What Engine Conversion for E30 drag action

[E30BeemerLad]

OK, I am possibly going to make a few enemies here and also get on a few people's nerves or told to sod off to some jap crap forums, but I'll say it anyway and I hope it sparks some lively friendly debate and banter.

But, after standing watching runs at the pod yesterday I have to say E30's were quite painful to watch going down the strip. I think the M30 conversions were some of the best to see and as far as bang for your buck goes, it can't be faulted. But a quick car to me is something in the 12's or maybe very very low 13's.

Now I've been advocating other power plants in an E30 for a while and it gets a mixed response, mainly against the idea of "cross breeding" with another make of power plant.

But I can't hold back and say that if you are gonna go quick down the 1/4 the get a yank V8 put in there or jap 6pot turbo. I don't know what's wrong with me but I just got a bit of an "anti-BMW" itch after going to the pod. Even E46 M3's which were aplenty on the strip just annoyed me. Silly zingy metallic rasp they have. Sound like someone screwing up a sheet of tin foil. OK keep the death threats to a minimum.

I'm not losing sight of the fact that you all had a blast and I ran my 325 up the strip in York last summer and it is good fun, but I am curious as to whether those that ran up the strip came away thinking, god i thought it would be quicker than that and how am i gonna get this bitch to go faster.

I'm also not losing sight of the fact that we haven't all got the money to do ridiculous engine transplants in our daily drivers and a lot of you are goung lads already getting bum raped for insurance etc.

Sorry, but BMW mills just don't do it for me one bit any more. Yes the M20 makes a nice noise but it's a serious boat anchor. But if I was going to do any transplant, then I personally would forget any offering from BMW.

Maybe I would be convinced if I saw one of the M20 turbo crew do a run or saw Toby's blown M30. I think forced induction would be all that kept me with a BMW lump.

OK, I've said it, hope you don't take offence and can perhaps understand where i'm coming from, maybe you can't and think i'm an arrogant knob?

Over to you gentlemen

[Morat]

Stick a skyline lump in there... loads of parts available and its still a straight six?
Or be the first with a 2.5l Subaru in an E30?

Or get dips/glen to do you another v12, supercharger for each bank, turbocharger likewise and get some 12J rears?

[maxfield]

Get an M10 in there rebuild it then get some mahusive turbo on there pushing 700+ Not with my BMW blinkers on or anything

[DRIFTBOY]

That yellow stripped out E30 had a 220,000 mile 3.5 M30 engine - standard apart from nitrous - and has done a 12.4 1/4 mile. I saw him do a 12.6 yesterday.

First gear was over in the blink of an eye!

[Andy335Touring]

Given the money i'd do an LS1 V8 engine conversion, lighter than an M20, less weight over the front axle, engine and box can be had for similar money to the S52b32 and similar power but a LOT more torque.

It's a shame non of the turbo lads ran, Toby's has got to be in the low 13's

[bigkev]

i must admit the most cars did look painfully slow but i think that goes for most makes.if you go to a toyota or nissan meet and see some standard cars run up the strip i'm sure i would think the same so i dont think its just a BM thing but i would have also loved to see toby's turbo tear up the strip

[Ant]

It's a shame non of the turbo lads ran, Toby's has got to be in the low 13's

Agreed it was a shame,

Toby is busy as fook and car has sump issues
Fozzy has no windscreen or tax/mot
Me, well I sold my engine and FI setup on Thursday
Fuzzy is miles away
and Malcolm wasn't in the mood, fair play to him I say

Next time for sure, just bad timing and lack of funds this time araound Andy besides, we wanted to give the NA boys a chance

Another vote for a V8 here, or FI, no rover 190hp wrongness though, only some proper yank muscle is worth the spannering imho,

[dips346]

It's a shame non of the turbo lads ran, Toby's has got to be in the low 13's

Agreed it was a shame,

Toby is busy as fook and car has sump issues
Fozzy has no windscreen or tax/mot
Me, well I sold my engine and FI setup on Thursday
Fuzzy is miles away
and Malcolm wasn't in the mood, fair play to him I say

Next time for sure, just bad timing and lack of funds this time araound Andy besides, we wanted to give the NA boys a chance

Another vote for a V8 here, or FI, no rover 190hp wrongness though, only some proper yank muscle is worth the spannering imho,

i would re think that rover wrongness remark

[Ant]

ahh, ok Dips, but yours is about as rover internally as mine is M8

I did say no 190hp rover wrongness, yours is a little over that

[fuzzy]

obviously ive got to add the cosworth engine into this thread.its a tried and tested route with an impressive pedigree and pretty serious power can be had easily although having a car with the aerodynamics of a house to start with doesnt help

[Karan]

m30 with big NOS

[dips346]

ahh, ok Dips, but yours is about as rover internally as mine is M8

I did say no 190hp rover wrongness, yours is a little over that

let you off ant

[Simon13]

there was an E36 with cossie power and he just couldn't get the power down off the line, plus it lunched something and went home via a tow rope! wasn't really any quicker than andys 335i

[fuzzy]

there was an E36 with cossie power and he just couldn't get the power down off the line, plus it lunched something and went home via a tow rope! wasn't really any quicker than andys 335i

somebody told me they were speaking to said e36 driver who claimed his cossie engined e36 was puting out 420bhp,although their quickest time was 14.5 maybe he was a crap driver though

[dips346]

there was an E36 with cossie power and he just couldn't get the power down off the line, plus it lunched something and went home via a tow rope! wasn't really any quicker than andys 335i

somebody told me they were speaking to said e36 driver who claimed his cossie engined e36 was puting out 420bhp,although their quickest time was 14.5 maybe he was a crap driver though

big turbo,too much lag and a shit driver and wrong car to have it in

[Andy335Touring]

From the picture thread

____________________________________________

Cool ! thats me in the other lane, i did a 14.7(slowest run that day ) and he did 14.0, he was about four car lengths ahead at the finish line.

