I was originally not going to bother putting up a build thread. Mine isn't anything along the lines of a big turbo, newer chassis requiring special first-time fabricating or anything "special" really, aside from the fact that it's special to me. That being said... since there's a dedicated sub-forum now, what the heck!

I'll keep most of the details brief, as I plan on making a website as well, and don't want to be overly redundant...

Once I made the final decision that the car is absolutely going racing, the first step was... Ruin the perfectly good interior of a car I've taken pretty good care of for several years. Sounds fun... and somewhat depressing. ;) 180K miles sounds like the perfect time to start building a racecar!

What it looked like for several years:

http://www.bmw-m.net/Gallery/e36gallery/m3-76.jpg

What it spent a good chunk of it's pre-race life doing:

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/478-2/dsc_0028_754.jpg

What happens when decide it's time to start tearing it apart, but you can't get a seat out because the motor is broken... yet you DO have an exacto knife:

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/25305-2/DSC00483.JPG

What's really sitting under your passengers' feet:

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/26989-2/DSC00935.JPG

(shameless plug: the "snow shovels" you see pictured below, which save the contents of your trunk for entering the cabin are currently for sale here (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=875364))

I swear it used to actually look nice inside!

With rear seats removed:
http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/25284-2/DSC00474.JPG

What it looked like after a heat gun and scraper:
http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/26979-2/DSC00933.JPG

What it looked like after some Goo Gone and shop towels:
http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/26999-2/DSC00937.JPG

After all that mess above, the car was stuck in a state of limbo for several months. My wife and I were getting married, going on a honeymoon and then moving. A somewhat busy year, really. The week after our honeymoon and a couple of weeks before we moved, the wife convinced me (didn't take a whole lot of arm twisting) that it was time to drop the car off and just get it done. We took it down to Chris at BMS in Santa Ana who'd given me an AWESOME gift certificate as our wedding gift (we stopped by the CalSpeedway CCA school banquet on our way to the airport and got a cake, and the gift from Chris/BMS).

My original goal was to drive my Prepared car to the track, competitiveness be damned. Chris and I discussed and decided it would be even more of a PITA to drive to/from the track than it already was (I'm getting old and grumpy), so we were going with a real build. That meant I needed to find something to tow with...

That day we dropped the car off, the wife and I followed up with an internet quote we got on a big ole crewmax. Next thing you know, the M3/4 I had just picked up as a d/d only a month or two earlier was traded in and we were driving off in a big, blue (estoril... ha!) behemoth. This is all two weeks after our wedding, mind you. Nutty kids!

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/36749-1/PA201121.jpg

My next visit to see the car was about a week or two after dropping it off. I had to pick all the crap up that was in it and start selling (plenty for sale still, btw... just ask!). ;)

There seems to be a lot of wires in these things...

http://www.x-rep.com/images/NoInterior.jpg

The first time seeing the car with nothing in it other than wires (above) was actually somewhat depressing. I missed my nice car. I knew there was a greater purpose, however. :stickoutt

The next time I saw the car was when that depression quickly turned around. Them there is some bars in that car... Rear half of the cage is in


http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35848-1/PC011416.jpg

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35850-1/PC011417.jpg

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35852-1/PC011418.jpg

and a rather nice block off plate.

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35854-1/PC011421.jpg

More fun times! The full cage is now in the car... now for everything else. OY!

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35880-2/jlcagepics_004.jpg

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35882-2/jlcagepics_005.jpg

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35896-2/jlcagepics_012.jpg

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35884-2/jlcagepics_006.jpg

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35890-2/jlcagepics_009.jpg

http://scts.323ci.net/gallery/d/35892-2/jlcagepics_010.jpg

is the cage done? ie is it too late to make changes?

is the cage done? ie is it too late to make changes?

I don't like the sound of that question. :) Yeah, the cage is done and I don't sense any changes coming soon.

Speaking of done... Here it is with a bit of primer

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/PC291478.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/PC291479.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/PC291488.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/PC291490.jpg

And now a little paint and a couple of things starting to go back in... it's almost starting to look like a real car now!

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121512.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121513.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121514.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121515.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121523.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121524.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121527.jpg

http://www.jonathanlawson.com/images/driver/P1121533.jpg

Jonathan-

Build is going great!!! I'm kind of envious of you having someone else doing it, lol!!! Also, just a little sad as now there will be yet another car pulling away from me very quickly, sigh....

Good stuff!!

-Chuck

I'm kind of envious of you having someone else doing it, lol!!!

ha! Well, I got as much done as I could where we were living (apartment with shared underground garage). Now that we've moved into a house, I've got a garage to work on the car, but no car to play with yet. Couple more weeks!

Is your motor all back together yet, or will it be in time for the start of the season?

I'm going to take the old out this weekend...did the oil pump nut and pan gasket on the new, so she's ready to go...Yes, I'll at least be ready for Laguna.......

Good Luck and keep us up to date on the progress!!

-Chuck

Rear uprights are finished, but not attched yet. This is the front splitter attached:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/P1261539.jpg

Kill switch:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/P1261545.jpg

Hard to believe, but it should be ready next weekend for pickup and the first round of testing. Not "finished," but at least ready to satisfy my need to get some time in the car:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/P1261542.jpg

Now it's really starting to get close!

Uprights, wing and exhaust are on:
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1493.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1494.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1496.JPG

Some safety stuff is in now:
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1497.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1502.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1503.JPG

Splitter is on and brakes are about ready to go on:
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1506.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1507.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1508.JPG

Ready for the radiator to go in:
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1511.JPG

Deciding where the BMS decals will go (Chris at BMS is going WAY above and beyond to put this thing together):
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1514.JPG

Just a nice view of the wing element, end plates and uprights:
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1516.JPG

Nice clean build, thanks for sharing!

Chris

Clean!!

Who's wing is that?

Nice clean build, thanks for sharing!

Chris

Clean!!

Thanks guys!

Who's wing is that?

The splitter and wing setup is all done in-house at BMS (BMSracecars.com or 714-429-0257). I believe they do some nice dive planes as well.

