How much better would an e30 M3 be than my 87 325is?

[flyboyx]

shit. this thread is 5 years old

[iwannam3]

theres a fair amount of traffic when the MILFS pick up the kiddies from school

TRUE STATEMENT. WAYZATA MILFS. :firehop:

[reelizmpro]

I made the choice also. I had set aside about 13k to spend and decided to upgrade/fix my 325i. Now with the S52 40k mile 5sp conversion, new rims, Mtech II conversion, koni (with new IE sways front and rear), etc done-- the car in unbelievable now. I use her for a daily driver and could not imagine anything else for the money that would even come close to the feel and drive now.
I have never driven a E30M3, so I do not know how she compares.
Has anyone compared both of them? A 325i with basically new suspension, rims, S52 to a E30M3?
I have a few projects left. I want to get a set of sport seats and maybe a Mtech II steering wheel.
I did think about the M3, but after looking at the budget needed, I figured I could have almost everything with a newer 24v engine.

Does anyone have links to performance diff of the S14 and the S52?

Believe me, many e30 enthusiasts have faced the same dilemma. I think it comes down to what type of enthusiast you are and what you mean by "better." We all know the S52 has more HP/Torque over the S14 and how it delivers it all is what makes it a great engine to drive on the street or the track. Having one in an E30, just makes it even more fun. There's no doubt with the money saved from not buying an M3, you can make a hell of a 325 but it's still not and never will be an M3. There's something about having that high revving peaky S14 engine with ITB's, the sexy aggressive wide body...just everything about the car means business right out of the box. I grew up in the 80's so the car to me was always a legend. Coming from a stroked 325e/iS (granted not as powerful as S52), I still wasn't satisfied. I wanted an M3 and what it lacked in power it made up for in other ways. I used to think it needed a 6 but then understood why it had a 4 and I grew to appreciate the original design and wanted to improve on it. For me, it's not about making the most power anyway you can but about having the best total package. You can make a lot of power with FI, NOS, engine swaps. M3's are also appreciating in value which is good if you own one but bad if you don't. It'll always be a significant car that'll get harder to replace. Much easier/cheaper to replace a swapped 325.

[stormspike]

I made the choice also. I had set aside about 13k to spend and decided to upgrade/fix my 325i. Now with the S52 40k mile 5sp conversion, new rims, Mtech II conversion, koni (with new IE sways front and rear), etc done-- the car in unbelievable now. I use her for a daily driver and could not imagine anything else for the money that would even come close to the feel and drive now.
I have never driven a E30M3, so I do not know how she compares.
Has anyone compared both of them? A 325i with basically new suspension, rims, S52 to a E30M3?
I have a few projects left. I want to get a set of sport seats and maybe a Mtech II steering wheel.
I did think about the M3, but after looking at the budget needed, I figured I could have almost everything with a newer 24v engine.

Does anyone have links to performance diff of the S14 and the S52?

[cramer]

I'd love to own the M3, but reality set in, this is a driver, I don't want want to worry about vandals or morons on the road, the is blends in better, the M3 gets too much atension,

Outside the car enthusiast circle, the E30 M3 is nothing more then an old BMW with a body kit..... You would only get attention from those who know what it is and on a daily basis driving around town, that is very little if any.

Sorry to hear about your vandalism problems. Only a low life coward damages other people's property.

[Old'n'Slow]

1)Parts are not 3x the cost or anywhere close to that high. Don't know what you're talking about.

Whatever. I'm only replaced 100 or so parts on my M3 and compared with what I've paid for regular E30 parts, it's significant difference.

The main point was that if you are accustomed to the needs of an M20, then an S14 is going to seem like a needy child.

3)The other issues you list aren't a big deal...buzzy shifter, header stud(happened once to one stud for me...took 10 minutes and 2 dollers to fix).

Only if you can DIY.

4)There's really nothing that is tricky about an s14. Like Blunt said...has a crankshaft, pistons, cams, etc. Nothing crazy...

