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1. |
Buy a BMW E30 |
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The BMW E30 is the
boxy 3-series from
the late-eighties.
In order to fit a
suitable roll-cage
you should ideally
be looking at 2-door
coupe models,
although 4-door and
touring versions are
allowed. There are
two allowed models:
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a. |
318i
(1987-1990).
It must
have the
M40
engine
which is
a
fuel-injected,
8-valve
four-cylinder.
The
carburetted
318
(M10)
and 16V
318iS
(M42)
are not
permitted.
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b. |
320i
(1985-1990).
It must
have the
M20
six-cylinder
engine.
The 320i
has a
slight
power-to-weight
advantage,
although
the 318i
is 70kg
ligher
in road
trim.
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2. |
Get your car checked
over |
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Before you go
spending a lot of
money on parts and
labour, get your car
properly checked
over by a specialist
and solve any
immediate problems.
Most cars are also
going to need some
TLC in the form of a
full service.
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3. |
Order your safety
equipment and
performance parts |
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Some of the kit can
take a long time to
arrive so order it
now before starting
work on the car.
You will need the
following safety
equipment: |
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a. |
Multi-point
roll
cage
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b. |
6-point,
FIA
approved
safety
harness |
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c. |
FIA
approved
seat
with
lateral
head
support
(an
“eared
seat”) |
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d. |
Plumbed-in
fire
extinguisher
kit with
at least
a 3.5
litre
capacity
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e. |
Safety
cutoff
switch
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You will want the
following
performance parts:
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a. |
Uprated
sports
suspension
kit
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b. |
Race-spec
brake
pads
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Note that no engine
tuning or upgrades
are permitted - this
is budget racing!
Refer to the
regulations for full
details.
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4. |
Strip out the
interior |
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To remove fire
hazards and a lot of
weight, remove as
much of the interior
as possible. Refer
to the series
regulations for
exact details, but
in brief:
You can remove:
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a. |
Rear
bench
seat
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b. |
Passenger
seat
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c. |
Drivers
seat
(you
will
replace
this
with
your
race
seat)
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d. |
Seat
belts
(you
will
replace
these
with
your
6-point
harness) |
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e. |
All
carpeting
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f. |
Rear
side
panels |
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g. |
Headlining
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h. |
Speakers
and
audio
equipment
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i. |
Glovebox
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j. |
Steering
wheel
and
dashboard
(required
to fit
roll
cage)
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k. |
Boot
carpet
and trim
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l. |
Spare
wheel
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You may not remove:
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a. |
Electric
window
motors
(unless
you
replace
with
manual
mechanism)
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b. |
Glass
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c. |
Road car
switchgear
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Remember, the car
must remain capable
of passing an MOT.
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5. |
Fit the roll cage |
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This is where it
gets tricky (for
those DIY-ing). If
you have a sunroof
then the interior
sunroof cage will
need to be removed
and some surgery
required to the roof
in order to get the
rear cage in the
car. There may also
be some fettling
required to fitting
plates and brackets
in order to get the
cage to fit
perfectly. Beyond
the sunroof
modifications, this
is best left to a
professional.
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6. |
Fit your safety
equipment |
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If you ordered your
rollcage with a
harness bar, this is
the best place to
attach your shoulder
belts. Otherwise
weld-in plates
housing eyebolts on
the rear bulkhead is
another option. One
of the lapbelts can
use the original
seatbelt mounting
point but the other,
as well as the
crotch straps
require a hole to be
drilled so that an
eyebolt can be
screwed into a
spreader plate below
the car.
If your seat is base
mounted and comes
with a subframe then
fitting is a simple
spanner job. Side
mounted seats may
need further
drilling of the
bodyshell.
The fire
extinguisher and
safety cutoff switch
should be fitted by
a professional.
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7. |
Fit your performance
parts |
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Get the brakes and
suspension
race-ready. A Haynes
manual may come in
useful!
The driver
information pack is
also worth a read if
you are starting
out. |
