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Mike and I are discussing the 2006 Rules and will have it official, soon. The drivers and future drivers can feel comfortable that there will be no significant changes to the prep rules. We will, however, clarify some of the rules to make the intent of the Rules easier to understand.
If anyone wants to remind us of the few "re-wording issues," feel free to list them here.
Carter
I have the rules in a spreadsheet with notes that I’ll send to you tomorrow. There were a few questions like gutting rear doors in a 4 door and some other misc. questions in the Rules section that I don’t think were answered.
Also, you’ve made some clarifications in the Rules section that you might review to see if they should be incorporated into the official rules.
cheers,
bruce
Also, everyone should take a few minutes to peruse the 2006 CCR (accessible via link to the left). Changes are in purple text.
Appendix D listing head and neck restraints is the biggest change. They haven’t mandated HNR’s yet, but they state that they may be required as soon as July 1, 2006. Oddly, Appendix D lists a number of non-SFI 38.1 compliant HNRs as being "approved", but Jerry Kunzman has publically stated that NASA will only allow SFI 38.1 compliant models when they actually implement a mandate.
http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5791 is an interesting discussion of HNRs.
cheers,
bruce
Carter,
I would like to remind you about rule question regarding using center vent as a place to put additional instruments there – I don’t think we ever got clarification on that.
Igor
Items I think were left open during earlier discussions:
(1) sway bar end links
(2) fuel accumulators
A couple of other safety/convenience/improvement suggestions:
(3) interior parts removal clarifications - for example, whether the under dash panels on both the drivers side and passenger side can be removed. Mine are removed for safety reasons (my drivers side panel just "hung there" and I didn’t want it to fall off & jam my feet) and convenience (I left the passenger side off to provide easier access to the ECM - in case anyone would like to check my chip :)).
(4) bumpers - I know this has been discussed, but it still doesn’t seem fair to me that I can interchange any aftermarket front bumper assembly for my integrated bumper, but those with diving boards cannot. It seems to me that allowing everyone to interchange bumpers equally would result in more fairness / uniformity in the rules regarding this than as currently written. Just a suggestion, though.
(5) vent ducting - for example, could we hook up a 2" diameter duct to the drivers side dash vent to run to a helmet cooling system (instead of buying a fan)? Them fans are rather expensive, and since we already have blowers in the stock vents…
sdais wrote:
I will compy regardless, but I agree with sdais on this one. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
I’ll 3rd the bumper gripe. Not that I plan to swap the diving boards, but in the same vein as the brake bushing issue – if one set of cars can do it and the option is available for the others, the other set should be able to do so; otherwise, neither should be able to make the change.
–
Also, would it be possible to add in the provision to section 9.3.1.6 allowing you to plumb-in a remote oil filter adapter, so long as the oil filter remains the stock style (using a Ford/Mopar 3/4"-16 remote adapter)? I don’t think there’d be a performance advantage (please correct me if I’m wrong), but it sure would make oil changes & plumbing in an accusump much easier.
edit: I should have read the earlier part of the rules a little better (re: wiper washer fluid)
Post edited by: sharkd, at: 2006/01/13 15:03
yes, read the definition of "modified"
8.6. "Modified" means that the item may be replaced, machined, welded, or removed.
"replaced", "substituted", "original", "modified" all have specific meanings throughout section 9
cheers,
bruce
sharkd wrote:
[quote]Also:
Does this mean that the reservoir can be removed, as it isn’t explicitly stated…? :ermm:[/quote]
check out 8.6: "Modified" means the item can be modified, replaced, welded, or removed.
Mike and I have gone through the Rules and have made more changes than I had originally thought would be needed. None of the changes, however, will cost anyone any money to stay competitive. Performance-wise, my car will not change one-bit from how I raced it last year.
Most of the changes are minor wording adjustments to "clean up" the Rules. We are also allowing a few changes to the interior, but nothing major. We still want the cars looking good, and somewhat stock inside. No hacked-up interiors. My interior will not change much, if at all, to give you some perspective.
We’re working through one last detail and will post the Official 2006 Spec E30 Rules in the next couple of days.
As always, everyone will not agree with every rule but we can all count on continued great racing at a reasonable cost.
Carter
Carter,
Would it be possible to specify that we can remove/modify the Fuel Return Cooler (p/n: 64 53 1 380 542 - "SUCTION PIPE EVAPORATOR-COMPRESSOR" in BMW-speak)?
AFAIK, this is only found on the '87 325iS, and ties the fuel return line into the high-pressure A/C line on the passenger side fender.
Thanks.
I second that – if we can’t remove it, we (people with 87 is) will have to keep part of the AC lines. There isn’t ant performance gain of running fuel lines from driver side to pass side of engine compartment and back. If anyone wants a picture of lines/parts in question please e-mail me: koruga AT yahoo DOT com.
Regards,
Igor
87 325 is
Details & pics here:
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12388
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16511
It’s the cylinder on the hard lines outboard the passenger side strut tower. Though the parts diagram illustration makes it look like it slips around the A/C line, it is, for all intents and purposes, a single piece.
In addition, it looks like removing the cooler also means that we have to remove the "Fuel Pulse Damper" (whatever that is) that is near the fuel filter. I don’t see anything like that in the online parts manual (and it’s too cold to crawl around on the ground today), so it’s probably another '87 325iS-specific part.
PS – Like Igor said, it’d be nice if we could simply route the flexible return line directly from the FPR back to the hard return line that goes under the car, rather than back and forth across the firewall.
Post edited by: sharkd, at: 2006/01/15 14:51
Guys:
As we have said many, many times, we are not going to change the rules because of this specific small part, or that specific small part. When we were building the original set of rules, I would have become rich if I had received a dollar for every time someone asked about some part on the car.
The parts you are referring to are not inherantly problem pieces so we’ll leave the Rules as they are.
As we have said from the beginning, we will only change the Rules when we discover a gross error, or when several drivers find something that needs attention. In the 2006 Rules, there are a few changes for the group, that were asked about by several drivers over a racing season.
As with man others who have built cars, you guys will discover things that you want to change, and that make sense to you. However, we have to keep the Rules stable and cannot start a "change this and change that" situation. For sure, many other racing series have gone down this path and have lived to regret it.
I understand your wanting to make these changes but we are going to stick to the plan that has worked so well.
And as we have also always said, feel free to bring up any idea. You might not like or agree with the answer but we are always open to a discussion.
Carter
Since rules state that we can remove AC lines, and if we do so, the part in question goes with it (since it is essentially part of the AC system). Can we interpret the rules in that way? ( 
)
Regards,
Igor
87 325 is
[quote]
9.3.1.3. Fuel System
9.3.1.3.1. Fuel filters may be substituted.
9.3.1.3.2. Any fuel pump may be fitted.
9.3.1.3.3. A fuel pump may not be located in the driver/passenger compartment.
9.3.1.3.4. An adjustable fuel pressure regulator may be installed.
9.3.1.3.5. Fuel lines may be replaced.
9.3.1.3.6. Fuel lines shall not exceed three-eights of one inch inside diameter.
9.3.1.3.7. Fuel lines that pass through the driver/passenger compartment shall be metal or metal braided and securely fastened.
[/quote]
Post edited by: propellerhead, at: 2006/01/16 11:06
propellerhead wrote:
I could have sworn that that section wasn’t there when I looked through the rules… my PDF must have been… um… corrupted. :whistle: (thanks)
I’m confused (even moreso than usual): Aren’t the Bimmerworld decals required? (They’re not mentioned in the '06 rules.)
ooops. thanks.