E30 Zone

my 1987 e30 325i. was gonna turbo it but seemed pointless as ive already got a 480 hp saph cossie so converting it to diesel instead
just got the engine run up today its a 3.6 td vm marine engine. 150 bhp 220 lbft. a few pics i took today.

awsome mate, good luck with it

did you decide on what diff your going to use

dude looks like a interesting project keep the pics coming

hi mate,and its a lovely looking 480bhp cossie you have
it looks a big old block that. why choose this engine ? purely because you had it available ?

fuzzy wrote:hi mate,and its a lovely looking 480bhp cossie you have
it looks a big old block that. why choose this engine ? purely because you had it available ?

yeah mate basically. its an engine from my childhood dad had it in an 87 rangerover and it caught fire but engine was kept about 10 years ago. lovely sounding engine loads of grunt. i remember everyone used to comment on the exhaust note and it used to do 110 mph in an auto 2500 kg car so with manual box and 1400 kg should do 130 hopefully with a 2.56 diff.

Very interesting! Diesel- is cool engine, but...
How much does your one weight?

andrews wrote:Very interesting! Diesel- is cool engine, but...
How much does your one weight?

its 200 kg heavier than the original engine.

So, when is this chunk going in then? What are you planning to do about the increased weight up front? I know it's not exactly gonna be a high performance machine when it's done but presumably you'll need some rather heavy duty springs etc?? Interesting project though

Thats alot of weight to have out front. Some top fabriacting going on aswell to get it to fit...

Nice idea in principle I guess.. Can't see a 3.6 lump weighing 1/3-1/4 the cars weight being any use in performance handling or economy

should have gone for the 2.5vm in my opinion much more suited and plenty fast enough, especially with a few tweeks and an intercooler

but you had the engine already so....

Put it in the back!

200kg heavier than the original engine is going to seriously fook up the handling

fuzzy wrote:200kg heavier than the original engine is going to seriously fook up the handling

im literally gonna stick it in and push it to its limit and see how it feels. tbh not to bothered the engine sounds the nuts and free diesel

richard-the-nutter wrote:should have gone for the 2.5vm in my opinion much more suited and plenty fast enough, especially with a few tweeks and an intercooler

but you had the engine already so....

bin in a discovery that had the 2.5 its not a patch on this engine

the grunt and sound is awesome i love it.

free diesel? that sounds good to me. i pay £1 a gallon for diesel at the moment

aj_mckay wrote:So, when is this chunk going in then? What are you planning to do about the increased weight up front? I know it's not exactly gonna be a high performance machine when it's done but presumably you'll need some rather heavy duty springs etc?? Interesting project though

its on very hard lowered springs anyway im about 14 - 15 stone and if i sit on the wing above wheel suspension dont move much. if needs be il fit some adjustable shocks and harder springs

fuzzy wrote:free diesel? that sounds good to me. i pay £1 a gallon for diesel at the moment

just keep an eye out for the ministry mate or you on cooking oil ?

had a bit of fettling today but engine is now finally sorted and running like a top
bmw is of the ramp and ready for engine to be lifted out hopefully tmrw.
justwana get bell housng and box on for a dummy run and make sure the enginewill fit. by my measurements
it will just go in. if its gonna fit gotta mod or change flywheel as its an auto and im going manual with the e30 box. once box is on engine with clutch set up and engine mounted in the car its all plain sailing after that. only about 7 wires for the whole engine

cannot wait to see it finished, hope you will do some videos, will have to do the usual 0-60 test etc

Should have left that engine in the U Boat it was taken from.

Andyboy wrote:Should have left that engine in the U Boat it was taken from.

and you should leave those sort of comments in the cocktail bar that you came from

Alex wrote: cannot wait to see it finished, hope you will do some videos, will have to do the usual 0-60 test etc

will do a vid mate. not bothered on performance figures i leave that to my cosworth 45 mph - 168 mph in 26 seconds

324td wrote:

richard-the-nutter wrote:should have gone for the 2.5vm in my opinion much more suited and plenty fast enough, especially with a few tweeks and an intercooler

but you had the engine already so....

bin in a discovery that had the 2.5 its not a patch on this engine

the grunt and sound is awesome i love it.

no disco was fitted with the vm
only the rangie and it would blow the doors off tdi

richard-the-nutter wrote:

324td wrote:

richard-the-nutter wrote:should have gone for the 2.5vm in my opinion much more suited and plenty fast enough, especially with a few tweeks and an intercooler

but you had the engine already so....

bin in a discovery that had the 2.5 its not a patch on this engine

the grunt and sound is awesome i love it.

no disco was fitted with the vm
only the rangie and it would blow the doors off tdi

it was a conversion. 2.5 4 pot td vm engine.

where did you dig that e30 up from looks like its been collecting dust fro the last 15 years

looks like a fun job.. my old man would be chuffed to see this hes dropped a diesel lump into a few strange things ( some of them ppl would try and hang him for doing it ) where about are you located ?

bit more progress today. engine out of car and gearbox off. and auto box of the vm. im hoping to fabricate bm gearbox with front flange of rangerover gearbox, skin flywheel flat and drill holes for clutch mounting and input shaft of getrag box. few pics

looks like you'll have fun with the location of the turbo conflicting with the driver side chassis rail?

Engine also looks very tall so you'll defo have to lean it over like the BMW mills are, which is where the clearance problems will probably arise.

Hats off for doing something different though


By the way, are those 16" MIM alloys fitted to the E30?

E30BeemerLad wrote:looks like you'll have fun with the location of the turbo conflicting with the driver side chassis rail?

Engine also looks very tall so you'll defo have to lean it over like the BMW mills are, which is where the clearance problems will probably arise.

Hats off for doing something different though


By the way, are those 16" MIM alloys fitted to the E30?

yeah there mims and im hoping to put engine in square i think turbo will be just above chassis rail just may need to cut bonnet and have a scoop.

I suppose you are planning on keeping hold of the mims?

Reason I ask is I have a set of them here which were on the wife's mk2 golf, but one of them is well & truly bent. This is the only other set of them i've seen.

Really i'm just after 1 alloy but would buy a set of 4 if necessary (when funds permit)

alternatively i would look at moving on the ones I have. Want any spare wheels lol?

got the gearbox on today for a dummy run and apart from sump pan alterations engine will fit
planing to bolt bmw flywheel to original auto flywheel behind where the torque was mounted. torque and bmw flywheel weigh the same so should be ok. just gotta get an adapter machined professionally for between flywheels and hole for gearbox input shaft. clutch, gearbox mount and prop will all be standard fitment
will take some more pics when gearbox is on properly and engine is in car with the sump off

Very cool, can't wait to see the outcome of this...

flywheel and adapter are in for machining should be ready for pick up monday ive cut the crossmember out between headlights and the lower part so engine will go in easy and i can keep the viscous fan setup now. i think the rad will be about where the grill was. should have engine in hopefully next week with gearbox on then i can mod the sump and make engine mounts.