bmw people's input please

[Stynger]

"why try to reinvent the wheel" ...right,Lester?

If your going to reinvent the wheel, at least make it round.

A 1,000 HP tank, is still a tank. A 300 HP tank is a slow tank.

Flip the BMW. What class would you like to run in?

[breakaway500]

"if i do decide to flip it than what car and in what class would you get ?????? with a budget of about 50k".

I have it..my Atom.. There's a nice one on Ebay now for $50k..I know he will take less. One just sold for $45k similar to mine. But,that is my idea of a track car.Hey..you asked. The Atom is not for everyone and it is terrible in the rain..

Seriously,it really all depends on what you need to get out of your on track time.

If you enjoy driving around in your favorite car as fast as you possibly can,it makes no difference what you drive.

If you would like to be competitive with other class drivers,you have to look at a specific class and build something that will satisfy your needs and budget.

If you need to be the fastest thing out on the track...you had better be looking at modern formula cars,Radicals,etc.

I would not consider the 850 for the track.It sounds like a nice street car,but if you have no need for a nice street car,sell it.

How about a Miata with an LS3? Buy an older NA for $3k,send it out to Flyin-Miata and for $30k they will ship you back a 450hp Miata.Or,do it yourself.They have an install kit available. Put some good suspension in it and good brakes and you will be well under your $50k spending budget.

Or,buy Dans Z and run it as is. Saving you many,many thousands..

Didn't Paul Newman run a 240Z for a while? Painted red,white and blue? That would be cool..a tribute car..

[962porsche]

i just put the car on the scales no driver and 1/2 tank of fuel 3849 lbs .one motor is called an m70 5.0 (5.slow) then the s70 is a 5.6L motor . its like the 944 motor being half of the 928 motor . the idea its the same but no parts are interchangeably . BUT if i do remember right from one of the sights i was on. the s70 crank fits into the m70 motor to stroke it form 75mm to 77mm ???? so i guess its like using the porsche 968 crank in the 944 motor to bring that motor to life . in no way do i have my hart set on racing it . when i got it the other day and realy started to drive it hard .i found it ,not to seam as heavy as it is (some push)very little body roll and with a motors power delivery (i like) at about the same hp to tork .is when i realy started to think about racing it . i do like the bmw's motors . but i don't have my hart set on racing a bmw eather . the cars i was thinking about racing .an M3 in st class , a 944 turbo class ? or a spc 968 porsche . i was thinking about an open top car but i'm like a cat ! hell i had a chance to buy one of PL's old 280z for 200k with the extra twin turbo motor .and now the same car is selling for twice that. i was like. paul the body is shot !it needs a new one ! i will give you 60 for it .

[breakaway500]

So buy Dans car, and make it into a PLN tribute car,painted up with decals.. AND... a car that can put you on the podium in class! Win-Win!

[DanB]

That's what *I'd* do if *I* had a $50k budget!
I'd buy my car from myself and put new tires on it (in place of the Hoosier S04's from 2002 I ran on this year), and it's an SPB winner as-is
Turbo it, and it's an SPA winner


Regarding hp and torque, if hp is about the same as torque, all that means is the engine isn't breathing worth a damn above 5000rpm.

[chaos4NH]

That's what *I'd* do if *I* had a $50k budget!
I'd buy my car from myself and put new tires on it (in place of the Hoosier S04's from 2002 I ran on this year), and it's an SPB winner as-is
Turbo it, and it's an SPA winner :twisted.

Yep, that is what I would do if I had even half that budget.

[DanB]

Or even a quarter of that budget!

One of these days I'm going to have to get a job...

[breakaway500]

Jobs are SO overrated. I figure why support the government...when I can be out having fun!

[chaos4NH]

Or even a quarter of that budget!

One of these days I'm going to have to get a job...

Hhhhmmmm, I could probably get a quick $15,000 for the Speed 3, buy your car for $10,000, pretty up the body, buy some good tires,............................................

[DanB]

Or even a quarter of that budget!

One of these days I'm going to have to get a job...

Hhhhmmmm, I could probably get a quick $15,000 for the Speed 3, buy your car for $10,000, pretty up the body, buy some good tires,............................................

The body doesn't need any prettying up. It's all straight, no rot, good paint. There is a cone mark (applied on lap 2 of the last TT) on the passenger-side door that needs buffing out, but no dents.
The interior could use a little attention (vinyl coming unglued, uninstalled HVAC control panel, etc., nothing major).

It could stand some new tires! Good news is, 225/50-14s are relatively cheap

[DanB]

Jobs are SO overrated. I figure why support the government...when I can be out having fun!

I enjoyed the hell out of the Summer! I just gotta get acclimated to the cold and dark of New England Winters. Hard for a Mississippi boy!

[breakaway500]

The 280Z Paul Newman drove to victory..
I try to ignore new england winters..sometimes it works....................not really...

[6PAK72]

Or, try this one for only $42,000 American. 1780 lbs, 165WHP fuel injected 2.8L 4-speed OD, 3-time winner at Oulton Park.

[962porsche]

i have not been able to log on to reply !!! if you think 50k is alot of money get a job ! or do what i do and work 16 to 18 hour days five days a week . but on week ends i do olny work 1/2 days (12 hours ! ) . i have no kids , divorced and a free house to live in . so if you think 50k is alot to buy , build , and get extra wheels and tires for . its not a big budget ! why do i feal i have to justify this ???? if you ever drove the 850 cars you would understand why i was asking people what there thoughts were on boing a 850 build . i also have a bmw 735 that car is heavy and feals it were the 850 does not . ok so i may just sell the 850 . getting back to what i want in a race car . a roof (like a cat i hate getting wet !!) so a full boded car 1990 or newer .2 door coupe would be nice , 3.0L NA ( no turbo ?) or better , front or mid engine with rear drive , so this is what i'm looking at 850 with 50k to make it a track car . or buy with a total budget of 50k car and extras M3 ,968 porsche or diasio 962 . as for a tribute car of PL's i would opt for the 1987 car it was one of his favorite race cars to drive . its a 300zx 2x2 body . this is one of the reasons he bought that car out right . he did not own the cars that were raced under the newman-sharp racing name .

[skid vicious]

If your interested in a smaller BMW I have a SPA e30 project I would like to part with, as well as a former lap record holding SSC 318ti.

I thought the factory had raced the 8-series a few times but I did some googling and all I came up with were these
http://nieminenracing.org
and also this car
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA3a8ktMEnY
http://www.germancarmagazine.com/featur ... -8-series/
neither of which give a lot of info. The car would definitely be unique and would look great. It sounds like both of these cars completely replaced the original suspension which would be a huge investment. Also neither use the v12. Instead you could keep it stock and have the most comfortable car in COM? Would that be SSA?