VIR Carnage

#1

Well the 5 year run of good luck finally came to end. We chased an electrical problem which had us running 10 seconds off the pole in Saturdays qualifiing. Found a bad distributor cap (THANKS to J. Allen for providing a spare) and got it back running strong. Brandon started at the back for the race and worked up to finish fifth thanks to some late race action/carnage.

I had decided to race on Sunday and so Brandon went out in the Group 4 starting session. It was cold and wet at 8:30 and on the second lap, going into the second left in the uphill esses the rear end snapped around and spun him straight into the outside tire wall. Front end strike and that was the end of our day!

I’m looking for a donor car for lots of front end parts, hood, fenders, bumper, lower valence, radiator, oil cooler, grills, headlight assemblies. Had it by a shop this morning and they think they can straighten the two front frame rails. I may have a lead on a running black 91 auto coupe for around $1,200. More than I wanted to spend but heck it’s even black and want require any paint. Engine has 190k.

I had planned to be back at VIR in March, but we’ll just have to see how things go.

Not sure how the Sunday race went since we bugged out. There was probably 10 entrants as we lost one car on Saturday and ours on Sunday.

Keith

#2

Kieth, sorry to hear about the bad luck. Did the frame rails move?

Chuck Taylor fixed his front end damage this past weekend with the help of talented welder B J Fisher. It is not a bad repair, if the frame is not tweaked.

Call if I can help.
Regards, Robert Patton 800-755-1715

#3

Keith/Brandon,

sorry to hear… I’ll keep an eye out. Greg Rogers at Romans 8:36 Paint & Body Center just did some great work on my car. He has a frame machine and was able to get my car square as square gets. If you don’t have any luck with a parts car, you may want to look into now sheet metal. Once you factor in paint prep, you might be able to come out cheaper. Again… sorry for your expiration of luck.

#4

The frame rails are bent toward the driver’s side inch or two. Body shop said they cn probably pull it back into alignment and still have structural integrity. That makes it alot simpler if that’s the case.

Keith

#5

Keith, there is an 86 here in Augusta that I can get for $300, it is missing the front bumper. Want me to get it for you? Owner says the car still runs good.

#6

Keith, really sorry to hear that. You made it through CMP so you should have been charmed for at least a few weekends!

Steve, if Keith’s is a plastic car, then some of the parts from the 86 won’t directly fit. The fenders/hood are OK, but the core support and the valence are different. We scored a core support for $75 from Strictly German, and the sheet metal I pulled off at pull-a-part from a used-to-be-black 318is…I see a lot of surface restoration in my future after I finish the mechanical reassembly.

#7

scottmc wrote:

[quote]Keith/Brandon,

sorry to hear… I’ll keep an eye out. Greg Rogers at Romans 8:36 Paint & Body Center just did some great work on my car. He has a frame machine and was able to get my car square as square gets. If you don’t have any luck with a parts car, you may want to look into now sheet metal. Once you factor in paint prep, you might be able to come out cheaper. Again… sorry for your expiration of luck.[/quote]
We might want to look into a group buy on replacement fenders. A friend told me about a website with cheap repro sheet metal. Cost to ship 1 one fender is more than the fender, by factor of 2, but cost of 6 fenders (3L/3R) with all shipping/handling is a hair over $300, or $50 per fender. www.autopartsdeal.com No recommendation, but friend found them w/a google search.

#8

ctbimmer wrote:

[quote]scottmc wrote:

[quote]Keith/Brandon,

sorry to hear… I’ll keep an eye out. Greg Rogers at Romans 8:36 Paint & Body Center just did some great work on my car. He has a frame machine and was able to get my car square as square gets. If you don’t have any luck with a parts car, you may want to look into now sheet metal. Once you factor in paint prep, you might be able to come out cheaper. Again… sorry for your expiration of luck.[/quote]
We might want to look into a group buy on replacement fenders. A friend told me about a website with cheap repro sheet metal. Cost to ship 1 one fender is more than the fender, by factor of 2, but cost of 6 fenders (3L/3R) with all shipping/handling is a hair over $300, or $50 per fender. www.autopartsdeal.com No recommendation, but friend found them w/a google search.[/quote]

Hell… you can’t buy an EZ-Up for that.

#9

smithk3933 wrote:

Sorry to hear of your misfortune.

I was at VIR Full 2 weeks ago with my SC’d Miata. What do you guys think of the ground areas on the track - faster, slower? I burned a piston early on the Saturday I was there so I didn’t get enough track time in to get a feel for how the “improvement” worked out. It was nothing but dusty when I was on it.

KB

#10

Let me ask some dumb questions.

What’s an ez-up?

How do you burn a piston? Pre-detonation/knock?

#11

Keith, sorry to see this. I heard a “black e30” was wrecked Sunday morning, but never found out who it was.

EZ-UPs are all those tents you see around the paddock.

You can burn a piston anytime the engine is running too lean under harsh conditions.

VIR is definitely faster with the new pavement treatment.

#12

mskeen wrote:

[quote]Keith, sorry to see this. I heard a “black e30” was wrecked Sunday morning, but never found out who it was.

EZ-UPs are all those tents you see around the paddock.

You can burn a piston anytime the engine is running too lean under harsh conditions.

VIR is definitely faster with the new pavement treatment.[/quote]

Whew!

I was just going to ask if turbos were allowed this year because there were too many people under the 2:20 mark.

-Steve

#13

There are a couple eta cars on Bimmerforums in the Mid-Atlantic forum. I didn’t read the ads but I think one was $300. May be worth a look.

#14

Keith - Give me a call at 336-414-4990. - DH