Track mods for a 97 M3

[JDJO@xxxxxxxxxx]

Rich -

Your buddy, Donn, asked a bunch of questions, a few of which I can answer:


Q:
(1) Is there anything special that I need to know about the behavior of the
car before taking it out on the track?  Overall, does the car oversteer or
understeer at the limit?  Driving it on the street, I haven't had much of an
opportunity to get a good feel for the car.  My gut (actually, butt) feel,
based on this brief encounter, is that the car will understeer at the limit.
Also, it appears that you can make the tail step out nicely with a little
throttle (throttle steering, not wild oversteer) .

A:
Yep.  If you are exploring earlier apexes, it is possible to modulate
the throttle to hit the track-out.  That is, it is very easy to use medium
throttle, rather than full throttle from the apex if you hit it early.  HOWEVER,
it will spin if you lift ALOT, or (heaven help you) you brake.  (I assume
RacerBuddy knows this already).

Q:
(2) How reliable are the stock components in track duty?

A:
Very reliable.

Q:
What else do I need to know about the car's
mechanicals to ensure that it is not unhappy with me for taking it out on
the track?   Are there any problems that others have experienced at the
track?  (e.g., overheating, brake fade, oil starvation -- all things that
have, unfortunately, impacted other cars that I've owned.)

A:
Overheating - No
Brake fade - depends on the pads.  I had decent luck with the stock pads,
but replaced them with a more agressive pad.
Oil Starvation - Yes, on high speed LH sweepers.  Add an extra quart of
oil before you start.
(Not mentioned) Brake rotors warping - Yes.  Replace them with the
Euro 2 piece rotors when you bake the stock set.  Additionally, JT
Designs is working on what looks to be a trick brake ducting set-up.
(jtdesigns@domain.elided)
(Not mentioned) Blowing up the motor on a missed downshift - Yes.  This
is not a design flaw (in my mind).  It is the price of getting 240 bhp. from
3.2 L.  If you are on a track where 5th is used, don't rush the shift to 4th,
because 2nd is VERY unhealthy for the engine at over 100 mph.

(3) Most likely, I will replace the brake pads and fluid to better suit my
driving needs.  In this regard, 95% the car's life will be spent on the
street, about 4% will be in autocross, and only about 1% on the racetrack
(track days only, I've got a race car for wheel-to-wheel racing).  So,
ideally, I'd like to find a set of pads that will not fade (at least not too
badly) in track events, offers decent modulation for autocross duty, and
won't eat my rotors on the street (like the very abrasive Hawk blues on my
race car).  Any recommendations? (Or am I just asking for too much <G>!?)

A:
(embarressedly) I'm not sure what my wrench put on last time.

Have fun at the track.

John
98 ///M3-4 "Calypso"

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