theCARhack

VRPerformance Open Track Day at GingerMan

2011-06-09T14:37:54Z

It's official: Friday, July 29th, 2011 is the date for another VRPerformance Open Track day-- this time at the newly configured GingerMan Raceway in beautiful South Haven, Michigan.

If you've been to one of our events in the past, you know the drill. We try to gather experienced track drivers (those with some club or professional performance driving instruction under their seatbelts) for 8 or so hours of open track fun. We rely heavily on personal responsibility to make the event safe for everyone.

]]> Date: Friday, July 29th, 2011 rain or shine
Time: Short driver's meeting at 8:30, open track from 09:00 to 17:00, lunch around 12:00
Early registration $225 via check, $235 via credit
Late registration (after July 1st) $245/$255
GingerMan Raceway, South Haven, Michigan

Do to GingerMan's Draconian no refund policy on deposits, if we do not get enough interest ASAP, we will pull the plug. This is not a money making exercise on our part, we just want to cover the costs. Please, if you're interested sign up sooner rather than later.

As of this moment we do not plan on having many instructors on hand, since we are inviting experienced track rats that know how to handle themselves around a race track. Harris Edwards will be on hand to provide in-car tutoring in 15 minute blocks for a small fee (check out Harris at work in video below).

You are responsible for your self and your car. That includes inspecting your car and making sure it is track worthy. We expect you to have fun, stay within your (and your car's) limit, and to have respect for those around you. We're all adults and shenanigans will not be tolerated.

Fabspeed Exhaust Installation on a Porsche

2011-06-08T19:20:52Z

One of the most balanced, best handling cars on the market today is the mid-engined Porsche Cayman. But, like every car coming out of a factory, it can be improved. Thanks to worldwide noise regulations, the stock exhaust stifles the glorious flat six cylinder engine note just a bit too much. Enter Fabspeed.

]]> Fabspeed is a US company producing high performance components for BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Bentley. Straight out of the box, the Maxflo system we ordered for our customer's Cayman looked impressive. The welds were clean and the all stainless steel construction polished. But the test is always how it fits and how it sounds.

The stock exhaust system is chunky and not very pretty.

The Fabspeed system eliminates the secondary catalytic converters (which are unmonitored by the car's ECU, so no dash lights are triggered by dropping them), and replaces the large stock mufflers with two small section mufflers.

The new system bolted directly to the stock header flanges-- which were much corroded considering the low mileage and young age of the car. We took extra care removing the nuts from the flange studs so that we would not break them. Exhaust systems see so much heat cycling that it’s always tough to remove the hardware cleanly. Time and experience helps!

The end result was perfect. The engine note is now deeper and more classic Porsche-like without the drone you get from kits that are not properly engineered. And we've eliminated the chunky look of the stock muffler and replaced it with a race car inspired polished mufflers that look all business peaking out from under the bumper valence.

E46 M3 GT Part 4

2011-06-08T15:27:54Z

I think I may have fallen off the GT wagon with the latest modification to my E46 M3. The last time we spoke, I installed a TC Kline Racing suspension. Next up, the exhaust.

]]> And it's not a mild upgrade-- instead we went full zoot race car grade. Bimmerworld, one of our trusted BMW go fast suppliers, came up with a super high flow, lightweight exhaust that was simply too tempting to pass up. The system is a full 62 lbs lighter and reportedly adds 10 hp and 12 ft-lbs torque to the bottom line. What intrigued me most was its simple, elegant design and high quality execution.

So, off with the old.

Here is the rather startling side by side comparison between the stock exhaust and the new Bimmerworld race exhaust. The cross sectional area of the one large pipe of the Bimmerworld exhaust is about the same as the section area of the two smaller stock pipes. But the biggest difference is the flow path-- almost straight on the Bimmerworld unit.

As always, the installation required a fair amount of tweaking, or "clearancing" as the included instructions said-- I would not want to do this without a professional car lift.

The end result is pretty awesome-- and loud, even with the optional resonator.

100% 304 stainless steel, sturdy v-band clamps, quality welds and good (but tight) fit. While it's too loud for everyday use, it performs as advertised. I love playing with the decibel level by shifting through the gears and listening to the change in pitch. My exhaust is now a musical instrument...

