E30 Zone

Well lads... are there any?

i know the best way to tune a M20B20 is to throw it in the skip and fit a B25 but there has got to be something good about these cars because they sold in pretty good numbers!?

Also has anyone done any serious tuning on them? i saw couple of race prepped 320's for sale and i assume this is due to displacement regulations for the series they were designed to run in?

The production bmw championship www.pbmwc.co.uk allows both the M20 engined 320 and the M40 engined 318, since they are similar performance on the track.

They sound nice...

Yeah the sound was nice even if everything else was a let down with it

As they were originally purchased by a different type of owner to a 325i many seem to have survived in really nice condition. There's several mint E30's in Norwich owned by elderly people and they all tend to be 320i autos.

The 320i gets a hard press but they're not that bad at all. Silky smooth with a lovely sound, they just lack low down torque. Higher up the rev range they go quite well. However, when a 325i is identical in running costs with better suspension, brakes etc (in saloon form) you can see why they're a bit unloved.

They make good sleepers when fitted with a 2.7...leaving the 320i badge on the boot...you should see the look of suprise from the X5 V8 that struggles to keep up

Superbly smooth engine, albeit not quick. Very dignified acceleration and more responsive on song than most would admit. Sounds subtly different to a b25, but in a good way.

Was a great engine in my cab.

Yea i love the noise mine makes! i was going to say that but forgot... and it loves a good thrashing. revs quite well for a six pot aswell

B25 Valves, larger bore throttle body, 6 branch, chip, hot cam and a lightened flywheel could see some fairly good results from a B20 I think, depends what you want from the engine though. A B25 will have more power and torque but with the right changes the B20 will rev like a maniac and pull fairly hard in the higher rev range. Personally if I was going to have an M20, it would be a B23 with the same modifications. Good middle ground

Redeeming features... Hmm...


Straight swap for a B25? Can be removed easily?

Very good at keeping a boat in the same place for an extended period of time

GrindCulture wrote:B25 Valves, larger bore throttle body, 6 branch, chip, hot cam and a lightened flywheel could see some fairly good results from a B20 I think, depends what you want from the engine though. A B25 will have more power and torque but with the right changes the B20 will rev like a maniac and pull fairly hard in the higher rev range. Personally if I was going to have an M20, it would be a B23 with the same modifications. Good middle ground

do the same to a 2.5 and have something that is really quite fast! 2.5's rev well and very well with a good cam and lightened flywheel.

they rev better, sound better and come with closer ratios (mainly because the final drive is lower) than a 325.

They're not as good though.

They come cheap

Simon13 wrote:

GrindCulture wrote:B25 Valves, larger bore throttle body, 6 branch, chip, hot cam and a lightened flywheel could see some fairly good results from a B20 I think, depends what you want from the engine though. A B25 will have more power and torque but with the right changes the B20 will rev like a maniac and pull fairly hard in the higher rev range. Personally if I was going to have an M20, it would be a B23 with the same modifications. Good middle ground

do the same to a 2.5 and have something that is really quite fast! 2.5's rev well and very well with a good cam and lightened flywheel.

Touché!

they are sh!t and utterly pointless really lets be honest yes maybe the appealed and had a market when new but whats the point now?

Theres still nice un rotton 318's and 325's about not to hanker after a 320

Still waiting for someone to megasquirt one. I have a soft spot for those silky smooth engines.

Simon13 wrote:they are sh!t and utterly pointless really lets be honest yes maybe the appealed and had a market when new but whats the point now?

