E30 M3 - What's your ideal spec? (p.s. your budget is generous)

[sjb1970]

e21Mark said:

Thanks. I am very fortunate.

This is how it's looking today.

Preferred the red :-)

If I ever was to play around with mine it would be along a similar line to yours... but it came to me already 99.99999% standard and I don't have the time (or energy with a 1 year old son) to be modifying it so it seems pointless to play about with it. If I'd bought a car that had already been played with and had a few non original parts I'd probably be in a different mind... I do have a '63 VW bus that at one time had a 323bhp chargecooled, turbo'd and EFI'd engine with a mappable ecu so I'm not against a bit of tuning! Your pic above on the track had already been saved to my e30 m3 folder, it's a superb pic. Glad you're getting it sorted now after the recent troubles.

Edited by sjb1970 on Thursday 7th May 20:02

[e21Mark]

sjb1970 said:

e21Mark said:

Thanks. I am very fortunate.

This is how it's looking today.

Preferred the red :-)

If I ever was to play around with mine it would be along a similar line to yours... but it came to me already 99.99999% standard and I don't have the time (or energy with a 1 year old son) to be modifying it so it seems pointless to play about with it. If I'd bought a car that had already been played with and had a few non original parts I'd probably be in a different mind... I do have a '63 VW bus that at one time had a 323bhp chargecooled, turbo'd and EFI'd engine with a mappable ecu so I'm not against a bit of tuning! Your pic above on the track had already been saved to my e30 m3 folder, it's a superb pic. Glad you're getting it sorted now after the recent troubles.

Edited by sjb1970 on Thursday 7th May 20:02

Thanks. It came home yesterday.

[E30M3SE]

[SimonE30M3]

Looks superb Mark, bet you can't wait to get out & about over the summer.

[e21Mark]

Definitely. I'm ashamed to say it has just sat on the drive since I got it home. Hopefully I'll get an hour or 2 tomorrow or Thursday for a blast though.

[SimonE30M3]

Ha, shame on you! Enjoy the blast & looking forward to catching up at some point. I'm currently discussing the next Redux feature with a well known US Motorsport website - should be online by mid June. This one will include some of the technical specs & a couple of sneak peek images. I'll keep you posted.

[fushion julz]

Ideal spec for my car is as it is...If I had more of that unlimited pot I might have the car stripped, blasted and any rust sorted and a full repaint. I might also add a carbon airbox and Alpha N.

As it is, my car is an early build 1987 Euro Spec model. Originally a CAT car.

It has standard suspension with Faulkner springs (lowers approx 50mm) and AVO adjustable dampers. The front struts are mildly modified to allow the slightly oversize AVO inserts to fit with a standard top collars (the AVO ones are crap!). All suspension bushes have been replaced with polybushes.

Brakes are standard calipers with OEM rear discs and Black Diamond grooved front discs and Ferodo DS2500 pads. All flexible lines are braided and fluid is ATE SuperBlue or AP550.

The engine has been fully lightened and balanced, head and manifolds have been ported, polished and matched. Evo 2 inlet cam, uprated valve springs and a new custom map/chip for the ECU with rev limiter removed. Exhaust is a custom made Powerflow one with CAT removed but x-pipe retained and twin rear silencers. Max noise level 95db.

It gets used regularly on the road and track!

Front Matter strut brace and a replica rear Evo Sport spoiler.
The car runs 16" OEM BBS wheels on the road and 15" OEM BBS for the track (usually with Michelin S9c slicks or Toyo R888s).

[Schermerhorn]

e21Mark said:

sjb1970 said:

e21Mark said:

Thanks. I am very fortunate.

This is how it's looking today.

Preferred the red :-)

If I ever was to play around with mine it would be along a similar line to yours... but it came to me already 99.99999% standard and I don't have the time (or energy with a 1 year old son) to be modifying it so it seems pointless to play about with it. If I'd bought a car that had already been played with and had a few non original parts I'd probably be in a different mind... I do have a '63 VW bus that at one time had a 323bhp chargecooled, turbo'd and EFI'd engine with a mappable ecu so I'm not against a bit of tuning! Your pic above on the track had already been saved to my e30 m3 folder, it's a superb pic. Glad you're getting it sorted now after the recent troubles.

