New F80 Track Build

[spxxx]

Hi all! Excited to see that there's a growing F80 track community, I'm currently migrating from my E82 1M conversion track car to a "dual duty" F80 (starting that slippery slope of a gutted/full-aero track car again)

I had some questions re: Spring Rates and Cooling setups. Coming from an N54, I had to build a huge custom cooling system that is similar to the OEM S55 design but it seems the S55 cooling system is stout enough for track use.

I'm currently leaning towards 700/1000 spring rates with JRZ RS2 shocks (got a good deal on them but will likely move to MCS 2WNR at some point). The car won't have Aero for a while so I assume this is a safe starting point?

Also, from a cooling standpoint, are DCT/Oil/CSF radiators necessary for CA summer HPDE + occasional time trials? What tends to be the weakest link?

So far, the car has the following upgrades installed as of 2/1/22.

MCS 1WNR
GC Camber Plates
SPL Arms all around (minus LCA)
GiroDisc Rotors
Brake Ducts 2.5in.
Endless ME20 Brake pads
GTS DCT Tune
Turner Skid Plate
Custom Alumalite Undertray/Splitter
eBay GT4 Rep Air-Dam
Apex 18x10.5" Arc-8R
Sparco Evo Seats


Cheers!

[Ummpwr]

As far as the cooling system goes I've heard of some people have issues with the top mount intercooler plastic housing cracking and leaking coolant.

I don't think its super common tho.

Otherwise I think the cooling systems are pretty good.

[ninekrpm]

https://instagram.com/silverbackf8x?...dium=copy_link

Good luck on the build, talk to the guy above via IG. He is doing a brunch of cooling upgrades.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by ninekrpm

https://instagram.com/silverbackf8x?...dium=copy_link

Good luck on the build, talk to the guy above via IG. He is doing a brunch of cooling upgrades.

Thanks for the info, looking at his IG scares me seeing 2:05 BW lap times though. Looks like a pretty basic build and hoping that sub-2 won't be hard to achieve.

I'm thinking that the F80 with the longer wheelbase and better power/weight ratio can put down some mid 1:50 laps compared to the E82 which is sketchy to drive at 10/10ths.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by Ummpwr

As far as the cooling system goes I've heard of some people have issues with the top mount intercooler plastic housing cracking and leaking coolant.

I don't think its super common tho.

Otherwise I think the cooling systems are pretty good.

Good to know, that's what I've been seeing. I plan to do a shake down at Laguna and log temps then make a decision on cooling upgrades if needed. Might upgrade the oil cooler to be safe but the rest of the system seems solid.

[D_SheerDrivingPleasure]

if your keeping the blue OE brakes, I recommend upgrading to Racing Brakes stainless steel pistons and high temp boots and seals (purple). Combine with the girodisc rotors its a great dual duty set up.

also, dont skimp on safety.

[fanatic1]

Originally Posted by spxxx

Thanks for the info, looking at his IG scares me seeing 2:05 BW lap times though. Looks like a pretty basic build and hoping that sub-2 won't be hard to achieve.

I'm thinking that the F80 with the longer wheelbase and better power/weight ratio can put down some mid 1:50 laps compared to the E82 which is sketchy to drive at 10/10ths.

Most definitely mid 1.50 @BW CW13 with your current mod list and some decent tires. If you check out Bimmerchallenge B3, you will find a bunch of similar cars at that pace.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by fanatic1

Most definitely mid 1.50 @BW CW13 with your current mod list and some decent tires. If you check out Bimmerchallenge B3, you will find a bunch of similar cars at that pace.

That's good to know, I'd be quite happy with that level of performance in a car that I can drive to the track. It has become harder to find time for a whole weekend event + towing these days having a newborn. The kiddo was a big reason used to justify needing a 4 door F80 / upgrading from the E92M3. The half cage I envision in the future will make those back seats a bit less useful

The power/weight ratio makes the F80 a great dual duty option but it seems pretty hard to trim weight without big sacrifices for the street (ex. OEM lithium battery, forged wheels, 2 piece rotors, etc) compared to my experience with my E82 / E92 chassis.

Would love to get down into the #33XX weight range but I'm not optimistic... How light have you seen folks get their DCT + CF Roof F80s? Assuming rear seat delete and ~15lbs racing front seats.