Looks like a Selig s1223 airfoil. Do you know if they have data on it? How much downforce it provides?

Your car looks awesome, especially the wing and splitter!

Jonathan, looks great! Chris and Herm did a great job on those rear wing uprights, as usual.

Thanks for sharing. Lookin good!

Looks like a Selig s1223 airfoil. Do you know if they have data on it? How much downforce it provides?

I know they've had great results with similar setups, but I don't have any personal data on it. You can call them up or send an email through the website (on the "About BMS" page). I know the uprights and end plates were all fabricated in-house. I'm not 100% certain on the element portion, but I believe it was probably outsourced.

Jonathan, looks great! Chris and Herm did a great job on those rear wing uprights, as usual.

Thanks! Yeah, they do some great fab work. I almost wanted copies of the uprights to use at home to make something to hold wedding pictures on. LOL! They're nice!

Headers and exhaust have been on the car for a couple of weeks, but today was the first chance I've had to get some pics from under the car in a while.

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231635.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231618.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231619.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231620.jpg

Radiator, brackets and associated plumbing are about complete:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231634.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231638.jpg

BMS Water temperature boss and oil filter lid with associated fittings... VERY Nice!

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231640.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231641.jpg

Some more cleaning up to do, but the interior's coming together. I made the mistake of not taking the rear window tint off before the cage went in. That was a good chunk of my day today, but I got to inhale a lot of solvents, so it wasn't a total loss. :stickoutt

We got the quick release hub on today, got the seats and belts fitted and all nets are ready to go. Now I'll actually know what fluid temps and pressures are, and won't have to just wait for a needle to move before it's too late. :stickoutt I love the gauge cluster layout. New battery is in as well.

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231629.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231645.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231648.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231644.jpg

Hood pins are in and the bulk of the decals went on today. Just a basic layout for now to get everything on the car. Possibly some minor color highlights to come, but for now we just want to get it done and get some seat time in. It's just a few days from completion, and all that's left are the front brakes, finishing the OBD1 conversion, plumbing the fire system and a few other little things I'm probably not thinking of. The guys at BMS have done a phenomenal job and the car's looking great... I can only hope to drive half as fast as it looks.

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231654.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231655.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231652.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231665.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231672.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231670.jpg

Where will it make its race debut? PIR? Cal Speedway? We are going testing this Friday (2/29) at Willow if you are ready, come on out!!

Race debut will be CalSpeedway. I'm still juggling life to try to figure out where to fit the first test day in, but WSIR is close and cheap. ha! It's going to be a really tight week with work, but I'll see how things pan out. Thanks for the heads up!

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P2231670.jpg

How wide is that wing?

.......I made the mistake of not taking the rear window tint off before the cage went in. That was a good chunk of my day today, but I got to inhale a lot of solvents, so it wasn't a total loss. :stickoutt



I had the same fun with mine :help I laid a piece of MDF across the downtube braces and wiggled back onto it. Not easy for an old fat guy. I still remember the pain.

The car looks great. I'm envious. Hope to see you at BW later in the year.

Jay

Nice exhaust configuration, I'm planning the same thing with one extra muffler for 93db rules.

cool car.

I hate how you have to run the stickers. I wish the owner of the car was allowed to modify the stickers a bit to fit the overall scheme of the car. you spend so much on making the car safe and handle well, and all the cars just look like cheap nascar replica's with all the shitty stickers slapped everywhere.

is it legal to shove them all the required ones on the roof, so you can have most of the body for a cool race car scheme?

sorry for the rant, nice car!:alright

How wide is that wing?

Looks wide there, doesn't it? I don't have the measurements on me, but it's shorter and narrower than it appears in that picture... the angle makes it looks huge. I'll try to have the width measurement Monday.

onto it. Not easy for an old fat guy. I still remember the pain.

The car looks great.

Thanks! The rear window wasn't easy for a medium-old semi-fat guy either. :D I was just REALLY glad we hadn't blocked off the rear panel yet, so my legs could go in the trunk.


I hate how you have to run the stickers. I wish the owner of the car was allowed to modify the stickers a bit to fit the overall scheme of the car.

is it legal to shove them all the required ones on the roof, so you can have most of the body for a cool race car scheme?

sorry for the rant, nice car!:alright

Thank you! You can actually get die cuts made in your own colors, but I'm undecided at this point, and the supplied versions actually had a bit of color to an otherwise Raider-esque looking car. There are still a few more non-required ones that are going on, and I've had help in one way or another from most of the "required" ones as well, so I'll wear them proudly. I will eventually choose a uniform look, however.

Nice exhaust configuration, I'm planning the same thing with one extra muffler for 93db rules.

Yeah, I think I might need a backup plan for Laguna Seca, but we'll see.

very nice, I'm working on my build now

Jonathan - the car looks great! I'm working on a homemade gauge panel similar (but not nearly as nice) to the one Chris made for you.


Where will it make its race debut? PIR? Cal Speedway? We are going testing this Friday (2/29) at Willow if you are ready, come on out!!


Hey Jon - Are you sticking around on Sat & Sun (3/1-2) with the Pantera Club? Good group of guys. I normally attend their events but 3 track events in 4 weeks is unfortunately a bit beyond my budget.

Murph,
Do you have a contact with the Pantera guys? I'll be at the streets on friday but was trying to figure out how to get some time out on the big track over the weekend with those guys.
Thanks,
Antonio

Murph,
Do you have a contact with the Pantera guys? I'll be at the streets on friday but was trying to figure out how to get some time out on the big track over the weekend with those guys.
Thanks,
Antonio

Email Jim Saxton, he runs the event, at saxtonjim@ yahoo. The event is organized into 4 HPDE sessions; and they also do a race on Saturday for those in race-prepped cars with comp licenses.

Thank you

Yeah, I think I might need a backup plan for Laguna Seca, but we'll see.
The Vintage event in April *should* be higher than 93dB, IIRC from other events, but won't know for sure until SFR SCCA publishes the schedule.

