V8 it is

[The Dark Side of Will]

This would be good for the swap, also:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160932412788

//

It would be more like 45-50 mph in 1st gear with the 2.35. It's a consequence of taking advantage of low RPM torque to gain gas mileage.

What's better than a 300 HP E30? A 300 HP E30 that pulls down 30 mpg.

[nando]

I don't get the point of being able to go 40% faster in a gear. why would you want to go 60-70mph in 1st gear? You wouldn't even get into 3rd and you'd be in "going straight to jail" territory.

if high freeway RPM bothers you that much get a 6 speed. or drop down to a 4 speed and save some weight..

[The Dark Side of Will]

On the other hand, you'll lose some of the acceleration that you'd get with a 2.93 or 3.25. That's a fact.

Depends on the speed range. A 2.35 car will have 40% higher speed in gear than a 3.25 car, and will continue to accelerate in the lower gear when the 3.25 car will have to upshift.


Maybe I phrased my assertion poorly to begin with... whatev.

[JGood]

I don't think what the video shows is conclusive, with the way the numbers are out of frame and the camera is moving.

Anyway, I'm suggesting something that most BMW guys seem to overlook, that would, IMNSHO, make the car much more enjoyable. If I were building a RWD E30 V8, I'd be looking for the tallest rear diff I could get... especially for use with the 5 speed trans. Such a car would still have more gear than Camaros and Corvettes, while being 500-700 lbs lighter. An M60B44 frankenmotor would be in the same power range as the LS1 5.7.

Gearing examples:

Car:             First: Top: Final: O/A 1st: O/A Top:
LS1/T56          2.66   0.50 3.42   9.10     1.71
Camaro/Corvette

E30 V8           4.23   1.00 2.35   9.94     2.35

I've been in touch with a guy who swapped his E39 M5 from 3.15 to 2.65 rear gears and loves it.

But whatever floats the OP's boat.

LOL. I don't understand what you're going on about. I'm not trying to tell you that a 2.35 is not an acceptable diff for this drivetrain, so you don't need to defend it.

The only reason I posted in the first place is because you told the OP that a 2.79 is the shortest gearing he'll want to go. I simply said that it's personal preference, not a right or wrong decision, like you made it sound like. I don't know why the conversation is still going on. If you really think that I am 'wrong', then I guess we'll just agree to disagree. I have a v8 e30 that I daily drove this past year, so I at least have some actual experience with what I'm talking about.

The car hooks up, gets traction, and I like the gearing it has. There's nothing else to be said.

I understand your reason for wanting a 2.35. The car has the power to accelerate nicely with that gearing, and you'd have low highway RPM's. On the other hand, you'll lose some of the acceleration that you'd get with a 2.93 or 3.25. That's a fact. Choosing what end of the spectrum you want to be at is where the decision and personal preference comes in to play. It's that simple.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I don't think what the video shows is conclusive, with the way the numbers are out of frame and the camera is moving.

Anyway, I'm suggesting something that most BMW guys seem to overlook, that would, IMNSHO, make the car much more enjoyable. If I were building a RWD E30 V8, I'd be looking for the tallest rear diff I could get... especially for use with the 5 speed trans. Such a car would still have more gear than Camaros and Corvettes, while being 500-700 lbs lighter. An M60B44 frankenmotor would be in the same power range as the LS1 5.7.

Gearing examples:

Car:             First: Top: Final: O/A 1st: O/A Top:
LS1/T56          2.66   0.50 3.42   9.10     1.71
Camaro/Corvette

E30 V8           4.23   1.00 2.35   9.94     2.35

I've been in touch with a guy who swapped his E39 M5 from 3.15 to 2.65 rear gears and loves it.

But whatever floats the OP's boat.

[Exodus_2pt0]

IIRC from looking last week, the speedo wasn't in frame when he shifted.

You can see the needle... and it's lack of movement.

[The Dark Side of Will]

And there's no reason for me to go with longer gears if traction isn't an issue.

I wasn't talking about you...

