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Thread: NASA Spec3 Build v2.0

  1. #51
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    oh wow, looks like might have been to much car for the driver lol. Did you have a nice talk to him after the session? I have always went by "hold your line and the passing car is responsible for passing you safely." but also i wouldn't trust most drivers to pass in such an area on track. I would have gave them a point by after the esses or once we were on a straight(er) section.

  2. #52
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    I haven't been on the track for many years now and maybe things have changed, but IMHO if you give someone the point by, they SHOULD NOT have to work to make the pass. You should have stayed out of the throttle until they were cleanly past.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by jakermac View Post
    I haven't been on the track for many years now and maybe things have changed, but IMHO if you give someone the point by, they SHOULD NOT have to work to make the pass. You should have stayed out of the throttle until they were cleanly past.
    I understand where you’re coming from but I don’t thing you should have to go out of your way and off of your line for the passing car to pass you. He gave him a point by on the left and the McLaren driver should have stayed to his left knowing the other car was literally next to him. And that’s what mirrors are for also lol. Especially since HPDE4 and not HPDE1.

  4. #54
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    I'm not talking lines here, just that getting back on the gas so soon is only going to make things difficult for the passing car. Let them get all the way by you before getting back on the gas.

  5. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by jakermac View Post
    I haven't been on the track for many years now and maybe things have changed, but IMHO if you give someone the point by, they SHOULD NOT have to work to make the pass. You should have stayed out of the throttle until they were cleanly past.
    Negatory, it is the passer's responsibility to safely take, execute and complete the pass. The passee is under no obligation to do anything except maintain a predictable line. It is certainly an appreciated courtesy to lift, but it's not a requirement. In this case the mclaren failed to SAFELY complete the pass since didn't leave space.

  6. #56
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    Thanks for the input guys. I think we probably share in responsibility for what was thankfully, not a huge deal.

    Now, on to more fun things: Spec3 promo video!

    NASA Spec3 had a healthy field of 10 cars at VIR a couple weekends ago plus 3 fully-prepped cars in HPDE4 and 1 fully-prepped car in HPDE3. We're hoping for fields of 15+ in 2018. Close racing, comparatively low cost to build and for consumables, and great camaraderie.



    Last edited by OCRentAPopo; 10-20-2017 at 09:41 AM.

  7. #57
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    RTD Shifter - I have shifter envy. Meant to stop by @VIR to take a look.

  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by SamN View Post
    RTD Shifter - I have shifter envy. Meant to stop by @VIR to take a look.
    Come check it out at Summit Point November 11-12.

  9. #59
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    Sean - 2:16's?! You need to slow down! BTW, the 2:17.5 was #81.

    Quote Originally Posted by OCRentAPopo View Post
    I had an absolute blast at VIR. Again there were three of us in Spec3 cars running HPDE4. We gridded together and drank way too much together on Saturday night. Great times. I finally feel like I understand the track and generally where my shift and brake points need to be. Whether I execute those things is still inconsistent. I posted a new personal best by nearly two seconds at 2:16.44 which is approaching decentish. I think my biggest weakness is T1 followed by Oak Tree. I can also brake much later into T14 at the top of Roller Coaster.



    If 2:16.44 were my qualifying time, I would have been a theoretical 8th out of 11. The Spec3 qualifying times are listed below:

    1. 2:13.8
    2. 2:14.3
    3. 2:14.8
    4. 2:14.9
    5. 2:15.5
    6. 2:15.7
    7. 2:15.9
    8. 2:17.5
    9. 2:18.9
    10. 2:35.9

    Now, forumfolk, let's play the game of "Who is the Jerkwad!?" I gave this McLaren a point-by to my left as we entered the uphill esses. I also lifted to allow him to take that pass. I got on the gas just before and as the McLaren was passing, assuming we'd go side-by-side through the first apex. Maybe my getting back on the gas surprised him? Then he took the first apex away from me forcing me off-track at about 90mph in the uphill esses. Not cool. I tend to think the McLaren should have given me room but I dunno. Input welcome. See 6:05 of this video:

    Last edited by SamN; 10-19-2017 at 12:55 PM.

  10. #60
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    P.S. - Ok, so you are faster than me but... @Oak Tree good job under braking, turn-in (could make a slightly bigger arc to outside apex) but turn-in is a tad early which delays WOT onto the straight. I do the same. Watch Jon M's video and you'll see what I mean.
    Last edited by SamN; 10-19-2017 at 01:48 PM.

  11. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by SamN View Post
    @Oak Tree good job under braking, turn-in (could make a slightly bigger arc to outside apex) but turn-in is a tad early which delays WOT onto the straight. I do the same. Watch Jon M's video and you'll see what I mean.
    Wholehearted agreement -- and I appreciate the feedback! I need to find a reference point under braking past the first "apex" so I don't move to the right too much or too soon. Trouble is, there's really nothing remarkable there -- just some trees and the outside edge of the track isn't visible until you're basically there. It'll just take focus and repetition. I started forcing myself to focus on the outside flagger for turn-in to Oak Tree rather than the inside curbing -- that helped me to (mostly) stop bashing the inside curb at apex.

