Thursday, July 16, 2009

Pueblo Photos



Thanks to Blue Fox Imaging for the proofs

NASA @ Pueblo

Last weekend's NASA event went really well. The new motor performed well, the driver scored a new personal best lap and the Dunlop tires provided a mix of great performance and even better wear in the 100+ degree heat.

I took the full rig to the event and found an enclosed trailer is a nice convenience but generally too warm without an air-conditioner. I also damaged the splitter trying to get the car into the trailer for the first time. In the future, removing the front bumper is an easy solution. Also new this weekend are a set of magnetic number panels. They turned out pretty well.

Monday, July 06, 2009

Umbau die cast

This is an example of a "umbau" M3s that show up on Ebay from time to time. This was a standard "Cecotto" version before the wheels were changed to the over-sized BBS style shown.

The German word "umbau" means conversion/renovation. Here is a link to EC-Cars on Ebay, the seller of these cars from Germany. Search the store for "Umbau" or "Veredelte Modelle" to see a huge collection of modified cars.

Rare die cast M3s

Many Ebay sellers offering 1/18 E30 M3 DTM die cast are quick to advertise that a particular model is "rare". Since most of these have been out of production for a few years, there is some truth to the claim -- but not much.

In any 60-90 day period nearly every model becomes available at a reasonable price on Ebay. There are a few that are a little less common (the BMW dealer-only cars are among these) but nearly all of them of them are readily available if you are patient.

There is a micro-industry modifying the stock kits to make the car into something else. Most commonly the stickers are removed, the car disassembled and repainted, and larger wheels are added to mimic the "Tuner" look. Although "rare" these have never appealed to me.

I recently found a "rare" modified car that does appeal to me. It is a replica of the Demon Tweeks sponsored BTCC M3 as driven by Roland Ratzenburger and later shown at the Goodwood festival.

It appears to be a really high quality job. The owner claims that it is one of three commissioned by Demon Tweeks to celebrate running the real car at Goodwood. That would meet my definition of "rare".

So I broke my $100 rule and bought it for 102 British Pounds. This is the most I have spent on a car so far but given the unique nature of the car I think it was worth it. Here is a picture of the real car at Goodwood and a picture of the car from the e-bay auction. I'll be interested to learn which model was sacrificed to build this replica. The only visible difference between the real car and the replica appears to be the side on which the driver sits. As far as I know there has never been a RHD die cast E30 M3.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Back on Track

I got the M3 (and rebuilt motor) back from the shop a few days ago and have put ~250 miles on it. It feels pretty good. The Vorshlag mounts are mighty stiff and cause a big increase the noise and vibration -- these are not for street cars. The upside of all that noise is that the feel of the shifter is fantastic. The LTW flywheel is a nice improvement and makes the car feel faster if only a little bit.

I'll be heading down to Pueblo for the NASA event this weekend -- which almost didn't happen due to low attendance -- only a last minute plea for drivers saved it.

This will be my first weekend with the enclosed trailer. I got a proportional trailer brake controller installed and a 7" drop hitch last Tuesday. I scored a nice set of "T hook" tie down straps on Ebay. I'm taking Friday off to set up the trailer for the first time.