Hi and welcome to my E30 project. First off some reason for car choice: I've had an E30 325i coupe as daily driver since 2006, crashing it and fixing it a number of times over the years after tramp skidding and streeto. Have learned alot from driving this car, and like how it handles. So you can say I'm an E30 enthusiast. Also, especially here at DW, I'm very tired of all S-body project and lack of bimmer projekts. Therefore, bringing this up, as we all need a little BMW inspiration in all this S-body world. Second : reason for engine choice: I wanted a 3,8 M5 engine 340 hp because its a sexy engine, AND because it's nice to know you have a specific number of horses to play with, in example you cant just adjust boost and increase power like a turbo engine. That means I have to use the engine and car optimally, to extract all the fun possible out of it. I'm inspired by builds like O'sullivans Ae86 with honda s2000 engine (?) which did VERY WELL with only 240 hp(?). It's so fucking fun when you have to floor the throttle all time, knowing you take all available out of the engine you have. Third: plans for the build: Getting the 3,8 engine into it. mount my carbon fibre trunk lid, to save weight. Let the battery stay in front instead of mounting it in trunk, to keep baddest weight distribution possible. Do all I can so the car will be a smoke machine with only 340 HP, that means silly camber at rear wheels (achieved already with lowering springs), battery in front as mentioned, and remove all possible weight. As little grip as possible at rear wheels, that will make 340 hp feel good, the car wont be fast because bad grip, but I dont care! It all started april 2009, when we picked up this E30 320i. It was a nice little E30 with a decent body, little rust (which is very hard to find in norway as our roads are covered in road salt during winter, causing cars to rust incredibly. ). We got the new shitter up on the trailer and towed it home. As a bought it, one of the earlier owners had started the job in turning it into a beast at tracks. Only problem is he didnt got very far, only things done was he ripped out the interior and dash, and the differential was also missing because he needed it for another car. Project was then leaved, because he found another e30 without a sunroof, for weight savings.<br> Thats what i heard. <br> car was sold to the owner a bought it from, he also decided to get rid of the car, doing nothing to it. Then I bought it. Got it home, removed the 320i engine and trans, tested how a V8 we have fitted into the car, then parked it in this pit (looks so fucking silly in this pit, as its riding on higher springs or something). Because of various reasons, it stayed in this pit all the time from april 2009 until about september 2009. We then towed the fucker up of the pit. Meanwhile, I breaked another E30 a had, a 325i, which had been my daily driver and tramp drifter since 2006, now completely rusted out and extremely tired body. Shock towers was fucked, everthing. Had no other place storing the parts from this E30, so had to put all the shit into the 320 and use it as a storage bin. Looks pretty nasty at this point. Was quite a job cleaning up the mess. I cleaned it up inside, dont know where I stored all the parts since I had nowhere to place it other than outside, but same shit. Removed the shitty 320i rear suspension whit drum brakes and all, fitted 325i rear suspension with disc brakes and, after asking Chuck Norris if it was ok, a WELDED DIFF, OMG: Pic of the rear assy with a welder, all reason to assume it killed John F Kennedy. Then fitted the 325i engine, trans, exhaust and front suspension from my ex tramp drifter, which also included lowering springs, 60mm front, 40mm rear. One of the reasons for scrapping the 325i ex tramp shitter, was 2 rocker arms broke at the same time after poppping som tires. So before fitting it into the 320i, I ofcourse fixed the rockers, installed a new timing belt, AND fitted the oil pan from the 320i engine since 325 olipan was fucked from running over all kind of edges and stuff: above: ex tramper from one of the FAIL situations. Anoway, luckily for you, I didnt have any pics of all that shit work, so here is a pic when I got the car running in early november 2009 or something. This is how it looked inside the car at first test drive, simply fitted the ECU and quick connected an instrument panel, telling me the oil press and everything was fine with the shitty old m20b25. Running without dash saves weight, BUT pretty annoying when the instrument panel falled down all the time, only attached to wiring. Then got the car MOT'ed and taxed and all that stuff (in norway thats called EU certificaded, has to be done every second year.) It then got licence plates in January 2010, a great thing. Well, time to pick up a BETTER and BIGGER engine, and the engine of choice, was the biggest straight six ever made in these bimmers, the 3,8 E34 M5 engine, also known as S38B38. Its got 340 hp @6900rpm and 400NM@ 4xxx rpm (dont remember) to play with. Its almost as hard getting the engine into the car where the passenger seat should have been, as it is to put it into the engine bay itself. Its a tight fit. But we actually managed it, very tight but still...
love it, good to see a bimmer project. and love the fail shot, i think we have all either been there or very close to there! Well i have!
