E30 wheels / brake air ducts / foglight covers / lower front lip needed for track car

[Scany]

This is for our 91 E30 318iS track car that we are trying to put together.

15/16/17" wheels is preferrable.

If anybody knows of a good solution to the brake air duct and foglight area, I'd be interested to know. Maybe one cover/air inlet for the whole thing? Currently we don't have the airducts or the foglights.

[OwnedbyDuncan]

For brake/air ducts check with the chief instructor and see what he is doing since he has/had a E30325is.

A standard 90325i spoiler provided more than enough air to the brakes when I had my E30325i. I never experienced brake fade or had any brake problems. OEM is spoiler should work.


I dont see the point in anything larger than a 15in wheel for the track.
If you can find a set used or if they still sell them Ronal ACT LS was a great wheel and it 7.5x15in.

Revolutions where very nice but twice as expensive.

Dave Apker and the collies

[Scany]

For brake/air ducts check with the chief instructor and see what he is doing since he has/had a E30325is.

A standard 90325i spoiler provided more than enough air to the brakes when I had my E30325i. I never experienced brake fade or had any brake problems. OEM is spoiler should work.


I dont see the point in anything larger than a 15in wheel for the track.
If you can find a set used or if they still sell them Ronal ACT LS was a great wheel and it 7.5x15in.

Revolutions where very nice but twice as expensive.

Dave Apker and the collies

Thanks for the info. Good to know that the OEM brake air inlets will do the trick. then I'll just get some covers to cover up the hole where the fog lights are suppose to be.

I guess 15" wheel should do it. I don't really know how much worse/better it would be to go to 16 or 17, except for the weight difference and width of the wheel. How much difference does the added/subtracted profile rubber really do? Didn't the M3s run 17s? I know it's a completely different car, but still.

[OwnedbyDuncan]

E30M3 ran 15's stock. E30325i and 325is came with 14's. 6in wide for the i and 6.5 for the is.

Also remember you are underpowered compared to a 325i amd M3. 16 or 17's may mess up the overall gearing etc.

For suspension I ran Eibach E30M3 comp springs because back in 91/92 they were the only aftermarket springs that worked in the car.H&R did not exist yet. Other Eibach, Suspension Tech, Dinan, Electrodyne springs often times had spring rates that were weaker than stock, bottomed out and suffered from coil bind. Ran Bilstein sport shocks, Eibach adjustable bars that weren't that much bigger than stock, camber paltes and a front bar between the shock towers. Suspension was very stiff and barely streetable on bitter cold days I could run over loose change and tell you how much I had run over. Car was very neutral and you could use the steering wheel , brakes and gas pedal to steer it.

Damn I miss mine.

Dave Apker and the collies

[Scany]

I was thinking of the E30 kit from Ground Control. I sat in with a 325i running ground control suspension at VIR, and the owner was very pleased with it.

Here's some pictures of the car for those interested:

[OwnedbyDuncan]

Talk to chief instructor Bill Shook he has/had a E30325is and maintains a number of E30 3 series for drivers school to include M3's. And as the chief instructor he wants you in a safe predictable car. He has installed suspensions etc on E30s for 22 years.

Nice thing about my suspension set up with camber plates is I didnt have to adjust it or anything. Played with tire pressures only.

Ground control is coilovers right? had over 2.5 degrees of negative camber.

There are duct kits for the car or you can remove or bend the backing plates.

Dave Apker and the collies- Dave is Santa bringing us a restored and reengined 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 diesel for Christmas?

[Biggins]

That's an awesome car; the last two E30s I've looked at were in terrible shape.

I think 16/17" wheels would be a terrible idea. I'd run 14" wheels/tires because they're dirt cheap/free and they'll still be lighter than most aftermarket 15" wheels. Also, have you looked at tire prices for 14" tires?

One club member's 91 318is has Ground Control coilovers and his car seems perfect to me... I also drove another 91 318i with H&R Race/Bilstein sports (the Spec E30 setup) and that car felt awesome as well. Eric runs 14s and the other 318 was running Team Dynamics 15s (great wheels).

[AlfaEric]

That's an awesome car; the last two E30s I've looked at were in terrible shape.

I think 16/17" wheels would be a terrible idea. I'd run 14" wheels/tires because they're dirt cheap/free and they'll still be lighter than most aftermarket 15" wheels. Also, have you looked at tire prices for 14" tires?

One club member's 91 318is has Ground Control coilovers and his car seems perfect to me... I also drove another 91 318i with H&R Race/Bilstein sports (the Spec E30 setup) and that car felt awesome as well. Eric runs 14s and the other 318 was running Team Dynamics 15s (great wheels).

I'm running the '91 318is w/ GC coilovers. Although the setup isn't bad, I was seriously disappointed with their customer service and wouldn't recommend going that direction.

---Eric

[Scany]

So you think having an adjustable camber setup isn't necessary? I guess the GC and the H&R/Bilstein isn't that different in price, if I remember correctly.

Sounds like Bill Shook is the man to talk to here

With 14s I'm just a little concerned about too much tire roll with the high profile of the tires. I don't really know why, or if, I should be worried about that. Maybe a new shocks/springs setup will be enough.

Thanks guys for all the input.

[AlfaEric]

So you think having an adjustable camber setup isn't necessary? I guess the GC and the H&R/Bilstein isn't that different in price, if I remember correctly.

Sounds like Bill Shook is the man to talk to here

With 14s I'm just a little concerned about too much tire roll with the high profile of the tires. I don't really know why, or if, I should be worried about that. Maybe a new shocks/springs setup will be enough.

Thanks guys for all the input.

What's the purpose for the car? Is it just for DE's or are you planning on racing it? If you are considering racing then you might have issues with the full GC coil-over setup since it might not be allowed for certain classes.

---Eric

[Scany]

What's the purpose for the car? Is it just for DE's or are you planning on racing it? If you are considering racing then you might have issues with the full GC coil-over setup since it might not be allowed for certain classes.

---Eric

No racing, just trackdays and autocross.