(As long as it's higher than 90dB, I'm good :D )

(As long as it's higher than 90dB, I'm good :D )

That's right... this is what you're using at Laguna Seca and recommended for the low-db days, right?

http://www.phatpimpclothing.com/hi/phatpimp/images/exexhaustwhistle.jpg

:D

:lol

Funny. So funny in fact that I've decided that being strategically "in your way" all weekend is my new goal in life.

Enjoy! ;)

Hey Jon - Are you sticking around on Sat & Sun (3/1-2) with the Pantera Club? Good group of guys. I normally attend their events but 3 track events in 4 weeks is unfortunately a bit beyond my budget.

Nah - with PIR the following weekend and Cal Speedway 2 weeks later, it would be tough for me to get 3 hall passes in one month for a weekend.

Friday will be it.

How wide is that wing?

10" x 60"

The car looks awesome - I saw it in person when I was at BMS :buttrock

The car looks awesome - I saw it in person when I was at BMS :buttrock

Thanks! If only I could take the credit, though. The car is WAY beyond my expectations and I can't wait to drive it! Should be just a tad different than when I as last on track in it.

Brakes and ducts are in, rear panel and parcel shelf are in and the interior is pretty close. Nothing some zipties won't take care of. :D Shooting to take it out this Sunday for a little shakedown.

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1537.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1540.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1541.JPG
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/DSCF1542.JPG

Jonathan, looks great. Is the second oil temp gauge for the diff?

Jonathan, looks great. Is the second oil temp gauge for the diff?

Yessir!

Yessir!

Just sumpin' else to worry about :devillook

Jay - head in sand

Just sumpin' else to worry about :devillook

Jay - head in sand

:lol Funny, but true! I've spent several years only checking my fuel level, OE water temp gauge and watching for red lights. I'll be on info overload for a while, so I'm going to mark each gauge for where it should be, just to make it an easier glance.

Can I give you some advice? Too bad, I am going to anyway.

Get Chris to wire up a coupl of great big red lights - 1 tied into the oil pressure (set at some low number) and the other into water temp. When one comes on, look at your gauges even more closely that you already do and be prepared to shut the car off.

Can I give you some advice? Too bad, I am going to anyway.

Get Chris to wire up a coupl of great big red lights - 1 tied into the oil pressure (set at some low number) and the other into water temp. When one comes on, look at your gauges even more closely that you already do and be prepared to shut the car off.

I never turn down advice, especially that which could save me thousands of dollars. :D

That's already on my very short list of things to do, at least the oil pressure warning light was. I hadn't actually thought about a water temp light, to be honest, so thanks!

Edit: Hey! Aren't you supposed to be out at WSIR today? I'm actually going to be out there Sunday.

Car is looking great! I'll try not to get in your way! :D

You better get some vids of this weekend.


Jon, that is really the best idea. The big lights are really the way to go. I think we are going to wire up a couple with the red lights and a put some $$$ outlines on them.... :D

Can I give you some advice? Too bad, I am going to anyway.

Get Chris to wire up a coupl of great big red lights - 1 tied into the oil pressure (set at some low number) and the other into water temp. When one comes on, look at your gauges even more closely that you already do and be prepared to shut the car off.

do you have to install a seperate sender for the warning light?

I think we are going to wire up a couple with the red lights and a put some $$$ outlines on them.... :D

I actually *really* like that idea. I'm thinking of this for the oil pressure light... center of the dash!

http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/34/91/23119134.jpg

Edit: Hey! Aren't you supposed to be out at WSIR today? I'm actually going to be out there Sunday.

Too much stuff at work today - I have been so busy that I don't even know - my car may be out at WSIR today. If you see Brad Otoupalik out there with a shit-eating-grin on his face, flogging my car around the track, "testing" it, then let me know.

PIR next weekend!

do you have to install a seperate sender for the warning light?

Yes - I believe you do. I actually have 2 seperate senders. One mechanical one for my mechanical gauge (as a backup to my AIM Dash) and then the light that is on my AIM dash. I ALSO added what I call the "Array of Death" - it's a 3 LED light array arranged in a metal panel. The two outer LED's are of the "Super Bright" variety, and the center one is the "Super Bright BLINKING" variety. If they come on, I quickly check the mechanical gauge and then shut the car down if the mech gauge says ZERO.

You better get some vids of this weekend.

Speaking of which... I just got the notification that my new, non-smelly gloves and camera mount were delivered today. Thanks, Vahram!

:lol Funny, but true! I've spent several years only checking my fuel level, OE water temp gauge and watching for red lights. I'll be on info overload for a while, so I'm going to mark each gauge for where it should be, just to make it an easier glance.
One thing you can do (if possible with your gauge setup) after you've had some time running the car and determined what "normal" temps/pressures are is to rotate the gauges so that that value is at 12 o'clock, needle straight up. Then a quick glance will tell you if something is amiss, without trying to figure out what the actual number is supposed to be.

So, how did things go on Sunday?

So, how did things go on Sunday?

It was good proof as to why you take a car out for a shake down before a race weekend. ;) Found a few little bugs we'll clear out this week and hopefully have another go at it before CalSpeedway. I was only there for a partial day on Sunday, but it ended up being good practice for me with loading/unloading the car from the trailer, towing in the desert winds and getting some sort of "routine" worked out.

The little bit I did drive, I have to say the car itself feels great and I'm really anxious to get some good driving time in it.

The Pantera group is a pretty nice bunch of people, too, with some nice hardware around. I'll probably get some more time with them in the future, especially since they run a no-contact-allowed race on Saturdays, too.

WHERE ARE ALL THE PICTURES?
I want more pics....

Great to hear you go it on the track!!! It is one nice job!! Good Luck at Cal Speedway!!

-Chuck

Great to hear you go it on the track!!! It is one nice job!! Good Luck at Cal Speedway!!


Thanks, Chuck! Does this mean you won't be making it down to Fontana in a few weeks?

WHERE ARE ALL THE PICTURES?
I want more pics....

Well, since you asked... :D I don't actually have too many more at the moment, but I'll have tons soon.