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by spxxx

That's good to know, I'd be quite happy with that level of performance in a car that I can drive to the track. It has become harder to find time for a whole weekend event + towing these days having a newborn. The kiddo was a big reason used to justify needing a 4 door F80 / upgrading from the E92M3. The half cage I envision in the future will make those back seats a bit less useful

The power/weight ratio makes the F80 a great dual duty option but it seems pretty hard to trim weight without big sacrifices for the street (ex. OEM lithium battery, forged wheels, 2 piece rotors, etc) compared to my experience with my E82 / E92 chassis.

Would love to get down into the #33XX weight range but I'm not optimistic... How light have you seen folks get their DCT + CF Roof F80s? Assuming rear seat delete and ~15lbs racing front seats.

This guy went on a cool journey with his F80. Check out his videos, shows how far you can push the car before adding Aero. This specific video above is older, but he gets to 33XX

This is where it ended up:

I think a few guys here are friends with him so they’ll be a better knowledge source as it relates to his car

[D_SheerDrivingPleasure]

OP, I see tku have a Turner skid plate on your list. check out FaRKle! You Tube video review/installation for his m2c.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by D_SheerDrivingPleasure

OP, I see tku have a Turner skid plate on your list. check out FaRKle! You Tube video review/installation for his m2c.

Appreciate it, I'll take a look! I'm still surprised that BMW continues to put the oil cooler in such a risky location with little protection on M3s. Don't like worrying about a parking barrier causing catastrophic engine damage with an oil cooler that's barely 4" off the ground, not to mention a berm on track (or even debris on the freeway). :

I know packaging is tight up front but it still would have made much more sense to swap locations for the charge air radiator as that's a much less serious issue if damaged/leaking.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

This guy went on a cool journey with his F80. Check out his videos, shows how far you can push the car before adding Aero. This specific video above is older, but he gets to 33XX

This is where it ended up:

I think a few guys here are friends with him so they'll be a better knowledge source as it relates to his car

Really appreciate you sharing this, I'll be sure to lurk his build and get some ideas! LMK if you can think of of any other good track builds that have been documented. I've been hoping to find some F8X builds for inspiration but EOY work is crazy for me. Thankfully New Years is here and I'll be starting to really get into the build this coming week. I'll try to document as much as possible for future reference even though the formula is pretty ironed out for M cars:

1. MCS coils
2. SPL all the things
3. Fix your brakes (BBK and/or cooling)
4. Wide 18 inch wheels/tires
5. Lose Weight

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by spxxx

Really appreciate you sharing this, I'll be sure to lurk his build and get some ideas! LMK if you can think of of any other good track builds that have been documented. I've been hoping to find some F8X builds for inspiration but EOY work is crazy for me. Thankfully New Years is here and I'll be starting to really get into the build this coming week. I'll try to document as much as possible for future reference even though the formula is pretty ironed out for M cars:

1. MCS coils
2. SPL all the things
3. Fix your brakes (BBK and/or cooling)
4. Wide 18 inch wheels/tires
5. Lose Weight

Definitely follow Bimmerworld’s GT More project. They’re developing a bunch of track parts specifically for F8X - there’s a thread on it here:

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1822215

There are lots of 18in wheel options rn, by far the cheapest track set to get up and running with proper wheel widths and offsets will be Bimmerworld’s TA5Rs. They’re a steaming hot deal

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

Definitely follow Bimmerworld's GT More project. They're developing a bunch of track parts specifically for F8X - there's a thread on it here:

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1822215

There are lots of 18in wheel options rn, by far the cheapest track set to get up and running with proper wheel widths and offsets will be Bimmerworld's TA5Rs. They're a steaming hot deal

I saw those! I already have like 4 sets of Apex EC7, ARC8 + SM10 wheels in 18x10s that circulate between my F80, street "1M" and my track car so my wife might kill me if another set of wheels arrives.

I watched some of their videos, excited to see the end result and product development that comes from the project.

[silverbackf8x]

Originally Posted by spxxx

Thanks for the info, looking at his IG scares me seeing 2:05 BW lap times though. Looks like a pretty basic build and hoping that sub-2 won't be hard to achieve.

I'm thinking that the F80 with the longer wheelbase and better power/weight ratio can put down some mid 1:50 laps compared to the E82 which is sketchy to drive at 10/10ths.

Thanks ninekrpm!

