i need HELP!

[OutDrive318i]

Hey guys, thanks for reading. I have an 85 318i that is completely stock at the moment. i have just recently changed the front main seal, putting a stop to my nasty oil leak, and fresh tires and front brakes are on their way. what i'm hoping to accomplish is to gain some decent power, without an engine swap or turbo/supercharging the engine. i know a lot of you will view this as sacreligious, but i'm hoping to be able to make the car quick and tough enough for it to be capable of towing a small Boler trailer
( http://www.geocities.com/bolerama/navyboler.htm ). This shouldnt be too difficult, given that these trailers weigh an estimated 900lbs. my first purchace will more than likely be an exhaust system, the current unit is getting a little rattly, and shearing off the exhaust shielding will only buy me so much time.

[Febi Guibo]

um... we will try to help you, but you have an M10 engine, and... this is forum is generally for M42 engines...

I'm not sure you have the right vehicle to tow a 900# trailer, but others will be able to chime in with more info...

that's a sweet looking trailer btw!

[FL318i]

you can start of by changing the gears, like a 4.10 or 4.27, i will also recomend good brakes since you will be pulling a trailer and maybe with a chip that should be a good start!

[kramerica5000]

You might be able to find 10-15 hp with a chip and exhaust/intake upgrades, but beyond that you will prolly be wringing a dry towel.

Depending on the condition of the car, your best bet might be just to regain any power that you've lost by giving it a tune up with new wires and plugs, and making sure you don't have vacuum leaks, etc. You can also run synthetic oil in your tranny and dif . .  that should help.

Do you have a hitch already? I've never seen an e30 with a hitch. Any idea what the tow rating is?

Also check out http://www.e30tech.com. Its got a forum for specifically for the m10.

[Vladi]

You can't chip an M10. It doesn't have electronic injection, it's more of an analogic type.

[tony92ic]

These guys make a cool light duty e30 hitch. Its designed for the M3, but should work on our cars. Not heavy duty enough for a camper, but a track trailer is what it was designed for.

http://www.vintagesportsracing.com/e30_hitch.htm

No way an M10 powered e30 is going to tow that trailer though. Its not just the 900#s but the wind load on that will be huge. I am not sure any e30 would be appropriate for that type of trailer. How about one of those little tear drop trailers? I have seen guys in Minis and 2002s tow those.

[christophbmw]

you should be good for 1000lbs (if you have a 5 spd). the only problem with towing in an M10 is the rear drum brakes. maybe if you did a conversion to rear disc, but your crazy if you dont upgrade the brakes. the M10 can do a decent job towing 1000lbs but there is no way in hell it will stop in a decent amount of distance with the rear factory drum brakes.

as for the motor, get a bigger radiator, get the 325i front grills, or a 318 (M42) grills, they have bigger openings for cooling. a 4.27 diff would be nice but you should be fine with the stock 4.10 (if you dont go up any crazy hills).

that trailer looks like it might have alot of drag, have you seen the new teardrop trailers? you also might want to consider getting an ETA, they have tons of torque for towing, hope this helps .