1995 BMW E36 M3 LTW Tribute/Track car

[elliott95]

The ride height is high because its winter here and because i still need to buy suspension. Its one of the last things to do on this car (that's real major).

Should be changed soon!!!

[Russell042]

So effin cool. Very nice build.

[ahardm3]

The ride height is high because its winter here and because i still need to buy suspension. Its one of the last things to do on this car (that's real major).

Should be changed soon!!!

Love the car! Let me know when your ready for suspension! We can help you out!

[LoadedS54]

Nice build thread. Keep like that ;-)

[AA98M3]

Sub'd. What kind of total weight were you able to shave off? I like what you have done I would never choose to go that route myself but its great work.

[elliott95]

Thanks guys!!!

Aa98m3: I have yet to weigh the car but i would guess around 500lb. I will be weighing it very soon!!!

[M13]

Great job. Subscribed

[elliott95]

Hey guys i have been hunting down different kits for my car and i have kinda come to the conclusion of either going with the factory GTR kit from Pennon composites or with the PTG kit from some random company.

Its between these two because i want the car to look like it came from BMW. I don't want to do a tuning widebody or anything like that etc.

I would go through both kit's fine tune and reinforce them so quality is actually not a concern. They are about the same price and i would install/paint them so cost is not really a factor either (i would probably buy a replica PTG kit). (I painted all the composite things on my car currently if you doubt me)

My concern is drive-ability. I drive my car everyday and i have to be able to go over dips and actually get around with it. The GTR kit looks easier to install and a bit less aggressive. I think it would be similar to fender flares VS a full widebody.



Or this



I guess this is my question:

What would you guys pick?

I am leaning toward the PTG but its difficult to decide because i can't ask anyone anything about them. I don't know anyone who has driven them at all let alone everyday....

Advice, opinions welcome...... Its going to happen soon so if you have experience driving one let me know what i should be aware of soon.

Thanks for all the great feedback guys!!!!! I have been enjoying this car everyday of my life and this thread has kind of died. I am getting kinda bored again so i will probably start updating it soon.

Also we just added a E39 ///M5 to the stable. Its Lemans blue on blue black leather. One owner, 2003 etc blah blah anyway i will post pictures of that to hold you guys over until the wide body arrives!!

[craz azn]

I vote for the PTG kit! Keep in mind you will have to DUMP the car at the front just to get the visual fender gap to look somewhat normal, as the flares are molded very high since the ride height of the E36 Supertouring shells were quite low. MA Shaw sold (still sells?) a kit that is based on the PTG kit, but the front flares are sloped down somewhat to fit which accommodate cars that are more of a regular ride height... Unfortunately none of this bodes well with your everyday use and practicality aspect.

Congrats on the E39 M5! We have one too in our family, its an awesome car!

[odortiz]

I like the quality and fit of the penon stuff. I have seen one up close and drove it for a few laps. For daily use, i would recommend this one because the drop isn't so drastic and the wheels can be square with 275 or 285 tires. The ptg kits need too much rear tire or huge spacers if you want to run square. I have a front fender that was nosed into a tirewall if you want to pick it up. It is cracked at the top of the arch, but you can mock it up and see if you like it. I'm in the DC area.

[Inv3ctiv3]

You'll never get the real PTG kit to look right without re-locating your suspension pickup points, etc to get the ride height to look normal.

[elliott95]

Crazan: Thanks for the congrats on the M5!!! Its a beast and sooooooo fun to drive!!!!! I feel you on the fender gap. That is my fear of going with the PTG kit. I have looked very close at all of the different PTG styles Mashaw, OEM etc and if i did it i would want the flares to look like the OEM ones (just to make the car a TRUE tribute).

If i go with the PTG style i will reshape the flares to look like the cecotto car though not the #6 car. I still want to use the LTW splitter on my car and the cecotto cars gives me that option. I just worry i wont be able to get it low enough to look good and then i would be really pissed haha.... I wish i could look at a car with this kit in person. No here in CO has anything close to it though.....:/ I am leaning toward the PTG though.

Odortiz: See i agree with you to. The PTG is not daily driver friendly and i would like to run square to keep it simple. I would need 18" x 11" (maybe smaller for the front to fit) plus a huge spacer in the rear to make it look right. The other plus of going with the pennon kit is that it is finished. Its an exact replica of the real kit and i can just focus on the install. The company looks to be top notch quality to.

