rally car build
Moderator: martauto
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jwgmiller
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 89
- Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:00 pm
hello everyone im new to the forum
im about to build an e30 rally car im looking for advise on the following areas as i know nothing about these cars and what can be done with them
base model is a 325 i e 30
areas i want advise and opinions
suspension
big brake kits
gearbox upgrades
325 i engine tuning or other lumps that can be tuned and dropped into the e30
any other advise always appreciated
excuse my lack of knowledge but ive been rallying subarus for years
and after seeing patrick snijers on you tube in an e30 beamer i want a beamer to rally
im about to build an e30 rally car im looking for advise on the following areas as i know nothing about these cars and what can be done with them
base model is a 325 i e 30
areas i want advise and opinions
suspension
big brake kits
gearbox upgrades
325 i engine tuning or other lumps that can be tuned and dropped into the e30
any other advise always appreciated
excuse my lack of knowledge but ive been rallying subarus for years
and after seeing patrick snijers on you tube in an e30 beamer i want a beamer to rally
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martinpallot
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 352
- Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:00 pm
- Location: Jersey C.I
Sign up to www.bmwrallying.com and look through the cars section, This place is more track focused.
Some pictures of my rally car rebuild here but maybe a bit extreme if your just starting with e30's: http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=184543
Some pictures of my rally car rebuild here but maybe a bit extreme if your just starting with e30's: http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=184543
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DHFiS
- Old Skooler

- Posts: 2733
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: cambridge
KeriWMS sells a brake upgrade. Read about it here
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... es&start=0
Most suspension changes discussed here are about lowering. I guess thats not what you want?
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... es&start=0
Most suspension changes discussed here are about lowering. I guess thats not what you want?
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MarkT
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 922
- Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Thames Ditton
What sort of rallying are you going to be doing? Tarmac or on the loose?
E30 340i project in progress now 328 turbo
Breaking '97 728i Auto box, tubular manifolds and other morsels.
For sale E34 M50 sump, pick up and dip stick. PM for de
Breaking '97 728i Auto box, tubular manifolds and other morsels.
For sale E34 M50 sump, pick up and dip stick. PM for de
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jwgmiller
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 89
- Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:00 pm
tarmac rallying where these beasts belong
"give it the shoe and let the bastard slide"
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BadDave
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 6012
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Nr Aberdeen.Scotland(Gods country)
Brake options will be determined by wheel diameter,offset and spoke design.
I use 335x32's with 6 pots under 18's(they "should" fit under 17's)with an E30 M3 master cylinder and am currently working on a 310x32 4 pot rear setup.
Will be converting to adjustable peddle box eventually though.
Front setup



Rear setup (work in progress)


I use 335x32's with 6 pots under 18's(they "should" fit under 17's)with an E30 M3 master cylinder and am currently working on a 310x32 4 pot rear setup.
Will be converting to adjustable peddle box eventually though.
Front setup



Rear setup (work in progress)


Alpina B10 3.2L #187 (1 of 64 brought into the UK)
2.8L turbo build thread(work in progress)
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... 27#1268227
2.8L turbo build thread(work in progress)
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... 27#1268227
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MillRat
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 249
- Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: Santiago, Chile
Hello,jwgmiller wrote:hello everyone im new to the forum
im about to build an e30 rally car im looking for advise on the following areas as i know nothing about these cars and what can be done with them
base model is a 325 i e 30
areas i want advise and opinions
suspension
big brake kits
gearbox upgrades
325 i engine tuning or other lumps that can be tuned and dropped into the e30
any other advise always appreciated
excuse my lack of knowledge but ive been rallying subarus for years
and after seeing patrick snijers on you tube in an e30 beamer i want a beamer to rally
I originally planned for my E30 to be a tarmac rally car, but after spending SOOO many years working on it, I decided that tracking it would be "safer" for the car (like you I have rallyed in a Subaru for the past several years and have seen my fair share of car destroying shunts).
My suggestions to get you started.
Suspension;
Solid track focused stuff (particularly with height adjustment). I use KW V2's and they would make for an excellent tarmac setup.
Brakes;
The factory brakes are pretty good. Replace the brake master cylinder with a bigger one (from another early BMW model - I can't recall at the moment). Also upgrade the pads to some good competition ones (I recommended Performance Friction or Ferodo from personnel experience) and source a set of slotted rotors. Braided lines are also a good option. Other than that, the brakes will be fine.
Gearbox;
The E30 gearbox is very strong, so don't waste your money upgrading (I have been belting mine behind my 2.9L M20 for years now without a worry). Look for a tight 4.10 LSD though with heaps of breakaway torque (I.e. tighter than a factory LSD).
I really like M20 engines, so my advise is to stick with it. You can buy tunable chips for the M20B25 Motronic 1.3 ECU these days (I use a Miller WAR chip, and highly recommend it). Unless you plan on stroking the engine, don't plan on huge power gains with bolt on parts. For noise, side draft carbies are a good option, however you will need to ditch the factory ECU so it starts to get expensive. A better option is a big bore throttle body, a MAF (replace the AFM), and a nice, well designed exhaust that will allow the engine to breath heaps better.
You will find that a lot of your WRX knowledge will transfer to the E30 (apart from the wild power slides the E30 will dish up). I am talking with regards to cages, tyres, and the general rally equipment.
Make sure you fit a solid sump guard, as the M20 sump is vulnerable.
Keep us posted with updates.
Last edited by MillRat on Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

Cheers,
Michael.
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AlpineAde
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 3829
- Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:00 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
E32. It's a worthwhile upgrade, in my opinion.MillRat wrote:Brakes;
The factory brakes are pretty good. Replace the brake master cylinder with a bigger one (from another early BMW model - I can't recall at the moment).
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MillRat
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 249
- Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: Santiago, Chile
That's the one. I agree with Ade, it is an effective, simple upgrade.AlpineAde wrote:E32. It's a worthwhile upgrade, in my opinion.MillRat wrote:Brakes;
The factory brakes are pretty good. Replace the brake master cylinder with a bigger one (from another early BMW model - I can't recall at the moment).

