M3 lookalikes?

[M3DDB]

does anyone know how to get a standard E30 to look like an M3, as the m3 has all different arches, boot, spoiler, body kit, back lights and different roof i was told? can anyone help me out as it may save me abit of money

[Aubs]

Every body panel of the M3 is different bar the bonnet.
I believe its possible to get fibreglass replacement panels - but it'd probably take alot of work to make it not look gash...

[bmwbreaker]

check out my post in the photo gallery forum for my M3 replica

[badboy007]

im sellin one if you are interested heres the ebay link
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E30-M3-REPLIC ... dZViewItem

[Felix79]

Myadvise if you want to make you E30 look like an M3 really take the time and money and buy real M3 pannels and really get a good job done. Nothign worse than a badly done M3 kit. Some of the guys on here have really taken it to a new level in attention to detail.

[Fushion_Julz]

im sellin one if you are interested heres the ebay link
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E30-M3-REPLIC ... dZViewItem

Myadvise if you want to make you E30 look like an M3 really take the time and money and buy real M3 pannels and really get a good job done. Nothign worse than a badly done M3 kit. Some of the guys on here have really taken it to a new level in attention to detail.

Or buy lots of M3 panels and STILL make it look gash

Fitting the wings isn't too hard and it is possible to remove the trim swage lines from the (standard) doors...The biggie is gonna be the roof and screens...The M3 screens are bonded and the roof has a different rear section profile as the rear screen is sloped at a different angle. Without this slope the boot lid will always look gash and badly fitted.

Of course, once you've fitted the wings you will need the M3 suspension as it has a wider track...

[Felix79]

im sellin one if you are interested heres the ebay link
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E30-M3-REPLIC ... dZViewItem

Myadvise if you want to make you E30 look like an M3 really take the time and money and buy real M3 pannels and really get a good job done. Nothign worse than a badly done M3 kit. Some of the guys on here have really taken it to a new level in attention to detail.

Or buy lots of M3 panels and STILL make it look gash

Fitting the wings isn't too hard and it is possible to remove the trim swage lines from the (standard) doors...The biggie is gonna be the roof and screens...The M3 screens are bonded and the roof has a different rear section profile as the rear screen is sloped at a different angle. Without this slope the boot lid will always look gash and badly fitted.

Of course, once you've fitted the wings you will need the M3 suspension as it has a wider track...

Save up for an M3 , It's so much easier and the result is much more pleasing to the eye

[FlappySocks]

Save up for an M3 , It's so much easier and the result is much more pleasing to the eye

Except the steering wheel is on the wrong side, and there are not many around, and cost a lot. I'd love a replica as a track day car.

[Fushion_Julz]

Save up for an M3 , It's so much easier and the result is much more pleasing to the eye

Except the steering wheel is on the wrong side, and there are not many around, and cost a lot. I'd love a replica as a track day car.

I doubt a genuine M3 will be any more expensive than a decently done copy.

I wonder how many man hours are involved in replacing the roof and making the front and rear window lips suitable for bonded screens?

When you consider you are not going to get a working S14 for much under £2.5K and add that to the cost of the suspension parts, gearbox, and the custom manifold necessary to make it fit a RHD shell, I reckon it would be (a fair bit) cheaper to find a genuine car...You can still get one for around £7-8K, all there, working, etc.

No matter what you do to a standard shell the steering rack is never gonna fit (M3 ones only ever were LHD) and the car is always going to be worth only what the collection of bits will fetch on the s/h market.

An M3 is an appreciating classic and, even with tin worm or body damage is still worth more than the parts on it.

I know of a fully race-prepped (if well-used) genuine M3 with a 260-270bhp motor that is (or was) for sale at well under £10k

For a track-day car what difference does it make if the shell is LHD?

TBH, even on the road it isn't a significant issue, if anything it is easier to drive for anyone who is right-handed as the gear stick is on the correct side.

[Rich_W]

Except the steering wheel is on the wrong side, and there are not many around, and cost a lot. I'd love a replica as a track day car.

Whats the point of that then? The WHOLE point of the M3 is it does tracks well. And of course you run the risk of damaging it. Which would be painful if youd just spent an age getting the panels spot on!

Just buy a 325, strip and cage. Thats a track car.

[FlappySocks]

Everyone is on my case, cos i fancy a M3 Replica trackday car!

[Rich_W]

IMO a replica anything that costs over 75% of the real thing is a false economy. Save up and get a real one. They start at £4K. How much do you really think a decent replica is going to cost you?

[Speedtouch]

Everyone is on my case, cos i fancy a M3 Replica trackday car!

But you chicken out of doing anything more than a ton

[FlappySocks]

But you chicken out of doing anything more than a ton

On the public roads maybe. Dont wish to loose my license.

