NASA Spec3 Build

[TXBDan]

I ran a 16lb Advance Autoparts brand AGM battery for a couple years in a daily driver. Worked great.

[FastFabM3]

I was considering an Optima D51 for my car. You'll need to do something different for a mount though, which is probably pretty easy by searching the internet for universal types.

Also, I make these blanking panels if you want one, or with your skills you could probably make something similar for not much money. I don't know if it (the panel) would shut your tech inspector up or not, but it probably wouldn't hurt.

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[VaTechE36]

I just got the red top D35 optima and the associated mount from bimmerworld as an option.

[19Spec3]

I just got the red top D35 optima and the associated mount from bimmerworld as an option.

Interesting. I think I'll go with the Optima D35 red top, but from Amazon for $150. Then I'll take a stab at custom mounting. I can't justify $80 for the Bimmerworld mounting kit but it's nice to know I can fall back to that if necessary.

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Also, I make these blanking panels if you want one, or with your skills you could probably make something similar for not much money. I don't know if it (the panel) would shut your tech inspector up or not, but it probably wouldn't hurt.

seat-delete-4.jpg

Yea, that panel would be sufficient for the NASA-NE tech inspector but I'm not sure it's legal for Spec3.

[VaTechE36]

I got the battery and holder which should maybe arrive later this week. I'll see what the install looks like and shoot you some pictures of how it goes together to give you an idea for your install.

[19Spec3]

I got the battery and holder which should maybe arrive later this week. I'll see what the install looks like and shoot you some pictures of how it goes together to give you an idea for your install.

Great. So I'll see you at Dominion in July?

[19Spec3]

Summit Point Main - TrackDaze - July 2-3

The format for this event was incredible. Each day had four 30-minute sessions followed by a 2-hour open track event. You can't beat the track time for the price. During the Sunday open-track portion I decided to see how far a full tank would take me. I would run until either 1) fuel starvation or 2) low fuel light. Luckily, the low fuel light came on without any fuel starvation issues. That took 60 laps and about 1.5 hours.

With all of the car improvements in the off-season (stiffer/lower springs, Toyo RA-1 tires, Hawk DTC-60 pads, proper seats/harnesses) I have been itching to get back to Summit Point and compare lap times. I put up a new personal best of 1:28.36, but that's only a half-second improvement, which is a little disappointing. I thought the Toyo RA-1's would be much stickier than my old Hankook RS3's, but the difference is pretty minimal.

I guess the half cage added a bit of weight, and the track temps were much higher last weekend as compared to my previous best, set during a November evening at Fall Finale. Also the Toyo RA-1's had half tread, at least to start the weekend. Perhaps I can come up with other excuses, like low blinker fluid.

Anyway, here's my best lap, a 1:28.36:


Here's an E30 spinning out:


I had a great time chasing one of the Spec3 guys around on Saturday:


On to Dominion at the end of July. TT check ride is scheduled.

[19Spec3]

These are still good, right?



Caliper rebuild kits, new pads, and new rotors on the way.

[darbyfam]

Summit Point Main - TrackDaze - July 2-3

I am a little disappointed with that level of improvement. I thought the Toyo RA-1's would be much stickier than my old Hankook RS3's, but the difference is pretty minimal.

I guess the half cage added a bit of weight, and the track temps were much higher last weekend as compared to my previous best, set during a November evening at Fall Finale. A

I have also been quite surprised at how much of a difference ambient temps make on times. Of course, I realize hot track = hot tires = affect on times, but it's been pretty enlightening to see times drop by 2 seconds a lap (on a 2:00 track) when temps drop 10 degrees.

[19Spec3]

July 23-24 - Dominion Raceway - NASA HPDE3

The new course looked terrifying in some of the videos I viewed previously. Now having driven the track, it is much less intimidating in person. The biggest issue was actually not barriers but dirt and rocks as the grass has not yet grown in. The main building is very nice and will make a great spot to have a beer after racing. When it's not a billion degrees out, the spotters deck on the roof is a great place to watch the races. One nitpick: I was hoping the food offerings would be a little better and more diverse in light of the size of the facility but it's pretty standard burgers / fries / fried stuff.

The track is a little tricky to learn but rewarding. You spend a lot of time in the middle of the track due to late apexes and crowning as opposed to the usual: start outside, apex inside, track out. Most of the curbing was too tall but that will likely be fixed. A couple braking zones (under the bridge before main straight, and top of the uphill esses) had rough pavement that made braking difficult and a bit unpredictable. All tracks have little issues like this and Dominion is just starting out. Overall, I was really impressed with both the track and facilities.

