Volvo Speed
Yes, you are correct. That is my lovely wife tearing up the track in her Volvo wagon. Having agreed to go mostly to humor me, she ended up having a great time. It was fun to watch as she improved throughout the day. I wasn’t driving. I was helping out with the class for a change. It was good to see the old Volvo get an Italian tune-up and head full-throttle into a quick lane-change maneuver, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Once a year, the local BMW club hosts a Highway Safety School at Summit Point. This was the first year they’ve had it on the Shenandoah Circuit. The benefit of having it there on the longer course is that you can split the course in two and conduct two different run groups at the same time.
One group conducted slalom and lane change maneuvers down the pistol grip, range straight, and through the hook. At the same time, another group was on the rest of the course conducting various threshold braking maneuvers. A third group was at the skid-pad. Each exercise lasted 50 minutes and was repeated in the afternoon. That’s quite a bit of driving time for the money.
At the skid-pad they didn’t have the front-wheel drive students turn off traction control, so I don’t think she got much out of it. The Volvo traction control works very well. You cannot force much under-steer at all. When you do force it, the car hooks-up very quickly and goes into over-steer and a spin. Not really what you want to build confidence in a beginning student.
At the end of the day, she got to do some lapping with her instructor in his E46 M3. (He was driving.) They were supposed to be going at 80% so as not to frighten the students. I timed his laps with and without a student in the car. Not 80%…. Nonetheless, she had a great time.
On Friday I drove an instructor’s E36 M3 on the skid-pad for a good 20 minutes. I managed to go from pathetic to pretty average which is encouraging. I find most of my instincts are wrong when it comes to large-angle over-steer and rear-wheel drive, but I have to master it to graduate from the instructor program. Hopefully I’ll have the 325is done by the next class. I had driving someone else’s car — all I can think about is going off and bending a control arm or worse.
I feel like I’m braking more smoothly now and my laps are gaining in consistency, but I need to do some more work on my brakes if I take the MINI out again. I had EBC Red pads in the front and EBC stock pads in the rear. With the new rotors, that was a bad combo. The brakes started to fade after only a couple of runs. On Sunday, I switched to EBC Green pads in the rear and noticed a considerable improvement, but I think I’m still overheating the pads. It didn’t help that the ambient temp as almost 100 degrees.
Since I’m heading back to Shenandoah in the Fall, here’s a turn-by-turn description (the CCA doesn’t run the pit straight, they take the cut-off before the pits and head into the pistol grip.
Turn 1: Coming out of the pits, head toward the bucket and about where the apron is on the outside of the track, allow the car to go just a bit past mid-track, lift, and head back to the apex. Full power at the apex and track out, but be aware that the drop off is high at the end of the track out so be a bit conservative with power.
Turns 2-5: This is a start of a triple apex 3-5. Straight line 2 going from the outside to the inside, braking hard in a straight-line, and hit the apex of turn 3. Trail-brake to keep the car tight to the apex of 4. Hold the arc and let the car swing out to mid-track and control track position with the throttle. This will point the car in a straight line from 5 to 6. The apex at 5 is blind.
Turns 6-8: In this configuration, 6-8 forms a chicane. If turn 7 is in use, stay off of the curb in 6. If you’re going straight from 6 into 8, it’s ok to hit a bit of the curb in 6. It won’t unsettle the car and it allows for a better line from 5 and setting you up for the braking zone for turn 8.
Turn 8: If you get 5-6 right, you’ll have to brake a bit harder and sooner to get the car to turn in to turn 8. Normally, I brake hard, and trail brake just to get the car to turn in to turn 8, then manage position with the throttle. I don’t have that much power anyway so I don’t seem to be able to use all of the track-out.
Turn 9: Turn 9 is taken flat out. Position the car so that as you crest the hill you are to the extreme left of the track. As you go over the top and un-weight the car, give the car a quick turn to the left. This is blind, but it will position you for a straight line to the entry to the Carrousel.
Turn 10: The Carrousel. If you enter from the left, it’s a bit of carrier landing. To far to the right and the car will hop under hard braking. Catch the V with the right wheels and drop slightly to the left for the best transition. Make sure to downshift and unload the clutch well before the hardest braking to maintain stability. Listen to the tires in the turn and adjust power. It will take a lot more power than you will be comfortable with, but try to maintain speed.
Turns 11-12: This is a quick right under hard acceleration. Use left-foot braking to weight the front end to turn back for turn 12. Accelerate again over the top of the hill. Go deep into 13.
Turn 13: Have to be patient with 13. Going deeper and turning sooner will allow you to get on the power sooner and enter 14 at higher speed. Be patient to get the car to come back to the apex before hitting the power or you’ll blow the set-up for turn 14.
