M20 engines

[dark_sounds]

hmm wondering,,,

with a 320i, if doing a conversion for a 2.5 engine, from the outside,, can you notice any difference at all??? is there any physical difference? if not then how do insurance companies pick up on this?? its like an uprated cam,,,, they wont be opening up the engine just to check your cam?

[Simon13]

inlet manifolds are the only visible difference. But u can make a 2.5 manifold fit a 2.0.

the 2.5 will probably munch up your little 320 diff! and gearbox.

[dark_sounds]

so gearbox will look different too or not?

basically upon inspection will any insurance geez be able to tell the difference withotu driving it himself??

[Turbo-Brown]

If you have a big accident, your insurance company will have the car very thoroughly checked over and they will find things like capacity hikes.

Don't perform a mod like this and not tell your insurance company.

Don't even fit 'uprated' brake pads and not tell your insurance company as you may well find yourself liable for the cost of any claim.

[Ziggy]

They'll look at the engine number & it won't match so they'll investigate further. Isn't there something that says "2.5" on the block or head somewhere? I'd have expected there to be...

[dark_sounds]

fair enough, i thought it wernt easy, just looking on ebay, and theres so many people with the conversion undeclared, i thought its something that is truly undetectable. but yeah i suspected that is the case, i do declare all my mods normally though something like this would be a non insurer...

cheers guys

[Motorhole]

I know the diffs arn't, but are the gearbox's on E30's not all the same, aside from the "sport" box? Looking in the manual, there is no difference at all in the ratios across the models.

[keith52]

there's a stamp mark on the head on the exhaust manifold side stating 2.5/2.7 which is a sort of giveaway and as previously stated the engine number will give it away but this isn't easy to access.

[OllieB]

Just do it geez....

[philn]

The insurance guy's will usually only notice if you've stuck a big spoiler on your car. I think it would be very unlikely they would check the engine.

My old 850 mini went surprisingly well!!

[Grantley]

I think it varies with insurance companies, when some prick hit me and wrote off my mint Mk2 16v Golf the accessor came out and had a very thourough look round the car. He checked the engine number, chassis number and checked all the tyres aswell, he knew exactly what to look at and where to look. If there had been something not rite with the car I'm sure he'd of found it, after that I wouldnt take the chance and go out of my way to keep everything legit !