The bumper mounts work. I had the ends of the bumper cover vice gripped to the fenders during mock up and they stayed in place. 
The bumper mounts work. I had the ends of the bumper cover vice gripped to the fenders during mock up and they stayed in place.
With the bumper cover in place I started on radiator ducting. The bottom fits between the bottom lip and the bottom of the grill opening.
Mounting the oil cooler is next. I need to find out if I can cut the stock fan mount to put the cooler closer to the radiator. If I can't, I'll make some shrouding to keep air from going around the cooler.
jgrewe said:With the bumper cover in place I started on radiator ducting. The bottom fits between the bottom lip and the bottom of the grill opening.
Mounting the oil cooler is next. I need to find out if I can cut the stock fan mount to put the cooler closer to the radiator. If I can't, I'll make some shrouding to keep air from going around the cooler.
Is that allowed? I never looked closely at the cars in the pits but don't remember seeing people doing that
In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
You scared me for a second. I had to read the rules again to be sure. It is allowed as long as that is the only function.
The gray area I'm looking at right now is if the stock electric pusher fan is considered part of the AC system? If it is, the rules say I can remove any "brackets" related to the system. That would mean I can cut the fan mount that is in front of the radiator.
You're ahead of me on taking a close look at the cars, I've never even seen one in the flesh, lol!
jgrewe said:In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
You scared me for a second. I had to read the rules again to be sure. It is allowed as long as that is the only function.
The gray area I'm looking at right now is if the stock electric pusher fan is considered part of the AC system? If it is, the rules say I can remove any "brackets" related to the system. That would mean I can cut the fan mount that is in front of the radiator.
You're ahead of me on taking a close look at the cars, I've never even seen one in the flesh, lol!
I suspect you're fine. The auto cars had a different setup, and they're legal.
In reply to Spearfishin :
This chassis was an automatic 328, I'll have to look at Realoem to see what the core support area looks like on an auto 330.
This is the panel I want to modify. It looks like it is common to all the E46's. I'm thinking of cutting the center circle and the shapes either side of it back to the studs that normally hold the fan.
It is pretty thick metal so I know it is doing more than holding the fan.
jgrewe said:This is the panel I want to modify. It looks like it is common to all the E46's. I'm thinking of cutting the center circle and the shapes either side of it back to the studs that normally hold the fan.
It is pretty thick metal so I know it is doing more than holding the fan.
Ah, I thought you meant the fan shroud.
Suspect you might catch some scrutiny for that.
I think so too. I just wanted a second opinion,thanks. I'm going to mount the cooler in front of it for now.
While making oil cooler mounts the blade on my band saw broke. My local place that used to make blades shut down so I had to order from MSC.
I turned my attention to the pile of parts for the front end. The deepest parts to be upgraded are the oil pump and pan baffle so everything had to come out from under the car.
The oil pump was a 10 minute job once you get this deep in the car. I'm going to make the baffle myself, I can't see spending $150 on a few pieces of aluminum. It is pretty easy to see where it needs to go and there are a lot of examples online.
A little more origami and the patterns will be done. I need to pick up some hinges for the trap doors.
Once the baffle is done I can start hanging all the new stuff. A quick look at the pile and the only parts original to the car will be the cross member, spindles and hubs.
As I was fitting the passenger door panel the door won't open! It looks like it is a common problem for the mechanism to act up and not unlock or unlatch. The special problem for me is if I can't get it to open working through a 3/4" slot at the top of the door, I'm going to have to cut the $100 piece of aluminum to get access to the latch.
I'm trying to come up with a method to hold the door that can be operated from inside or outside(rules required).
I'm looking for a simple latch off another car or cutting open the stock one and modifying it to get rid of the electric bits.
I got more done on the baffle, I picked up some stainless hinges from the Depot.
Once you realize you aren't building a pressure vessel for the Navy and you just need to slow down the oil, things come together quicker.
I have a bunch of parts coming tomorrow. New OEM hubs and Zimmerman rotors.( I have a thing about hubs now... see the first post,lol).
Brake cooling needed to be figured out since the hubs are coming off. Walking around the shop with a measuring tape, I found that a 10lb spool of welding wire is the exact diameter I need to make a new backing plate. I'll either pick up a piece of 3" exhaust pipe or roll my own to attach the flex tube for air.
