M20 in a daily?

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JdmFanBoy
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:17 pm

Pretty boring thread really, just wanted to know if anybody uses an M20 on a daily driven car. I'm getting bored of my M40 but not sure how expensive it will be to use an M20 on a daily driver.

Since this thread is so dull heres something to lighten the mood.
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boxclever1753
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:26 pm

yes, my 325i auto is my daily, and i really should have got a one litre fiesta in this economy. it's a shocker - less than 200 miles town driving on £75 or about 320 miles on the motorway.

but foook it, i love it:)
Barx325i
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:30 pm

do it. then fit some 14" steels for the full effect :)
goosiegander
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:12 pm

The 2.8 was doing 30+ MPG and was not driven in the most economical fashion, lot of mapping went into it though, a well serviced M20B25 should return decent MPG when not koshed all over the shop...
Duke137
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:18 pm

I used a 320i for a while as my dailly work hack... painfully expensive to fuel for 16 miles a day "town" driving 8O

Car now sold on, this was the ONLY reason.
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goosiegander
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:20 pm

B20's are a massive fail, good only as doners of blocks, sumps, rods, looms etc...

:(
Barx325i
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:24 pm

fit a m42 and remove your interior if mpg is a concern
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toby
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Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:32 pm

M20s are OK if driven on their torque-waft style. I get 350+ miles from a tank with mixed driving motorway/town.
A 3.64 diff is much better than the 3.91 for economy. Neither of which will be in an M40 car though.
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basketweave
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Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:28 am

I drive mine daily, 40+kms each way sometimes. Get close to 30mpg (10 litres/100km) and I have a 3.9 diff. Love it. If I use a/c then it goes south quick.
M20b25 with BBTB/exhaust/chip and 4 pintle m50 injectors.
daimlerman
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Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:23 am

My cabbie with a 2.7 M20 ran 360 miles last week,full tank down to the fuel light coming on.Mostly A road driving and erm,'pressing on' where-ever possible.

That's about 32mpg.

For a direct comparision,a recent trip to Calias in the touring(2.5 M50),almost all on motorway/dual carriageway running at 70/80mph,returned 36.97mpg.....achieving a 'best ever' full tank to light on of 401 miles!
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Brianmoooore
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Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:42 am

Very simple solution to the M20's drink problem! It's called LPG, and can be done for £200 with a bit a careful buying.
darkchild
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Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:53 am

My 320i is my daily driver. I used to do 30K per annum in my old E46 but I'm using the train more now so the E30 only does 6-8K max. MPG on a run isn't too bad at all - low 30s can be achieved if everything is running as it should. On the odd time I've used it for work (a 90 mile round trip), I managed to get 360 miles from a full tank until the reserve light came on.

Whilst fuel economy is probably 10mpg worse that my old 318ci, its nice not having to pay to repair oil leaks, cam sensors, parking sensors, knackered air-con, repairs to rusty front wings like I did on the E46! M20 over the N42 shagtronic donk any day of the week.
Captain_Birdseye
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Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:30 pm

yep, i do. If you are skint you have to drive it carefully so what's the point? get a fiesta.
aceifty
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Wed Jul 11, 2012 7:33 pm

i use my m20b28 cab daily fitted with a S/S exhaust, C2 2.7 chip but still needs to be remapped but i get about 80miles from 30L (about £41 of V power) with a average speed of about 35mph
HairyScreech
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Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:14 am

^ that's not bad considering the low average speed and the fact its a cab. These things like to stretch there legs so don't do low speeds well.
2.8 development thread http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=170822

m3.3.1 m20 thread - now running, chip needed - any volunteers?
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... =viewtopic&
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StanleyRockefeller
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Fri Sep 21, 2012 1:24 am

How much is petrol in the uk?
handpaper
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Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:19 am

StanleyRockefeller wrote:How much is petrol in the uk?

Currently £1.38 per litre = £6.17 per imperial gallon = £4.93 per poncy little US gallon.

Or $7.80 Canadian.
Eddie25
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Fri Sep 21, 2012 1:53 pm

toby wrote:M20s are OK if driven on their torque-waft style. I get 350+ miles from a tank with mixed driving motorway/town.
A 3.64 diff is much better than the 3.91 for economy. Neither of which will be in an M40 car though.
+1 mine has a 3.91 slipper and is cammed but will still get 300+ miles to a tank combined. As long as you arent going everywhere on the limiter i really dont think an M20 is too bad.
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suchy
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Fri Sep 21, 2012 2:01 pm

Compared to running an old Jag/Rover V8/anything old and American an M20 is fine as a daily. Compare it to a more modern Fiesta (for example) and it's a f*cking joke!! If you do average annual mileage around town it will be cheaper to get a second car which will be more comfortable and easier to drive and the E30 will be more enjoyable as a weekend car.

Or just LPG it...
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Brianmoooore
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Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:18 pm

suchy wrote:Or just LPG it...
A DIY install can be done for £200 with some careful ebaying.
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StanleyRockefeller
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Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:24 pm

handpaper wrote:
StanleyRockefeller wrote:How much is petrol in the uk?

Currently £1.38 per litre = £6.17 per imperial gallon = £4.93 per poncy little US gallon.

Or $7.80 Canadian.
JUMPIN JESUS!!!! that's absurd!!

We complain at 1.30 Canadian per liter. I was seriously considering selling my 325is because of this.
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shadrack
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Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:31 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
suchy wrote:Or just LPG it...
A DIY install can be done for £200 with some careful ebaying.
what would you need? i used to have an lpg car its great
retroboyo
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Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:08 pm

I drove a 325 as a daily for a while and I loved it. Petrol was better than b20. Cost about 7 beer tokens more (than the M40) a week with a 40 mile daily commute. The upside was the grin factor when overtaking.
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