Keep everyone up to date with how your project is coming along.
= Resolved threads
My current build is a 99 e46 323i sedan that I bought stock, unregistered for $1500 with plans to get into motorsport starting in time attack.
Motor racing was something I wanted to get into many years ago and had tried getting apprenticeship within motorsport with no luck. After my full time job I would go to a motor racing shop for the rest of the evening where I would sweep floors, arrange parts, move cars hoping to get that apprenticeship. It never came about and went a different career path.
Fast forward to after getting married and having kids. It took a cancer scare involving a major operation to remove it to step back and look at my life and realise I can't die without giving motorsport a shot. So I sold my toys and set about making it happen.
The BMW became the choice due to RWD and 50/50 weight distribution.
I started by removing weight, adding coilovers, short shifter, seat, steering wheel, harness, race radiator and a L.S.D.
Made my own metal brake out of some old angle iron and gate hinges, then proceeded to make my own door cards, foot well, dead pedal, heat shield and console delete panels. See pics
Then took it to the track for the first time, not just the car but for me also. From here I knew what improvements needed to be made.
I had also with the the above pics sent them to a race shop and was able to secure a few hours, 1 to 2 days a week after work volunteering. My first time there I was told "you are going to learn how to tig".He set me up and I sat there practicing. From there I got more and more involved.
Purchased my own Mig and a AC/DC tig to practice with the leftover scrap at home.
Next for the car I added a power steering cooler, reinforced the subframe mounting points solid bushings and mounts.
Made my own sunroof delete panel. Have attached the picture of the mould I made.
Just recently I've added bigger brakes from a M3, got wider wheels and rubber. This meant I got to give panel beating a go to massage the wheel arch and fit up some big flares.
I have since been to the track and was able to drop my lap time by 5 second with the mods.
I have just purchased the material to make my rollcage which I'm looking forward to the challenge. The shop I volunteer at is letting me build it there over the course of a few weekends.
Here is some pics from the motorsport shop I get work experience at of a sports sedan I've been working on and one of the mounts I made so they can do trackside alignments for the excel series they run in.
I've been really enjoying my time in motorsport fabrication and wish I could do more of it. For not having done any of the above until I started this build 18 months ago. I'm so glad I took the plunge.
I'll throw up the cage pics when the time comes. Now it's just trying to juggle the time with the actual paying job, family stuff and fitting it in with the race shops schedule.
Jezza
Hi Jezza, firstly thanks for posting your experience, secondly you have overcome and endured a lot to get to the track and for that well done! We often get the question "how do you become professionally involved in motorsport"? The answer is never an easy one and the apprenticeship path doesnt always pan out well for people either, but persistence and passion will always endure and you are testament to that. Stoked to hear your getting the TIG welding happening and building a cage, you might not need any assistance but I am part the way through writing the TIG course and the Roll Cage course so this may be great timing.
Again thanks for posting mate
Awesome stuff Jezza! If you need a hand sourcing bits or whatever, I part a few E46's to do E30 swaps so let me know.
Much kudos to the 'shop having the attitude to teach you, rather than use you for the scut work no-one else wants to do.
You could do a lot worse than watch these videos of Justin's for suggestions/guidance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqY6KITUnXU&t=3120s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECSVN2FlRYs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IyHbwPDbyA
Oh, I believe that was the BMW platform notorious for having the diff' mountings fail - there are many videos, and guides, on-line for checking and re-inforcing them where the welds tear on the body.