Quote:
Originally Posted by eco30BMW
LPG sounds like quite a project. Were you going to go full LPG or leave yourself the option to run on petrol?
I bet the M30 would haul some ass in that car. Over here the most popular swap is to the S52 but I gather that was only for the US/Canada market.
First I've got some general restoration/repair stuff to do. The previous owner installed the driveshaft with all the bolts facing the same way on the guibo and no collar to keep the two halves together. What a dumbass. So that started vibrating and ripped the center support bearing apart. The front hubs need replacing and I'll do the brakes while I'm at it. Clean the injectors, new vacuum hoses, etc.
After that, I'll put it on H&Rs and Bilsteins for a ~30-40 mm drop. Do a little aero cleanup: wheel spats, side skirts, grill block, clean up the area around the spare tire, and steal the rear wing off a 325es. I know the car's popularly known as 'The Flying Brick' but I don't think the aero's that bad to begin with, otherwise they wouldn't have gotten the mpg they did when stock. Then Megasquirt it with wasted spark ignition and run it as lean as I can get away with. The cooling system is so over-engineered I've never seen mine above the middle tick on the temp gauge.
From what I've read about the rallies, if your car's got too much kit on it they shove you in a 'modified' class and you're not really competing with anyone. So I'll probably do my resto/repairs and drop it for next May and then go from there.
Best of luck to you. They're so rewarding to work on, and great fun to drive, but it becomes an addiction very very quickly. More people must be getting wise to it, too; a clean 325is can now run you $5-5.5K here. The one saving grace is that since so many people have destroyed theirs on the track there's a lot of cheap parts available.
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THe LPG setup will be in addition to the petrol setup- I spent too much time on single track roads where there is no phone signal, nevermind GPS or LPG stations!
The s52 was the smogproof version of the m52 made for the US e36m3.. its not a patch on the euro s50 3.2 but is a pleasant enough lump.
I'll be keeping mine as an m20b20 though- i like that lump and annoying folk cos I wont change it
The m30 on the other hand should be pushing 240bhp once its built, and the car will be down to 1100kgs- it certainly should go and will ahve coilovers to keep it planted.
On your 325i be VERY careful with the cooling system- the 885 head on the m20b25 likes to crack between cam journals- leading to mixed coolant and oil, and a bill of several hundred.
Your drop sounds good- the front hubs/bearings are best done on the car- need seriouse torque to loosen/tighten them. takes about 7 mins a side inc wheels and brake removal. rears are a barsteward!
I'd be interested to see the aero you have planned- I'll need to investigate options for me
