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Where does my 1997 E36 328i belong?


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Posted

I recently bought a 1997 328i to use as a track car. I had planned to try the Spec3 class with it, but it misses the eligibility requirements by two years.

 

What are my options with this car?

Posted

BTW, I know some of you guys. I did a NASA DE in my e36 M3 a year or two ago. I really enjoyed it, and my instructor was a great guy named Dave (also a BMW driver).

 

Name's Larry (duh) and I'm looking forward to having some fun with this car.

Posted

Assuming you have a comp license that would be GTS OR Performance Touring.

 

--Doug

Posted

I don't have a comp license yet, but I'd like to go ahead and build the car to specs before I start driving it.

Posted
I don't have a comp license yet, but I'd like to go ahead and build the car to specs before I start driving it.

 

Well, building to the GTS spec might be a bit difficult ... there really isn't one. There's really only three steps to get it prepped for GTS:

 

1. Remove LS1, reinstall engine of choice from manufacturer of chassis (skip this step if you don't have an out of manufacturer engine swap).

2. Prep for safety following CCR section 15.

3. Get it dyno'd for classification.

 

Really, it's that easy You can read all 4 pages of the rules for here: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/GTS-Challenge.pdf

 

What region did you do your DE in? I can provide you the contact information for the Regional GTS Director who can provide additional guidance.

Posted

I have a new 1994 325i, and it runs PTE...no engine mods but with basic/cheap race suspension, fully striped out with cage/etc.

Posted
I don't have a comp license yet, but I'd like to go ahead and build the car to specs before I start driving it.

 

Well, building to the GTS spec might be a bit difficult ... there really isn't one. There's really only three steps to get it prepped for GTS:

 

1. Remove LS1, reinstall engine of choice from manufacturer of chassis (skip this step if you don't have an out of manufacturer engine swap).

2. Prep for safety following CCR section 15.

3. Get it dyno'd for classification.

 

Really, it's that easy You can read all 4 pages of the rules for here: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/GTS-Challenge.pdf

 

What region did you do your DE in? I can provide you the contact information for the Regional GTS Director who can provide additional guidance.

 

I did my DE at Barber.

 

I'm not planning any engine swaps. Basically I want a safe, reliable car that I can scare myself in. Sounds like laze1 has the perfect plan.

 

Thanks for the rules link.

 

What happened to SpecE36? Has it morphed into Spec3?

Posted
I don't have a comp license yet, but I'd like to go ahead and build the car to specs before I start driving it.

 

Well, building to the GTS spec might be a bit difficult ... there really isn't one. There's really only three steps to get it prepped for GTS:

 

1. Remove LS1, reinstall engine of choice from manufacturer of chassis (skip this step if you don't have an out of manufacturer engine swap).

2. Prep for safety following CCR section 15.

3. Get it dyno'd for classification.

 

Really, it's that easy You can read all 4 pages of the rules for here: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/GTS-Challenge.pdf

 

What region did you do your DE in? I can provide you the contact information for the Regional GTS Director who can provide additional guidance.

 

I did my DE at Barber.

 

I'm not planning any engine swaps. Basically I want a safe, reliable car that I can scare myself in. Sounds like laze1 has the perfect plan.

 

Thanks for the rules link.

 

What happened to SpecE36? Has it morphed into Spec3?

 

I believe SpecE36 is an SCCA class. Spec3 was designed by NASA for NASA because of the difficulty in finding good E30 cars. 93-95 chassis are extremely similar but they changed a lot in with the design of the chassis in 1996.

 

Hope that helps...

 

--Doug

Posted

In Performance Touring, your 1997 328 has a base class of PTF**. That means that you have only 5 points to use before bumping up a class (PTE), or 24 points to use before going up to PTD. Also, Time Trial is a fun, competitive step towards wheel to wheel, and uses the same classing structure (TTF, TTE, etc.).

Posted

With just a change of the shocks to Koni's, the Spec3 required shock, my car will be Spec3 legal. But since there are no Spec3 cars running in NASA-SE yet, so I will run PTE till that changes. Heck, I may even try to get Spec3 up and running in 2010

 

"if you built it, they will come"

Posted

What happened to SpecE36? Has it morphed into Spec3?

 

I believe SpecE36 is an SCCA class. Spec3 was designed by NASA for NASA because of the difficulty in finding good E30 cars. 93-95 chassis are extremely similar but they changed a lot in with the design of the chassis in 1996.

 

Hope that helps...

 

--Doug

 

SpecE36 is a BMWCCA CR class.

There is no shortage of good e30 cars (2.4M were produced originally) for SpecE30. Spec3 was just created to provide another class to entice those interested in e36's and expand the number of potential racers.

bruce

Posted

What happened to SpecE36? Has it morphed into Spec3?

 

I believe SpecE36 is an SCCA class. Spec3 was designed by NASA for NASA because of the difficulty in finding good E30 cars. 93-95 chassis are extremely similar but they changed a lot in with the design of the chassis in 1996.

 

Hope that helps...

 

--Doug

 

SpecE36 is a BMWCCA CR class.

There is no shortage of good e30 cars (2.4M were produced originally) for SpecE30. Spec3 was just created to provide another class to entice those interested in e36's and expand the number of potential racers.

bruce

My bad....

 

--Doug

Posted

And now the price of E36 325i have come way down in price. so making them into a race car makes financial sense now.

Posted
And now the price of E36 325i have come way down in price. so making them into a race car makes financial sense now.

 

 

That's where I am with this car. I'd planned to build an e30, but this deal came along and I couldn't say no.

  • 5 weeks later...
Posted
With just a change of the shocks to Koni's, the Spec3 required shock, my car will be Spec3 legal. But since there are no Spec3 cars running in NASA-SE yet, so I will run PTE till that changes. Heck, I may even try to get Spec3 up and running in 2010

 

"if you built it, they will come"

 

DO IT!!!

 

 

...or GTS

 

but yeah, the e36's are getting cheaper and cheaper...just seems to make sense now, in another 10 years spec46

Posted

yep, might switch to GTS1 so i will have somebody to race with...but not many cars there either

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