-off in my head.

[djjerme]

Agreed - plus then you don't have to worry about your DD if something happens while on track.


Having a dedicated race/track car (something that you don't need to rely on) is worth 1 second per lap - subconscious mind tricks.


I wont put anything on a track that I cannot write-off. Or more correctly, anything I do put on a track, I have already written-off in my head.

I missed the part where he said it was going to be his DD as well, you don't want to track your DD. Because no matter how hard you try, it's going to get banged up. Here's what happened when a FUCKING MIATA tried to pass on the outside and sent himself into a spin:



And yes, the car is registered and street legal (the owner drives it to the local tracks) but it is not his DD..

[Simontibbett]

I've always daily driven my track cars, if I wreck it I wreck it. lol

My girlfriend and I share a car though so if I completely smashed it I'd have backup.

The only thing in my head is I hate working on cars and building a race car is just that, I JUST finished my ITA car the day before the test day for the ARRC and was miserable. lol I originally planned on just selling it, buying a DD, and renting rides for the time being, but boy do I miss having my own car already...

[djjerme]

Don't drive a fully caged car on the street.


Unless you plan on wearing your helmet and HANS everywhere you go...

[Simontibbett]

I have many times and never had a problem, I know the horror stories, but hey I want to race and am on a tight budget. My head is never close to any bars but I know I know, your neck can stretch and what not. Not sure why I'd need a HANS device though. lol

This isn't a thread for that though, I'm not new to racing or driving a track car on the street, main question is the running costs of an E30.

[priapism]

He's right, one hit and you smash your head on a nice steel pillar.

[djjerme]

"running costs of an E30"

$0 - as much as your bank account can hold!

If you are just want to have fun racing, then the only real costs are regular maintenance on the car (oil changes, plugs, brakes..etc.), fuel, and tires. In stock trim, any E30 is a capable track car; meaning it's not going to come apart on you when you start throwing it around corners. BMW really had some solid designs that went in to the E30, and they can just soldier on, hence why you usually see more of them on the track than anything else (excluding those Mazda annoyances!)

Beyond that though, you can easily start dumping money into it to start upgrading, it is a BMW after all! The usual upgrades people throw at them are usually in the reliability department: skid plate, brake ducts..etc. One cheap upgrade you can do (if it already hasn't been done) is get the oil cooler setup off an i motor. It really helps improve the oil temps on the M20.

Hope that helps you make a decision.

[Keith M]

The black eta is Eric B's car, correct? That thing has been around.

[Simontibbett]

The black eta is Eric B's car, correct? That thing has been around.

Are you talking to me?

[djjerme]

No, me.


Yes, it's Blois' car. We were talking about total cost spent our cars, we both are around $7000. That's about the cheapest you can piece together a track car for these days.

Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

[Don Stevens]

Track car DD

Check this out

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110644

As you have already heard from those of use who converted cars from street to track, it always, I repeat ALWAYS, costs more than you think. Particularly if you have a professional shop do the work. The car in the ad looks like a better start than what you have. Plus, if it is Spec e30 that is your goal, the 1990i is a much better base from which to start than an eta.

I have a spec e30 and am very curious about an ITA eta as I think it would be a blast. But, this hobby is all about how much time and money one has to spend. I don't have enough of either. My guess is that it would take a lot more time and money to make an eta competitve than it would to make an already modded i into mid pack Spec e30.

Good Luck