Theres still nice un rotton 318's and 325's about not to hanker after a 320

i bought one before i knew about the zone and really wanted a six cylinder. and i love it! just wondering what other people thought

plus im 20 with six points and was about double to insure a 325

The door is as wide open as the channel tunned for a munky jizz ecu to be fitted to the naughty lump

Gibson wrote: i bought one before i knew about the zone and really wanted a six cylinder. and i love it! just wondering what other people thought

Nothing wrong with them. They are not slow. Just slower. I'd have one over a 318 any day (I have driven both). Perfect if your age is against you. Drop a 325 in it when insurance isn't a problem.

im gonna drop a 3.9 V8 in it when insurance isnt a problem.... man i love the noise a V makes

FlappySocks wrote:

Gibson wrote: i bought one before i knew about the zone and really wanted a six cylinder. and i love it! just wondering what other people thought

Nothing wrong with them. They are not slow. Just slower. I'd have one over a 318 any day (I have driven both). Perfect if your age is against you. Drop a 325 in it when insurance isn't a problem.

or just dont tell them : : how many insurance assesors can tell a b20 and b25 apart?




not that I would condone such a practice you understand...

ive got nuffink wrong with my 320 i think the engine pulls ok sounds really nice and its a strait six!! well plus im only 18 lol if i ever do anythink to it id just drop a 2.5 or 2.7 ,,, but the insurance would be very expensive and the engine in it hasnt even run in at 42k from new

Nothing is spelled NOTHING not nuffink!

how many insurance assesors can tell a b20 and b25 apart?

im sure if it was a nasty accident they might look into things a bit more...but otherwise youre prob right

This sounds a bit harsh but I'm sure the best thing for a 320 is to be the clean straight shell for a nice project. Plenty of well cared for ones about that haven't had a stressful life like a 325i. As for suspension, well you'd probably be changing that anyway....

The best redeeming feature is it probably hasn't been abused by the hands of some wannabe racer. Ok, it isn't the fastest thing on the road (nor the slowest), but not everyone is motivated by speed. Mine gets me from A-B in style and comfort and that's all I care about.

A 320 has 158 redeeming features, thats what i got in £ a couple of weeks ago when i done my bit for the chinese economy , oh i nearly forgot, i found £4.67 under the seats ! So i redeemed a 320 to £162.67

I've always liked 320 4 doors, a much under rated vehicle , they perform well on the 'bridge'

Fuck me pete, even jim davidson refreshes his material every decade or so.

datourer wrote:**** me pete, even jim davidson refreshes his material every decade or so.

A decade ago you had to pay the scrappies to take a 320 !

VS a 318i:
Hugely better sound
Smoother
Simply a nicer car to drive
Easier to upgrade to a bigger m20!

VS a 325i:
Cheaper
Less expensive to insure
Often easier to find in nicer condition

& I know it's hard to believe, but some people don't really give a to$$ about performance - making the 320i no different from a 325i in their eyes...

I'd have a 325i over a 320i every time, but I'd equally pick a m20b20 over an m40.

They uses lots of juice p*sses of sandal wearing, tofu eating, do gooding liberals. Which i think is always a bonus...and said hippys cant rape you with tax (compared to post 2001 polluters!!) for doing so!!!

Well i've got a:

320i

4 Door

Auto

and chrome!!!!!

Apparently according to quite a few on the forum its quite possibly the worst E30 you could ever own!!!!!!.

And do you know what!!!!, i dont give a flying f*ck , i love it, its got to be one of the oldest surviving 4 doors built in feb 1984 and its still going!!!.

After some of you have either weighed them in or fitted big engines or turned them into drift cars there aint going to be many left!!!!, so i'm gonna save one, even if nobody else wants it!!! ever

But thats one of my tastes in E30, i think it deserves to be saved even if others dont, if i want something a bit differnet then i'll buy a sport, Alpina or m3 and they can share a garage together.

Right then, i'll duck for covver now and prepare myself for the flaming/onslaught, be gentle!!!!!!!

^ theres nothing wrong with chrome

The_Diddler wrote:Well i've got a:

320i

4 Door

Auto

and chrome!!!!!

Apparently according to quite a few on the forum its quite possibly the worst E30 you could ever own!!!!!!.

And it's pink/red!
Yes, it is possibly the least desirable spec. going, but it's still a 1000 times better than a new Focus or some French sh*te.