my 1st autoX... now i have a question

[hotghias]

I just participated in my first autoX in my stock 87 325(e). man, was that ever fun. I think I did really well considering my car and lack of experience. i have a lot more respect for my car and what it can do with stock german engineering.

Thing I learned: I put my tire pressures (potenza re950 195/65/14's) at 40psi before the event and didn't think to check them during. they were at 45psi when i finished, so i'll be checking those after each run from now on.

HERE is my question: with the helmet on, i had to really hunch over to fit in the car. has anyone been able to lower their stock (i have non-sport) seat or remove foam from it?

[rwh11385]

no. non-sports are very poor as far as unadjustability. why not buy a pair, or at least one sport seat? you can get them reasonably cheap and not like throwing down mad $$$ on your car.

they would also improve your ability to hold you in the seat. which allows you to focus on the course.

[nando]

i'm about 6'2 and I have plenty of headroom in my car with sport seats.

[Mystikal]

Sport seats sit lower than non-sport, from my experience. In any case, get better seats.

Your tire pressure will rise throughout the day, heat increases pressure. Check them today, they should be at 40 again.

[hotghias]

thanks for the info about sport seats. i'll keep an eye out for them. i wouldn't want to go with aftermarket seats b/c it would add mod points, and i need to save all those i can for real mods (coilover suspension and a chip).

the tires were 'hot' when i filled them from the hour drive to the autox... i should have guessed that the autox would heat them up a lot more than highway driving, though. i improved my time with each run, but thinking back, i was really skating/sliding around by the 5th run.

[Mystikal]

I remember the first time I entered my mom's E46 323i 5-speed, I had the front and rear at 40psi cold (225/50/16) and the back end was completely out of control on the first run. I don't think anyone had ever seen an E46 hang it's ass end out for an entire run, espeicially when you consider they never came with LSDs. Fun, but very slow. I dropped the rear down to 35psi and solved the issue.

Lesson here: Always carry a digital gauge to the lot.

[ColdAccord]

why digital? digital doesn't necessarily mean accurate.
any regular one will do, just not the kind that's just a stick and the reading sticks out.

I had a 325e with non sport seats, not I have a 325i with sport seats. I have about 4" more headroom with sportseats.

[Mystikal]

Not accurate, but precise and consistent. Both important.

[BahnE30]

doesn't really matter if it's accurate, as long as it's consistant and you use the same gauge everytime
lol

[Mystikal]

Precision. Consistency can only exist with precision.

I always used an analog gauge, until I tested it out one day. Went around the car, set every tire to what looked like 38psi. Then went around with my new digital gauge, and there was a 1.5psi inconsistency between all of them (none were equal). I know it's insignificant, but digital is less than $10 anyways, may as well get the best.

[rumatt]

First autox? Screw the tire pressures. Set them to 40 so you don't destroy the tire edges, and forget about them. Get rides with experienced people and have them ride with you. That will help you more than fine tuning tire pressures.


Digital vs analog? Who cares. I don't buy that a digital one is necessarily more consistent though. A decent analog is just as good. Go to an autox and you'll see most serious folks using analog gauges. (not the stick gauges, but the dial ones.)