Yes, you lose the classic 4 pipe exhaust of your typical M car, but frankly we think it looks that much more serious.

Brake Rotor Friction Ring Replacement

2011-06-08T14:11:43Z

To say that brakes are an important part of a car's performance is to state the obvious. Pads and rotors need to be checked often and replaced when worn or damaged. Most cars come with single piece rotors-- the friction surface that contacts the pads and the inner "hat" that bolts to the hub are formed from a single casting. Higher end brake systems, and many after market big brake kits, use two piece rotors.

]]> The inner portion that attaches to the hub is usually made of a lighter weight material like aluminum and is bolted or pinned to the outer "friction ring". Two piece designs usually weigh less for their size, reducing unsprung weight, and they help mitigate the transfer of heat from the friction ring to the hub, saving your wheel bearings from overheating. More complex "floating" rotors allow the friction rings to grow irrespective of the hub as well as insuring even pad contact. This float allows for better modulation of the brake torque applied during stopping.

Here we replace the friction ring of a standard ST40 Stop Tech big brake kit. Despite not being worn down to its minimum thickness, we felt it was time to replace thanks to the radial cracks in the ring as well as the deep concentric groves.

The first step is to take the existing rotor apart by loosening the small bolts that hold the ring to the hat. These are often frozen in place, so it’s a good idea to apply penetrating fluid 15 minutes before your try to crack them loose. (Back side view)

The next step involves lining up and installing the new friction ring to the existing hat. Always use new hardware! We find it easier to do this with the ring vertical in a vise.

Once all the new nuts and bolts are in place, follow the maker's torque specifications (usually pretty light). We like to tighten in a criss-cross pattern, for example starting at the 12 o'clock position and then 6 o'clock and so on, marking each bolt with a paint marker once it's been torqued.

When the two piece rotors are all assembled, they're fitted back onto the car as any other rotor.

Splitter Install (again)

2011-06-07T18:59:55Z

Aerodynamics on a street car is important for efficiency-- how easily it can punch a hole through the atmosphere. On a race car, aero is even more important for handling. A splitter-- typically a horizontal plane extending out from below the front bumper, helps push the front end of the car down and consequently aids front end grip or traction. Balanced with a wing at the back, a splitter is an integral part in the car's handling.

Because the splitter is usually very low, it is vulnerable to trailer ramps, track burms and digging into wet grass should you have an "off". If it's attached to the front fascia and you have an off and bad things happen, you can kiss the front end of the car good-bye. The solution is to attach the splitter to something more robust, while allowing it to break away should an unfortunate incident occur.

]]> You'll remember we installed a splitter on the E36 M3 race car once before-- well that one was torn off at the last track day taking with it the entire front fascia. To avoid this from happening again, we installed its replacement differently.

Bimmerworld provides a hardware kit for the E36 M3 EVO II splitter that attaches it to the aluminum bumper beam instead of the lower lip of the plastic fascia. Here is how we installed the kit.

The kit: three stanchions, 2 metal straps and hardware:

The EVO II track splitter:

The front end:

Since the kit is not originally designed to fit the OEM fascia and the splitter, modifications had to be made to each. After deciding where we wanted to attach the stanchions, or "uprights" to the bumper beam, we had to cut reliefs in the fascia and splitter.

To attach the stanchions to the bumper beam, four holes for the bolts had to be drilled.

The trailing edge of the splitter is attached to the anti-roll bar mounting points using the two metal straps. At first they did not fit so we had to grind away some material.

After aligning all the components on the car, corresponding bolt holes for the straps and stanchions-- which have nuts welded to them-- had to be drilled into the splitter. Finally the splitter could be test fitted to the car with the fascia installed.

It was a straight forward procedure that nonetheless took quite a bit of time. We were very careful to make sure everything aligns perfectly on the car and that the splitter is optimally positioned to work efficiently and provide the desired downforce. And now, should the leading edge of the splitter dig into anything, it’s the only thing that will be sacrificed.

