E30 Zone

What is the diffrence?

I Know they have diffrent rear lights and all pre Face lift had chrome bumpers?

Is there anything else? Could i fit facelift lights to my car?

isn't there a few engine differences. i'm sure i way told the later ones have better bits. lol not sure what the bits are though. oh no i sound like a woman.

Different front AND rear lights.

Chrome and plastic bumpers.

Different engine management systems.

Slightly different engines - different compression ratios and pick-up sensor locations.

Different rear arches.

Different lower front valance and fog-lights.

I think that's about it, though I'm sure someone will add to this...

Giles.

WOW Geeman do you sleep with the E-30 managment book you know your stuff. Apart from what he said i think the later ones look better dont seem to ride as heigh as the early ones. Am i right in saying pre face lifted ones only went up to D-reg or are ther some E-regs ones.

The swap over point was E-reg, so both series one and two came on E plates. I had a Chrome bumper'd Sport on an E plate, but you can see plastic bumper'd cars on E plates too. This doesn't ring true with convertibles though, I had an H plater on chrome bumpers and I've even seen a J plate chromie before now, but they tended to change on an H plate to plastic bumper'd convertibles.

The early cars appear to ride higher, but actually don't, due to the different rear arches. The rear arches on a face lift car are lower, giving it a slightly lower appearance.

japcarkiller wrote:isn't there a few engine differences. i'm sure i way told the later ones have better bits. lol not sure what the bits are though. oh no i sound like a woman.

earlier cars have higher compression and a slightly hotter cam.
generally an early car in good nick will make the full 171bhp.

later cars struggle to make much over 160bhp


better management on later cars tho.

I think it was August 88 they changed but don't quote me on that.
There may be later ones in different styles i'm not sure.
When they brought out the E36 they continued to sell the E30 convertable and tourer so a similar thing may have happened when they did the facelift.
some of the other differences was the air ducting under the seats and with the old L-Jetronic managment system the distributor was on the side of the engine not on the front of the cam.
and i think the ski hatch was added.

It's a shame no one redesigned that poxy rear ashtray.

I had a Ski-Hatch on my E-plate Chrome Sport...

The sport started production in March 85 (according to OEM).
So Geeman were there any other bits that the E-reg had that the later ones had ?
Has anyone seen a chrome bumper'd saloon or coupe with a Motronic system ?

I don't think so. When I had it (10 years ago) I wasn't into working on the car's mechanical bits myself, so wouldn't have been able to tell you even where the ECU was at that point in time.

It did fly though!

Revised cooling system setup and expansion tank location on the later engines.

And aren't the chrome bumper'd cars rustier...?

sealed type electrical connectors for wiring in engine bay was another thing the facelift models had

Martinaston wrote:The sport started production in March 85 (according to OEM).
So Geeman were there any other bits that the E-reg had that the later ones had ?
Has anyone seen a chrome bumper'd saloon or coupe with a Motronic system ?

Yeah my C-reg 325 (spangly chrome ) has Motronic......or at least it did untill I took it out the other day

A1BMW325iSport wrote:sealed type electrical connectors for wiring in engine bay was another thing the facelift models had

Eh? All the connectors in my engine bay are sealed!

Chrome bumper cars are rustier cause the newer ones had a better zinc coating on the bare metal, so a good rustless chromie has been looked after, plus the headlight grille surrounds are slightly different.

my 87 sport has expansion tank in same place as my 92 facelift cab, and appears to be the same engine mangement which i think is motronic, i will check but it is a BMW Japan car.

The lights are different but the mountings are the same, so with some funny wiring easy to upgrade to projector lights on a chromie

all 325`s used the motronic system, they just made a few changes on the facelift models

im confused now.....

Mine has the dizzy on the front of the engine on cam..... so does that mean mines got the newer managment? and the face lift engine?

Mines a Pre facelift on F Plate

and could i fit facelift m-tecnic kit on my cab?

I think you'll have the newer engine, cabs don't seem to fit in the change-over year rule, as there are some J-plate chrome bumpers cabs out there!

Cabs don't apply to the '88 ruling...

Well they do mechanical-wise, but not cosmetic-wise...

Bradz

yours is an f plate cab, only saloons swapped to plastic bumper around E plate, (sorry dont know exact year that is but 88/89) the cabs kept the chrome bumper until around mid - end 1991, then they continiued with facelift until some time in 1993 with the last being the 318cab, the E30 saloon only ran until 91/92ish then the E34 came out (which i think was around J plate), tourings also lasted a bit longer before they were discontiniued. So you will have a post facelift engine, additional zinc coating and all facelift bits but on a chrome bumper car.

hope this ends confusion!!

note i am not sure of exact dates in uk if i have got any wrong!!!

ok excellent thanks very much i understand that now...

So its basically a diffrent shell so i would'nt be able to fit facelift rear lights, or the m-tec kit with as much ease as a facelift.

I understand now

Thanks

Adam

BrAdZ wrote:im confused now.....

Mine has the dizzy on the front of the engine on cam..... so does that mean mines got the newer managment? and the face lift engine?

Mines a Pre facelift on F Plate

and could i fit facelift m-tecnic kit on my cab?

all 325i motronics had the distibutor on the end of cam,

the 320i/323i l-jetronics had them mounted to the block next to the alternator

ahh ok..... but mines a 320,

Its ok i understand

the height of the rear seats is different on facelift cars can't remember which way tho!

Facelift production started sept 87 so i have read

Simon13 wrote:the height of the rear seats is different on facelift cars can't remember which way tho!

Facelift production started sept 87 so i have read

i know the very early e30`s had different lower rear seat,

the 325`s had the updated one from the start of production in `85 afaik

The reason the later ones have differant rear arches is because they added more leg room to the rear of the 88 on(about a inch i think)
Hence why you cant make a later shape mtec kit to a earlier model.You have to sorten the rear bumper and the rear quarter panel on the kit.

i`ve managed to fit an M-tech2 kit twice fairly easily

me too, but you stll have to shorten the rear bumper where it meets the arch and the plastic cover that is in front of the rear arch.
Do you have pictures of this? Ive seen some right cockups.Mines not perfect but looks reasonable.

i haven`t had to shorten the bumpers at all, just made up some brackets shaped to inside of bumper for the mounts

Martinaston wrote:The sport started production in March 85 (according to OEM).
So Geeman were there any other bits that the E-reg had that the later ones had ?
Has anyone seen a chrome bumper'd saloon or coupe with a Motronic system ?

ecu from my chrome bumper (d plate) 325 is motronic and distributer was on the cam.

so was mates sport

Lets see some pics then? Because id like to see how you done it. When i altered the mounts and had to cut the holes for the rams the bumper clearly overlaps the arch.
And when you put the plastic piece from behind the door to the rear arch,that wont fit either.So also needs altering.