325i e21

Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:20 am

im in the process or fitted sweeps 325i engine in our drift spec 320/6 e21 end of this week/weekend. just thought id post up some pics for your possible viewing pleasure!

before.....

strut brace were making........

out.....

built up e21 tin sump on, 320 flywheel and 2.5 clutch. manifold studs sorted out.......

in......

just pipes and wires left today!

Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:26 am

Good work fella. Ever thought about the m30 in there ??

Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:41 am

Put an m30 in there!!!!!!!!
Just seen this link for an m30 turbo leaving the new 335 twin turbo for dust

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y83/li ... ownage.flv

Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:49 am

yeah, as you know, m30 is quite alot more work than just plug and play. also it had enuf power for what it was used for. but with the 2.5 itll have plently of power. remember this car isnt a lardy 1250kg e30. these 21s weight 1080kg standard.

Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:07 am

When you say more work, how much work, as the e30 wasn't that difficult.

Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:44 am

You should stick a real engine in there

Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:27 pm

its the best engine for what it gets used for. im not power mad, needing more power than can be used! bar the fitted of the bonnet pins its finished (will post up pics and vid later) been for a drive in it last night, it goes like sh1t off a shovel, loosing traction in 2nd just by flooring it (no clutch kick) and does 3rd gear burnouts! doesnt need more power than the 325i engine has!

Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:54 pm

finished pics!

and vid!

Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:18 pm

rob0r wrote:You should stick a real engine in there

Very true!!!

j

Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:57 am

Good work there mate, looks very nice

Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:00 am

Stop being rude about the M20!

Nice conversion - looks very tidy.

Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:13 am

murran wrote:its the best engine for what it gets used for. im not power mad, needing more power than can be used! bar the fitted of the bonnet pins its finished (will post up pics and vid later) been for a drive in it last night, it goes like sh1t off a shovel, loosing traction in 2nd just by flooring it (no clutch kick) and does 3rd gear burnouts! doesnt need more power than the 325i engine has!

Just kidding mate, Wiz0r off E21.net. I'm fitting the same engine/motronic to my awesome baur, after I finish my M50. My dad's stripped 325i E30 track car is rapid so I have high hopes for something naturally lighter and stripped as well

Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:36 am

M20 should be great in E21! How much work was required to put that in?

If you're going the whole way why not m50? Shouldn't be that much harder, should it? I suppose if you had a spare m20 lying around it made more sense, but with m50 it should absolutely fly!

Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:32 pm

Murran, maybe after we see more of your conversion, i'll be going down that route instead of the m30.

Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:12 pm

casper8r wrote:M20 should be great in E21! How much work was required to put that in?

If you're going the whole way why not m50? Shouldn't be that much harder, should it? I suppose if you had a spare m20 lying around it made more sense, but with m50 it should absolutely fly!

There's a fair amount more work in an M50 conversion. Custom engine mounts or subframe is the main concern compared to E30 conversions. But the exhaust/steering rack clashes like an E30, but in a totally, possibly more difficult way. Then there's the issue with the speedo, due to the drive off the gearbox opposed to off the diff like E30s. E21s can forgo a speedo and use M50/M42/M40 boxes that line up perfectly, or use an M20 box at an angle. This causes problems with the gear linkage and the transmission mounts. This is also the same for and E30, and I would of installed an M42 box long ago on my M50 conversion in my E21 but I wanted to keep the speedo drive. Exhaust is another issue, I'll be custom making mine since E21 323i pipes are tiny. I may have problems with the diff on my E21, since they aren't rated very highly, but I'll have to wait and see for that.

Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:54 pm

200bhp, enthusiasic standing starts and e21 diffs/diff mounts dont mix very well.

170 bhp in a car weighing in at a ton is plenty........ any more is greedy!

was pretty easy to drop the 325i in ours, it already being an 320 m20. tho i had already done the motronic conversion (from the solex bullsh1t carb) on the old oil burning lump so from there it was no more difficult a swap than doing the same conversion on an e30.

Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:25 pm

looks great, they should have done a 325i e21

Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:20 pm

Awesome work mate. Looks like you've got a weapon on your hands now!

Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:24 pm

M20 325 RIGHTNESS!

Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:14 pm

cheers for the positive comments chaps!
sweep, theres a passenger ride in store for you at some point in the not distant future!

Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:43 pm

Alright chap. Glad to see it all finished, I bet it shifts now.

Dont listen to the nay sayers, an e30 325i pulls 3rd in the dry drifting cleanly enough, you managed good things in the underpowered b20 so this is gonna be an animal. Plenty enough power to keep most people happy.

I really want to see this now and go for a passenger ride (or cheeky drive lol). Shame TDSW has gone and TD is down. Not likely to bump into you until the next Brawdy.

Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:54 am

tdsw has gone?? since when?? and why??

it is a proper fast car. so powerful infact that its chewed the n/s outer cv joint first time out!
the magical power of the welded diff saw us driving home tho!

Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:12 am

Landowner has finished it for good mate. All the info was posted on DW last week (with TD being down) and on the TDSW facebook group if you want to catch up.

Hopefuly see the e21 at Brawdy though.

Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:27 am

i have a spare set of engine mounts for an e21 m20 engne if any one want to buy them

Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:14 pm

town325i wrote:i have a spare set of engine mounts for an e21 m20 engne if any one want to buy them

Exactly the same mounts as the E30 325i mounts. As I just had to change my E30's and GSF or ECP diddn't have enough in stock so spare original E21 from the Race car it was.

Duracel79

Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:19 pm

Love it mate, looks great, keep it up

Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:47 pm

duracel79 wrote:
town325i wrote:i have a spare set of engine mounts for an e21 m20 engne if any one want to buy them
Exactly the same mounts as the E30 325i mounts. As I just had to change my E30's and GSF or ECP diddn't have enough in stock so spare original E21 from the Race car it was.

Duracel79

i mean the alloy parts they are totaly different and thats what i have from when i had my e21

Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:19 am

town325i wrote:
duracel79 wrote:
town325i wrote:i have a spare set of engine mounts for an e21 m20 engne if any one want to buy them
Exactly the same mounts as the E30 325i mounts. As I just had to change my E30's and GSF or ECP diddn't have enough in stock so spare original E21 from the Race car it was.

Duracel79
i mean the alloy parts they are totaly different and thats what i have from when i had my e21

the alloy bits are different.

Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:35 am

i no they are about half the length of the e30 ones

Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:55 pm

FAIL!!

picked up a s/h one from quarry motors. this morning. all fitted!

so were back one the road again! tho i have a feeling replacing broken driveshafts may become a hobby of mine!

also other finished pics..... strut brace made from a weight lifting bar and a big bolt.....

bonnet now comes off for ultimate access!

aerocatches....... sexy!

fitted the whiteline anti roll bar kit i ordered quite a few weeks back when i had money spare! (tho im paying the price for my spending spree on the car now!)

fitted.....

incase you were wondering, i left my axle stands at my mates workshop!!
house bricks.... the poor mans axle stand!!
thats it for now.

Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:21 pm

i love e21's i wish i didnt take mine apart now when i got it