[nate]

The driving was great, the standing around doing nothing really sucked...

first off: I NEED a LSD :thumbdwn: I was getting insane amounts of wheel slip all over course :thumbdwn: Especially at the off-camber turn leading to the finish. The wheel slip was terrible

The car handles great. Very neutral and balanced. Roll isn't as big a deal as some like to say, the car is very light on its feet and responds instantly. I got a lot of oversteer and rear wheel slip (Open diff. issue). Great handling, great feedback and feel.

oh, did I mention that I hate the open diff :thumbdwn:

I also had oil starvation after my final run. Noticed engine ticking which I attributed to this.

Handling :thumb:
Feel :thumb:
tires :thumb:
open differential :thumbdwn:

 

[Guest]

The driving was great, the standing around doing nothing really sucked...

first off: I NEED a LSD :thumbdwn: I was getting insane amounts of wheel slip all over course :thumbdwn: Especially at the off-camber turn leading to the finish. The wheel slip was terrible

The car handles great. Very neutral and balanced. Roll isn't as big a deal as some like to say, the car is very light on its feet and responds instantly. I got a lot of oversteer and rear wheel slip (Open diff. issue). Great handling, great feedback and feel.

oh, did I mention that I hate the open diff :thumbdwn:

I also had oil starvation after my final run. Noticed engine ticking which I attributed to this.

Handling :thumb:
Feel :thumb:
tires :thumb:
open differential :thumbdwn:

Everytime I've autox-ed I've had the valve ticking after the first or second run. I changed my oil yesterday and I'm curious if that will help when I autox again June 16th. I took out the BMW quasi-synthetic 5W30 and put in Mobil 1 0W30. We'll see if THAT makes a difference.

And I've learned that I NEED BETTER TIRES. But I'm just too cheap to replace the Contis before they're close to dead. I can fudge "worn" a bit, but not this much. Hell, they only have 8K miles on them.

Did I mention my E36 has a LSD?

 

[nate]

Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

Everytime I've autox-ed I've had the valve ticking after the first or second run. I changed my oil yesterday and I'm curious if that will help when I autox again June 16th. I took out the BMW quasi-synthetic 5W30 and put in Mobil 1 0W30. We'll see if THAT makes a difference.

And I've learned that I NEED BETTER TIRES. But I'm just too cheap to replace the Contis before they're close to dead. I can fudge "worn" a bit, but not this much. Hell, they only have 8K miles on them.

Did I mention my E36 has a LSD?

If you are going to run street tires, get some S-03s. You won't regret it. Maybe that new Kuhmo MX will be a nice tire too.


Yes, I know your car has an LSD, as do all M cars. I am almost certain that non-M E36s did not have them. There were some gorgeous E36 M3s there. Also, an E46 M3 that was doing fantastic with its vario-lock differential

I saw your clone driving a black M3/4 on the highway :yikes: He looked like you

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

I saw your clone driving a black M3/4 on the highway :yikes: He looked like you

Hey! How do you know what I look like? ;P

And, yeah, when I DO finally give in and replace the tires, I am leaning toward the S03s.

 

[nate]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

Hey! How do you know what I look like? ;P

And, yeah, when I DO finally give in and replace the tires, I am leaning toward the S03s.

I remember from that pic in Harrison's sig, but the larger version. He looked like you, but with messier hair :dunno:

 

[CD-55]

oh, did I mention that I hate the open diff :thumbdwn:

I also had oil starvation after my final run. Noticed engine ticking which I attributed to this.

Handling :thumb:
Feel :thumb:
tires :thumb:
open differential :thumbdwn:

LSD is for sissys... j/k I wish it were an option I could have ordered!

Today we had an autox "practice". It was on the tightest course I have ever been on with several 10MPH turns where I would almost use full steering lock. I ran my entire first run in 1st gear, thinking that hitting the redline some may be faster than shifting. Well I tried shifting (between 1st & 2nd) more and more on each run. On my final and best run I shifted a total of 4 times!... anyway that is how tight it was... which is my point... never was there a better course for an LSD.

I didn't have LSD, so I just paid attention to not over power it, particularly when down in first gear. Unlike some of my previous autocrosses, today I never once smoked the inside rear tire, but I was still able to step-out and slide the rear end around some (PSI: 40F, 37R; +1-PSI on right to help an off camber corner).

