HATCHATTACK
04-05-2007, 07:30 AM
Hey, people want me to introduce myself... especially after being pissed at some random dude berating someone for building a GTS1 car before even 1 HPDE...
but anyway,
I own a 1990 325is. I wanted something I could play with and be comfortable and have ABS, 5spd, etc. Found this baby for $3500 in August 2003 with ground controls, 16" borbets, camber plates, etc. Seemed like quite the deal. Besides the rear half being oxidized...
First spring after buying it, wanted to do a track event just as is. Couldn't - bad subframe bushings. Get refund... save money for goodies. Buy urethane bushings, trailing arm bushings, 4.10 LSD, SS lines... added more on and on. had a chip too...
Huge install over the next winter. Lots of work. Bad motor mounts... urethane ones... 195-60-14 Azenis on stock wheels...
Track it. Love it. Do an Auto-X, did another. Did another track event. (Met Jon Siccardi from THR and he made fun of how long it took to do my subframe project and all while living an hour away without a car of my own while in college) And another to close out the year on 205 Azenis. Was blown away on how 10mm of tire would make that big of a speed difference. Had a Spec Miata racer push me and tell me to take corners faster. Car stays on track, I smile. And then some more Auto-Xes in between and all...
Another winter, I don't know what I did to my car, if anything. Got a recaro SRD - best investment period. (This was after my stock seat back was breaking and I was leaning away from the apex in the corners mind you)
April rites of spring DE = on ES100s... they handle heat alright but grip is not up to par ... but good times anyway. Focused on smoothness, and looking ahead. Gained a lot of speed just by staring down the Apex cones. Chased a Gallardo for a few laps and instructor made a crack about it... but the owner couldn't drive and admitted it in class.
Made the dumb decision to do two back-to-back weekends after promising I never would. Friend organized a Lotus lapping day and couldn't pass it up. Well, before the 1st session, I had a puddle of oil under the car. Frantic call to parents and run to auto parts stores... new copper ring and several quarts later... go out and have some fun.
JB welded the bolt in place and did the best DE of my life. Really nice engineer instructor... I had removed my 4.10 LSD by this time because it was whiney and took out my chip because 87 octane is much cheaper and made more sense since being a faster driver is more fun than a faster car.... and after a Lotus instructor not saying much, he criticized my braking, line, etc... and I shaved 3 seconds off of my lap time I had done the previous weekend. You are never done learning! And he was convinced I had R comps when rolling on Azenis.
Took off coilovers (part because my needle bearing was shot on one camber plate and it was popping... part because it's my daily and H&R sports made more sense and it's still fun to drive... ), got some all season tires and sold Koseis to a SpecE30 driver... after an Auto-X in the cold... brrrr!
One thing is certain - I did not want to listen to my DE-experienced pal when he told me to stop worrying about a MAF conversion and just to drive. But I definitely see what he meant.
If I could go back, I'd save the shorter diff and chip and injector that I thought were cool and really improved driving my car. I'd just get my bushings done and hop on track much sooner, a half a year earlier. Coilovers aren't horrible and help, but H&R sports are more beneficial 360 days a year.
I love my car... it needs some TLC, but it fits the bill. Maybe I could improve on it with an E36, but only it is can pack more friends or more beer in it. Ti's intrigued me, especially the 325ti one. But that rollbar just looks scary and I don't really need a track car to track... anything taken care of well and has four wheels will probably do.
but anyway,
I own a 1990 325is. I wanted something I could play with and be comfortable and have ABS, 5spd, etc. Found this baby for $3500 in August 2003 with ground controls, 16" borbets, camber plates, etc. Seemed like quite the deal. Besides the rear half being oxidized...
First spring after buying it, wanted to do a track event just as is. Couldn't - bad subframe bushings. Get refund... save money for goodies. Buy urethane bushings, trailing arm bushings, 4.10 LSD, SS lines... added more on and on. had a chip too...
Huge install over the next winter. Lots of work. Bad motor mounts... urethane ones... 195-60-14 Azenis on stock wheels...
Track it. Love it. Do an Auto-X, did another. Did another track event. (Met Jon Siccardi from THR and he made fun of how long it took to do my subframe project and all while living an hour away without a car of my own while in college) And another to close out the year on 205 Azenis. Was blown away on how 10mm of tire would make that big of a speed difference. Had a Spec Miata racer push me and tell me to take corners faster. Car stays on track, I smile. And then some more Auto-Xes in between and all...
Another winter, I don't know what I did to my car, if anything. Got a recaro SRD - best investment period. (This was after my stock seat back was breaking and I was leaning away from the apex in the corners mind you)
April rites of spring DE = on ES100s... they handle heat alright but grip is not up to par ... but good times anyway. Focused on smoothness, and looking ahead. Gained a lot of speed just by staring down the Apex cones. Chased a Gallardo for a few laps and instructor made a crack about it... but the owner couldn't drive and admitted it in class.
Made the dumb decision to do two back-to-back weekends after promising I never would. Friend organized a Lotus lapping day and couldn't pass it up. Well, before the 1st session, I had a puddle of oil under the car. Frantic call to parents and run to auto parts stores... new copper ring and several quarts later... go out and have some fun.
JB welded the bolt in place and did the best DE of my life. Really nice engineer instructor... I had removed my 4.10 LSD by this time because it was whiney and took out my chip because 87 octane is much cheaper and made more sense since being a faster driver is more fun than a faster car.... and after a Lotus instructor not saying much, he criticized my braking, line, etc... and I shaved 3 seconds off of my lap time I had done the previous weekend. You are never done learning! And he was convinced I had R comps when rolling on Azenis.
Took off coilovers (part because my needle bearing was shot on one camber plate and it was popping... part because it's my daily and H&R sports made more sense and it's still fun to drive... ), got some all season tires and sold Koseis to a SpecE30 driver... after an Auto-X in the cold... brrrr!
One thing is certain - I did not want to listen to my DE-experienced pal when he told me to stop worrying about a MAF conversion and just to drive. But I definitely see what he meant.
If I could go back, I'd save the shorter diff and chip and injector that I thought were cool and really improved driving my car. I'd just get my bushings done and hop on track much sooner, a half a year earlier. Coilovers aren't horrible and help, but H&R sports are more beneficial 360 days a year.
I love my car... it needs some TLC, but it fits the bill. Maybe I could improve on it with an E36, but only it is can pack more friends or more beer in it. Ti's intrigued me, especially the 325ti one. But that rollbar just looks scary and I don't really need a track car to track... anything taken care of well and has four wheels will probably do.