Hi all,
I have read lots of threads, for months both on here and on other forums but I would like some up to date advice.
My car, a 1991 318is, standard,.
I spoke to fritz bits who assured me the chip/exhaust package will make a massive difference to my car, but the exhaust is now £600, chip is £85, postage £20 all plus vat so £846 !
The point of this post is that I need more power, not loads but definitely more, everyone says don't 2.8 it, it's an 'IS' but I don't care about all that, the car needs a turbo, a conversion or to be sold which I don't want to do.
What do I do?
Thanks, Yodi
E30 M42 help/advice/opinions please
Moderator: martauto
If you don't care about all that then do what you like, Its your car
These days most would not swap a nice 318is because there are so few in good condition and it will become just another badly swapped E30. Plenty of them to choose from.
If you think £850 is expensive then the cost of a swap done well will open your eyes and turbo/supercharging even more so.
Slow car driven fast always more fun than a fast car backing off all day. Most fun I have had in a car this week has been in a 1.8 Focus. If I had a 318is now I would just enjoy it as is, wrapped around the rev limit.
I think £850 is expensive for an exhaust that the Wiki page advises not to buy, seems a lot for zero performance gain. my bad I should have been clearer.
Last edited by YODI on Mon Jun 20, 2022 12:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wiki page is on about manifolds and not complete exhausts. It is also on about manifolds for the M20 not the M42.
The wiki is from a different time when if you wanted more power in your 318is you simply sold it and bought a 325i. Not as easy now but that is why there is not much on tuning the M42
As I have said before I would Eaton supercharge it but it is not going to be cheap for what you get but nothing is. it is not going to be on a plate as it will take a lot of install work and fine tuning.
In the past you have said you cannot find anything about it but 5 mins on google and www.318ti.org there are kits available. I would budget £4k for any turbo/supercharge conversion and prices are only going one way. 2.8 conversion (either M20 or M52) not going to be cheap if you do it properly.
Something like this
https://hydemotorworks.com/shop/product ... rger-kits/
flybynite wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 9:10 amWiki page is on about manifolds and not complete exhausts. It is also on about manifolds for the M20 not the M42.
The wiki is from a different time when if you wanted more power in your 318is you simply sold it and bought a 325i. Not as easy now but that is why there is not much on tuning the M42
As I have said before I would Eaton supercharge it but it is not going to be cheap for what you get but nothing is. it is not going to be on a plate as it will take a lot of install work and fine tuning.
In the past you have said you cannot find anything about it but 5 mins on google and www.318ti.org there are kits available. I would budget £4k for any turbo/supercharge conversion and prices are only going one way. 2.8 conversion (either M20 or M52) not going to be cheap if you do it properly.
Something like this
https://hydemotorworks.com/shop/product ... rger-kits/
I have spoken to Hyde and also the UK supplier, who actually put me off the kit and said they'd sold just two and one never got finished.
I love the E30 and would like to keep it, but it needs more power, I'm not looking for tons but some, usually my fix would be easy, sell it and buy something else but I really don't want to.
If you had to throw a figure at a 2.8 conversion, doing all the labour yourself but 'properly' what would you estimate?
Thanks
Depends whether you want an M20 2.8 or an M50/52 2.8 but probably less difference now than there used to be.
Send a message to DanThe on here, that is his area
If you go that route, keep your old engine and the bits to put it back. Lost count of people not done that and regretted it.
Have to say, I have the fritz bits m42 exhaust system and I love it! Looks the nuts too! It sounds great and does go a bit better as well 
This is the only thing I've done to it in regards to performance, no chip or anything so far.
This is the only thing I've done to it in regards to performance, no chip or anything so far.Where are you in the UK mate?
Until the time comes you need to sell it and it is worth half the price without its original engine
OK help us out to understand. What are you doing with it when you are short of power? Are you overtaking? Burning people off the lights? Trying to do burnouts/doughnuts/lay 11s etc etc?
For me on a twisty A or B road quiet Sunday morning can't think of many cars I would pick ahead of a good running 318is, bilstein B12, Purple rack, Z3 shifter is all it needs. Bit like how Chris Harris likes his old 205 Rallye. Lots of fun without the speed to kill yourself.
I think a lot of time it is not the engine but bad use of the gearbox
flybynite wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:00 pmUntil the time comes you need to sell it and it is worth half the price without its original engine
OK help us out to understand. What are you doing with it when you are short of power? Are you overtaking? Burning people off the lights? Trying to do burnouts/doughnuts/lay 11s etc etc?
