New Steed, 320iSE Manual - Diff ratio advice needed

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Duke137
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:12 pm

I bought a new dailly... I got sick of messing with rusty scrap so just bought some ”anot as rusty scrap”a with rent and ticket well into next year.

It doesn’t get much better than a 320iSE 4 door on bottle tops but at least it is a manual and an SE. It is pretty solid, it last saw the road around the winter of 2002/2003 where apparently the old boy who owned it past away and it sat under a car port since then. I bought it off another zoner who was going to frag it but it really is far to good to frag. The rear end was apparently just exposed to the elements hence a ”agrey”a number plate holder and rear towing eye rot, aswell as a little bit of a hole where the BMW fitted tow bar loom was installed (by BMW) and not sealed properly.

Just fitted a CD player this afternoon as the old original Blaupunkt needed a code which I guess the old boy took to the grave so I just swapped it. After that went off to the park with the mrs and baby for a walk and had the camera with me.

Image
Image
Image

It has one or two minor faults such as a fooked washer jet and the HLWW is allowing all my washer fluid to seep away and I think the fuel tank may leak slightly as I just put just over half a tank in and the smell of fuel is still too strong! I have had a couple of leaky tanks and I know the tell-tale signs!

Plans are to molest it slightly, nothing too council though...

Stereo (done)
New speakers as front right not working and they are a bit past best all round
Sebring Stainless Tail end of the 2 piece system, twin exit inwardly rolled
15x7 Mims
Slight drop
Nardi 350mm steering wheel (DanThe’s old one)
Good polish up
The 4 doors have come in very handy so far for the baby seat etc as I bought this to smoke about in not to win any trophies. I wouldn’t normally look at a 4 door but 5 months of lobbing a car seat in and out of a E36 coupe has started to wear thin lol

Comments welcome
Last edited by Duke137 on Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DanThe
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:20 pm

Car seats and 4 doors are the only combination IMO!
e30topless
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:27 pm

:squint: Cream carpet Ferg?

if it has I reckon you should frag it !
nice rare colour quattroporte you have there (malashite green? )

should make a nice smoker :D
magpie
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:37 pm

too many doors dude

the scales beckon :roll:
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Duke137
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:00 pm

magpie wrote:too many doors dude

the scales beckon :roll:
probably mate lol

interior is immaculate, it is solid at the scuttles, bulkhead, rear arches etc and yes Steve, a lovely cream carpet with immaculate OEM cream mats as the drivers one had another mat over the top so it is like brand new!

Not fragging it yet though!
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
E30BeemerLad
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:50 pm

I'd be quite happy smoking about town in that
kolee
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:52 pm

green is smexy colour.

Anything not the norm gets my vote.

Oh, and, 2 doors and car seats is fine, i just make my missus sit in the back, baby up front with me!
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e30mtech
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Sat Oct 15, 2011 9:32 pm

cant beat the malachite, same as mine but 2 more doors,

looks a tidy enough run about

if you do frag it let me know winkeye
Kedge
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Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:15 am

fragtastic turd there fella :wink:
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Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:56 am

Nice turd there Ferg - about bloody time you got the pics up :D

Bet you can get that Blaupunkt decoded and some OEM ICE homo will buy it :wink:
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e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
e30topless
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Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:11 pm

Duke137 wrote: yes Steve, a lovely cream carpet with immaculate OEM cream mats as the drivers one had another mat over the top so it is like brand new!

Not fragging it yet though!
:sucks:


now now Ferg, kids and cream carpets don't go well together, i can do an amazing deal on a grey one :D

:wink:
Duke137
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Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:20 pm

Well it will get fragged when I am done you homo and you will be called first about 'said carpet and mats' 8)
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02Anders
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:37 am

Positively love Malachite!! Car looks great... winkeye
O==00==O
With BMW-regards,
02Anders.

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Duke137
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:27 pm

cheers, I like it, that's what matters 8)
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
Jim320i
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:31 pm

What was the Blaupunkt stereo Ferg?

Looks like a good winter smoker. :cool:
Duke137
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:39 pm

Don't know mate, I binned it :D
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:45 pm

:eek: :eek: :eek:
Duke137
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Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:54 pm

Mate, I have binned a load of E30 frag because nobody ever buys it! I am fed up of ebay fees and the whole way it works so I just binned it.

I just dug it out and it was a melbourne SQR39
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
capri_rob
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:26 am

capri_rob wrote:

Bet you can get that Blaupunkt decoded and some OEM ICE homo will buy it :wink:
Jim320i wrote:What was the Blaupunkt stereo Ferg?
:chuckle:
Image

e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:01 am

Duke137 wrote:Mate, I have binned a load of E30 frag because nobody ever buys it! I am fed up of ebay fees and the whole way it works so I just binned it.

