Oh, and yea, E30 M3 bumpers and side skirts would look silly IMHO on a regular E30. There are many great options out there to choose from that will look correct on the car. Remember the E30 M3 is quite different from other E30s, which is not the case in the E36 generation where it was easy to do such a swap. Oh wait I own one of those! Which is for sale BTW. Do you want that for a track car? It has a Dinan S2 suspension.
Oh Yes I Would !!!!!!!! If offered My choice of M42 318is or M20 325is........I WOULD choose the 318. AND......To say that the M10 is an inferior motor is like saying that Katherine Hepburn had no class. HP ft.lbs torque Let's see........1985 M20B25 170 158 1974 M15 (tii) 130 130 1974 M31 (turbo) 170 180 1991 M42B18 138 129 ........Add the extra weight of two more cylinders.......How much stronger IS the strongest M20. M10.....NOT "a four pot with bad numbers" In the op I saw "beginner track car". IMO the best beginner track car is a 2002 or the 318's. On the street the "BABY" sixes don't really outshine the fours till about 60 mph. No offense intended Botond, but I think your ZHP has addled your brain. And for the record....... I think the F1 M10 was 1400+ HP And furthermore.....1:46 @ Mid-Ohio with a normally aspirated M10 in a car that cost less than $1,5000. A gutless bargain!
Thank you Superdave That's now TWO other people who aren't so quick to write off the M10. Glad to see that the M10 has at least a few friends in the BMWCCA community.
So you're telling me I don't understand what I preach? Come on, CR! Sure, the E30 with the M20B27 was fun, but was very frustrating coming up to a straight and everyone and their mothers leaving you behind. This completely ruins the entire experience. Says the guy with an S14!!! The weight doesn't make that big of a difference. Still worth its weight in gold. Addled? My car is slow. Addled... pfft. It was that damned S50 that did it to me, I tell ya. Drove my old S50 E30 the other day (my friend was crazy enough to let me drive it) and I sure do miss it... Once again, an engine not available for the E30, and definitely not without having to do a ton of work to it. I'm not understanding you crazy people!
When comparing my 325ix with H&R Springs/sway bars and bilsteins to my 318i with H&R springs/sway bars and bilsteins there is a huge difference in the way these cars handle. Now I know it is not the perfect comparison b/c the ix is 4wd. The ix has 4:10 diffs with a manual trans and is quicker than my M10 318i. BUT the 318i is so much more fun to drive and is not really slow in the lower gears. The only place you really feel the lack of power is on the highway when accelerating in higher gears. When I finally do a track day, this will be the car I use. There is just something about a four cylinder that is hard to explain the passion for. There really is something fun about driving an underpowered car fast. I guess when you grow up driving a 40hp diesel, a 100hp feels like a lot! But so does the 300hp in my wifes 540i, I know I am contradicting myself here, but I guess that is the point. They are both a lot of fun! What can I say isn't life interesting!
Just a reminder in your little apples to oranges comparison I should point out that the S50 you're heaping praise upon was not originally available for the E30 either. As for the work needed, I'm pretty sure that S50 didn't simply install itself under the hood of that E30 you mentioned. In fact, the F1 M10 wasn't offered in ANY street legal BMW.
Weight makes ALL the difference........ Remember the first time an instructor allowed you to go play by yourself?......... Take a minute here, because I know it's been a long time for some of you. (pause) Now that you've thought about that a minute, my first impression was "WOW, my 02 just picked up 30 horsepower, and my tires seem to stick a lot better!" At this point some of you are asking, "Whats the crazy four pot buzzard trying to say?" The weight difference between the E30 318 and 325 is about two hundred pounds. No..... it's not that instructors are fat. The weight difference almost negates the added hp and torque of the M20. (unless you weigh 300 lbs.) It's hard to argue with Mr. Newton. So now I'll leave you with that old saw..." The best way to go fast is to not slow down." You really don't need more horsepower if you quit stomping on that pedal in the middle.
