Can a FAST/Fun/Affordable E36 track car be built?

The car will not be targeted towards any race class...but it may fit into something...who knows.

Main Goals.....RECYCLE as much BMW OE and Aftermarket goodies I can from my own garage, others on Bimmerforums, Sponsors on Bimmerforums, friends....family....whomever/whatever it takes to make this car on a self imposed LIMITED BUDGET!!!.

What is the budget?...and at what stage is the car considered complete you might ask....well....today..the budget is $12k total....with an August 8, 2008 (my b-day) target for build, evolution, refinement...and completion.

Craigslist....what a cool place to shop for underappreciated BMW's.

A 1996 328I with 172k miles, and a dent or scrape on almost every body panel!!! The car runs, but needs some major TLC. CarFax...Who Cares??...Compression/Leakdown..I don't know.....but the inspection of the unibody/framerails etc is GOOD. The car has some leaks (who knows what/from where - I pray the car doesn't grenade on me :confused)

How much?...after negotiation....$2500 (sounds like a good deal today...let's see what I say on 08/08/2008)

So the car will be a "TrackBeater"...maybe that means fast...maybe that means ugly..maybe cheap...who knows....but it just sticks for now:evil2

Car will initially be a Drive to/from HPDE's (Instructor only...no trailering...well..at least for now:))

Baseline: Might as well see what this thing can do...so I took it over to some fellow racer buddies of mine at BRE Motorsports spin it on the dyno...I dunno...it didn't blow up (some oil smell though..hmm.)....so all is good...so far..:cool.....Car is 100% Stock...Dyno numbers look stock?

Comments, suggestions, critique etc...as always...WELCOME!!.....and ohh yeah...Donations are welcome!!

Initial Cost: $2,500 .00
Total Investment as of 06/23/08: $8,055.00

Some more pics....

Engine Bay - It all seems there...missing windshield wipers...minor seeping/leaks around valve cover, radiator expansion tank...also has plastic thermostat housing...more on the fix list....

Interior - Actually quite nice power/heated seats, rear "ski pass thru", and even comes with Speeding Tickets...hmmm....anyone in the market?....for Interior of course...not tickets...

Exterior - Like I said...dents everywhere...this is a sampling...mysterious footprint there as well....sheesh.

This will be fun!

sounds like a fun project. i documented my "budget" racecar in the link in my sig. $10k will be tough depending on what you intend on putting on the car.

Your build/thread is AWESOME...hoping that mine might be fun/useful for some as well.

sounds like a fun project. i documented my "budget" racecar in the link in my sig. $10k will be tough depending on what you intend on putting on the car.

subscribed:)

So, are you keeping the other 'projects' going or cleaning them out?

This is awesome! If you are patient, and do the work yourself, you will go along way with that budget.

I don't know how many creature comforts you want, but if it was my track beater, i would start with lightness and strip the crap out of it.

Make sure the motor is sound and the hoses/belts are good.

Then look on here for some take off suspension, do the welding of the sway bar tabs when the suspension is off.

Watch for a 3.46 or 3.64 diff - sell the old one.

Watch for someone selling cheap wheels, or just run what's on it for a while.

You should have a blast!

your hp and torque numbers are way down for a 328 e36. but again if those are stock numbers you may be golden. CAI and catback will boost those numbers.

i pulled better numbers with above mentioned mods, and unfortunately i have done so much crapolla as i can't remember any longer what my baseline was.

rust never sleeps.

Been there done that. My car started as a $1250 92 325is. It was a gutted theft recovery. Got an interior for $600. Put on some TCK Double adjustables, Conforti Intake/Chip, brake pads, went to the track!

Then had to do Clutch, got good deal on lightly used Lightweight flywheel and clutch.
Took car to Track.

Then had to do Rear brakes and front wheel bearings. Took Car to Track!

Then had to do Rear wheel bearings.
Took car to track about 5 more times that first year with no other major issues, put about 2000 track miles or MORE on it that year. Total budget the first year was probably $8000, including a set of wheel and tires, which my codriver bought.

Since then mine has become a full prepped JP car and I probably have nearly $25K into it.