Hey spxxx,
Lol, That’s me on IG, 2:05 at BW CW13 was my 2nd track day ever and at 2nd time at Buttonwillow. 1st time with the car to feel it out in the new MCS 2WR suspension, on untuned suspension and 200tw tires, 1st time was as is stock on 4S street tires. The car had no engine mods, no driver mod, and actually had power taken out 1-4th gear as well as MDM on. Just being transparent, I have a long way to go. Of course as for anyone tracking Buttonwillow, the goal is consistent 1:5x but that won’t be because the car can’t achieve it, it’s all on me.
Project goal is to have the car setup to the point I can just focus on driving. Main Street expenditures being track time, tires, associated maintenance.

As for engine cooling, my car is presently at EAS - European Auto Source in SoCal Anaheim, CA getting a comprehensive list of mods installed and further fine tuning the car’s setup. CSF Top Mount & CSF Front Mount Heat Exchanger, Do88 Side Mount GT4 Auxiliary Heat Exchanger, Mishimoto Thermostat.
- Car never had an issue running in 100F at BW in July, but as stated above the factory Intercooler does have a chance of leaking internally. This has happened to a family member with a F80 & I prefer the CSF offering so that does not occur. Might as well replace it with a proper quality built unit in place. Front Heat Exchanger is a welcomed addition, most will recommend this as it’s the main cooling element in the air intake system, CSF Radiator’s offering is a quality piece with a front grill for protection. The Do88 side mount is substantially bigger than the factory offering & added to compliment the front mount: I wanted the cooling system addressed the best I could have setup so I wouldn’t ever have that on my mind when I’m at the track and temps are triple digit.

There are many of items I am having installed by the ///M Specialist at EAS.
I planned on creating a build thread on bimmerpost but was waiting off until I acquired more data and seat time. Please feel free to ask about anything image on the car, my IG is to reflect the build & hopefully driving journey.

Happy New Year!

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by silverbackf8x

Thanks ninekrpm!

Hey spxxx,
Lol, That’s me on IG, 2:05 at BW CW13 was my 2nd track day ever and at 2nd time at Buttonwillow. 1st time with the car to feel it out in the new MCS 2WR suspension, on untuned suspension and 200tw tires, 1st time was as is stock on 4S street tires. The car had no engine mods, no driver mod, and actually had power taken out 1-4th gear as well as MDM on. Just being transparent, I have a long way to go. Of course as for anyone tracking Buttonwillow, the goal is consistent 1:5x but that won’t be because the car can’t achieve it, it’s all on me.
Project goal is to have the car setup to the point I can just focus on driving. Main Street expenditures being track time, tires, associated maintenance.

As for engine cooling, my car is presently at EAS - European Auto Source in SoCal Anaheim, CA getting a comprehensive list of mods installed and further fine tuning the car’s setup. CSF Top Mount & CSF Front Mount Heat Exchanger, Do88 Side Mount GT4 Auxiliary Heat Exchanger, Mishimoto Thermostat.
- Car never had an issue running in 100F at BW in July, but as stated above the factory Intercooler does have a chance of leaking internally. This has happened to a family member with a F80 & I prefer the CSF offering so that does not occur. Might as well replace it with a proper quality built unit in place. Front Heat Exchanger is a welcomed addition, most will recommend this as it’s the main cooling element in the air intake system, CSF Radiator’s offering is a quality piece with a front grill for protection. The Do88 side mount is substantially bigger than the factory offering & added to compliment the front mount: I wanted the cooling system addressed the best I could have setup so I wouldn’t ever have that on my mind when I’m at the track and temps are triple digit.

There are many of items I am having installed by the ///M Specialist at EAS.
I planned on creating a build thread on bimmerpost but was waiting off until I acquired more data and seat time. Please feel free to ask about anything image on the car, my IG is to reflect the build & hopefully driving journey.

Happy New Year!

That's great to hear about the leaking issues before I ever go out to the track. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a dick at all... 2:05 is solid for a first time out, I was definitely running slower than that when I first went out there.

Leaning toward MCS 2WNR, just need to find an open track day to actually get them dialed in... I'm gonna try out the JRZs first but I don't have high hopes based on street manners. My main concern is cooling, I plan to run a DIY brake cooling setup with NACA Ducts from the plastic splash guard behind the bumper. I ran something similar on my current track car and it's been rock solid for ~2yrs. (Need to confirm there's enough room first).

