daily driven budget e36 n/a supercar status? ltw97m3

[ltw97m3]

caveat: in the interest of the community lets keep this thread on topic and ask questions and share information that is conducive to learning.

few could have ever fathomed that the above words would ever be together; budget, supercar, n/a...seriously, same sentence. even if the challenge becomes history it will be hard for even myself to accept. i just crunched some numbers and have realized the potential for this concept to become reality. the calculations i got have my budget e36 trapping 124+mph and going high 10's. the one criteria that most associate with supercar status is a 200+ top speed. i concede i will fall short in this category but the car will exceed the data that most labeled "supercars" attain in other popular elements.

this thread, at this point, is just to suggest whats possible if one is passionate, has time, some creativity, and an open mind. the open mind helps the most because it allows those skeptical of what they read to look elsewhere for answers. the quest for answers often allows one to establish patterns of solutions within other similar applications. if something has worked well previously one would be wise to consider applying it to the said limited platform. as i have said countless times "acknowledging the concept is only the begging"; meaning the process of implementing these observed patterns into a platform that there is little information to follow is laborious.
having said that, as time goes on and i have more information to share with the public i will. i will try and address any questions people have. if all goes as planned my car will be ready this year for testing.

[Inicent Child]

Its possible.

Just comes down to what you are willing to do to get there. With trial and error eventually possible.

99% of us would not be willing to take that route but would still be interesting to see your progress if you are serious about this. GL.

[Serious]

yep tin can e36 m3 is definetly supercar status.


"Screw ur zonda! I got an e36 m3 engine bolted into a tricycle chassis an am running 8's!!!!"

[mtechnica]

Thoughts:

Safety is important. Race cars have safety regulations for a reason. Therefore you should assume your minimum weight will be no less than what e36 race cars weigh, in which case the car you're looking for is an early no-sunroof sedan. That said it's highly unlikely that, since it's a street car, you'll see under 2400lbs.

On power: Assuming you reach your goal, you'll have around 300whp, mostly top end.

How fast is a 2400lb car with 300whp? Supercar fast? IMO no.

As far as handling, I think it's safe to say everything that can be done to the e36 has been done, and furthermore since this will apparently be daily driven, your suspension setup will have to be a compromise so it will still be less than the car is capable of.

Do you want a race car or a daily driver? Because a street car NA e36 m3 with an s52 will get handily owned by an actual supercar. I'm not really sure what you're trying to do here. If you want a budget supercar you should be looking at corvettes because in reality a 3000lb car with 500+ hp and a better chassis than the e36 is a better starting point so... why the e36?

[ltw97m3]

Its possible.

Just comes down to what you are willing to do to get there. With trial and error eventually possible.

99% of us would not be willing to take that route but would still be interesting to see your progress if you are serious about this. GL.

as with all goals, one will assess what it will take to achieve them and make compromises/trade offs(like much in life)to get there. the 10second pass will require a certain power to weight ratio to achieve. understanding this the next step is addressing the p/w to a point the goal is possible. i have made many compromises with my car and as a result it is about as light as they come while maintaining the ability to drive in 4seasons, be registered/insured and driven on the road. i will soon have the power to get me close. depending upon how close i come to the goal ill be honest if its even tangible should i address the limiting factors.

[mtechnica]

And why are you so worried about 1/4 mile times? The cool thing for supercar people to do is stuff like 0-160-0. Nobody really cares about 1/4 mile times in the supercar scene.

You should sign up on

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/

[rebs]

And why are you so worried about 1/4 mile times? The cool thing for supercar people to do is stuff like 0-160-0. Nobody really cares about 1/4 mile times in the supercar scene.

You should sign up on

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/

I think its a waste for any balanced car to stick to straight lines. IMO.

each his own.

[bennyfizzle]

I don't get it, but more power to ya man.

[ltw97m3]

the reason i use 1/4 mile for reference is because more people can relate to those times. i have no qualms about doing a vbox run or 0-160-0 for more data.

my car with me in it is much lighter than 2400lbs. when i have an official weight ill share it with the community. whats kinda special about this challenge is who would have ever thought it was possible for some kid with little money to be able to run with most "supercars" in most venues. this 14.1 @ 99mph platform was labeled a "tin can" and worthless when it was trapping 106mph a couple years ago. the paradox surrounding the limitations of a diy e36 has been broken a couple times and the end is finally in sight.
just thinking about some other production cars that trap ~124 in 1/4mile its pretty cool to think the e36 platform may be able to join the list. enough rambling just trying to get some expectations into this thread so if it happens it wont look like an accident.

after this challenge i will then try and advance the bmw community with f/i as well, i enjoy advancing boundaries as most people accept.

edit: to address the balance concern. i have little doubt in competent hands(not me)this car would be a beast at any track as well.