One thing I would recommend, is you currently say it will just be a School car, but if you have any plans to race or anything else, plan them now! Why, so you only have to do things Once. IE suspension, my TCK Double Adjustable went on day one, it will be a very useable JP suspension. Same thing for bearings/bushings, etc. As you do them think of what may be legal for a potential class you may want to run in the future, even if it's 3 years out, as mine was.

What, another car? You're kidding right? :D Anyway, with your target date and the work schedule I know you have, you might have it up on jackstands with the wheels off by then. :evil2 That is if you can fit it in the garage with all the other stuff you...um....collect.

You could have my car(w/o turbo of course) for the budget you specify if you source some of the stuff used and do the work yourself.

My buddy and myself are doing the same thing. I just picked up '94 325i 190k miles for about the same price. My goal is similar to yours...aiming to have the car track ready, for DEs in Feb/March, eventually having the car fully track built late in the season. Its amazing how quickly small things add up...we'll see if I can keep the budget under $10k as planned.

you may need to keep some of those BBS wheels now ;) buying used parts definitely goes a long way in keeping your budget low. i buy used stuff here all the time. good luck and i'll keep checking in

Nitin;

We have another thing in common. Although I am gearing my build to Spec E36. G/L and keep the photos coming.

Kelly

Don't laugh....but within 24 hours I have made some adjustments to my budget/project.

Decision #1 - Everything in MY garage has a value..and won't be free to the project....so...a value will be added to the project cost.

Decision #2 - All upgrades & maintenance will be done with a "one time only" thought in mind. All hoses, radiator, control arms, camber arms, bushings/mounts etc..will be replaced....safety/potential for breakdown in mind.

Decision #3 - I'm adding $2k to the budget...so...I'm exceeding original forcast by 20% already....$12k New Total. (I have a spreadsheet that I'm doing estimations on...ohh what fun)

Goodies - I've decided to use some acquisitions (All found used)...OMP Big seat with VAC Mounts, Corbeau FX-1 Passenger Seat, and Momo Wheel with E36 Hub. (I've got so much more stuff....just trying to figure out what things I should allocate to this project/take off other cars etc..etc..)

Progression of Updates/Work- Unlike some of the build threads I've seen, I will probably accumulate more stuff...and more stuff..and more stuff...then work on the car (lazy I am..or maybe last minute is my style....i dunno)

Ohh yeah..more pics below and on posting #2.

Good luck getting that OMP big in the car!

This should be a fun project! I will definitely be watching this as you get everything finished!

cool project

Good luck getting that OMP big in the car!

it will fit. one way or another it will fit. haha. this is a great project. dude you really ought to post up how much crap you already had laying in your garage so everyone undertands how far that 12 grand will actually go.

Nice pic of my boot print. haha.

Bimmerforums Sponsor - JBracer just brought some goodies over...

M3 Front Brakes - Complete
M3 Rear Trailing Arms/Brakes/Subframe/Axles - Complete
M3 Front Subframe
Some used Pre-Cat 02 Sensors (Peake reader told me I have a bad one)

Excellent deal - and HOME DELIVERY!!!!

Pretty jealous. :)

Subscribed.

no need to worry about fitting the XL seat if you go on a diet, and NOT a see food and eat diet. help with the weight of the car too. BTW: what are you going to do with the Hog bike, the Benz slk230, the 96 m3 silverbullet, Ford truck....... what else do you have? I am trying to sell some of my project, too many cars already.

no need to worry about fitting the XL seat if you go on a diet, and NOT a see food and eat diet. help with the weight of the car too. BTW: what are you going to do with the Hog bike, the Benz slk230, the 96 m3 silverbullet, Ford truck....... what else do you have? I am trying to sell some of my project, too many cars already.

burn :D

I'm working an angle to get a free E30 325 to make a track car out of...My budget will be way south of 12k, but includes a turbo.. :stickoutt

Looks like a fun project!

wow this is great. i cant believe you've got another project on your hands, but then again i completely understand. cant wait to see the finnished product.

subscribed :)

It is normal for the hp to drop off at 5600-5700 RPM on this motor? I think an S52 pull up to 6500, but I don't know about the 2.8L motor.

looks good. subscribed

S14Realm3 - I hear ya Chinaman....are you the Pot..or the Kettle?

Dejablu311 - Burn indeed...midsection in need of work.

