5 cylinder Volvo engined E30 project...

[euan]

i found a old max power the other day in the attic with a 2 door e30 with cosworth engine, must have cost an absolute fortune way back then, i say go for it if good enough for police cars when new then it must be a good engine.

[Aramil]

Sounds like a good project. The engine from the T5 is an excellent choice, brilliant engines and underrated imo.

This will be the first T5 engine in an E30 that I have seen.

Originality is key!

Cough /Audi 5 pot 20v turbo\ Cough

/\ Use that instead

Sounds like a cool project but if you are after serious, serious power the audi has more tuning options I guess?

I'm loving your knowledge on the volvo gearboxs' I often wondered if you could make a high power t5 engine rear wheel drive...it seems you can

Yeh the Audi engine is ace, and is very similar, but after much faffing, I opted for the Volvo engine in the end!

I have been in a T5 volvo estate with the 2.3 turbo engine, the guy had it mildy tuned and the shopping trolley wanted to just launch. Neck breaking acceleration! especially in a e30. Also a 2.3/2.5 turbo lump is powerfull as a m30 and its lighter.

Using a T5 lump will give you a good "power gains" to "money" ratio. Unlike a m30 which i will have to remortgage my house to make it turbo

Good luck with the project should be good fun!

You've hit the nail on the head mate! The Volvo engine is SOO much lighter!

Great choice of engine, I love 5 pots too. I very nearly bought an S2 coupe last year.
As said i'd probably look at the Audi engine instead, tuning potential is huge. You would have thought it would be an easier fit too, as it was designed to sit longitudinally in the first place, unlike the Volvo.

Very good points mate, but I kind of like the idea of the challenge!

Im looking forward to seeing this project happen
Ive not read the whole thread, just your first bit about your previous car [nova] and your plans when you get your hands on the e30

Ive no doubt that some people on here will have a winge but i say go for it.

Btw, Nowt wrong with Novas, my first car was a mint 1 owner petrol blue 1.2i on a K plate......Only 34,000 miles when i got my hands on it

Welcome to the zone and good luck with the project...................keep us all posted

Cheers matey!

Nice project something ive been considering/thinking about because I work at a volvo specialist, see how the m30 goes first, next thursday fingers crossed

Thanks mate!

Actually someone came in the garage the other day and they were convinced A T5 lump bolted up to a 535 gearbox

what would you go with a stand alone ecu or volvo loom?

No the T5 engine is a whiteblock engine, the Volvo redblocks (4 cylinder) do bolt up to the getrag 265 / 260 BMW gearboxes though...

i found a old max power the other day in the attic with a 2 door e30 with cosworth engine, must have cost an absolute fortune way back then, i say go for it if good enough for police cars when new then it must be a good engine.

Indeed mate!

[Aramil]

Right now that I've caught up with the thread - good news needs to be told!

Found me a pretty mint E30 which I have purchased... Took me a while to find a decent one with no sunroof, but did in the end!

Will upload some pictures of the 'grandad-mobile' shortly!

[Aramil]

Yes thats genuine mileage! Most MOTs from new to prove it!

































No rust at all in the bay...

I'm pretty chuffed with it! Its very chromey though...

[nickso]

I wonder what a subaru engine would be like in an E30. It would be a pig to awd it, but fun when it was done no doubt.

wont fit. e30 chassis legs are 700ish apart. the scooby engine is around 820 wide.

could space frame it but there are far better options than that.

[Jon_Bmw]

Bloody hell that is one clean chrome car. One of the best it looks like.

So what progress have you made with the engine then!

[Aramil]

Bloody hell that is one clean chrome car. One of the best it looks like.

So what progress have you made with the engine then!

Cheers mate!

It is pretty mint!

Not a lot of progress made, due to other commitments at the moment, but should be cracking on soon!

Rob.

[e30_Turbo]

Aramil,

Do you read PPC?

There's a whole section on volvo tuning, the different engines and what's poss.

