I'm new but i don't know what i bought ...

[Slick92GS-R]

have fun with it, i have a feeling that down the road you will start to like the E30 a little more than your GS-R. If you want a dramatic HP increase, buy a Conforti chip. I used to have an ETA and thats the first thing i would do if i ever bought an ETA again. Sooooooooooooo much Torque. Have fun and enjoy the RWD. :twisted:

thank you for answer ... yes, i think i will get to like my E30 . but WHOA !!!! that part about liking it more than my GS-R ... lol.. no way ever ever .. !! the reason for the E30 is to make it a track car that i can beat on the weekend at club events..i understand it handles like a charm -- I live about 5 mins away from the Homestead motorspeedway that hosts many BMWCCA days as well as other similar with drving events.. the car seems easy to work with and i can't seem to shake the experience of hot lapping with a driving instructor in his E46 M3..

my GS-R is my daily driver as it is gorgeous and fast .. i would venture to say maybe faster than 75% of the cars on this site .. it is very a rare car and track days certainly be hard on it .. i do respect the e30--and i would luv an E36 M3, but unfortunately i'm already caught up in several other investments that tie my financed up at least for another 2 years.. maybe one day we can swap car for a day u can drive the GS-R and i could drive your E30-M3 :P :P :P

[Dominick]

You got a lot of work to do. I'd say you definately have an ETA with a swapped cluster. So what have you decided:

swap in a m20b25 (i engine)
or throw in i cam,TB,etc

either way its a good project and enjoy it, i miss my teg a lot but i love the RWD feel now.

[brodee]

Re: I'm new but i don't know what i bought ...

busted the oil pan then proceeeded to drive home .. uh huh.. the motor is locked..

If the motor is locked then why are you looking at just replacing the oil pan? Junk the eta motor and either put in an m20b25 or just spend a little extra and get an M50, instant 192hp stock and possibilty of 210 pretty easy. You can find a decent m50 these days for under $1000 if you're not on a time crunch and when you're done you have a car worth something.

Just my $0.02

[surebimmer]

Might gain 50 hp with the I motor but lose 10 ft lbs.

[Il Duce]

psh.... who needs torque....

i went from an ETA to an m3...


( i miss my ETA )

[Slick92GS-R]

- well, 1 week after buying my ETA 325--i've purchased a complete '89 325i motor w/41000 miles -- thats gonna be my swap.. i'll apply general match port , shorty headers, intake and free flow exhaust .. i'll spring for a Conforti chip-- and a good flywheel/clutch combo--- the rest of the effort is gonna be on suspension and chassis improvement ----- this is not gonna be a daily driver so i can be rather aggressive.. i'll certainly document the progress..

[Slick92GS-R]

You got a lot of work to do. I'd say you definately have an ETA with a swapped cluster. So what have you decided:

swap in a m20b25 (i engine)
or throw in i cam,TB,etc

either way its a good project and enjoy it, i miss my teg a lot but i love the RWD feel now.

great, u had a 'teg ? nice!! was it a G2 at least ..also where in Orlando are u located -- we can start planning a Fla meet !!

[Slick92GS-R]

Re: I'm new but i don't know what i bought ...

busted the oil pan then proceeeded to drive home .. uh huh.. the motor is locked..

If the motor is locked then why are you looking at just replacing the oil pan? Junk the eta motor and either put in an m20b25 or just spend a little extra and get an M50, instant 192hp stock and possibilty of 210 pretty easy. You can find a decent m50 these days for under $1000 if you're not on a time crunch and when you're done you have a car worth something.

Just my $0.02

i guess my initial idea was to perhaps 'loosen' the motor.. but becuz of the ETA's apparent inability to make power easily .. i'll have a 325i..

[M3 Ryan]

- well, 1 week after buying my ETA 325--i've purchased a complete '89 325i motor w/41000 miles -- thats gonna be my swap.. i'll apply general match port , shorty headers, intake and free flow exhaust .. i'll spring for a Conforti chip-- and a good flywheel/clutch combo--- the rest of the effort is gonna be on suspension and chassis improvement ----- this is not gonna be a daily driver so i can be rather aggressive.. i'll certainly document the progress..