Specter325 - You know I have a sickness...what to do?

325Racer - The class it will fit into if it gets a full cage...is NASA GTS...see there.....NO LIMITS!!..Woo Hoo.

JMitro - I dunno..I might charge myself too much for the wheels...:)

Evergreen Dan - I dunno...I was curious about that drop off....I haven't seen others plotted the same, but then again most everyone else has a separate graph for torque, and separate for HP......but still doesn't explain the drop off..hmmm..

GGray - Start a thread..I'd like to see that..but free..doesn't solve the budget problem..you'll see...it adds up..and up..and up...this is the like...10th+ car I have done over the years...or maybe more.....but the first time I'm doing a true budget map..let's see.

It is normal for the hp to drop off at 5600-5700 RPM on this motor? I think an S52 pull up to 6500, but I don't know about the 2.8L motor.

Haha my E36 has a big dent (a friend of mine backed into my while my car was parked) and to be cheeky my shoe was dirty so I left a foot print right in the middle of the dent. A couple people asked me how I managed to kick the paint off of my car! :D (this was back in my junior year of high school)

If only my E36 wasn't a 318 I'd love to turn it into a track car (oh and if I had any money too)

One thing I would recommend, is you currently say it will just be a School car, but if you have any plans to race or anything else, plan them now! Why, so you only have to do things Once. ...As you do them think of what may be legal for a potential class you may want to run in the future, even if it's 3 years out, as mine was.
+1 to this. Smart to plan ahead, even if you never "end up" club racing... know the classes that are popular in your region (NASA? SCCA? BMWCCA?), or that look to be growing (SpecE36?) that your car might fall right into with minimal effort....

Should be fun to watch. :cool

i saw this car at the dyno, didnt realize it was going to be a track car lol, was nice to meet you

pretty normal for HP to drop off like that....though that dyno makes it seem a bit extreme....

the M50 manifold will def make the top end scream A LOT more.

a CAI, and catback will def make the top end more linear as well.

Not much...i'm buying, buying, buying...more stuff for the build.

M50 is on the list, but i'm looking for a Fully Detailed DIY of how to build my own kit on the cheap.

More updates..soon?...I hope...

pretty normal for HP to drop off like that....though that dyno makes it seem a bit extreme....

the M50 manifold will def make the top end scream A LOT more.

a CAI, and catback will def make the top end more linear as well.

Not much...i'm buying, buying, buying...more stuff for the build.

M50 is on the list, but i'm looking for a Fully Detailed DIY of how to build my own kit on the cheap.

More updates..soon?...I hope...

What do you want to Build DIY..Intake or the manifold adapter? Youc an actually delete some stuff to make it easier. I have made my own Low level Dinan Style CAI it was easy to build. Pulls air from outside the engine compartment.

I just inherited my wifes 94 325i four door so I will be working on it for my daily driver/track car...Have to sell the turbo M3 no back seat for baby hauling:D

Not much...i'm buying, buying, buying...more stuff for the build.

M50 is on the list, but i'm looking for a Fully Detailed DIY of how to build my own kit on the cheap.

More updates..soon?...I hope...

I'm no expert, but that top-end hp drop-off doesn't look right to me. It certainly isn't what the spec curve on an S52 looks like, nor what my S52 feels like.

I'd think you'd want to compare it to a spec plot and, if it is substantially off, figure out what is wrong before you start modding. I would think you'd have a hard time evaluating your mods if you start with something broken.

RE: the dyno plot...

Was the car on 91, 92, 93 , 94 pump octane fuel?

Mike

I think you could really benefit from a 3.38 lsd.....:)

Fuel - 89 octane

Fixing what's wrong - yeah...gotta figure that out and re-dyno

Gearing - I've got some ideas......ohh you have one for sale...heheh..this is a BUDGET Project..if there is such a thing.

DIY - Lots of stuff...but CAI and M50 Conversion are on the list.

dude i might need to borrow my old rearend. i have something fun up my sleeve. Get on that M50 conversion so you can get it back up here for the dyno day. If you need some motivation to get off the couch just tell me. I will head over there to put boot in ass. :D

seriously though. We might have some scrap laying around if you want to bring that thing over to fab up a CAI.

