SCZ4's Dakar Yellow M3 Evo Track Car

[scz4]

Thought it’s about time I started a journal, especially when I find others so useful. I’ve had the M3 now for almost a year. It was a road car for the first 6 months, but now dedicated for track use and the odd road blast. I’ve just recently completed a suspension upgrade\overhaul. All detailed below.

Basic spec:
1998 3.2 BMW E36 M3 Evo with 79,500 miles. Bought at 71k in April 2008. Had full BMW Service History, but now my local BMW Independent garage look after it.

Factory Spec:
Dakar Yellow Non-Metallic
Anthracite Cloth/Amaretta (was re-upholstered in leather in 2006)
Rear Spoiler*
Graduated Tinted Screen*
Electric Sliding Roof*
Front Centre Arm-Rest*
Automatic Air Conditioning*
Rear Spoiler*
Triangle+First Aid Kit
Auto-Dim Interior Mirror*
Smoker Package
Rear-Seat Head Restraints
On-Board Computer
BMW Business Rds

• indicates factory fitted option.

Suspension:
Gaz GGA Gold Coilovers (March 09) Supplied by http://www.redish-motorsport.com
Eibach F&R anti roll bars (Aug 08)
Z3 Steering Rack (March 09)
OMP Front Strut Brace (Aug 08)
Active Autowerke Rear Strut Brace (Feb 09)
BMW X-Brace Installed (Jan 09)
Powerflex Rear Trailing arm bushes (Aug 08)
Powerflex Front Wishbone Rear Bushes (March 09)
Rogue Rear Top Mounts (Aug 08)
New Modified ARB Drop Links
New Front Wishbones (March 09)
New Genuine Top Mounts (March 09) S
New Genuine Track Rod Ends (March 09)

Brakes:
Performance Friction Front Drilled Discs (Apr 09)
Pagid RS29 Front Brake Pads (Feb 10)
Pagid RS29 Rear Brake Pads (Feb 10)
Goodridge Braided Brake Hoses (Aug 08)
Braided Brake Lines and Clutch Host (Aug 08)
ATE Super Blue Racing Brake Fluid Dot 4 (March 09)
Replaced front N\S Caliper (March 09)
New\Reconditioned front O/S Caliper fitted (July 09)
New rear calipers fitted (Feb 10)

Engine\Drivetrain\Wheels:
BMW Staggered Motorsport Rims Powder Coated Satin Black (Jan 09)
Hankook RS2 track tyres (225/45/17 & 245/40/17) (Jan 09)
Dave F Induction Kit (June 08)
Braided Clutch Line (Aug 08)
BMW ZHP Short Shift weighted gear Knob (April 08)
3.64 Rear Diff Conversion (Apr 10)
Powerflex polybushed subframe (Apr 10)
Diff Mount Reinforcement Kit (Apr 10)
Evolve Remap (Apr 10)
Odyssey 25 Lightweight gel battery (March 10)
Scorpion Exhaust (May 10)

Interior\Cosmetics:
Saftey Device Rear cage with X & harness bar (Feb 10)
Cobra Imola Pro Bucket Seats (Feb 10)
Cobra Aluminium Seat Mounts (Feb 10)
TRS 6 Point Harnesses (Feb 10)
Custom Carbon door cards (Feb 10)
Stripped Interior (Feb 10)
Fire extingisher mounted to seat frame (Feb 10)
Aluminium Floor Plates (Feb 10)
Sunroof mechanism removed and welded (Feb 10)
Smoked Front Indicators (Aug 08)
Black Front Grills (Jan 09)
Genuine New Front Splitter (April 08)
Leather Door Card Retrim (Oct 08)
Carbon Wheel Centres (Jan 09)
OMP Velocita Black Suede Steering Wheel (Apr 09)
GT Front Corner Splitters (Jul 09)
Gloss Black Sun Strip added (Jul 09)
GT Rear Spoiler (Apr 10)

Small Jobs Taken Care of Since Owning:
Reactivation of Tracker security (Annual)
Air Con Service and Repair (Aug 08)
Climate Control fix (April 08)
Ignition barrel replaced (April 08)
Vanos filter and bolts Replaced at each oil change (every 3000 miles)
Replaced worn spare tyre (Aug 08)
Exhaust manifold repaired (Aug 08)
Replaced Throttle Cable (Aug 08)
Brake Switch Replaced (March 09)
New Rear quarter window Seals (May 09)

Suspension Settings as of March 09:
Front Camber – 2.75 Deg (Neg)
Front Toe – 0mm
Rear Camber – 1.5 Deg (Neg)
Rear Toe-In – 2mm
Front Rebound\Bump 12 out of 16 Clicks
Rear Rebound\Bump 22 out of 40 Clicks
ARB Soft Front & Rear
Front Top Mounts Swapped Sides


I’ve included a few pics, all in date order I think. Unfortunately I don’t have the original pictures when I bought it, just as well though, it looked terrible on 17” E46 M3 replica rims.