For now, this is a front view of the brake ducts (don't have any shots of the custom backing plates for the Stoptechs, but I'll get some this weekend):

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P3011676.jpg

Another view, and as much as I love my Monster energy drinks, I think I'll pass on this one:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P3011677.jpg

First time on a trailer and my first time towing... Fun times, especially the desert winds I ended up in:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P3021695.jpg

It's first time at a race track since it was a street car back in September:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P3021685.jpg

And, the absolute best pictures I have of anything this year... My wife knows how excited I've been about finally having my own racecar and not having to rent rides, etc., so she's been almost as happy as I've been during the whole process. She went home on a lunch break on Saturday to decorate my half of the garage for the impending arrival. Balloons outside, streamers and balloons inside, banner and even my car number as candles in the Hostess cupcakes. I'm one lucky SOB!

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P3021701.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P3021700.jpg

I can't tell by your photo how long your trailer is, but to help with towing, you should try to get the car centered over the trailer axles. By doing so, you move the weight off of the tongue, which will improve the handling.
Joel

I'm no towing expert but I've never seen a car tied down that way.

Can't you get t-hooks for the bottom of the car?

You're supposed to remove the steering lock from the car so I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to tie down to the front wheels. <shrug>

Car looks really nice btw. I have a silver E36 M3 also, it hopes to look as nice as yours. :alright
-Carlos.

I can't tell by your photo how long your trailer is, but to help with towing, you should try to get the car centered over the trailer axles. By doing so, you move the weight off of the tongue, which will improve the handling.
Joel

No, you need tongue weight or it'll be a bouncy scary ride. He looks like it's in a pretty good spot. I've found that too much tongue weight was better than too little when I had an open trailer pulled by a half ton chassis, ride wise.

No, you need tongue weight or it'll be a bouncy scary ride. He looks like it's in a pretty good spot. I've found that too much tongue weight was better than too little when I had an open trailer pulled by a half ton chassis, ride wise.

Here is the tongue weight deal. In a perfect world tongue weight should be between 9-11% of total trailer weight. If you are going to err to one side or the other, too much is better than not enough. Not enough means the trailer is going to be a scary tow, weight will be focused on the rear trailer axle and not on the truck and its going to be a wavy drive down the highway. The car looks well positioned in the photos.

As for the tie downs that is one way to do it. I'm not going to say its wrong, many do tie down like this. If you tie down to the chassis, you will control the motion of the car on the trailer a bit better, the suspension won't have full range of motion, making it a nicer tow. That being said he's pulling with a new Tundra. I towed many thousands of miles in one of those last year and anything short of 10k lbs it just doesn't know is there.

Thanks for any and all towing advice! It it's wrong, I definitely want to know and won't be offended. I used the wheels to tied it down simply because I haven't gotten any t-hooks yet, but that's definitely something I'll be doing. As for positioning, I'll take whatever help anyone's willing to give. Here's the best side shot I currently have to get a better view of where it sat for that trip:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P3021687.jpg

As for the Tundra, I have to admit to not knowing anything different since this was my first time, but yeah... The truck pulled it like I didn't even have anything back there. Only time I could really tell was over bumps, in the wind and when some jerk would get in front of me and force me to get on the brakes. That alone is the biggest thing I had to adjust to. (plus the feeling that there's some ass in an M3 tailgaiting me for hundreds of miles). :stickoutt

The only way to know tongue weight is to measure it. That said, 10 to 15 is ideal. Not enough and the trailer has an increased chance of swaying. Too much and the front of the tow vehicle gets too light. Personally, I go by feel.
Keep in mind the load that you are carrying in the truck bed also contributes to handling.

Lots of info here:
http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm
Joel

It's probably just a little too far forward - but like others have said, thats not as bad a place for it to be as too far back. Next time, try moving it back a foot and see how it does - or weigh it!!

Also, once you find a place you like it, measure either the front or rear straps, go to your hardware store and get lengths of chain made up with hooks on one end and T-Hooks on the other. Use these lengths of chain from then on, and the car will be in the same position every time.

Also, remember, you will need to cross your T-Hooks as they will fall out if the chains/straps are not crossed - I'm sure you would have figured that out, I just would hate to see a mishap.

Finally, what type of hitch setup are you using? (It looks like a standard non-weight distributing hitch). A weight distributing hitch is probably considered overkill, but I have found they are FAR more forgiving as to weight placement on a trailer than a non-weight distributing placement, as they load the front axle better.

Just some of my thoughts....You really want your towing experience to be an absolute no-brainer, and the handling of the truck to be repeatable and predictable - since you will be driving home physically and mentally tired at the end of a weekend, coming off a HUGE adrenalin high.

The position looks good to me (I think the fact that it's a 16' trailer makes it look farther forward than it really is), but move it back a foot or two then tow it a little bit and you'll see what too far back feels like. With that tundra I doubt you'd notice if you put it all the way forward unless you had a ton of cargo in the truck bed.

Does the tundra have a built in brake control, or do you have one? I'd assume you do, but make sure you have it and try different power settings on a uncrowded road and get a feel for how it changes.

Oh, and last thing, have BMS give you some better contrasting vinyl, it doesn't show up well enough in that pic! :)

For my setup, putting the car is centered over the axles + ~1 foot forward is easiest to drive. I'd assume every trailer is different. Once you find where you like it, mark the trailer somehow where the wheels go so its easy to line up next time.

I almost bought a Blue Streak Tundra 5.7 SR5 Double Cab TRD package a few months ago. That picture is making me wish I had!

Here are some pics of my car on my old trailer. An 18' BigTex. One of the pics is before I added the tire rack, which necessitated positioning the car more rearward. You can see the way it's positioned over the trailer axels and how I have the tie downs routed. I did have extra weight on the front with the tool box, spare tires and fuel so the car is farther rearward. You'll want to add tool box/tire rack at some point.

Some suggestions:

If you're going to tie down thru the wheels for now, loop thru the wheel at the point closest to your d-ring. That way the strap won't loosen if the wheel rotates slightly.

Have a set of tie-down loops (see pic) welded to the front/side edges of the trailer for your front tie-down spot instead of using a d-ring in the floor. This gets you a better angle of the dangle at the front. Be sure to keep the tie-down far enough from your bumper that you have room to operate the ratchet. You could do the same at the rear if you don't already have d-rings installed.

