Suj's Nimbus Clio 197 and E36 328i Trackcar

QUOTE="Big Ben, post: 739403, member: 53991"]
You boys hammered me at Cadwell. My home track Snetterton. Takes a few goes to work it out but I’m comfortable there. How’d you and the boys find it?
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Oh yeah....when we were driving back to Brum, there was a crash so it diverted us through some country lanes, when I came to a junction the battery light flashed...then stopped, we thought oh no, didn't do it again.
Dropped off mate but I didn't turn off car, got home and parked on side to move Clio off drive...didn't turn back on, I had to jump start it off the (mighty) Clio, then got it on drive, still not investigated it, but I will (hoping it's battery, as once running it seems to stay on).
Who'd have thought a little frenchy would have to save the big mighty German [emoji849]

#renaultmasterrace

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Nice write up, didn’t realise how much trouble you had on the build up! I think I have some video I can share later next week of you in front on an early session

Ha yeah, it was constant running around since I damaged bumper, but so glad I got the subframe sorted and hopefully now the gear shift problem.
Oh yeah you mentioned footage....of me probably driving shit in the morning haha

Don’t stress about holding me up…. You weren’t.
I was kinda under the impression you’d been before so knew where to go (cus I didn’t)
Definitely a steep learning curve! Time and time again I got to T1 and said to myself I could go gone faster. Took a lot of bravery!
I wanted some tuition myself but it was all booked up

It wasn’t long before me and the boys were all told off for being too close. Was kinda gutted there wasn’t much else out on track that wanted a play…… except @IainMac :tearsofjoy: :tearsofjoy:

I had no idea, I watched vids...but even then went totally blank.

Yep exactly that, I was like "don't shift down to 3rd... don't..." And I kept doing it, then finally got it in 4th, then instructor was like "5th" and when he said hit first bit, miss second, hit third, I was like "hang on, like hit-miss-hit at ring?" He said exactly haha

That's a shame about tuition, as it was genuinely brilliant, the lad came down pits near the end, he said he was bored and said he can come out in mine again, but I knew Ethan had tuition but not @burrellbloke so he went out, he even said he gave so many tips!

Yeah I don't think I was back out when you boys were (I was too busy messing with my hot nuts....)

Hell of a write-up Suj! Don't tell the others but your E36 is one of my favourites from our group yesterday. Was awesome to put faces to names and meet most of your yesterday. We'll try somewhere a bit more central next time as Snetterton is as far away from everywhere as possible! :tearsofjoy:

Ha thanks mate, I'm surprised so many people liked it, I feel embarrassed of its presentation (well the crash made the front end minus that wing actually look better haha).
I actually really enjoyed Snetterton, I'd definitely come back, as I was improving a lot as day got on.
 
So I have been buying a few bits, some i'll keep quiet (@Sean197 might like one of them lol)

I noticed slight weeping from the output shaft of the gearbox (I did spend plenty of time near it when at Snetterton :tearsofjoy: ) this is a common thing and I remember doing it on my old one.
Whilst there I will be changing the joint on the shifter rod, they have this type of "sponge" that sits inside that wears and basically adds a lot of sideways play in the shifter, also I have a new seal for that shifter rod too, as I will be dropping the prop shaft I wanted to do everything I could.

I want to design my own brake ducts and wanted to buy a pair of the OEM ones for mock-up, people wanted silly money for them...so I asked BMW and they were £15 each lmao, always worth asking as BMW seem to keep a lot of old stock.

I totally forgot it was BH weekend, like oblivious to it until a colleage said earlier, so hopefully parts turn up by then for me to tinker.

Regarding the battery situation, I did a quick multimeter check and battery showed 12.10v....and started up first thing, it then showed 13.2v when running when cold, this then dropped and then was draining the battery (I could see it go down in 0.01v intervals) so looks like alternator is goosed, but what has confused me is why when I stopped the car to move Clio when I got back how it wouldn't start until I jumped it? Unless battery is also goosed (not enough CCA?) either way I need to investigate more, to check if there is a drain.

Also if you want a funny story, drivers side if you lock the car never did central locking, only from the passenger side, (I do have a module for drivers side to fit), but then it stopped working on passenger side.
When I dropped my mate off after Snetterton he slammed the boot SO HARD it scared the shit out of me, I was like wtf you doing, he was like "sorry, so used to my heavy ass 350z one".
Now the central locking is working from passenger door again....and now from the boot too.....WTF? :tearsofjoy:
 
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You need to get him round again and slam more doors :tearsofjoy:

My experience of BMW and their parts department has always been the same, they seem to stock loads of old/legacy parts and often they're as cheap or cheaper than aftermarket!


So this photo still stands for this weekend too then?:sweatsmile:

Yeah I forgot how much stock they keep.

Yep typical position being under the car lmao


Supercharged S65? Nice one :german:

Shit how did you guess? (I bloody wish!)
 
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I've had a delivery for bits from BMW, I also got the delivery (that @Sean197 will approve)

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So got a GT type splitter (the original GT had an adjustable blade, that you could slide forwards and backwards, I want one so bad...but @ £1500 from BMW / they never up used....I would never pay that).

Also I got the number plate delete trim to use on trackdays, really easy to swap over and cleans up the front.


Also got the alternator out to drop off tomorrow to get refurbished (nice and easy, 16mm on tensioner to take off belt, 2x 16mm holding the alternator in, a 10mm and a 13mm earth and live on back and it's off, all done in engine bay...unlike the Clio lol)
 
Clio got some love, it got 2 front tyres, I was running 225/45/17 Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3, I got some Asymmetric 5 for £67 each fitted, so got a pair of fronts (rears are @ 6mm).

