Thought I'd be downgrading by going M42..

[lolcantturn]

Both of my previous E30's were M50 powered, and with a 4.10 diff they were delightfully fast. They also got just about the same MPG's as my current M42 (30mpg highway if you were granny footed).
Getting an M42 car about 4 days ago I thought i'd dread it and just swap in a s5x by the end of the month. Nope. This is a seriously fun motor. Don't get me wrong, it's slow for sure. But it's so god damn rev happy, so responsive to throttle input that it makes it a great car to drive. Might I say, it may be even funner than my M50 cars.

Great respect for these motors, I love it much more than any M20 car I had. I'm sure I'm not putting a 24V in anytime soon.

Just a slight commentary, I'm sure many of you agree :)


P.S. the M42 still has enough power to get me nice and sideways and in the end...that's all that really matters haha.

[absolutdog]

Welcome to the m42 club.... get the markd 91 octane chip(higher redline+500, +7-12 HP, and better mpg if you drive like my grandma)

do the "mess under the intake" if you ever are working there anyway, alot of ppl do COP but there are cheap performance wires from magnacore that I have been very happy with (and they were cheaper than oem)

[roguetoaster]

It's also super easy to wrench on!

[Simon S]

viva la m42 !!

[Asbradley21]

I loved my m42. LOVED IT. Right up until it blew up on the track. Poor little thing. There's a few ways to get some more power out of it but really they're mostly a placebo in my experience.

[TobyB]

Yup, you either love it or you don't. I think they're fine in context. And in 2002's. With the E36 trans...

t

[TimKninja]

I hated it when I first got it, now I don't. Just put in a low mileage trans, plus all the shifter bushings and a Z3 shifter. Its a whole different car now. I actually look forward to driving it.

Such a fun little r3v happy motor.

If this car was red I'd never sell it.

[Tisoc]

I <3 my M42, but I'm sure I would enjoy it even more in a coupe or a 4 door rather than my raggedy cabby...

[bmwm42]

glad another r3ver appreciates the 16v engine

[freeride53]

Damn that's hella funny.
I've never driven an m50 e30, this makes me not wanna blow dat lil thang uhp anymoe

[Massimo]

They are good for what they are no dyning that. Chip, new extractors, CAI, and M20 flywheel and you will be surprised how fast they can be.

[absolutdog]

I see you are now parting out a wrecked 318is... did something happen last night on a pleasure cruise???

I hope not

[lolcantturn]

yep I wrecked it LOL.


If I was going to do a motor swap from an M42, it would NOT be a M50, hardly an upgrade from a M42 IMO. M42 is plenty fast for things to get real sketch on twisties.

[absolutdog]

OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I feel for ya, son....

P.S. the M42 still has enough power to get me nice and sideways and in the end...that's all that really matters haha.

was this foreshadowing???

[e30jake]

lolcantdrift?