Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[MrBurgundy]

I need to drive an m42 powered e30 and see what the hype is about.

[s1uma1]

I need to drive an m42 powered e30 and see what the hype is about.

it's actually pretty fun once you get up to speed. To be honest though, with the 4.10 rear diff, in the city the car almost feels faster than my friend's e30 m3!

[ccsdo5]

All 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.

This is so true. I absolutely thrash my turbo m42 and it takes it pretty well. I personally think the M42 is wayyyyyy better than the overly glorified SR20 but it's still just an okay engine.

[mjimport]

I’ve owned both a 325is and 318is (both well cared for examples) and definitely enjoyed the m42 car more (once I figured out how to drive it)

[JimmyP]

and definitely enjoyed the m42 car more (once I figured out how to drive it)

That is the key that most people who bash 4 cylinders miss,,, by a lot.

[varg]

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.

[2mAn]

M10> m42

[bradnic]

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.

[varg]

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:

[cory58]

So back to BAT... I’m now officially hoarding any low mileage Bronzit E28 I can find. Crazy price. Bronzit? Really?

[2mAn]

.

m10 over an M42? cmon. S14 (m10 derived) > M42 certainly..

I was just messing with ya M42 lovers.

So 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 dunno

[reelizmpro]

I think the Euro goodies help it but I dunno

This concours 88 535i with euro parts looks like it was supposed to look from the factory. I think we Americans tend to forget that. At the end of the day, it's just a US spec 88 535i...not rare, not even uncommon. I know it's superclean and very well done but $30k-40K? It's pretty eye opening to see people paying those prices for a non M5 E28. If it was from Socal, it's probably a Ron Perry car which may explain the price.

[playdoh850]

I am curious to see what this silver 318is goes for. I have a one owner silver slicktop 318is that is sitting at 119k miles right now, but it needs a complete respray. The interior is mint and I have every service record since new.

[varg]

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.

[reelizmpro]

The 535i is down to the final hours at $33k!