I need to drive an m42 powered e30 and see what the hype is about.
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Originally posted by varg View PostAll of the shit I give the M42 is deserved, I know the engine inside and out better than most people who actually like the M42 and tuned mine from scratch. It doesn't deserve any praise but it isn't garbage.
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Originally posted by mjimport View Postand definitely enjoyed the m42 car more (once I figured out how to drive it)Jimmy P.
87 E30 M3 Prodrive British Touring Car
88 E30 M3 Zinnoberot - Garage Queen
88 E30 M3 Lachsilber - SCCA SPU #98
92 M Technic Cabrio - S14 Powered!
98 318Ti Morea Green
04 Ford F350 Dually Tow Machine
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I'm not missing a thing, and neither are most E30 owners. While a lighter and slightly more well balanced car is nice on a winding downhill, that's not where most driving happens, and most prefer a fairly robust and torquey I6 to a relatively weak and not even rev happy I4. The M42 is solidly mediocre engine, while you get 4 cylinder lightness you don't get any more responsiveness than you do from an M20 and it doesn't even rev high. An M42 feels and performs more like an econobox engine than anything else. It has more low end than something Honda would put in a 318is, but doesn't respond as quickly and doesn't rev as high and lacks top end because of it. It's also a coarse engine, the NVH characteristics are a lot worse than all but the most maladjusted M20s.
I welcomed the extra 70lbs* (that's the difference between the M20/G260 combo and M42/G240 combo) for the huge torque gains and smoothness. When I did my swap the smoothness of the I6 vs the buzzy M42 was so distinct that I regularly bounced off of the rev limiter until I acclimated to the engine never feeling like it needed to be shifted.
*325s don't weigh a mere 70lbs more than 318s because they are upmarket cars and have more sound deadening as well as a bigger differential, I didn't have this issue so the weight gain with my M20 swap was probably very close to the 70lb figure.Last edited by varg; 12-02-2017, 06:05 PM.
IG @turbovarg
'91 318is, M20 turbo
[CoTM: 4-18]
'94 525iT slicktop, M50B30 + S362SX-E, 600WHP DD or bust - updated 3-17
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I ran an m42 turbo 318is and loved it. it's lighter and more compact than an m20, sits further back in the engine bay as a result. revs and breathes great, came with headers from the factory and has a bullet proof bottom end.
m10 over an M42? cmon. S14 (m10 derived) > M42 certainly. Is the M42 better than a more modern 4 cylinder, or a high revving Honda motor? of course not. Is it better than an M20? hell no.
sorry @varg but comparing an m20 turbo to an m42 turbo is plain nonsense. different classes of motor entirely. if someone doesn't prefer a four over a straight 6 then swap the motor out. want to boost torque and hp but keep the lighter front end? then turbo the m42.I BUY/SELL REFURBISHED CM5907s & CM5908s
HOWTOs:
DB vert plastic bumpers
OEM Keys
MTech1 docs
88 ix Lach/Card
91 ic Calypso 3.1
86 Cosmo 2.7
OEM+ or bust!
reelizmpro: I will always be an e30 guy.. I still do all of my own labor
TrentW: There's just something so right about a well-built M20 in an E30
e30m3s54turbo: I save my money for tuner parts.
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Nope. Comparing them isn't nonsense since I've had both engines turbocharged in the same car and they were both options in the E30 to begin with. We aren't comparing a B16 to a Barra I6 here, we're comparing two engines available in the same chassis at the same period of time. Both of which I have driven a lot, turbocharged and tuned. The M20 is just better. The difference in front end feel is there for sure but hardly enough to be considered bad. But the improvement in low end torque and smoothness completely changed the character of the car.
The M20 doesn't feel like someone has set it to vibrate :grin:
IG @turbovarg
'91 318is, M20 turbo
[CoTM: 4-18]
'94 525iT slicktop, M50B30 + S362SX-E, 600WHP DD or bust - updated 3-17
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Originally posted by bradnic View Post.
m10 over an M42? cmon. S14 (m10 derived) > M42 certainly..
I was just messing with ya M42 lovers.
Originally posted by cory58 View PostSo back to BAT... I’m now officially hoarding any low mileage Bronzit E28 I can find. Crazy price. Bronzit? Really?
I think the Euro goodies help it but I dunnoSimon
Current Cars:
-1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle
Make R3V Great Again -2020
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Originally posted by 2mAn View Post
I think the Euro goodies help it but I dunno"I'd probably take the E30 M3 in this case just because I love that little car, and how tanky that inline 6 is." - thecj
85 323i M TECH 1 S52 - ALPINEWEISS/SCHWARZE
88 M3 - LACHSSILBER/SCHWARZE
89 M3 - ALPINEWEISS II/M TECH CLOTH-ALCANTARA
91 M TECHNIC CABRIO TURBO - MACAOBLAU/M TECH CLOTH-LEATHER
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I doubt it will crack $9,000 given the restoration, mileage and noted issues. With these more expensive collector/"concours" cars originality and low miles are what drive the price up. It's certainly a nice car. Shame about the paint on your slicktop, if it were in good shape and the car all original you'd probably have a nearly $20,000 car on your hands based on what we've seen this year. With a good repaint your car is probably still in the $15,000+ range though: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...18is-coupe-11/
A slicktop 318is is probably second only to a slicktop 325is in non M/non S14 E30 market desirability.Last edited by varg; 12-03-2017, 07:01 PM.
IG @turbovarg
'91 318is, M20 turbo
[CoTM: 4-18]
'94 525iT slicktop, M50B30 + S362SX-E, 600WHP DD or bust - updated 3-17
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The 535i is down to the final hours at $33k!"I'd probably take the E30 M3 in this case just because I love that little car, and how tanky that inline 6 is." - thecj
85 323i M TECH 1 S52 - ALPINEWEISS/SCHWARZE
88 M3 - LACHSSILBER/SCHWARZE
89 M3 - ALPINEWEISS II/M TECH CLOTH-ALCANTARA
91 M TECHNIC CABRIO TURBO - MACAOBLAU/M TECH CLOTH-LEATHER
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