How hard are these e30s to drive?

[gudgeon]

i learnt when i hit a tree at 60 odd in my 318 when i was 19 on crimbo day in 2001

LOL I guess it's one way of learning !

Learn or die trying!

[gudgeon]

as long as you dont panic and upset the balance when the end kicks out it almost sorts itself out .

Yes, as long as you have room! It's when you get that nasty feeling that the current direction is not a good one but steering away from it is not an option that you suddenly find god.

[SLIMADI]

You will be fine as long as you dont pedal to medal with it or if your that worried book yourself in for some drifting lessons that will sort you out

[Nickerz]

Don't let off!! U will find out what I mean......

[Jozi]

I've not felt or provoked the rear end stepping out on the tourer over the last 4 months I'm driving it. Maybe I don't drive it hard enough? Got P6000's on the rear to

Should get a bit more interesting with the weather getting worse. Would like to try provoking the back to kick out somewhere but not a clue where I can do it safely around here, wouldn't know what to do either

[clipper]

I've driven my E30 in allsorts of conditions but only ever lost the rear in the dry on a hot sunny day.
I got too confident and tried to go round the outside of someone on a roindabout but the exit was off camber and it sent the back end round real quick. Luckily I caught it and held it at about 90º for a while, then it just shot forward towards a bus stop with one bloke standing in it. I'll never forget the look on his face as he decided which way to run.
I was lucky to get away with a bent wheel and wishbone, the guy in the bus stop was luckier though....

If you haven't experienced RWD before I would recommend a little practise somewhere safe, just so that you get the feel for how much space an E30 travelling sideways needs to straighten out.

[Messenjah]

yeah go to a big carpark and learn how its gonna react if you make a mistake by deliberately driving like a prat ... make sure theres no one around though

[retro-chic]

really not difficult, id never driven a RWD either before harrys M3, and ive not lost it or kerbed the wheels..






















yet

[harry_p]

tbh, the compact goes sideways easier and with less warning, but i'm less likely to cry if it gets bent

[retro-chic]

tbh, the compact goes sideways easier and with less warning, but i'm less likely to cry if it gets bent

yeah managed to drift him on the way to town

[Blitz]

I had a lovely drift last week. The wheel slipped through my hands as the back end went and I caught it.

[Kos]

driving normally you will be fine

just watch it in the rain and make sure you use decent tyres.

[Kos]

I've not felt or provoked the rear end stepping out on the tourer over the last 4 months I'm driving it. Maybe I don't drive it hard enough? Got P6000's on the rear to

Should get a bit more interesting with the weather getting worse. Would like to try provoking the back to kick out somewhere but not a clue where I can do it safely around here, wouldn't know what to do either

one of the worst tyres, they dont need much provoking in the rain

[BlueEyes_1]

I had never driven a RWD car before my e30, mostly FWD and one 4WD, but tbh its not hard to control even when the back does step out on you,(because it will otherwise you wouldnt of started this thread ) A couple of things ive learnt is to make sure you judge where your front wheels are pointing so that as you start to pull out of the drift you dont dart off into a tree, a good way of judging this is to hold the steering wheel with both hands (3 and 9) also dont be afraid to use the throttle as this can pull you out of some sticky situations, DONT just let off the throttle or apply brakes.

As you get better though you will find that you will have to apply more opposite lock, and so keeping your hands at 3 and 9 is not possible, this is where it gets harder and you have to let the wheel run through your hands and catch it at certain intervals depending on what the back end is up to. But im sure it will be a while yet, no offence.

[retro-chic]

toyo t1-R are the best tyres ive ever had, put them on most of my cars, stick like shitte to a blanket

[Jozi]

one of the worst tyres, they dont need much provoking in the rain

So I am led to believe. It was all they had and presumed they were decent, until I started reading up on tyres a little.

[Dave_M3]

P6000s aren't as bad when they are new... but still awful

I had P6000s on my car for a while at the start and I thought they were brilliant.... for having fun and learning to drift as they needed neither lots of speed or alot of provoking to get them slipping.

E30s are fine to drive and are fine for when the backend steps out too. Only thing that lets them down is the steering as it can be impossible to get the opposite lock on it time sometimes and more importantly get it off again to avoid you flying across the road in the other direction.