How was the GTR car you drove? Was it pretty aggressive looking in person? Did it drive completely different from a normal e36?

I would be very interested in the fender. Is it a PTG or a Pennon? If its a PTG style do you know what brand? Here is my email if you could send me pictures and price. This might be the perfect way to go just to see it in person on the car. elliott9r@yahoo.com

Inv3ctiv3: This is what i was told a million times over and then a very knowledgeable member on here wrote in this thread and dismissed all of the hear say. The #6 car and early PTG cars ran the same front suspension location as a regular e36. The later PTG cars were modified and changed but the famous #6 car shown most is the same in the front. If you read page four in here he explains. It can be done to look right the problem is that the splitter is about 1 1/2" off the ground......

[Moosecakes]

Great build thread! Love your attention to detail!

PLEASE do the PTG kit, god that would look amazing and so nasty driving down the road daily lol. Where are you looking at purchasing the kit from? You've piqued my interest, I wanted to do the flossman GTR kit on my old e46 since I have a psychotic obsession for widebody cars. I think this might have to be a consideration for my e36.

Thanks and good luck!

[odortiz]

I have a penon fender.
The car i drove looked awesome, but was set up for track with 1000 lb springs and was very neutral because the car felt like a piece of granite. It looks to have high build quality. It also looks strong enough to handle daily use. If you sit on a flare, it won't move much. It's not fragile at all.

I'll email you a picture i had of it on a chassis and flexed the non-m bumper out to meet the flare.

email sent.

[elliott95]

Moosecakes: I haven't decided what to pick kit wise but if i go with the PTG i will probably buy it from Vegas-aero. There kit appears to be an exact replica of the PTG kit with the exception of the front fenders. I will be changing the fronts anyway though. I just need a decent base to work from, any kit i buy will be heavily modified. I am also still thinking about the GTR kit. I might go with the GTR kit then switch to the PTG in the future....

Odoritz: Thanks for the email, pictures, and the info on the Pennon kit. I want the fender so just email me when you get it wrapped up etc.

Here are some fast shots of the ///M5. I edited them real fast, some look good but the interior shots look bad. It is late and i am lazy haha

[jeremy5000]

When will this car actually see track time?

[m3j0n]

are you sure the pennon kit is readily available? Last time I checked, the owner had some serious illness (cancer?) and had stopped making parts (about a year ago when I inquired abotu a kit).

amazing build. I am in awe of your work and attention to detail! very envious fan.

[elliott95]

Jeremy5000: The car has seen the track (open days) but as of classing it for GTS not sure.... I drive it everyday. I don't want a car that sits in a garage and is towed back and forth. That is a waste in my opinion. It is winter here and it has snow tires on it but i have a brand new set of street/track tires for it waiting in my garage!!! When the snow melts i guess would be your answer?!! But if you are asking if it will go to a full race car spec then NO it wont. I want to drive it everyday!!!

M3jon: Thanks man!!!!! I have also heard about the owners illness but then i read it was taken care of buy the company and it was not a problem. I will call them tomorrow though and post in here for everyone. I have some questions for them anyway. I am still 50/50 about which kit though...:/

The PTG is going to take huge wheels/tires, far more body work and far more time to modify to look correct. I am not worried about the work and making it look right but i don't have a lot of time at the moment. Plus its a lot more money. Custom wheels, 295/335 tires, higher end coilover's that can handle being lower blah blah. I am leaning toward the Pennon a bit.... I can always switch later when i get bored

[Inv3ctiv3]

I think it's a cool car and love the work you've put into to it but you want to DD it yet have a full roll cage and fixed back race seats? That's not safe to DD in the first place, it's like this car is stuck in DD/Race car purgatory.....

[elliott95]

Haha... Thanks it took a lot of long nights and research. Not sure what to say to the rest. I was waiting on someone to say something. Its my dream and i am living it. I don't want to dd it though, i do dd it every single day rain or shine. I also used to ride a 1000cc liter bike when i was 16 so it is safe in my opinion. You only live once and i don't go through life worrying about getting hit or dying. Everyone dies some never live... Getting into this car everyday makes even the worst day fade away. It is truly amazing and i feel very blessed and very alive. I get a comment literally everyday about this car.

PS: I would rather get hit in my car then in either of the cars in your sig. Just saying i would truly feel better about getting hit in my car over a stock e36 M3... Half cage, Recaro seats, Willans harnesses...... i think its plenty safe.

