E46 M3 fast road - track car

[PBMWsam]

Mid week update, been working evenings on the car to get it all done and off to Spires this Saturday of a corner weight setup.



Plated and welded the cracks on the front turrets





Also seam welded around the rear boot floor area on the inside as I was getting some creaking under load.

Rear frame dropped



Axel complete, ready to be stripped down and solid bush on the Diff, Subframe, RTAB and the upper inner joint of the spring perch.

[PBMWsam]

Cracked on with stripping down rear subframe last night

Some of the bushes went straight in but most were a real pain in the butt, even with a bluepoint multi bush took.









Glad I went solid on the diff as this is what a 2 year old powerflex looks like









Another late night tomorrow and it should all be back together and on the road.

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Only started on the car last night at 10pm, so didn't spend long on it.

Got the whole frame ect bolted up, just trims and exhaust to do then its a well earned beer.



Oh and I've also had my tail pipes reworked eace:


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All the underside done and popped to Spires for a corner weight and geo, current weight was 1315kg with no fuel (over 200kg lighter than stock)







May notice I've now got dual 3" tailpipes, dropped the car in at Walton fabrication before I took it all apart. Tips are sitting a little low as my mounts have seen better days.

Also brought a Quaife knob which has raised the shifter by best part of an inch

[PBMWsam]

New setup felt very good, was only 3 seconds a lap of my PB around Silverstone national in the wet.

Untitled by Sam Ratcliffe, on Flickr

Had a bit of a funny run in with an M4 :roflmao:

https://youtu.be/jyVLWxhdHsk

And that wasn't the first time it happened to me that day.


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Nothing major to update

Few final track prep for Rockingham on the 25th

Checked fluids and replaced fuel filter (hopefully stopping surge)

Keep on thinking about chopping a dirty big hole in my engine cover to prevent coilpacks from getting too hot. Mid way round Silverstone last week had the EML come on and loss of power, sorted itself out by the end of the straight and plugged in after was multiple of misfires.

Know most people are going to say remove it all together but I don't like how it looks without. Example below



Picked up an Recaro SPA that had just gone out of date, was a co-driver seat in a for fun rally car, things like brand new. Vast improvements over the SPG





Lastly I replaced my 2 fooked exhaust mounts for 3 new ones, sits 100x better now

[PBMWsam]

SlimJim16v said:

Remove the cover, cos 'race car, innit'. Looks great with the twin exhausts.

Or some vents in the front 1/3rd of bonnet to reduce the temp. May reduce drag a bit too.

Edited by SlimJim16v on Monday 13th March 18:29

All for things being practical but I also want things to still look good, and really don't like it without the cover. I've set up my pollen filter to be easily removable track side, that will allow air flow over the engine and out the factory bonnet vent.

Timbuktu said:

Ha what a bell in the M4! Why to people on trackdays "let you past" and then out accelerate you!

Yer - exhaust looks good!

Edited by Timbuktu on Monday 13th March 16:06

Second time that happened to me that day. Why I found it so funny.

e21Mark said:

Exhaust looks great.

I'm with you on coil pack cover. I'd definitely drill it though.

Hope to see this in the metal this year. I'm still pushing to make Brands v

That the PBMW Brands evening event ? I'd rather do a full day there as my first experance

LanceRS said:

I saw one last year with a cold air feed to the coil packs, under the cover, home made but well done, apparently it worked well. I spent a while trying to figure out what it was, had to give in and ask in the end.
The twin exhausts definitely look better too. Keep p the good work.

Yeah I've seen that with ducting too, not a fan of that either.

Have a new idea on the chop up cover plan, lot more low key than a huge hole in the middle.

Watch this space

[PBMWsam]

CombineHarvester said:

Such a nice car, lovely work, very tastefully done.

Is it a Cockapoo?

Thanks, no he's an odd mix. Jack Russell & Bichon Friesian

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Trimmed up and mounted my attempt of coilpack cooling

[PBMWsam]

Bit of a bulk update

Haven't updated this in a while

Done Rockingham this time last year on the same ex BTCC medium slicks and beat my last years personal best by 2 seconds.

trackaddict-rockingham-2017-jordanbutters-speedhunters-111 by Sam Ratcliffe, on Flickr

trackaddict-rockingham-2017-jordanbutters-speedhunters-128 by Sam Ratcliffe, on Flickr

trackaddict-rockingham-2017-jordanbutters-speedhunters-127 by Sam Ratcliffe, on Flickr

trackaddict-rockingham-2017-jordanbutters-speedhunters-125 by Sam Ratcliffe, on Flickr

trackaddict-rockingham-2017-jordanbutters-speedhunters-112 by Sam Ratcliffe, on Flickr

trackaddict-rockingham-2017-jordanbutters-speedhunters-90 by Sam Ratcliffe, on Flickr

Video from my point of view, can clearly see me holding back through the banked turn 1, as in all honestly the corner with the wall scares the crap out of me.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4roj0meYcI

From my friend Oil M3 (super quick driver with aero)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAB1wuyOfCw

















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Managed to get hold of another old school Recaro SPA to replace my passenger one I was borrowing

Can't beat a bit of carbon kevlar.

Also brought some SW motorsport (M3cup) seat mounts as wasn't happy with the amount of spacing I needed to run with the long ally ones I had



Thought it was finally time to sort/snip the wiring out that I'd just stuffed up under the day. Removed a total of 1.5kg

Also binned off the front carpets again. Made up a flat plate and clipped a "tailored" mat down to it, installed an cluch rest/dead pedal last night too.



Another reason for the slow progress is I brought and have been tinkering around with a new daily. With only having the M3 and a works van I just needed a normal-ish car for myself & the dog.



M3 is booked into J-Tech Automotive from racing shells and ARP bolts to be fitted then I'll be taking it down to Hack Engineering to do some run in millage and fit some Samco coolant pipes along with a flush and replace.

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As the engine is now on 120k I felt I was on borrowed time with the factory bottom end shells. I'd ordered racing shells and ARP bolts through Hack Engineering. Wasn't a job that I wanted to tackle as a first timer nor on my back in front of the garage.
Contacted a few Specialist & BMW Specialist who were all going to get back to me but never did so that wasted a few weeks, finally I got onto J-Tech Automotive as I never knew they were only 20 odd miles from me, They had carried out many other shells replacements and if their 46 race car is anything to go by knew my car was in good hands.



Got some new front wishbones to go on at the same time



I was expecting my shells to be in pretty bad condition but they really weren't that bad, Jamie put it down to regular oil servings, changed mine after around 3 track days.



Next up I brought some GeoffSteel carbon door cards



Then annoyingly the front adjusters on my Nitrons seized up had only been fully serviced and revalved in January. So I took them off and back to Nitron bright and early for them to be fixed then and there, back home to refit to the car and then back up to Spired for another Geo, well that was the plan anyway till this happened.



Luckily I'd got given myself a few spare hours before I needed to be at Spires, took the shock back off and stripped it down, took the top mount round to see Absolute Customs Bucks and he cut out the bad stud and welded another on in.

After all the rushing around I even made it to Spires early. Have to say though AR'1 tyres are not ideal on the motorway in the rain.

Beginning of the year I'd brought some Samco coolant pipes but have only just got round to fitting them. At first thought I was being a bit stupid but these four clips on the hoses to plastic connectors have no way be being undone, there solid the whole way round, have to get the grinder out.



Took this opportunity to do a full coolant flush and also removed the engine coolant plug, was surprised how much came out.



Lastly I fitted some new 3" Schroth harnesses as wasn't feeling the the 3 to 2" hans ones. And lastly I used some of my friends vinyl wrap to cover my door bars where they have been taking the brunt.

After a wash went out for a little drive as still bedding in the new shells.















Have Snetterton on the 8th June & Goodwood booked for the 17th June which really looking forward to.

[PBMWsam]

e21Mark said:

Looks great, as ever.

I've always like the quality of the Geoff Steel bits. Have you considered a carbon air box swap?

Would love a carbon but don't think I'd actually be able to hear it now with solid bushings, an I'd rather put my money into a track diff.

Although the first track day I ever done all the other M3's has a carbon box of some kind and drivers with more experience, yet I was quicker than them all. Ever since then I've overlooked the boxes.

Altrezia said:

Looks fantastic in that last set of photos. Oof. Do want

Thanks