Not one of those nancy boy 6 cylinder jobs, a proper S14 engined E30.

Today I've been driving an E36 318is, which clearly isn't an E30 M3 and the M42 engine has sod all to do with the S14, but it still has that hard edged rev happy nature that I still remember from our old 2002 tii, it's very similar in nature.
Based on my usual flawed logic, I can only assume that if an M42 is great (which it is) then an S14 must be fan bleeding tastic.
The M42 has way less torque than the oily HDi engine in my Zilbus, but OMG, it's like comparing a surgeon's scalpel with a blunt axe. They'll both do the job, but one does it with much more panache and style.


For the first time in a while, I found myself choosing the longer twistier road and slowing down and changing down, just so I could gun it back up through the gears again. That has to be a good thing.
Then there's the steering.

What makes it worse is that a good friend has a 2.5 M3, which unfortunately never sees the light of day due to other commitments.

Here's the car I was driving today.

Image deleted by owner

And yes, my head was full of images like this as I was giving it beans along the backroad today.

Image deleted by owner

And here's the object of my desire.

If I only had a spare 20 odd large lying around...





It has to be seen to be believed.

[Edited on 17/5/10 by zilspeed]

of course i agree 100%, there no doubt a e30 m3 would be awesome, but you do realise your reasoning makes no sense whatsoever

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Originally posted by blakep82
of course i agree 100%, there no doubt a e30 m3 would be awesome, but you do realise your reasoning makes no sense whatsoever

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an E30 M3 is one of a very small number of BMW's I like

a guy that works a couple of units up from me has one - hardly ever see it out and about though, it must spend most of its life in the garage

[Edited on 17/5/2010 by mcerd1]

Your worse than me

and thats going some

Finish the one youve got first

you'e the same as me, really want a skyline, went to knockhill yesterday to see them, with the slight hope it might put me off a little to save it from ruining me it had the complete opposite effect i REALLY want one now.



never realised how big they were! :O




this toyota soarer was awesome too. looked so wrong, but was so right


i still like how you want a car, based on never driving it, but having a car you had years ago, and one you drove today

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Originally posted by blakep82


i still like how you want a car, based on never driving it, but having a car you had years ago, and one you drove today

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I thought that red m3 in the pic above went on ebay for something like £12-13K, was a bit track car/bit road car, parked outside someones cottage thing in the pics.

Totally agree that the E30 m3 is great, don't agree that the m42 is though, I co-drive in an e30 with a 150bhp m42 that's geared for 110mph so it's quite nippy but a std one in an e30 is a bit......... and in an e36!!!!!!!

I remember test driving an e36 323 last year, snore, talk about slow, now the e30 chromie 325 high comp that I got in to drive back home, that was nice!

I used to have an E30 M3 a couple of years ago, but I ran out of talent in the wet and ripped the sump off on a curb and went backwards in to a pole One less in the world now

They occasionally pop up for under £10k but be careful. Look for good service history, and buying one with an engine rebuild recently done is the best option. The timing chain will need doing at about 100k to 150k miles, this isn't a cheap or easy job to do (you may as well rebuild the engine at the same time)

quote:

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Originally posted by Stott
I thought that red m3 in the pic above went on ebay for something like £12-13K, was a bit track car/bit road car, parked outside someones cottage thing in the pics.

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find a 320 is

half E30 m3 money but the same engine

but 50bhp down on a 325 and the same weight.....................

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1652012.htm

I think the 3.0 m3 engine is wonderful

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Originally posted by zilspeed

quote:

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Originally posted by Stott
I thought that red m3 in the pic above went on ebay for something like £12-13K, was a bit track car/bit road car, parked outside someones cottage thing in the pics.

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Definitely a different car.
The current owners built the car from a bare shell with a BMW Motorsport cage and fitted all of the good stuff.
We've spoken about value on a few occasions and I know that 13K wouldn't even begin to loook at it. That's sort of why I'll never have one

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I had an E30 325 went like a stink rocket, still think it is one of the best looking bmw's by a long shot

Ive driven 2 BMW's ive liked one was a 1988 316, which belonged to a customer at a garage i was working at, it was scrapped by the owner because of head gasket failure, despite me saying i would have it when he decided to get rid.

The second was a 1994 M3 straight 6, very, very good, one of the last proper cars BMW made, no impossible to turn off traction control, great steering, excellent feedback from the car, fast enough, just.

Paul

never understood the E30 M3 thing. Personally to me its not worth starting with a genuine one and Im not a logbook snob so Id start with a cheap shell and do my own thing. Ive seen cossie engined ones, LS2 engined E30s, nissan 1.8 turbo E30s.........

I had an E36 318is as a company car for a while and I thought it was good for a bit of A road blasting and still returned good figures when commuting.

I've bought an RX7 but the company who supplied my LS1 V8 mounting kit now do the same for E36 BMWs. If I had know I may well have held on for it. Nice reliable 350BHP as standard with off the shelf bolts on upgrades for the future.

[Edited on 18-5-10 by bimbleuk]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stott

I remember test driving an e36 323 last year, snore, talk about slow, now the e30 chromie 325 high comp that I got in to drive back home, that was nice!

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my mates got a e21 323i

its road legal, but really needs a fair bit of work done


4 cly e21 (e.g. 316) with an engine & manual box of your choice and some better brakes etc - I recon that could be a properly good car

e21 323i , now thats a cool car! ive got 1 waiting for a 2.8 engine transplant!

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1679894.htm

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Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1679894.htm

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