S5X e30 or turbo m20

[einstein57]

If your currently getting pulled over all the time and getting asked to pop your hood please sell your e30 and buy another brand. We don't need d-bag boy racers screwing up the e30 scene.

Drove my car like this for a year.





The s54 is not all that great. Sure it look good on paper but its not all that impressive to drive. They also have there fair share of problems. I've never heard an s54 that makes you want to drool and i've heard all types of setups and they all sound like they are missing something. Ohh and who the hell spends $1,500 to dyno tune an m20?

[iamsam]

holy wow remind me to never ever ever EVER move to CA. The state of California should be ruled unconstitutional. It's hilarious that they regulate your engine mods by law out there.

[greanthumb]

holy wow remind me to never ever ever EVER move to CA. The state of California should be ruled unconstitutional. It's hilarious that they regulate your engine mods by law out there.

Pretty much only bother you if u are driving a full blown racecar.
Or any honda w a fart can.
Cali is the shizz.. Unless u like to snow ski year around. Lol j/k

[Wanganstyle]

The s54 is not all that great. Sure it look good on paper but its not all that impressive to drive. They also have there fair share of problems. I've never heard an s54 that makes you want to drool and i've heard all types of setups and they all sound like they are missing something. Ohh and who the hell spends $1,500 to dyno tune an m20?

Missing something? perhaps a Turbo?? You should do a S54 turbo!



Have you driven a mapped uncorked s54 with no limits in a NON-e46 chassis??? or a s50 euro engine swap?

S54 is the same feeling as a de-catted boost up 2JZ-GTE. I've had both, built and swapped in similar personal cars.

S54 in a e36M is faster than de-catted boost up dyno mapped STi's on the top end from 80-160mph, imagine the same power in a lighter E30?

its the sheer RPM's that make S54 so alluring, its the difference between a 2jzgte and a RB26dett; the ITB rb26 has incredible top end pull.



If you have a M20 (built motor $4k) and a nice turbo kit ($4-5k) and you want reliable usable power, you would cheap out on dyno tuning? REALLY???? risk your $8K engine/turbo investment?

Dyno is 1K a day for full mapping for built turbo/motors at the place I trust locally. One day on the dyno will most likely not handle a custom built motor and custom turbo setup; esp if you desire full DD ability.

Even if you go with a professional support/tuning solution like TRM it's 1k+ with revision support. That is the price you need to spend if you want to have a 500rwhp daily driven turbo BMW that can take tropical heat, wangan abuse... 2 UUC twin plate clutches just got to me; being sent to asia with 2 full Technica Motorsports Forged turbo pinstons/rods for a couple more beast (GT3537R) Daily Driver builds. Turbo Daily driver out of Non-turbo BMW is = built everything, don't play if you don't want to spend.

A Turbocharged factory non-turbo engine is about as problematic as I can think of for any setup. Turbo = one extra engine on attached top your engine.

Douchebag much?

Sure you can BAR a S54 swap but the average R3V'r can not. It's a lot different than BARing a M/S50 that's for sure.

The average R3V'r should be driving a stock e30 and trying to keep it clean and 100% functional. Suits the budget and ability much better.

Am I somehow not a knowledgeable person because I've never bolted a S54 in to an E30?

please don't talk trash until you build one up and have the guts to run it till it pukes. (and take responsibility for it)

Whoever is giving you the figures for your M20 build is a little off.

I like M20's too. But I really like My Bardy and Beck 327S engine; its the real vintage item;
Built Engine specialties (rip dave cruz) head; stock euro 323 cam. Lightened and finely balanced bottom end with Mahle 10.5:1 pistons

Stirtz machine did refresh work for me, Engine was refreshed last year and converted from L-Jetronic to USA standard motronic at BNB designs.

I know what a proper M20 engine should sound like and cost.

PS: Didn't your S54 blow up?

YES. I melted my own S54 for the fun of it. took a while to do:)

Took it over 6 months time as a learning experience of how to tune full dual vanos unlimited Alpha-N with a full standalone.
Purely mapping it only alpha-N high loading for high speed use.

#5 piston ring failed at ~ 145mph mid day during a tuning pull.

the S54 took constant high speed pulls and fuel mapping range as lean as 17:1 and rich as 10:1 in the test duration; also was daily driver duty in the bay area.

Melting a S54 Was quite a fun learning experience :) you should try it - thrilling!

[einstein57]

I've driven lots of cars in the last 10+ years including Vettes and Hennesy Vipers. You should check out some of the cars Castros have built. A boosted m54 seems like a better way to go. Its a very capable and reliable motor with plenty of low end grunt. I know of many s54s that have blown up after being built by reputable tuners to achieve the same #s as a boosted 2.8 m20. Its easily possible to have a complete and sorted s54 swapped boosted e30 for less then what most people spend on their s52 swaps. You just have to be willing to get your hands dirty instead of pulling out a check book. But arguing what 500hp motor is better is like arguing BMW vs Mercedes. We have a preference based on either personal experiences, what we are looking for out of the experience, or what looks better on paper.

[craiggroves91]

So you guys know, by s5x I meant s50 or s52. s54 is definitely out of the question. Not in the budget.

Looks like you guys are having fun though.

[Vivek]

So between r3v and e30tech s5x wins, and that seems like what you really wanna do.

[craiggroves91]

So between r3v and e30tech s5x wins, and that seems like what you really wanna do.

Yeah, I said whoever got to 50 first combined and s5x did that awhile back.

I think thats where it will be going!

[ak-]

Yeah, I said whoever got to 50 first combined and s5x did that awhile back.

I think thats where it will be going!

prepare for boredom!


yolo

[craiggroves91]

prepare for boredom!


yolo

haha I came from an e36 m3 and was decently happy with the power that had.
It did get a little dull after a few months.

An e30 with an s52 will tickle more for a little while, if it gets dull I'll look into supercharging it or something else!!!

[MR 325]

Better get a CARB legal S/C kit. ;)

[craiggroves91]

Better get a CARB legal S/C kit. ;)

haha Aren't most of them CARB legal?

[pandaboo911]

Depends on the budget, good turbo build will cost twice what the s50 swap costs, but you'll have twice the power

[craiggroves91]

I am terribly indecisive my God.
I'm literally thinking about continuing the turbo again haha