Regal Autosport’s BMW E30 build
Check out how Regal Autosport tackled Heat Management issues on their BMW E30 project build with Zircotec solutions.
You may have seen Regal Autosport’s BMW E30 build featured across our social channels for some time now. We caught up with Ryan from Regal Autosport (Specialists in German Performance Car Tuning & Upgrades | Regal Autosport) , Southampton’s leading experts in car maintenance, servicing and upgrades to see how their E30 build is coming along.
Ryan, Regal Autosport had the following to say:
THE PROBLEM
“As with all cars as they transition from road to track car, and then begins to get a little more serious, there’s trade-offs in the quest for performance. Noise, vibration and drivability are inevitably worse than the stock or mildly tune car, but heat discomfort need not be one of them.”
“When testing the car with just he factory heat insulation, the cabin temps were unbearable, even on the street. We measured the tunnel to be >60 degrees Celsius, and it actually melted the glue securing the trim panel over the transmission tunnel. It was difficult to drive for extended periods of time.”
THE SOLUTIONS
“With ZircoFlex®GOLD heat shielding applied to the tunnel and bulkhead, it is now super cool inside. Arguably even better than the stock car. The exhaust also runs alongside the gearbox and contributes to the temperature, but this heat is now kept on the outside of the car and does not enter the cabin.”
“In the engine bay; the M20 has the spark plugs mounted to the exhaust side of the head. And because we use an ALPINA style BTB long runner manifold, coupled with an M54 BMW coil on plug arrangement, heat management surrounding these coil packs is vital. The original car has a small heat shield integrated into the exhaust manifold, which is sufficient for the spark plugs and leads from the distributor arrangement. The coil packs are much more sensitive to heat from both a performance and durability point of view.”
“We have created a partition for the coil packs using using ZircoFlex® FORM. We’re seeing enormous temperature drops across the barrier, up to 100 degrees on the dyno. This coupled with the Zircotec graphite coating on the exhaust system extractors, it makes for a very safe environment on that side of the engine bay. We’ve also created a partition for the clutch fluid reservoir and any other flammable fluids. It’s amazing how much difference it makes, and the weight trade off is minimal.”
“Towards the back of the car we’ve also used Zircotec products to shield the fuel lines as they run near exhaust components. E30s have a tricky run from tank outlet to the swirl pot and Zircotec really helps increase the safety and durability of the fuel lines back there.”
Questions? Get in touch!
If you have any questions regarding Zircotec thermal barrier solutions, get in touch today!