[LeMansGTS]

Personally, I think your effort to attain 120+mph trap speeds from a naturally aspirated E36 is commendable. I'll be subscribing for future updates. Perhaps you should use the 60-130 mph benchmark to see how you stack up against supercars and other high horsepower FI cars. After your NA goal is accomplished, you should add a turbo, TTS2. That would be something else. Please shoot some dash videos when you're finished, assuming you'll still have it in your car

[ltw97m3]

i dont have dash; been 2+ years but i do make speedo videos.
its cool to imagine taking this platform far enough to compete with a 997 turbo for example. we'll see how much it all set me back when im done, many are gonna surprised just how affordable it is. granted i reduced the car to little more than a vehicle that can be driven all seasons and be registered albeit thats a street car in many people books. this community is coming a long way, about 10 years later than most communities but its happening. this happiness seems to stop soon after i press the reply button but i have seen the potential and little will stop me from testing this platform.

what fun would a thread be if it didnt go off on a tangent.
the turbo plans are very similar to what im trying to do n/a; im taking a common practice within other communities and applying it to our engines. i mentioned it a couple times in f/i forums and to many people failed to accept it; so i left the topic alone.

[cohny]

Pics of your car currently?

[ltw97m3]

shes on jack stands because im working on a shaved and wire tucked engine bay. ill get back to it soon enough. the fuse box and master cylinder relocations were the big projects that still need to be finished. when i get working on car again ill launch the website and have it in my signature so that those that are interested in all projects can just frequent the site and communicate with me there.
the website will also have all projects eventually chronicled so others can if they want duplicate/improve the solutions ive implemented.

[flannelhippie]

I don't get it. Cool if you want to do this. But, why make 2 threads? Also, it is obvious that you are really trying hard to sound smart, using words like "paradox" and phrases like "redefining whats possible as it pertains to." But you havent even used capitol letters, and your punctuation is little to none. Im not the smartest cat around, but it looks silly when you try that hard, and don't use capitol letters. Just my .02.

[ltw97m3]

to allow something as trivial as punctuation and minor grammatical errors to take away from the information presented is only hindering ones ability to extract all they can from their experiences, i.e. learn; suggesting possible an alternative motive for calling someone out.

[flannelhippie]

to allow something as trivial as punctuation and minor grammatical errors to take away from the information presented is only hindering ones ability to extract all they can from their experiences, i.e. learn; suggesting possible an alternative motive for calling someone out.

You sound like a complete idiot. I dont care about punctuation, its that you are trying hard to sound smart, and kill it every time with lack of grade-school capitol letters. Everyone thought you are an asshat, I just pointed it out.

[ltw97m3]

checkmate, nicely done.

[Analog]

Yup, we're gonna need some pics

I'm interested to see what is left!

[ltw97m3]

the only real structural metal i have removed was the rear deck parcel, approximately 25lbs iirc. the weight i removed from the doors, hood and trunk mater much less as they are large panels attached in a few locations to the uni-body; meaning they serve little structural rigidity.
as this project has evolved over the last couple years i reconsider the bare minimum i need to remain daily driver in 4seasons and as money permits i tackle one job at a time. im forced to make many compromises as i lack many resources to include; the skills to make textbook results, money for proper material and tools to help produce better products. all in all im happy with how the car has turned out so far and as time and money become more available ill slowly address the remaining issues i have with my work and satisfy some aesthetical elements to make more people happy.

[KnudsonsM3]

You sound like a complete idiot. I dont care about punctuation, its that you are trying hard to sound smart, and kill it every time with lack of grade-school capitol letters. Everyone thought you are an asshat, I just pointed it out.

I don't get it. Cool if you want to do this. But, why make 2 threads? Also, it is obvious that you are really trying hard to sound smart, using words like "paradox" and phrases like "redefining whats possible as it pertains to." But you havent even used capitol letters, and your punctuation is little to none. Im not the smartest cat around, but it looks silly when you try that hard, and don't use capitol letters. Just my .02.

why are you trolling the OP's thread?

If you dont llike it or get it I dont think you could ask a million questions to understand why.

checkmate, nicely done.

[BMWFanatic]

I honestly cant wait for you to progress and make this community open their eyes Dave

btw, what power/weight are you thinking you will need to trap 124+?

and what is your power/weight right now?

-Chase

[ltw97m3]

9.03 to 1 to get my previous best trap
7.92 to 1 when ltw hits the track next (only intake/exhaust and weight changed)
than assuming i reach the goal with engine it will be ~6.47 to 1.
im using whp for all estimates.

[BMWFanatic]

9.03 to 1 to get my previous best trap
7.92 to 1 when ltw hits the track next (only intake/exhaust and weight changed)
than assuming i reach the goal with engine it will be ~6.47 to 1.
im using whp for all estimates.

and these calculations are without you in the car right?

[ltw97m3]

no with me just as i would be on the track or driving to work/school or with a girl to dinner in the later add ~120lbs ^_^

[rebs]

You need to eat homie

LOL