Once you've figured out where you want the car to be positioned on the trailer, bolt a piece of angle to the bed of the trailer in front of each tire. If you look closely you'll be able to see this on my trailer. This will act as a stop when you've pulled far enough forward. Car will always be positioned the same. With a wood floor you could also use a couple of pieces of 2x4.

Before I drive the car onto the trailer, I attach the front tie-down straps to the trailer and lay them out, crossed, on the bed of the trailer. Then I drive up over them. At this point I just have to reach under the edge of the car, connect the t-hooks and tighten. Makes it much easier with lowered cars. You could do the same in the rear although there's more room and access back there.

Any questions, just ask. Best of luck at PIR and have a great time.

Jay

As a friend of Jonathan's, I thank you all for helping him get to races safely and easily so he can FINALLY join us in all the fun! :)

Jonathan: Nice homecoming that Angeliina put together. Lucky SOB indeed!

As a friend of Jonathan's, I thank you all for helping him get to races safely and easily so he can FINALLY join us in all the fun! :)

Yeah, thank you everyone for the info on towing safety. It's very much appreciated... and thanks for the pics, Jay. I'll end up with a tire rack as well, so your post will certainly be used for reference... If ever I get a chance, I'll get the thing weighed so I can be 100% certain where to place the car.

Oh, and thanks for the suggestion on the weight distribution, Jon. Something I'll eventually look into without a doubt. For now, I just want to get out to some races. :)

Brave of you to admit publicly to being my friend, Jim. :D Thanks for putting up with me for the last several years. :stickoutt

Jonathan: Nice homecoming that Angeliina put together. Lucky SOB indeed!

Yeah, she's the only one who has to deal with me and my obsessiveness more than you and Lee, and she's been a real trooper.

Brave of you to admit publicly to being my friend, Jim. :D
Moment of weakness - won't happen again :stickoutt

Yeah, she's the only one who has to deal with me and my obsessiveness more than you and Lee,
:eek: In that case, she's a friggin' SAINT! :lol

Looking good!
Funny how similiar our builds are (same cage, gauges, fire system etc..), mine should be finished this week, just waiting on a couple of gauges, setting up the alignment, and dyno time :) Unfortunately, my first time with the car will be a Cal Speedway.

Yeah, she's the only one who has to deal with me and my obsessiveness more than you and Lee, and she's been a real trooper.

Obsessive? Hell no. You seem perfectly normal to me. And in this area, I am a great reality check. ;)

John,

what headers and exhaust set up are you running?

John,

what headers and exhaust set up are you running?

Contrary to popularity of long tubes, etc., we actually went with JP shorty headers and a JP straight-through single pipe exhaust back to a small Magnaflow muffler.

Actually had a friend (Thanks John!!!) bring a sound meter out to CalSpeedway last weekend to give me an idea if I'd make sound at Laguna Seca. He was up on a bridge and tried to estimate the 50-foot distance. I think he read 101-102db, so I'd have to find a solution to be safe if I go to to Laguna in a few weeks (101db limit).

I've been looking for an estimated dB number, thanks! Same exhaust setup (TMS shorties and magnaflow), looks like I wont be anywhere close to LRP's 89dB.

Contrary to popularity of long tubes, etc., we actually went with JP shorty headers and a JP straight-through single pipe exhaust back to a small Magnaflow muffler.

Actually had a friend (Thanks John!!!) bring a sound meter out to CalSpeedway last weekend to give me an idea if I'd make sound at Laguna Seca. He was up on a bridge and tried to estimate the 50-foot distance. I think he read 101-102db, so I'd have to find a solution to be safe if I go to to Laguna in a few weeks (101db limit).

101db at Laguna Seca? When I was up there in January, they were enforcing a 92db limit... we had to run three mufflers in line to get my car to pass (91.5db @ 50 ft).

101db at Laguna Seca? When I was up there in January, they were enforcing a 92db limit... we had to run three mufflers in line to get my car to pass (91.5db @ 50 ft).

This is for an SCCA race weekend where BMW CCA is running with them. It doesn't get bumped up often, but this is one of those rare occasions. I don't think I'll ever be able to take this car there on a 92db day again. :(

About time the car came down off the lift, Jonathan :D

(I.e. nice to see the new sig & avatar.)

This is for an SCCA race weekend where BMW CCA is running with them. It doesn't get bumped up often, but this is one of those rare occasions. I don't think I'll ever be able to take this car there on a 92db day again. :(

I've decided to keep two exhaust set-ups... Laguna Seca and Everywhere else.

Cheers.

This is for an SCCA race weekend where BMW CCA is running with them. It doesn't get bumped up often, but this is one of those rare occasions. I don't think I'll ever be able to take this car there on a 92db day again. :(

Not even with one of those awesome point-it-away-from-the-sound-shack exhaust elbows? haha

I've decided to keep two exhaust set-ups... Laguna Seca and Everywhere else.

Cheers.

Not even with one of those awesome point-it-away-from-the-sound-shack exhaust elbows? haha


Well, I'm actually looking into something like this:

http://www.culture-buzz.com/IMG/jpg/ope-wwf.jpg

:)

This is for an SCCA race weekend where BMW CCA is running with them. It doesn't get bumped up often, but this is one of those rare occasions. I don't think I'll ever be able to take this car there on a 92db day again. :(

I was there last weekend for 2 days. No fog, low clouds or moisture in the air to make it worse. 92dB limit both days.

My car has stock headers, stock mid-pipe with cats removed, stock resonators and UUC System U exhaust. JC CAI. Got meatballed the first session. 95.9dB. I went to the starter and said are you sure? Went out for a sound check and it ws the same.. 95.9dB. I tried building a cardboard baffle all around my CAI and went out again for a sound check. Tried short shifting to 4th at exit of T5 and going up the hill easy. 94.8dB. Dun for the day. :(

Sun they told me it's a new day.... 3 more strikes. So I went out and carried as much speed as I could thru T5 and then just motored up the hill in 3rd keeping the RPMs at a point where the motor was quiet. I felt like I was going 25-30 by the sound booth. No meatball. :buttrock I ran the whole day that way. Never got a clean lap and I kept getting points that I wouldn't take because they'd just pull away from me going up the hill to T6. But..... I got to drive.

