Might get back in an E30, but.....

[YODI]

Hi Gents, long time.

I've been gutted about my E30 since I sold it but I was about to butcher a really nice 318is with a 2,8 engine as the 1.8 wasn't enough.

I am tempted to buy it back from my pal, but, it is not Ulez-compliant and I am 1.6 miles in the zone ffs with cameras everywhere.

So here is the 'might get back in an E30' bit. He has a bog standard 100k mile 323i too, this car is much less special and I think it is much more acceptable to butcher with a 2,8 than my 318is was, but I don't love the look of it as it stands. I can get my old wheels back but will then need to lower it too.

So, what can I do to make it look like my later white one, bumpers, lose the chrome etc. Do options still exist easily?

Mainly posting for a bit of chit-chat and inspiration.


PS. A none Ulez compliant car is not an option, I want it at home so I can work on it etc

The 323i




My old 318is

[flybynite]

Welcome back!

323i more acceptable to butcher? Not in the slightest. The 323i was far less common and Chromies are in short supply now. They will be the first to become classic status and if you butcher it too much it will lose that.

The jetronic can be a pain as some things are NLA, but a motronic swap is all it needs. If it is a good one and running right, it might be fast enough as the 323i was quite peppy back in the day and mine regularly left a 318is for dead even though mine never ran great as it had been messed with by TWR when new. If you have too just put a 325i lump in it and leave it at that

My 323i has turned 40 and it has been mine for 35 of them, it is the only car I would never sell.

Personally I would sooner see the 318is messed with than the 323i and as I said in your old posts I still think a supercharged M42 in your 318is would be a hoot to drive.

[YODI]

Oh no don't say that I thought the 323i would be more accepted to mess with, but after 300+ cars I would like to have one forever car and not be worried about reselling.


I want something to make my own, modify, keep me out of trouble when I am off shift etc.

It's an auto so a manual conversion is a must for me.

I've also just looked on eBay at interiors and the prices have me crying inside

[flybynite]

Well if it is an auto then it might be more acceptable to mess with it a bit then

To be fair, mine is getting a properly built 2.7 to run on Motronic, far from the cheapest way to do it but it is the only way I will do it given its history.

Just be aware, early 80mm M20 blocks (320i/323i) cannot be bored out to 84mm (325i) Later blocks are easy to get and cheap but something to keep in mind. Please don't put a plastic engine in a chromie, save that for plastic bumpered cars, keep it 8-valve Cr24v died a long time ago!

Interiors and sports seats do come up but ones with intact trim are rare and expensive otherwise you need to factor in cost of retrimming, but at least if you re-trim you can do it as you want and most BMW fabric is available or re-created. 30+ year old trim will always be difficult.

If you are crying inside try finding an original intact BMW Recaro LSC bits and trim or anything for a 70's or 80's 911

If you want to know what you are letting yourself in for have a watch of M539 youtube channel on the 320i he did

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... FxoclLRsjE

[DanThe]

Sounds like you and your pals need to buy some balaclavas and battery angle grinders, its the only way forward for Londoners IMO

[YODI]

Sounds like you and your pals need to buy some balaclavas and battery angle grinders, its the only way forward for Londoners IMO

1.6 miles in the zone FFS, 1.6 !!

[martauto]

Sounds like you and your pals need to buy some balaclavas and battery angle grinders, its the only way forward for Londoners IMO

Mart.

[flybynite]

Sounds like you and your pals need to buy some balaclavas and battery angle grinders, its the only way forward for Londoners IMO

Get em charged up, its a disease that is spreading north

1.6 miles in the zone FFS, 1.6 !!

My old address was was worse than that, 1/3 mile in and a camera at the end of the road. Glad I moved when I did

[DanThe]

Sounds like you and your pals need to buy some balaclavas and battery angle grinders, its the only way forward for Londoners IMO

Get em charged up, its a disease that is spreading north

Closest "tax the poor zone" to me is Birmingham, but both my 1997 and 2004 V8's are exempt

[clarko74]

Please don't put a plastic engine in a chromie, save that for plastic bumpered cars, keep it 8-valve Cr24v died a long time ago!