I was done and on my way home after the first 80 competitors had ran, but at that time I was the provisional leader in my class "D" Stock, which included several AWD cars such as S4 and WRX's. For the most part I was ahead of all the M3's (WITH-LSD) including an M3-lightweight and also JST's "Street Prepared" M3 (JST was also provisionally leading his class). As you know in the SCCA they are allowed to run "R" compound tires stock classes, but I only had regular S-03's.

So for now, I think the LSD would be nice, but not really a requirement to be competitive at the club level.



At other autocrosses I have had fuel starvation and it was not pinging like yours. Mine seems to happen if I power around long right hand corners with less than ¼ tank of fuel. It takes a moment for the bubles in the fuel line to get to the engine, so at some point after the corner (~100 YDS) it feels like the engine looses power and begins to stall.

"The CD-55"

 

[CD-55]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

I remember from that pic in Harrison's sig, but the larger version. He looked like you, but with messier hair :dunno:

Harrison!!! I saw someone who I thought may have been him today.

 

[nate]

Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

At other autocrosses I have had fuel starvation and it was not pinging like yours. Mine seems to happen if I power around long right hand corners with less than ¼ tank of fuel. It takes a moment for the bubles in the fuel line to get to the engine, so at some point after the corner (~100 YDS) it feels like the engine looses power and begins to stall.

"The CD-55"

I really get annoyed by the wheel slip and am certain that a few seconds could be shaved off with the aftermarket LSD available for my car. I believe that it's 45% lock :thumb:

Show those E36s who's boss
:thumb:

I had fuel starvation at the track coming out of a long series of constant radius, wide "S" turns. I would take those in third gear. Every time that I got onto the straight the car would hesitate badly approaching 5k in third just after turn 14. It only did this when I had 3/8ths of less a tank of gas, so that is what I attributed it to. I had never noticed the pinging before, but this course seemed like it had the poetential to dry out the pan. A dry oil stump (or semi) would be nice too...

Here is course map http://www.lsrpca.com/PVBMW May 02.pdf

the entire section past corner three, an LSD was truly needed. Off camber turns due to slight elevation changes :thumbdwn:

 

[CD-55]

Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

Show those E36s who's boss
:thumb:

It is pretty easy they are so old… after all they were made way back in the 90s.

 

[nate]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

It is pretty easy they are so old… after all they were made way back in the 90s.

My car was made in the 90s

 

[CD-55]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

My car was made in the 90s

I just like to tease TD and others, by calling the E36's "old cars".

 

[nate]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

I just like to tease TD and others, by calling the E36's "old cars".

I know...

They are pretty ancient. Designed before 1991! :yikes:

 

[CD-55]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

I know...

They are pretty ancient. Designed before 1991! :yikes:

That was way before I was old enough to get a driver's license.

 

[nate]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

That was way before I was old enough to get a driver's license.

Me too! :thumb:

 

[Guest]

Hold on... BOTH of you weren't 16 yet in 1991??!!

Jesus, I'm so old. Hell, I was legally driving back in 1987.

BTW, from a post up the thread a ways about non-M's not having LSDs... My old E30 318is had a LSD. On the E30s, LSDs were optional on sport "S" models. I honestly have no idea if LSDs were optional at any point in time on non-M E36s.

 

[nate]

Hold on... BOTH of you weren't 16 yet in 1991??!!

Jesus, I'm so old. Hell, I was legally driving back in 1987.

BTW, from a post up the thread a ways about non-M's not having LSDs... My old E30 318is had a LSD. On the E30s, LSDs were optional on sport "S" models. I honestly have no idea if LSDs were optional at any point in time on non-M E36s.

I know that LSDs were an option for a while. They were on the E28 and E30, but I am ALMOST certiain that LSD was not an option on the E36.

No, not 16 in 1991. You have met CD-55, right? :dunno:

 

[nate]

One of the two pics I took.

The E46 can never loose!!!

 

[nate]

My S-03s are getting killed

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Auto-X impressions from today

I remember from that pic in Harrison's sig, but the larger version. He looked like you, but with messier hair :dunno:

I think you're thinking of someone in that pic who is not me. From that pic, you can't tell squat about how I look (good or bad) as I'm wearing sunglasses AND a cap.

I'm thinking this person you saw resembled JST.

But here's a clear shot of me...

 

[CD-55]

One of the two pics I took.

The E46 can never loose!!!

E46's are masters of the track!!!, NEVER LOSE!!!

BTW, just I turned 16 in 1991.