When you get reaaallly good... the car will almost put the opposite lock on for you itself

[polsta]

i went from a fwd mk3 escort (which i still have and love), about 3 weeks ago, to a 318is my 1st rwd i ever drove, and i absoloutly love it and love e30s now, only lost the back end once on a shifty roundabout in a lorry park in the rain, been driving it in rain/wet daily now, in the day and at 2.30 am home from work every night, and its been fine

as mentioned, just pay the car respect and dont drive trigger happy in to and around bends/roundabouts, and youl be fine

[darkchild]

just watch it in the rain and make sure you use decent tyres.

Spot on. Why people scrimp on the one thing that keeps your car in touch with the road I'll never understand. A decent set of tyres makes a huge difference.

[Jozi]

But whats decent? Without talking to others about it on here or with other E30 owners how are you meant to know whats good/bad?

The place I got my tires in told me the P6000 were a good tire (which I thought was the case anyway), better than the other brand they had. A mate of mine commented the other day that I at least have good tires on her when he seen the P6000.

[Morat]

Tyre choice is getting a bit limited in the standard sizes. Toyo are well regarded and I prefer Dunlop SP9000 for their excellent wet weather grip.

The best Pirrellis (Pzero) are excellent to start with and then useless from about half worn. I don't see why 6000s would be any better.

[Dave_M3]

^^^ I thought you said your mates know nothing about cars?

People see Pirelli and they just asume they are good tyres be it P6000s or Pzero corsas


Only way of knowing a tyre is good or not is trying a good selection of them and/or reading reviews and listening to people that have tried a good number of different tyres as well as being the kinda people that would reach the limits of a bad tyre so they'll know the difference.

I've never had a rwd car and I'm not even an old fart
I much prefer the back of a car to let go first rather than bloody understeer which is why most of the FWD cars I like are small french hatchbacks

[Jozi]

Dave, I did and they don't, told him he was wrong and that they aren't meant to be great on an E30, maybe they are on other cars?

I'd say the tires on the front aren't great either on my car

[spp320i]

I started with fwd cars, and the e30 was my first rwd - many years on and I'd never go back to fwd.

It takes a bit of getting used to as rwd does behave differently. My driving style's changed quite a bit, but that could be because 'er indoors keeps telling me to slow down!

I've never (touch wood) lost the back end, but I've had it step out a few times, mostly deliberately, but not always! Go and practice. It's easier to bring it back into line if you're quick than if you were in a fwd car, but the back will skip out sooner, so expect it to happen. In the wet, be careful with the throttle, and don't accelerate hard until you're going in a straight line - nice and slow and even through the corner, then you can plant it when the wheels are straight, but it may still get a bit slippy!

Enjoy it. Cars are made to be driven!

[hazd31]

Tyre choice is getting a bit limited in the standard sizes. Toyo are well regarded and I prefer Dunlop SP9000 for their excellent wet weather grip.

The best Pirrellis (Pzero) are excellent to start with and then useless from about half worn. I don't see why 6000s would be any better.

i had a set of used pzeros and they wer shocking they were the nero version, if you want a good perilli it has to be a rosso but they dont do them i decent sizes

goodyear eagle f1s are best in my experience, ull struggle to get the arse out even when trying!

[Dave_M3]

Yeah, the P6000s aren't that bad when brand new but get shite pretty quickly and age shockinly too with bubbles and cracks forming on the tyre wall.

SP9000s are very good too from brief trials of them on other cars but I haven't driven a car long enough with them to see how they are from start to finish but I expect they'd be preety decent

GSD3s are very good for all round wet and dry once you don't get a bloody thailand made set!
If you do, you'll be understeering at 30mph... in the dry!

I had the proper german made GSD3s all round then and thought they were very good and had a nice progressive limit but still able to provoke the rear end at slow speeds if you put your mind to it. Felt once they reached the end of their life, they lost grip very quickly.

[zaust]

I thought the idea of an e30, Was to drive sideway's, Evrey where !!!

[E30star]

I must be a right old fart. None of my first cars were FWD.

Nah, its just kids these days - no taste! I'm 21 and have only owned rwd cars...


As has been said, they're fine. Treat it with respect in the wet, run decent tyres and you'll be fine.

[spp320i]

I thought the idea of an e30, Was to drive sideway's, Evrey where !!!

Only if you have the talent to make sure sideways isn't backwards!!

[town325i]

how about try driving one instead of talking about driving one make your own mind up

[ross_jsy]

mines not too bad. its easy to catch when it goes although it does break free without warning. but mine isnt standard and tyre choice isnt the best for winter