New Weight for E36 325 ITS?

Originally posted by ddewhurst@Nov 8 2005, 03:01 PM
The weigh was spread in places other than the front passenger foot well. 

The metal TEARS & the spot welds RIP apart. Friken spot welds & thin sheet metal are not ment to RIGIDLY mount a BIG 240# BLOB of metal to for the purpose the ITAC is implementing.
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I will contend that there are many "240# BLOBs" out there riding around in their Kirky's that are simply bolted through the "thin sheet metal" floors, all for the purpose of getting their weight lower in the car and perhaps back a little... Or at least there were before they were required to attach the seat back to the cage...

I've seen MANY racers who bypass the stock seat mounting pads and simply drill through the floorboards, etc...

The point is that the installation can be as safe as YOU want to make it...

If "thin sheet metal" is your concern... reinforce it... it's within the rules... expressly allowed, I might add, to do so...

As for the location, I've said it here several times now... we have proposed that the location be opened up to include the seating area, and I am working to get that in the 2006 ITCS... That area is more than enough to hold all the ballast we may need to add, if the person building the car uses their head and installs it with safety in mind...

Production does it, GT does it, World Challenge does it... NASCAR does it... Go-Karts do it... Every form of racing deals with ballast.

Use your head and follow the rules and their shouldn't be a problem...
 
Originally posted by Bill Miller@Nov 8 2005, 09:47 AM
But Darin, by your own admission, you're running an illegal ballast box in your car.
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Yeah Darin you dirty nasty cheater, I think you admited that you used that box for weight to run RS. I think we now use that box for our radio box (fully legal) so it is now a non issue..... :023:

I will contend that there are many "240# BLOBs" out there riding around in their Kirky's that are simply bolted through the "thin sheet metal" floors, all for the purpose of getting their weight lower in the car and perhaps back a little... Or at least there were before they were required to attach the seat back to the cage...

Hey I resemble that remark and i am very offended by your lack of PC use of overweight people. The fact that I will never have to install ballast in my car should not be held against me..... :blink:
 
Originally posted by Bill Miller@Nov 8 2005, 04:47 PM
But Darin, by your own admission, you're running an illegal ballast box in your car.
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Is it a ballast box if it's not carrying ballast??

What does this have to do with "safety" and installing ballast?

As for my "illegal ballast box"... Please, by all means protest me... :D I think the irony would be great... imagine, getting protested for an empty, "illegal" ballast box location, in a car that's 100lbs over the minimum weight without ballast! Could you really do that with a straight face??? :blink: I'd love to be there if you do... ;)

Seriously, If I had to run ballast, I would have relocate the box fwd in the legal area... Of course, then I'd move it back after the ballast rules are ammended...

But let's not take the focus off of the topic at hand here... Even if the ballast WERE installed where I have it, at least it would be a SAFE installation... (not advocating breaking the rules, just trying to make a statement...)

Just like with battery location, this ballast vs. safety issue is a red-herring...
 
Originally posted by Joe Harlan@Nov 8 2005, 05:10 PM
Hey I resemble that remark and i am very offended by your lack of PC use of overweight people. The fact that I will never have to install ballast in my car should not be held against me..... :blink:
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Dude... I'm rapidly approaching that myself!

No offense intended! :P
 
Joe, many of us are real creative........... ;) Placing the extra 240 pounds ain't an issue. The issue is having the RX-7 moved to ITB with the extra weight & the 6 inch wheels. Several top drivers with top preped cars want the 1st gen RX-7 left in ITA. That also includes some of us who are not the best of the best want the car left in ITA. Many of those who want to be moved to ITB will still NEVER WIN anyway. (Ya know what they say Joe, the job ain't finished untill the paper work is sent. Is it sent ? ;) )

Darin, the soap box seems to be getting taller. Please don't fall off. If you & I raced in the same IT class at the same track I would protest your illegal ballast box to make a point to an ITAC member. If ya want to be part of the rules making group ya should be ultra legal & not even talk about YOUR known illegal stuff on an open forum. :o

EDIT: Darin, why did you not pay any respect to my point of comments of Adam Malley's continious rewards weight breaking the spot welds in his original Honda floor pan ?

Also some information you are obviously not aware of is that there is a world of difference between a 240# blob driver & a 240# blob of metal attached to a floor pan. Please think about the subject & if you don't understand ask your fellow ITAC members. Or ask Joe........ ;) Also in Production all the weight is not mounted to or required to be mounted to the passenger seat & foot area. IIRC Production dose not spec where the weight SHALL be. Only a dumb a$$ would attach weight to the floorpan of a Kart.
 