From what I've read, brake cooling isn't a big issue, and it doesn't seem that many of the cars run any brake ducts, at least not from bumper to rotor.
In reply to Spearfishin :
Wow, really? I'll be honest, I've never built a car out of such a great starting point. The brakes on the 330 are big, I guess when you take so much weight out of the car they become overkill. Overkill being the perfect size for a track car.
Back in the 90's we would crack the front rotors on an ITA RX7 in a couple events if we didn't have cooling.
I'm going to make them for the car since I will be able to measure the mounting bolt pattern with the hubs removed. I can always not run a tube from the bumper or partially block the hole.
In reply to jgrewe :
Yeah, having the option at the hub really doesn't have a downside.
I had to go get a project going in Toledo, a whole week without touching the car.
I got the rough design and worked on fitting them. One of the mounting bolts hits the brake rotor when I push the plate as close as I want it. I hammered an indentation in them with an impact socket against a 2x4.
I need to pick up something to make spacers. I installed the sway bar to see if it will be in the way, tomorrow I'll weld the 3" tubes to attach the flex pipe.
Fitting all the parts on the car for the first time, some things installed for good.
I went to the orange box store to get some traditional smoke gray rustoleum for the wheel wells. They were out of quarts and gallons. The paint counter guy suggested Behr oil based enamel. The bonus is it can be tinted! I wanted something a little darker than the smoke gray and found the perfect color, "Asphalt Gray", it was meant to be.
I ordered a set of the approved helper springs when I saw how much space the spring had at full droop. I'm not sure where the perches will end up but I hate cars that have springs that clunk into place when you lower it off a jack
.
I confirmed my deadline to have the car on track for the shake down. I signed up for a Chin Motorsports day at Sebring on Jan 26th. The suspension will be done once I finish the brake duct plates. When the car is back on the ground I'll turn my attention to the interior and get things ready for the Tulay lightened wire harness.
I dug out an Aim MXL Pro 05 that I've had and sent it off the have a new screen installed. It came back as good as new and I'll be making a mounting system to hold it on the steering column.
New hubs fitted with MSI studs in front of the ducted backing plates. Everything fits with a few millimeters clearance.
I just need to button up the brake plumbing and feed it some fresh SRF.
Not much fabrication lately, just hanging parts. I installed the extra E36 fuel pump on the drivers side to move fuel to the main pump on the passenger side. I did a little wet sanding and buffing around the tail light holes and installed them.
I did make a small tab to hold the steering column to the cage. The stock dash bar used to hold it and that is gone.
I finally got the oil cooler mount finished. There is a lot of ducting that can be added to force air through it but for right now I'll see how things go. I went with a larger cooler than I see in a few kits. I don't know if it is my time running rotaries or the fact I live in Florida, but I want plenty of oil cooling. Without an oil thermostat I will make an assortment of plates that cover parts of the cooler depending on ambient temps.
The door latch issue.
Ugh. I had to pry open the top edge of my custom door skin to poke at the internal mechanism. I cut open the drivers side latch and figured out what the problem is. I'll post pics of what I found and share the fix I have come up with(if it works,lol). I took about 30 minutes with various screw drivers and pry bars but the door finally popped open.
I worked on closing up the door. I'm waiting for new bowden cables so everything will be fresh inside. I've gone back and forth on how to fasten the aluminum to the door. I was thinking of panel bond, it would probably be the best way. Something in the back of my mind wants to be able to get back into the door though. Aircraft rivet spacing is supposed to be between 4 and 8 X's the rivet diameter. Since this craft probably won't get over Mach .2, I went with about 3" spacing.
Using the stock interior door handle.
I had some big scratches in the aluminum so I hit it with a DA. I'll paint it when the temps come back up in March or April.
For now, it has to go on the car.
This weekend I have to shift stuff around and put the car on the lift it lives under. I have subframe and diff bushings to install and a new guibo and center bearing for the driveshaft. With all that stuff apart it is time to install the limited slip too.
My son bailed on doing an event so I moved the cars debut to the middle of Feb. There is also the minor detail of not having the wire harness back yet.
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