From reading that they say that the T5 lump isn't the best and the later 740/960 turbo lumps with the 13mm rods are the ones to go for. Either 2.0 or 2.3, just make sure you don't use a phase 1 or 2 lump, phase 3 has the 13mm rods.

IIRC they say 500bhp is obtainable for not much cash (£3k?), not with the T5 engine tho.

Do you use or have you visited turbobricks?

Mark.

[Aramil]

Aramil,

Do you read PPC?

There's a whole section on volvo tuning, the different engines and what's poss.

From reading that they say that the T5 lump isn't the best and the later 740/960 turbo lumps with the 13mm rods are the ones to go for. Either 2.0 or 2.3, just make sure you don't use a phase 1 or 2 lump, phase 3 has the 13mm rods.

IIRC they say 500bhp is obtainable for not much cash (£3k?), not with the T5 engine tho.

Do you use or have you visited turbobricks?

Mark.

Ooo is that Practical Performance Car?

Not got it in a while...

Which issue is it with that gen in? (Will try and get a copy!)

Just been having a browse on Turbo Bricks - good vault of info there!

Thanks for the heads up mate!

[e30topless]

i found a old max power the other day in the attic with a 2 door e30 with cosworth engine, must have cost an absolute fortune way back then, i say go for it if good enough for police cars when new then it must be a good engine.

I remember that issue it was one of the first ? with a black e30 I thought it was wrongness back then and still do ...sorry fuzzy

[sco323]

As a chrome lover I am now mourning the passing of another good car. Surely the beast has come this far and doesn't need to be slaughtered in this manner.

There must be some old plastic bumper 316/8 more worthy of such a fate.


RIP

[oldroydsr4]

^^^^
a 320i automatic chromie is crying for an engine transplant, not all of us are happy with slow slush box e30's.

[GrindCulture]

This is gonna be an awesome car when it's done! Let the "ruining" commence!

[Aramil]

I always new this would upset a few people, but at the end of the day, I wanted a mint non sunroof shell to start with and this is what I found!

At least its not going to be ruined with a stupid bodykit / massive wheels etc... I will still be a normal-ish looking E30 but with a different choice of engine!

Originality is key!

[Morat]

Its a nice looking car but I wouldn't want to drive it with a 2l auto. So... do your best
If you're keeping it looking standard on the outside, then all the better. Stealth weapons are best!

[Aramil]

Stealth weapons are best!

Indeed they are!

[hennabm]

As a chrome lover I am now mourning the passing of another good car. Surely the beast has come this far and doesn't need to be slaughtered in this manner.

There must be some old plastic bumper 316/8 more worthy of such a fate.


RIP

I'm with sco323 on this. It may only be a 320 auto but having come this far in life and survived it seems an absolute shame to destroy the thing now.

Surely there must be some 316/318 facelift with a sound body that deserves such a fate better than the old 320 auto.

Is there time to save it still? I'm game

[The_Diddler]

As a chrome lover I am now mourning the passing of another good car. Surely the beast has come this far and doesn't need to be slaughtered in this manner.

There must be some old plastic bumper 316/8 more worthy of such a fate.


RIP

I'm with sco323 on this. It may only be a 320 auto but having come this far in life and survived it seems an absolute shame to destroy the thing now.

Surely there must be some 316/318 facelift with a sound body that deserves such a fate better than the old 320 auto.

Is there time to save it still? I'm game

I'd be up for saving it too!!!!!, agree totally with what you've said, does seem a shame that its come this far and not to survive, not many old chromies left in that kind of condition now

[caneswell]

Finally a rwd decent handling car with a lovely inline 5 warble! Great conversion mate, looking forward to this.

You should be able to get lots of power with better weight distribution than a 6 cylinder. Awesome noise too.

Meh 320i Auto! Would be funny to keep the exterior as it is including the 320i badge though.