Originally posted by ddewhurst+Nov 8 2005, 08:56 PM-->
Darin, the soap box seems to be getting taller. Please don't fall off. If you & I raced in the same IT class at the same track I would protest your illegal ballast box to make a point to an ITAC member. If ya want to be part of the rules making group ya should be ultra legal & not even talk about YOUR known illegal stuff on an open forum. :o
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David, me thinks thou doth protest too much....

If the box is empty, is it really a ballast box? You would lose.

Originally posted by ddewhurst@Nov 8 2005, 08:56 PM
Also some information you are obviously not aware of is that there is a world of difference between a 240# blob driver & a 240# blob of metal attached to a floor pan.

Only if you're ham-fisted at attaching the ballast. Darin is right, this is a red herring.

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@Nov 8 2005, 08:56 PM
Only a dumb a$$ would attach weight to the floorpan of a Kart.

You don't know what you're talking about. Hell, you'll find a lot of ballast attached to the seat of a kart. Have you ever raced karts?
 
Originally posted by Geo@Nov 8 2005, 09:34 PM
David, me thinks thou doth protest too much....

If the box is empty, is it really a ballast box?  You would lose.
Only if you're ham-fisted at attaching the ballast.  Darin is right, this is a red herring.
You don't know what you're talking about.  Hell, you'll find a lot of ballast attached to the seat of a kart.  Have you ever raced karts?
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Joey Hand raced Karts. I remember at a race in San Jose his Kart had 10lb lead blocks bolted to the floor pan. Weight balance is more important in a Kart. Sure you can put it in a weight can behind the seat, that'll get you left and right weights even, but what about fore-aft and overall weight?

James
 
David, is this the thread to campaign about the RX-7 to or not to B?

Maybe a new thread is in order....

To the matter at hand..(sort of..)

Seriously, this whole "safety" issue, and "liability" commentary is lame. It's just not that hard.....you're allowed to mount it as you see fit...so mount it so it won't rip out!

Did the rewards weight rip out of the Honda you are talking about?? Or you suspect it would in a big incident?

And the question that is more to the point, HOW was it mounted?
 
Originally posted by ddewhurst@Nov 9 2005, 01:56 AM
If ya want to be part of the rules making group ya should be ultra legal & not even talk about YOUR known illegal stuff on an open forum. :o


Please think about the subject & if you don't understand ask your fellow ITAC members. Or ask Joe........ ;)  Also in Production all the weight is not mounted to or required to be mounted to the passenger seat & foot area. IIRC Production dose not spec where the weight SHALL be. Only a dumb a$$ would attach weight to the floorpan of a Kart.
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Hey David, don't drown in that self-rightiousness... Please, Protest away... I'm sure tech would LOVE the chuckle...

I've explained myself enough times that I feel my fellow competitors will understand the ballast box position in this car and can live with it... NOT that it matters... I'm with George... You'd lose...

There is, after all, NO rule that defines the location of a "bracket" such as this, only the ballast itself, and since I don't run any ballast, which would be necessary to have it in an illegal location, then I think I'll pass tech just fine... I'll strap my tire-guage to it and make it a guage mount, or fasten my radio to it, etc... Seriously, give me a break! Please, tear me down... I'm all for it!

And WHERE did you get the idea that the 7 is going to ITB??? We've proposed no such thing, not officially anyhow... Only participated here in various discussions on the matter...

If it were to happen at all, and I'm not certain that it will or would... It'll be in a dual-classification scheme, where we leave it alone in ITA and make another classification for ITB... Then you'll have a choice... I think that's the only way we could get such a thing approved... (maybe I'm wrong... maybe we'll see...)

So again, save your self-indignation for someone else... It's wasted here...

Maybe you admitting that mounting this much weight can't be done is only revealing your own shortcomings...

I would have no trouble doing it safely and securely... and within the rules...
 
Originally posted by ddewhurst@Nov 8 2005, 06:56 PM
Joe, many of us are real creative........... ;) Placing the extra 240 pounds ain't an issue. The issue is having the RX-7 moved to ITB with the extra weight & the 6 inch wheels. Several top drivers with top preped cars want the 1st gen RX-7 left in ITA. That also includes some of us who are not the best of the best want the car left in ITA. Many of those who want to be moved to ITB will still NEVER WIN anyway. (Ya know what they say Joe, the job ain't finished untill the paper work is sent. Is it sent ?  ;)

Darin, the soap box seems to be getting taller. Please don't fall off. If you & I raced in the same IT class at the same track I would protest your illegal ballast box to make a point to an ITAC member. If ya want to be part of the rules making group ya should be ultra legal & not even talk about YOUR known illegal stuff on an open forum. :o

EDIT: Darin, why did you not pay any respect to my point of comments of Adam Malley's continious rewards weight breaking the spot welds in his original Honda floor pan ?

