BMW pro 3 questions

T

transamdriver

Well-known member
Would like to learn more about building a pro 3 car, if it makes any sense, what cars are eligible, engines, etc. Is there a website that has all the answers?

Don't want to take up forum space, so would appreciate some info on my email oldtransamdriver@yahoo.ca Thanks.

Robert Barg
 
ok, all good advice, but need to know if a 1990 318 i shell qualifies - same body as a 325? which specific M 20 engine, what year, 2.5 or 2.7? fuel cell mandatory? any advantage to a 2 dr. vs. 4 dr, or vice versa?


I see several used Pro 3 cars for sale? unhappy with series, or just time to get out, or move on?

Robert Barg
 
Hey Robert. Yes, I am one of those selling mine. I am going to try and go in a new direction. I will miss the close competitive racing and swapping stories with the pro3 guys, who as a group are a class act.

If you want to have some of the closest racing imaginable, pro3 is the right class to be involved in. Whether you are racing in the back, the middle, or the front of the pack, you will always have a group to race with. As I said above, this is a friendly inviting class who lend each other a hand whenever possible.

Kevin Doyle
#114
 
A 90 318 shell would be legal, no problem, but you will have to swap the drivetrain to make it a Pro3. You have to run the M20B25 motor (2.5L I motor), which I think was in pretty much all 325's from '87 to '91. Fuel cell is not mandatory. Most of us have run the stock tank to begin with, and some have chosen to stay with it. No real advantage 2 vs 4 door cars, although Mike and Lance are going to argue that 4 doors are cool.
 
tom_olsson said:
A 90 318 shell would be legal, no problem, but you will have to swap the drivetrain to make it a Pro3. You have to run the M20B25 motor (2.5L I motor), which I think was in pretty much all 325's from '87 to '91. Fuel cell is not mandatory. Most of us have run the stock tank to begin with, and some have chosen to stay with it. No real advantage 2 vs 4 door cars, although Mike and Lance are going to argue that 4 doors are cool.
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I believe there was that crazy "Super ETA" in 1988 that could throw a curve ball at you when shopping for engines. Easiest way to tell when first looking at a donor car is the tach: redline for a 2.7 eta motor is at 4500; the correct motor, M20B25, shows a redline at 6000.

I'm no expert on the minutia details between the 318 and 325, but my understanding is that you would be better off to find a true 325i or 325is and start from there. At a minimum, you would need to change out the entire drive train including the differential and engine ECU. I don't believe any Pro3 car in the fleet started as a 318...

True, there seems to be a few Pro3 cars for sale, each with its own reasons for selling. For as many that are currently for sale, there are just as many under construction...that's to be expected when our 'fleet' now numbers greater than 40!

Michael Lord is selling his rental Pro3 - built by TC Motosports and a very capable car.

Kevin's car is fast (so is Kevin!) as he sure kicked my ass in Mission this year!!

4 door vs 2 door? Well, all the cool kids have 4! :p I swear the 4-door is heavier...or rather, it's more difficult to get it down to minimum weight. Of course, if you ask my Crew Chief, he's quick to point out that if he drove the car, we would be under weight! Maybe if I laid off the biscuits and gravy a little bit more...

Hit the sites listed by Tom or feel free to shoot any of the Pro3 guys an email.
 
With a 4-door it's a little easier to put a video camera in the car. Also easier to install belts on the harness bar (at least for me). When I travel I sometimes put some things in the back seat area, which is much easier to access with a 4-door.

Factory weights for the 4-doors are a little more. But most of the 2-doors end up adding ballast to get back to the class weight.

Both 2-doors and 4-doors have held track records. More 2-door street cars came as 5-speeds, so you'll find more of those as candidates. Probably 75% of the PRO3 cars are 2-door. People buying 4-doors back when new tended to opt for automatics. 5-speed 4-doors are out there, but just not as many.

As for growth, there are 44 built PRO3 cars (up from 42 a year ago). There are an additional 8 PRO3 cars under construction.

Entry counts for PRO3 were up in 2009 to 18.5 cars per race compared to 17 per race in 2008.
 
as a guy that had never raced a RWD car befor I had a blast running all season with these guys and I think as a hole its a great groop. You can always rent one and find out for your self what all the fuss is about.

Hank
#44
 
04_rabbit_man said:
... You can always rent one and find out for your self what all the fuss is about.

Hank
#44
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Good advice that I will second.

I was fortunate enough to drive two different PRO3 cars this past season. In both instances the cars were AWESOME fun.

Factor in the camaraderie and competition as cited above and it's a wonderful scenario to plug into.

Good luck!
 
Well it looks like it will be a 4 dr. 318 car to start with as we already have it. Will put a cage in it and some basic suspension mods. The 318 came with a dohc 4 banger. We do have a 2.5 6 cyl engine that was donated some time ago if we decide to install it.

Will probably run it as a track day car or maybe a West Coast series car at Mission. Not sure yet what is needed for basic suspension mods - our meagre budget will determine this. Anyone have any pieces that might be useful? some used 14 or 15" tires?

Robert Barg
 
transamdriver said:
Will probably run it as a track day car or maybe a West Coast series car at Mission. Not sure yet what is needed for basic suspension mods - our meagre budget will determine this. Anyone have any pieces that might be useful? some used 14 or 15" tires?
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I have some used 14" R888s you might want - they have a lot of heat cycles but are otherwise good. I also have a set of full tread 14" RA1s (my 2008 season rains) with only a couple of heat cycles. Email me if you're interested (rs dot mearns at gmail dot com).

You can put some sticky tires and race pads on the car and run it and have a ball to start. You'll nearly always have somebody to race with in a Pro3 grid. Then add suspension upgrades as your budget allows.

A typical set of PRO3 suspension upgrades includes front coilovers and camber plates, rear camber and toe adjusters, beefy sway bars (at least in front) and upgraded bushings all over the place. Shocks are a big variable. Koni single-adjustables used to be the entry-level package, but some guys go wild and expensive on shocks. The 2007 / 2008 Pro3 class champion (who also won most of the few races he entered in 2009) uses Koni SAs. Score one (or two) for driver ability over driver budget! James Clay at Bimmerworld is a good supplier (and a major Pro3 sponsor) and a good guy to get advice from. Ground Control and Ireland Engineering are also good people to talk to.

Have a plan so you don't buy things twice. Here's a link to Sage Schreiner's articles on how he prepared an E30 318 for G Production over a couple of seasons. He's a good writer too - fun to read.

Good luck!
 
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