Turn 14: Late apex; steady power; track out; shift into 4th; get the car headed to the apex before full power, then power through 15.
Turn 15: Full power sweeper; use all of the track, but come back to mid track down the straight. There’s lots of dirt on the right of the track after the dip; and the track is very rough to the left in the dip. Set up for turn 16 from mid-right on the track.
Turn 16: Go deep; brake hard early; trail brake to get the car to rotate; late apex; full power and track out. Be careful with the trail-braking as the surface is rough.
Turns 17-18: Set up for 17 from the outside, head with left wheels to the rough patch; hold a steady arch; hit the curb on the right for apex for 17; let it drift to the apron on the left and come back to the curb on the right for the apex to 18. Power up the hill; track to the right; lift and get the car turned in for turn 1.
Stealth: Titled but not Fully Baked
At the end of week three I managed to patch together the broken headlight carrier, install a new headlight and re-aim the beams. I managed to save $50 by repairing the broken carrier. The black wheels look slick. Today I installed the new passenger seat (not pictured) I found on bimmerforums for that $50 I didn’t spend on the headlight carrier.
All-in-all the project is proceeding well, if more slowly than planned. I’m finding each little project takes about twice as much time as I think it should. That’s what happens when you have a 20 year old car I suppose. (Next year it’s “Historic”.) I have to work more on the family/garage balance thing. Too bad I have to go to work. Or sleep….
In Maryland, you have to pass the safety inspection before you can register a car. I got the car titled this week and got a 30-day registration to get it passed inspection. Looking at the inspection list, I think only the non-functioning speedo/odometer is holding me up now. My goal is to get the car ready in more or less stock configuration in time for the next CCA driver’s school 1 August. I think it’s doable.
Three-Wheelin’ MINI
Since the F-22 isn’t yet registered, I decided to run the MINI at the CDC autocross today. The morning started out quite wet, with a light drizzle falling most of the early morning. Since I was running in the third heat, I took a chance and switched to the R comps, which was the right choice. My morning runs were in the mid 42 second range, with my best run of 42.02 coming after lunch. It seemed like most of the runners were in the 44-47 range, with only the Cobras below 41. The car felt really well balanced, even if 3 runs wasn’t quite enough to get the required amount of heat into the tires. They continue to wear well. I just bought a set of spacers so hopefully they will fit on the BMW as well.
It wasn’t until I got home and saw the photos my friend took that I even realized how much I was picking up the rear inside wheel in tight turns. You would think with only three tires on the ground, that I’d notice the rear-end getting light, but I didn’t really sense it was coming around on me. I wonder what it would be like with the sway-bar on the stiffest setting…
Stealth: Out with the Old
I’m at the end of the second week of this project and have made some significant progress with only a few (unpleasant) surprises. I secured the battery in the trunk (no brick required) and patched the hole in the fender well from the inside — I still have to finish it off on the outside. I removed the excess trim from the trunk and the electric antenna. That was about 10 lbs. of weight. I replaced all of the light bulbs.
From the interior, I removed the backseats, back seatbelts, stereo, four speakers, some speaker wire, and the center console. Total of about 40 lbs. I also removed one of the two front seats, but I plan to replace that. I fixed and reattached the glove box, removed the annoying key chime, and fitted a new UUC shift knob. I installed a new steering wheel cover. The rotten shift boot is still waiting to be replaced. I relocated the window switches to the dash and found out the reverse light has been disconnected and is on a separate switch now. Now sure why.
Under the hood, I removed the cruise control servo (the brains are long gone); replaced the air cleaner with a K&N cone filter; removed the AC compressor, condensor, evaporator and associated hardware (weight savings alone 25 lbs. fore of the front axle). I replaced the blower resistor and the coil; new oil and coolant caps. I replaced all of the fuses and found a new fuse box cover. I replaced the leaky power steering fluid reservoir and both leaky low-pressure hoses. I cleaned up much of the mess associated with those leaks as well.
The dented right front fender proved to be a bit more complicated than I estimated. I knew I had to fix the front turn signal and replace a headlight, but once I got everything apart, I found the damage was more extensive, but not structural. I removed and replaced the fender liner. Removed the bumper and fixed the turn signal. I removed the air-dam and replaced the fog lamps with blanks (saving a couple of pounds at the very front). Once I removed the grille I found the headlamp carrier was broken. (That’s the one piece on back-order that’s stopping me from registering the car.) I straightened out the interior supporting members so I could rehang the fender. I decided to just pound out the fender and hit it with some paint. It is actually the best painted part of the car now (which says less about the quality of my painting and more about the sorry state of the paint job as a whole).
Since I had the whole front end opened up, I removed the AC and associated parts including the auxiliary fan (which I plan to eventually replace). The fan alone weighs about 5 lbs. Eventually I plan to remove the fan from the engine and run just with an electric fan, but not now. I had Safelight put in a new windshield as well.