Also some information you are obviously not aware of is that there is a world of difference between a 240# blob driver & a 240# blob of metal attached to a floor pan. Please think about the subject & if you don't understand ask your fellow ITAC members. Or ask Joe........ ;)  Also in Production all the weight is not mounted to or required to be mounted to the passenger seat & foot area. IIRC Production dose not spec where the weight SHALL be. Only a dumb a$$ would attach weight to the floorpan of a Kart.
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Dave dude don't bust my chops. I have not gotten to it. It is on my deask to be done. Man Sorry but life gets in the way. I put out a lot of effort to get the car too ya. You will get the paperwork believe me.
Now I am all for the car being classed in both places at the same time....so there. :023:

Now leave the freaking radio box mount alone this is just petty BS and an ITAC member is no more pure than a regular member. Trust me there is nothing pure about Darin after all the nudie clubs I have dragged him too all these years. Take a chill pill my good friend, life is looking good.

Geo, David has raced karts and know a bit of what he speaks. I would not mount ballest to the floor pan on my kart either but thats A: because its aluminum and B cause I am too fat to need it. B)
 
Originally posted by Z3_GoCar@Nov 9 2005, 12:12 AM
Joey Hand raced Karts.  I remember at a race in San Jose his Kart had 10lb lead blocks bolted to the floor pan.  Weight balance is more important in a Kart.  Sure you can put it in a weight can behind the seat, that'll get you left and right weights even, but what about fore-aft and overall weight? 

James
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I raced karts for 8 years. There is a lot you can do with weight and seat position will affect weight balance more than anything.
 
Originally posted by Joe Harlan@Nov 9 2005, 02:31 AM
Geo, David has raced karts and know a bit of what he speaks. I would not mount ballest to the floor pan on my kart either but thats A: because its aluminum and B cause I am too fat to need it. B)
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I wouldn't have any problem with mounting ballast to the floor pan of a kart. Like ballast in an IT car, it all depends upon how you do it.
 
Geo & James, next time your at a Kart track please take a picture or two of a Top Guy Karter with weight attached to the alum floor pan. I don't need to throw names around when it comes to Karting. I raced at the local level, at the WKA Regional level & at the WKA National level. If I were to throw a name around it would be the name of my son who was for several years a Top Gun Karter with the WKA at the National level & he set up Karts for Top Gun Karters at WKA & IKF National level races. Nuff said by me about Karting. ;)

Darin, I could care less what you & George have to say about your admitted illegal empty ballast box. There is no friken rule that says you are allowed to have an addmitted illegal empty ballast box. You got the point but you always need to play the self-rightiousness (your word) card. Did ya learn that from Bill ? Sorry Bill...... ;)

Jake, it's always fun to chat with you & Joe. That's because the two of you don't play the self-rightiousness card. Joe deservingly so busted my chops because I requested some paper work. I can live with a good poke. :119:

On the other hand with respect to your comment about classing the 1st ge RX-7 I will campaing on any thread where the subject comes up or I think the subject is appropriate. (One of the items I threw out some time back was to allow the 1st gen RX-7 to be classed in ITA & ITB & to allow the owner to place the car in the class of the owners choice. Apparently the ITAC also had the same idea. Joe, more than one of us had the same idea. :023: :023: :023: )

Both you & I know the SCCA rules are written to place any blame/fault on the SCCA member who installed the weight. Let's be proactive with the amount of weight which may need to be installed & let's not wait untill someone installs 240 pounds & has the weight come loose when the person takes a wild end over end & gets KILLED. My bet would be that from the get go no one had intentions of installing 240 pounds of floorpan weight.

EDIT: :bash_1_:

Previous to year 2005 the maximum amount of weight that could be floorpan installed in IT was 100 pounds. Then for year 2005 & beyond any number of 50 pounds chunks may be added. Yup, some folks decided that 100 pounds was the SAFE maximun amount of weight that could be added to the thin spot welded floorpan & then some wiser folks came along & said put in all the 50 pound chunks you would like. :bash_1_: I am going by the written ITCS rules previous to the 2005 GCR & the latest written ITCS rule in the 2005 GCR.

Lets be proactive & have more SHALL rules so that every Tom, Dick & Harry is forced to install to a proven fabrication practice. The weight is no different than the new two tube side protection rule. You & I both know that when we have everyone deciding what "two tubes" are there will be un-safe side protection built into IT cars. Naw, there is nothing lame about my comment about libality with this 240 pound chunk of weight installed as one pleases. In IT cars roll cage with five planes is required to keep shit out of the drivers compartment for driver protection & then the SCCA allows a 240 pound chunk of weight to be bolted to the thin spot welded sheet metal floor pan with two 1/2 inch diameter SAE bolts/nuts with large washers. Yes the rule goes on about you "MAY" reinforce & all but it don't say ya "SHALL" reinforce. The word "MAY" is the word that will allow the 240 pound chunk of weight to come loose in an end over end. Naw, the only thing lame is the rules written by the SCCA to protect the SCCA.

