200bhp+

[doml89]

im looking into buying an e30, iv wanted one for sometime now and im hoping to get one as abit of a project soon.

id like to preferably get it to over 200bhp and was woundering what my best route would be to achieve this?
i dont know a great deal about them but im a keen learner so any advice would be a great help.
im guessing id be best off doing an engine conversion, as apposed to trying to tune the origional engine, so which engine would be easiest and cheapest to use? what would i be looking at for brake and suspension upgrades to accompany this? and what would need to be done about things like gearboxes and diffs??
also does it matter what model e30 i put the engine in?

thanks in advance

dom

[rix313]

There be plenty of 16v 1.8 super charged cars currently in progress (including mine) which will give 200BHP and a couple of 6cyl turbo projects too for big power.

Depends how much you're spending and what you're going to do with it?

*my bad*

[SM AUTOS]

Your best bet for a genuine 200bhp is to stick a M50 engine in it....

[GrindCulture]

If you buy a 325 you get the 200BHP without doing anything to it.

No you don't. 170bhp from a standard 325i tops.

M30 (3.5 straight six) is the best way to over 200 bhp. Have a look in the engine swaps section as there's loads of info. Either that or a 2.5/2.8 24v engine from an E36 can get to 200bhp with a few mods.

Building a 2.7/2.8 stroker from a 320/325 engine is a well trodden path but a little more costly.

[Alex]

No you don't. 170bhp from a standard 325i tops.

and thats on a good day

m50 2.8 with 2.5 inlet manifold and a decent remap will see past 200 bhp

[GrindCulture]

M20 stroker:
http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ding_a_2.7

M30 Guide:
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ic&t=98093

M50 Guide:
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... pic&t=6676

[GrindCulture]

m52 2.8 with 2.5 inlet manifold and a decent remap will see past 200 bhp

Ste's old car was exactly that and it saw over 220bhp IIRC.

[Alex]

m52 2.8 with 2.5 inlet manifold and a decent remap will see past 200 bhp

Ste's old car was exactly that and it saw over 220bhp IIRC.

hopefully one day the IS will have something similar

body work first

[doml89]

cheers guys!
does it matter what model e30 i use though if im swapping the engine? i was thinking in relation to suspensions and stud patterns ect

[Alex]

if you use a 325i to start with you wont need to upgrade suspension or brakes

all stud patterns are the same on all e30s except the m3

[d6dph]

Personally I'd not go M30, big heavy engine and is old technology these days.

M50 will be my choice at some point in the future, a conversion that refines the e30 imo. Jhonnos turd is quite rapid and the engine looks right at home.

[GrindCulture]

M50 will be my choice at some point in the future, a conversion that refines the e30 imo.

My thought's exactly. Seeing that I've lost the deslusions of forced induction 4pots, an M50 should be sitting in my engine bay sometime next year, unless the car meets an untimely end.

M30s seem the engine of choice for lower cost track cars. More power and grunt for less cash but poor economy, and as mentioned, it's a heavy old block of iron.

[gooner1]

if you use a 325i to start with you wont need to upgrade suspension or brakes

all stud patterns are the same on all e30s except the m3

Or any tourer or cab.

[leeparkes]

if your after 200+bhp
M30 = 218bhp
M50 = 192bhp
not sure if the M50 can be tuned to over 200bhp easily though.

[skipunda]

Surely with a good exhaust system, nice remap and a bloody good service you can get a m20 2.5 to just about 200bhp??

[d6dph]

Not a chance!

200hp M20s cost a lot of money to build, From what I have seen on here it would require a cam, proper exhaust (Yes Barry that means a BTB one), Standalone Ecu and probably ITBs. still think you would be lucky to see 200 from it though.

Bhp/£ ratio is the other factor. Why would you chase figures on an older engine design when for (less than?) half the price you can do the M50 swap. 192hp out of the box and a more civilised drive to boot.

[Alex]

if you use a 325i to start with you wont need to upgrade suspension or brakes

all stud patterns are the same on all e30s except the m3

Or any tourer or cab.

so all cabs and tourings have 51mm struts

[stonesie]

I've just had a look in totalBMW at the 523 project they have at the moment, they have fitted a 2.5 manifold and had it re-mapped... The result? 207 bhp.

