My two toys! E30 M3 and Elise S1

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Two summer toys! Both great cars and I don't have a favourite as they each deliver a very different drive. Unfortunately the M3 spun a shell the day after this was taken. Bit gutted but hey that's cars for you - at least I have the Lotus to quench my 'driving round corners as fast as possible' addiction! All comments and thoughts welcome!

[iacabu]

That isn't a bad choice to have to make every day...both looking good although I'm sure most will agree that we need more pictures

[The Nur]

iacabu said:

more pictures

What he said

[S14]

Ok here are some more of the Elise. Had it a few months now. (Had the m3 for 10 years!) 'Normal' S1 with about 30k - decat and larini club sport exhaust, some s2 eibach and Bilsteins are on the way as well as some Ali belled discs all round (see last pic). Will dig some out of the M3 later

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Trying to upload some more but using my iphone and it keeps putting them on upside down - bloody thing. Will get to my lap top later on.

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Let's try again

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New brakes for the elise

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And a couple of the m3. More to follow later today

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[mark.c]

Lovely pair of cars there, shame about the spun bearing... Mine did the same many moons ago, do you know what caused it, oil surge, miley engine?

Hope you get it fixed soon without too much wallet bashing!

[S14]

mark.c said:

Lovely pair of cars there, shame about the spun bearing... Mine did the same many moons ago, do you know what caused it, oil surge, miley engine?

Hope you get it fixed soon without too much wallet bashing!

It has needed a rebuild for a little while as it's done 130,000 miles (it gets driven and used properly and hasn't been clocked like many many cars were back in the day) and I was going to do it next year but it had different plans!!! Hopefully (all fingers and toes crossed) it hasn't done the crank as it isn't knocking. Just the oil light came on and it faded as it was revved so that will be the oil pis*b*ng past the bearing - I switched it off immediately so if I am very lucky I will get away with a grind. To be honest I haven't even taken the sump off yet so I am assuming that it has as it is what these cars do! I reckon it will be £4 - 5k to rebuild properly just for the parts as I will do all the work myself when I get the time.........one day!

[mark.c]

Shame, numbers sound about right, parts for these engines certainly aren't cheap are they. I think the M3 came to about 6.5k but was done by a specialist in the hands of the previous owner, I have an E30 320is that also had a build ( miss shift by the previous owners mate) and that was similar money. Great cars though and my favourite I've ever owned.

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There is certainly no point cutting corners on the build - do it once and do it properly has always been my train of thought. How does the 320is compare to the m3 to drive? I love the m3, such a capable car although a little underpowered by today's standards but that is what makes it so great as you can drive it at 9/10ths on the road. Had a b7 rs4 for a few weeks (just bought to sell on) and that was a fab car; so fast which was great but just too heavy for some proper chucking around. I will never sell the m3 unless I really have too. The elise is currently here to stay for a while especially now the m3 is out if action. Once I get that set up how I want it I think it will be an absolute weapon!

[Tickle]

Lovely pair

[mark.c]

You're quite right, if you drive the car as it's supposed to be then there is no point in not doing it right, and as you know these cars love being driven hard, in fact it's really hard not to!
The 320is is a great car, it's cammed with carbon airbox and alpha N and is such a willing engine, with all the mods it's easily a match for my current M3 ( standard 200hp car on 46 mm throttles) but it's no M3. That might be unfair to the car since it's currently running some cr@ppy H and R suspension and has the original steering rack. It's going to get some proper Billies and a spare M3 rack I have in the shed and then it will be something more like it. The best way I can describe it is it drives like a 325i Sport but with a really good S14 lump. I feel that the character of the engine is at odds with the current chassis set up and needs to be more sharp, the rack and billies will sort that, it already has M3 wishbone bushes. So it's good but with the rack and suspension will be great.....does that make sense!.?