I recorded very few laps and had limited access to data because my iPhone consistently overheated and shut down. I could only get 1-5 laps out of it, even when I stored it in my cooler before each session. That was a bummer because I wanted to try different lines and compare lap times. Anyway, my fastest recorded lap was a 1:37.99. Neither awful nor great. I think the Spec3's put down a best in the low 1:36's.

Best Lap:


I passed my TT check-ride. Woohoo! I also got on the dyno and put down 183hp and 167tq in 100+ degree heat. Now I need to get a competition weight and figure out TT classing. Gah, that spreadsheet is confusing. One of the Spec3 guys ran in TTD previously so I assume that's where I will end up.







Best shot from Finishline Productions:



Next up, VIR on August 20-21.

[19Spec3]

I have been experiencing some vibration when I lift off the throttle, seemingly from the driveline. Long ago, I installed an aluminum front diff. bushing with a larger hole for an upgraded M14 bolt ... but I got lazy and used the smaller OEM bolt. So I finally got around to tapping the diff housing and installing a new M14 bolt. No test drive yet to determine if the bolt/bushing gap was the source of the vibration.

Tapping the diff housing to accommodate the larger bolt:


Stock bolt on the left, upgraded bolt on the right:

[19Spec3]

I finished up the differential front-mount work and ... the vibration is still there when I jump out of the gas. Not huge but noticeable. I guess the next thing to replace is the center support bearing.

This weekend I got around to many small projects.

1) Installed the Spec3 chip:


2) Changed out the spark plugs, old ones pictured:


3) Fixed my chipped windshield using Permatex 09103:


Never used the windshield repair stuff before; hopefully it holds up. I also replaced the VANOS line, oil filter housing gasket, and VANOS solenoid seal, plus new belts. Eventually the underside of the car will be a bit drier. Gave the car a loooong overdue washing, swapped to street pads/wheels, and mounted the Toyos on the roof. All ready for VIR next weekend!

[19Spec3]

8/21/16 - 8/22/16 -- VIR -- NASA -- HPDE3

I was really looking forward to my second visit to VIR. I opted to stick with DE3 rather than TT for more seat time. Things didn't go quite as planned.

The first session was black flagged when a Camaro lost its motor and dumped fluid all over T1. I think I got in 3 traffic-filled laps. The second session ended for me with the noisy death of my transmission. Due to traffic, I downshifted into 2nd entering Oak Tree. Then when I went to grab 3rd exiting Oak Tree, BOOM. At least it blew up at a relatively convenient spot on track.



Then began the mad scramble to find a spare trans. because I still drive this thing to and from the track and VIR is at least 5 hours south of home. One of the former Spec3 racers (though we're hopeful he'll return next year), who I had never even met, delivered a transmission to VIR from about 1.5 hours away. Incredible. I had a hell of a time getting the old transmission off because I'm a schmuck and forgot about the top starter bolt. Eventually one of the DriveGear E30 guys set me straight. Of course, it poured rain for couple minutes while we were working under the car and we got soaked. With a ton of help from the Spec3 guys, I got the new trans installed and everything buttoned up by 3AM Sunday morning. I had a victory beer and went to sleep looking forward to driving my first session on Sunday.

Sunday morning I dropped the car off the jack stands and pushed on the clutch pedal to start it. Clutch pedal was rock hard. A couple minutes later one of the Spec3 guys tells me that the throw-out bearing is still on the old trans. and he's pretty sure the new one didn't come with a throw-out bearing. Damnit. So the new trans. had to come out again. The second time around I managed to yank the new trans. and reinstall it between about 7:30am and 12:30pm.

Then, finally, success. I took a test drive around the paddock and got some high-fives along the way. The new transmission whines a little bit but it shifts much smoother than the old trans. I guess I had gotten used to crunching into 3rd and 5th. I was able to get out on track for my second-to-last session on Sunday before the rain returned and I headed home. I did forget to tighten my iPhone mount, though. Oops.



When I look back at the weekend objectively, it was utterly terrible. But somehow I have a fairly positive feeling about the whole thing, especially considering all of the amazing help and encouragement I received from the NASA guys. They really pulled together to help this idiot-in-need.

[Brake_L8]

When I look back at the weekend objectively, it was utterly terrible. But somehow I have a fairly positive feeling about the whole thing, especially considering all of the amazing help and encouragement I received from the NASA guys. They really pulled together to help this idiot-in-need.

And this is why it's the "NASA family" - everyone is willing to help when needed. Glad it all worked out for you! When will we see you in TT? I think your car will end up fitting nicely into #TeamTTD alongside the rest of us.

Time for a tow rig soon?

[19Spec3]

When will we see you in TT? I think your car will end up fitting nicely into #TeamTTD alongside the rest of us.

