M20B27 Chinese Food Delivery Build?

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • anabolice30
    E30 Modder
    • Jul 2013
    • 946

    #1

    M20B27 Chinese Food Delivery Build?

    Hey r3v, I've been having some ideas bouncing around in my head, and I'd like to run it bye you guys and see what you think. I am 18 years old, about to graduate high school and moving on to college in the fall. I'm a delivery boy at a local Chinese joint, so between that, driving to school, hanging out with friends, my girlfriend, and any other running around town I may be doing I drive between 400 and 700 miles a week. Currently gas is KILLING me. I fuel up a few times a week between 10-50 dollars, but I'm too scared to add the cost up. Currently I have an m20b25 in my car with a lightened flywheel and (I believe) a 4.10 diff. Car hauls, but it's getting me like 17mpg, with a lot of highway miles. .

    Anyways, I bought a parts car for $200 hundred bucks, an 85 325es automatic. The car runs good when it is started, but it needs to be jumped every time, (changing the battery does not help). So my question to you is this. Since the engine in that car is already mine, would it be cost effective to yank it out, refresh it, and throw it in my 325i? I've seen some people claim to get almost 40mpg highway with an eta, and 30mpg around town. That would be a godsend to me right now. Plus I've never heard of a late model with an ETA engine in it. What do you think r3v? Should I do it, or am I getting myself in way too deep?
  • fiveightandten
    Wrencher
    • Nov 2013
    • 257

    #2
    You'll only be driving that much for the next 6 months or so. If your math is correct, you'd save between $2 to 3K in fuel over that time, as a very rough estimate.

    It seems to me that it would be far easier to just fix whatever is wrong with the ETA car and drive that. Then you'd also have your 2.5 unchanged. You'd still save on cash over what you're doing now.
    -Nick
    sigpic
    1986 325es || 1998 M3 sedan || 2003 330ci

    ~Looking for a left side early tail light, or a set of early tails~

    Comment

    • frankie591
      E30 Addict
      • Feb 2012
      • 545

      #3
      put the 325e diff in your 325i for the time being. You will get much better gas mileage.

      Comment

      • mrcheezle19
        E30 Fanatic
        • Apr 2012
        • 1451

        #4
        Change diff.


        Originally posted by blunttech
        Dude this is r3v. 20 bucks gets you a used timing belt or a low mileage head gasket

        Comment

        • E30 Wagen
          No R3VLimiter
          • Jul 2005
          • 3425

          #5
          Originally posted by mrcheezle19
          Change diff.
          My Feedback

          Comment

          • einhander
            R3VLimited
            • Apr 2004
            • 2024

            #6
            Originally posted by mrcheezle19
            Change diff.
            2011 1M Alpine white/black
            1996 Civic white/black
            1988 M3 lachs/black

            Comment

            • TheTacoMan
              R3VLimited
              • Nov 2011
              • 2308

              #7
              Have you considered getting a different job that wont have the cost of driving everywhere?

              Comment

              • BobombETA
                E30 Mastermind
                • Apr 2008
                • 1575

                #8
                Change diffs for a living instead.
                Instagram
                sigpic
                Current: 99 M3
                Past: 84 325e, 84 528e

                Comment

                • anabolice30
                  E30 Modder
                  • Jul 2013
                  • 946

                  #9
                  Originally posted by fiveightandten
                  You'll only be driving that much for the next 6 months or so. If your math is correct, you'd save between $2 to 3K in fuel over that time, as a very rough estimate.

                  It seems to me that it would be far easier to just fix whatever is wrong with the ETA car and drive that. Then you'd also have your 2.5 unchanged. You'd still save on cash over what you're doing now.
                  Forgot to mention the ETA is ugly as shit paint wise and has rusted rotos. no interior electronics working, steering wheel is basically tape. An engine swap would be 10x easier than making the ETA DD worthy. And I will actually be driving more when I go to college. As college is further away than my school, and I'm keeping the job.

                  Originally posted by TheTacoMan
                  Have you considered getting a different job that wont have the cost of driving everywhere?
                  With tips I make $10-$15 an hour depending on how busy we are. I'm still making up the cost of gas and then some, I just wanna make more money

                  Comment

                  • Quinthirty
                    Grease Monkey
                    • Mar 2012
                    • 318

                    #10
                    I would suggest that you look for a job that does not require you to drive around a lot so as to prevent you from spending much on gas and maintenance expenses. I am sure that you can find other 'jobs' out there that will pay better, but you need to look harder. Question is, do you know what you really want to do, or want to be?

                    But if you choose to stay in your current job, the best thing to do is to maximize your earnings by going on different modes of transport, namely:
                    a. a bike
                    b. public transpo
                    c. motor cycle
                    d. a hybrid
                    e. a Honda or Toyota

                    As you can see, there are a number of better options than the E30. You can consider these types of transpo depending on location, travel time, but most importantly, cost. The savings that you will get is something that you can use for other things too i.e. an education i.e. fixing cars, an investment in a small business, etc. Start early and save. Prudence and delayed gratification will go a long way in letting you enjoy an E30 in the future. E30s are not cheap to maintain and run daily. The best ones we've seen here run about 22-28mpgs, so 30mpgs are a stretch, and 40mpg is a pipe dream. Quickest solution as mentioned is to change differential, perhaps to 3.73 or even a 3.25, but we're talking minimal savings compared to what you'll spend.

                    Comment

                    • TurboJake
                      No R3VLimiter
                      • Oct 2010
                      • 3780

                      #11
                      Originally posted by anabolice30
                      Forgot to mention the ETA is ugly as shit paint wise and has rusted rotos. no interior electronics working, steering wheel is basically tape. An engine swap would be 10x easier than making the ETA DD worthy. And I will actually be driving more when I go to college. As college is further away than my school, and I'm keeping the job.
                      Use it as your work car and run it into the ground. Who the hell cares what it looks like.

                      Replace rotors, figure out electrical issues (Which will be an easier fixes than you think), run into ground.

                      Much less work than downgrading a 325i. It should also be noted that the 40mpg car is an M42, not M20.

                      Also, change diff.


                      Leave Me Transaction Feedback

                      Comment

                      • Lake
                        Advanced Member
                        • Apr 2013
                        • 177

                        #12
                        ill trade you my 325e non lsd diff for your LSD diff.
                        Originally posted by Ty13r
                        if you scream while doing it you'll gain extra power. worth a try.

                        Comment

                        • anabolice30
                          E30 Modder
                          • Jul 2013
                          • 946

                          #13
                          Originally posted by TurboJake
                          Use it as your work car and run it into the ground. Who the hell cares what it looks like.

                          Replace rotors, figure out electrical issues (Which will be an easier fixes than you think), run into ground.

                          Much less work than downgrading a 325i. It should also be noted that the 40mpg car is an M42, not M20.

                          Also, change diff.
                          Yea, but if I want a work car i have to insure it, get tags, and register it. All costing $$$ especially when all I bought it for was the glovebox, gonna be parting it out soon. Also I care what it looks like. If I didn't care what my car looked like I'd have a VW rabbit or something.

                          Originally posted by Lake
                          ill trade you my 325e non lsd diff for your LSD diff.
                          Already have an LSD diff, but thank you!

                          Comment

                          • ndfspd67
                            Advanced Member
                            • Sep 2013
                            • 111

                            #14
                            Originally posted by BobombETA
                            Change diffs for a living instead.

                            Someone get this man a cookie


                            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                            Comment

                            • efficient
                              No R3VLimiter
                              • Feb 2012
                              • 3312

                              #15
                              work at a bar/restaurant or something. you'll make tips, or valet cars

                              Comment

                              Working...