» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | | | | | 07-19-2012, 06:33 AM | #1 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: norcal - 94590 Posts: 3,186 | I'm losing my track virginity... As of Friday, July 20th. 2012, I am losing my virginity... Track virginity, that is... Location: Thunderhill raceway Time: 6:30am to 5:30 pm I am a complete track noob, but an old fart... This will be interesting! I am unsure if I will able to provide track video, but I should be able to provide some pics afterwards, at a minimum. My real objective is to gather tips and recommendations from track vets (young and old) regarding to what to expect on the track, what extra bits I should bring along, and whatever advice you can dispense... Thunderhill is about 2 hours from my home and I am planning on driving the ti to the track and home again. Track will be dry and hot (forecast is for 97 degrees, with low humidity). So, what should I bring, what should I leave behind, and what do you think of an old fart running around a racetrack in his ti? Critiques, compliments, and comic relief is both welcomed and encouraged... Wish me luck and good times! __________________ James 95 active w/leather interior and sport interior conversion, Vaders, full M-Tech exterior conversion. Now m50 swapped* Eibach sway bars, D2 Coilovers, Depo's w/AE's, blacked-out sides and grills, LeatherZ console and door armrests, 1 series starter button mod, and custom finished Style 5's <--- in this color! Named "Roddy": *M50 6 cyl. swap with fan delete, S50 cams and chip, AFE stage 2 intake, M3 clutch and 11.5 lb Fidanza flywheel, 3.15LSD, battery relocated to rear and complete custom exhaust. Sweet! 97 318ti sport, Alaska Blue, Contours, coilovers, Dove Vaders and custom black/grey interior named "Max" 95 318ti Active in Cosmos, S50 swap in progress... named "Pit" SUPPORT 318ti.org! CLICK THE LINK ABOVE! Hosting a forum like this is not free. 318ti.org is one of the best BMW forums on the web because it is member supported, not vendor supported. The cost to become a Supporter is a nominal $10.00... A YEAR! DO IT! NOW! | | | 07-19-2012, 06:46 AM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Chicago Posts: 172 | OK well as far as being an old guy I too would like to run mine at the track one day.. I heard if you just relax and don't fight it...You will be fine. Then your going to want to do it all the time......and you get called a "Track whor | | | 07-19-2012, 11:54 AM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,356 | Park near someone with an enclosed trailer. Make friends with those in big popup tents. A friend of mind has a big fan to keep cool. Store your gear in something that will protect it from wind and rain. A lot of people use tarps. I use a tent and throw all my stuff in there. Then I don't have to worry about wind or rain. Peace of mind. For tools you really don't need to get carried away. There are always people around to give you a hand. Air gauge, torque wrench. Oil Lots of Water or Gatorade. Windshield cleaner and paper towels. Maybe work gloves. If you are going to shoot video, it's a good idea to be able to view your hand movement as well as car position. First time, don't get overwhelmed. Be safe Learn Have fun For me it was overwhelming at first. Now I find it relaxing. bf.c has a good track forum. __________________ ...steven BMW CCA #146825 1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i www.bmwcca.org Last edited by 1996 328ti; 07-19-2012 at 11:58 AM. | | | 07-19-2012, 12:29 PM | #4 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SW Florida Posts: 4,275 | Sounds like fun James. Get out there and let your hair down! __________________ Sean 1995 Active | | | 07-19-2012, 05:25 PM | #5 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 183 | Good luck! Don't overdrive the first time out, just be smooth. Take care of your equipment. Remember you still have to drive home. Most of all have fun and don't get embarrased if you make a mistake. | | | 07-19-2012, 06:33 PM | #6 | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Elizabeth City, NC Posts: 3,877 | Congrats James, I'm sure you'll have an awesome time. Sounds like you have the perfect mentality about it, not trying to go out and show off the first time. Just take it easy and remember to have fun. __________________ ~Dave~ 98 328ti Morea Grun slicktop 11 128i space gray slicktop 13 JGC WK2 Deep Cherry Search | RealOEM | | | 07-19-2012, 07:33 PM | #7 | NOBODY F's with the Jesus Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ventura California Posts: 7,824 | Rubbin is racin and if you ain't first, you're last! | | | 07-19-2012, 09:20 PM | #8 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,356 | __________________ ...steven BMW CCA #146825 1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i www.bmwcca.org | | | 07-20-2012, 12:43 AM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ft Defiance, AZ Posts: 686 | Quote: Originally Posted by 1996 328ti | i remember watching this, i don't know if its the computer voices or the pure idiocy of that guy but it always cracks me up, as for track day advice all i can say is that smooth is fast __________________ 1999 BMW 318ti 2005 MINI Cooper S | | | 07-20-2012, 02:54 AM | #10 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: norcal - 94590 Posts: 3,186 | Quote: Originally Posted by 1996 328ti Park near someone with an enclosed trailer. Make friends with those in big popup tents. A friend of mind has a big fan to keep cool. Store your gear in something that will protect it from wind and rain. A lot of people use tarps. I use a tent and throw all my stuff in there. Then I don't have to worry about wind or rain. Peace of mind. For tools you really don't need to get carried away. There are always people around to