M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

DISCUSSION => General Topics => Topic started by: BlueBMW on February 22, 2010, 09:13:19 PM

Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: BlueBMW on February 22, 2010, 09:13:19 PM
This weekend I took my 318is out for a long drive over to Greensboro, NC for a little meet with some other E30s.  (bout a 300 mile drive each way)  Great drive, had an awesome time and got some excellent mpg figures from the 318! (Averaged 27 to 30 which included plenty of hard driving, not just highway)

While in NC, I got inspired.... and decided to do a quick driveline change.  I converted my 318 to a rear transverse M20 just to see how it did.  Didn't give me much power so I just hauled it home instead to put in a project 325e I picked up. :D

Now the real story, a guy in NC had a complete eta motor that he wanted rid of so I bought it and hauled it back home in the 318.  While it was a tight squeeze, I managed to fit the whole thing in my trunk sans the trunk lid.  Drove home and averaged 26mpg even hauling a big heavy motor!  Also, that 26mpg included some heavy driving while during the e30 meet.  If you want to see some pictures they're in this thread...

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=159058

Why am I telling everyone this?  No reason, just thought someone might find it... interesting, crazy, stupid, redneck (Although I'm from out west), or maybe just funny.  But for everyone's information.... You CAN haul an M20 motor in the trunk of a 318is :D  Who needs a truck!

(http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac253/bmcdanold/Car%20stuff/MotorInTrunk3.jpg)
(http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac253/bmcdanold/Car%20stuff/MotorInTrunk2.jpg)
(http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac253/bmcdanold/Car%20stuff/MotorInTrunk.jpg)
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: 4banger on February 22, 2010, 09:44:42 PM
hahaha
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: Ryann on February 23, 2010, 01:20:03 AM
fuckin' awesome, dude.
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: Stevie30 on February 23, 2010, 04:27:06 AM
On this occasion you need an e30 pickup truck.
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: deekay on February 23, 2010, 12:20:00 PM
you had me all excited that someone was actually going to try to build an e30 into a renault clio v6 sort of car. fucker >:|
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: DesktopDave on February 23, 2010, 12:25:11 PM
Sweet.  That's one clean car you have there too...

Come to think of it, how hard could it be to do a pickup bed?  They had a few back in the day...VW Rabbit pickup, Dodge Rampage...an e30 ix would make an awesome pickup!
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: 1991 E30 M42 on February 23, 2010, 02:10:54 PM
http://bmwe30cars.blogspot.com/2009/10/bmw-e30-pickup_31.html
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: BlueBMW on February 23, 2010, 08:55:36 PM
Quote from: deekay;88181
you had me all excited that someone was actually going to try to build an e30 into a renault clio v6 sort of car. fucker >:|


Sorry to disappoint! :D
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: Chalino on February 23, 2010, 11:03:10 PM
fuckin A!
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: BlueBMW on February 24, 2010, 06:26:27 AM
Oh, I forgot to mention the car the M20 came from.  A guy over in NC was trying to make his 325e as light as possible, so he swapped in an M42!
Title: Rear engine conversion... sorta :D
Post by: dude8383 on February 24, 2010, 09:44:44 PM
That is quite cool :)