I've done headwork on an M20. Cake compared to an S14. There's NO WAY I would attempt it myself.

I stand by the fact that a 20 year old homologation special makes for an expensive daily driver. A great 2nd car, but not basic transportation.

[shiftbmw]

Well, let's see. First off, any parts needed will be at least 3X the cost of non-M parts. Price of exclusivity. Second, the S14 wants a tune-up, that is, plugs, valve adj (done by using shims of varying thicknesses-the kit is $700 from BMW), dist cap and rotor, and all filters every 15-20K. The intake gaskets need replacing regularly, (a HUGE PITA) unless you get the Dinan one$. The header nuts rattle off regularly and need to be looked after. Hell, the motor is so rough by today's standards-your shift linkage will need a good SSK, or at least regular rebuilds to keep it from buzzing in the cabin. Third, if you can't DIY all this stuff, finding someone who knows how to service a handbuilt motorsport engine will be difficult and additionally expensive. But worst of all, fat chicks will try to sit on the wing and break it. That wing is nearly impossible to keep looking nice, too, because it is made from cardboard and fiberglass and paint doesn't like to flex as much as it does. IT'S A RACE CAR FER HEAVEN'S SAKE! :p And I love mine.

Figure at least 18K for a nice one. If it's got more than about 100K on it, you want to see history of head work performed by a reputable shop. Any M3 should come with STACKS of receipts. If not, run! When the engine needs major work, the car will likely be down for weeks at a time. But then, a 20+ year old race car should probably not be your sole mode of transportation.....especially if you are driving 20 year old cars because you don't have lots of disposable income!

1)Parts are not 3x the cost or anywhere close to that high. Don't know what you're talking about.

2)Valves, filters, plugs, cap, rotor every 20k? Dang, a whole 200 bucks every 20k lol...If you think that's crazy, the E30 M3 needs it's oil changed every 3 or 4k miles too...

3)The other issues you list aren't a big deal...buzzy shifter, header stud(happened once to one stud for me...took 10 minutes and 2 dollers to fix).

4)There's really nothing that is tricky about an s14. Like Blunt said...has a crankshaft, pistons, cams, etc. Nothing crazy...

5)Don't need to spend anywhere near 18k for something decent. You certainly CAN, but you don't need to.


Anyways...carry on.

[CleanAzzE30z]

Regular E30s are WAY better. The ///M3 has only 4 cylinders, no torque, and its got that awful looking body styling.


Mariano

[napabavarian]

The e28 535is was a really great car but I haven't seen a nice one in years...

I'm debating placing one in my driveway :nice: I really don't need 6 e30s

[napabavarian]

I had to make this choice, and chose the 325is :D I'd love to own the M3, but reality set in, this is a driver, I don't want want to worry about vandals or morons on the road, the is blends in better, the M3 gets too much atension, I'd love to have one in the garage and drive the back roads a couple Wednesdays a month (Sunday drivers are too dangerous!) but for a DD I'll take something less rare, I already have a Peugeot 505 diesel and a Subaru SVX, rare is great if you don't need the care every day, some mofo keyed the SVX headlight to tail light just for fun, never had that trouble with the 325is.

[SpecM]

What is meant by lower wheel arches on the 88 and up? Thanks

the rear fenders sit lower (imagine the 'arch' over the wheel)

[e30slut]

Pump the brakes? Is that what M10 powered 318 drivers have to do, because the engine barely provides enough power to move the car forward, never mind vacuum to the booster? :razz:

HA!

with the drum brakes in the rear, they'll need alot of pumpin

Even funnier....

[clydesdale]

What is meant by lower wheel arches on the 88 and up? Thanks

[DCColegrove]

Good grief!

Yeah...

Some days are better than others.

[Old'n'Slow]

E46 is nice...not the same though.




It was an 88... No SRS.

A week or something after that shot...

I parked it on out here on HWY 1...

Didn't set the parking brake...

Was out of gear...

Rolled off the cliff...

Not one of my better days.

Good grief!