Jay

I was there last weekend for 2 days. No fog, low clouds or moisture in the air to make it worse. 92dB limit both days.

My car has stock headers, stock mid-pipe with cats removed, stock resonators and UUC System U exhaust. JC CAI. Got meatballed the first session. 95.9dB. I went to the starter and said are you sure? Went out for a sound check and it ws the same.. 95.9dB. I tried building a cardboard baffle all around my CAI and went out again for a sound check. Tried short shifting to 4th at exit of T5 and going up the hill easy. 94.8dB. Dun for the day. :(

Sun they told me it's a new day.... 3 more strikes. So I went out and carried as much speed as I could thru T5 and then just motored up the hill in 3rd keeping the RPMs at a point where the motor was quiet. I felt like I was going 25-30 by the sound booth. No meatball. :buttrock I ran the whole day that way. Never got a clean lap and I kept getting points that I wouldn't take because they'd just pull away from me going up the hill to T6. But..... I got to drive.

Jay


Lucky on the second day. They occasionally have a second sound meter set
up elsewhere on track, since everyone knows about lifting around the booth.
Last time there I did the same thing, got nabbed 3 times and the boot. Turns
out the second meter was between T9 and T10, driver side. Hammer down
was 102db+.

-John (getting closer...)

Lucky on the second day. They occasionally have a second sound meter set
up elsewhere on track, since everyone knows about lifting around the booth.
Last time there I did the same thing, got nabbed 3 times and the boot. Turns
out the second meter was between T9 and T10, driver side. Hammer down
was 102db+.

-John (getting closer...)

We were told that the track manager's offc is right outside T11 and that he/she will report cars too.

Jay

I was there last weekend for 2 days. No fog, low clouds or moisture in the air to make it worse. 92dB limit both days.

My car has stock headers, stock mid-pipe with cats removed, stock resonators and UUC System U exhaust. JC CAI. Got meatballed the first session. 95.9dB. I went to the starter and said are you sure? Went out for a sound check and it ws the same.. 95.9dB. I tried building a cardboard baffle all around my CAI and went out again for a sound check. Tried short shifting to 4th at exit of T5 and going up the hill easy. 94.8dB. Dun for the day. :(

Sun they told me it's a new day.... 3 more strikes. So I went out and carried as much speed as I could thru T5 and then just motored up the hill in 3rd keeping the RPMs at a point where the motor was quiet. I felt like I was going 25-30 by the sound booth. No meatball. :buttrock I ran the whole day that way. Never got a clean lap and I kept getting points that I wouldn't take because they'd just pull away from me going up the hill to T6. But..... I got to drive.

Jay

Last time I was up there, the guy next to me in the paddock was running an SN95 Mustang that was heavily modded. He was warned by one of the grounds keepers the night before the event that there was no way he would make sound. After lagging it through T5 the first three sessions to avoid getting nabbed, they actually black flagged him for "gaming the sound check" and demanded he make an all out run.

The official Thank You portion of this thread...

With a full race weekend and a fun day at Willow Springs yesterday under it's belt, this race car build is officially done. Sure, I may ad an oil cooler at some point next season, but as of now, this is the car I'll be driving for a while and I couldn't be happier.

That first day at California Speedway a few weeks back was it's first real test day and the following day was the first time I started to really get comfortable in it. There's no reason the car itself can't be up front, so I'll be struggling to just constantly work on that nut behind the wheel now and to not embarrass myself too much.

First and foremost, I have to thank BMS (BMStuning.com) for putting a car together that's better than I imagined. The fabrication work, overall quality and attention to detail (let alone putting up with me hanging around the shop constantly) was all second to none.

Anyone one who has followed this thread at all knows I need to thank my wife, too. Without her, we wouldn't have dropped the car off (a week after our honeymoon!!) and I would've still had my compromise car sitting in the garage. She's also more than happy to spend a day in the desert helping with tire pressures and pre-race checklists. The most perfect wife, and sorry guys... she doesn't have any sisters. :)

Rogue Engineering has helped out with a few RE parts, as well as helping me out with last-minute parts needs. Ben went out of his way to get me a few things I needed with very short notice. On that note, I also need to thank Vahram at VTMotorsport and Rob and James at Bimmerworld for doing the same. I don't even want to count up how many times all these guys have gotten me parts in unreasonably short time frames.

Thanks to Dan at Diffsonline.com for providing a great diff, as well as always helping out and answering questions I came up with in a hurry.

Thanks to Nitto for the ever-lasting, and what should prove to be very competitive, NT01s.

And just to double up on it, thanks again to Chris at BMS. He seriously went WAY beyond what anyone would ever do for this guy who's been wanting his own racecar for years now. He put a lot of his own blood and sweat into this build and I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank him enough. Thanks Chris!

Oh... I should also thank Jim and Lee who are a couple of good friends who don't seem to mind putting up with my long-winded emails... as long as I pay them back with beer. :beer

Just got a chance to read your entire build. You have one hell of a car there.

Huh.....whaaaa....did someone say :beer :D

No worries helping. Now we just need to attend a race together.

In an effort to make the car stand out a little more on track, I've decided to add some color. I originally loved having a silver car, as it was somewhat stealthy and no one ever really took notice of me on the road. Now, however, my wife (who knows the car well) and friends who come to races can't even pick the car out of a pack when it's on the far side of a track.

Mind you, some (if not most) people won't like the color I chose, but that's okay... I'm not going to force anyone to drive it for me. :stickoutt I originally wanted blue or red trim, and then even thought about bright orange for a while, but have seen a few cars like that already. Bright green it is! :D (Yes, new series sponsor decals all around are in the works.)

Thanks to Jim at TrackGraphic.com for getting my giant hood decal to me with a rather quick turnaround as well as the smaller versions he did up (as well as the incredibly detailed instructions).

