wtf is up with m42swaps?

[SmokeE30]

Anyone interested in starting this thread over from the beginning with the knowledge that a turbo kit is now available for the M42 that gets you to 180ish rwhp for under $2,000? Having just sold my BRZ because it was too damn small, I'm wondering how that engine and drivetrain would mate with the E30? Based on how people are driving the BRZ, picking up one from a totaled car may not be too difficult.

anything is possible with enough time/money/skills i'd be interested to see a boxster engine in a e30 but i bet it would be quite the squeeze to get it in there. if your looking for a cheap swap though i would look into other motors. and skip the turbo m42, yes its doable but its still a crap motor.

[JinormusJ]

You gave up a BRZ for size but want an E30?

I take it you've never been inside a BRZ?

[totheredline]

Having just sold my BRZ because it was too damn small, I'm wondering how that engine and drivetrain would mate with the E30?

Its a boxer 4 so its physically a wide engine. Im not sure if it would fit beteen the strut towers. ALTHOUGH, people put all sorts of v8s in E30s so who knows.

Idk why you'd even want that engine in the first place. Plenty of cheaper, more powerful alternatives. Toyota 1uzfe, ford 302, LS, M5x S54, 2jz... The list goes on.

[Nick_S]

I just pulled my M42. Sorry guys, don't hate me. I don't dislike the motor, I prefer the low end grunt of an M50 over an M42.

[AdironRider]

You gave up a BRZ for size but want an E30?

[MikeW]

Anyone interested in starting this thread over from the beginning with the knowledge that a turbo kit is now available for the M42 that gets you to 180ish rwhp for under $2,000? Having just sold my BRZ because it was too damn small, I'm wondering how that engine and drivetrain would mate with the E30? Based on how people are driving the BRZ, picking up one from a totaled car may not be too difficult.

[Schnitzer318is]

I prefer my m42 to my m20b25 or b27. I'm including pre turbo as well. Dyno'd 136 at the wheels with chip and efan (no mech fan). Granted my motor only had like 40,000 miles on it, but I still prefer it at 80,000. Oh and it got close to 40mpg on a Dallas road trip and consistently got 28-32mpg in town before FI.

Whichever motor you like is all good, but I don't understand (and this thread hasn't shed any new light) why some just blanket hate on the m42. Same thing with threads hating on the b27. I actually really enjoy driving my eta, even with the automagic in it. After getting off of work it's nice to be able to hop in and not have to row through gears. And that motor has almost 400,000 miles on it. Sounds like a diesel though, getting replaced soon.

[QUKBMER]

THIS IS !!!!!

[MF DOOM]

Maybe not in the real world but they would make it a lot farther then the Pile of shit they call an M42.

Mine made it 40k miles out of the factory before the head had to be removed to do a profile gasket.

profile gaset was a company recall..


In all honesty guys, we all know what the best motor of all time is.

[decay]

You women are still talking about this?
And I though I talked too much

oh, you do.

:P :D

[JinormusJ]

I dig my M42 swap.

Oh, you meant "Why are people swapping them out?"

Only not-gay post ITT

[EN318isPDX]

M20 sucks, M42 sucks. What of it. 24v or gtfo

[butters]

can't we all just get along?

I probably would have stayed OE if my car was a 318is. lowly 4-door 318i and no regrets going 24v, even the fuel consumption is comparable with my taller gearing.

M42 was decent while I had it, no hate. I "raced" a buddy in his 2012 2.5 5-speed Jetta getting on the highway 2nd-3rd gear and astonishingly, we were dead even. really good considering its age, and the Jetta is a decently quick feeling car to get around in. not fast, no.

to me, a big part of the beauty of BMWs is the inline-6 engine, so it's difficult to own the iconic E30 with a 4-banger. same friend with the Jetta had a '90 325is for a short time, and even though it was very much a beater it really felt alot faster than the 318 and I was annoyed by that. I like the M20 though the M42 is of course a more modern and evolved motor.

[iamsam]

^^ that's awesome.

[ClayW]

I dig my M42 swap.

Oh, you meant "Why are people swapping them out?"