The Little Things

2011-06-07T18:34:22Z

Having worked on hundreds of cars over the past 5 years or so a few things have become abundantly clear: no two jobs are ever the same, even if the parts being installed are, instructions from the component manufacturer-- if they exist at all-- are almost never complete, and finally, exhausts never ever fit without a good amount of "tweaking". A quick example of tweaking is presented after the jump...

]]> The problem: connecting a single pipe race exhaust system on an E36 M3 with a Euro engine, stock headers. It was claimed that the header merge pipe we bought-- basically two pipes (that connect to the header) that merge into one (which connects to the rest of the exhaust system) -- was the solution.

Well... after cutting off the original flanges (bolt holes didn't line up), extending the two pipes that attach to the smaller diameter OEM header pipes by 1.5 inches and 3.0 inches, flaring and welding it all together, it did work.

The tweaked merge pipe:

To clean it up, we applied high temperature exhaust paint to the extended portion.

Open Track Day April 2011

2011-05-17T15:03:38Z

The VRPerformance Open Track Day at Grattan Raceway Invitational has become an annual must attend event for many friends of the shop. With its minimum number of rules and absolute maximum amount of track time its a great way to spend a day learning about all the upgrades we performed to the cars (or need to). Check out the gallery after the jump.

]]> We didn't have a lot of time to take pictures; nonetheless, here are a few of our favorites.

E36 M3 with newly installed S50 Euro motor

Being chased by another E36 M3. Both of these cars run in NASA.

Cool old school air cool.

Speaking of old school, here's a nice E30.

E90 M3 too fast for photography...

And the grocery getter...

Thanks to all those who accepted our invitation! See you at another track... soon.

(Thanks to Jason for the video!)

Thrust Sheets to the Wind

2011-05-07T19:59:57Z

One of our good customers complained of "pinging" noises coming from his front suspension-- a TC Kline Racing double adjustable coil-over set-up we installed last fall. The pinging noise is due to the springs binding as they compress. Our first, quick, remedy was to grease up the coil perches so that the springs could freely twist during compression.

]]> This only worked for a short while so we had to look for a better long term solution-- a bearing surface that would allow the coils to twist freely. Enter the thrust ring, or "sheet"-- basically two large washers, one made of a Delrin type material, the other hardened steel. These are placed between the coil and the perch.

We will be recommending this solution right from the start for those who drive their cars predominantly on the street and like a quiet ride. Putting them on after the fact requires dismantling the front suspension completely-- not a quick job.

While we were at it, we cleaned up the perch threads and re-applied some T9 lubricant (a good maintenance procedure to do every season).

NASA Tech Inspections

2011-03-30T17:43:48Z

Many of our customers have progressed to the point that simple car club track days will no longer scratch the driving itch. For them competetive amatuer racing is the next logical step, and one of the best-- and easiest to get involved with-- sanctioning bodies is the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). Following our customer's lead we are proud to announce that VRPerformance is now an authorized "HPDE and Time Trial inspections and Competition annual inspections/log book issuance" provider. Follow the jump to see the official press release from NASA.

]]>

Chicago, March 29, 2011, NASA Midwest, Inc.

NASA Midwest is pleased to welcome VRPerformance as our newest Tech Shop. Located in Sterling Heights, Michigan, VRP Performance will provide HPDE and Time Trial inspections and Competition annual inspections/log books issuance.

VRPerformance was formed in 2004, with the owners, Eric Volz and Horst Reinhardt Jr., both automotive engineering grads, offering performance parts, service, installation, tuning and fabrication. From street cars to track cars to full on racing cars, they can do it all.

Horst Reinhardt Jr., co-owner of VRPerformance said, “I am pleased to have this opportunity to serve NASA drivers in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. We are excited to help continue NASA’s growth.”

“I am very pleased that Horst and Eric have come on board as a Tech Shop. “Their education and experience sets them apart. I am excited to have VRPerformance part of the NASA family.” said Bryan Cohn, Director of Competition, NASA Midwest, Inc.

Dave Royce, Region Director of NASA Midwest, Inc said, “I’m pleased to have VR Performance providing Tech Shop services to NASA Great Lakes drivers”.