I think 24v and chrome are still a very acceptable combination, I'm loving the M54

[flybynite]

I think 24v and chrome are still a very acceptable combination,

Only if it's a M88 of the correct year

It's a 323i and early one too by the look of it, not one of those common 325i's It deserves a good M20

How's yours going? Much rubber left on the back tyres?

[YODI]

I'm still undecided about what to do, just being realistic with what a better interior will cost, wheels, a suspension overhaul etc then still have the engine power to sort and a manual gearbox which is why I think it's almost the same hassle to put a 2.8 in it and manual box at the same time as it is so manual convert it.

I can have the wheels I put on my 318is back too

It's a straight original car

[Cypriotgeeza]

Yea I feel your pain mate, I moved when they even started hinting at ULEZ as I was just on the outskirts of A406 and I could see the writing on the wall. Best decision I ever made tbh.
I'm very biased towards a preface lift as I much prefer the looks so I'd say get it and keep it original.
I even get moments of changing my colour coded bumpers to the chromes (Even though mine are from factory) There's just something old school cool about an E30 with chrome!
Your choice but I'm with flybynite and 100% say id rather butcher a 318is than an original 323i.
But its your money = your choice.

[YODI]

Yea I feel your pain mate, I moved when they even started hinting at ULEZ as I was just on the outskirts of A406 and I could see the writing on the wall. Best decision I ever made tbh.
I'm very biased towards a preface lift as I much prefer the looks so I'd say get it and keep it original.
I even get moments of changing my colour coded bumpers to the chromes (Even though mine are from factory) There's just something old school cool about an E30 with chrome!
Your choice but I'm with flybynite and 100% say id rather butcher a 318is than an original 323i.
But its your money = your choice.

I do see your rants on Insta and I love it, I wouldn't mind if they put a blanket ban on old cars to prove their point but it's how they did it, and for £12.50 it doesn't matter that my old car emits shit !

I still haven't decided, but if I did get it I would want it manual for sure, I'm not sure what you think this might be worth?

It really is a very straight clean rot free car

[Cypriotgeeza]

Yea I feel your pain mate, I moved when they even started hinting at ULEZ as I was just on the outskirts of A406 and I could see the writing on the wall. Best decision I ever made tbh.
I'm very biased towards a preface lift as I much prefer the looks so I'd say get it and keep it original.
I even get moments of changing my colour coded bumpers to the chromes (Even though mine are from factory) There's just something old school cool about an E30 with chrome!
Your choice but I'm with flybynite and 100% say id rather butcher a 318is than an original 323i.
But its your money = your choice.

I do see your rants on Insta and I love it, I wouldn't mind if they put a blanket ban on old cars to prove their point but it's how they did it, and for £12.50 it doesn't matter that my old car emits shit !

I still haven't decided, but if I did get it I would want it manual for sure, I'm not sure what you think this might be worth?

It really is a very straight clean rot free car

Haha I love an insta rant, The thing that irritates me is its: "how dare you kill all these innocent people with your carbon monoxide...But give us £12.50 and they can go F themselves" Lets be real its just another money maker for the black hole they are trying to fill with TFL.
Yea I agree I'd 100% convert it to manual, lower it about 30/40mm on some nice wheels and leave it as is if it was mine. 323's are getting so rare now!
I didn't mind converting mine as it was only a 320i Auto, I was in 2 minds wether to replace the engine box until I drove it and felt how slow it was then the decision was easy lol
How much would he let it go for mate as the old chromies are fetching some serious dough these days!
If you could get it for a decent price I'd go for it!

[flybynite]

Haha I love an insta rant,

Welcome back Where U been?? Too much time on insta non enough time on here. How's the boat anchor going ?

[Cypriotgeeza]

Haha I love an insta rant,

Welcome back Where U been?? Too much time on insta non enough time on here. How's the boat anchor going ?

Haha Good to be back

That's exactly what it is, As I don't really do much to my car anymore I don't update my build thread anymore so I just put pics up on insta these days.

I do still love (and miss) the Zone, so many good memories and friends made through it!

Boat anchor is still gargling fuel for fun and I'm still enjoying every second of driving it

How've you been mate?

[flybynite]

I don't really do much to my car anymore. Boat anchor is still gargling fuel for fun and I'm still enjoying every second of driving it

That's the best place to be, all the work done and nothing left to do but enjoy the results (and pour the fuel in )

How've you been mate?