Edited by sjb1970 on Thursday 7th May 20:02

Thanks. It came home yesterday.

Would you ever sell yours Mark?

[e21Mark]

Schermerhorn said:

e21Mark said:

sjb1970 said:

e21Mark said:

Thanks. I am very fortunate.

This is how it's looking today.

Preferred the red :-)

If I ever was to play around with mine it would be along a similar line to yours... but it came to me already 99.99999% standard and I don't have the time (or energy with a 1 year old son) to be modifying it so it seems pointless to play about with it. If I'd bought a car that had already been played with and had a few non original parts I'd probably be in a different mind... I do have a '63 VW bus that at one time had a 323bhp chargecooled, turbo'd and EFI'd engine with a mappable ecu so I'm not against a bit of tuning! Your pic above on the track had already been saved to my e30 m3 folder, it's a superb pic. Glad you're getting it sorted now after the recent troubles.

Edited by sjb1970 on Thursday 7th May 20:02

Thanks. It came home yesterday.

Would you ever sell yours Mark?

Never say never, but given what it's had spent on it and how much I adore the thing, it would need to be an indecent chunk of cash. There is zero rust anywhere, the paintwork is faultless and should it be wanted, there's a spotless full leather interior waiting in the wings. The problem for me is what would I replace it with?

[mark.c]

e21Mark said:

Never say never, but given what it's had spent on it and how much I adore the thing, it would need to be an indecent chunk of cash. There is zero rust anywhere, the paintwork is faultless and should it be wanted, there's a spotless full leather interior waiting in the wings. The problem for me is what would I replace it with?

Thats the thing isnt it, I sold my first one years ago to get into faster, grippier cars and to tick some boxes. Many cars later, some of which stayed and lots that didnt I always ended up missing my old E30 M3 and had to have another one. I bought another and despite it being an early non-evo example it wont be going anywhere anytime soon. For me, no car has quite got under my skin like an M3.

[e21Mark]

mark.c said:

e21Mark said:

Never say never, but given what it's had spent on it and how much I adore the thing, it would need to be an indecent chunk of cash. There is zero rust anywhere, the paintwork is faultless and should it be wanted, there's a spotless full leather interior waiting in the wings. The problem for me is what would I replace it with?

Thats the thing isnt it, I sold my first one years ago to get into faster, grippier cars and to tick some boxes. Many cars later, some of which stayed and lots that didnt I always ended up missing my old E30 M3 and had to have another one. I bought another and despite it being an early non-evo example it wont be going anywhere anytime soon. For me, no car has quite got under my skin like an M3.

The only thing I can think of right now, is a caged, wide arch 02 with s14 power, deep dished split rim Minilites and trick suspension / brakes.

Something along the lines of this, except white with battleship grey interior.

[Schermerhorn]

e21Mark said:

Never say never, but given what it's had spent on it and how much I adore the thing, it would need to be an indecent chunk of cash. There is zero rust anywhere, the paintwork is faultless and should it be wanted, there's a spotless full leather interior waiting in the wings. The problem for me is what would I replace it with?

I remember seeing one for £6000 back in 2009 and it was an absolute shed. It was just after my daughter was born and the speculation bubble was still in its infancy. Had I know that there was an impending value boom I would have bought a few of them.

[e21Mark]

Schermerhorn said:

e21Mark said:

Never say never, but given what it's had spent on it and how much I adore the thing, it would need to be an indecent chunk of cash. There is zero rust anywhere, the paintwork is faultless and should it be wanted, there's a spotless full leather interior waiting in the wings. The problem for me is what would I replace it with?

I remember seeing one for £6000 back in 2009 and it was an absolute shed. It was just after my daughter was born and the speculation bubble was still in its infancy. Had I know that there was an impending value boom I would have bought a few of them.

There'd be a queue! We're at a point where you could break a car and realise more than that same car would probably sell for complete. Spares are so think on the ground now, parts like OE side skirts are making crazy money. I know of a pair in Italy for £400 each! A rear window hoop? £4000!

