E30 Zone

Hi everyone,

So i've bought another E30, this time a 4 door chromie, its currently without an engine and I'm toying with what to put in it.

I only have experience with M42 engines and have done that swap into my other 2 chromies.. I have very little mechanical knowledge, but know both my M42 engines pretty well.

I would like something with a bit more power & that is a bit more of a project rather than just putting another M42 in.. haha,

I would want it to be of a similar age to the car as I can't get my head around anything modern, not a huge budget but I'm also not in a rush to do anything yet..

If there is a lot of info on a certain swap then i'm ok at following instructions!

Would love to hear your ideas, cheers!

Left field suggestion, how about a Mercedes supercharged M111 engine?

Something like a M111.974 from a 1st gen CLK230 / SLK230 manual would work, you can pick up an entire car for peanuts at the moment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_M111_engine

Quick cheap 4 cylinder engine tech, from the other side...

Pop an m42 in with.....a supercharger !!

I hear they are quite good fun.

Mart.

Tried and tested swap, of course, is the evolution of the M42 with a couple more cylinders added - the M52B28, which will get you to 200 BHP+ with an inlet manifold swap.
Did spot you on Monday, BTW, or rather I spotted your car and Liz said it was you driving. We were off to the car show at Merton for the first time. Only one solitary E30 present - a 320i cab. in very tidy condition, apart from some of the stickers and roof opening instructions. Spent 20 minutes chatting with the owner, and pointed him in the direction of pukar designs.

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies.

I am rather tempted to put an M42 with a super charger in.. is it the Eaton M45 out of a Mini Cooper that bolts right on?

I think I would struggle with anything that wasn't BMW.. and the M52 swap was what I started in my other black one Brian, but I came unstuck when it came to the wiring and then put my M42 back in that you had.

Ironically, when I passed you I was actually about to pop in to see you, would like to show you the car now I finally have got her on the road if you're about at all at the weekend? What car show was this at Merton? a classic one? Was it any good - i'm hoping to get out to a show this summer once the re-sprays been done.