A month or so after I picked it up, with new wheels and other tidy up jobs complete:




Door Cards re-upholstered by Bespoke Leather


Nurburgring Sept 2008


Knockhill Nov 2008


Winter 2009/2009 Mods












Knockhill March 2009

Edited by scz4 on Wednesday 17th June 12:03

Edited by scz4 on Wednesday 17th June 12:04

Edited by scz4 on Friday 21st May 08:06

Edited by scz4 on Monday 17th January 19:43

[Ecurie Ecosse]

Fantastic! That looks like a great car with good mods and in my all time favourite BMW colour.

The interior looks lush too.

Must be fun taking it round Knockhill

[minimatt1967]

Great spec great looking car great colour!

[r1chardb]

Great choice of car and nice spec - i'm not a fan of the black kidneys though!

[xj6executive]

Excellent choice of car and great colour, far too good to turn into a track day special though

[Transmitter Man]

Nice car and one of my fave BMW colours.

I like the wheels and other mod's.

All you need now is the later V8 shoehorned under than bonnet for some real sounds

Phil

[sniff diesel]

Thought I reckonised the one on http://www.zonemotorsport.co.uk/forum/index.php from somewhere.

[scz4]

Got another track evening this Friday at Knockhill so been busy with a few mods. Pictures below

- Found a lightly used set of front Performance Fiction drilled discs, over £550 new.
- Matched them with a new set of Performance Friction Z-Rates Pads
- OMP Velocita 350mm black suede steering wheel. Fantastic mod.
- Finally got round to replaceing rear quarter windows seals, had the seals for over a year now ops: ops:
- Removed armrest and fitted normal centre console, armrest was a real pain on the track.

Next modification is fitting air cooling ducts to replace the fog lights. Have them already, just need to spray them black and fit. Can't decide whether to run a larger duct to the Dave F kit or to the brakes.

[sniff diesel]

What top mounts did you use with the Gaz coilovers?

[scz4]

I put new OEM top mounts on. But swapped them over, i.e. left ones on right hand side & vice a versa. That give around -2.5 degrees of camber, perfect for road and track use.

[rockinatmidnight]

Seen your car a couple times at knockhill! I'm usually the passenger in the red civic type-r.
You got rather sideways a lot at the last trackday
I will probably head down to knockhill, my brothers going down so it just depends if i can tag along!
If i'm there and weather is good ill remember to take a bunch of photos of your car for you

[scz4]

Yeah I remember you (Shell garage in Dundee?)

The last session in March was very very wet, I hoping it will be dryer this time and keep the car pointing straight, boring I know That said the car was impressive in the wet, it's was the 4x4 Scooby's who couldn't keep it on the track that day

Perhaps see you on Fri, would appreciate the pictures

Edited by scz4 on Sunday 26th April 22:00

[AndyBe]

Just wondering why you bothered reskinning doors in leather, and why you don't strip everything from the interior if it's a dedicated track car ?

[scz4]

AndyBe said:

Just wondering why you bothered reskinning doors in leather, and why you don't strip everything from the interior if it's a dedicated track car ?

Did that last year when I bought the car, at that point it was my daily car and it wasn't my intention to turn it into a track car back then.

As for totally stripping it, well it's not 100% dedicated to the track, I still use it on the road for the odd blasts and even for weekends away, so stripping it completely isn't ideal yet. I will however be stripping the rear seats and putting a half cage in, removing the sunroof mechanism, lighter bucket seats etc.

[daz05]

Thats awesome mate I want one!!

[Bmdub]

Nice car mate, sounds like your going along the same lines as myself.





Just brought a set of Forged M Double spoke alloys which iam getting refurbed in anthracite.

Mine is residing in Germany now for the summer so may see you at the ring if you are out there.

[sniff diesel]

Nice plate.

[gareth.e]

Awesome cars!

Bmdub said:

Nice car mate, sounds like your going along the same lines as myself.

I was just about to ask the OP if he had recently fitted a roll cage...

I saw you a few weeks back on the m25 by the dartford tunnel in rolling/slow traffic on the bridge :P

If i remember correctly.. You have no hair?

Edited by gareth.e on Wednesday 29th April 14:19

[Bmdub]

No hair ha ha that,ll be me then !!!

[wazadaza]

scz4 said:

- OMP Velocita 350mm black suede steering wheel. Fantastic mod.

I'm thinking of swapping my bus size steering wheel for the same as yours, does it come with a connector for the horn? and was it a BMW specific hub adaptor you brought?

Car looks great by the way.