The Story Of Losing Fun In a 1985 318i M10-engined E30.(Suspension related)

[a3ternus]

Well,I got the little car 6 years ago with everything on it factory stock,the odometer
showing 107.000 genuine kms (around 65.000 miles).
I started by fitting new tyres (now the car has Michelins 195/55-15,up from 185/60-15)
and a new suspension (The classic Bilstein-HR combination). ;)

The car shockingly enough had a 4 speed manual Getrang gearbox from the factory,
which was later replaced with a 5 speed manual,
while the differential was upgraded from a 3.64 open one to a now 4.27 LSD
(The internals coming from a Z3 differential).
Ok,I know it may seem too much,but consider that the car had only 4 forward gears,
meaning that with the 3.64 diff each gearchange was giving me 50km/h with a
top velocity of 200km/h.In a free fall maybe.Or extreme downhill. :p

Anyway,the car now equipped with the 4.27 LSD tops 200km/h (120mph) in 5th and it doesnt "sound like an asthmatic coal miner trying to breathe" as the european evo magazine once wrote for an E30.
On its way to 2010 the car was also equipped with a thicker rear anti roll bar from a 3.20i,
new rear disk brakes from a 6 cylinder E30 and a front strut bar.That was all great
handling wise and the installation of an Alpina exhaust header in combination with the
7200rpm red line gave my E30 a new lease on life and the car got really interesting,matching the performance with the available grip,making it fun to drive on mountain B roads.I also have a new rear strut bar and a thicker front anti roll bar to be installed soon...

Anyway,the car as it is now,even with the LSD on is not so much fun.Its neutral.I hope the new suspension parts (rear strut bar and a thicker front anti roll bar along
with new Bilsteins on the back only-the current ones got quite soft) will restore some of the fun factor but I m not sure...

What do you think? Whats your opinion on all these? I need my fun back... :roll:

N.

[Wh33lhop]

Not sure what to tell you dude. Fun is really subjective. What was fun to you? Was it tail happy?

[xwill112x]

m50 swap

[a3ternus]

m50 swap

LOL Do you really think I can afford it? :p

Not sure what to tell you dude. Fun is really subjective. What was fun to you? Was it tail happy?

I d say with the 4.27 open it was quite tail happy.
But the problem with the headers is that torque has moved upper in the rev band.With the shorter diff,that was somehow lessened but still it could kick the tail out...
Above 4.500rpm the car revs like mad (for a M10).:)

Now with the added traction of the LSD I only hope the stiffer rear suspension will bring some fun back,along with the rear strut bar in the trunk that is...

M10s are really light cars and can be fun you know...
N.

[xwill112x]

LOL Do you really think I can afford it? :p

im in the process of a swap, and do you really think i can afford it? lolz :)

[McGyver]

s52 swap OBDI

fixed

[a3ternus]

So,should I go on and install the rear stut bar and the thicker front anti roll bar?
Will these increase oversteer?
N.

[Ray Smoodiver]

13b pp

[xwill112x]

So,should I go on and install the rear stut bar and the thicker front anti roll bar?
Will these increase oversteer?
N.

get some low offset wheels, and install the front sway&rear strut, and oversteer should come easier.

[Dirtbleed]

I'll be in Athens in July. Better let me drive it on some of the B roads to make sure it's no fun.

[bataangpinoy]

turbo, less sway bars and straight pipes.

[Kershaw]

13b pp

that would be a nice swap. peripheral ports sound sexy.

[Be30mer]

13b pp

mazda rotary that loves boost right? That would be insane.

[bddog]

Only when they matched six cylinders with this chassis did these cars become interesting. (m3s' aside) I owned an earlier M10. Completely different animals.

[kylekrueger]

Maybe, try to swap over to some side draft carbs, if you have the time and money. That would definitely help with the fun factor.