Hood decal:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5031847.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5031848.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5031849.jpg

I didn't finish all the painting I wanted to do today, but here are the couple of small areas I did finish... So far, not bad for a $12 paint job:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5031850.jpg
http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5031851.jpg

Jonathon, or should I say, Mr. Lawson.

After seeing your picture on the website, I will say that you can paint your car anyway you desire and I will be in full support of your decision. You have no argument from me over your choice of color scheme. :)

Jonathon, or should I say, Mr. Lawson.

After seeing your picture on the website, I will say that you can paint your car anyway you desire and I will be in full support of your decision. You have no argument from me over your choice of color scheme. :)
:lol

Jeebus. Dude, you're ripped. Are you that lean every day?

Jonathon, or should I say, Mr. Lawson.


Says Mr. Holder, the giant. YOU, sir, may paint your car any flavor you like, and I'm sure any of us could be "talked into" doing the work. :stickoutt

Jeebus. Dude, you're ripped. Are you that lean every day?

:lol Heck no!!! That's only for a few weeks each year when we do photos, and it takes me 12-15 weeks to get like that. It's a lot of work for me to get lean. Besides, it's all magic lighting and shadows. :D In everyday clothes I don't even look like I work out.

So far, not bad for a $12 paint job:


Details on doing this for 12 dollars? Is it just rattle cans?

Details on doing this for 12 dollars? Is it just rattle cans?

Yeah, and it actually totals up to about $30 if I add it all together. :D Being a race car, I figured it just needs to look good from a few feet away, but it looks surprisingly nice up close... so far.

I couldn't find the color I wanted in any specific paint for this application so I ended up with a couple cans of DupliColor high-temp engine paint in "Grabber Green." I have some extra car bits laying around that I tested it on first, and it took quite nicely to them.

I did a really light sanding job with 500 grit wet/dry paper and then cleaned it all up to get all the dust, etc. off. After masking up what I didn't want painted (the longest part of the job) I just did 3 coats of the paint (10 min apart, 2 light and one wet-looking as per the instructions) and then did the same with two coats of clear. I'm only doing clear in hopes that it makes cleaning up tire marks and dead bugs a little easier.

Only expenses have been the two cans of spray paint, one can of clear, 1 pack of the 500 grit sand paper and a pack of dust masks... and the lives of a few good newspapers and one old tarp. This engine paint seems to be doing a nice job so far (acrylic enamel).

I should be able to finish it all up today and will post pics when finished. I've always wanted to do the obligatory "race car on the front lawn" picture, so maybe today's my chance. ha!

Well, it turns out I'm going to go over the $30 paint budget... I ran out of both paint and clear on the mirrors, but you have to be within 5 feet to notice. I'll pick up some more and touch those up, as well as possible paint the silver/aluminum part of the splitter... maybe.

This is what it looks like now and I'm thinking of black die cut decals in a hurry... when it was just silver, the stickers added color. Now, however, it's a bit much for me.

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5041852.jpg

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5041856.jpg

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5041858.jpg

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5041863.jpg

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/P5041865.jpg

Looks great, thats the layout I've been planning to do with a black car and an undetermined lower color. I was gonna pay someone, but maybe i'll try it myself...

Looks great, thats the layout I've been planning to do with a black car and an undetermined lower color. I was gonna pay someone, but maybe i'll try it myself...

Yeah, it's actually sort of fun, but took a good deal of my weekend up... mostly with masking things off and prepping. Frankly, I didn't prep the areas as much as I should've either, and today was a bit tougher, as it was more humid than I thought, so some spots started to run a little on the first coat. The finished product looks okay, though.

If you're going to wait a while to paint, I can give you a report after the last weekend of May as to how it stands up to some track abuse.

Lookin' pretty racey Jonathan. I likey.

Jay

what's up with sound restrictions at racetracks? for gods sake it's a freakin' RACE CAR! :rolleyes getting black flagged for being too loud is like firing a stripper because she's too busty. :devillook


anyway, good looking car. what rear wing do you have? and what's the purpose of the aluminum along the front splitter?

BMS wing and splitter.

Looks like theres a bunch of us looking to do the same paint scheme. Looks good Jon.

what's up with sound restrictions at racetracks? for gods sake it's a freakin' RACE CAR! :rolleyes getting black flagged for being too loud is like firing a stripper because she's too busty. :devillook

ha! Unfortunately, I think the sound restrictions only happen at tracks where people decide to build nice homes before realizing there's a race track in their back yard.


anyway, good looking car. what rear wing do you have? and what's the purpose of the aluminum along the front splitter?

As Jesse mentioned above, it's the BMS (BMStuning.com) wing and splitter. The aluminum just serves as a spacer.


Looks like theres a bunch of us looking to do the same paint scheme. Looks good Jon.

Thanks for the compliments, fellas! The more I look at it, the more I like it. I actually thought I might be the only one who likes it.

The more I look at it, the more I like it. I actually thought I might be the only one who likes it.
Well, FWIW, it turned out better than I expected it would :D

Well, FWIW, it turned out better than I expected it would :D

Glad to hear you've seen the (lime green) light. :D I never thought it would look bad, but it still looks better than even I expected.

Now you'll owe me some pics of your car tomorrow when it's all back to it's cosmetically-enhanced glory.

Looks great! 2 words, black wheels. Also make Chris get you a die cut BMS sticker, he is going new school on our hood so I told him I didn't want all that white background.

Looks great! 2 words, black wheels. Also make Chris get you a die cut BMS sticker, he is going new school on our hood so I told him I didn't want all that white background.

Funny you should mention that... I'm in the middle of debating about the wheels. I'm going to go black, but I'd like to leave the lip silver for a bit of contrast. These K1s aren't really set up to be painted like that, though, so I think all-black is going to win. Next story will be my $12 wheel paint job. :D

I agree 100% on the BMS decal. It's a nice design, but you can't see it at all with the car in motion.

What are the wing uprights made of? Solid carbon or carbon w/honeycomb? (I think I asked you before, can't find where you told me though, sorry).

