e30 autox car. v8 vs s52 vs m52 turbo

[papajetta]

i have an e30 which i plan on using as a dedicated auto x car. i plan on going all out on suspension and rubbers, only downfall is that its a vert, but i can always change it if it flexs too much, however. i know the perfect auto x engine would be a v8 due to its brutal low end torque ( which is my main concern when choosing the powertrain ), however a v8 swap would be a bit complicated, not to mention the weight balance being thrown off sooo much in the front.
i am undecided between a s50/s52 or turboing a m52.
- s50/52 getting my hands on 1 is starting to get expensive.
- m52 turbo would end up being cheaper, just concerned about the lag even if i go with small turbo running low boost.

just wanted to get some feedback on which 1 of the 2 options would simulate a v8 closer ( when it comess down to that low end torque ).
you know what i mean autox guys, when ur going through a slalom and ur getting that instant power from blipping the throttle.

[whiltebeitel]

an LS1 weighs less than an S50, and it moves the center of mass back.

[Zya8187]

don't waste you time on a vert get a hard top and drop an LSx in it.

[rThor432]

don't waste you time on a vert get a hard top and drop an LSx in it.

[papajetta]

interesting fact that i wasnt aware of : ls1 moves the center back?
i really didnt want to complicate it that much though. ls1 requires a lot vs m52 or s50. plus i have a 535 turbo so this would be my second time around the turbo route.
i'm also more inclined towards the turbo route because of how easy its to make power vs an s50. my main concern is eliminating lag.
about autoxing a vert. its definetly an upgrade vs autoxing my 535, which already keeps up with most e30's and e36's at the track. it would be shaving almost 800lbs not to mention that an e30 vert is still much more track worthy than a e34. Not to mention the cool factor of a vert, i'll sacrifice the 4 tenth id lose at the track vs a hardtop.

[Jean]

I highly doubt going m50 turbo is going to cost less than na s50/s52 swap...

Another thing is making sure you tune your car for low end power and not all top end (smaller vs. bigger turbo). I honestly think it would cost a lot of money to get a turbo car done just right, you can't have your cake and eat it.... a car setup for autox will be different than a car setup for a track/hpde. Keep that in mind also, and decide what is more important to you.

E30 isn't an easy car to put down a lot of power with vs. e36 for example, that's another thing to keep in mind.

Finally, have you decided what class you want to run in ?

[2002maniac]

First off, what class?

have you autocrossed the car stock?

[papajetta]

my turbo e34 runs in d class, which would be more or less e30' with minor suspension, mini's, non m e36 , e46 on r's..... i score 1st place but still 5 - 6 seconds off ftd
turbo would be cheaper because ive done it before

[Jean]

What's a D class ? Are we talking about SCCA autocross classification or BMW only ?

[asubimmer]

What's a D class ? Are we talking about SCCA autocross classification or BMW only ?

can't be club racing b/c even in D mod you aren't allowed to have FI.

[SpunkyE30nOk]

can't be club racing b/c even in D mod you aren't allowed to have FI.

If you are doing scca racing i believe your 5'er should be in either Asp or E mod, depending on if you have a 2.5 turbo or the big six turbo..D stock and DSP are for like e30s, Is300s, wrx (non-sti models), etc.. D class are cars usually 3.1L and smaller

[Hick]

'round here you would end up in XP no matter which route you take

[Jean]

Yep, SM if bmw engine swap or XP if boosted or modded beyond SM rules.

XP has some crazy fast cars too :) Not that SM is slow by any means lol

[papajetta]

NJBMWCCA points which actually go off The Boston chapter i beleive D class is 75 to 100 points, car is about 35 points and the rest would be turbo, wheels, tires, springs suspension, strut bar.
The turbo only adds about 10 points, which mine is soo big ( K27 which is comparable to a T4 60 trim) they should actually shave points off. Its totally useless because i am making boost after 3200, so u really have to be a "turbo" driver to get any points out of it. ( kinda like the forumla 1 drivers of the 80's ). I usually end up with a e34 m5, e39 m5.
I have a big six, 535, usually cant run more than 12psi in the summer.

[AlarmedBread]

I have such a hard time understanding why people build such monsters for autox, around here a GOOD day is a 50-60 second course and you get 5 runs. All day for under 5mins of seat time, what a waste. Just run some coil overs on a stock m20 and dominate STS.

Not my cuppa I guess.