[Soov535]

e21Mark said:

I don't have a generous budget but I've spent the past year getting my own car to what I deem to be my ideal spec. Mind you, I'm still skint now as a result.

The shell is now totally free from corrosion, protected and literally about to be repainted. I had the interior paint re done and the cage properly installed a couple of months ago, which included the floor being strengthened as appropriate. Were it money no object, I would have stripped it to a bare shell, blasted (I don't like the dipping process and have seen way too many issues as a result. Most recently acid literally pouring from chassis rails when the shell was placed on a jig!) As well as fresh paint, the spoilers etc are SE spec with touches like Schnitzer carbon fibre door mirrors and Bonrath single wiper. The wheel arches have also been rolled, although this was done originally by Hamann Motorsport when the car was new and on their stand at the Munich motor show. It's a subtle mod but allows me to run 215/40 and 245/40 tyres front and rear respectively. The overall look these mods give is just about ideal for me.

The suspension was H&R coilovers but I have upgraded to KW3's. My car came with coilovers, or else I may have just considered Bilstein uprated shocks/inserts with slightly lower springs. The KW's are an good product though and work well with the uprated ARB's and adjustable top mounts. I've had the geometry done at a local specialist.

Brakes are Tarox 6 pot callipers with Ferodo DS2500 pads and grooved discs up front. The rears are stock save for Hawk pads. The car came on EBC red but I don't rate those at all. When I took them out they actually broke up and hardly inspire confidence. Lines are braided, with race fluid. The brakes are excellent and give exceptional performance. Obviously E30 aren't exactly heavy cars anyway, so massive brakes aren't really needed.

Wheels are Compomotives TH, although I am about to swap to BBS E50 3 piece alloys and have also replaced wheel bolts with studs and nuts, with Toyo r888's all round.

Inside, apart from a full Safety Devices cage, I have Ridgard seats and Willans harnesses. The dash has been flocked and there are some auxiliary gauges, such a digital AFR. There is a Momo race wheel on a snap-off mount, which is mainly to aid my getting in and out more easily. (I have a slight disability) I am thinking of fitting carbon fibre skins which are available to protect the paint of a bare floor. (I also have a full black leather interior in storage, should I ever decide to go back to full road trim or in the highly unlikely event i ever sell my car) There is an AM/FM radio fitted, along with 2 front speakers, for longer journeys. The radio is super basic with on/off/volume on one switch and a rocker switch to tune.

The s14 engine is what makes the M3 for me. Mine is a 2.3 with carbon airbox, Alpha N and around 230bhp. I would love a 2.5 with Schrick cams etc but I simply cannot afford it. That said, even in it's current state of tune it hassles along quite nicely and sounds great. I change the oil and filter every few thousand miles and have replaced plugs, rotor cap, arm and leads. I have also replaced the TPS and really just try to keep everything fresh and running right. I also stick to Esso super unleaded, after making the mistake of using some supermarket fuel and spending a small fortune trying to repair a subsequent misfire. One day I hope to be able to liberate a bit more power but there's no immediate urgency. I did consider replacing the Alpha N with a more modern ECU but frankly there's just no need. I'm really happy with the performance of my engine and its reliability. If it ain't broke etc.

It would be a shame to fit a turbo and lose the induction noise and exhaust. The carbon airbox is just about the best mod you can make to a stock M3.

Why anyone would want to convert to RHD is beyond me. Overtaking has never been a problem, unless you're too close to the car ahead anyway.

I use my M3 most days and in all weathers. I do occasional track days and trips to Sainsbury's. In the spring/summer I get up at silly o clock and go for a hoon just for the hell of it. Especially the B3306, which is great fun and one of the best roads down here. It's made all the better my driving it in my old E30.

http://www.greatestdrivingroads.com/great_roads/B3...

Shameless pic from last summer when I had the interior paint done.



It didn't look bad last year.



It still holds its own on track too.



I know the aesthetic mods aren't to everyones tastes but I like them and its my car. They're also reversible. The stone chips and crack to the bumpers corner are all being sorted as I type. It will still get driven daily though.

Edited by e21Mark on Thursday 7th May 10:21

Want.