Contact:
VRPerformance LLC
43706 Utica Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48314
www.vrperformance.com
586-991-2455

NASA Contact:
Bryan Cohn
Director of Competition
NASA Midwest, Inc.
bcohn@nasamidwest.com

50 Years Sideways

2011-02-17T21:04:31Z

Do you remember Speedvision? The SPEED Channel before its NASCAR-ification. Speedvision would run these wonderful old, usually British, films of racing in days gone by. Well, thanks to Youtube, I came across 90 minutes of rally racing awesomeness...

]]> Kick back with a beer or two and enjoy!

5th Annual VRPerformance Kart Enduro

2011-01-21T15:04:44Z

Sign up today for the 5th Annual VRPerformance Coffee Beanery Enduro at Kart2Kart in Sterling Heights. We'll be using the same format as in the past: 12 teams of 3 to 4 drivers, non-stop 90 minute race with starting positions decided by qualifying (or random draw, behind qualifiers, if you show up late). Every driver on the team needs to race at least one stint. Price is $150 per team (or about $38 to $50 per driver).

]]>

Date: Saturday March 19th
Start: doors open at 11:00, qualifying starts at 11:30, race starts 12 noon sharp
Price: $150 per team, payable at the door
RSVP: we need you to RSVP your team with us by March 12th, send us an email with your team name and drivers at horst@vrperformance.com

An EVO Introduction... and Sale

2010-11-23T20:48:26Z

We've got a new project at the shop; a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, or EVO for short. While we're well known as a premier performance shop for European sports cars, in actuality we work on all cars that have a sporting pedigree. And the EVO certainly has that in spades...

]]>

One of the first things we tackled on the car was the exhaust system. The previous owner installed a pretty cheap aftermarket exhaust that droned on the highway and looked just a bit too juvenile for our taste. When it comes to great intake and exhaust systems for Japanese cars we look west to California to our friends at Injen.

We have been impressed with thier exhaust systems from the day we opened the shop and have installed their handiwork on everything from Mazdas to Hondas.

For project EVO, we came up with this:

The welds are Injen perfect, the double walled tip is understated classy, and the sound is balanced with a deep rumble at idle, authoratative howl under load and no droning on the highway. Plus, the design provides useful power across the rev band.

Well engineered products don't come cheap, and unfortunately Injen pulled this unit off the market because it couldn't compete with the cheap foreign brands that were flooding the market. Too bad, because quality never goes out of style. (We still have a few in stock, contact us ASAP if you want one)

E92 M3 Project Part 6, Pads and Lines

2010-11-01T14:48:47Z

To wrap up the E92 M3 project-- for now-- we have a few smaller items to report on, specifically brake lines and pads.

]]> Since we added power and handling capability, stopping the beast becomes an issue. The size of the stock brake system on the E9x series M cars is well up to the task of burning off speed under normal conditions. But the stock brake pads are skewed to everyday use providing good, noise free and dust free stops. We're more interested in stopping capability from the pads so we searched for an upgrade.

The best compromise between on track performance and everyday liveability comes from StopTech's Street Performance line of pads. They're inexpensive and have proven to be very capable at the track.

For better braking "feel" we swapped out the stock rubber brake lines with some stainless steel braided lines. By not expanding under pressure, the braided lines provide a better, more linear feel when you apply the brakes-- especially during very hard braking.

So that's the project E92 for now; but there are a few things left on the agenda like wheels and tires, and a seat. The customer has been scouting out a wheel and tire package on his own-- wheels really are a very subjective thing. Our only caveats to him were to look for a strong yet lightweight design for the wheels, up the width marginally (more so in the front than the back to help counter the inherent understeer of the suspension set-up) and keep the rolling diameter the same.

As for seats, if you're 6'-2" or above, the stock seats do not provide enough headroom while wearing a helmet. The best bet is to find a good, comfortable race seat that is thinner with adjustable seat brackets.

Check back here as the winter season comes and goes for periodic updates.

E92 M3 Project Part 5, Suspension

2010-10-29T18:32:08Z

Regular readers of this blog know we're all about balance at VRPerformance; and if you've been following the E92 M3 project build you might have asked why all the power upgrades alone? Well, you are premature with that jaundiced eye, since suspension upgrades were part of the plan since day one.