The 2.3 is actually a restricted 2.5 (it has a 2.0 intake manifold/TB)

[gooner1]

if you use a 325i to start with you wont need to upgrade suspension or brakes

all stud patterns are the same on all e30s except the m3

Or any tourer or cab.

so all cabs and tourings have 51mm struts

..... and disc,s all round Alex. Think that includes the 316 tourer, but someone will quickly correct me if i,m wrong no doubt.

[Alex]

The 2.3 is actually a restricted 2.5 (it has a 2.0 intake manifold/TB)

i think it must have been some marketing thing

[Alex]

Or any tourer or cab.

so all cabs and tourings have 51mm struts

..... and disc,s all round Alex. Think that includes the 316 tourer, but someone will quickly correct me if i,m wrong no doubt.

i knew they had discs all around but i thought 4 pot tourings still had the smaller struts

[d6dph]

All to do with taxes in Germany I think Alex. The 328 was only 1 hp more than the 325 I seem to remember.

[skipunda]

How much is the ITB? I'm thinking of mods that don't require the engine removed.

Agreed wholeheartedly, d6dph...mind you if your only wanting 200bhp and no further, the cost to hire someone to buy and put an m50 makes it a little more feasible...providing you only want 200 no more though.

dunno, just thinking out loud.

[Alex]

All to do with taxes in Germany I think Alex. The 328 was only 1 hp more than the 325 I seem to remember.

yer the 325i was 192 and the 328i is 193, i think

im guessing there is no difference between an e36 328i and 325i then

[Foomanchu]

Or you could be really smart and buy an M3 a later spec like mine came with 215bhp and they dont seem to go down in value it makes you smile every time you drive it and it is just sooo much cooler than many more cars on the road....

But I still love my Cab to much....!!!

[skipunda]

Or you could be really smart and buy an M3 a later spec like mine came with 215bhp and they dont seem to go down in value it makes you smile every time you drive it and it is just sooo much cooler than many more cars on the road....

But I still love my Cab to much....!!!

i'll just nip down the shop and get an M3 Evo then hehe

[Alex]

Or you could be really smart and buy an M3 a later spec like mine came with 215bhp and they dont seem to go down in value it makes you smile every time you drive it and it is just sooo much cooler than many more cars on the road....

But I still love my Cab to much....!!!

i'll just nip down the shop and get an M3 Evo then hehe

nip down to portugal or itaily and get a 320is there either just under or just over 200bhp

[Jhonno]

Agreed wholeheartedly, d6dph...mind you if your only wanting 200bhp and no further, the cost to hire someone to buy and put an m50 makes it a little more feasible...providing you only want 200 no more though.

dunno, just thinking out loud.

You can get more out of the M50, same as you can an M20

[leeparkes]

You can get more out of the M50, same as you can an M20

how much can you get out of the M50 (turbo aside)

[Phill172]

for bang for bucks surely turbo or supercharger????

[GrindCulture]

for bang for bucks surely turbo or supercharger????

If you're going for big power sure, but 200 ish bhp would be expensive compared to just dropping in another engine.

[Jhonno]

You can get more out of the M50, same as you can an M20

how much can you get out of the M50 (turbo aside)

Well between 85-100bhp/L

So 220-250bhp

Depends on cams, will need standalone etc

[Rav335uk]

Personally I'd not go M30, big heavy engine and is old technology these days.

M50 will be my choice at some point in the future, a conversion that refines the e30 imo. Jhonnos turd is quite rapid and the engine looks right at home.

Maybe old, but for the cost of getting horses and torque you cant fault the big engine, as for fuel economy, depends all on your right foot

And all for around £700, not bad if you really look at it.My cabs got a m30 and is enough to see of most cars and a pleasure to drive on the motorway too

[burgoil]

^i second rav335, i got to the bottom of the slip road an he was gone!!!!

best thing is to drop a large engine in

[Rav335uk]

^i second rav335, i got to the bottom of the slip road an he was gone!!!!

best thing is to drop a large engine in

Sorry for leaving you Burgoil, but saw an oppurtunity to piss off 2 guys on the m40, one in a 500s class merc and another in a 530 diesel chasing each other.Both flapped it at about 120