Z3 Wide Body

[Pat Gautier]

My dream is to find a builder m and do this some day. Just for a toy. Thanx for sharing the experience.

[BenFenner]

I check back here occasionally and it is like Christmas.

[kristap]

Any progress to share?

[zmpete]

Great read, quality work..
any updates..

[Calaway16]

Folks,

I've taken a bit of a hiatus while graduating from college and starting a new job. I'm getting back at it as I write this. I will post photos of the finished product.

As far as selling body parts. Absolutely not. Supporting customers through their install and getting their kits to fit would be an absolute nightmare. I'll leave that to the pros.

Anyway, I really do appreciate the interest and the patience as I took a bit of a break. I've never been more eager to get on track.

[jaydickey]

Thanks so much for documenting this build. I have a 2000 M-Coupe that I have been using for a DE for the past 2 years. I think that next year's season will be the last that I am going to keep the car street legal and move on to trailering it to events. It has been so hard to find any vendor that supplies a solid aero kit for the Z3M.

Can you let me know what model of the APR wing you are using? I am addressing the oil and water cooling this off season, but aero is going to be next on the list.

[robb1887]

bump for updates... cant believe I just read through all that...




wait, yes i can

[Calaway16]

Nice timing! Here are some photos of the front bumper and one of the side-skirts being molded. My dad is coming to visit this weekend and our plan is to make the mold of the hood.... Going to be a pretty major project and a looooong weekend...

[robb1887]

You out towards Tech? I might have to hit you up to check this thing out in person. My girl graduated from Tech and we head up that way a few times a year usually.

[ckpitt55]

Dear god this is tremendous.

You've got talent, Nick. Subscribed for progress.

[Calaway16]

Yeah I'm about 1.5 miles from campus. Let me know if you're in town.

Thanks for the kind words!

Working on the hood:

[jbrannon7]

If you can make a good fiberglass hood you can make some good money, so many have tried and failed.

[Gofast]

If you can make a good fiberglass hood you can make some good money, so many have tried and failed.

+1
If you make a solid CFRP hood with a quality fit, the Z3 community will beat a path to your door.

[Trunkless M]

Just a thought on monetizing: I totally understand not wanting to deal with customers, especially on an application like this, but you could license your molds/design to a reseller and let them deal with production/fitment/shipping/customer service.

Just build in a clause that says you get to make as many reproductions as you want for your own use. Or hell, once they start building it in quantity, part of the deal could be that you get as many free panels as you need.

[stonea]

^ I like this idea. Maybe DTM Fiberwerkz would do something like this. I know they are pretty active in the e30 world or at least on r3v

[BenFenner]

Updates? Too cold to be doing anything?

[Leon635]

Absolutly stunning build, the vent out threw the hood is very interesting, i wonder that the engine and other components doesnt run hot, because theres no airflow...

[osborni]

Tracked z3s will run 10-20*F hotter than equivalent e36s. The engine bay cooling isn't as good. So hood vents, done well, will help a lot.

[Calaway16]

Just so you know that I'm still alive and am still working...

Here are some photos of the rear bumper getting mounted and the hood mold off the car. Please do forgive the unscientific means by which the bumper is held in place.

The hood mold has several dozen hours invested. I increased the stiffness with two inches of foam and two MDF ribs that allow it to sit nice and flat and steady on the floor. In all I used 7 layers of chopped strand fiberglass mat (approximately 1/8" thick) - 5 layers + 2 layers over the foam and ribs. The MDF absorbs a lot of resin which is why the glass didn't wet out. The mold weighs quite a bit but it is unbelievably stiff.

My goal was (and still is, really) to have the car finished in time to race the first week of April at VIR. That is looking very unlikely. Fortunately I think I have alternative arrangements so I'll still be able to participate.

[FastAlpine]

Love this build and the tremendous attention to detail! Can't wait to see the finished product and the car ripping around on the track.

[BenFenner]

You must let us know when this thing makes it to VIR or other tracks further South. I'd love to see this in person.

[robb1887]

I may be out in the blacksburg area in June I'd love to come check this beast out.

- - - Updated - - -

I may be out in the blacksburg area in June I'd love to come check this beast out.

[Stormy2]

Nice timing! Here are some photos of the front bumper and one of the side-skirts being molded. My dad is coming to visit this weekend and our plan is to make the mold of the hood.... Going to be a pretty major project and a looooong weekend...

Hello,
Looking at the cloth you are putting on the front bumper, it looks very flexible.
Can you tell me the thickness of the cloth? I don't know in the US, but here it is always mentioned in grams per sq meter.
How many layers did you put on? Knowing how strong it is now, would you make it stronger/less strong if you would make an other one?

Thanks for the information,
Koen Delvaux
Belgium

[dmw16]

Hello,
Looking at the cloth you are putting on the front bumper, it looks very flexible.
Can you tell me the thickness of the cloth? I don't know in the US, but here it is always mentioned in grams per sq meter.
How many layers did you put on? Knowing how strong it is now, would you make it stronger/less strong if you would make an other one?

Thanks for the information,
Koen Delvaux
Belgium

The cloth looks like it lays down pretty easily, but that's not a real reflection of it's strength. It looks fairly thick so between that and the curvature present on most car body panels you really wouldn't need many plies to have a pretty stiff part.

[Stormy2]

The cloth looks like it lays down pretty easily, but that's not a real reflection of it's strength. It looks fairly thick so between that and the curvature present on most car body panels you really wouldn't need many plies to have a pretty stiff part.

I do understand the strength of the finished piece is not at all reflected by the flexibility of the cloth before applying the resin.
Myself, I use more strands of fiber instead of cloth.
I normally use 225, 330 & 450 gr/m² sheets : my pieces are normally done in a 225gr first, then 2x330 when it is a complex piece or 1x450 when it is flat and easy)
My sheets of strands of fiber look less flexible than this cloth (I mean comparing them both before applying resin).
When applying resin mine is also very flexible, but being flexible before applying resin can be more comfortable to work with.

This is the reason for which I would like to know the thickness of this sheet.
I want to make sure I'm not comparing 450 gr/m² strand to 225gr/m² cloth.
Maybe I should work more with cloth too.

Thanks for the info,
Koen