]]> When it comes to suspension engineering, our favorite go to manufacturer-- especially for all things BMW-- is TC Kline Racing. They have been building coil-over suspension kits for the 3 Series since the days of the E30. The quality of their house made components is top notch, and their collaboration with Koni for the custom tuned dampers makes for a package that offers superior ride and handling when compared not only to the stock set-up but also competitive brands. We've detailed the E46 M3 kit here, now it's on to the E9x series.

We chose TC Kline's "smart design double adjustable" coil-over system for this project which means both damper compression and rebound can be adjusted. This offers the greatest amount of flexibility to the end user.

Here you see the front struts pre-assembled and ready for install. At the top are TC Kline's adjustable camber and caster plates.

The camber/caster plates are perfect for the owner who likes to take his street car to the track. Most cars like quite a bit more negative camber at the track than on the street, which these plates allow you to dial in. According to TC Kline:

"Our camber plates assure you of significantly improved turn-in and will not harm ride comfort. They feature lightweight, durable, aluminum alloy construction, highly protective anodized coating and a spherical ball joint, (replaceable), offer crisper, quicker steering feel. We have incorporated a “load ring” into the top of the camber plate to reduce stress on the sheet metal in the strut tower of the car."

Here you see the front struts installed:

The rear suspension is a multi-link set-up so the coil springs and dampers are separate. The silver tube is the damper (shock absorber). Note the height adjustment perch on top of the coil spring:

According to the manufacturer:

"Proven on the street and track, this system is unmatched by any other system on the market. TC Kline’s unique Smart Shock technology mated with our VVS alloy springs make this ride height adjustable kit the most versatile available. Incorporating separate external compression and rebound adjusters, the shocks can be dialed from street comfort to a full race setup in minutes. These features combined with our complete selection of VVS alloy spring rates make this kit the uncompromising choice for both street comfort and track performance. The Smart Design System is perfect for driving school enthusiasts, autocrossers, club racers, and serious pro racers alike"

Height adjustability is an important feature of the suspension not only for lowering the car, but also for corner balancing.

A proper alignment is equally important after such a major suspension upgrade. We typically set M3s up with zero front toe, mild toe in at the rear; negative 1.5 degrees camber front and negative 1 to 1.5 degree at the rear for the street. At the track, using the easy adjustability of the front camber plates, we recommend at least 2.5 to 3.0 degrees of negative camber. Thanks to the geometry of the M3 suspension, "adding" negative camber at the front also adds toe out-- and starting from zero, that's exactly what you want for the track. The camber delta between front and rear is then also optimal for the track. Damper settings really depend on the track, the weather and driving style-- looseness, over and under steer can all be tweaked by changing the damper settings.

E92 M3 Project Part 4, Engine Tuning

2010-10-29T15:00:02Z

Advances in electrical engineering have allowed the venerable internal combustion engine to stay relevant in an increasingly hostile environment. A myriad of computer controls actuate precision crafted mechanical components in order to increase the efficiency and cleanliness of modern engines and the S65 is no exception. Since we’ve replaced some major engine components on our customer's E92 M3 in search of power, we needed to let the brain that controls it all "in" on our secret...

]]>

As described in Part 1 of this series, the engine is basically a large air pump. We've increased the flow of the air through the engine by swapping out the intake and exhaust. To best utilize these mechanical changes we need to update the "computer program" that runs the engine.

There are many companies out there that promise large increases in power from their programs, but few have the broad experience and engineering prowess of Powerchip. We've found their claims to be more conservative but more accurate. Also, peak power is one thing; a strong power curve that is useful everyday is another. And that's where expertise through years of experience plays a major roll.

According to Powerchip:

"In standard form, the BMW M3 4.0 V8 E92 produces 414 hp, however the addition of a PowerchipGold 93 will increase the power to 442 hp. In addition to the extra power, the torque is also increased. The M3 4.0 V8 E92 produces 295 lb.-ft standard, and this is increased to 315 lb.-ft. This means more pulling power especially up hills."

We worked with Powerchip's technicians to create a performance program specifically for this project vehicle, taking into account the modifications we made.

Next up, the suspension…