I never said anything about a perfect replica. I never even said I would go to the trouble of making a replica. I just said i fancied the idea of a M3 replica trackday car. Maybe getting something like badboy007 is offering, and sticking an M30 or M50 or something in it.

Calm down people!

[M3DDB]

haha, well the thing is at my work, weve got atleast 2 sets of every body pannel, glass, suspension and 1 good S14 in bits that are all from the two E30 M3 racers we use to run, so got plenty of bits to play with, theres also a s*it hot sprayer working there who could fill it to make it look the business and im not mega bothered about the s14 anyway.... theres an S54 with loom, ECU, box, suspension, diff, basically all the running gear layed in the engine room

moneys my only problem really lol but i see whats being sugested about the just get an M3 thing, but again, i couldnt possibly save 10 K up and drive on the left !

[Felix79]

in the meetings i gone too this summer one of the nicest zoner down the pompy way has the rarer m3 from italy. An m3 always has something about it, the e36 has always been an easier car to copy to an m3. For me as a left handed person i prefer a rhd car and have really fallen for the c2.7 alpinas or the e34 m5. The best look a like car i seen in the zone is spooks Harger coupe.

Call me anal but if you want the m3 looks just get one and do it up

[Fushion_Julz]

@FlappySocks: What do you like about the M3?
The handling (it's best feature), the looks or the motor?

If it's the motor, then you could save a little cash by either buying a 320is, but that is also LHD only due to the problems with the S14 manifold clearing the RHD steering linkage...
Or you could fit an S14 into a RHD standard shell and have a custom manifold made up...

If it is the handling, then it is possible to get to 95% of the M3 by using the M3 components into a standard shell..The steering rack, though, will need to be a Z3 one to get the speed and feel as the M3 rack is only LHD.

If it is because of the looks, then as Felix said, save up and get the real thing...

If you want a cheap track car, then a tuned M20 in a standard shell is a better bet.
You can spend less money on a 260+ bhp M20 and a stripped and caged standard shell than on a 200bhp M3 in standard trim...
The advantage is that the shell is cheap and, should the worst happen on the track, you can reshell for a relatively small amount of cash. The engine (and other mechanicals) are transferable and, special bits aside, cheaper (by a long way) than paying for S14 parts...

[Morat]

LHD really is not a problem, I don't understand why people get so wound up about it.

[FlappySocks]

This is not about money. If I wanted an M3, I would buy one, but I dont think I would be taking it down the race track. I would be polishing it!

I like tinkering with cars (the mechanical bits - not bodywork), and if someone offered me a an M3 replica shell that looked professionally done, I'd love to turn it unto a trackday car, with a modern engine (probably an M50), and supercharge it.

I wouldn't do that with a real M3. Best to keep it original, dont you think? Far to valuable (historically) to strip it. Just my opinion.

[Fushion_Julz]

But you didn't answer why you want a look-e-like M3 in the first place...

What it seems is that you like the look of the arches...

M3s were designed to be race or rally cars...There are enough modified ones or ones that have less than perfect bodywork to use on the track (whilst still being road-legal) to not feel guilty about ruining a priceless classic!

Of course, you could (and can) get almost mint examples (at a price) that are better being garage queens than track weapons...

Sounds, though, like you prefer a (slightly more) modern engine in a hacked about shell...
May as well go for something a lot more modern (S50/52) in a more modern shell (e36/46) and spend your $$s getting it suitable for the track...
A decent e36 M3 4 dr can be had for <£3k and without spending a lot of money will be fast and enjoyable around the track with the knowledge that a shell can be picked up for £500 or less and will have *significantly* less rot than most E30s and comes complete with (more) modern suspension and brakes.
It also comes with an engine that has more power in standard guise than even a modified M50 or M20 would be pushed to match...Even a group A spec sprint S14 isn't going to significantly better the power of a standard S52

[FlappySocks]

Yes, your right the looks. I'd be more enthusastic about building an E30 trackday car, than an E36, although I haven't ruled it out. At the moment, I am busy working on my Motorsport cab. Trackday car is my next project.

[Speedtouch]

I'd be inclined to buy a Lotus/Caterham 7 or even a Locost or similar for a trackday car - lightweight, plenty of upgrade bits, eg. rose-jointed suspension available, etc., rather than try and convert a relatively heavy road car.

[FlappySocks]

Did consider that. I have the locost book. But I would like to use the trackday car on the road too, and they are less practical in the winter.

[Speedtouch]

Hehe, me too - quite an inspiring book.

[GrindCulture]

I've got that book too, maybe when I've finished arsing about with my car I'll build one. I think you'd be a bit mental to want to use one as a practical every day car though...