Newbie discovers M3 E93 post retirement

[RangerGlenn]

I never knew HPDE and Autocross existed. More fun than parachuting!. Picked up a 2010 BMW E93 M3 last year. Did one event at Mid-Ohio last year and I'm hooked. Stock, well Dinan pipes only, 60 k miles. Good enough shape with new Michelin Pilot Sport AS on 19" staggered wheels. Oh well. I had new BE rod bearings put in and actuators. Engine mounts are ok. A second weekend of HDPE in early May. Certainly the car can still out drive me. DCT full fluid change is scheduled. There are lots of changes that can be made, but I still want a civilized DD. Next, I want to get a spare square set up with 18x10" wheels.

To conclude, I'm saying HI to the group. Comment welcome.

[Obioban]

Tracking is a wonderful thing.

Welcome!

[RangerGlenn]

To continue, both of my instructors highlighted that, at least, summer tires were far better than AS , even at my newbie skill level. They both run 18x10 squared. Also, they have much more invested in suspension improvements vs power mods. AND they both rip around the track maintaining their own with all but the tricked out porsches. Thus, I go to the next step of getting a square set up with 18x10" wheels.

also, I did hear of valve cover weeping here and elsewhere.. Magnesium valve cover careful monitoring and replacement is recommended, though, mixed reviews are in on magnesium BMW original vs other om.

[IamFODI]

Welcome to the forum, and to the fold!

To continue, both of my instructors highlighted that, at least, summer tires were far better than AS , even at my newbie skill level. They both run 18x10 squared. Also, they have much more invested in suspension improvements vs power mods. AND they both rip around the track maintaining their own with all but the tricked out porsches. Thus, I go to the next step of getting a square set up with 18x10" wheels.

Your instructors are on to something.

Definitely don't increase the power. It adds heat, reduces reliability and longevity, makes the car more of a handful at corner exit, and makes you care less about (and thus learn less from) the mistakes you're making in the corners.

In fact, at this stage, I'd say do absolutely nothing whatsoever to make your car faster. You have a long way to go before you max out the stock car.

What you want are reliability, consistency, heat tolerance, and manageable costs. Make sure your cooling system, including the stock undertray and rubber seals around the radiator, is all in good shape. Use heat-tolerant brake fluid. Keep your engine in tip-top shape – jump on every single check engine light. Change oil before and after every track day. Never fill up with gas from a station that doesn't participate in the Top Tier Gas program. Stuff like that. FCP Euro's lifetime replacement guarantee can help defray costs, including for fluids.

The only aftermarket mods to consider at this stage are camber plates (to manage front tire wear) and brake pads (for heat tolerance).

I agree that good summer tires are way better than AS – not because they grip better, though they do (that's actually a downside IMO), but because they'll hold up better to track use.

A square wheel/tire setup has exactly one advantage for you: you can rotate the tires to keep tire wear even. Going wider than stock is a bad idea though, IMO. You'd gain grip, but that's bad at this stage because it hides mistakes. And you lose steering feedback, and the car's limit behavior becomes less forgiving – both of which are bad. Also, a square setup means DSC will intervene sooner – or, if you turn DSC off, you'll get more oversteer than you would with a staggered setup. This is why I'm still on staggered tires in the stock sizes.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires in the stock sizes on the stock wheels will offer more than enough capability, with incredible longevity and good consistency at your level. And you don't have to have a separate set of wheels. Having clawed my way up from novice to intermediate level, and tried more track-focused tires, I'm pretty likely to switch back to the Pilot Sport 4S myself. And I've never run any sizes other than stock, nor do I plan to until I get MUCH better as a driver.

also, I did hear of valve cover weeping here and elsewhere.. Magnesium valve cover careful monitoring and replacement is recommended, though, mixed reviews are in on magnesium BMW original vs other om.

Yeah, do keep an eye on your valve covers for leaks, but don't worry until you see those leaks. And even then it's not a fix-it-right-away situation, like a bad coil or something would be.

The only problem with the stock magnesium covers is that the coating chips and there are almost no shops anywhere with the competence and tools to clean and re-coat them properly. A chipped coating means the interface between the cover and the gasket isn't 100%, so even if you replace the gaskets you could still end up with leaks. Slathering them with RTV or something might kill the leak but... that definitely should not be done.

Where people have recurring leaks with the OE covers is when they try to reuse or refurbish them. Replacing them with new basically always works unless the install is done badly.

The stock valve covers are hideously expensive, so NRW sells aluminum ones. Those are promising (if you'll accept the slight weight penalty) but haven't been around long enough to rack up enough of a track record to truly compare against the stock covers.