Plodding on, 2 e30s but neither back on the road yet, waiting for the C1 323 to be tax-free! (unless the new Gov't get there before I do)

[Cypriotgeeza]

That's the best place to be, all the work done and nothing left to do but enjoy the results (and pour the fuel in )

Plodding on, 2 e30s but neither back on the road yet, waiting for the C1 323 to be tax-free! (unless the new Gov't get there before I do)

Trust me mate, well technically there's always more I want to do to it but time and money are at a premium atm so they can wait.

I'm counting down the days untill I don't have to be ripped off with road tax anymore, I've still got 6 years to go..by then they will prob make it 50 years

Why aren't yours on the road atm?

[flybynite]

Why aren't yours on the road atm?

Usual stuff, touch of ill health and other commitments, but the 323 is 40 now and been in the family for most of that and mine for about 35 of them. Parked it up in 1999 when I got my M3 but couldn't part with it. Needs a bit of work but it will go back on the road. Given what it is and how long I've had it around it is going to get done right.

The other one was bought as spares but given how things are now that might get the lump from my old 330i and be on the road first, makes so much sense but I have a hard time taking an M20 out of an E30, every time I start it up I find an excuse to leave it in a bit longer

[Cypriotgeeza]

Why aren't yours on the road atm?

Usual stuff, touch of ill health and other commitments, but the 323 is 40 now and been in the family for most of that and mine for about 35 of them. Parked it up in 1999 when I got my M3 but couldn't part with it. Needs a bit of work but it will go back on the road. Given what it is and how long I've had it around it is going to get done right.

The other one was bought as spares but given how things are now that might get the lump from my old 330i and be on the road first, makes so much sense but I have a hard time taking an M20 out of an E30, every time I start it up I find an excuse to leave it in a bit longer

I've always wondered why more people didn't convert the 3.0i instead of the 2.8i Such a lovely engine and I miss my old E46 because of it

Yea mate get that 323 back on the road - I see a nut and bolt resto coming along

Hope youre health is nothing too serious man!

[flybynite]

I've always wondered why more people didn't convert the 3.0i instead of the 2.8i Such a lovely engine and I miss my old E46 because of it
Yea mate get that 323 back on the road - I see a nut and bolt resto coming along
Hope youre health is nothing too serious man!

I think the M54B30 was more complicated in early days when people didn't understand the ECU and fbw throttle. It also has a bit of the modern emission stuff that the earlier 2.8 didn't have. There is also not much left on the table as far as tuning goes. But left as stock with DISA and dual Vanos the easy driving torque is quite nice, on top of it being one of the lightest straight 6s they did. I think it is a good fit as it was put in the Z3 and worked well, as opposed to the S54 which tore the boot floor out.

On top of the E30s I have a 535i sport and have to get that boat anchor running too

Not too serious, just one of those things that takes time, bit like fixing E30s

[hennabm]

There were around 4,000 323i sold in the UK and over 25,000 325 in all guises.

So a 323 is always going to be rarer.

[Cypriotgeeza]

I've always wondered why more people didn't convert the 3.0i instead of the 2.8i Such a lovely engine and I miss my old E46 because of it
Yea mate get that 323 back on the road - I see a nut and bolt resto coming along
Hope youre health is nothing too serious man!

I think the M54B30 was more complicated in early days when people didn't understand the ECU and fbw throttle. It also has a bit of the modern emission stuff that the earlier 2.8 didn't have. There is also not much left on the table as far as tuning goes. But left as stock with DISA and dual Vanos the easy driving torque is quite nice, on top of it being one of the lightest straight 6s they did. I think it is a good fit as it was put in the Z3 and worked well, as opposed to the S54 which tore the boot floor out.

On top of the E30s I have a 535i sport and have to get that boat anchor running too

Not too serious, just one of those things that takes time, bit like fixing E30s

Its true, the 2.8i is a relatively straight forward conversion compared to the M54.

Whats up with the boat anchor?

"Not too serious, just one of those things that takes time, bit like fixing E30s " - So true

[flybynite]

Whats up with the boat anchor?

Last on the road 2005 and parked up when the clutch went. Have a feeling it might need a DMF too now

[Cypriotgeeza]

Whats up with the boat anchor?

Last on the road 2005 and parked up when the clutch went. Have a feeling it might need a DMF too now