Looking 2 Spec e30 also

#1

The GR article caught my eye, also. I am a Nor CA NASA instructor and had been looking at a Spec Miata before I saw the article. Right now I am waiting for a return phone call for a 325is I saw for sale at a resonsble price.

Are any of the current Spec e30 guys planning on attending the next NASA Thunderhill event (Nov 11).

Great article and thanks for all of your efforts. From a long time BMW owner, now driving a Mini Cooper, this class appears to be exactly what I am looking for in racing.

#2

Great to have you onboard…E30 v/s Miata. That’s a no brainer.

#3

Steve:

Let us know if you get the car.

It’s good to have you here.

Carter Hunt
Spec E30 Administrator

#4

Carter,

Yes I have located a car. 1989 325is with a few mod’s which I will need to remove, like a 4.10LSD, but very straight and strong.

I do have two questions; 1-custom cage or Autopower weld-in? I have used AP weld-ins before with much success, but want to know if anyone has experienced significant added value from a custom. 2-wheels - 14 or 15? 14s cost less and weigh less with tires. Any significant positives for 15s?

Most likely I will run the car with a set of Proxies (otherwise stock) in HPDE4 at TH on Nov 11, just for laughs. Let me know if anyone else may be there.

Thanks,

Steve.

#5

brain wrote:

There you go again, bashing Miatas!

On a related note, my Spec Miata is now up for sale.

#6

Steve, welcome!

  1. Go with a custom weld-in cage - Some of the bolt-ins just don’t inspire confidence - but it’s a personal call. My buddies and I took the time to do it right ourselves:
    http://www.pbase.com/victorhall/cagebuild

http://www.pbase.com/han_ahsue/spece30_project

  1. Wheels - A lot of ppl swear by the Team Dynamics that Bimmerworld sells. I would have bought them, but ended up getting a great deal on some Kosei 15’s. I have to imagine that they’re quicker/lighter, but don’t have any scientific evidence for you.

Welcome!
-Vic

#7

victorhall wrote:

[quote]
http://www.pbase.com/victorhall/cagebuild

http://www.pbase.com/han_ahsue/spece30_project

Welcome!
-Vic[/quote]

Great shots. Thanks for posting these links…

#8

Unless someone can prove a real advantage, I’ll be running 14" bottlecaps for the forseeable future. People will give them to you. Team Dynamics are good wheels and very affordable, but that’s another $500 I don’t need to spend right now.

#9

david - I don’t know what the bottlecaps weigh, do you? You are right, the guy I bought my car from has a set he is going to throw-in.

#10

Vic, thanks for the pics and the advice. Wanna come to CA and build a cage for me? Yours looks awesome!

#11

ddavidv wrote:

I’ll be rock’n the bottle caps too. the only real draw backs that I have with them is it’s hard (impossible) to do a visual check on brake pads and I can’t imagine they let very much air to the rotors and pads. Once I’ve got all my safety stuff… wheels are going to be next.

Anybody need some freelance advertising or design work done?? :whistle:

#12

[quote]There you go again, bashing Miatas!

On a related note, my Spec Miata is now up for sale. [/quote]

It’s like clubing baby seals…it’s just so easy to do it’s hard not too.

As for the wheel question…bottle caps are HEAVY!! I know it’s $500 extra bucks for a set of RD wheels, but it’s money well spent. OBTW I use bottle caps for full tread rain’s, so at least they are good for something.

#13

Scott, We run bottle caps for rain tires as well (we have 11 of them!). But, the main difference for race I believe is the weight (bottlecaps must be at least 20 lbs, RDs are about 13 lb) and the offset. Bottlecaps are 35 mm ET (I think) and the racing dynamics range from 23 to 27. That equates to about an inch more of track. Some folks also run spacers to get even more track (which is allowed in the rules).

Ed