[fuzzy]

I wonder what a subaru engine would be like in an E30. It would be a pig to awd it, but fun when it was done no doubt.

wont fit. e30 chassis legs are 700ish apart. the scooby engine is around 820 wide.

could space frame it but there are far better options than that.

the front chassis legs behind the headlights? mine were cut,reshaped and welded to allow my rad and intercooler to fit in. i also got a rough costing for 4wd converting my touring using cosworth parts and was quoted a starting price of £2500.its one for the future.

[78dude]

Hello Aramil,
First of all I like your project idea to use an Volvo engine but I have some questions to you:
The 5 cyl Volvo engine is a good one, it have now been used in plenty of Volvos like the 850 and the S/V 70 etc and you could get them in diffrent versions both with or without turbo. The petrol version of the Volvo 5 cylinder engine is not something from the German VAG factory. (it was only the diesel version of the 5er engine who had some Audi consultant)

So back to topic, an BMW E30 is a rwd car, and why do you want to use an engine ment for a fwd car?
There is very very few people here in Sweden who upgrade their Amazon, 140, 240, 740 etc with an engine from an Volvo 850 tbh because its too complicated job.
If I should use a Volvo engine, I would look for the twin cam engine used in Volvo 940 TIC or if you are looking for a car with more cylinders, you have the option to use the Volvo S90 engine who is a strait six (like the M20) (The S90 Im talking about is the same car as the Volvo 960)

98% of all the Swedish people who want to make a hard core Volvo use an engine from a 940 TIC to an information because its a craking good engine and you can pull out nearly the same amout of power as fuzzys Cosworth engine!
This will save you time and you will also get more consultant from Sweden if you need any help with your project?

[tristan325]

This sounds brilliant. Get on with it then!!

Seriously, get on with it!!!!!!

[Aramil]

As a chrome lover I am now mourning the passing of another good car. Surely the beast has come this far and doesn't need to be slaughtered in this manner.

There must be some old plastic bumper 316/8 more worthy of such a fate.


RIP

I'm with sco323 on this. It may only be a 320 auto but having come this far in life and survived it seems an absolute shame to destroy the thing now.

Surely there must be some 316/318 facelift with a sound body that deserves such a fate better than the old 320 auto.

Is there time to save it still? I'm game

As a chrome lover I am now mourning the passing of another good car. Surely the beast has come this far and doesn't need to be slaughtered in this manner.

There must be some old plastic bumper 316/8 more worthy of such a fate.


RIP

I'm with sco323 on this. It may only be a 320 auto but having come this far in life and survived it seems an absolute shame to destroy the thing now.

Surely there must be some 316/318 facelift with a sound body that deserves such a fate better than the old 320 auto.

Is there time to save it still? I'm game

I'd be up for saving it too!!!!!, agree totally with what you've said, does seem a shame that its come this far and not to survive, not many old chromies left in that kind of condition now

Sorry boys - but its fate has been decided by the gods!

[Aramil]

Finally a rwd decent handling car with a lovely inline 5 warble! Great conversion mate, looking forward to this.

You should be able to get lots of power with better weight distribution than a 6 cylinder. Awesome noise too.

Meh 320i Auto! Would be funny to keep the exterior as it is including the 320i badge though.

Thanks for the positive comments mate!

[Aramil]

Hello Aramil,
First of all I like your project idea to use an Volvo engine but I have some questions to you:
The 5 cyl Volvo engine is a good one, it have now been used in plenty of Volvos like the 850 and the S/V 70 etc and you could get them in diffrent versions both with or without turbo. The petrol version of the Volvo 5 cylinder engine is not something from the German VAG factory. (it was only the diesel version of the 5er engine who had some Audi consultant)

So back to topic, an BMW E30 is a rwd car, and why do you want to use an engine ment for a fwd car?
There is very very few people here in Sweden who upgrade their Amazon, 140, 240, 740 etc with an engine from an Volvo 850 tbh because its too complicated job.
If I should use a Volvo engine, I would look for the twin cam engine used in Volvo 940 TIC or if you are looking for a car with more cylinders, you have the option to use the Volvo S90 engine who is a strait six (like the M20) (The S90 Im talking about is the same car as the Volvo 960)

98% of all the Swedish people who want to make a hard core Volvo use an engine from a 940 TIC to an information because its a craking good engine and you can pull out nearly the same amout of power as fuzzys Cosworth engine!
This will save you time and you will also get more consultant from Sweden if you need any help with your project?

