Clarifying an M3?

UweM3 wrote: I guess your top mounts are solid? This will give you 50mm less height to start with. I wanted to keep the rubber mounts and couldn't get the car back to the ride height it was sitting on the non height adjustable springs. You can't just weld the bottom platform lower and lower, there is a limit to it. A) the platform will not clear the tyre (unless silly ET's are used) B) you will run out of shock travel. I agree that things will get complicated when you shorten the strut (--> what inserts???) Maybe we meet up somewhere in the future and I can have a closer look to your conversion. (Gaydon??) here a pic:

just had a thought, this may be the one time not having an m3 benefits. i bet the m3 hub has a larger offset built into it, effectivley making the strut closer to the wheel for the same track width of the car. i.e. 325 narow track, but mine has been spaced out to m3. thus leaving the actual strut in the original "narrow" 325 configuration, and putting the wheel further away.

UWE, i didnt shortent the struts, there was no need, and this would have just complicated things. in the pics you will see a professionally done set, but they didnt have the holes for abs sensors, so if anyones interested!!!!

good info on the evo3, thought it was just part added after part i.e. your "evo 5" lol.

rear springs im using the 35mm lower psx spax type that came with the kit.  The car isnt an all out race machine, its gotta be a daily/ weekend driver as well, so compromises have been made, but very few.

Judge,

I pretty much totally agree with what your saying, just before the project i had a similar opinion, but money wise bolting in the 3.5 was the cheapest power upgrade i could come across (it was already in an e30 prior to me getting it). in the end this proved no extra help, as the engine mounts were not up to spec, and i wanted the engine further back anyway.

i can remember my main concern being engine mounts back then, as my 2.5 lump was very quick, even compared to the 325 sport, and i was forever replacing engine mounts.

I have helped or rather "given my opinion" on a few subjects on here, particularly with regard to what wheels you can fit on the e30, and doing a manual gearbox conversion for the 2.5 (my auto box went that the car came with, and i decided to go manual).

I now know alot about the mechanics of the cars, and generally everyone i know asks me about upgrades etc just as friends.

Its highly likley i'll be adding a supercharger to my fathers z3 2.8, or he may just go zm3 not sure yet. even so. I had a look at the chassis and were going to try some shock and spring combinations from my e30, as my parts were practically new when they came off, and changing a set of rear springs is only a couple of hours job.

and then there's my little brothers mini etc etc the list goes on, and the sense of achievement you get from doing this is so good.

Your point on max power, i can remember about 6 years ago i used to buy that mag, then overnight it was full of fibreglass civic's that look like bm's and fiesta vans with 20k spent but still an oil leaking 1.0 engine. I hate tack, and have an exceptionally biased opinion. still, seeing these cars in real life provides me with a great chuckle, and they may not appreciate what i'm doing.

One thing i have come to learn is that so many "aftermarket" parts are either exceptionally poor quality (m3 mirrors anyone) or drastically overpriced.

its a minefiled, and getting the right balance of this on one car is very difficult. its also rarly as easy as "bolt on".

You are either very clever or you have too much time and money to burn!

I cant believe you are building nearly from scratch a hybrid m3 convertible type thingy with a whopping great big engine and a mixture of every single evolution m3 part ever made.

I am waiting for jeremy beadle to jump out in a minute

Good luck on your project

Check it out! wrote:

And yes, sourcing a genuine cecotto was sooooo difficult. Ive got the evo3 carbon fibre lip going on as well.

Being a convertilbe the m3 rear spoiler would look too "max power" for me, so im sticking to the sport double type.

Hi, with the whole project, its been "yes i'll do that", and then ive had the chance of something better so have gone for that. the throttle bodies were supposed to give me much better power and keep the engine n/a, but now i will just be able to run much lower boost and keep the same power. reducing the lag effect of the turbo.

heres some pics of the suspension for you.

ive taken the 735i 1989 engine (218bhp) m30, added hartge throttle bodies 288 degree cam etc. this takes her to around 260>286, then running t70 very low pressure (on initial engine), at only 3psi. When i uprate the bottom end i'll run higher pressure, but for now its just to get all the kit on the engine running. And to not get on/off boost issues.

6psi should see me around 400, but from 170> 340 is a pretty good improvement. Im more into the handling and braking now, but i can at least take the engine further if i need to.