Mad_Max

Basically what I have planned for one of mine too..... Thing to remember with the Getrag boxes is that the number is the theoretical "safe" amount of torque they can handle, so you'd be better off with a Getrag 250 over a 220. Having said that, I had a 220 in my 328i sedan (small mods, nothing super serious) and it withstood the abuse I gave it. Weak point was the M4X clutch which would occasionally slip. For a daily driver with the occasional abuse, the Getrag 250 box should be more than enough, gear ratios almost identical to the ZF, and they came factory in some E36's (I've pulled one from an early 325i, and there's one in my 316Ti). Clutch/flywheel combo I'll leave up to you as there's a stack out there that can be made to work, the only other thing to think about is your starter may actually need changed to suit the flywheel, and you'll want to swap to a manual diff ratio - assuming it's not a track car that is.

My eyes hurt...... not sure whether to cry at the destruction of an M6 or laugh at the idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for people doing different things, and the level of engineering and detail that's gone into this is amazing, along with the $$$'s spent..... I'd hate to see the total cost for the build. A 6 rotor? I've heard tell of billet 4 rotors setting people back around US$85k but this is next level......... Oh and yes it actually runs

Hi Brent, just wondering if you've heard anything yet? There's been a few pop up on TardeMe but none are really catching my eye. Graham's one seems well looked after so it's an option being considered. I saw the E30 Touring in the For Sale section, it would've been perfect but it's out of my price range unfortunately. So the search continues.....

Sounds just like the local brothels down here...........

Na the car will be completely toasted and not worth the cost to repair. Best to just give it to me, I'll dispose of the whole thing for ya ?????

That's good info and a good science lesson all rolled into one.... thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Our old inboard with it's 351 Cleveland and 60l alloy tank used to sit parked up for 8 months of the year. First thing we used to do was pour a litre of methylated spirits (which is ethanol) into the tank before towing to the caravan park (over an hour away of shaking the tank) before starting it. Never had a problem once we learned that trick. I was told not so much water being soluble in it, rather the ethanol bonds to the water and absorbs the compression in the motor so the water molecules didn't cause any damage when they didn't compress. I'm not a science teacher so could very well be wrong lol (and would be interested to hear the science behind it if I am) but either way, ethanol/methylated spirits has been known for years to work like that.

Just a thought as I had it happen in my old 280ZX many years ago, it could also be the input shaft bearing on the gearbox, it had the same symptoms. Knocking rattle when in neutral that would go away when the clutch pedal was pressed in enough. Boss drained the gearbox, found metal chunks come out of it. We put new gear oil in it and I kept driving it lol, waiting for the day the gearbox blew up........ but it never did....... Might be a simple check to drain the box and check the oil, see if it's something let go inside the gearbox?

Yes agreed completely, it is rare that I would need to tow that sort of weight and usually use the Landcruiser to do those missions. Hmmm haven't seen any on TardeMe that are within my price range at the moment, it is another option too........

Couldn't give an exact weight as I don't know the weight of the trailer, but it is used for vehicles. I do have access to an old 70 series Landcruiser for towing heavy loads such as these if needed, hence why a 3 series can be considered, I'm just thinking of the odd occasion where I'm stuck and have to use that vehicle to tow something that heavy. FYI Aus has no weight restrictions like that when it comes to towing, it's all whatever the manufacturers specify. Only NZ has a "blanket rule" weight restriction. Yes @gjm's E46 is one of the two I am considering right now for those reasons, the E39's though is a personal preference, I'd like to see what alternatives there are other than an E39.

Yeah I'm just a little nervous about towing with a 4cyl diesel, it's a lot of strain on the motor. Though it is one I will definitely consider and worth checking out as a possibility, it would be a better pick in my eyes than an E39.

Damn, always too late on the scene....... that would've been worth checking out. And someone throws a wildcard into the mix ????. It's an option I am kinda considering too, can you pm me some more info? Any known issues with it? Is it likely to need much for a WoF? Heard about the swirl flaps and turbo issues which may have been blown out of proportion, but I'd definitely have a look and think about it as an option thanks Graham.

Yes agreed, plus the advantage of a 525I and a 530I parts cars are leading me towards the E34 lol. 2-3L over 100km isn't a huge amount and wouldn't kill any deal at the end of the day.

