My 190E 2.3-16 vintage racer project

I had a small set-back due to some last-minute issues that cropped up. I wasn't able to pick the car up from Boston this weekend :( That means I won't have it for Mosport next weekend, which really sucks.

However, I still have my old E30 up and running. I'll bring that with me for the BMW CCA Club Race school. Hopefully, I'll have the 16v back in my hands in 2 weeks time.
 
J'ai une question pour toi.. Dans Top Gear, il avait déja été mentionné que la suspension de la 190e n'était pas aussi performante que celle d'une e36 sedan.

La e30 ayant un design de suspension arrière différent de la e36, , as-tu pu déja faire un pronostic?
 
I don't think the W201 rear suspension is any worse than that of the E36. And it's much more sophisticated than that of the E30.

The problem is you have a bunch of rubber bushings in the rear suspension, which tend to wear out and lead to sloppy/loose handling. In my case, this problem was even more pronounced, since I actually had cracks in the rear subframe: the whole thing was flexing under hard cornering. Now that the subframe has been repaired and all the bushings have been replaced, it's rock solid.

All in all, I think the suspension design is clearly better than the E30 and about equal to the E36.
 
Quick update

I've had a very difficult time finding a wheel and tire package that does what I need it to do for this project. The W201 chassis has tiny wheel wells to start with, and things have gotten even tighter after swapping in the coilovers. Since we're building the car for vintage racing, we can't just cut out the fenders to make room. On top of that, I'm running the Evo II Brembos, which adds yet another dimensional constraint to the picture.

After trying out a whole bunch of different wheel/tire combos and spending literally thousands on wheels that didn't quite work, we've finally found a combo that looks promising:

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These are 2-piece BBS RX II 503 alloys in 17x8" ET35. They're a bit heavier than I would have liked, but at least they fit properly. The tires are 225/45-R17 Continental Challenge semi-slicks, which are rebadged Hoosier endurance racing tires (basically R5's with a harder rubber compound). They should hold up well for HPDE and amateur racing.
 
Time for an update...

Just did some head work. Replaced the timing chain and guides. Had the valve timing adjusted, which meant all new shims. Some of the shims had to be machined down to the perfect size:

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Had the valve cover powder-coated. They managed to match the factory paint color:

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Also, I bought another set of Evo I alloys (16x8" ET34). I gave up trying to make 17" wheels work for now. The combination of Evo II brakes (300mm rotors; 4-piston Brembo calipers) and stock fenders is simply causing too much headache. That really limits my tire choices: not much available in 225/45-R16 these days. I picked up a set of Yoko A048 tires. I know these are hardly the best R-comps around, but they're the best I can do for now. I'll revisit 17x9" wheels after the season is over.

Finally, I've started working on fabbing some plates to mount my SPA GT mirrors. I'll admit this is race-car bling, but I like the look!
 
Want to experience the 16v on the fastest race circuit in North America?

Hey, guys.

I'll be heading up to Mosport on April 27-29 (Fri-Sun) to instruct with the boys from the BMW Club of Canada--Trillium Chapter. I'll be running the 16v ... finally! Will any of you be around that weekend?

I'll be driving up on Thursday the 26th after work. Friday will be the big day: 8 sessions on track! I'll be dialing in and testing the new set-up. Sat and Sun will be the typical HPDE format: a lot busier for me since I'll be spending time with my students. I'll head back down to NYC on Sunday night.

If anyone wants a ride on the track, I'll have plenty of opportunities to take passengers out on Friday. I may also be able to give rides later in the weekend, but I can't really make any promises for Sat or Sun.

What do you say?

Emre
 
Couple of big events this weekend: car show yesterday; BMW Club track day today.

Just had the wheels refinished in GT3 orange and added some cheesy graphics. These were taken this past Sunday at Guten Parts and Service (the shop that's been doing most of the work on the car):

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Equally ridiculous vanity plate:

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Today, I had the car on the track (NJMP--Lightning) with the NY BMW CCA. The car is FINALLY running right! We were able to pass most of the early M3's (E30 and E36) running in the instructor group...except for one guy with an insanely fast E30 M3 2.5L stroker. Not bad, considering I've got a bone stock (165 hp) engine under the hood. With twice the HP and 25% more rubber on the ground, the race-prepped E46 M3's were out of reach.

Found a fellow lunatic to play with:

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Dicing with the Bimmers:

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Look, ma ... no body roll!

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Well, that's it for now. After two years of work, things have finally started coming together on this project. The suspension and tires are working beautifully. The engine is strong. The car feels great!
 
That stroker E30 you're talking about, is it red and black? Saw one lap at saint-eustache with the BMW club and it was beastly!!
 
No, it's silver with a CF hood. Completely gutted with Lexan windows and everything. The owner says it weighs 2400 lbs. Powered by a stroked S14 race engine. Insanely fast. It was the only E30 M3 that I couldn't keep up with.
 
Si jamais tu cherches des amortisseurs Bilstein avant neufs pour ta 16v, j'en ai. J'ai aussi un intake complet. Ma 16v Eurospec est malheureusement décédée dans un accident en Mars donc il me reste certaines pièces.
 
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