As I was waiting for the paint to dry on the fender, I replaced the rotors and brake pads. I have stainless steel brake lines, but don’t have a pressure bleeder so I’ll leave that up to someone else to install. I also installed studs from Turner Motorsports. I bought new Falken Ziex 912s (195/60R14) to go on the stock 14 inch basked weaves. I looked at getting the wheels refinished, but at $40-$50 per wheel for sand blasting alone, I decided instead to just blast them with some paint myself. The photos show the car riding on snow tires as the paint on the wheels hasn’t dried yet.
I’m still hopeful that if the headlight carrier arrives this week, I can get the car inspected and registered to make the next Autocross on the 5th or later in the month on the 20th. With wheel spacers, I should be able to run my MINI autcross wheels. I have replacements for all of the hoses, timing belt, and water pump. I also have a colder thermostat to install at the same time. After that, I think I’ll fix the dubious suspension parts (control arms; tie-rods; bushings; & end-links) before the last track event of the season. That will give me the winter to get the race suspension (springs, shocks, sway bars, camber plates) and roll-cage installed.
Total weight savings so far is about 80 lbs. or just under 3 percent.
F-22 Stealth E30 325is
[Click photo for link to full set of photos on Flickr.]
After months of a low level search of various message boards and Craigslist, I finally found the car I’ve been looking for: a 1989 E30 325is. I finally got to the point where I’m running in the fastest run group on the track and am generally one of the faster cars in the group. With the extra speed came the realization that if I go off the track, I could really mess up my car. Hence the genesis of the idea of a dedicated autocross and track car: The ultimate sleeper car, stripped of anything that doesn’t help it go faster, painted in radar-evading flat black.
I wanted something with about the same power to weight ratio as the MINI, but rear wheel drive (so I can finally graduate from the NCC Instructor Program — besides number of days, I need to do a full lap of oversteer on the skid pad. Tough to do in a front wheel drive car…) I wanted a car that can easily be resold; has lots of cheap parts available; and was relatively inexpensive to run on the track (15 inch wheels mean inexpensive tires; light weight means less expensive brake pads, etc.) I figured on getting a good 325is under $2K; put about $2K into it; sell off all of the parts I take out to reduce weight; and I might break even when I eventually sell it. Worst case is I smack a $4K car; best case is I’m just out the cost of the wear items I would have had to buy for the MINI. Depending on how the engine tests, I may even be able to swap the engine into the convertible, then spend the winter rebuilding the convertible engine for next season in this car. Win win.
So what to do with the car? It’s currently painted in what I like to call, backyard flat black. It didn’t start out that way, but somewhere along the way it picked up a very pad paint job that’s very thick and very oxidized. What I liked about this car was that it had a clean CARFAX report; it was a Florida car for most of it’s life; and all of the body panels match indicating it hadn’t been in any major accidents. The right front fender is a bit messed up, but that appears to be very recent. The engine is very strong and the transmission isn’t a complete pile of goo. I figure it’s a project in about four stages:
Stage 1: Get it registered. I want to keep it street legal so I have to fix up enough to pass the Maryland State Inspection (MSI). Although this program is primarily a jobs program for the shops that inspect vehicles, at least it provides a basic safety baseline. So far, I know I have to replace the windshield, one headlight, and the hole I just found under the battery. We’ll see what else pops up when I drop it off at the local inspection shop. I figure I’ll replace brake pads and rotors all around regardless. You have to know you can stop before you go. Once I get it passed the MSI, I’ll get it dyno’d and weighed to establish a baseline.
Stage 2: Replace known wear items. Since the car sat for several months and I have no repair records, I need to do some preventive maintenance. Replace all of the hoses; flush the cooling and brake systems (stainless steel lines at the same time); replace the timing belt; water pump; thermostat; fan belt; and oil change.
Stage 3: Lose the fat. I’ve actually started some of that as I’m peeling back all of the trim and carpet to see the underlying condition of the chassis, but my intent is to remove anything that isn’t required to go fast. That means trim, carpet, rear seats, rear seatbelts, headliner, sunroof cassette, stereo, speakers, speaker wiring, antennae, center console, etc. I’m hoping I can get 100-150 lbs. out of the car. I want to get to where I can autocross it and take it to the track in August. That should give me a good idea of what the car can do in stock form without any suspension mods.
Stage 4: Improve the suspension and install roll cage. I’m trying to comply with the Spec E30 rules as I mod the car. Not so much because I plan to race, but I’d like to get there eventually. If I stick to one set of rules, it should be easier to sell the car should I need to in the future. By complying with a spec class, it also gives me better way to compare my performance to others over time.
