Racing

[Kate]

I was looking to start racing an old bimmer. i am thinking on a 2002. id like something kind of old and cheap to fix up also easy to find. any suggestions?
thank you
kate

[dubumb]

I'd like to have an e30... they would prolly fit your catergory

[BMWL2]

What kind of racing are you gonna go into??

[Kate]

I think either autocross or drag race it. i know they are both pretty different. but they both seem fun.

[BMWL2]

autocross would probably be your best bet as far as being competitive. Old school Bimmers wont be very fast as far as drag without serious mods.

As for autoX I would look into getting an e30 like dubumb said.

What kind of money do you want to spend and I guess what all are you wanting outta it? Then we can help you more :-)

[triggrhaapi]

if you were thinking about racing a 2002, race a Datsun 510 instead, it's practically the same car, but the parts are cheaper and there is more aftermarket support for it.

[Torque]

datsun is not a bimmer...

i suggest a e30

[Fox]

e30 for starters because if you wreck or damage it, no big deal, its not new enough to cause a sweat and not old enough to cause regret.

[Silver4evr]

It really depends on your budget. Do you have a general idea of what you want to spend?

[Kate]

i really dont know how much. id try to put the best parts in it i could. but its not like i am on a time frame so i dont really mind putting some money in it.
Also, thanks for your help, i really appreciate it.

[Silver4evr]

Setting up a Bimmer for drag racing is probably more expensive than autocross. Drag Racing puts more pressure on all the parts at the same time. It would seem that autocross would be something that you could do more often with less mechanical trouble since the Bimmer is already good at going around corners. But I could be wrong. Anyone out there with more experience that can speak to this?

[Fox]

Well yea dragging puts way more load on the rods, crank, tranny and rear end.

That and BMs are slow to start with. Dont bother drag racing one your wasting your time and money.

[triggrhaapi]

like I said before, if you were thinking of racing a 2002, race a datsun 510. It really is just as good a car and is alot cheaper and has alot more aftermarket support. If you want to race an old bimmer, I recommend E30s because they have large aftermarket support and lots of available replacement parts. 2002s are just a big fat pain in the ass.

[thekid]

I disagree. One of the best handling cars I have ever driven has been an old 2002. My friend has 11 2002s. They are not a pain in the ass as long as you put them back together correctly. He's driven his "main" car cross county several times and has never had a probelm with it. The 2002s don't have parts made specifically for them, however, there is tons of stuff that you can do to them. If you want to get indepth with your car and have a cool most likely unique car whereever you auto-x then go for the 2002. Just be ready to join a cult of hardcore car enthusists when you do.

[Silver4evr]

Originally posted by Kate@Feb 3 2004, 03:16 PM
I was looking to start racing an old bimmer. i am thinking on a 2002. id like something kind of old and cheap to fix up also easy to find. any suggestions?
thank you
kate

If you reread the original post "cheap to fix up" kinda stands out. It seems that the 2002 is maybe not the best option for this noobie to choose.