make that 3 if you count the guy with the M10 powered 318i track rat, it might not have much power but it's enough to put a smile on my face while I'm zipping in between or over the cones
Well, yeah, but--- Horses for courses, lads. I have spent WAAAAAY too much time in the (right-hand, usually) seat of slow cars on race tracks. . . although I quite enjoyed my last time out in a 2002tii at Laguna Seca. (Still, I could have read a novel on the uphill climb between Five and Seven.) My 325iX used to be a momentum car, too---heavy for its 167 horsepower---so it had to make up time by not losing any. Fortunately, AWD will allow some bizarre cornering speeds! However, a certain Mister Dinan has ruined all that by means of a ginormous turbocharger 'n' stuff: 350 or so reliable all-day horsies, maybe 400 if we go nuts with the boost and the fuel. Is it more fun than it was with half the power? Oh my God yes, what, are you crazy?! Now, for dirt-road and ice-and-snow rallying, I have a rally good time in my old Saab Sonett: four-banger Ford V4, maybe 90 horsepower when everything's working. But it weighs something like 1,800 pounds, so it can be flang around purty good. But one of my favorite cars is. . . are you sitting down? . . the Z3 1.9. That's what sports cars used to be all about: agile, economical, and simple to work on.
I've since made my decision -- I went with the six-banger. I'm currently stripping the 1989 325is I purchased last Saturday for a staggering $1200 from a fellow BMWCCA member, Matt (for whom, I cannot exactly recall his last name). Here's the full story on my blog: ( http://subcultural.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-new-yet-21-year-old-car.html ) It's a red, two-door, 5-speed. Exactly as I wanted. And for better or for worse, it's red. While it is my favorite color, as I said before, I'm currently underway in stripping the car. But what I neglected to mention is that I am doing so in preparation painting it. Now what on earth do I paint it?! White was my first choice, but my friends and father alike ask me, "Well, what's wrong with red?" I rarely reply, but whenever I see a white E30, I salivate. Suggestions? Possibly, very possibly a blue, but no green, no black, nor silver.
I'd go with white if red is no longer an option. Red is my favorite with white a close second. I agree that white E30s do look particularly good.
I really think Roy Hopkin's sponge painted 2002 is pretty cool. That's the one we always see in Roundel winning Targa Newfoundland. Next to sponge painting, faux wood grain might cool. ... on the other hand, why do you want to paint a track car?? If it looks nice, you might not be willing to drive it as hard for fear of stuffing it into a wall. The ideal track car is disposable.
IMO, the ideal track car is an empty canvas, ready for the application of all that stuff you'd never do on the street.
[QUOTE as hard for fear of stuffing it into a wall. The ideal track car is disposable.[/QUOTE] Well there are some rust spots, so I'd like to get those mended. Also, I'd prefer my E30 not look like junk with its current faded zinnobarrot paint.
I agree - if you're going to race it, why bother with paint? Seems like an unnecessary expense for a track car. Use grey primer on the rust spot. All you really need is a barrier against rust anyway. Even avoiding getting into a wreck (most racing is generally safe, but accidents do happen), it's still going to get chipped and scoured.
Even so, excuse me for attempting to have a moderately nice-looking BMW. And what I neglected to mention, and what you guys clearly have since ran with and scrutinized me with is the fact that when I get to college, this will be my daily driver.
Fair enough. I have a better idea. I still think the paint is a waste of money on a track car, but I have a better idea than the primer. Seriously, the cost of a decent paint job (without drips, overspray, missed spots, or paint on your window seals) can cost hundreds of dollars. That's a LOT of racing parts, Bubba. Buy those numeral decals from a hardware and paste your racing number over the rust spot Check with your racing authority to make sure it complies with the specs. Wow. you really need to save your money then. Skip the idea for buying numbers from a hardware store. It's lots cheaper to steal Botond's.
Sorry. We are guilt as charged; we tend to lose track of the original question after 3 or 4 posts. Preping for college?? Man, now I really think you should sponge paint it. ... oh yeah, ... congratulations on successfully acquiring a seriously cool car. Welcome to the club.