I've been having this weird left turn problem, not had time to investigate with the shit weather, so I asked at the Halfords Autocentre if he could check for any play, he then said after "drivers side is fucked, it's a ball joint" I asked which one, he said "there's only 1" so I left it at that lol, he clearly is a 197 expert haha.
I am 95% sure it's hub, I had 2 I need to fit anyways, so I'll get that done ASAP and check other things when there.

A lot of mates who I haven't seen in ages went down to Caffeine and Machine so I went down to have a catch up (2 mates own Stuttgart Classica which is a classic Porsche specialist who are so close).

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I went down with my mate in his 350z, his brother (my other mate) just got his 180sx TypeX back from detailing, but battery was kaput, so not enough time to sort it unfortunately.

But my other mate brought down his '68 Mustang, which is so lovely!
(He has been designing and making rear LED lights for it, they're sooo cool, also he gutted the OEM stereo so it looks standard, but the dials have a potentiometer and in the boot is an Arduino for the proper new system, he is using new speakers, so I 3d printed him some spacers in ABS so that it looks OEM).

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It was a great venue and a good catch up with some awesome cars.
It's funny as the E36 gets some looks in normal driving (or dirty looks mainly) but as parking was packed @ C&M I had to park at the back, but as it was a lovely day they were all on the hill and as I parked quite a few people came down to have a closer look and ask questions about the car, was quite nice.


I've been hoarding a few things to do over winter until trackdays start again.

I went for HSDs true coilover conversion kit from Driftworks, it consists of lower brackets from an E36 Compact (they offset, to move the damper further from the body, due to spring now being there), new top mounts, the upper spring perch, springs and locking collars (these are lower spring perches).
When going from a divorced setup to a true coilover setup you can run softer springs, as going outboard has a different pivot point, so I went for 9kg.mm springs.

The front dampers are monotube inverted dampers, the damper adjustment is at the bottom of the damper but up in the bracket, so I got extenders as they've been stuck at whatever they are lol.

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I want to buy another rear diff cradle (subframe) to get Powder coated and also do all the balljoints on rear knuckles (they're not your typical balljoints, kinda like rosejoints), I would then need to inner bushes on the upper arm (the spring perch), but as I am moving the spring to the damper I don't need that arm anymore, the camber arms are expensive VAC Motorsoort ones with rose joints...there I now have justification to buy parts hahahhaa. :tearsofjoy:

Many of these upper arms don't have ARB link mounting points as they're made for drift cars, I found some but they were like £500+, I had heard really good stuff about a company called PMC Motorsport in Poland, from people who race and drift, from UK, Germany and even the states.

Their upper arms have a mount for ARB links (albeit I will have to use E46 items that are twisted, so both ends are 90degs of each other, not same sided like E36 ones), so I ordered a set and also a set of Lemforder E46 ARB links.

Whilst there I had similar problems to @tombate911 with his front lollipop bushes (2piece Powerflex ones) that feel like they're moving / not sitting right.
So I ordered their eccentric solid mounts, they were well priced, I was looking at the adjustable ones where you can get some crazy caster from the adjustments, but they were more than double and a bit overkill.

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I ordered something else, but not yet delivered, I have quite a fair bit of things to get on with, if weather wasn't so crappy haha.


Oh yeah my experience with PMC was brilliant, they answered questions I had quickly and really well, if you put UK as your delivery address it removes VAT so it's nice and easy.
But....they use UPS, the shittest company, I hate them (I used to work for them at uni...I avoid them at every cost).
So I got my invoice for VAT, it included duty (which it shouldn't) then a £11.50 "Brokerage Charge", so I rang up to get the duty removed, which they did (after 3 calls over 3 days..dicks) I asked about this Brokerage Charge, I got 3 different responses, so basically they setup facilities after Brexit to help "smoothen out deliveries to UK" I paid 30eur delivery...then VAT on delivery too, then this charge, they knew where the parcel was going, why not include it in delivery charge, also their online calculator doesn't tell you about this charge, PMC didn't know about it either, I was livid tbh, i told PMC I will never order from them again unless they offer an alternative courier!
 
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Clio updates, shock horror!

I mentioned in the previous post that my car had a weird turning problem and Mr Halfords man when he was changing tyres said there was play.

I had some really good condition Hubs I got from @PITA , I also had a brand new lower arm (passenger side was changed not long ago), I got some Anti-Rotation Links and Anti-Roll Bar Links too (went for Moog, I have great experience with Moog from my 200sx and I use them on the E36 too).
(It was £60 for all 4 from CarParts4Less who are owned by EuroCarParts...and I collected them from ECP...they were £79 for all 4 from ECP so worth using CP4L).

My mate said his ramp is free and he was happy for me to use it (and he'll give a hand) which was lovely, I bloody want a ramp soooo bad!

I didn't take too many pics just at the end, but as usual all the links were being dicks , so had to cut them off (the anti-rotation links were much better).

Whilst there I had a radiator support in amazing condition I got off @DS197 so I put that on with the supports that I had powdercoated.

All back together and I went for a test drive it drove amazing, so tight and lovely! The hub balljoints were shot, also the wheel bearing on drivers side was shot too so was the bush on the drivers arm (rear bush) and the ball joint.

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She has an MOT on saturday and we did a quick look over and it should pass easily (he says...) so fingers crossed nothing i've missed doesn't bite me in the arse haha.
 
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The results are in.....pass no advisories! Wahoooo I knew it would be fine...not :grin:

He got under and was like "someone's been a busy boy, bet that was a shit job taking all that crap off" haha yes indeed.

He commented "so before COVID you were doing 20k miles a year without fail....last year 2.8k" haha mad how little miles I've done!

Obligatory MOT pit pic

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When you buy your new ramp can you ask if they’ll do discount for two as I so badly want one as well:grinning:
Glad she passed. Onwards and upwards…
 
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