New build M3 Compact in full Hockley LHD shell

[notax]

We are about to start work on my 4th M3 Compact! I have bought a virtually fully prepared shell from Harry Hockley (who I have to say were a pleasure to deal with). The shell is beautifully finished and is currently LHD. My original plan was to convert it, but I'm now considering trying it LHD and seeing how I get on. I am selling what was my spare car to fund the build - please see classifieds.

The shell is fully painted, has Proflex remote resevoir suspension fitted, full Hockley fabricated rear end (in this case designed to take a standard E36 diff rather than Hockley's own massive and hugely expensive one) It also has full Hockley made suspension arms, hubs etc. The key thing missing is the brakes, although I have bought some AP 6 pots for the front and have some 4 pot Alcons I may use on the rear.

Hockley's hub flanges are designed to use Evo wheels and the flanges are too small to be re drilled for my BMW wheels, so we need to come up with a plan here. The idea is to take the proven and reliable transmission of E36 3.0 race engine, Drenth gearbox and DIY paddleshift out of Zippy. If anyone is selling a 3.0 race engine I'd be interested as Zippy will become my spare car.

I'll try and post a few pictures at the weekend... By the way, if this build and setting up the car turns out to be a nightmare, I certainly can't blame the Bruvs who warned me it would be! I sold my original blue car when it was working brilliantly and replaced it with Zippy which has been a big uphill learning curve over the past 5 years. Ironically now that we seem to have Zippy sorted I'm moving on again. Glutton for punishment

[jerseypug]

i was chatting to a guy at the compact cup and he went for a lhd shell as apparently they are lighter. he was saying they are all lhd shells with the rhd shells getting an additional front bulkhead with all the holes pressed into it hence the extra weight

[notax]

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that. I'll see if I can borrow some corner weights and measure our starting point. At the moment it still has glass all round and even electric windows - with switches very neatly incuded on the carbon dashboard!

[lahondal]

So maybe this is the reason my car (LHD) weights less than forum similar cars. What sort of extra weight we are talking between RHD and LHS shells?

[jerseypug]

The guy I spoke to had bought and collected his car from Holland I think so it must have been a decent amount of weight saving to go to all that effort

[lahondal]

My compact is in 1076kg with near 80% fuel, so i assume is in the region of 1030-1050kg.

It haves lexan windows, but nothing of fiberglass. The compact cup guys said me that the 1000kg mark is difficult to achieve, but this probably be with RHD shell.

[notax]

My compact is in 1076kg with near 80% fuel, so i assume is in the region of 1030-1050kg.

It haves lexan windows, but nothing of fiberglass. The compact cup guys said me that the 1000kg mark is difficult to achieve, but this probably be with RHD shell.

That is very light by my reckoning - my current car has full fibreglass, full Lexan, carbon dash etc and still weighs more than yours - some of that will be down to the E36 M3 lump, mine also has a comprehensive cage which will no doubt add a few more kg...

[lahondal]

Mine is 4cyl!!

A m3 engine bump up the weight a few kg for sure! So you arent be so far than you think.

Mine have full OMP multipoint cage, CrMO, 32kg IIRC.

[notax]

Yes, no idea what my cage weighs but a lot more than 32kg I'm sure!

[bruvs1]

I think , if you remember, you asked my opinion and at the time you were breaking diffs etc, I advised you to build a coupe instead of a compact as it was a better option for a large case diff in that it's a fit and forget solution, and with 350 bhp you still need it as life span isn't great with that power and medium 188's. Hockleys own suspension suffered from bumpsteer I was told , and the shell isn't massively different to what your using just tidy. Is the front suspension on the new shell improved upon and have they managed to fit rollbars on it yet? Looking forward yo some build pics,, dave c

[notax]

Hi Dave, thanks for coming back to me. There isn't a rear ARB, but then I always prefer the feel of Zippy with it disconnected anyway (although I accept that this isn't regarded as the best option for handling) The new car has Proflex coil overs all round with remote cannisters and the rear end is turretted. My biggest issue with Zippy was the bending of the rear arms, beam etc after fitting the powerful race engine and coil overs. The Z3M back end you advised certainly transformed it, but with the Hockley space frame rear we'll be able to make our own replacement arms etc much more easily and it should be a much easier base to modify if we wanted to increase the track - or try and dial out any bump steer (which Zippy never suffered from) I'm out in Zippy at Brands this weekend (and see there are a couple of other Compacts there too) but after that it will be full steam ahead trying to get the new car finished. Our following event is the awesome Bovington Stages at the start of March, but it will be a miracle if the car's ready for then (and even more of a miracle if I feel comfortable driving a LHD rally car for the first time

[mrfuzzyfelts]

Before going too far you need to speak to Cliff and Dai Shag about that backend.

Cliff had it on his and was apparently terrible? Dont want to be all doom and gloom but now is the time to find out before going too far.....

With regards to a compact with an M3, IMO a 210mm is a MUST

Im currently fitting a 210mm to go with my massive shafts and Proflex rear shocks. Hope to have it up and running in a week or 2.

[notax]

Thanks, do you have contact details for the guys you mention? I have never had a problem running a medium case even with my full race engine. I think I've only rebuilt a diff twice in 9 years of competing and put that down to the fact the car was eating driveshafts once the car was running the full race engine as they both went at the same time. Whilst running the standard 3.0 M3 the whole back end stood up really well so long as I used OEM driveshafts - the aftermarket ones I tried were all appalling (although I must admit I have never used the massive shafts I bought from you as Zippy's Z3M back end seems to work fine with the OEM shafts) Tempting fate, but not bust one yet...

[mrfuzzyfelts]

Fair enough, maybe i have been unlucky.

Shafts, Diff plates, Stub axles etc

I personally have no experience of the Hockley backend, but I was talking to Dai and Cliff at an event as he had one and wasnt happy

Message dai, he will be able to tell you more maybe, and hopefully im wrong!

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[notax]

Great thanks, the Bruvs did warn me that they knew of people having issues with the standard Hockly back end before I bought it. I just hope we can dial them out and at least we have a platform to start from. It will be an interesting learning curve. I do know someone else with a Hockly rear end too, so hopefully combining knowledge will speed up the development process.