Cockroach Individual M3 10/14 Small interior changes, new headlights, and trackday

[bigjae46]

Yes, they were very cracked before. They didn't get drilled for the cracks, had a buddy who tig'd it and it is cracking again on some of those welds.

I want to drill the cracks. Weld the cracks up. Than spotweld the reinforcement plate to the tower

At this point, you really should at least stitch weld the plate underneath with a MIG then hammer the metal flat against the plate finish with a couple of rosette welds on the top side. If you just tack weld the plate you're going to be in the same spot as you are now or maybe worse.

[samthejam]

I think the pics are pretty self explanatory. I grinded some of the old poorly welded areas and drilled out any cracks. Zapped even more reinforcement plates on there.

The left side was really bad, it has had creaking over bumps I can hear on the highway with radio off. Incredible the pace the car has put down on track like this. That is gone now, still some poly squeaks but the groaning and creaking is gone.


Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

I also went to Tokoyo for my honeymoon. After a lot of searching found a Nardi I was happy with for the M3.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

[samthejam]

Also with the new wheel, my radio no longer was functional because my volume button is fucked. On/off usual problem with the broken plastic mount as well as the encoder for volume was broken. I did find a really nice radio off Ebay, a BMW reman. A guide to the part #s in case you ever need to replace a stock single din. I am happy with just aux. https://web.archive.org/web/20230314...y-MP3-Data-CDs!

[samthejam]

I switched most of my resources to the E28, put a new engine in it and have been welding up cracks so E46 has been sitting. Just using it to drive once a week or like if I need to travel it'll sit at airport or if I need a car with A/C it comes out.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

So I did some interior changes, floormats to make it easier to clean because tired of trying to get all the dust out of the carpet and dead grass. The storage cubby disintegrated into my hand one day. So I swapped to the glasses holder, style one. I bought a brand new sunroof access panel thing from BMW, it was only $17 so I got two.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
IMG_1417 by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

I also got new headlight lenses, took them off some 2001 M3 headlights.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Airport car.
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

I also added blindspot mirrors. Absolutely LOVE this change. Just like I did on my E28, bought a spare set just in case as I consider these mandatory now.
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Trackday was coming up so I had to dust it off. My usual thing is drive the car for a week and do a nut and bolt check, check all fluids. Of course the diff needed to be topped off. The exhaust was ratlling like a MFer, it's always been an annoying piece of shit. But lately it was really bad. Found out why, one of the mounts was snapped clean off.

I booger'd it with a flux core welder. I think I have blown out my section 1 as it rattles pretty bad internally so when I replace that, I'll weld this better.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

I topped off diff fluid and put on my old Direzzas that had 2/32nds tread all around. For two reasons, I hate the conti ecf's, for me on my 9.5 inch wheels they just don't work. I have 11,600 miles on them now they are bricks now with soft sidewalls it just isn't pleasant. The other being this is first time tracking the car with the MCS 1WNR, so I wanted the direzzas on as they are worn out but I was comfortable with them so wanted to keep that as a known. Goal was to kill them.

I can happily say I didn't have to touch car all weekend, and spent most of it in oversteer. MSR just had a "repave" which completely changed bus stop on the track. The track also hadn't been driven on in 3 months so it was interesting. I had a great time. We also got to do a track walk. This was eye opening. This is MSR's original surface. No wonder it is so hard on tires LOL.
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

I had some students with BRAND new porsches so was there the whole weekend in dress shoes and slacks, as all my other clothes are super greasy.

Wife also did parage laps in the car.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Tire wear was pretty good. I thought I was gonna wear the rears out first, but the RF outer corded first. However, I am very happy with this tire wear. No flips, no rotations. 3 events with about 7,000 street miles. I started to wear the fronts out when I couldnt be so aggressive with the throttle, so started to get some mid corner push.


The rears:
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

RF:
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr


Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Duct tape hanging off is pretty funny, but it did 10 sessions this weekend.

Also first time with the Koyo, when the ambient got to around 92, temp gauge would go slightly above half. Turned heater on and that was no longer an issue. Anything cooler than that no issues. Oil temps didn't even get to the third dot. Probably 230F?

Pace was very off this weekend, I'll link some videos. With how green track is and how fucked my tires were, I am not mad. I was fighting for my life to get 1:49s out of it. I almost had a 1:48 but had traffic, so ended up being a 49. Hoping with fresh tires can get it back down the 46s in the right conditions. Ultimate goal is a 45 on 200tw. Sucks the Direzzas are NLA, I really liked them.

Getting a little too comfortable sliding the car, video a wife got of me chasing a E36 and sliding all the way out to the wall:

Can see the car has no more lateral grip in it for the high speed lol:

Last but not least, trying to impress my friend Haas old SCCA Champion on my homemade slicks with the sun in my eyes. He is my neighbor so we carpool to the track. I got a "nice" and thumbs up for one of the sections so I take that as a win. Last part was going to the fastest lap of the weekend but hit traffic.