For me on a twisty A or B road quiet Sunday morning can't think of many cars I would pick ahead of a good running 318is, bilstein B12, Purple rack, Z3 shifter is all it needs. Bit like how Chris Harris likes his old 205 Rallye. Lots of fun without the speed to kill yourself.
I think a lot of time it is not the engine but bad use of the gearbox
The E30 is my play thing, my toy as some people call them. I want to really enjoy it when I drive it, I did 180 miles in it last week and I would like it to have more get up and go, and an LSD.
How fast do you want to go?
I've been done twice now in 18 months driving a vauxhall meriva diesel past a camera van at very sensible speeds!
Enjoy your e30 for what it is
By the way I've had my 325i for 15 years and used it daily for the for 13 years I've never got done in that
I've been done twice now in 18 months driving a vauxhall meriva diesel past a camera van at very sensible speeds!
Enjoy your e30 for what it is
By the way I've had my 325i for 15 years and used it daily for the for 13 years I've never got done in that
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rix313
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I have fitted a couple of the FBz exhausts and have one on my own car. For £600 the quality and fitment is amazing and I can't fathom how he can make any money on them to be honest. I don't have experience of his chips
On the contrary, the likes of BDS and indeed FBz have done a tremendous amout of tuning work on this motor. The former has recently done my race engine and offers a range of tuning options in the form of head work, mapping, inlets and exhausts.
Thanks Rix,rix313 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:55 pmI have fitted a couple of the FBz exhausts and have one on my own car. For £600 the quality and fitment is amazing and I can't fathom how he can make any money on them to be honest. I don't have experience of his chips.
If you have some coin you want to spend on your M42, BDS are the guys to speak to about waking the engine up.
I am 99% going down the M52 route now, I couldn't find any solid answer to get more power from the M42 without serious cash injection.
Rix please read my full post. I was referring to not much information in the wiki.rix313 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:55 pmI have fitted a couple of the FBz exhausts and have one on my own car. For £600 the quality and fitment is amazing and I can't fathom how he can make any money on them to be honest. I don't have experience of his chipsOn the contrary, the likes of BDS and indeed FBz have done a tremendous amout of tuning work on this motor. The former has recently done my race engine and offers a range of tuning options in the form of head work, mapping, inlets and exhausts.
Yes things have changed a bit since then but when the wiki was written there was not much about then and M20B25s were plentiful. Wiki has not been updated to reflect anything done since
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rix313
- E30 Zone Team Member
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- Location: Silverstone
- Contact:
Ahhh I seeflybynite wrote: ↑Tue Jul 05, 2022 6:59 pm
Rix please read my full post. I was referring to not much information in the wiki.
Yes things have changed a bit since then but when the wiki was written there was not much about then and M20B25s were plentiful. Wiki has not been updated to reflect anything done since
On the subject of the Wiki we seem to have lost the main guys that looked after it and have the ability to permit new people to sign up and modify it,Ahhh I see On the subject of the Wiki we seem to have lost the main guys that looked after it and have the ability to permit new people to sign up and modify it,
[/quote]
Let me try and speak to Steve, this really dose need looking after, You up for it Rich ????
Mart.
On the subject of the Wiki we seem to have lost the main guys that looked after it and have the ability to permit new people to sign up and modify it,[/quote]
Let me try and speak to Steve, this really dose need looking after, You up for it Rich ????
Mart.
Only the E46 cab left now.
Just got too old.
Just got too old.
Most older petrol cars feel slow now with the instant power of modern turbo diesels.
As a quick and very rough price estimate on engines:
~All of the M50/M52 swaps now seem to be running £~1500.
Then you need the Sump ~£350, Engine Mounts, etc etc
I paid £750 for an unopened but condition unknown M50b25nv and £250 for the E34 Sump earlier this year, that was considered a steal and i had to haggle.
I'll be building the engine anyway so condition was not massively important as long as it turned over.
You can get the later M52tu engines slightly cheaper but the M54's also run a premium and your converting to DBW etc
As a quick and very rough price estimate on engines:
~All of the M50/M52 swaps now seem to be running £~1500.
Then you need the Sump ~£350, Engine Mounts, etc etc
I paid £750 for an unopened but condition unknown M50b25nv and £250 for the E34 Sump earlier this year, that was considered a steal and i had to haggle.
I'll be building the engine anyway so condition was not massively important as long as it turned over.
You can get the later M52tu engines slightly cheaper but the M54's also run a premium and your converting to DBW etc
E30 M50B28 Turbo Cabriolet Restoration: Here