The rewards weight on the Honda was conversation in more than a few Production conversations at the Runoffs for a couple years. I don't have clue how it was mounted. The car is gone. That is the whole point of me being on a rant about the 240 pound weight being mounted to the rules to the thin spot welded sheet metal floor pan. Because some of the pi$$ ants in Production gave Adam about all the undeserved shit he could stand I had no desire to look over HIS car or ask him questions.
 
Originally posted by ddewhurst@Nov 10 2005, 02:18 AM
There is no friken rule that says you are allowed to have an addmitted illegal empty ballast box.
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David,

There is no point in discussing this with you further... The cage rules aren't good enough for you... the ballast rules aren't good enough for you... the classifications aren't good enough for you... WHY do you even bother renewing you license???

If ballast was breaking away in Adam Malley's car, then he didn't have it mounted securely enough... There is little chance that we could define how to do that in a manner that would cover EVERY car, and not open the door for unintended allowances... From what I hear, people are already TAKING advantage of the reinforcing rule for questionable "reinforcing"... The bottom line is that we can NOT write rules that enforce COMMON SENSE!

Some people wake up in the morning just looking for someone to pounce on... Apparently for you it's me... I hope you feel better having gotten all that off your chest...

Joe keeps telling me that you are an alright guy... someone I'd enjoy hanging out with at the track... I'm finding that tough to believe...

I'll leave it at that...
 
Joe keeps telling me that you are an alright guy... someone I'd enjoy hanging out with at the track... I'm finding that tough to believe...

Hey I wasn't kidding either....? You two ladies really need to understand that it has more to do with the typed word than what you are really trying to say. Unlike the prod page I try to count to 10 before bustin somebodies chops. I am sure that hanging out at the track with Geo would prove him not to be the contrarian I see him as here. Go easy dudes the IT future looks bright enough for me to consider building myself a car again.

Lets have a little less of this :bash_1_:
 
Damn fellows, why worry?

The car in street trim weighs in around 3150 to over 3300 depending on options, electric seats, etc. I've owned one, they ain't light.

If you must build a BMW at a 3150 weight then guess what? You don't have to remove as much stuff from the interior as you thought you did. And, if you did get your car down to 2600lbs etc. then you can add back in a few things you took out. Might be able to keep that passenger seat and use your car for BMW track days! Hot damn!

I find it hard to believe a bunch such as us who find serious ways to eliminate weight, move weight, make power from engines given restrictions, and extract every last ounce of performance from a POS street car can't find where to place 125,150,175,200,225 lbs. Give me a break. Weld it in a floor, put it in a tube, etc. - seems folks bend rules for power/performance but maybe they don't bend the other way? Most of us here are certainly creative when pulling stuff out or interpreting the rules, making more power, etc., well, now is your chance to shine. Get in the garage and get to work.

How 'bout we make a pact? I don't bitch about finding a 12th fessor valve for my 1974 Jensen Wheezy and you don't bitch about weight any more? Deal?
 
Originally posted by rlearp@Nov 9 2005, 10:55 PM
Damn fellows, why worry?

The car in street trim weighs in around 3150 to over 3300 depending on options, electric seats, etc.  I've owned one, they ain't light. 

If you must build a BMW at a 3150 weight then guess what? You don't have to remove as much stuff from the interior as you thought you did. And, if you did get your car down to 2600lbs etc. then you can add back in a few things you took out.  Might be able to keep that passenger seat and use your car for BMW track days! Hot damn!

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What about the cars that are already built.
 
Joe keeps telling me that you are an alright guy... someone I'd enjoy hanging out with at the track... I'm finding that tough to believe...

Darin,

I can vouch for waht Joe says about David. I've met him, and he's a great guy to hang w/ and drink beer w/ at the track. And I still say that, in spite of his comment at the begining of his last post!! :o :P :bash_1_: :happy204:
 
I am sorry but I just do not understand the people who have proven there are very bright by thier insight in previous post saying they can not safely bring the car up to weight.

it seems to me that while there are minumum standards for securing ballast you can cerainly exceed those minimums. plus all the methods of adding balast that is not ballast that could be put in better locations for balance.

my exhaust need heat shields and a really big muffler.
I think I will upsize my fire bottle.
tow hook should be really strong
maybe my fuel cell mount should be stiffer.
more cage is better right.
hey it came with a spare tire.

you guys are smarter than I am. i bet this list could get really long
 
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