I brought another car last night...
1998 BMW 320i Motorsport
Got it at Turners Auctions for $4300; had it at $4k but someone decided to put their damned hand up so we decided to push it to $4500 tops. It's in absolutely beautiful condition, immaculate really. The only issue I can see is that the boot lid appears to be delaminating. Should be an easy fix though.
Seat of the pants Dyno feels quicker than a 4 speed auto GPX, whether that's true or not I don't know. It is responsive though, perhaps it's the gearing. It runs an M52B20 engine, perhaps with Double VANOS (like MIVEC) which I believe is why it also felt far more responsive than the 528. Turners test track is rather small but I did manage to get it above 5k rpm and could definitely feel the VANOS hit, it's a bit more obvious than MIVEC, bit more of a kick akin to VTEC YO!!!!! yo! Power according to sites is around the 145-150 HP mark, but torque is listed as about 190 Nm @ 3500 rpm, which is about the same as a MIVEC 6A12 is listed as. Again, I believe that the gearing is what makes a difference seat of the pants.
It's only a 2 litre, but as I am keeping the FTO and rebuilding it I feel that fuel savings etc are rather more important; need a comfortable cruiser, and that's what this isM Series Engine Spec
M52B20 110KW/5900rpm, 190Nm/4200rpm
I don't know much about the models of BMW but I assume that the Motorsport model has the body kit (which this does), sportier seats etc. Do they have uprated suspension and brakes? The Wiki's are rather unhelpful, and the beamer forums are HUGE, a lot of information to dredge through there. Easier to ask here, anyone know the differences between a stock 320i and the 320i M-Power (or however they designate them)? This one is ex Japan.
The k's are quite high, but it feels very tight. We test drove a lower k's 528i which *looked* nice, but the engine was covered in grime and there was smoke coming from an oil leak over the manifold. It also had a flat battery, broken interior parts, fkd central locking and the suspension felt very loose with a few noises. Decided that was a risk we didn't want to take and then the missus saw the 320i that we brought.
As I said, the car is immaculate, especially the engine bay; and I don't mean immaculate like "they got in there with a tooth brush, but you can still see little bits of grime where they couldn't reach" I mean "my god, it looks brand new." I *think* I am going to take out a mechanical warranty for peace of mind, depending on price. I declined it last night, but as we haven't taken ownership of the car yet I think it should still be on the table.
The missus needs to learn to drive, and I haven't been keen to let her loose in the FTO of doom. This will be perfect for her being auto, and it will be a nice lazy cruiser for me. It is nice to know though that there is huge aftermarket support for them *if* I decided to do something silly. Apparently many parts from M50 engines and all M52 engines are bolt on replacements, as are M3 suspension and components. Big gains are to be had from fitting the intake manifold from the M50 (huge ports) onto the M52. Apparently the ECU reprograms itself too. Oh, the current ECU is flashable/programmable. I'm rather excited.
I pick it up after work today, needless to say I cannot sleep
hence why I am posting about it now I will upload some proper high resolution pics tonight after I get home.A few low res pics are on the link above but don't really do it justice.
Where does this leave me with the FTO? Well, I shift back to Christchurch the week after next, we will be flatting for up to 2 months or so until everything is settled. After that my venerable little illegal FTO will be pulled off the road, I haven't decided whether I want to tarmac race it or turn it into a bit of a drag strip eating show pony, but this is what I plan to do at this point:
- Remove most of the panels, I will then get rid of all of the grazes and marks and give her some TLC.
- Put her on axle stands and replace all bushes etc as well as change the springs in the coilovers to legal spring rates.
- Replace brake rotors and calipers, also considering braided brake lines though may be overkill.
- Remove the engine and check/replace seals and do the cambelt kit etc. Engine has still only done about 55,000 k's so is relatively fresh, but it's a good chance to do the preventative stuff.
- While engine is out I will get a second hand tip box (if mine is too fkd) and get it rebuilt. I will also think about rerouting wiring in the engine bay for a clean look.
- Buy a cheap skirt and lip kit, and modify the front bumper with the lip for a wide open mouth.
- Possible respray in either standard (fresh) Passion Red or perhaps a wine metallic, including engine bay.
- Buy some new wheels.
Once all of that is done it will be in a state of being well ready for certifying and re-registration; really was stupid to let it lapse.