Does any one know what sort power he had ?

[fuzzy]

From the picture thread

____________________________________________

Cool ! thats me in the other lane, i did a 14.7(slowest run that day ) and he did 14.0, he was about four car lengths ahead at the finish line.

Does any one know what sort power he had ?

if thats the cossie one then i was told he has about 420bhp

[Simon13]

he was shocking off the line, stalling it, missing/grinding the gears, just bad really!

[fuzzy]

big turbo,too much lag and a shit driver and wrong car to have it in

but apart from that you were impressed? when i bought my turbo the specialist talked me into the stage 2 t34 with a smaller .48 exhaust housing so it spins up faster with minimum lag but still with my 370-380bhp capabilities in mind.much quicker of the mark with boost coming in at 1400rpm

[jonb]

that e36 cossie shat its propshaft out near the end of the day. right on the start line.

there were countless numbers of e36 and e46 m3"s. i was fairly impressed with the e46 m3 times, many under the 14 second mark. still look slow watching them.

the capri big block came and pissed on everything, along with the fiat 126 v8.

[dips346]

big turbo,too much lag and a shit driver and wrong car to have it in

but apart from that you were impressed? when i bought my turbo the specialist talked me into the stage 2 t34 with a smaller .48 exhaust housing so it spins up faster with minimum lag but still with my 370-380bhp capabilities in mind.much quicker of the mark with boost coming in at 1400rpm

engine did look nice,your turbo sounds a bit like mine,holds up to 60 psi kicks in at 2000 rpm and cost a touch under Ԛ£2000

[fuzzy]

no mate ,mine is half the turbo that you have at under a grand and only holds 28psi what turbo do you have dips?as even a mighty t4 is only about Ԛ£1500.must be one of them fancy roller bearing gt types?

[appletree]

thought the 330Ds did quite well too they want that much slower than the m3's

is there some e30's with the twin turbo supra engine in them? could you go that root?

[fuzzy]

i was always talked away from the jap engine conversion route due to the difficult electrics involved although i have no idea if thats true or garage bullshit

[SwirlyE30]

V8 all the way.Freind of mine is running a 383 stroker in a Monte Carlo.Running 10's (0-60 like 2 seconds) I was quoted 2 k by John sleath,whos an engine builder known world wide,to have my 350 convereted into a 383 with around 350+bhp.soo...?

[hammoj28]

I reckon if its just for the strip then a huge yank v8, massive rear wheels etc and make it light as possible. \Just like the 375....

Then again the 3.2 evo engined e30's must have been pretty dam quick up the strip!!

[Demlotcrew]

The best car for me was a Silver E36 3.0l M3 it was doing 12.8sec

S50B30
Cams
Carbon airbox
Alpha-N (not sure on the EMS)
= 340bhp

Thats the proper way NA!

[SwirlyE30]

Thing is, for the money ,12.8 aint THAT quick in my mind.Nice quick everyday car,although lot easier to get more for less

[hammoj28]

Yeah, so a 3.2 evo e30 would be proper quick if it had cams and the above. Plus N/A gets you off the line much better i would have thought as turbo has lag.

[IainB]

V8 all the way.Freind of mine is running a 383 stroker in a Monte Carlo.Running 10's (0-60 like 2 seconds) I was quoted 2 k by John sleath,whos an engine builder known world wide,to have my 350 convereted into a 383 with around 350+bhp.soo...?

Was that just the conversion price? What did it include for the money?

Personally I would go 427/454 SBC (power of a big block, size and weight of a small block) on either turbos or a pro-charger

[SwirlyE30]

That was the price if i sent my engine to Mr Sleath and he fitted a stroker kit,cam,rebuiild it etc

[320Touring]

Hmm lee, good question! need plenty of torque off the line (v8) and plenty of revability (4pot)

so its gotta be 6 pot or a v8 really, cant really argue with a crate motor of about 9.3l and 675bhp out the box

[toughyv8]

Another vote for a V8 here, or FI, no rover 190hp wrongness though, only some proper yank muscle is worth the spannering imho,

how very dare you
im a firm believer in the old rover lump, the ropey old 3.5 in my 320 got me a 14.6 at york and that was with an open diff.

[trigger]

From the picture thread

____________________________________________

Cool ! thats me in the other lane, i did a 14.7(slowest run that day ) and he did 14.0, he was about four car lengths ahead at the finish line.

Does any one know what sort power he had ?

what sort of speed was your 14.7 run, just curious as i have a 325 touring auto and really wanted to go and run it but couldnt get day off work, looks like i missed a great day

[e30cossie]

I think the e36 was the bloke with 420 bhp cosworth engine.so it should be a lot quicker than that.