2.8 sport, engines rare?

General E30 related discussions -
Please put technical questions in E30 Tech Help forum below

Moderator: martauto

Hedley48
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:00 pm

Post Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:07 pm

Looking at doing an engine swap and was going to settle for the 2.5 but was told there was a 2.8 sport, are the engines restricted on the inlet like on the e36, how easy are they to find and is it worth the extra pennies if I did find one, any comments appreciated cheers dan
Speedtouch
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 14126
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Canterbury

Post Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:23 pm

///M aurice
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
Motorhole
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2395
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Cheshire

Post Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:26 pm

2.8 E30? I don't believe there ever was one. Alpina did a 2.7 and the conversion is easily replicated with the right parts. A 2.8 M20 can be built using the crank from the M52 engine in the E36. A few zoners have done this but it was never made by BMW :)

For the effort, unless you want a completely standard looking car, might aswell drop in the whole 2.8 engine from the E36 though.
Hedley48
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:00 pm

Post Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:49 pm

Was thinking of that option but police know me very well as i live in a small village and ive also got an ax gt with a vts transplant and i pissed the whole villge off i think and police regularly checked that so need to keep as standard looking under bonnet as possible because dont want the hassle,and I thought they didn't exist but the person who told me is very clued up so I just believed him lol
User avatar
Brianmoooore
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 49360
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:55 pm

Hedley48 wrote: police regularly checked that so need to keep as standard looking under bonnet as possible because dont want the hassle
Nothing illegal about putting an E36 engine into an E30 (yet).
No 2.8 engine ever fitted to an E30 by BMW, but there was a heavily restricted 2.7 fitted to the US 325e.
The only other 2.7 engines in M20s were produced by BMW approved tuning firms, such as Alpina, which may be what you're referring to.
leeparkes
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 9535
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Black country

Post Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:55 pm

Hedley48 wrote:but the person who told me is very clued up so I just believed him lol
Thats your lesson of the day, Trust no one. :)
Cypriotgeeza wrote:I done both my mates in my old 318is
felt so proud,even tried it with a E30 325i and got put in my place.. :o:
User avatar
reggid
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1984
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Oz

Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 1:16 am

also was an E30 alpina with 2.8 M30 engine
E30 325is with M20B31
polsta
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 10322
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: portsmouth

Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:14 am

Hedley48 wrote:also got an ax gt with a vts transplant and i pissed the whole villge off
Brianmoooore wrote:
Hedley48 wrote: police regularly checked that so need to keep as standard looking under bonnet as possible because dont want the hassle
Nothing illegal about putting an E36 engine into an E30 (yet).
No 2.8 engine ever fitted to an E30 by BMW

coz hes only 18 and wouldnt insure it innit bruv :D
User avatar
Jozi
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 3076
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:49 pm

Is your mate not thinking of a e36 328 sport? This has a 2.8 (m52b28) which has been fitted to many e30's.
pukar
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2225
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:00 pm

Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:48 pm

a short production run alpina e30 with 2.8, but more alpina than bmw i suppose...
Image
Hedley48
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:00 pm

Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:52 pm

Well I'm 22 haha but yea insurance need not know I knew about the e36 2.8 but apparently this was different but never mind a 2.5 will do fine I'm not too fussy but the 2 litre is a bit gutless tbh so this needs a change winkeye
Motorhole
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2395
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Cheshire

Post Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:17 pm

Hedley48 wrote:Well I'm 22 haha but yea insurance need not know
Don't often speak my mind on here but for the benefit of us all (and yourself) insurance need do know. It's all fun and games until the car is involved in an accident! And at the very least, if you got a nice certificate with all mods declared, your local bobbies will leave you alone.