  12. #62
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    Goodnight, 2017 season. One last hurrah at Summit Point with some frigid temps and new pavement. This was the first time at Summit Point on decent tires and my first time back since July of 2016. We originally had six Spec3 cars signed up for a mixture of TT and HPDE but a couple guys dropped out late leaving four of us.

    I set a new personal best of 1:25.8 -- dropping 2.5 seconds off my previous best of 1:28.3. I assume my driving is somewhat better but I think that's mostly due to low temps, better car setup, and, most of all, new pavement. Perhaps most importantly, I posted the second quickest time of the weekend for a Spec3 and was only two tenths slower than one of the quicker Spec3 racers.



    I never quite figured out where to shift between T7 and T9. I think I can shift between T8 and T9 but the car feels a bit unsettled there and it was much easier to keep my right foot planted in 4th gear if I upshifted a bit earlier -- essentially at the apex of T8. I suspect the correct point is between T8 and T9 but I'll have to work up to that.

    Now it's time for off-season projects with the goal of NASA competition school in March at VIR.

    Stuff I Absolutely Need:
    1) New in-date belts
    2) Mount fire extinguisher
    3) Kill switch
    4) Transponder
    5) Seatback brace
    6) Harness guide collars
    7) Replace wheel studs
    8) Vinyl
    9) 2014+ X5 diesel
    10) Open trailer

    Stuff I Should Do:
    1) Lose 80 pounds
    2) Power steering lines
    3) Rear main seal
    4) Transmission seals
    5) Low temp. thermostat
    6) Coolant expansion tank
    7) Thin chassis wiring

  13. #63
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    Knocked out a couple minor things over the weekend:

    Skateboard grip tape for my feet:
    IMG_1767[1].jpg

    Completed install of the seatback brace by drilling through the seat and adding bolts:
    IMG_1766[1].jpg

    Many larger projects await while I yank the rear subframe of my daily Z3MCoupe.

  14. #64
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    The daily driver is back in one piece so it's time to turn my attention back to the Spec3.

    Yanked the transmission (for what feels like the thousandth time) for a bunch of new seals. Everybody, do yourself a favor and get some wobble extensions. They make access to those top bolts incredibly easy.

    IMG_1792.jpg

    Soon the car will have new:
    Rear main seal
    Input shaft seal
    Selector shaft seal
    Pilot bearing
    Throwout bearing

    Also, the front driver's side caliper spontaneously started leaking brake fluid everywhere.

    IMG_1791.jpg

    Turns out that the braided line backed out a bit from the caliper. I tightened it down and it seems that fixed the leak. Odd that it backed out in the first place, but I guess I can't complain about a simple fix. The front calipers will get rebuilt this off-season anyway.
    Last edited by OCRentAPopo; 01-16-2018 at 05:51 PM.

  15. #65
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    Looks good. Hope to make it out to VIR and Summit this year since NASA isn't going to be at Dominion this year.

  16. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by GG Emerican View Post
    Looks good. Hope to make it out to VIR and Summit this year since NASA isn't going to be at Dominion this year.
    Thanks, GG. I hope you're there in a sweet camper van.



    Today's project was filling the big hole in the transmission tunnel where the RTD Shifter goes through. The stock rubber boot interferes with it big time:

    IMG_1809[1].jpg

    So, I trimmed off this piece to avoid interference with the upper part of the shifter:
    IMG_1811[1].jpg

    And also this piece to avoid interference with the bottom part of the shifter, where the selector rod goes through:
    IMG_1810[1].jpg

    Then install the boot up-side-down:
    IMG_1815[1].jpg

    It interferes a bit with the selector rod but I'm hoping that won't matter much when the transmission is re-installed. I'll update when the car is back together.
    IMG_1818[1].jpg

    UPDATE: The car is mostly back together and the boot does not interfere with the shifter. The three M8 mounting bolts I bought were too long but that was simple enough to fix.
    Last edited by OCRentAPopo; 02-07-2018 at 11:48 AM.

  17. #67
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    Not quite part of the "build" per se, but it's a huge step forward in racing preparation. We purchased a 2015 X5 diesel with rear air suspension and more electronics than the International Space Station. The hitch from Stealth Hitches should arrive tomorrow and I'll install in the next couple weeks. It'll be so nice to not wear ear plugs for the 6-hour drive to and from VIR.

    X5d Front.jpg

    X5d Rear.jpg

    X5d Interior.jpg

    So, I am now hunting for an open steel trailer, preferably with an open center portion and ideally with a tire rack up front. Please PM with any leads. Thanks!
    Last edited by OCRentAPopo; 02-01-2018 at 12:31 PM.

  18. #68
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    After a couple failed attempts at fixing my power steering leaks, I pulled the trigger on a Bimmerworld kit with AN fittings. It's pricey at $350 but I really hope this is the last time I'll need to think about power steering. Fair warning, installation of the new reservoir requires some fabrication and/or drilling of the passenger side wheel well.

    IMG_1871.jpg

    I also yanked the fog lights and installed blanks with zip ties to keep them in place.