I just dug it out and it was a melbourne SQR39
Oooo, I like them. winkeye winkeye

As you had binned it, i'll take it away, you can get more in your bin that way :twisted:
capri_rob wrote:
capri_rob wrote:

Bet you can get that Blaupunkt decoded and some OEM ICE homo will buy it :wink:
Jim320i wrote:What was the Blaupunkt stereo Ferg?
:chuckle:
:cool: :cool: I spotted that before I posted. Git :chuckle:
Duke137
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:18 am

You can have it mate, you will have to pick the cat sh1t off it and fetch it out yourself though. Bin day is Friday :thumb:
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
Duke137
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:40 am

Question for one and all, I think this car has a 4.10 diff and I find it doing about 3100RPM at an indicated 70ish

I have a medium case 3.64 ex-stock, would that be a good option to fit it to give me a bit better MPG? This car won't set any land speed records so I am not bothered about acceleration

Any input would be great, cheers
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Jim320i
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:44 am

Yes mate, a lower ratio diff will give better fuel at higher speeds but slower pull off times... I have a 3.64 or there abouts on mine and was gonna swap it for a 4.27 which I have sitting about but one of them jobs that I can never see me getting round to.
Duke137
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:48 am

Going to have to do a tank swap on this soon so will do mine then. Get it done Jim instead of sitting on here mate, you will feel better for it :)

How does yours perform with the 3.64? Are they completely different mine and yours being F/L and Pre face, auto/manual do you know?
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:59 am

Thats what i'm waiting to do aswell... Tank swap :? Waiting until I sort my unit out as it needs concreting or slabbing... :roll: Job after job with small funds all round.

Not wanting to do the tank and diff swap until I have all new bushes and all new lines bought, then change everything on her.

Pretty sure mine sits at around 2400-2600 rpm at 70mph, but being an auto she drinks fuel on short journeys... I did get 39.7 mpg on the way back from Beaulie though this year which was pretty good :cool:
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:38 pm

I would be wary of fitting a 3.64 diff to a 320i...the 4.1 gives 65mph at 3000rpm..so the short-stroke motor is sitting at the bottom of the power band.
Raising the gearing(73mph at 3000rpm)will not save you fuel as the engine will be out of it's powerband,so you will be rowing it along on the gearlever.

One of the other two ratios would be better,3.91 perhaps the best choice with a 3.73 perhaps a bit too long....
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Duke137
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Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:54 pm

What powerband??????

I will just leave it as it is then I think. It is just every other BMW I have driven doesn't labour as high as this does at 70mph, I'm not that bothered you don't buy an E30 fuel economy

Cheers for the input 8)
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mercdriver
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Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:50 pm

look at your sig pic Ferg...

Image

What happened to it?! Malashite killed it. Get fresh pics of malashite up it looks awesome now :D

winkeye
I'll check with the manager
Duke137
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Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:42 pm

Nobody wants to see the horror photos of my 2dr or my low down councilled 320i :)
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johnl320
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Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:52 pm

Both Myself and Stubeedoo have done the 3.64 swap on 320i, we both did quite high mileage at constant speed and both noticed improvements in fuel consumption but if your driving style doesnt suit then it would be better to go 3.91. I was just glad of a quiet diff to be honest.
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Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:27 am

Duke137 wrote:Nobody wants to see the horror photos of my 2dr or my low down councilled 320i :)
Yes we do :D
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e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
Duke137
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Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:53 pm

I can't post either, There will be a blood bath when Pacerpete sees them :D :mad:
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
capri_rob
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Mon Nov 21, 2011 1:42 pm

Duke137 wrote:I can't post either, There will be a blood bath when Pacerpete sees them :D :mad:
Not uncovered some horrors on the malachite turd have you ? :eek:
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e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
Duke137
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Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:03 pm

capri_rob wrote:
Duke137 wrote:I can't post either, There will be a blood bath when Pacerpete sees them :D :mad:
Not uncovered some horrors on the malachite turd have you ? :eek:
Yeah I have, it is epically slow and uses far too much fuel winkeye

And I have grown an unhealthy liking for bottletops :mad:

It has a council "stance" now 8O It is a solid car with the only a couple of bad areas on the tail panel (tow eye and tow bar loom) and at a push one of the wings. I do like this car though, SE Spec FTW, fook Mtech bodykits.....

EDIT: I will start a thread on the 2 door at somepoint when I pluck up the courage!
How do you pronounce 'either'? I say 'either', but some say 'either'. Either is correct.
capri_rob
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Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:58 pm

Go on ferg lets have a look - did you chop the springs for maximum councilling ?
ghetto drop on bottletops FTW :bow:
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e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
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