Wow... You sound like a honda guy.
I am not trying to be a dick to you, but if you want power, don't waste your time with all that exhuast work. Headers are kinda pointless without a big cam and other major mods.
BMW's come with everything you could want from another car company. They port match everything to fit together from the factory. The flywheel and clutch are fine, but you can buy lightweight ones if you really feel like it.

If it were my car, I wouldn't spend te money. You will spend more on a clutch/flywheel combo than you paid for the car. Look around at BMW parts, they are expensive when compared to honda/american car mods...

Just my .02 cents...

[Marvin_Hecht]

Etas are good cars. I've had one since 86 and 230k miles. For some reason, many of them (mine included) say 325 even though it is a 325e, and even though it is actually a 2.7 L engine. It was built for economy, and so that Americans wouldnt complain about lack of (low-end) power
vis-a-vis the 318i's that BMW stopped shipping to the US 86-90.

lots of low end torque. very quiet engine, very truck-like & torquey.
performance mods include a Jim Conforti chip, swapping out the diff for a higher ratio one (eg. from a 635 csi) and bolting on the Euro 323i head.

[brodee]

Etas are good cars. I've had one since 86 and 230k miles. For some reason, many of them (mine included) say 325 even though it is a 325e

The ones that are badged 325e were the optioned out models. My '87 was marked with an e and cae with all power options, leather, and even rear headrests.

[Slick92GS-R]

- well, 1 week after buying my ETA 325--i've purchased a complete '89 325i motor w/41000 miles -- thats gonna be my swap.. i'll apply general match port , shorty headers, intake and free flow exhaust .. i'll spring for a Conforti chip-- and a good flywheel/clutch combo--- the rest of the effort is gonna be on suspension and chassis improvement ----- this is not gonna be a daily driver so i can be rather aggressive.. i'll certainly document the progress..

Wow... You sound like a honda guy.
I am not trying to be a dick to you, but if you want power, don't waste your time with all that exhuast work. Headers are kinda pointless without a big cam and other major mods.
BMW's come with everything you could want from another car company. They port match everything to fit together from the factory. The flywheel and clutch are fine, but you can buy lightweight ones if you really feel like it.

If it were my car, I wouldn't spend te money. You will spend more on a clutch/flywheel combo than you paid for the car. Look around at BMW parts, they are expensive when compared to honda/american car mods...

Just my .02 cents...

-- well .. how do i answer u ..? if ever u have to make an apology before u speak -- its becuz u are gonna be saying stuff that is offensive -- when u say that 'i sound like a Honda guy'.. what does that mean?
--i understand it to have a negative connotation-- am i correct?
anyways -- i don't ever expect to make this car better than my GS-R as a daily driver ..THATS gonna be too costly. however, i expect to make the e30 much faster than its current configuration. THIS IS GONNA BE A TRACK CAR-- NO A/C--NO REAR SEATS NO PRETTYNESS.. as a result.. i'm using jus basic (read:simple & effective) mechanical upgrades to better the motor. in my many many years of 'hobby mechanics', i've never seen ANY motor than will not benefit from addt'l breathing improvements. of course u can match port a m20, of course u can improve the exhaust manifold, of course u can improve exhaust flow.. i have enuff experience to realize that a well built driveline is essential. of course it will receive a stronger clutch and better flywheel. but as mentioned-- i think the majority of the e30 improvements will be to chassis -- u drive a M3, thats an M30.. anything that for u can have, can also be for me, suspension wise at the very least ..
now, from the my 2 weeks of hap hazard research, i don't expect maybe more than 165-170whp from these motor modifications .. i do expect a car that will handle superbly, though and as a matter of fact, expect it to be on par with an E30-M3.. thats not an impossibility

- i'll let u know how it comes out ...

