BMW help

[Bruce Murphy]

OK, I've decided to run the 97 M3. Here's my question. Does the M3 lightweight run in the same class? If so, then is my strut tower brace OK, as it was a factory option on the lightweight? I have an old catalog from BMW that indicates such, but I've run afoul of the rules committee once before, and I don't want a repeat.

Bruce

[Dave]

Hi Bob,

If you're planning to compete in Stock class with your M3 (want a co-driver? ;)) then I'm afraid you can't use the stut tower brace unless it came from the factory as an option on your specific model. The same holds true for an Integra GS-R, which doesn't come from the factory with a strut tower brace, compared to an Integra Type R, which does come from the factory with a strut tower brace. Unfortunately neither the GS-R nor your car get to 'update' to the more race oriented model components at the Stock level.

However, in SuperStock class strut tower braces are a free and authorized mod, so you can use them without having to spend any prep points. The 'Model Variant' rule (sometimes referred to as update/backdate rule), which also comes into play at the SuperStock level, would also allow you to 'update' to any non-engine components from the M3 Lightweight, including the strut tower brace.

I hope this is helpful,

Dave

[Bruce Murphy]

ratpoop. Guess I'll be yanking it off. gonna run bone stock this year. Thanks for the advice. Hit me up for a ride at the school!

[Christian Sorensen]

As a fellow bimmer owner I can assure you your M3 will be plenty competitive either Stock or in SuperStock. Sticky tires on good wheels and racing brake pads are a must however!

Does your model come with 17x8.5 rears and 17x7.5 fronts or 17x8s all around?

Dave has it right about the update/backdate rule in that it doesn't apply until SuperStock. Its too bad for me 'cuz I would have been able to swap the diff on my silver 328i sedan for a limited slip version but I went and bought a whole car with such a diff instead (my current red 328is)!

[Dave]

Ooo! Ooo! Do I sense some M3 envy coming from the Sorensen camp? :) I know there's some coming from the Pratte camp...

[Christian Sorensen]

What red-blooded BMW club member doesn't suffer from M envy? Hell, even my M3 owner friends envy other Ms ...

Its sortof a disease that grips your soul and causes one to engage in an endless cycle of modifications, upgrades, tire purchases and brake pad replacements.

Eventually we'll all be riding around in something that rattles the fillings from our teeth singing "we can dance if we want to" to ourselves! ;)

[Shaman]

It's no BMW (it's faster!) but my car is already there.

[Christian Sorensen]

Fess up Mr. One Lap!

I grant that your car is fast, faster even than most BMWs. But didn't three of them finish ahead of you in the 2000 One Lap? And wasn't one of them in the 'Mid-Priced Sedan' category? :D

[Dave]

Woohoo! Solo Messageboard mud slingin'!!! I like it!

Personally, I still wake up with a smile on my face whenever I dream about Catsby Jones' turboed M-powered 318ti. Dangnabbit I like that car and he did some serious damage with it during the 99 One Lap as I recall...might have even beat a Firebird or ten :)

[Dave]

OMG! I just realized I called Bruce by the wrong name in my original and only serious post in this entire post!

My apologies Bruce! You'd think I'd be relatively familiar with the name since my Dad shares it with you :)

DuhDave

[Theo]

Dave,
I need some clairification here.

Bruce can't run the shock brace because it's not an option on his M, only on the lightweight M. Right?

If it were a factory option on his "Plain-Jane" M it would be allowed in stock, correct?


BTW - The GSR comes with a shock brace.

[Dave]

Yes, if a strut tower brace came standard from the factory on the "regular" M3 then it is legal in Stock class, just like on the Integra Type R. In simplier terms, if it comes on a stock car sold in Canada then it's legal in stock class. Some stock cars, like so called factory race cars, come with more 'go-fast' parts on them and we don't want to ask the owners of such cars to start removing oem parts. That's one of the major reasons why we've gone with so many more stock classes than under the previous classification system, so that even factory race cars have an appropriate stock class to compete in, rather than starting them off in SuperStock or even Street Prepared (like the S2000 last year).

The GS-R comes from the factory with a front upper strut tower brace? I don't recall seeing one on Dyno's car, but I could be wrong. Feel free to substitute the LS Integra for the GS-R in my original example then, wiseguy :)

Hurry up and bring your 'Stang out to the track already...

Dave

[Shaman]

Actually yes, Dinan's car did beat me. And so did Tony Swan's (well, BMW's loaner) M5.

However, it had more to do with the sorry state of my car than with the ability of the car to do it. On Gingerman on the last day, where I had some brakes for a while and knew the track, I actually caught Tony Swan in the M5 on the 2nd lap before my brakes went south again. Even with all the other problems, herein outlined:

I had stock brake pads, because I flamed the trick ones on very first day. Then there was the extreme pinging issue... and the overwhelmed shock issue... and the driver's-never-seen-any-of-these-tracks issue... and the rookie driver issue... and the O2 sensor I'd spliced in from the truck on the night before issue... and the plugged cats (from having to run leaded, see pinging issue) issue... and the clutch that wouldn't engage issue (you can hear in one of the videos the crunch going into 2nd gear), which also led to a slipping clutch issue... and the left wheel bearing issue...

But enough excuses. I'll go back next year to prove the point with a much better prepared car... :)

[ADAM]

thats big heavy v8 cars for you.... :)

poke poke...nudge nudge

hard on the brakes due to the large mass

[Shaman]

I can't disagree with that. I can say that it was more planning than problem, though. I had to run on street tires for the first couple of Solo-1 events because it cost me grande el dinero to repair all the things I broke during One Lap. :( I don't know if anyone noticed the puffs of blue smoke between shifts... but it didn't have an oil burning problem until the 2nd day of One Lap... some really soft oil rings in that car by the end of the year.

This year I'll have to deal with bad tire spin, IMHO. That I can deal with.

[Bruce Murphy]

Right about the M3 envy. I just saw the new blue M3 in the flesh, and suddenly my M3 looks like a sluggish ugly piece of crap.

[Bruce Murphy]

Chris,

My M3 came with 7.5s in the front and 8.5s in the rear., but I'll be running on 8 in OZ all around. I'm wondering if I can squeeze the (stock) 245rubber on the rear.

BTW, OZ America is blowing out brand new 17in Fittipaldis for $100 each.

[Christian Sorensen]

Last year I ran 245x40R17 Hoosiers on 17x8 SSR Integrals all around. They fit fine on the rears with just a bit of rubbing up front.

Matt Levine from Quebec (a BMWCC instructor who ran in the COMSCC Solo series) used the same size on his lowered M3 last year as well.

[Bruce Murphy]

Chris,

Are you lowered? I have stock height, so I'm wondering about the 245s in front. Where did they rub exactly?

[Christian Sorensen]

I wasn't lowered last year, but it'll be a different story for 2001 :cool:

With stock alignment, the 245 Hoosiers rubbed the inner fender liners on full lock as well as the spring perch on the strut (presumably on compression).

My main problem was the rubbing on the brake duct hosing which caused me to go through 3 sets of hoses during the season.

I was getting that rubbing even with the 225x45 tires I started the season with. Mind you, the 225 Hoosiers are actually wider than most 235 and 245 R rubber out there.

For example, a stack of four 225x45 Hoosiers on 17x8 rims was 2" taller than a stack of 235x40 Yokohamas on the same kind of rim.

Therefore your fit will depend alot on exactly which brand of tire you're getting.