give you a hand. Air gauge, torque wrench. Oil Lots of Water or Gatorade. Windshield cleaner and paper towels. Maybe work gloves. If you are going to shoot video, it's a good idea to be able to view your hand movement as well as car position. First time, don't get overwhelmed. Be safe Learn Have fun For me it was overwhelming at first. Now I find it relaxing. bf.c has a good track forum. | All of that seems like very solid advice! Thanks... Quote: Originally Posted by teetime4one Sounds like fun James. Get out there and let your hair down! | Hair? What Hair? Quote: Originally Posted by cooljess76 Rubbin is racin and if you ain't first, you're last! | I expect no less from you Jesse! Quote: Originally Posted by spidertri Congrats James, I'm sure you'll have an awesome time. Sounds like you have the perfect mentality about it, not trying to go out and show off the first time. Just take it easy and remember to have fun. | Quote: Originally Posted by 98318ti Good luck! Don't overdrive the first time out, just be smooth. Take care of your equipment. Remember you still have to drive home. Most of all have fun and don't get embarrased if you make a mistake. | I suspect that I will be more worried about damaging the car than anything, so I will be cautious... I'll have an instructor with me, so that will help keep me smooth Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaTuner OK well as far as being an old guy I too would like to run mine at the track one day.. I heard if you just relax and don't fight it...You will be fine. Then your going to want to do it all the time......and you get called a "Track whor | It won't be the first time I get called that! Thanks for the tips and smiles! See you all on the other side! __________________ James 95 active w/leather interior and sport interior conversion, Vaders, full M-Tech exterior conversion. Now m50 swapped* Eibach sway bars, D2 Coilovers, Depo's w/AE's, blacked-out sides and grills, LeatherZ console and door armrests, 1 series starter button mod, and custom finished Style 5's <--- in this color! Named "Roddy": *M50 6 cyl. swap with fan delete, S50 cams and chip, AFE stage 2 intake, M3 clutch and 11.5 lb Fidanza flywheel, 3.15LSD, battery relocated to rear and complete custom exhaust. Sweet! 97 318ti sport, Alaska Blue, Contours, coilovers, Dove Vaders and custom black/grey interior named "Max" 95 318ti Active in Cosmos, S50 swap in progress... named "Pit" SUPPORT 318ti.org! CLICK THE LINK ABOVE! Hosting a forum like this is not free. 318ti.org is one of the best BMW forums on the web because it is member supported, not vendor supported. The cost to become a Supporter is a nominal $10.00... A YEAR! DO IT! NOW! | | | 07-20-2012, 06:22 AM | #11 | Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Chicago Posts: 172 | That is a great video!...Bust me up.... | | | 07-20-2012, 09:03 AM | #12 | Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Chicago Posts: 172 | I like this version....This version has explicit langauge and suggestive material. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=ETmnennvBhM Last edited by GrandpaTuner; 07-20-2012 at 09:08 AM. Reason: Warning | | | 07-21-2012, 04:30 AM | #13 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: norcal - 94590 Posts: 3,186 | I'm here to report that I survived in one piece and so did the ti. I'm also exhausted! Had a great time, and I wasn't even the oldest fart in the novice run group... The ti performed flawlessly, put up with a good amount of my novice driving skills without complaint, and felt secure, solid and predictable. (I let my instructor drive it for a few laps (he's a Miata driver), and he was very complimentary of it's handling and overall performance for a street car.) Makes me feel like I made the right choices in suspension setup and engine. I snapped a few crummy phone pics (not while driving!), but never got to fashion a video cam rig in the car ahead of time. One driver let me use his cam for a lap session, but the batteries died almost immediately. He will get me what video he has soon... I did take some great pictures of the faster groups which I will upload soon and post. I would recommend this experience to anyone, it was a blast! IMAG0553 by wolfe94590, on Flickr IMAG0554 by wolfe94590, on Flickr IMAG0557 by wolfe94590, on Flickr IMAG0558 by wolfe94590, on Flickr __________________ James 95 active w/leather interior and sport interior conversion, Vaders, full M-Tech exterior conversion. Now m50 swapped* Eibach sway bars, D2 Coilovers, Depo's w/AE's, blacked-out sides and grills, LeatherZ console and door armrests, 1 series starter button mod, and custom finished Style 5's <--- in this color! Named "Roddy": *M50 6 cyl. swap with fan delete, S50 cams and chip, AFE stage 2 intake, M3 clutch and 11.5 lb Fidanza flywheel, 3.15LSD, battery relocated to rear and complete custom exhaust. Sweet! 97 318ti sport, Alaska Blue, Contours, coilovers, Dove Vaders and custom black/grey interior named "Max" 95 318ti Active in Cosmos, S50 swap in progress... named "Pit" SUPPORT 318ti.org! CLICK THE LINK ABOVE! Hosting a forum like this is not free. 318ti.org is one of the best BMW forums on the web because it is member supported, not vendor supported. The cost to become a Supporter is a nominal $10.00... A YEAR! DO IT! NOW! | | | 07-21-2012, 04:35 AM | #14 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 183 | Quote: Originally Posted by cooljess76 Rubbin is racin and if you ain't first, you're last! | And "second is just the first loser" | | | 07-21-2012, 05:13 AM | #15 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SW Florida Posts: 4,275 | Glad to hear that you had a great day and the car handled your track time. I'm jealous! __________________ Sean 1995 Active | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |