Still trying to find a E30

[iamsam]

The suspension is better than an E30. The interior is Ti specific and not the weird E36 interior. Not really comparable to the standard E36's suck crowd imo. It's a nice little car.

it IS an E30 suspension.... In the back anyway. And yes that interior you have is SEXY! And I have seen it in person so I can judge! ;)

Also a very clean Ti. I am excited to see how it does with the DASC. Any updates on that btw?

[blefevre]

The front is a better/more solid design then the E30's. Harder to mod, but more solid. Bigger sways, more cross bracing as well. The rears are the same though, just 5-lug.

DASC update: We are buying plane tickets now. $4000!

Anyways, it shouldn't be too long until it's on.

[Bimmerman325i]

Just thought I'd chime in here.

OP, good call on the M20 if you want to turbo it down the road, it's a better platform for the money than an M42 for turbo.

There's no question the M42 car does handle better.

Why not motor swap it though? Less/similar money to a non-shitty turbo build, far more reliable, and if you swap an M52 or S50, it's an awesome platform to turbo with a much better powerband. And there are bolt-on kits for that motor.


As far as gas mileage goes, my E36 M3 gets 35mpg on the highway when I'm being super careful with it, and ~32mpg when I'm not. My city mileage isn't all that good, because I drive very conservatively on the highway and tend to rip off from stoplights in town. Mixed city/hwy I see about 23-25mpg.

[iamsam]

It's true, if you don't know TONS about building turbo motors, a swap may be easier to do, and you can always add a turbo (or a supercharger) to a swap down the road.

[blefevre]

That is pretty good mpgs. I don't think I have ever done full highway driving so I have no idea what mine is at. I know my E46 would get 32 mpg on the highway when we used to do highway driving. That was pretty good for a heavy car with a M54. I have never been able to baby a car though.

[hyperE30]

The suspension is better than an E30. The interior is Ti specific and not the weird E36 interior. Not really comparable to the standard E36's suck crowd imo. It's a nice little car.

ohh no dude don't get me wrong I love the TI's and would like to own one at some point... never seen yours but sounds like its sweet looking:D

[tehwickerman]

if you're going e30 get the m42 imo. i think they really underrated the performance figures on them back in the day to make the more expensive 6 cylinder car look better. it has like 20 less hp and weighs a lot less, get rid of the fucking 28 lb flywheel they stuck on it from the factory and it will get up and go. my 318 is A LOT faster then 9 0-60. back in the east coast i'd say i could easily get 6 something. chirps hard on 2nd too. i've owned 325is's and as soon as i got my 318is i knew which car was better. i love mine to death.

[blefevre]

Dont get me wrong it's a great car. Here are some sources back in the day if you want to do some reading.

87 325is
http://www.strictlyeta.net/articles/325is_5.jpg

0-60: 7.4
1/4 mile: 15.6

318is

Go here and read http://www.m42club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=680

Road and track
0-60: 10
1/4 mile: 17.3

Autocar
0-60: 9.3
1/4: 16.8

[iamsam]

I may have linked it, I can't remember, but someone reported in a thread I found that their bone stock 318is ran a 16.4 or something. I can't imagine why a (somewhat) gutted 318is w/ a chip and maybe a light flywheel can't get into the 15s...

All this talk... maybe we should all head to Bandimere to get some hard un-disputable data on our cars... It's only $35 to drag race all day, pretty good deal if you ask me, think of it as sort of a "dyno", except you measure acceleration times rather than hp. Of course you can derive hp from that if you weigh your car and calculate energy required to accelerate you to the trap speed, and with time you can derive power.

[iamsam]

if you're going e30 get the m42 imo. i think they really underrated the performance figures on them back in the day to make the more expensive 6 cylinder car look better. it has like 20 less hp and weighs a lot less, get rid of the fucking 28 lb flywheel they stuck on it from the factory and it will get up and go. my 318 is A LOT faster then 9 0-60. back in the east coast i'd say i could easily get 6 something. chirps hard on 2nd too. i've owned 325is's and as soon as i got my 318is i knew which car was better. i love mine to death.

ha ha thanks for the M42 love, man!! people w/ out M42s wouldn't understand! ;)

I need a bumper sticker that says "It's an M42 thing, you wouldn't understand", just as a play on the "Jeep thing"

On a serious note, Yes I want more power, but honestly, the M42 is the type of motor that if I ripped it out for an S50, I'd keep the M42 around, and find a car to put it in. It's a very cool motor.

[blefevre]

I am just trying to convince the OP to drive a M42 before buying. Who knows, maybe he will like how it feels more. I was set on a 318is when I started my E30 search. I drove a ton of different types of E30s and I changed my mind to the 325is. It can go both ways.

Don't start the M42 vs M20 battle again. We ALL know both have theirs ups and downs.

[iamsam]

I don't want to start any battle. I like both engines. And being an M42 guy I will say the M20 is a GREAT motor to slap a big ol' snail on. Stock and stock, a 325is is significantly faster than the 318is, there is no denying that. The M20 is a tough motor that will last a loooong time.

[hyperE30]

I am just trying to convince the OP to drive a M42 before buying. Who knows, maybe he will like how it feels more. I was set on a 318is when I started my E30 search. I drove a ton of different types of E30s and I changed my mind to the 325is. It can go both ways.

Don't start the M42 vs M20 battle again. We ALL know both have theirs ups and downs.

well.. OP go drive Sam's car then drive mine with upgrades maybe can feel a difference.. then an m20..

[Cloudbase]

Forwarded your car's info to my buddy. He's out for the M42. He want's to find a swapped E30. He also want's 30mpg, so who knows.

[Roland H]

Forwarded your car's info to my buddy. He's out for the M42. He want's to find a swapped E30. He also want's 30mpg, so who knows.

1985 318i will get 40mpg.