ITS 325

[backformore]

Are there advantages to a particular year or option package as far as building an ITS 325?

[Bryan Watts]

No real advantages except that 1993+ has VANOS for improved torque in the lower RPM's. Helps a lot out of the slower corners. Just avoid the 1992 cars.

The rest of the differences really comes down to whether you want a 2 or 4 door car.

[This message has been edited by Bryan Watts (edited June 10, 2005).]

[Bruce Shafer]

Don’t bother wasting your time. The ITAC has already made up their mind to further restrict the E36. By the time you get your car finished and ready to race the E36 will be weighing as much as a Caterpillar D9 and have a restrictor plate with an orifice the size of a pin hole.

Buy mine instead!

[Andy Bettencourt]

Originally posted by Bruce Shafer:
Don’t bother wasting your time. The ITAC has already made up their mind to further restrict the E36. By the time you get your car finished and ready to race the E36 will be weighing as much as a Caterpillar D9 and have a restrictor plate with an orifice the size of a pin hole.

Buy mine instead!

Of course all will realize this post to be total crap. The ITAC has decided NOTHING. There is simply not enough data yet to make an educated decision.

Bruce - your meds run out?

AB

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Andy Bettencourt
New England Region, R188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[mlytle]

Originally posted by Bryan Watts:
No real advantages except that 1993+ has VANOS for improved torque in the lower RPM's. Helps a lot out of the slower corners. Just avoid the 1992 cars.

The rest of the differences really comes down to whether you want a 2 or 4 door car.

[This message has been edited by Bryan Watts (edited June 10, 2005).]

yeah, what bryan said...
not required, but may save you a few $$ on core charge is to get one with the cold wx package as they have an lsd. lsd was a separate option, but rare by itself. rest of the options are fluff as you are going to take the interior out and replace all the suspension bits anyway.

just find a straight, no rust, 93-95. mileage is irrelevant.

[scootergeek]

I don't think avoiding a '92 non-VANOS car will really net you that much additional power. I crew for Mark Andrews's '92 325is here in the midwest and have seen him up against Paul Lehrman's later 325i several times now. There doesn't seem to be much difference between the two cars power-wise.

A 1992 car may not get you to the ARRC or be a competitive front runner in the southeast, but if you come across a bargain (like we did), it's not enough of a handicap to go wasting thousands on buying a later car.

cheers,
scott

[This message has been edited by scootergeek (edited June 11, 2005).]

[Fastfred92]

I think the biggest difference in vanos and non vanos cars is software potential,,, or so i have been told. My understanding is that the 93-95 computer can be reworked for bigger gains, anybody else ?

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Fred Alphin
#92 Hankook Tire SSB VW GTI VR6
BMW 325i ITS ( 2006 ? )

[Bryan Watts]

The advantage isn't going to come in the upper RPM's and higher speeds...in fact, the slightly hotter cam of the 1992 will be an advantage there. The advantage does come in the slowest corners where the VANOS really helps to improve the low end torque. The slow 3rd gear corners are where the 325's shine over other ITS cars from what I understand.

I've owned and raced a '92 325 back when the E36 was just getting started in ITS...hell, I beat the Bimmerworld guys in my 325 against their first 325 in a BMW CCA race back in 2000 (and then quickly decided I wasn't as committed to developing the car as they were seeing as I was still in college, so I sold it). I would definitely go for a VANOS car if doing it again today. With proper tuning (think Motec), the VANOS will be a real advantage. Actually, if I were really doing it today, I'd just build an E46 323.

In the end, it shouldn't be very hard to find a cheap VANOS car. There are a LOT more VANOS cars on the market than the non-VANOS 1992's.

[This message has been edited by Bryan Watts (edited June 13, 2005).]

[Tom Donnelly]

I don't drive one so don't start slinging mud but since the 92 is on the same line as the 93, doesn't this mean you can replace the non-vanos with a vanos?

Tom Donnelly
1970 ITS 240z

[Bruce Shafer]

The floor pan is different on a '92 E36. I don't know if it makes a difference, but BMW changed it for a reason.

[eMKay]

Originally posted by Bruce Shafer:
The floor pan is different on a '92 E36. I don't know if it makes a difference, but BMW changed it for a reason.

BMW changed the unibody design a little because after it was crash tested the dummies recieved too much force, so it was redesigned to absorb more impact, I don't think this would affect a racecar in any way.

[dj10]

Originally posted by Tom Donnelly:
I don't drive one so don't start slinging mud but since the 92 is on the same line as the 93, doesn't this mean you can replace the non-vanos with a vanos?

Tom Donnelly
1970 ITS 240z

Tom, why do you feel you are slinging mud by asking a question? From what I read of the rules, you can upgrade the complete vano engine and wiring harness to a non vano car.
dj