[brodee]

THIS IS GONNA BE A TRACK CAR-- NO A/C--NO REAR SEATS NO PRETTYNESS.. as a result.. i'm using jus basic (read:simple & effective) mechanical upgrades to better the motor. in my many many years of 'hobby mechanics', i've never seen ANY motor than will not benefit from addt'l breathing improvements. of course u can match port a m20, of course u can improve the exhaust manifold, of course u can improve exhaust flow.. i have enuff experience to realize that a well built driveline is essential. of course it will receive a stronger clutch and better flywheel. but as mentioned-- i think the majority of the e30 improvements will be to chassis -- u drive a M3, thats an M30.. anything that for u can have, can also be for me, suspension wise at the very least ..
now, from the my 2 weeks of hap hazard research, i don't expect maybe more than 165-170whp from these motor modifications .. i do expect a car that will handle superbly, though and as a matter of fact, expect it to be on par with an E30-M3.. thats not an impossibility

Ryan is a BMW tech and knows what he's talking about. I think what he was getting at is that yes, these mods will help, but for the cost involved it doesn't make sense.

I'll give you an example. My car has a $600 cam, a $900 set of headers (yes there are 2 before someone tries to flame me), full custom exhaust, $250 chip (second one I've tried), 19# inectors, $300 AFPR, lightweight flywheel, CAI, etc. So about $2500-$3000 in parts, a lot of which can't even be found anymore.

So that's $2500 without even touching internals like you are talking about. So figure another $1500 or so for the other mods you mention for a total of around $4,000. My car had 150 RWHP the last trip to the dyno, that was before the AFPR and when it was running lean, so maybe 155 now. So for $4,000 you end up with maybe 165hp. Why not just drop in a $1000 M50 engine that starts at about 160hp, then you have $3,000 to spend on suspension, where you can really improve these cars.

M20's jsut don't respond well to mods, it's a single cam engine, you can't expect too much out of it.

BTW - Ryan's car is an e30 M3, that's a S14 motor, the M30 was in the 535's.

[Slick92GS-R]

[quote="brodee"]

Ryan is a BMW tech and knows what he's talking about. I think what he was getting at is that yes, these mods will help, but for the cost involved it doesn't make sense.

I'll give you an example. My car has a $600 cam, a $900 set of headers (yes there are 2 before someone tries to flame me), full custom exhaust, $250 chip (second one I've tried), 19# inectors, $300 AFPR, lightweight flywheel, CAI, etc. So about $2500-$3000 in parts, a lot of which can't even be found anymore.

So that's $2500 without even touching internals like you are talking about. So figure another $1500 or so for the other mods you mention for a total of around $4,000. My car had 150 RWHP the last trip to the dyno, that was before the AFPR and when it was running lean, so maybe 155 now. So for $4,000 you end up with maybe 165hp. Why not just drop in a $1000 M50 engine that starts at about 160hp, then you have $3,000 to spend on suspension, where you can really improve these cars.

M20's jsut don't respond well to mods, it's a single cam engine, you can't expect too much out of it.

BTW - Ryan's car is an e30 M3, that's a S14 motor, the M30 was in the 535's.

OMG -- if i ever spend that much on this car and get that result.. i'd be very disappointed..
u need to revisit your tuning or these parts that u have purchased are duds.... maybe the dyno is off calibration---?
is your car an 'i' motor ..?
on a dyno, figure m20 in excellent condition puts 170hp @ crank less 15% driveline loss puts u at 144whp. grant it ur motor is a bit older so u started at 155crankhp (example)..whp shl be 132. then after a chip & header & cam.. u only made 18-23 whp.. ? that doesn't add up--- maybe those figures are correct on a stock cam.. what kinda lift/duration specs?
-- i'd like to give that motor a bit more credit --

lets do this -- i'll dyno my stock m20 2.5 when its installed -- then we'll work from there ..

i appreciate u guys trying to guide me correctly -- :D

[Axxe]

M20's don't make easy power like hondas. The car was well designed from the factory, and there are no easy gains on it. Get it through your head.