How to make a 325e Legal for SpecE30?

#1

Good Evening Everyone;
Just a short mention,I have searched the forums alot for “325e”, and found some answers, but a little vauge.

In the overall, if I wanted to take a stock '85 325e, and build a SpecE30, my understanding would be that the only ‘required’ modification is it would need a 325i Engine swapped in, and given it’s an early '85, probably a Diff. change for the better Ratio? I’m just in the early stages of looking right now, have been thinking of making a fairly cheap E30 Track car for a while, and recently stumbled upon and read a fair portion of the SpecE30 Regulations.

(I will still be AutoCrossing it long before any engine/diff or other part change outs required to make it legal, as I havn’t seen much for SpecE30 in Alberta, Canada, but would like to build it legal, or close to legal…)

Thanks for any helpful comments!

#2

here is a recent thread with some good advice

http://spece30.com/component/option,com_kunena/Itemid,86/func,view/id,27972/catid,3/

cheers,
bruce
(displaced Canuck in Denver)

#3

The best thing you can do is buy a car that has already been prepared by someone else. There are always 2-4 SpecE30 cars for sale from $9-13k. Some may still even be street legal. Seriously, keep your “e” car as a daily driver, or sell it for cash. No matter how you slice it, buying a used race car is always a better deal than building one.

#4

If you want a 325e, I have one for sale. It’s an '86 that has a ground control suspension (illegal) and the eta (also illegal) but is otherwise prepped and sorted. It has a current annual and a logbook. If interested - let me know. I’m looking for $5.4K for it. You can have all the RA1’s with it you want! Erle

#5

I am not so sure that an “i” engine is required nor that an “e” engine is illegal. There is simply no separate class for etas anymore. I think you could run an eta in spec e30 (assuuming it met all the other rules) but it would be so slow that it would hardly be worth the entry fee.

Having said that, I agree with others that a fuly prepared car is the least expensive and fastest route from where you seem to be to spec e30 racer. Others are also right in stating that if you don’t have the $15,000 cash to buy a prepped car that you are not ready for Spec e30 either. DO NOT however, let real world wisdom from guys who know what they are talking about squash your dreams to go racing.

From the context of your post I assume that you have a fun car but do not have a fat check book to go buy a prepped car. That being the case, go to every autocross and driver’s school that you can to learn how to drive what you have. If you invest in any “go fast” thing for your car at this point, buy another set of wheels and the same Toyo R888s that we drive on. The sticky tires will be the most significant improvement you can make to a street car for autocrossing and driver’s schools. All the while keep your eyes open for a deal on a 325is as a better platform from which to start.

Good Luck, have fun, and keep us posted relative to your progress.

Don

#6

Really nice cars can indeed cost $15k. But reasonably nice cars can go for $9-10k.

#7

only the 325i’s are classed, and there is nothing that says you can swap in an eta engine.
thanks,
bruce

donstevens wrote:

[quote]I am not so sure that an “i” engine is required nor that an “e” engine is illegal. There is simply no separate class for etas anymore. I think you could run an eta in spec e30 (assuuming it met all the other rules) but it would be so slow that it would hardly be worth the entry fee.

Don[/quote]

#8

9.3.1.7.1.1. For engine swap cars, ECU shall (3.1) match the engine.
9.3.2.1. Cars that do not have an original (3.3) type engine, (e.g. the engine was not available in the
model, chassis and year of the car), shall (3.1) be classed based upon the vehicle for which the engine
was original (3.3).
9.3.2.2. The car shall (3.1) meet the weight minimum of the chassis, model and year for which the engine
was originally available in the chassis of a US model, (e.g. it will assume the characteristics of the donor
car).

Finished that car yet?

#9

No,
Not sure which position you’re defending by quoting those rules … they are for when you are starting with something else and creating a 325i or 318iS.
bruce

155MPH wrote:

[quote]9.3.1.7.1.1. For engine swap cars, ECU shall (3.1) match the engine.
9.3.2.1. Cars that do not have an original (3.3) type engine, (e.g. the engine was not available in the model, chassis and year of the car), shall (3.1) be classed based upon the vehicle for which the engine was original (3.3).
9.3.2.2. The car shall (3.1) meet the weight minimum of the chassis, model and year for which the engine was originally available in the chassis of a US model, (e.g. it will assume the characteristics of the donor car).

Finished that car yet?[/quote]