E36 M42 Build

Watch your attachment point on main hoop for the door X. Less than half height of the door.
I'd lower the front part of the X also myself, makes it easier to get in and out of the car. Personal preference.
How planning to get full weld around the sill bar and bottom of main hoop X?
Roof bar - I prefer a V in the roof over an X. A little better clearance and then don't have to gusset them.

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Grant Hughes

Im not installing the cage, somebody else is. Its also a CustomCage so I imagine he is just going off the pictures that come with it. I agree the side X would be nice a bit lower, but oh well...im young haha

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Be excellent to each other

looks like you got non-FIA clubman cage.
Why not get FIA certified cage its 400 pounds more expensive but its welded into front shock towers and make car much more rigid longitudinally
I thought that is what you getting based on your early post
Also this cage has to be moved forward. You have three finger gap between front pillar assembly



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2017 04:05PM by lelikmed.

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Da_Elderly
Im not installing the cage, somebody else is. Its also a CustomCage so I imagine he is just going off the pictures that come with it. I agree the side X would be nice a bit lower, but oh well...im young haha

Ah, gotcha. Yep, can't modify a homologated cage!

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Grant Hughes

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lelikmed
Why not get FIA certified cage its 400 pounds more expensive but its welded into front shock towers and make car much more rigid longitudinally

The beauty and goal of racing a car like the BMW is to be able to crash it and replace it. It was rather nice having a spare car 85% done sitting at the shop while racing this whole year.
I've paid $500-1200 for any of my BMWs.

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Grant Hughes

The beauty and goal of racing a car like the BMW is to be able to crash it and replace it. It was rather nice having a spare car 85% done sitting at the shop while racing this whole year.
I've paid $500-1200 for any of my BMWs.[/quote]

Well I'd like to see you keep replacing crashed BMW after BMW and keep paying someone to build it and build it again. Guys like him most likely have to pay someone to do it.
You don't build with intention to crash it.
But it's the level of monetary involvement that everyone has different expectations.
I decided against building it from the beginning. It's just 20k for what I want including labor cost, materials, equipment and a car itself (even if its $500).
For cheap fun cars like BMW I think better just buy a build car and add equipment that you like. Crash it , buy another build car, transfer your equipment again.

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lelikmed
But it's the level of monetary involvement that everyone has different expectations.
I decided against building it from the beginning. It's just 20k for what I want including labor cost, materials, equipment and a car itself (even if its $500).
For cheap fun cars like BMW I think better just buy a build car and add equipment that you like. Crash it , buy another build car, transfer your equipment again.

The funny thing is that there is a very capable and affordable BMW for sale for months that no one has bought yet. Dave Kern's 328is.
I sat down back in 2004 or so and looked at what it would cost me to build a winning car. Something that I could build and the driver would be the limiting factor. RWD wins that formula everytime with a top car being in the $20-30k range depending upon how much you have to do yourself. AWD for Open class you really need at least $50k if you want a winning car (excluding the SRTUSA ridiculous cars.) Then you run the risk of being like that one Brit that last anyone saw of him was bawling tears in a porta potty after his brand new full spec STI was completely written off on the first day of it's first rally.
I eventually decided that top spec was stupid, sold that shit off and built a BMW as cheaply and low spec as I could. At this point with 24 hours of track racing and 220+ miles of gravel races I have gotten my money's worth and could easily walk away from the car.
$5k or so to build a new or second shell is not too absurd for most rallyists. It's when you pay someone to basically do everything that it gets really expensive.

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Grant Hughes

I contacted Dave Kern. He has a very nice car indeed and good package with it. I would have bought it right away. Just need replace his shocks with Reigers, winged seats, Stylo intercom and pedal box....but he is CO. I'm in NY. Would cost me 2k to have it shipped here. So I'm looking locally.

Alright, its been a while and the cage is like 99% done! Just awaiting custom cages for the FIA certs. Here are some pics.

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Be excellent to each other

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Da_Elderly

OMG... that loom.

This is why I like carburetors...

Update:

Cage is done. Threads are installed for HDPE. 1/4" 5052 skid plate is installed. Stuck axle is now free. Wiring is uhhhh.....ummmm...."in progress"

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Be excellent to each other

Dear lord...
That picture is why I leave all wiring in these cars alone.
Five weeks to go!

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Grant Hughes

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NoCoast
Five weeks to go!

No pressure or anything, ha.

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Be excellent to each other

Okay. Time of writing until 100aw 2017 is 17D 12H 55M 42S.

So this progress report there has been more work done! still got lots to do but the tasks at hand are small with one exception. The fuse box. ANYWHO lets not worry about that right now!

So I picked up the car from the cage builder and towed it back home.



Here it is unloaded ready for more molestation.



EBC yellowstuff front pads and new rotors are on.



So upon connecting all the wires together, I found out the car wouldnt even crank. My heart legit fell through the floor. Deep down I knew it was too much of a hassle and too much time to fix this problem. I would cost me the race. So I spend a day just kinda staring at it hoping it would fix itself. I went back to school for week and researched about the bmw ews system. I was reading all the depenancies to start the car. I was like, I cut so many wires, might as well just throw the car away. I then watched a video where this dude pulled a green wire from the key insertion doohickey. I was like "Hey! I have one of those dangling too!" I couldnt wait to get home and try it!! I waited all week long just to drive two hours back to the car to realize my wire was plugged in......I was so looking forward to the car just firing right up. Defeated, I went and ate food. After, I went back out and just stared at my dead car that wouldnt race a day in its life. But then!!!!


I went back and noticed THE OTHER end of the green wire was disconnected. I found where it connects and tratratratratratra-wub wub-vroom-bang-pop-crackle-brap-brap-brap. IT STARTED! IM STILL IN IT BABY!!!!

start-up sound: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNFa6JtBAJ9/

Now that the car started, it was time to work on it again. The fun part, ha. First order of business? add motor mounts and remove the old mot....uhm pieces of rubber.




Lexan windows install




30" light bar



cool photo of the resting beast name 'Evangeline'



HDPE mock up template



So I might not get around to painting the rollcage and I am very sad to tell you fine folks that no logbooker people exist in Texas. Therefore I am forced to get it at the event due to every weekend being needed. This is by far the least favorite part as I could have the car ready to go and it not race due to a failed logbook. It should pass fine especially with the certificate from CustomCages. But yeah. I doubt they want a painted cage they havent inspected, so it will have to go in raw most likely. I mean, I might could just paint everything but the welds! Ha, i might do that. idk yet. Time is closing fast. Ill be back at it next weekend to try and wrap things up.

I hope to see some of you guys at the event! please come say hello!

Ill post one final update before the event with completed pictures and maybe some totally legal testing photos

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Be excellent to each other

I love everything on this build, and wish you the best of luck. But oh, that light bar... Could you not mount it closer to the leading edge of the hood? It just looks so out of place, there. Functional, not tacky; don't get me wrong. But aarrgghh... The Bimmer gods will be angry.

Good luck at 100AW.