About the race car purgatory: I started this build to replicate a GT3RS in BMW terms. The only difference between the GT3RS and M3 GTS and my car is a weld in cage, and those have an airbag and 3 point seat belt. Its actually more dangerous to run an airbag with a six point belt so i don't. And well, obviously i run six point belts instead of three point belts..... I guess after getting older and having close friends die one thing i learned is that you better live the way you want. You only live once and its very short. Follow your dreams whether they are right or safe or whatever.

[Inv3ctiv3]

Haha... Thanks it took a lot of long nights and research. Not sure what to say to the rest. I was waiting on someone to say something. Its my dream and i am living it. I don't want to dd it though, i do dd it every single day rain or shine. I also used to ride a 1000cc liter bike when i was 16 so it is safe in my opinion. You only live once and i don't go through life worrying about getting hit or dying. Everyone dies some never live... Getting into this car everyday makes even the worst day fade away. It is truly amazing and i feel very blessed and very alive. I get a comment literally everyday about this car.

PS: I would rather get hit in my car then in either of the cars in your sig. Just saying i would truly feel better about getting hit in my car over a stock e36 M3... Half cage, Recaro seats, Willans harnesses...... i think its plenty safe.

About the race car purgatory: I started this build to replicate a GT3RS in BMW terms. The only difference between the GT3RS and M3 GTS and my car is a weld in cage, and those have an airbag and 3 point seat belt. Its actually more dangerous to run an airbag with a six point belt so i don't. And well, obviously i run six point belts instead of three point belts..... I guess after getting older and having close friends die one thing i learned is that you better live the way you want. You only live once and its very short. Follow your dreams whether they are right or safe or whatever.

Lol I think I'd rather get hit in my 4,000+ lb tank of a land cruiser. I'm not trying to talk down to you at all I'm just saying it seems like you aren't sure what you wanna do with it. You want the full race car look but don't want it to drive like a real race car since you still want to drive it on the street (any true race car would not be able to drive on the street on a regular basis).

And like I said before, I really like the car and the work you've done, it's super rad!

[gbreeE90]

I'm going to drive my car on the street a lot this year as well. By no means will it be a DD, but its not going to sit around.

[elliott95]

Haha yeah i saw that truck and then i was like...damn that might take a hit well haha. Its sweet by the way!! I have always wanted an older land rover/cruiser etc.

You are right though. I do want the race car look and especially the function for the track but also for the street. Its hard to get both...:/ And you are also right about where i want to go with this car (i have some idea but nothing exact). It has been a great adventure and it has honestly lead the way, not me. I never new exactly what i wanted it to be when i got it but i saw the LTW and well here we are. To think it was a Alpine over dove full interior car for 100,000 miles just makes me laugh. I feel like i let it free. This is the car it was supposed to be they just missed picking it off the assembly line to be a race car.

The next chapter is going to be good that's for sure but what it will be is unknown. I might say screw it and go PTG and scrape everywhere and destroy splitter trays like its my day job . Or i might go GTR and keep it a bit more tame.... The car has kinda lead the way and it reminds me of that every time i drive it. I don't think she will let me down....

Thanks for all the positive comments!!! I don't take honest questions as bashing or talking down. I am glad you ask. I love talking cars and it helps me decide on what i will do. I feel like i should stop updating this thread though. It doesn't seem like many people are interested compared to other cars... Some threads are forty pages long and they are still unfinished cars....

I guess i do it for the few that are still watching but mostly for the car. I think it deserves its story to be told.

[Aaron318is]

My vote is for the GTR kit as the PTG kit has been reproduced so many times. In my opinion it never looks quite right on anything but the original cars. The GTR kit would look amazing in Alpine White with gold E88s.

[craz azn]

I have one question... Why do you keep referring to the Pennon kit as the 'GTR' kit? I am assuming when you say 'GTR' you mean or think of the Cecotto ADAC car. There was a post a few pages back even confirming that Ike's car, which the flares were molded from, is not even a GTR (which I totally agree with, contrary to what the internet seems to think) so I am wondering why you are settling for a non-OEM-styled bodykit to put on your car?

The PTG kit is basically a cruder version of the GTR kit, which is obviously widened at the front, as well as a one piece front bumper for ease of replacement, weight, and aero.

Why not try and hook up with ALong to see if you can talk with him about making molds of the original GTR stuff? Fits your criteria of usability, and end up with a more authentic looking product at the end of the day.