After a liberal engine cleaning in the driveway...the car made it into the garage and up on stands.

Interesting findings:

5mm Universal Wheel spacer on Passenger side, but missing on Driver side....no symmetry here eh?
17 x 8.5 Wheels all around...ugly/curbed...but appear straight.
Oil leaks...I think it's a trail from the rear of the valve cover..and midpoint of the valve cover (passenger side)
both Rear Springs have bottom coils BROKEN and just laying in the perch.
No rust on car at all :cool, but crazy rust on rear subframe..good thing i'm replacing it.
Guibo looks very new
All belts, hoses etc...have major cracking (to be expected)Until next time....

You needed something else to keep you busy!

Subscribed, looks like fun.

Ya know I got this very inexpensive CAI that I made for my car that is suddenly available. :devillook

Well....work, football games, trip to the mountains....blah.blah....all things that take away from TrackBeater Progress...:(

....but here's a pic of it....so much to do....maybe this weekend will see some wrenching..

Ohh yeah....who can tell me what piece of machinery is in the reflection of the rear quarter panel?....don't let the key mark scratch throw you off.

M3BS - wait a minute...don't you have an evolution of your car happening right now?.heheh

Ryan (Specter325) - Gimme a buzz re:CAI.......got the Turbo going I see :cool

FYI, the curve of you dyno doesn't look right to me. Here's a 2.8 w/ afe intake, m50 plenum, M3 cams, ebay headers, straight 3" exhaust, and Bimmerworld software:

http://fmjmotorsports.com/328is/5-21-07%20328%20dynostdcorr.JPG

Note that my torque drops a little after 5k (some due to the m50 mani) but my HP continues to climb. A stock motor wont be exactly the same, and certainly not make the same numbers, but should have the same overall shape.

Gearing-wise, 3.73 would probably be perfect. I run a 3.91 and it makes me shift a lot. Car is quick though. ;-)

Knock, knock. Any progress? ;)

txse46M3 - Nice dyno plot. I think the root of all evil is my car is just plain stock....could be something else....but my research on stock cars...shows quite a drop on others. We'll see what happens when i do the "mondo" changes......

kristap - let's see....yes....no....

Yes - I continue to buy stuff...spend more money....and buy more stuff

No - I'm still in this "lazy" mode...didn't get to instruct last weekend due to "last minute" planning...so I drove in the company Minivan to watch you and others on track....that sucked :(


More goodies "in-house" for the TrackBeater now:

3:46:1 LSD - Yeah....this is just the "right" amount of gear I think.....
Diff Cover with AKG Diff Mounts
M50 Manifold (on the hunt for conversion parts)
Got my VAC Inner Seat Mount milled/modified for closer seat to tunnell
Bilstein Group N Shocks/Struts - Yowsa...
SPC Rear Camber Arms
New Control Arms
AKG Offset Control Arm Bushings
Turner Reinforcement Kits (Rear Swaybars, Front Subframe)
New Radiator & Hoses
New Serpentine Belt
S50 Oil Canister with Maurer Conversion Adaptor
Left Rear Door
Right Front Door
Trunk
Wiper Arms (yeah...they were missing on my car)
M3 Front Bumper CoverMore stuff coming, more to order......dang it...I need to get the calculator out so I can update my running total.....hmm...how off track am I now?..

Garage is getting full...somebody buy some stuff.....heheh

Knock, knock. Any progress? ;)

nice curves!

I need an update on the Track beater, Nitin. Is life getting in the way?

Pics of the Bilstein Group N dampers or ban!

Going slow...slow....so slow...a buddy of mine Ryan (Specter325) is now doing a bit of labor on my car......travel for work once again kicking my butt..

....but...I always seem to find a way to spend money on car stuff while I travel....:help

I sold the Interior (Seats and Door Panels) for a cool $450....awesome eh? - so the interior is semi-stripped.

The trans is out thanks to Ryan.

What's next...I dunno.....thinking of making the car a bit more streetable and not use the Group N's....Gas Prices going up....has me thinking this will not be a trailer queen....probably get driven to/from the track.....here's a pic or two to satisfy the eye....

This truly is the definition of "PROJECT"....timeline...i dunno....don't know if it's gonna happen :(

Subscribed.

Nitin....You're nuts!