Hi mate.

Indeed, the rwd car / fwd engine is a bit of a challenge, but I will be able to get round it fairly easily. We use the Vauxhall XE (red top) engine a lot in rwd drive cars in England (and other places too I'm sure) and don't have many problems! Plus it makes things interesting!

I really want to use a 5 cylinder engine, and all the engines used in Volvo 940s are 4 or 6 as far as I know... Otherwise it would be a sensinble option, as like you say, they are rwd anyway!

Thanks for your advice mate. I do need to do some more reading around, especially on the Swedish sites! (Will have to brush up on my langauge skills!)

[Aramil]

This sounds brilliant. Get on with it then!!

Seriously, get on with it!!!!!!

The car is coming off the road on Saturday, and going into a garage, so I can fully strip it, get it on a roll over jig, and get stitch welding / mocking up the engine....

Progress should be seen soon!!

[NatDJ]

This is one of my engines that I am part of the design team. The Ford/Volvo/Mazda engine that your referring to 'The I5' as it's called here is good but the NI4 is better. The NI4 is the same engine fitted to the Mondeo/Galaxy (2.5L) and Volvo S70/S80.

There is a new engine coming out next year that will "blow" every other current production engine away! It is awesome. So watch this space Aramil as I too have be considering a cosworth rivaling Ford transplant into a 2dr.

[Aramil]

This is one of my engines that I am part of the design team. The Ford/Volvo/Mazda engine that your referring to 'The I5' as it's called here is good but the NI4 is better. The NI4 is the same engine fitted to the Mondeo/Galaxy (2.5L) and Volvo S70/S80.

There is a new engine coming out next year that will "blow" every other current production engine away! It is awesome. So watch this space Aramil as I too have be considering a cosworth rivaling Ford transplant into a 2dr.

Interesting stuff! Where do you work then dude? What country?

I assume the NI4 is a 5 cylinder?

I am basically after the most tunable 5 cylinder Volvo engine around! (The one with the most available aftermarket parts - pistons rods crank etc)

[Felix79]

500 bhp with bottletop wheels!

Would be a sight at the lights!

[NatDJ]

The NI4 is a four cylinder but there is a new variety we've been working on for a couple of years now coming out in 2009!! I cannot give you any details but it is pretty amazing and will be one of those revolutionary engines.

I work in Dunton Research & Engineering centre in England. Our engine is a joint design between Ford, Mazda and Volvo......I deal with on a daily basis numerous colleagues in Goteborg.

[Aramil]

500 bhp with bottletop wheels!

Would be a sight at the lights!

Won't be on bottle tops mate! Will be squeezing the widest wheels possible under the arches!

What is the widest you can go on a 15 / 16" rim (roughly speaking)...

The NI4 is a four cylinder but there is a new variety we've been working on for a couple of years now coming out in 2009!! I cannot give you any details but it is pretty amazing and will be one of those revolutionary engines.

I work in Dunton Research & Engineering centre in England. Our engine is a joint design between Ford, Mazda and Volvo......I deal with on a daily basis numerous colleagues in Goteborg.

Ooo exciting! Well I only want a 5 cylinder, so the NI4 gets a cross by its name from me!

Sounds like a cool job you have sir!

[hennabm]

[sco323]

Poor chromie, 5 cylinder volvo engine, and large wheels and tyres! Can you call thia a BMW or a BMVOL!

[pacerpete]

Thank god i am normal !

[Aramil]

Ha ha! As said - I new I'd upset a few purists, but we can't all think the same, otherwise the world would be a very boring place!

Picked up a new car today for running about in... Will get some pictures up in the morning!