Cheers,
Michael.
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jwgmiller
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 89
- Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:00 pm
thanks michael ill upload pics when i get going fully with the build thanks again
MillRat wrote:Hello,jwgmiller wrote:hello everyone im new to the forum
im about to build an e30 rally car im looking for advise on the following areas as i know nothing about these cars and what can be done with them
base model is a 325 i e 30
areas i want advise and opinions
suspension
big brake kits
gearbox upgrades
325 i engine tuning or other lumps that can be tuned and dropped into the e30
any other advise always appreciated
excuse my lack of knowledge but ive been rallying subarus for years
and after seeing patrick snijers on you tube in an e30 beamer i want a beamer to rally
I originally planned for my E30 to be a tarmac rally car, but after spending SOOO many years working on it, I decided that tracking it would be "safer" for the car (like you I have rallyed in a Subaru for the past several years and have seen my fair share of car destroying shunts).
My suggestions to get you started.
Suspension;
Solid track focused stuff (particularly with height adjustment). I use KW V2's and they would make for an excellent tarmac setup.
Brakes;
The factory brakes are pretty good. Replace the brake master cylinder with a bigger one (from another early BMW model - I can't recall at the moment). Also upgrade the pads to some good competition ones (I recommended Performance Friction or Ferodo from personnel experience) and source a set of slotted rotors. Braided lines are also a good option. Other than that, the brakes will be fine.
Gearbox;
The E30 gearbox is very strong, so don't waste your money upgrading (I have been belting mine behind my 2.9L M20 for years now without a worry). Look for a tight 4.10 LSD though with heaps of breakaway torque (I.e. tighter than a factory LSD).
I really like M20 engines, so my advise is to stick with it. You can buy tunable chips for the M20B25 Motronic 1.3 ECU these days (I use a Miller WAR chip, and highly recommend it). Unless you plan on stroking the engine, don't plan on huge power gains with bolt on parts. For noise, side draft carbies are a good option, however you will need to ditch the factory ECU so it starts to get expensive. A better option is a big bore throttle body, a MAF (replace the AFM), and a nice, well designed exhaust that will allow the engine to breath heaps better.
You will find that a lot of your WRX knowledge will transfer to the E30 (apart from the wild power slides the E30 will dish up). I am talking with regards to cages, tyres, and the general rally equipment.
Make sure you fit a solid sump guard, as the M20 sump is vulnerable.
Keep us posted with updates.
"give it the shoe and let the bastard slide"
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RPM
- E30 Zone Regular

- Posts: 307
- Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:00 pm
- Location: Essex
We can help you out with alot of what you need, aswell as offering freindly advice
www.raceperformancemodified.com
www.raceperformancemodified.com
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freddiet123
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:00 pm
Speak to phill at Power developments he is the top man on E30 rally car parts , has all the parts to build challange spec car for tarmac or loose
Contact numbers 01246 240632 / 07977407315
Contact numbers 01246 240632 / 07977407315
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keri-WMS
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1269
- Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 11:00 pm
What wheels are you going to run, aftermarket ones or the good old 15" BBS?
In terms of other engine options as you mentioned, there's the 318IS/320IS which should be lighter (?), plus an S2000 fitting kit recently sold on fleebay which is interesting, and have a look at Theo's Nissan Turbo swap (depending on the allowed mods) here: http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=110085
In terms of other engine options as you mentioned, there's the 318IS/320IS which should be lighter (?), plus an S2000 fitting kit recently sold on fleebay which is interesting, and have a look at Theo's Nissan Turbo swap (depending on the allowed mods) here: http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=110085
WMS E30 brake kits! (4-pot 280mm & 300mm front / 2-pot 290mm rear)
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
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jwgmiller
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 89
- Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:00 pm
from what ive read and been told i want the engine from a 325i e which im told is actually a 2.7 engine , looking to run it on triple 45 webbers fit a 6 branch manifold better cams not sure on engine management system any ideas guys ? or other tips for this set up
"give it the shoe and let the bastard slide"
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keri-WMS
- E30 Zone Camper

- Posts: 1269
- Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 11:00 pm
The trouble with tuning BMW engines is that each time you make an improvement to a given lump, you'll find BMW did the same thing in the next model up!
Triple 45's would be sweet though.
Triple 45's would be sweet though.
WMS E30 brake kits! (4-pot 280mm & 300mm front / 2-pot 290mm rear)
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
www.wms-brakes.co.uk / http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=209737
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rix313
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 4967
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:00 pm
- Location: Silverstone
Looking forward to seeing some photo's 


