You said money is a problem, none of the options you have mentioned above is not going to be cheap.

All E30s are under 3000lbs

I'm refering to a series 2 E30 BMW 318i (my car) made from 1988-1991 a 2 door version will weigh around 1050-1070kg off my owners manual if I can remember correctly. I've stripped a bit of crap off my car race seats in , carpet gone, rear seats gone, lighter sunroof soon, boot is cleaned up, aircon gone, sound deadning gone, removed about 100kgs?

but the cage, bigger wheels, decent sized turbo and other crap has added weight on

As far as I can remember the heaviest E30 would be the M3 at 1250kg? One of the 4 door 6 cyl e30s might be a bit heavier, so really no more than a FD.

The point is a 13bt powered E30 could weight less than 1050kg to 1100kg.

 

heres a pic

 

Cool

is that a 4 door or 2 door?

Looks like it got potential for mid 12s atleast with slicks.

Anychance you will take it to the drags again?

Don't give up on it, although a tubbed E30 sounds very cool

Keep us updated on both cars!

 

thats the 4 door its up 4 sale at mo so i can keep working
on the coupe will put a pic of its progress soon.
would love to unlesh it fully but it scares when it spins slicks at half track

 

What size slick were you running?

 

26x8x15 hoosier drag slicks not the dot ones

 

And you were still having problems with traction

You didn't get to play around with the suspension?

Any problems with fitting the slicks or do you think you can go any wider? 8.5/9?

 

na no room for wider slicks my new car is limited to 9inch wide slicks
(god dam class rules) so no tubbing alowed eather so im guna get a
mtech kit for the biger wheels
i did play a bit with suspension but not much i could do

 

I guess I'm biased against BMWs because I don't have hooves for feet (why DO German cars all have the pedals almost on the floor?) and they tend to be really fragile mechanically yet highly complicated electrically.

I actually kinda like the E30 325i (note i not e) engine for a sporting car. They are complete dogs in town but they wake up at about 4000-4500rpm. This makes them seem powerful, and encourages flogging the wotsis off of it.

You have quite an unusual definition of "bang for the buck". If i ever see a '02 for sale it's usually two or three times what a E30 is, and it will guaranteed be in worse condition besides.

If you are in an area where 2002s are plentiful and generally under $1000, I am intrigued.

They did at least get the pedal box correct on the 2002, with the pivots on the floor like nature intended. Too bad the boxes have a nasty habit of punching through on rusty shells, which is pretty much all of 'em. (And the suspension on the 2002 makes an E30's look like a one-ton truck in comparison!)

 

I grew up aroud beemers... they are weak. their IRS is joke. suspensionwise is something like 1971 4door datsun 510, but 510 is 280 lbs lighter (!!!!) when stripped to bare chassis! that puts beamer straight into shame!!!

everything on the car is overengeneered, engine too. that's why engine is good. heavy car will NEVER handle like light car no matter how much money you spend.