I wish I was closer to EAS, they really know their shit. I'm up near San Francisco so BW is typically the furthest South I ever go. I just moved North from the South Bay adding an extra hour which sucks since BWRP is my favorite track in CA.

I'm leaning toward just picking up the CSF Oil Cooler & Heat Exchanger... + maybe the larger DCT pan.

[sly1types]

Originally Posted by spxxx

That's great to hear about the leaking issues before I ever go out to the track. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a dick at all... 2:05 is solid for a first time out, I was definitely running slower than that when I first went out there.

Leaning toward MCS 2WNR, just need to find an open track day to actually get them dialed in... I'm gonna try out the JRZs first but I don't have high hopes based on street manners. My main concern is cooling, I plan to run a DIY brake cooling setup with NACA Ducts from the plastic splash guard behind the bumper. I ran something similar on my current track car and it's been rock solid for ~2yrs. (Need to confirm there's enough room first).

I wish I was closer to EAS, they really know their shit. I'm up near San Francisco so BW is typically the furthest South I ever go. I just moved North from the South Bay adding an extra hour which sucks since BWRP is my favorite track in CA.

I'm leaning toward just picking up the CSF Oil Cooler & Heat Exchanger... + maybe the larger DCT pan.

I would stay away from the CSF top mount, they don't work any better than stock. i think their front mount heat exchanger is ok, but the mishimoto one allows less fin density in front of the DCT cooler. All the upgraded front heat exchangers block the DCT cooler. The wagner top mount actually helps, i have some before/after track day logs on here somewhere.

[RugbyBro]

+1 on stock cooling, it’s pretty legit. If you want some legit cooling upgrades, here they are. Pricy tho.

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Intake-F...YaAkmiEALw_wcB

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Cooling/...-M2-M3-M4.html

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Auxiliar...-M2-M3-M4.html

https://www.bimmerworld.com/CR-Racin...-M2-M3-M4.html

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by sly1types

I would stay away from the CSF top mount, they don't work any better than stock. i think their front mount heat exchanger is ok, but the mishimoto one allows less fin density in front of the DCT cooler. All the upgraded front heat exchangers block the DCT cooler. The wagner top mount actually helps, i have some before/after track day logs on here somewhere.

Oh that's good to know, it was more a durability upgrade but Wagner/Do88 stuff is solid so I'll definitely look into theirs.

I'll probably just leave the cooling system stock (minus brakes) for a test and tune day to get some data logs before making a decision.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

+1 on stock cooling, it’s pretty legit. If you want some legit cooling upgrades, here they are. Pricy tho.

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Intake-F...YaAkmiEALw_wcB

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Cooling/...-M2-M3-M4.html

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Auxiliar...-M2-M3-M4.html

https://www.bimmerworld.com/CR-Racin...-M2-M3-M4.html

All this good stuff is coming to the GTSs before long

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

+1 on stock cooling, it's pretty legit. If you want some legit cooling upgrades, here they are. Pricy tho.

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Intake-F...YaAkmiEALw_wcB

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Cooling/...-M2-M3-M4.html

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Auxiliar...-M2-M3-M4.html

https://www.bimmerworld.com/CR-Racin...-M2-M3-M4.html

Yeah I'll definitely run the engine stock at my next test/tune and get some data before making decisions on cooling upgrades.

Thanks for sharing!

[spxxx]

Decided to keep things simple and go with MCS 1WNR which arrive this week before Thunderhill West on Saturday. Much excite! it's gonna be cold and the track is pretty easy on brakes so I'm hoping my "stock" brakes hold up.

Had a good weekend of getting things prepped:

- GiroDisc Rotors
- Endless Pads
- SPL Rear Toe / Traction Arms
- Custom Brake Ducting
- BMS Chargepipe & J-Pipe
- PowerFlex Sway Bushings
- Sparco Evo + E90 Schroth Quick Fit Pro
- MHD GTS Trans Tune

Few items left for Saturday:
- MCS install w/ SPL End-Links
- Brake / Diff / DCT Fluid Flush
- Turner Skid Plate
- Plugs & Coils
- 295/30/18 A052 Mounting
- Alignment & Corner Balance

So excited to get this car out on track, don't think I've ever done this much prep work on any car in ~1 week but I'm stoked to get out on track again.