E30 325i Rag-Top

I must be getting old and sad, I found myself thinking "I wish those tarts would get out of the way so I can see more of the M3" when viewing Polleys post

^^ Nice one Nath, top fella! Got any other stuff lying around you want to give away ??

Some excellently taken photos of a very, very nice car.

That is a good price, will be interesting to see how they go.When you had the wheels off for the check were the existing rotors the thin ones or the thick ones (from DRTDVLs photos)? If they are currently the thin ones you MIGHT have trouble getting the caliper to fit over the new vented (and hence thicker) rotors... that MAY be the problem you are having Andy, especially if the rotors and pads are new-ish and have the full thickness on them.

I only had two things to worry about for my wedding - suits and the cars. So I went for a pair of E36 convertibles, one borrowed and one rented (this was back in 1999 so the E36 was current). They looked really good in the photos and were good fun to drive to the wedding and reception with the tops down. It all depends on how far you have to travel to and from the wedding - bride may not be too happy arriving for the photos with hair all over the place after a half hour 100kph thrash!

I would say that you can pick them up for about $100 the pair, maybe less for a set that need seals etc, I might even have a ropey pair in the shed that you can have for a box of beers! I would suggest you do it before you get your new rotors, otherwise you would have to buy a vented set when you change the calipers to get any real benefit of the change.I defer to the wisdom of Foxy on what models they came on, the regs say something about "you may fit the vented rotors and bigger calipers from the 325i" so that was where I got that from .

Slotted brakes are different - they have grooves machined into the "faces" which move past the pads, vented discs have holes through the middle, which are visible around the outside edge, between the two faces. The original 320 rotors are "solid" they have no venting holes between the two faces and as a result are thinner, the 325i rotors are vented and so are thicker, which means the calipers which hold and push the pads need to be wider also to fit over the rotor. This is a simple bolt-on upgrade which can be found on TradeMe or from a wreckers for not too many $$$s and would make a difference in terms of the braking, especially for fading at the end of a race.

While you have got the wheels off have a good close look over the flexible hoses with a bright torch or inspection lamp. Check for any cracks, even small fine ones in the hoses, or leaks. If they look all good, don't worry about the braided lines for now. First priority would have to be the pads, second some decent fluid and provided the rotors have plenty of meat on them they should be fine as well. Just a thought - have you got the vented 325i rotors and the bigger calipers to suit, or the solid 320i rotors?

Hey Wayne, I think I have got a full set of carpet from a coupe in the garage, not sure about the foam backing though, I'll have a look and let you know. Are you doing up the fire damaged 'vert now, or is this for the white one?

^^True, but last time I looked they were nearly all in the USA = hideous bumpers and US spec = down on power IIRC? I might be being a bit too fussy, but I still didn't see anything that was tatty but solid if you know what I mean, they were either great condition or complete basket cases. Buying a rough unseen scares me a little as parts are hard to get and can be very pricey and I am not an expert on the M3 by any stretch. Maybe a buying trip to the US of A is in order?

Erm, on a race car, probably? I don't know of any road compound pads that would last the distance of even our races before fading very badly.

Sorry to hear that mate - we'll miss you.

Happy 21st youngster, have a good one.

BMW Car Club of NZ? Is a pretty good club and very active in the Wellington region - also allows you to compete as part of the club in the Intermarque Sprints so we can win the trophy again! Most of the guys in both series are self-funding, only the top few benefit from sponsorship or backing of any sort. The travelling time does eat into your Annual Leave - but what else is holiday for?? It is certainly something for the future, I didn't mean to suggest you jump straight into the Open class, maybe something to aspire to and work towards?

It is indeed a very nice example of the E30 M3, I went to look at this car a couple of years back when it was last up for sale. It was very, very tidy not totally mint but with a little work would be right up there. Lots of history and lots of money spent on keeping it up to scratch. Not sure what has been done since then, but it's the same guy selling it so no reason why that wouldn't have continued and from the km's it's hardly been used in that time. The spec is a little strange as it has the US bumpers, suggesting a US-spec car, but the dog-leg box from the Euro version (may well have been changed at some point). I didn't dig too deeply as it was really a fact-finding mission for me. I'm looking for a realistically pirced ratty one that would be a good base to build up into a race-car, of which there appear to be very few in the world, let alone NZ.

You can spend as little, or as much, as you want depending on how far you want to dip your toe into the water. Lots of good guys in Welly / Palmy / Lower NI to help you out, and lots of good events at Manfield and local that you can enter in a road car with some basic paperwork (as mentioned above).BUT be careful, it is very addictive, and always leaves you wanting more and to go faster.... and then it's a case of how much time and money you want to throw at it. Driving a car on the track is a very different experience, even from driving fast on the roads. There are a number of steps and stages you can work up through as your budget allows and as you feel confident enough to go for it. You are right about getting your car to E30 Series regs, but no reason why you couldn't run in the Open Class in the future once you get bitten by the bug.

Another factor to encourage people to come for a watch... Entry for spectators is FREE for this event, which is pretty rare for anything these days!

Have a good one Grant - hope you are all ready for the week-end. Drink some Waikato Draught to celebrate ?

Try working with international customers that don't actually celebrate Christmas.... .. I find resorting to extreme sarcasm at their expense (which they don't understand) is the only way to keep my sanity. "Of course you can have it delivered then, I'll get the fat bloke in the red suit to put in his sack and drop it off on his way past"

Have a good day mate, your shout at Hampton!

That is a truly amazing vehicle, both in terms of what it is and the condition it is in. I would be scared to drive it though... such a nice car, and would be a little bit of a handful I would guess.

Lots of stuff in the technical section of the race series forum Jack, and the arguments on which pads to use will go on for ever! There is a balance to be had between how much they cost v how long they last v how well they stop you. It all comes down to $$$s at the end of the day.Most people say that EBC are cr@p pads, but I still run with them as they are relatively cheap ($180 front set yellow, $144 rear set yellow) and last a season and a bit for me whilst still working ok.

Just clicked up 78,000 miles in the 'vert.... thats over 124,000kms... nicely run-in ! Not bad in 23 and a half years!

What else is Santa bringing you this year Foxy?? I hope you have got the Ok from the committee to run a turbo on an E28 before you go too far into the build...

Those are actually beach huts - the British equivalent of the old fashioned Kiwi bach, still a funny picture, with a sad and poignant reflection on changes within society kind of an under-current.