    IMG_1872.jpg

    IMG_1873.jpg

    Then I pulled the passenger seat and installed a fire extinguisher onto a spare seat mount. I used a quick-release mount by Allstar Performance (available on Amazon) that can also be mounted to the rollcage tubing. Eventually, this seat mount will be used to mount ballast and/or cool suit.

    IMG_1874.jpg

    IMG_1875.jpg

    New Schroth harness and transponder are on the way from Winding Road!

    46 days and 6 weekends until Competition School.
    Last edited by OCRentAPopo; 02-05-2018 at 01:24 PM.

  19. #69
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    Subscribed.

    Strong effort my friend. You remind me of when I was starting out.

    Any idea what the springs and bars are? Is there a Spec E36 parts list somewhere?

    Keep going man.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Also, I had the BW PS steering kit too - I removed the PS so I no longer need it.

    Anyway, the hole drilling for the res is a no-brainer. Don't sweat it; it's easy.
    2002 BMW M Roaster.
    1998 BMW 328is SCCA E Production road racer.

  20. #70
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    Thanks, ComZ. I owe this thread an update -- maybe tonight. The BW power steering kit is installed and it was easy peasy.

    I dunno about that other vaaaaastly inferior BMWCCA series SpecE36, but the most excellent NASA series, Spec3, runs Swift Springs, Koni inserts, and Eibach 2033.32 swaybars. The Spec3 rules are available here.

    I'm curious about the power steering delete. It's legal in Spec3 but I don't know of anybody that has done it. How do you like it? Do you just run something like the Garagistic block-off plate? Lopping some weight, parasitic drag, and heat off the front of the engine would be nice.
    Last edited by OCRentAPopo; 02-28-2018 at 02:00 PM.

  21. #71
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    It's a racecar! Big thanks goes to Musab over at RevTech Performance for pushing the car over the finish line to a log book. He wired up the transponder and kill switch and took care of the logistics of getting the logbook before competition school. I try to do most of the work myself (because I'm cheap) but it's very nice to know that skilled and knowledgeable help is available when I lack the time or skills.

    IMG_1913.JPG

    IMG_1914.JPG

    IMG_1915.JPG

    IMG_1916.JPG

    IMG_1936.JPG

  22. #72
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    The final project was installation of a Lifeline rain light per the newly revised NASA MidAtlantic regional rules. This thing is BRIGHT!

    IMG_1935.JPG

    I sure am glad I did, because VIR looked like this on Sunday morning:

    IMG_1944.JPG

    After I passed competition school on Friday, the Spec3 knuckleheads improved my livery with copious orange tape and a big picture of a creamsicle to match my orange/white color scheme. Hilarious. I plan to keep the creamsicle for the whole season.

    IMG_1941.JPG

    Harry's Lap Timer failed miserably most of the weekend so I don't have much video. On Saturday I qualified 6th of 9 cars with a slow 2:17.0. Lesson learned, get to false grid on time or you'll be stuck in traffic for the whole session. During the Saturday race I took the outside line through T1 and encountered a bunch of traffic due to a spinning Honda. I think everybody made it through without contact but I dropped to 8th as cars on the inside drove on by. I had a great battle with Joey for several laps and essentially hooked my front bumper to his rear bumper. I believe it was during that battle that I set a new personal best lap time, a 2:14.4. That's an improvement of just over 2 seconds. Then I spun under braking into Oak Tree because my flaky ABS stopped working, and I flat-spotted the front left tire down to the cords. No contact and I was able to run down one of my competitors on the last lap for a 6th place finish:



    Sunday qualifying was cancelled due to snow and fog so we used lap times from the Saturday race to grid up. My 2:14.4 was only good enough for 7th on grid with the leader putting down a 2:12.6. I got a nice start in the Sunday Race and probably would have gained a couple positions but I got on the gas too hard exiting T1 and had a big tank slapper. Very lucky my competitors managed to avoid me. I regained two positions before a Full Course Yellow gathered the field behind the pace car. I had just caught up to a couple Spec3 cars battling for 4th when I had to bail into the mud to avoid a spinning car. Everybody passed me while I was off in the mud and my race was essentially over. Finished 6th of 9:



    Great weekend overall and I can't wait for Summit Point in a month. Before that I need to:

    1) Fix my ABS
    2) Install more mirrors
    3) Install a low-temp thermostat
    4) Get an alignment
    Last edited by OCRentAPopo; 03-29-2018 at 12:25 PM.

  23. #73
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    I also have the bimmerworld power steering kit on my e36. I’m curious as to where you mounted the reservoir, can you post a oic of that?

  24. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by denvercoutu View Post
    I also have the bimmerworld power steering kit on my e36. I’m curious as to where you mounted the reservoir, can you post a oic of that?
    Drill a couple holes through the front passenger side wheel-well to mount the tank. The down-side is that the tank is at an angle. I overfilled the fluid a bit and it leaked out the cap. A couple minutes with the turkey baster and all was fixed. The towel is just there for insurance now.

    IMG_1960[1].jpg

  25. #75
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    I see. I had a bracket welded to the stut tower for mine

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