E30 noob rally build/rallyx
Posted by paperpaper
Dan Downey Junior Moderator Location: Franklin, MA Join Date: 02/24/2014 Age: Settling Down Posts: 28 Rally Car: e30 |
John Vanlandingham Infallible Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Dan Downey Junior Moderator Location: Franklin, MA Join Date: 02/24/2014 Age: Settling Down Posts: 28 Rally Car: e30 |
Andrew Steere Professional Moderator Location: South Central Nude Hamster Join Date: 12/29/2005 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 2,008 Rally Car: too rich for my blood, share a LeMons car |
Uh, oh. Masshole! 
If you need E30 bits, I know a LeMons team a few miles from my house (they're in Wilton, NH), and one of my neighbor's sons are often beating around with E30s. As long as you're not an inverted porcupine, things could be worse. 
Welcome! Andrew Steere Lyndeborough, NH KB1PJY |
Dan Downey Junior Moderator Location: Franklin, MA Join Date: 02/24/2014 Age: Settling Down Posts: 28 Rally Car: e30 |
Yes Masshole haha. I think i have most of the bits just need to get them all fitted together and working. although I did snap my shift carrier right in half getting the engine in. :O but it would be great to meet with people who know what they are doing with these cars so I can have something over internet research lol and thanks! |
John Vanlandingham Infallible Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Dan! See that guy above, Andrew? Yeah Andrew.. Pay attention to him, he's not half as dumb as he...wait..wait
He ain't half done. er Dumb.. not dumb.. Pay attention to his comments...he knows how to do things wrong! I know him well and he thinks good.. And I am in debt to him forever from the time I was living in MA. For Grass-o-cross tires and some kind of fresh but supple suspension and maybe---just had this thought---double up the bump rubbers. That is all you need. well a stiff LSD Stage rally be faithful to RWD anyway...  Maybe someting with a better motor for a privateer to run and $omething that mod$ are ea$ier, e$pecially mod$ for the thing$ that make a rally car a rally car..John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2014 07:29PM by john vanlandingham. |
Andrew Steere Professional Moderator Location: South Central Nude Hamster Join Date: 12/29/2005 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 2,008 Rally Car: too rich for my blood, share a LeMons car |
If you're doing the grass/mud/dirt autocross thing with it, what John said. Get fresh bushings/balljoints/tie rods in it, then probably something like regular Bilsteins and springs that are stock-ish or maybe even a little softer. With the low-speed stuff, you want the car to be able to transfer weight easily.
Another good resource is the How to Prepare the Ford Sierra for Motorsport that Ford put out eons ago. They put the damn spring rates they used on works cars in different rallies in the book. For my LeMons car, I figured the "fast gravel" setup from Finland would be versatile enough for my purposes, so I cribbed it as best I could with parts I had "in stock" and I'll be damned if the car doesn't go around NHMS pretty damn good for a (pretty legit, we nuked the engine and our spare is cheaty, but very much very used) legit $500 shitbox! I would look for the spring rates for a rougher rally that tend toward the softer side and go that way. The reality is, for what you're going to do (NER rallycross), the best thing you can do is get one compliant setup with alignment settings as close to stock as possible, then beat the snot out of the thing for a year and DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE SUSPENSION THAT DOESN'T BREAK. We ALL suck at driving, so figure out how to get the most out of a base setup before messing with it. Which is why cribbing something from a known good source is the best place to start. Ford Motorsport rally is a better source than BMWFAPFORUMS.com. OK, time to go watch the dramatic reenactment of our government that is House of Cards.  Andrew Steere Lyndeborough, NH KB1PJY |
Dan Downey Junior Moderator Location: Franklin, MA Join Date: 02/24/2014 Age: Settling Down Posts: 28 Rally Car: e30 |
John Vanlandingham Infallible Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
See? I told ya Andrew was an astute dood.
And your idea of searching for someplace to try out things is a good idea..even if you ghave to drive a bit but I never found anything when I was out there.. Tried Miles Standish State Forest over by Plymouth but it was kinda jeeped out all walloy and there were signs of lotsa mountain bikes and they would be no fun to squish one of them. Hey one thing you might try! I'm not so familar with the details of those Bayerisch Schrott Wagens braking systemm, Seems like some snooty Beemers did what Ford did on the Xratties and cheap out on rear brakes and they put drums on the rear...don't know if that's the case, but on Xratties with drums they have some goof ball "bias limiter goof ball" (a steel ball that rolls forward on nose pitchin down when you brake abnd limits rear brakes) But look and read.. If there is a limiter, by-pass it...Your front caliper pistons are only 48mm, and rear are 33....both too small for my taste (My 1969 Saab had 50,8mm pistons and discs about the same size---and weighs around 800lbs less---dont feel bad the 96 brakes are larger diameter than stock Xratty brakes and they weigh stock almost as much as your BeEm) But whatever they are ultimately that rear caliper is SMALL so if there is a limiter, get rid of it... also I thing those things use some surplus moped brake shoes in a vain effort to have something that might just maybe hold the car on a level road when parking...but which will probably burst into flames if you yank on the lever for having fun.... Some though might be given to something that will actually maybe work---like hydraulic rear caliper actuation...and maybe even caliper replacement with something neared ro 38mm.. Just for fun and all---teee heeee!!! John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
Andrew Steere Professional Moderator Location: South Central Nude Hamster Join Date: 12/29/2005 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 2,008 Rally Car: too rich for my blood, share a LeMons car |
Dan Downey Junior Moderator Location: Franklin, MA Join Date: 02/24/2014 Age: Settling Down Posts: 28 Rally Car: e30 |
John Vanlandingham Infallible Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
A.J. Johnson Professional Moderator Location: Pendleton OR Join Date: 01/07/2011 Age: Settling Down Posts: 1,381 Rally Car: 88 Audi 80 |
Dan Downey Junior Moderator Location: Franklin, MA Join Date: 02/24/2014 Age: Settling Down Posts: 28 Rally Car: e30 |
Wanted to update all of you on the progress oh the past year. Car has been running and racing since April last year. Rallyx'es, hillclimbs, autox. Working its butte off to make the driver better while I make it better. Come to find it has Billly bob HD's in it already and set out replacing every rubber bushing there is, Nice thick skid plate, tires, stripping out unnecessary items, and recently refreshed the diff clutch packs. Going well and cant wait to use the gravels I acquired over this winter. Just hopefully the snow has melted and its dry enough for me to try them here is a thread over on Grassroots Motorsport for you to peruse because I am to lazy to cross post.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/1987-bmw-325is-e30-rallyx-build/99532/page1/#post1767199 
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Dan Downey Junior Moderator Location: Franklin, MA Join Date: 02/24/2014 Age: Settling Down Posts: 28 Rally Car: e30 |
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