ILC's 1991 318 S50 track rat

[i_love_cars]

Well friends, the E30 is officially sold. The answers to the standard questions are as follows:

1. Where did it go?  David Spears bought the car and will be tracking it all this season while Dan Frodl is working on his LS E46 build. I will likely be driving the car as well at some track events this year as the future of this E30 is to exist as a backup/spare track car for our group of friends who regularly do HPDE. 

2. Why did you sell it?  dastuz and I are planning some larger investments likely in commercial real estate, and I need to free up and save as much capital as I can over the next 3-6 months. Keeping the E30 means I'm also committed to buying a trailer, and then making it worth my while to have the car by doing a lot of track events and that + consumables + insurance adds up quick. Doing the math, I'm saving myself $10-12k in 2017 including the price of a trailer, plus the cash I get back from selling the E30 (about $9k)

3. Are you going to track the M3?  Yes I will be tracking the M3 at Road America, and likely paying for consumables/track time/insurance on the E30 for 1 or 2 events at Blackhawk Farms

4. What about your truck?  Tax writeoffs are important when you're just rich enough to be poor like me. The truck stays for now

5. Will you buy another track car?  It will be at least 2-3 years I would say before I buy myself another dedicated track car.  dastuz and I own several rental properties together that we bought back between '08 and '11, but since late 2011, the only real move we've made is buying our own houses to live in which is really not an investment. Tracking is an expensive hobby and considering I have the E92 to play with, I think the track car/trailer money can be better spent elsewhere for the time being. 

6. Will you be living the E30 life vicariously through Mitch and Ben?  It would be hard not to.

[Earl]

You summed that up pretty perfectly=) Congrats on the sale and the luxury of still being able to track the car

[MattY]

i_love_cars said:

Tax writeoffs are important

i feel this. can't wait till i hit 25 if im still on the 1099 life

[suspenceful]

Sounds like a win-win for everyone. Congrats and best of luck.

[Boris3]

Glad it all worked out.

[YoungCR]

good deal! What's on the to do list yet?

[KaiserRolls]

Living vicariously lol

[GunMetalGrey]

i_love_cars said:

6. Will you be living the E30 life vicariously through Mitch and Ben?  It would be hard not to. 

We are the chosen ones.

But why? Is it solely based on color? 

Sad to see it go, but it sounds like it will be beneficial in most other aspects so it makes sense!

[i_love_cars]

GunMetalGrey said:

We are the chosen ones.

But why? Is it solely based on color? 

Sad to see it go, but it sounds like it will be beneficial in most other aspects so it makes sense!

It is the red, and that becomes more readily apparent every time I see your signature photo, which is hard to tear eyes from. 

YoungCR said:

good deal! What's on the to do list yet?

just needs a core support welded in and a new fender, then some cheap paint and it will be ready to go. I will update the thread too when I get back on track with it in a few months. Not 100% sure when Dan will have it ready but I called dibs on the first event =P

[straight6pwr]

bought, used, abused, then passed to the next guy! guys, prostitution is illegal.

[i_love_cars]

Thought it would be neat to post - the E30 is back in action! New owner had it out at Blackhawk Farms this weekend and from what he tells me it is running very well! Happy to see this thing tearing up the track again. 

[Boris3]

I saw the last few runs on Saturday. The car looked good back out on the track and the driver wisely avoided offs into the grass swamp.

[i_love_cars]

Boris3 said:

I saw the last few runs on Saturday. The car looked good back out on the track and the driver wisely avoided offs into the grass swamp.

avoiding offs into the grass swamp is, from all things I have heard, highly beneficial!

[Boris3]

The way it was described at the driver's meeting on Sunday morning was something to the effect of the track being a ribbon of asphalt surrounded by swamps.Not just around T7 but everywhere. We were told that if we went off into the grass during a session/race they would leave us there until after the session. Or maybe come get us depending on where, but leave the car. There was one car stuffed deep into the weeds off the outside exit from the carousel that they left there until the end of the day.

[i_love_cars]

Boris3 said:

The way it was described at the driver's meeting on Sunday morning was something to the effect of the track being a ribbon of asphalt surrounded by swamps.Not just around T7 but everywhere. We were told that if we went off into the grass during a session/race they would leave us there until after the session. Or maybe come get us depending on where, but leave the car. There was one car stuffed deep into the weeds off the outside exit from the carousel that they left there until the end of the day.  

wow, I guess South Beloit must have also been quite hammered with rain in the recent days then! I don't think I've ever heard a message like that at the BHF drivers meeting before. I think the worst was just "well it's exceptionally hot today so mind your brakes and tires as the track heats up", lol. 

What other events are you doing this year Rich?

[Boris3]

Kicker was it rained heavy early Sunday, was dry for the rest of the day with clear skies for practice, qualifying and five race run groups...until we (the 6th group) were sitting in grid a few minutes before race start and then a brief downpour. At least the track eventually dried off after an extra parade lap, an extra lap for an aborted start (field too stretched out), and a few more race laps.

Next up for me is the Badger Bimmers event at BFR and NASA at Gingerman in June, and the early July Midwestern Council race at BFR.

Just for something different this season I'd like one weekend at BFR where it's not raining!