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mark.c said:

You're quite right, if you drive the car as it's supposed to be then there is no point in not doing it right, and as you know these cars love being driven hard, in fact it's really hard not to!
The 320is is a great car, it's cammed with carbon airbox and alpha N and is such a willing engine, with all the mods it's easily a match for my current M3 ( standard 200hp car on 46 mm throttles) but it's no M3. That might be unfair to the car since it's currently running some cr@ppy H and R suspension and has the original steering rack. It's going to get some proper Billies and a spare M3 rack I have in the shed and then it will be something more like it. The best way I can describe it is it drives like a 325i Sport but with a really good S14 lump. I feel that the character of the engine is at odds with the current chassis set up and needs to be more sharp, the rack and billies will sort that, it already has M3 wishbone bushes. So it's good but with the rack and suspension will be great.....does that make sense!.?

I see what you mean - so more or less like a standard e30 but with a screamer of an engine. It won't take much to bring the chassis in line with the engine, that's why I love e30s as they are relatively simple to dramatically improve on and that is also why I am falling for the lotus too! My m3 is a late 215 model (built December 1990 so one of the very last) so I am lucky enough to have the 48mm throttle bodies. It is currently running on KW version 2's with eibach ARB's and the entire car has been powerflexed using the purple bushes - not the black ones as they would be a bit much I feel for road use. I can strongly recommend doing those three things to your 320is. Powerflex also offer adjustable rear trailing arm bushes for the e30s now too. I would say come and have a drive and see what you think lol!

[mark.c]

[redacted]

[e21Mark]

Lovely pair of cars. I'd love to try the Lotus but think I'm a little too generously proportioned?!

Shame about the spun shell. I've got to baffle the sump on mine and have been obsessing over which oils suit the s14 best? I'm not usually a fan of synthetic in older engines. Can I ask which oil you guys run?

Interested in your thoughts re H&R suspension Mark, as I have their coilovers and uprated ARB's fitted and I'm really happy with them. Also wondered who or where does your geometry set up?

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mark.c said:

That's pretty much it and you're right it's an easy fix. The car already has purples at the rear end and racing dynamics roll bars but they don't seem much fatter than the standard ones. I run Billies and eibach roll bars with standards bushings on the M3 and it's a world apart from the 320 in terms of handling so will follow that route again. My old M3 was like yours, a late 215hp car and it was more eager at the top end than my current one, in fact more like the 320 given its cams and airbox. I was wish I had kept that car but sold it to scratch a Porsche itch many moons ago when you couldn't give them away, ironically one of the few cars I ever lost money on!

I've thought about a Porsche and considered one before I got the lotus and also nearly bought an s1 exige but the deal fell through (long story!). The thing is I really want / wanted a 964 and to buy one isn't an issue but the cost of getting it to how I want it to be would be astronomical. Would be like starting from scratch again with the m3 although even more costly!!! That's why I went for the lotus as my second performance car due to the fact that everything is very realistically priced in performance car terms!

[S14]

e21Mark said:

Lovely pair of cars. I'd love to try the Lotus but think I'm a little too generously proportioned?!

Shame about the spun shell. I've got to baffle the sump on mine and have been obsessing over which oils suit the s14 best? I'm not usually a fan of synthetic in older engines. Can I ask which oil you guys run?

Interested in your thoughts re H&R suspension Mark, as I have their coilovers and uprated ARB's fitted and I'm really happy with them. Also wondered who or where does your geometry set up?

Many thanks for the kind words. The spun shell is a pain but as I said that's cars for you. The sump was baffled before I even bought it so I think it is just one of those things. Stuff wears out unfortunately

I have always run the m3 on 10w40 valvoline max life semi synthetic and always carried out regular changes apart from in my younger days when I just used to drive the socks of it as I couldn't afford much more than super unleaded back then! Still it was never really neglected.

I do the geo set ups myself using a friends gear as I don't have it in my workshop. It was corner weighted and set up perfectly. To be honest there is very little adjustment on the m3 until you fit adjustable suspension, bushes and top mounts etc. Out the box there is only the tracking you can adjust.