E30 Zone

So... M3 aside, what's the ultimate E30? Is it a four pot screamer or a six, a big six, or a more recent lump transplant?

Has forced air any place under an E30 bonnet? I think I'm coming down on the purists side here...

there will be as many different opinions as their is members.

I'm guessing you are 325 man

jimcameron wrote:I'm guessing you are 325 man

an ex 325 man prefering now the use of a 4 pot 2.0 turbo as per sig pic

It will be no surprise to regular readers that I vote for a 325i Touring. 6 pot with 4 pot balance.

Let the flames commence!

Here we go again

How many posts until the 4 or 6 cylinder debate starts?

Only one, 6 pot all the way!!

6 pots indeed !

as for forced air, even the purists have to climb down on this one now, BMW themsleves have concluded its the only way forward.

If this thread becomes yet another waste of server space it will be locked.. you'll have been warned.

how come all the most popular , interesting and lively debates get locked? if you must lock something cant you lock a boring thread that no ones interested in?

Well, there's interesting and lively on one side and handbag swinging bitch-fest at the other

Lets all remember that we all drive the same car, despite the options that were ticked 20 years ago, eh?

^^ Here here!!

group hugs and mutual love is dull and boring. disagreements and banter is where its at. especially on sundays .

A twin turbo, supercharged m20 engine(obviously straight 6 ) with NOS

Not trying to kick off a 4/6 scrap, sorry!

;)

but a non-BMW engined E30 ain't an E30...

A more recent engined E30 ain't pure...

are they? Does it have to be 18is, 25, or do the M30 conversions also count as original?

jimcameron wrote:but a non-BMW engined E30 ain't an E30...

of course it is. like ive said before if my grandad went in for a heart tranplant would he come back out as someone else or still be my grandad but in better working order?

and an immaculate e30 as bmw intended with the correct engine etc would be no way near regarded as an ultimate e30 by most but seen as a nice clean well cared for example. definately not ultimate.

for me a supercharged V8 is where its at, and maybe one day i will

fuzzy wrote:group hugs and mutual love is dull and boring. disagreements and banter is where its at. especially on sundays .

I get enough of the above from the mrs, especially on a Sunday!!

Mtech327 wrote:

fuzzy wrote:group hugs and mutual love is dull and boring. disagreements and banter is where its at. especially on sundays .

I get enough of the above from the mrs, especially on a Sunday!!

i know what your saying mate, im getting the eyes right now

Lol, what should you be doing then?, DIY, gardening or my favourite IKEA

no, nothing like that, shes in the pool drinking wine and wants me to join her, strangely enough im looking around on here.

i must be shot to bits

stevotheevo wrote:no, nothing like that, shes in the pool drinking wine and wants me to join her, strangely enough im looking around on here.

i must be shot to bits

An o/e looking every box ticked v12 super charged m3 in white is where it's at...

Well for a start it would have to have more than four cylinders. Before anyone argues, are Ferrari running 4pots this year? In anything? How about Mclaren? Aston Martin? No. Because more than four cylinder engines are superior. it would have to be more than 2 valves per cylinder (probably 4) because again superior, so that is all of the E30 engines out of the question.
Leaving us with M50/M52 possibly or S52 as possible contenders. Also maybe one of the 32valve V8s or Maybe even a nice big V10 if it would fit in the bay'. preferably a bmw engine because in a bmw its just right, plus they make nice engines so why bother going else where?
Then forced induction, Why not? after all this is "Ultimate E30" not "E30 I Could Build In My Garage For Less Than 7K" so a mafuc'inghoosive turbo, maybe 2 on the V shaped engines probably running a nice heavy dose of NOS aswell.
Then power train, LSD obviously. Reinforced Prop and diff mounts. Appropriate gearbox. Nice big paddle clutch.
Suspension would have to be money is no object umpteen way adjustable coil overs running polybushes, strengthened lower arms and subframe. big sod off antiroll bars.
Obviously Caged, although i cant decide whether i would have a full paralelled cage or a half one so i could still have rear seats and scare my friends.
Reasonably standard looking, probably SE skirts and IS lip, Maybe Tech2 spoiler, big old twin pipes sticking out of either side of the back end mite give the game away on the V engine choices though.
16 inch rims because they are best compromise of handling and looks.
Leaves 2 very important decisions

2dr or Touring?

And What Colour

Thats how i think the ultimate e30 should be!

I'd love to see the mighty Nissan RB26 motor in an E30. I've previoulsy searched the net in case its been done, but found nothing

M3 aside I think my ultimate E30 would be a 2 door IX with some kind of turbo'd six. Not sure if it would have to have the sport kit. Probably not.

my own touring is heading towards my opinion of the ultimate e30. soon to be 330-370 bhp once ive decided on which stage of tune to go to next.

fuzzy wrote:

jimcameron wrote:but a non-BMW engined E30 ain't an E30...

of course it is. like ive said before if my grandad went in for a heart tranplant would he come back out as someone else or still be my grandad but in better working order?

I'm with you here bud,

My first E30 was a Cosworth YB powered beast running 350bhp+, and i can certainly say it was a monster!





See, looks good, went even better!

An E30 Touring with a Toyota 2JZ swap

A 2 door SE with a turbo'ed s14 lump. In diamond black, like spooks or demlots(hartge bits as well).

fuzzy wrote:

jimcameron wrote:but a non-BMW engined E30 ain't an E30...

of course it is. like ive said before if my grandad went in for a heart tranplant would he come back out as someone else or still be my grandad but in better working order?

i look at it like this, if BMW were still making the e30 they certainly wouldnt have the original line up of engines in it. once a car drops into a virtually worthless price bracket anything is allowed IMO.

fuzzy wrote:my own touring is heading towards my opinion of the ultimate e30. soon to be 330-370 bhp once ive decided on which stage of tune to go to next.

Get on with it then!
Instead of chatting sh#it on forums

Ok, slow down... you can take ultimate too far. Broom, handle...

I understand that if you have a limitless budget you can build a lunar lander E30 silhouette.

It's capable of space travel, that's cool, but it isn't an E30. Not really

A 2.7/2.8 M20 E30 with Dbilas TBs and or a super charger would be my ultimate non M3 E30

big six.... but generally anything with a huuuge engine in it

v12 /v8 or v8 twin turbo or a e30 m52 328i charged ,any of my cars

Ultimate E30 ? - One thats not rusty !

On a serious note I'd like a 2 Door '89 - '90 SE spec 325i in Dolphin Grey with 15" BBS and a 3.5 Lump mated to a 6 speed manual box. Would have to look completely standard including the engine install. Proper sleeper.