build E30 or E36? opinions :)

[Wanganstyle]

hey guys-

Been DD'ing my 87 325e 5mt 4dr for a while now, and its great. all stock with 3.07 torsen LSD for rain; cabrio suspension to avoid bottoming the oil pan on speed bumps :)


I want to build a track car and am deliberating between selling or building the E30

I have a nice clean shell E36M sedan rolling body that I put a 4.10 torsen lsd into, was pondering doing a 2jz or LSX swap, or turbo M50.52.....but the body kinda feels numb. I did a season of trackdays with s52 powered e36m, and eventually did a s54 into that car alpha N but it was not worth the expense/cost/effort - car was too heavy! even no AC, CF sunroof weight was about 2950lbs without driver.

pondering stripping the hell out of the E36m or the e30 and building for track

e30 would keep the m20b27 and add i head + 524TD top mount setup with a GT28RS size turbine (probably from evo or RB25 parts bin)

e36 would get LSX or 2jz+single turbo swap, or a 1.9 M44/ 2.8 m52 with boost.


target would be 2700 lbs for e36m, 2300lbs for boosted 325e/i

which would be more fun? S52 power in e36 body is NOT enough. S54 has weight a bit too far up, was pondering a 4 cylinder turbo in the e36 for that reason...

[z31maniac]

Turbo Busa.

Why even mess with anything less?

[LuckyHenriksen]

LSX into the E30 :D

[10Toes]

My M52 E30 is more fun then the 500hp Ls1 E36, but the e36 is faster.

[JRKOUPE]

apples or ornages

this e 30 vs e36 convo is as old as the ages.....

to me, its not about whats better....faster.... etc.....

its about which car stirs your soul?....which do you relate to more.....which do you look at over your shoulder as you walk away from parking her?..

you can make both fun.....both have limitations..........



but which do you really want...?

[Den_k321]

E30

[Wanganstyle]

this e 30 vs e36 convo is as old as the ages.....

to me, its not about whats better....faster.... etc.....

its about which car stirs your soul?....which do you relate to more.....which do you look at over your shoulder as you walk away from parking her?..

you can make both fun.....both have limitations..........



but which do you really want...?

I can hit both chassis limit, I own both cars :)

the e36 I've tracked for a couple seasons, its fast and efficient.

the e30 is really fun in the mountains with its smaller footprint.

I look at both all the time and have a difficult time deciding which to drive........ thats why I posted!!!


e30 body feels limited to me on the top end from flex, any one get theirs setup to handle wangan speeds? (140mph ++) stable?
I feel my e30 is just not the same at top end, but I really enjoy the lower weight of the e30

e36 body is good at 160mph over, but I don't know how to really cut weight off it, dont think it can really go lower than 2900 lbs easily :(

[garretvs]

My M52 E30 is more fun then the 500hp Ls1 E36, but the e36 is faster.

Yeah, sure. When have you driven an LS1 E30??

[F34R]

Yeah, sure. When have you driven an LS1 E30??

When you sign on do you search LS1 to find new threads? ;)

[Knoepfler]

Yeah, sure. When have you driven an LS1 E30??

My M52 E30 is more fun then the 500hp Ls1 E36, but the e36 is faster.

woah calm down nerd

[bme30]

http://youtu.be/lS5yDet6ngI

[Wanganstyle]

Yeah, sure. When have you driven an LS1 E30??

Ls1 e30 would be slow on the track. Pointless combination, kind of like lsx miata or lsx rx7, it's fast but not consistent lap times. Lsx e36 is slightly better, but not when I can just buy a e36m and a ws6 firebird and drive them both for the price of full vorslag parts and swap effort.

Ls1 is really only fast in a c5/c6 etc body. Pointless without the body, even a brilliant chassis like fd3s cannot handle lsx toruque as well as an Oem lsx designed body.

Last few vettes I drove put down power great, the one lsx swapped 94 rx7 twin turbo I've got to watch closely on many tracks around nor cal was either lapping with r35gtr's or in the gravel, spun out all the time.

No hybrid swap etc can put down lsx power quite like a vette. Pointless in this discussion, I feel it's overkill for e30/36

If you had a empty e92 m3
Chassis however..............that would be some killer spiff. E92m+lsx

I'm Not trying to build a car to get towed out of sand with, everyone gives you the onus look when you are wasting track time.

I would buy a vette if I wanted ls v8 power.

[Wanganstyle]

http://youtu.be/lS5yDet6ngI

Hahaha, heard about that one. Probably too crazy a swap for me...

[Jean]

Post some pictures of your e30 and e36 track toy, we want to see! :)

[Shangsta]

Ls1 e30 would be slow on the track. Pointless combination, kind of like lsx miata or lsx rx7, it's fast but not consistent lap times. Lsx e36 is slightly better, but not when I can just buy a e36m and a ws6 firebird and drive them both for the price of full vorslag parts and swap effort.

Ls1 is really only fast in a c5/c6 etc body. Pointless without the body, even a brilliant chassis like fd3s cannot handle lsx toruque as well as an Oem lsx designed body.

Last few vettes I drove put down power great, the one lsx swapped 94 rx7 twin turbo I've got to watch closely on many tracks around nor cal was either lapping with r35gtr's or in the gravel, spun out all the time.

No hybrid swap etc can put down lsx power quite like a vette. Pointless in this discussion, I feel it's overkill for e30/36

If you had a empty e92 m3
Chassis however..............that would be some killer spiff. E92m+lsx

I'm Not trying to build a car to get towed out of sand with, everyone gives you the onus look when you are wasting track time.

I would buy a vette if I wanted ls v8 power.

The Ls in an fd chassis is a very capable open tracking car, and imo better than an fd with a rotary due to the better reliability. And why do you feel that its chassis cant handle the "torque" of an ls motor. Its very apparent that you have never driven one