Eh, I don't think he'd want to be caught dead in an Isetta. It's what I would call a... girly... looking car...
Yes that is the "limo" Isetta. It actually has one side door for rear seat access. This kid is in CA right, well the benefit of an Isetta is he could probably get away with parking it in Motorcycle parking spaces or anywhere he can squeeze it in! Great for getting to class when you are running late! They are not girly, you just have to be very confident and have a good self image to drive one, that's all! Besides most have the whole roof as a sunroof, just like on some of the 318ti. How cool is that! GR
I can see us keeping this thread alive for a # of years and still talking about the OP's BMW of choice. Who knows, maybe down the line he will be driving a 2014 M5 and we will still be here debating on "Best BMW for an 18 year old?"...lol
Y'know... I've noticed that too! For years & years now, actually.... so - should we update the debate every year we keep yappin' away here on this thread? Best BMW for a 19 year old? and 20 year old.. and 21 year old.... by 2014 it would be Best BMW for a 24 year old?
I'll be happy to just be just out of that age bracket, so y'all could say whatever you want, I'm getting an S50. Actually, I know someone who might sell me a very low mileage M20 325i engine. He says it's got about 70k on it but I have a hard time believing that. Best of all, he's willing to let go of it cheap, so maybe it'll just be an 'i' swap, but for the money, it'll damned be worth it!
I though about that but 18-20 seems to be in the same kind of bracket (no offense Botond) . This thread will continue until the administraters lock it (please don't). Best BMW for a 21-24 year old....M car probably. Or be out there like Pluto and pull up in a 1973 3.0 CSL batmobile. Botond, you won't be able to handle the power of the S50. You will kill yourself! Get the S52 instead. How much for the M20 engine? $500 or less is a deal. You can actually get a M50 non-vanos for around $700 in the Roundel classifieds.
LMAO. A little contradictory, don't you think? I might cheap out and get an M50. Damn, my engine swap idea is being thrown around like a rag doll; one minute it's an S50, then it's an M20, then an M50... BBAAAAAAAHHH!! I would probably be the most content with a very low mileage M20. It would probably be the least headache to swap into my car seeing as it already came in my car. If this guy emails me back with a price, then I think I'm just going to go with an M20. I say that because I hopped into my trusty Gran Turismo 5 simulator and found that I had lost a lot of talent since I last played and think I would be just fine with ~170hp in my car. But as it is, I guess it's Lime Rock in my underpowered go-kart until then.. I personally would think that a Lotus Elise would be the ideal car. Low power, very low weight, extreme fun! If my car hadn't lost any power and was at full factory-spec ~121 hp, I think I'd be a lot happier. It's mind blowing how much power some cars can lose over the years. If only I had a dyno to benchmark...
Botond, let me know if you need the wiring harness for the M20B25 swap. I have one for an 87 that is a direct plug in (the later ones need a few wires switched around for the tach and OBC to function correctly.)
Engine with balancer and intake and exhaust manifolds. Wiring harness and ECU. Tach and coding plug for an i car (the plug may be the same as the e, I can't remember as I swapped the cluster.) You can pull off a 2.7i easily with everything listed except the bottom end. You may need to transfer your water pump over to the i motor if you are keeping your radiator and coolant tank. Otherwise, you need all the cooling system components from the i.
If the engine to be put in is from 9/87 or later, ya? Aren't the e's and early i's plumbed identically through 8/87? Otherwise, if you have a complete early 'i' engine (including intake & exhaust manifolds), you just need additionally the engine wiring harness, an ECU, and any 'i' instrument cluster, (or the parts you mention)? Pretty straightforward, if so - I guess if there were any difference w/ an a/c compressor bracket, either bracket would bolt to either block? Do later 'i' engines have the aux relay panel early i's do? (just clarifying - thanks for the insight)
Yes, I forgot the early i cars were fitted with e cooling systems. If you have the complete engine, it drops in and you just need to hook up the wiring. I forget what relays are in the aux relay panel, but IIRC, that panel is part of the engine harness, so it does not matter so long as you have an i harness. A/C brackets bolt up. BTW, I remove the throttle body heater loop altogether, but don't do that if you live up north.
Botond, if you do get the engine have it shipped to Moosehead . He probably will let you help him out. This way you will know how to do engine swaps so you can do my S52 swap into my E28 one day.
I'm touched by your confidence in me, but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon! You're asking me to watch someone do it once and do it again myself - you're outta your mind, for even thinking about trusting me with something like that! I'd probably screw something up purposefully and then say "aww darn, it doesn't work, let me have it... for parts". If Murrah comes through with that M30, then I think we'd be in business. An M30 for $200-300 is not bad, and that's including everything! I just wonder what mileage it is and how well it's been taken care of...
Just remember that the M30 swap is nothing like easy. Just had an M50 fall in my lap. Anyone want to buy my ported and milled M20 head/intake/exhaust for a 327i conversion?
Botond would be interested in your M20 head, though not sure it would be compatible to his eta engine. Speaking of the M30, how come BMW didn't give the E24 and the E28 the updated M30 (208 hp) in 1988 like the E32 got? Only in 1989 did the E24 get the updated M30.
Actually, I ran that head on an eta bottom end for a while. I have just put it on an M20B25, but now I picked up an M50, so I am thinking of selling the parts to make the 327i - balancer, head, intake, exhaust manifolds (all 3 ported and matched), wiring harness, and computer. I recommend a chip and a 3.45, 3.64, or 3.73 (I ran a 3.25 and towed with it, but it takes too long to hit the power band.) Make offer, Botond. I take payments, too.
It would have required a new wiring harness and other things. The last E28s were produced in 1987 (88s were holdover models.) There was no desire to install the new motor for a model that was discontinued. Dunno why they upgraded the 6. Might be to move remaining stock, might be just because they were so porky at that point they needed the extra power. The super eta thing is a different story.
