First Auto-X in the '11 135i

[MarkR171]

Video uploaded:

Watch in 720p!

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by MarkR171

Yea, I plan to swap to Dunlop Star Specs eventually. I want to drive the car the way it is more to get accustomed to it though. Hardware will make me faster when I reach my limit with the car as it is.

Maybe I'll need the bar more when I get stickier tires.

Yeah, you said it right; Wait until you're up to par with what the car can really do before trying anything, and do one thing at a time. Otherwise, it can get a bit tricky to figure out if your times are decreasing/increasing because of your 'mad skillz yo' or because of the mods.

The bar doesn't need stickier tires to work, either. It'll help you make the best of whatever tires you have on.

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by MarkR171

Video uploaded:

Watch in 720p!

Sweet. The quality of the GoPro seems great, except maybe for their promise, "You’ll only be hearing the sounds of your sport, not the howl of the wind." I guess you can't expect miracles from it mounted on the windshield though.
Does it offer 1080p as well?

[nordique14]

one of the fellow board members put this together of what is and is not allowed in SCCA classes for the 1-series.

http://www.garageprosoftware.com/scirocco/135i.html

[bluesunit]

Save up for the new tires. You'll need them soon enough:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=417653

I have a Hotchkiss bar on the way.

[MarkR171]

Originally Posted by Xaeryan

Sweet. The quality of the GoPro seems great, except maybe for their promise, "You’ll only be hearing the sounds of your sport, not the howl of the wind." I guess you can't expect miracles from it mounted on the windshield though.
Does it offer 1080p as well?

Yup, it can record in 1080p. I was recording in 960p and uploaded in 720p. They supplied a non-sealed case that they claim helps reduce wind noise under 100mph. I'll try that next time. If that still doesn't work, I'll try recording from inside the car.

As for the car, I have 2 weeks until the next event, hoping my tires don't end up like the ones above! Though, SCCA Hawaii runs don't get to reach high speeds (barely into 2nd gear in some areas.) Star Specs will be my first mod soon enough.

[pixelblue]

you should record in R2 mode 720p. also the mic sucks on gopro. the sealed case doesn't help much either. the 960 format is ok to use but the aspect ratio is more square than wide as in 720 or 1080. also when you upload as 720 because of the different aspect ratio you may get distortion or degradation plus it chews up more space on your SD card. R2 is the ideal compromise for memory space and resolution

[MarkR171]

Thanks for the tips pixel, I just went with R4 as it's the default and it was my first try. R2 sounds like a better option though. Any suggestions on reducing wind noise? All the sample videos on GoPros website have little to no wind noise and you can actually hear the car. It's kind of frustrating.

[pixelblue]

you are welcome. I haven't been able to get good audio even with the enclosed case. you can check out my videos on http://www.youtube.com/user/koriblue. the only time I was able to get good audio result was when I used the open case but mounted on the rear bumper. this probably won't work for your autox purpose but I was able to get good exhaust sound from this setup. otherwise the whole audio thing is a bust for gopro.

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by nordique14

one of the fellow board members put this together of what is and is not allowed in SCCA classes for the 1-series.

http://www.garageprosoftware.com/scirocco/135i.html

oooh, das mine!
Any corrections/suggestions welcome. I was considering putting it in a checklist style printable version at some point.

[bluesunit]

Originally Posted by Xaeryan

oooh, das mine!
Any corrections/suggestions welcome. I was considering putting it in a checklist style printable version at some point.

Nice list. Make sure you add that an LS7 swap is legal for XP class

Are you sure about assembly pin removal in stock?

It should be legal as it's cool on other BMWs and Minis, but you never know.

I'm pinless already.

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by bluesunit

Nice list. Make sure you add that an LS7 swap is legal for XP class

Are you sure about assembly pin removal in stock?

It should be legal as it's cool on other BMWs and Minis, but you never know.

I'm pinless already.

I thought I had a footnote on that one, and maybe I should add it... or just rule it illegal altogether to err on the safe side. The ruling says they can be removed as long as it is a factory authorized modification via manual. Although there is only an official TSB for the 335i as it stands right now, some of us have had our alignment pins removed by the factory, so it stands to reason that it is "factory authorized" for the 135i as well (and considering the suspensions are near the same). BUT, since the rule states it must be in the factory shop manual, until we have it officially on paper from BMW, some might (definitely at Nationals level) consider it illegal. Here's the ruling from 13.8B:

Both the front and rear suspension may be adjusted through their
designed range of adjustment by use of factory adjustment arrangements
or by taking advantage of inherent manufacturing tolerances.
This encompasses both alignment and ride height parameters if such
adjustments are provided by the stock components and specified by
the factory as normal methods of adjustment. However, no suspension
part may be modified for the purpose of adjustment unless such
modification is specifically authorized by the factory shop manual for
non-competition purposes.

[Amalfitano]

What i'm wondering with the alignment pin...

I think that's just nitpicking to a certain degree. I'm pretty sure they still expect us to stay within the factory alignment specs, so pin or no pin we're supposed to be within .7 degrees.

[bluesunit]

Originally Posted by Amalfitano

What i'm wondering with the alignment pin...

I think that's just nitpicking to a certain degree. I'm pretty sure they still expect us to stay within the factory alignment specs, so pin or no pin we're supposed to be within .7 degrees.

That doesn't hold true across the board.

There a few cars (RX-8 for one) that have adjustable camber up front from the factory, so whatever you can get is legal. On many other strut equipped cars (current Civics for sure) you can, as per the factory manual, sub in "crash bolts" in the front and steal about a degree of camber.

On our cars, the strut tower is already slotted to provide adjustment. The pin is there solely to assist in aligning the front struts during assembly . . . Need a TSB so we can all quit arguing about this :P

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by bluesunit

Need a TSB so we can all quit arguing about this :P

[bluesunit]

Originally Posted by Xaeryan

See my last post here:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=415448

That looks like an explicit allowance.

[Xaeryan]

Originally Posted by bluesunit

See my last post here:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=415448

That looks like an explicit allowance.

The ironic part is that I have used TIS but just figured someone would've already found it if it was in there. Plus, I stopped using TIS because it sucks. VW/Audi group's latest ETKA programs makes TIS look 20 years old by comparison (lol, is it?).

But back to the topic, great find!