E30 race car- part 1

[Guest Andrew]

nice - looks a bit lighter than the e30 stuff also.

How long is the projected build time?

[Gus 5]

it looks like a CRX! i like the bracing on the trailing arms

nice find on all the stuff..should turn out well

[conrod 1]

Thanks for that! I have been looking for a while for these bits, and had all but given up, then all of it pretty much became available at once, so I guess I was a bit lucky there.Yes, it does share the same silhouette as a CRX- but only on the left hand side! I am hoping to have it completed in about 12 months, long enough to do it nicely, but not too long so I lose interest in it.

Edited October 22, 2005 by conrod

[Guest Andrew]

hah if your doing viewings while your doing the build i'd love to come take a peek.

[conrod 1]

No worries, all I have at the moment is the bits I have put pics of on this forum, as well as a plan! But the ball is rolling, next thing is to find a suitable shell, a mint, white 2 door with a blown engine for $1500 would be nice, but try finding that when you are in a hurry!

[westy 614]

Hmmm,Ive seen that somewhere before

[cainchapman 0]

I'll vouch for Conrod's knowledge! Andrew, you have been to see a car he worked on in Onehunga.

Hi Conrad, good to see you aren't just renovating houses.

[conrod 1]

Hello Cain, how are you? Much more fun building cars than renovating houses, however, one of these can make you money, and the other just burns it up, and there are no prizes for guessing which!

Edited October 24, 2005 by conrod

[E30-323ti 66]

Yes it does, the spacing and geometry is exactly the same as an E30. Halfshafts are the same length, same inner CV as a 325, outer CV is bigger than an E30(same size cage and balls as the inner) BMW have made this project easy for me!

You will find the inner CV's are E28 sized not E30 325 (smaller).

[conrod 1]

Not according to my vernier!

[Guest Andrew]

You will find the inner CV's are E28 sized not E30 325 (smaller).

did you use mcoupe or e36/5 stuff?

[conrod 1]

The E36 M3 I dismantled has the same sized CV's inner and outer as the M Coupe, but the shafts are about 10mm longer. So will be using the M Coupe ones, which are same length as 325. Meanwhile, when the factory gives you a set of stainless headers, I figured it is only right to give 'em a bit of a shine up........ (check out the bend in the rack on the right)

Edited November 3, 2005 by conrod

[Guest Andrew]

amazing - those headers are gorgeous -

how'd the wheel fair that was attached to that side of the steering rack hah

[conrod 1]

Yeah, the headers came up nice didn't they? But you should have seen the mess it made in my garage from the polishing though! Amazingly, with the suspension bent/torn off/damaged on three corners, and both front tyres and one rear pulled off the rims, only damage was a small hole through one front tyre, and a bit of rash on the rims,(which came up mint with a repaint) No bent rims! I guess you have to win some of the time!.......

[E30-323ti 66]

Not according to my vernier!

Not according to my Parts catalog & hrs of research on the issue.

Refer attached exert for the diff output flanges. Sorry about the width (dual monitors).

The M Coupe & E28 Inner CV's are ~111 OD (98PCD) and yes will be the same as the E36 M3 ones, the E30 (all) ones are ~97 OD (can't remember the PCD).

Andrew:

I used E30 axles with the E36/5 backend.

[conrod 1]

Hmmm, interesting.........Agree with the M Coupe being the same as the E36 M3, (easy, because I have them both here!) although I make them at 108 dia and 94mm PCD. The E30's all used the 97 diameter inner CV except the 325 (not sure about 323i) which had the larger diff, with 6 bolt bearing retaining plates (instead of four) and this used the bigger CV joint.

[E30-323ti 66]

Here are the E30 output flanges.

The E30's and E36/5's with small case (typ168 diffs) have the same dia inner CV as the medium case cars, the CV's are thinner though, thats why you can swap between 168 & 188 diff's.

[conrod 1]

Just had another look at my spares, the 325 definitely uses the larger (108mm) CV as opposed to the 97mm one on the smaller engined cars.

[Gus 5]

CV jousting!

battle it out!

[E30-323ti 66]

Just had another look at my spares, the 325 definitely uses the larger (108mm) CV as opposed to the 97mm one on the smaller engined cars.

Thats very interesting.

I have heard of E28 inner CV's being put onto E30 axles (which is kind useless when it's the outer ones that blow!!).

The parts catalog has a diameter of 105mm noted for the 325 drive flanges, which is close to the 111mm of the E28/MZ3 ones but the PCD is smaller and the internals of the CV are alot smaller.

As you can see below, the axles are the same across the E30 models, same axles=same CV's, go figure!?!?!

[E30-323ti 66]

CV jousting!

battle it out!

Indeed, If there is something I've missed in my quest for a reliable back-end, I want to know about !!!!

And hoping all my work putting the E28 back-end into the E30 isn't in vain!!!

[E34-535ti 5]

my quest for a reliable back-end

9 inch??

[conrod 1]

I know the 320 and 325i definitely have different sized inner CV's, but I have only measured the OD of the 325 CV joint, I have not checked the PCD or internals of it to see that it is the same as the M Coupe/M3, I have just assumed it is the same.I will do that in the next week or two and confirm.A bit of (possibly) useless information, the outer CV on the M3 and M Coupe is larger than the E30 325, and the M Coupe/roadster trailing arm is different in this area, the casting is larger to allow clearance for this. As far as the diff goes, you would be hard pressed to destroy one, they are VERY strong, a friend has an essentially stock LSD in his 500hp 2002, and in 10 years has never blown one!

Edited November 10, 2005 by conrod

[Jonty m50e30 0]

This is awsome - kinda makes my m50 a bit of a girls car mind you this will cost you a few bob.

[conrod 1]

Okay, found my 325 driveshaft (axle, halfshaft or whatever you want to call it) today, and did a few measurements as follows:

325:

Inner CV joint

86mm PCD

99mm Dia

30mm wide

Outer CV

29mm spline

M22 thread

M Roadster

Inner CV joint

94mm PCD

108mm Dia

30mm wide

Outer CV

33mm spline

M27 thread

So it seems, E30-323ti, you were right all along! Hmmm, feeling a bit hungry, what is this in the fridge, a nice piece of leftover humble pie............

Edited December 5, 2005 by conrod