Brilliant, thanks heaps. Owning an E39 535i sedan, yes open road fuel economy is pretty good, better than the Primevil is, there's no argument there. Personally though, I prefer the styling of the E34's, never really liked the front end on the E39's. Very nice cars to drive and ride in, agreed. But just not to my liking for the styling. Having said that, I haven't completely ruled out getting a 535i/540i if it's the right deal, only just started looking really and seeing what options are around.

Now that I would definitely be interested in checking out even if it is a V8. When could you get me more info Brent? I was eyeing up an E34 down here for ages, then it disappeared...... Would love to get more information as soon as you can do it.

Thanks for the tip, have you got any more info on it? I'm not on FB these days, only messenger. But might be worth checking out as a comparison to the TradeMe listings.

My current daily driver Primevil wagon is currently dying a long, painfully slow death, and is starting to develop too many issues to make it worth fixing, so I'm on the hunt for a replacement. I've decided a wagon is definitely a handy thing to have, and have been looking at a couple of examples on TradeMe that I will probably end up checking out. Below is a list of preferences I'd like but this is not set in stone - I will consider looking at anything not on the list. Prefer a 3 series but will look at 5 series as well. Prefer 6 cyl, 2.5l minimum, 2.8l or 3l would be ideal. Prefer manual (yeah that I can't see happening ??) but am being realistic and prepared for an auto - not a deal breaker. Prefer with a towbar (not hard to fit one later if needed) - not a deal breaker. Prefer south island but can travel for the right deal. Ideally prefer something under $3.5k at this stage, especially if I have to travel for it but may consider more for the right wagon. Not too fussed on k's or "perfect condition" as the thing will get used heavily (currently doing a lot of travel). I have seen the listing from @rxsumo for his touring, which looks to be a reasonable example, and while I'd love a V8, it's just not practical for me around town. And given the towing I do, a 4 banger won't quite cut it. So what's out there? Just the TradeMe examples?

Fly down and reline my entire house and I'll pay ya $20 ????

Hahaha dude, you pay me enough and you can have anything you want ?????

As an ex mechanic, I agree completely with what you say there. We used to tell customers they had 3 choices: 1 - Fast 2 - Cheap 3 - Done correctly They could only pick 2 of those options, for just this reason. Do it right the first time, it saves you more in the long run.

Same design as the old Phantom Grip, except for the addition of the friction plates. $200-$300 US for it? I bought one from offshore for $25 that is a very similar design, without the friction plates. I haven't installed it yet as have been thinking (and discussing with a mate who used to rebuild drum brakes and clutches) about putting a thin, organic compound on it for better grip, and a sacrificial surface. Will it work? May see some benefits on loose surfaces, but I really doubt the springs will do enough to work on a sealed surface to work the same as a proper LSD. Will there be wear on the drive flange shafts? I'd just about bet there will be, how bad it will be, and how long it takes to cause damage, are the unknown. This set up though, I don't like the fact this guy is talking about using an angle grinder to clearance the spider gears and the flange shafts...... that's just asking for trouble if you don't get them flat. But that's just my opinion, it may change when I get around to installing my cheap version and can evaluate it myself...........

I'd beg to differ, as the design is the same for both. Just a question of if @Jardfish is boosting it or not. If he is, I'd say the M50BX block for major boost and HP, for sure stronger. If not, go the M52BX, far strong enough to handle 500 odd HP even when FI, and way more common. Agreed about the M54BX though, lots more electronics to sort out and not really worth the extra effort. Yes agreed, this one being a 94 is far more likely to be a G220 or G250.

Pretty sure it'll be a G250 box, not a 240. I thought the 240 boxes only came in the E30's. If it is a G250 box it'll bolt straight up no worries, and you can get the clutch upgraded with more clamping force, so the 4 cyl clutch and flywheel will work. If you do this you'll need to use the 4 cyl starter motor too. Front section of the driveshaft should work as well, mated to a 6cyl rear section. There is a bit of work to be done, you'll need the complete engine loom to suit. Check out this thread by @adz His own build doing just that, M52B28 and manual conversion. There will be heaps of others on here that have done it as well and will doubtless have a heap of good info for you.

Hahaha I never noticed that...... bad bolt placement at a guess.

Just thrown some photos and some info up about the E3 for those that are interested, done it in the Projects section: