My E36 328 Track Toy Build
Discussion
Good work. Make sure to cover the sunroof hole from the inside as well if you want an M.O.T. I was told that welding sunroof holes constitues a permanent change to the cars chassis and therefore would need an SVA/IVA assessment. Any hole bigger than 10mm can not be welded and you're not allowed to use filler on the roof. 
Just had to Tiger Seal and pop rivet the roof of my Cinquecento.
Just had to Tiger Seal and pop rivet the roof of my Cinquecento.
Really happy about the work done today, have to say a big thank you to my friend Rob who really did his magic on the roof today.
after the poor state i was left with after getting the car back Rob has really made this look great. He did say under ideal conditions he would of just ripped it out and started again but as we had to make do i think the outcome is fantastic!
Rob is a body repair guy but he gave it his best at painting the roof with rattle cans, its not great but its certainly alot better than i would of managed and after some buffing i think it will look perfectly acceptable for a track car..
A few pics of the work
Still waiting for the brackets to fit the calipers, apparently the first set went missing and a replacement set have been sent which i now have the tracking information for but they are currently in Chicargo
after the poor state i was left with after getting the car back Rob has really made this look great. He did say under ideal conditions he would of just ripped it out and started again but as we had to make do i think the outcome is fantastic!
Rob is a body repair guy but he gave it his best at painting the roof with rattle cans, its not great but its certainly alot better than i would of managed and after some buffing i think it will look perfectly acceptable for a track car..
A few pics of the work
Still waiting for the brackets to fit the calipers, apparently the first set went missing and a replacement set have been sent which i now have the tracking information for but they are currently in Chicargo
Edited by bulldog5046 on Saturday 23 July 23:04
Liquid Knight said:
Having Tiger Sealed anf popriveted my roof I found out the M.O.T guy was full of crap and I have a pish poor looking a car as a result. 
Some (of the spare) Tiger Seal went into his door locks last night accidently. He'll have fun Monday morning eh?
While thats bad news for you its something i'm glad to hear! you had me concerned about MOT time, although if worse comes to worst i guess it could just be hidden with ductape, like rust! lolSome (of the spare) Tiger Seal went into his door locks last night accidently. He'll have fun Monday morning eh?
TrackTalentUK said:
Have you ever thought about entering it in a series like the Trackday Trophy?
I'd not heard of this before, i just had a look at it and it looks very interesting! thanks for bringing it to my attention I've polished the roof and got the streaks out of it and started trying to figure out how to fit the mass of stickers i have lying around now.
Here are a couple of pics
I've been a little slack this week and not had the energy after getting home from work to do much, the only thing i have managed was to sticker up the bonnet which i think looks great, really starting to look like a race car 
Yesterday i paid Parcelforce a visit to pay some import charges and FINALLY! have the brackets..
They are beautifly machined peices of metal, really happy with them.
Not wanting to waste any time as i'm intending to goto Castle Combe on Tuesday to give the car its first run, i set about getting everything fitted.
And the final product looks something like this!
Snapped these after going through the bedding in proceedure, they are even better than when i used them on my Marea from what i remember.
On the final bedding in run (110 - 50 hard) i thought i was braking hard but the car wasnt squirming atall so pressed harder and the speedo fell like the ignition had gone off, fell so fast i forgot i nearly missed coming off them at 50
After sorting the brakes and letting them cool i pulled over and took the above pics, setting off it seemed like i good oppertunity to test launching the car as i'd not had a chance before. Launching at 4k RPM the car squeeled a little but then bogged down, at 5k RPM the clutch slipped so it looks like i might have another expensive upgrade on the cards if i was to start competing with it.
Todays plan after the GP is to set about getting more sticker work done so i'll update later with any progress.
Yesterday i paid Parcelforce a visit to pay some import charges and FINALLY! have the brackets..
They are beautifly machined peices of metal, really happy with them.
Not wanting to waste any time as i'm intending to goto Castle Combe on Tuesday to give the car its first run, i set about getting everything fitted.
And the final product looks something like this!
Snapped these after going through the bedding in proceedure, they are even better than when i used them on my Marea from what i remember.
On the final bedding in run (110 - 50 hard) i thought i was braking hard but the car wasnt squirming atall so pressed harder and the speedo fell like the ignition had gone off, fell so fast i forgot i nearly missed coming off them at 50
After sorting the brakes and letting them cool i pulled over and took the above pics, setting off it seemed like i good oppertunity to test launching the car as i'd not had a chance before. Launching at 4k RPM the car squeeled a little but then bogged down, at 5k RPM the clutch slipped so it looks like i might have another expensive upgrade on the cards if i was to start competing with it.
Todays plan after the GP is to set about getting more sticker work done so i'll update later with any progress.
richtea78 said:
Could you not have just had a big piece of vinyl made up for the roof, covering the dodgy paint up? Would seem neater than painting it?
The thought did cross my mind after i'd started applying the stickers.The paintwork looks okay on the roof after being rubbed down, i dont think it will be noticable unless specifically looking for it.
If i decide its too poor in the future i may well vinyl it
benny.c said:
Looking good. It took us a while to do our chequered pattern too.
Thanks Benny I wanted to ask, how are you finding the temp inside your car while driving?
I've been trying to drive it with the windows closed and i'm realising its very hot inside, not helped by the amount of heat coming up from the gearbox!
Does your window duct system keep the car cool enough to be comfortable?
I've left the heater matrix in for the moment so i can get some air inside the car while on track but would like to ditch it in favour of a better cooling method.
Edited by bulldog5046 on Monday 1st August 10:44
Love the look and idea. I always wanted to do a similar thing with a Mondeo saloon.
Shame about the roof. I've generally heard nothing but praise about Hux's work. One valuable piece of advice I was given by my father was 'dont go near that bloody roof with a welder', hence my 205 ended up like so:
The panel weighed 2kgs, sealed it in with bathroom sealant (yeh I know, but it works!), no rust etc.
Shame about the roof. I've generally heard nothing but praise about Hux's work. One valuable piece of advice I was given by my father was 'dont go near that bloody roof with a welder', hence my 205 ended up like so:
The panel weighed 2kgs, sealed it in with bathroom sealant (yeh I know, but it works!), no rust etc.
Adam205 said:
Love the look and idea. I always wanted to do a similar thing with a Mondeo saloon.
Shame about the roof. I've generally heard nothing but praise about Hux's work. One valuable piece of advice I was given by my father was 'dont go near that bloody roof with a welder', hence my 205 ended up like so:
The panel weighed 2kgs, sealed it in with bathroom sealant (yeh I know, but it works!), no rust etc.
I think alot of people advise against welding the roof as if your not careful it can distort from the heat.Shame about the roof. I've generally heard nothing but praise about Hux's work. One valuable piece of advice I was given by my father was 'dont go near that bloody roof with a welder', hence my 205 ended up like so:
The panel weighed 2kgs, sealed it in with bathroom sealant (yeh I know, but it works!), no rust etc.
personally, i just wouldnt of welded it from the top, and so far everyone who has seen it has made the same comments. A shame but i'm passed it now and time to worry about more interesting things
bulldog5046 said:
Thanks Benny
I wanted to ask, how are you finding the temp inside your car while driving?
I've been trying to drive it with the windows closed and i'm realising its very hot inside, not helped by the amount of heat coming up from the gearbox!
Does your window duct system keep the car cool enough to be comfortable?
I've left the heater matrix in for the moment so i can get some air inside the car while on track but would like to ditch it in favour of a better cooling method.
The inside temp isn't that bad but then it's only used on trackdays for 25mins at a time. You do get hot sat in the paddock waiting to go out but then you can open the door anyway. As you say, you do get a fair amount of heat coming off the trans tunnel!I wanted to ask, how are you finding the temp inside your car while driving?
I've been trying to drive it with the windows closed and i'm realising its very hot inside, not helped by the amount of heat coming up from the gearbox!
Does your window duct system keep the car cool enough to be comfortable?
I've left the heater matrix in for the moment so i can get some air inside the car while on track but would like to ditch it in favour of a better cooling method.
Our cooling ducts do a decent job of de-misting too, but if you are going to use the car on the road at all or do long stints on trackdays then I'd think about leaving the heater matrix in.
Finally finished uploading the videos from Tuesday at Castle Combe, unfortunately i only managed to record 3 sessions before i ran out of recording space on my phone but i think i got the important bits
If you have a short attention span, this ones for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxO6rrZtfmk
If your are interested in seeing more then here are the full sessions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mizB-ucNFEI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF7eR6Y5bmQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4tTFrl5FWk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qsnP-FWfEM
The last video features some good footage of chasing an Integra, unfortunately i just didnt have enough power to pass on the straights.
If you have a short attention span, this ones for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxO6rrZtfmk
If your are interested in seeing more then here are the full sessions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mizB-ucNFEI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF7eR6Y5bmQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4tTFrl5FWk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qsnP-FWfEM
The last video features some good footage of chasing an Integra, unfortunately i just didnt have enough power to pass on the straights.
Should of really given a good review of driving the car above shouldnt i!
For a first run i'm pretty impressed, after the first session i was a little concerned after discovering how much of a battle between understeer and oversteer the car was to drive but it soon dawned on me that equal amounts of both are surely a good indication that the car is setup & balanced well?
I've wanted a ragged on the edge car for awhile and i think the 328 is very close. Although my gut feeling is that it lacks overall power and the gearing is too tall. Bearing in mind Castle Combe is a fast circuit i would expect alot of cars to feel a little lost there and certainly underpowered unless you have 250+ bhp to play with.
Under braking the car performed fantasticlly, i couldnt of asked for more and i'm very happy with my upgrade path i took. I was braking much later than i ever have previously and it felt like i was just giving the brakes a dab before flicking the car into a corner.
The suspension seems to be fantastic aswell, corner grip is plentiful and from the video's you can see this even if i did get it sideways a few times, it was from me pushing too hard and barely braking before corners.
so, what will i change?
after giving it a good thrashing its not really changed my mind about my plans for it, i still intend to fit US M3 Cams, remove the mechanical fan and fit the lower ratio M3 diff and a good fuel map. I dont feel it needs the LSD so much but as i want the ratio it should be a welcomed upgrade.
My target BHP is 240, which i hope combined with the lower ratio diff will make the car feel alot more lively from the exits, i just hope it doesnt kerb the top speed too much.
In addition, i still have Poly carb windows to fit and powerflex bushes, i'm hoping to find a few more places to lose weight from aswell.
The Maxsport RB5 tyres i chose are pretty heavily worn after 4 sessions, i'm going to use them on a trackday in sept at Combe and see how long they last, i think they may only make the morning though. Used BTCC slicks are my next intention.
Any input on other considerations would be appreciated
For a first run i'm pretty impressed, after the first session i was a little concerned after discovering how much of a battle between understeer and oversteer the car was to drive but it soon dawned on me that equal amounts of both are surely a good indication that the car is setup & balanced well?
I've wanted a ragged on the edge car for awhile and i think the 328 is very close. Although my gut feeling is that it lacks overall power and the gearing is too tall. Bearing in mind Castle Combe is a fast circuit i would expect alot of cars to feel a little lost there and certainly underpowered unless you have 250+ bhp to play with.
Under braking the car performed fantasticlly, i couldnt of asked for more and i'm very happy with my upgrade path i took. I was braking much later than i ever have previously and it felt like i was just giving the brakes a dab before flicking the car into a corner.
The suspension seems to be fantastic aswell, corner grip is plentiful and from the video's you can see this even if i did get it sideways a few times, it was from me pushing too hard and barely braking before corners.
so, what will i change?
after giving it a good thrashing its not really changed my mind about my plans for it, i still intend to fit US M3 Cams, remove the mechanical fan and fit the lower ratio M3 diff and a good fuel map. I dont feel it needs the LSD so much but as i want the ratio it should be a welcomed upgrade.
My target BHP is 240, which i hope combined with the lower ratio diff will make the car feel alot more lively from the exits, i just hope it doesnt kerb the top speed too much.
In addition, i still have Poly carb windows to fit and powerflex bushes, i'm hoping to find a few more places to lose weight from aswell.
The Maxsport RB5 tyres i chose are pretty heavily worn after 4 sessions, i'm going to use them on a trackday in sept at Combe and see how long they last, i think they may only make the morning though. Used BTCC slicks are my next intention.
Any input on other considerations would be appreciated
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