What are the wing uprights made of? Solid carbon or carbon w/honeycomb? (I think I asked you before, can't find where you told me though, sorry).

It's solid, multi-layer I believe. Definitely not honeycomb.

Funny you should mention that... I'm in the middle of debating about the wheels. I'm going to go black, but I'd like to leave the lip silver for a bit of contrast. These K1s aren't really set up to be painted like that, though, so I think all-black is going to win. Next story will be my $12 wheel paint job. :D

I agree 100% on the BMS decal. It's a nice design, but you can't see it at all with the car in motion.
If you can do a set of wheels for $12.00 I'll have about 3 sets that I'll give you double that to make them black

Homemade black wheel paint jobs = silver chips almost immediately. They also show water spots from every puddle you drive thru. Oh, I forgot..... no water in CA :devillook

I used Duplicolor gunmetal gray metalic on mine once. Bad idea. I spent a lot of time and elbow grease getting the dark color off so I could go back to silver. Also Duplicolor home job.

Jay

If you can do a set of wheels for $12.00 I'll have about 3 sets that I'll give you double that to make them black

"Not for Hire" :D

Homemade black wheel paint jobs = silver chips almost immediately. They also show water spots from every puddle you drive thru. Oh, I forgot..... no water in CA :devillook

I used Duplicolor gunmetal gray metalic on mine once.

Jay, was that their new wheel paint you used? If so... Hmm... I might have to find another option, or just respray them after every race weekend.

Looking good Jonathan! If you decide to "go green" on the aluminum above the splitter, have TrackGraphic print you some green vinyl and "wrap it". That stuff is really durable.

[QUOTE=JonathanL;12949398Jay, was that their new wheel paint you used? If so... Hmm... I might have to find another option, or just respray them after every race weekend.[/QUOTE]

Not sure about "new". I did them gunmetal a little over a year ago. Didn't take me long to decide I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, I think they looked mean. Just didn't like the silver specs all over them and didn't want to repaint regularly. Extra weight you know ;)

Laguna last April.

Jay

I was gonna pay someone, but maybe i'll try it myself...

My new advice is to follow whatever directions are on the paint. I ran out for the mirrors, so they were only partially done. I picked up some more paint last night and did another two coats and the clear. The directions say to do all your coats at 10 min intervals within 1-hour, and if more is needed after that, to wait a certain number of days. I just went for it, and now the mirrors ain't so pretty. There's a bit of bubbling in the hard-to-get-to areas.

Oh well... still looks fine from a distance, and I'm sure some touching up will be required at the end of the season.

Looking good Jonathan! If you decide to "go green" on the aluminum above the splitter, have TrackGraphic print you some green vinyl and "wrap it". That stuff is really durable.

Hey Shawn! First post... I'm honored! :) Yeah, the vinyl they use is really nice stuff, and I was thinking about doing all the green areas with that instead. I'm going to leave well enough alone for now and see how this stuff holds up before doing anything else. Did they do the graphics for your car?

Don't get me wrong, I think they looked mean. Just didn't like the silver specs all over them and didn't want to repaint regularly. Extra weight you know ;)

Unsprung weight, too! ;) They looked good in motion. :D

Why would anyone just paint the lower part one color and leave the upper part another color? That's just crazy.

Oh, wait.....

:lol

BMW did too, on the early 325's (see below :) )

Hey Shawn! First post... I'm honored! :) Yeah, the vinyl they use is really nice stuff, and I was thinking about doing all the green areas with that instead. I'm going to leave well enough alone for now and see how this stuff holds up before doing anything else. Did they do the graphics for your car?


Roland Digital provided the printed vinyl for my car (hence, the Roland logo on the fender) and it has proven to hold up far better than the paint on the front bumper.

I haven't updated this build thread in a while... mostly because the build is done, but I just recently added another bit to the car, which I'm not 100% sure is IP-legal:

http://www.x-rep.com/images/driver/secretmods.jpg

The windscreen and Bogen Magic Arm most definately put you in mod. :D

Please do eleborate.

What game? Were you at El Toro?

The windscreen and Bogen Magic Arm most definately put you in mod. :D

That's what I was worried about. :)

What game? Were you at El Toro?

Well played! I can't say where I was, but great guess on the game!

It was a pretty cool deal once it was time to drive. 2-3 microphones in the engine bay, 1-2 in the interior with me and 2 at the back of the car. Plus, the mic the guys giving me instructions had, and the camera may have had one as well.

It was sound recording for "Need for Speed: Undercover." There was a couple of other nice cars there before I was up, and it was a lot of fun once I actually got to drive. Several structured passes at certain speeds, upshifts/downshifts and some other basics to start with, but then I was basically given free roam to just have fun, or that's how I looked at it. I was asked to simulate driving as if being chased by the police with lots of accelerating, decelerating, turns, u-turns, etc. Basically one giant skid pad test while driving by the guys with cameras and mics. They're really brave guys to have that much trust, but it was a lot of fun and they were a good group of people.

I'm anxious for it to come out in November so I can hear my own car in a big-time video game. Pretty cool stuff. :thumbup:

That's what I was worried about. :)



Well played! I can't say where I was, but great guess on the game!

It was a pretty cool deal once it was time to drive. 2-3 microphones in the engine bay, 1-2 in the interior with me and 2 at the back of the car. Plus, the mic the guys giving me instructions had, and the camera may have had one as well.

It was sound recording for "Need for Speed: Undercover." There was a couple of other nice cars there before I was up, and it was a lot of fun once I actually got to drive. Several structured passes at certain speeds, upshifts/downshifts and some other basics to start with, but then I was basically given free roam to just have fun, or that's how I looked at it. I was asked to simulate driving as if being chased by the police with lots of accelerating, decelerating, turns, u-turns, etc. Basically one giant skid pad test while driving by the guys with cameras and mics. They're really brave guys to have that much trust, but it was a lot of fun and they were a good group of people.

I'm anxious for it to come out in November so I can hear my own car in a big-time video game. Pretty cool stuff. :thumbup:

That's awesome. Just went through the whole thread, came out damn nice, glad you've been enjoying the new track toy...