[The Dark Side of Will]

IIRC from looking last week, the speedo wasn't in frame when he shifted.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Wheel spin shows up as "acceleration" as read on the speedometer, so the movie doesn't demonstrate anything meaningful related to traction or lack thereof.

Actually, it does.

If he had significant wheel spin, then when he shifted into 2nd gear the speedometer would have dropped down to a slower speed than when he left 1st.

He let off at 40mph to shift out of first, when he engaged 2nd gear the speedometer stayed at 40mph and started to climb. Had he had significant traction issues you would have seen a drop in speed when he let off the gas to shift, due to the car not going as fast as the wheels were spinning.

[JGood]

Well my only time at the track I pulled a 2.0 60', and I'm a terrible drag racer. There was no wheel spin.

My point remains, gearing is not a right or wrong thing, it's a preference thing.

And there's no reason for me to go with longer gears if traction isn't an issue.

[Exodus_2pt0]

So I just purchased my e30 last week

Not even going to enjoy the car the way it was made for a little while?

Drive it, and see how you feel after a few months. I fell in love with the straight 6, and if you want to go faster you can always turbocharge it.

I'm not telling you what to do, just saying that you probably haven't had the chance to fully appreciate what the car already has to offer in a week of ownership.

[The Dark Side of Will]

And like I said, it's personal preference. Just because it *could* pull a 2.35 doesn't mean everyone wants that long of gearing. I like the short gearing and faster acceleration. Some people like the low RPM's and less frequent shifting.

What is your experience with a v8 e30? Mine does just fine. This is me stabbing the throttle in 1st at the peak torque RPM. As you can see, not enough wheel spin to hinder acceleration. 2685lbs, 235's, 3.25LSD, LW flywheel.

2685 with close to a 60% forward weight bias?

Wheel spin shows up as "acceleration" as read on the speedometer, so the movie doesn't demonstrate anything meaningful related to traction or lack thereof.

How many V8 E30's can cut a 1.8x sixty foot time on street tires? That's easy for a Fiero.

My point is that the car only accelerates as hard as the tires can grab... which isn't very hard on an E30. If the acceleration is limited by the tires, go with longer gears to maintain that acceleration to a higher speed. It's not like it's going to lack acceleration, with the 4.20 first gear.

[iamsam]

^^ holy balls.


Anyway, to echo what everyone is saying, you may want to save that E34 and make some money re-selling it (if you can). But from what I understand it's pretty dang hard to find older BMWs at the breaking yards (or whatever you call them). I sure tried when I was over there last, and for the week that I was there, I saw more Aston Martins than I saw old BMWs. I saw exactly one E30 and it was a red touring.

[JGood]

And like I said, it's personal preference. Just because it *could* pull a 2.35 doesn't mean everyone wants that long of gearing. I like the short gearing and faster acceleration. Some people like the low RPM's and less frequent shifting.

A V8 E30 doesn't do so well.

What is your experience with a v8 e30? Mine does just fine. This is me stabbing the throttle in 1st at the peak torque RPM. As you can see, not enough wheel spin to hinder acceleration. 2685lbs, 235's, 3.25LSD, LW flywheel.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I can't imagine having an engine that big in a car that light geared that short. It could easily pull a 2.35 ratio...

I have a Caddy Northstar (4.6 litres, DOHC 32V... a little bigger than an M62) in my Fiero. It has 0.72 fifth with 3.61 final for a 2.6 overall 5th... it will accelerate uphill turning 1100 RPM at 32 mph in 5th. The car weighs 2900#. It turns over 2600 RPM at 80 when it could easily push the car down the road at 2000 RPM at that speed.

I'm planning a 6 speed swap... the car desperately needs another gear.

That's my $.02 based on my experience in a car with similar weight, power and torque to a V8 E30.

Also, the Fiero has outstanding traction... With 3.50 first gear ratio (12.6 overall), the car only breaks the 245's loose in cold weather on summer tires. In warm weather it hooks up in 1st. A V8 E30 doesn't do so well. The taller rear end would help get the power to the ground in 1st gear.