Time for a tow rig soon?

I'm doing other stuff the weekend of Dominion but maybe I'll sign up for TT at VIR in October and Summit Point in November. Trouble is, I never got the dyno operator to sign the dyno-reclass form. I figured I just needed the dyno sheet. So I can't get my dyno-reclass until I get on the dyno again.

I did get on the scales at VIR, though. 2,910 with driver (170lbs) and 3/4 tank of gas.

No tow rig just yet. First, roll cage this winter. Then maybe box truck and ramps.

[Brundell88]

Awesome build! Lots of info and Good motivation to get my project going to possibly hit the track next year!

[19Spec3]

The journey ends... Big crash at PittRace that will be the end of this car. I'll retrieve the car next weekend from the track and then figure out if I should be searching for a shell or a complete driver.



I chose to upload the whole lap because my mistakes start early in the esses (turns 7, 8, 9, and 10). Basically, I carry too much speed through the esses which takes me offline. I turn in for Turn 11 at about 2/3 width of the track, reducing the room available for track-out on exit. I also fail to recognize that I'm way off line and need to reduce speed. It becomes obvious that I won't stay on track so I straighten the wheel somewhat and get out of the gas. The grass was still damp from the morning dew and offers zero traction. I run basically parallel to the track for a bit with no throttle and very minimal steering angle to the right. The car doesn't change direction at all. As the track bends to the right, I go both feet in and yank the wheel to the right to avoid a head-on collision. Thankfully the tire barrier is pretty forgiving though it bounces the car partially back on track.The banging you hear is me hitting the shifter in an attempt to engage a gear and drive off track. The whole drivetrain shifted and the car is stuck in neutral. The shifter won't budge.

First, this is 100% my fault. Driver error, plain and simple. That said, I think some things contributed to this collision. The car was understeering and I was getting some vibration under braking. It just didn't feel right and I should have listened to the car and pulled off. This was my first time at the expanded Pitt-Race and probably my second time taking Turn 11 with any real speed. I missed the apex for Turn 11 in previous laps so it seemed, having hit the apex this time, I would have ample run-off room even with poor track positioning at turn-in. I wasn't accustomed to the weight of an instructor and I probably focused too much on his feedback and not enough on the upcoming corners.

That brings my last point. I took another human for a ride at 57mph into a tire barrier. That's unacceptable and I need to exercise a great deal more caution whenever I make it back to the track. Thankfully nobody was injured.

[hoki06]

Sorry to see this, Sean. Unfortunately I feel your pain. It sucks but cars can be replaced and you had the proper safety equipment to keep you safe.

[TXBDan]

Sorry, dude. I've been there as well and it no fun. If its any consolation, it looks like you did the right things while exiting the track and did the best you could with the situation.

In my opinion, the instructor had a bit of verbal diarrhea. That was way more feedback that can be digested in real time while driving at the limit. That would surely distract me. In fact, it was distracting me from even focusing on your driving in the vid. I'd forward the clip to the Chief Instructor to be used as a lesson for both drivers and instructors.

Good luck with the rebuild.

[poweredbyg60]

sorry. good safety everyones ok. as said nice flick to get it sideways. way better then front.

not to rub salt or anything, i would like to ask your feeling on the spec3 chip?
i have one ready for my 95-325i w/ bimmer race exhaust. supposed to be ideal for non-cat.
if i had torx at track i would have swapped this past weekend to feel before and after on same day.

[19Spec3]

Thanks guys. I have a line on a couple potential donors so the rebuild will hopefully begin soon.

The Spec3 chip doesn't do a whole lot power wise. I was hoping to do a before and after on the dyno but that's not going to happen. The main benefit is that it removes the top speed limiter (130mph), which I managed to hit at Pocono. If you want more power, there are probably better chips available. I'm sure the guys at Bimmerworld could give you more info on what the chip does and does not do. Just give them a call.

[poweredbyg60]

i spoke and purchased it from BW. they didn't have any figures of power or anything what he said on phone. nor anywhere on the internet.
but its tuned for race and catless applications. even other chips 15-20 hp not like a turbo add on.

[darbyfam]

Sorry to see this. You can see from this thread that allot of hard work and sweat equity went into this car. Hope you get back soon.

[doktor b]

damn dude.
glad you're ok. but i'm with you 100% about crashing with a passenger. i went for a night run at the Tail of the Dragon a few years ago and out-drove my headlights. mis-judged a super hard left turn and went off the right side. (passenger side)
my only concern was my passenger and his was my car. (funny how things play out when no one gets hurt.)

[19Spec3]

Rollbar now out of the car and for sale. $600 obo picked up in 20895. More info in the FS thread:

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...51-E36-Rollbar

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