"S**t I found on Colorado Craigslist"

[Bimmerman325i]

I had a blast driving Alex's coupe, as well as my cousin's m roady. My problem is I dont fit in the car very well...without other seats i have to cock my head a few degrees to sit in it with a helmet. Im not sure that would even solve it. Great fun to drive though!

[Cloudbase]

The roady's crappy Bride seats on custom mounts about 3" lower. I actually sit with a bed roll pad to. I still have a broom stick below the top of my helmet and roll bar. Seats + smaller steering wheel make it much better.

[325ix]

Maybe for the first time I have an advantage by being short.

[blefevre]

I am short so I doubt the size would be a problem.

Anyone want my E30 for $3,500 with d-forces and stock tails? :)

[dubseven]

Actually, I have a buddy looking. Send me some info!

[Cloudbase]

I forwarded it to my friend as well. Are summer tires and rims included?

[blefevre]

I forwarded it to my friend as well. Are summer tires and rims included?

It would just be the winters and D-forces. I guess I could get the tires taken off of the Hartges too though.

I will think about it more tonight but feel free to tell people about my E30. I am still undecided if the coupe is the way to go. I'm trying to find the "best" track car for me and my wife...not necessarily the "coolest" car.

[Bimmerman325i]

The best track car is the cheapest one that is the most fun to drive and has the best aftermarket support.

That way, if/when it gets balled up, you can easily fix it/find replacement parts/replace the whole thing, while having a blast.

If competing isn't your immediate/ultimate goal, find a car you enjoy driving and track/modify it.

The 2.8 is a pretty good track engine. Nice and reliable, if a bit underpowered without throwing money and time at it. The rear suspension design does suck, but I think the driver matters more than trailing arm vs multilink. If anything, it makes the limit easier to consistently reach because it is both lower and you get more warning.

Driving Alex's car I did notice the car is a LOT 'twitchier' and livelier than my car is. Depends whether you like that or not.

The 2.8 does have the MUCH better steering rack than any E36 M car, coupe/roady/m3/whatever.

Buy it, throw some Apexes on it with star specs or RS3s, throw in some good pads, and track the piss out of it.

[blefevre]

The best track car is the cheapest one that is the most fun to drive and has the best aftermarket support.

That way, if/when it gets balled up, you can easily fix it/find replacement parts/replace the whole thing, while having a blast.

If competing isn't your immediate/ultimate goal, find a car you enjoy driving and track/modify it. Is the coupe S52 or 54?

The coupe is a Z3, so M52.

In order of importance
Reliability > Fun > Aftermarket > Cost

[blefevre]

And I fully intend to compete in AutoX, so it will be mostly based on the class rules.

[Bimmerman325i]

Ha, I saw that after I posted, so I edited it a bit.

As for class rules, you can't be more competitive than a 93 325i in STX, or a 93 325i with an M52 in DSP. STU M3 is possible, but is sort of like tilting at windmills. No clue where the Z3s fit in to autox ruleset, ask chris.

As for reliability, any M5x-based engine will be almost appliance-reliable once the cooling system is taken care of. I've heard that the Z3s have some cooling quirks due to frontal area, but that could be an internet rumor on bfc. I have no experience to back that up.

[325ix]

Do it! There are few cars cooler than the coupe, that are also easily purchased.

[Cloudbase]

I know two guys on the Z3 forums who chose Coupes instead of M's because of NASA GTS rules, not sure how that would translate to autocross. My thoughts on E36 vs Z3 from another thread. The same would apply to autoX.

I don't think there is better bang for the buck as far as performance goes than an E36 M3. It's down on power and top end compared to an E46, but way more reliable, easier to work on, more parts, cheaper consumables, and most importantly lighter. They are easy to drive fast, a familiar platform, and there a gobs of very well sorted ones out there for 20K. A well sorted one with a few easy power mods will drive circles around an E46 for the same driver skill level on most tracks. I've driven prepped E36 M3's, E46 M3's and my M Coupe and Roadster on the track. I was driving the E36 fast after 3 laps without feeling like I was on the ragged edge. All of the best drivers in our local group choose and dominate in E36 M3's.

The only reason I choose an M Roadster for my track car over an E36 M3, other than I stumbled upon a build one locally, is that I like the driving experience of the Z3 better than the E36. The E36 has a better suspension, is longer, and has room to haul track tires, but advancing my skills in the M Roadster will transfer directly to the M Coupe and my E30. I like the challenge of driving a cruder suspension against an easier platform. I might eat these words after a few TT events, but for now it stands.

[Bimmerman325i]

Yup, I totally agree. I'm definitely not the best driver, or close, but the E36 is so damn easy to drive fast and is ridiculously reliable when the well-known issues are taken care of. And as Chris has proved, is capable of being stupid retarded fast with bolt on power mods, and even more stupid fast with step-up (still not race) cams.

I had a blast tracking my E30, but its reliability and other issues just annoyed me. The Z3 is a very fun chassis, so it'd be a toss up between it and an E36 as to which you enjoy driving more.

[Franken30]

Wish I read this before Saturday - I would have encouraged you to drive my E36 M3 so you'd have a point of reference and, so you'd want to buy it on the spot. It really is easy to drive at the limit and has been very reliable for the 7,000 miles and 4 years I've owned it (probably helps that I spent $$ on making sure common cooling system weaknesses are not an issue).