you want a fun BMW 4.. look up the very rare S42 engine. Basically an M42 that the folks at M division breathed on for a race series that never happened. There have been some replicas and they are monster little engines.
From what I have read.. the M42/44 actually breathes better than the S14.. so I can see where a properly modded M42 would one of the best engines around
I'm not sure why so many are down on the driving characteristics of the e21. I've got a 325es and my 83 320i.
The feel of the e21 is superior to the e30, and with some minor mods the 1.8 in the later cars will be fine; upgrade the ignition components, use an electric fan instead of belt driven, upgrade the air sensor plate to that of a pre-80 car (bigger), and an exhaust and it wakes it up plenty. Figure $100 for the ignition, $100 for the electric fan, $50 or less for the 2.0 air sensor plate, and anywhere from $125 on for an exhaust. Start taking weight out of the car and it gets even better. Relatively speaking, cheap upgrades.
I'm doing the final tuning on mine with a 2.0, 284 cam, weber 32/36, exhaust and losing anything that's not needed (sound deadenr, "non-functional" interior bits, lighter seats, etc...), and it feels plenty quick.
Not going to win any drag races, but it's a really fun car. It's worlds more fun to drive than the e30.
Can you tell where my vote lays?
More fun to drive than an e30? I'm listening.
Taiden wrote: More fun to drive than an e30? I'm listening.
IMO, absolutely.
But, bear in mind I like "primitive", which compared to an e30, the e21 is.
Steering feel is better (no power assist)
Chassis "communicates" better
Rear end is prone to coming out more easily (I don't think most people like this - I love it).
Pretty much everything that makes the e30 a better car makes it less satisfying to drive than the e21. There must have been an Italian guy on the e21 design team that got kicked off when the e30 project came up.
Before I upgraded the suspension, the e21 had MASSIVE body roll, but was fantastic fun to drive. Lot's of "feel" to the car. It's that "feel" that the e30 lacks.
I've since tweaked the suspension a little bit, and it corners much flatter now. In fact, turn in is now fantastic. Car is pretty neutral initially, maybe mild understeer, but lift throttle and the rear comes around nicely, easy to rotate the car, and (for me anyway) very controlable.
YMMV, but I love this thing.
Does it use a steering box?
In reply to Taiden: Rack and pinion.
I agree with everything oldgrey320i said, except I haven't driven an e30. But how he describes the e21 is exactly how I feel about mine. It's what I missed so badly when I sold my previous one and had to find another.
z31maniac wrote: I miss my 91 318is dearly. LIghtweight flywheel, chip, exhaust, intake and it's basically as quick as an E30 325is, with better mileage. As far as rust mentioned earlier, find a base model with no sunroof.
just curious what route did you decide to go for the lightweight flywheel? That seems to be the big thing holding back the 318is. What kind of mpg were you getting?
^I forgot, you can either pay $$$ for a JB racing or other fancy brand.
Or get an M20 flywheel, machine it down to 11-12lbs (I did this on my S52 as well) and use the M20 clutch.
I think the only hang up is having to use a 320i Euro throwout bearing. You can serach around, it's well documented. You even buy a complete setup from Metric Mechanic.
mad_machine wrote: From what I have read.. the M42/44 actually breathes better than the S14.. so I can see where a properly modded M42 would one of the best engines around
I've got a hard time believing that. Even BUILT M42s don't come close to what an S14 will put out.
not sure on the E30 318is.. but I think the flywheel on my Ti's M44 is close to 30 pounds being a dualmass flywheel. I am looking fowards to getting a lightweight on it.
As an aside.. I recently had the chance to hop behind the wheel of a nice fiat spider. I stalled the car 5 times trying to get it moving. I got so used to the big heavy flywheel on the Bimmer that the lightweight one on the fiat did not have the mass to get the car going with the way I was used to driving
Yeah, even the M42 has something like a 25lb flywheel stock I believe.
I sincerely believe BMW downtuned the M42 so the little 4 cyl wouldn't be faster than the 325.
z31maniac wrote: Yeah, even the M42 has something like a 25lb flywheel stock I believe. I sincerely believe BMW downtuned the M42 so the little 4 cyl wouldn't be faster than the 325.
I have been saying that for years. If you compare the M42 and the M44.. they have the same HP levels.. yet the m44 is .1 litre larger (it is a 1.9)
Now.. if you look at BMWs line up.. there is a big jump in US models from the 318 with 140hp to the 325 with 175hp.. but in europe there was the 320 with a 2.0 Six.. this had around 150hp.. so they had to detune the fours to below the smallest of the Sixes.
I quite banging my head against the brickwall that is bimmerforums about it
In reply to mad_machine:
Preaching to the choir . . . between the super heavy flywheel, AFM flapper and sucky tune . . . WTF BMW 
It is said that M engineers really didn't like the M50B20 variant for touring car racing. While it made decent HP, the torque spread was nothing like the M42 based motor . . .
Note that the N43B20 (4 cyl) made the same hp and tq as M54B22 (6 cyl).
yea... I will be taking care of the limitations of the M44 once I take my Ti apart.
230hp m42...in an escort
I will just leave this well seen video here
STOP IT
I want to build an ultralight M42/5sp 2002ti in the worst way. You people need to refrain from reinforcing the ideas in my head with your jibber-jabber.
Enabler mode - I have a spare m42/g250 - full harness/dme/accessories sitting in the garage. Either you need this or I need a 2002.
mad_machine wrote: I will just leave this well seen video here Rolf van O's S42 racecar
This needs to quoted again . . .
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
I'll have one at the end of Summer that I would sell for the paltry sum of $100. 
Strike_Zero wrote: In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: I'll have one at the end of Summer that I would sell for the paltry sum of $100.
please elaborate...
The one in the wifes car is being pulled for freshly gasketed replacement M42 later this summer.
The current one is weeping oil from the front crank seal, the starter is a little weak and will need the usual BMW water pump replacement. Other than that it runs damn fine, she DD'd it since Dec 2009 when we got it. We've put about 25-30K on it. It's been all over SC, NC and GA without any issues.
oldtin wrote: Enabler mode - I have a spare m42/g250 - full harness/dme/accessories sitting in the garage. Either you need this or I need a 2002.
Very interesting... is this a running condition pair?
Enablers e'erywhere
Strike_Zero wrote: Enablers e'erywhere
It is good that you both are atleast a 12hr drive from here. Now, if you had said you had a 2002 for $100 I'd have the whole swap rounded up before this thread got to page 3.
LOL!! Sorry . . .no go on the 2002 for $100
If there was one, add low pressure turbo + M42 + lightness = terrorize AutoX course from here to FL 
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