Well, the engine is actually going under tha hood instead of sitting at passenger side all time And out with the shitty, but durable m20. If you look closer, its placed the wrong way too, flywheel is in front... As I didnt had any other car to get the engine home, I had to use the e30 as a "freight car". Anyways, I forgot to mention I have an E36 steering rack with spacers thats going into it, instead of shit e30 rack I have now. Also, I have a Hydraulic handbrake I will fit into it, with those braided steel lines or what its called. More pics soon. Project will go slow as I'm doing all work on car outdoors, AND its cold now, -13 degree celsius.
thanks. Unfortunately, not too much have happened, but it will soon. In one week, I've got no job anymore, but then I can work full days on the 338i instead. I now got almost every part I need, so its time to start. Part I've collected since last update: Walbro 255 pump m5 3,6 flywheel, which is much lighter than silly heavy dual mass 3,8 flywheel. Ride height after the 3,8 was "installed" where passenger seat normally is. Very nice heigt, but very expensive and heavy method in lowering a e30. Ajjje A picture from trip home E30 is nice cars y0 This was from when I had to take it out of all the snow, because I sold my daily driver and skidder, another e30 325 I had with a lot of rust. Lots of snow, really shit. Picture of my m5 3,8, which will be a "spare parts" shit 3,8 ofcourse, originally avus blau
Only 340bhp??? thats not exactly a small amount of hp!! You could put all the weight on the back and it will still smoke easy!
Crazy project! I like it This pic will keep me quiet when I bicker about the rain when it's spanner time on my lawn..
'time for a update. I now have no work anymore, so I've got a lot of time working on the shitter. So is it a great progress? Eh, NO, unfortunately. I'm doing all work outside, and since the weather is SOOOOOO fucking bad, rains every second day at least, it really kind of kills the project. Irritates the shit out of me..... Most that have happened, is I teared and ripped the whole car apart, and checked how badly the s38 fits in: Carbon fibre trunk lid, thats going at the car when the car is ready with s38. Everything to get it to spin the wheels properly Car before I started ripping it. Dirty. ACTUNG. Use only bmw parts... With m20. lot of clerance everywhere... Everything will be tight with s38, like brake booster etc- Drivers environment. Really nice, keep the standard high clearance with m20. 16 cm I think. Will be a lot less with s38 Ripping More ripping apart Even more I made this to get an idea of where the m20 crank centerline is. It may help me in getting the s38 correctly fitted- s38 shitness and more even more more to come
yeah, but everyone else in norway now got 400 RWHP or more... And a lot of torque of course. So I get a bit scared over "only" having 340 hp, but I know it will spin EASILY in 3 gear, 4 gear too with a bit shit tires and aggresive driving. M POWER for YA y000 Also got a BIG news for all JDM turbo "s-body is best coz that rules": Be scared, managed to start the car TODAY! Have to make exaust system, prop shaft, and a bit more work on cooling system, fuel system and braking system and then its OUT and TEST drive!! aaje, skiddly diddly MHM
Woooo, good update mate! This'll be awesome! One of the guys on TD has just turbo'd his 3.5 M30 and got 329bhp at the fly, and says it is UBER happy smoking all the way through 4th! Struggling not to spin up, so is now looking at wider wheels just to get a little more control! Just to give you an idea... Have fun!
thanks. Yeah I know. You get wheel spin very easy in e30 because of little grip. First test drive was done today. Engine works nice, goes nice up to 7200 rpm. Can also be driving 20 km/h, shift to 3 gear, rev the engine and make som nooooooooooiiiice powerslides with the shit tires I've got at the car now, wich is some small 14 inch wheels. Very easy to spin these wheels, will probably be a bit harder with 15" rims and bigger tires, but as for now, it spins MUCH easier in 3 gear than it did in second gear with the 2,5 m20 engine.... I will post some pics soon I hope. Was driving without exhaust, and with ear protection, and still noisy!!! Gonne make exhaust tomorrow, and and much other small shit things that need to be done. Gearbox was a bit shit to, very common problem at m5 gearboxes with shit soncro rings in 3 and 4 gear.