insert notsureifserious jpg here.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

At the wife's insistance , we got an '89 e34 535i (autotragic, yes, it's her backup). I do like the M30 engine. I even considered a 5 speed version that came up for peanuts (identical black on black), but I am buried in cars now. I'm not a huge fan of the 3-series, unless it's a convertible and stick

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

When you're in a city with tight parking, something as short as an E36 sedan comes in handy.

Oddly enough, I've driven two of those - both with auto - and that is a surprisingly fast and decent ride. Over on the Bimmer forums I've been hearing about putting the M30B34, the engine in your car I believe, into the best Bimmer ever built, the E30. It does fit, if snugly, I've seen photos.

I gather the M30 is rated one of the better engines of all time or something approximately as illustrious. Not sure if I'm going to try the swap, such projects have eaten other men alive so I dunno. Would be a fast sum b!tch that's certain. Not sure how easy it is to find one with a 5 speed attached.

I understand the convertible E30 is the heaviest of the bunch. If I had 8 cars, one of them would be a convertible. I don't like the sun in my eyes nor rag tops with sun damage and leaks but it would be fun now and then.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I said the same thing about FWD until i got a MINI. Tons of fun.

I had a Saab 96 in the mid 70s. Fun car. My first car with a performance record. My wheels weren't as nice as this one's.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Mini is a bloatmobile -- if I'm going modern and FWD, I'll go all-out tiny. Fiat 500, baby.

Didn't some BMWs have Recaro seats? I want to knab a pair of junkyard seats and am thinking Recaro might be the way to go. I need to know what to look for 'cause realistically I won't spend enough time poking around the junkyard to get lucky.

The E30s had 'sports seats' which I've heard some claim weren't real Recaros. I've had some, I'm now back to the standard 'comfort seats' as they're called because the sports seats tend to grip the sides of my thighs uncomfortably. Finding a good pair at a bone yard can be tough. Unless you go to a specialty yard where I'm guessing they would be $150 or so. I did find a pair in great shape at Pick n Pull a few years back for $30 apiece but that was huge luck, and rare.

This doesn't look like an E30 but those are the seats.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

1st gen MINI is not a bloat mobile. Also ,Mini and MINI are technically two different cars. The Fiat 500 is only exciting if you get the Amarth. Anything less and it's a hairdressers car.

I LIKE "hairdresser cars" -- I'm not so insecure about the size of my dick to care. 100 hp in anything is enough for me to have fun. I don't subscribe to the Neanderthal notion that you need massive HP in everything, and that zOMG the engine will blow up if you shift above 2500 rpm.

My last car was a bone-stock 1995 Miata. *swish* *swish* *flips hair*

Correct, the 1959-1999(?) Mini isn't a bloated pig, but the "FWD BMW" MINI is. All generations thereof.

Except for the wheels--I know where there is an identical one to this.

I don't get whats the big deal about FWD. Ive been driving the mazda for 4 years and I never had any "FWD problems."

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

I don't like it except in very tiny or odd cars. It's a matter of preference.

Some people like opera, others jazz. Given the choice between a MINI and a 3-series, I'll take the 3'er. Given the choice between the 3'er and a vintage Citroen DS, or the 3'er and Fiat 500, I'd have to think that one over.

But yeah, I generally like RWD -- being able to step on it and feel the car tighten up in a turn is a lovely feeling, and "slightly scary in icy conditions" equals fun to me.

Either you don't push it hard, or you've adapted well to managing the difference in handling FWD brings.

Any time I've pushed one hard I ran into massive understeer. Massive understeer isn't something I'm used to dealing with and correcting, so it bothers me rather a lot. OTOH, oversteer, including lots of oversteer, is something I'm used to managing. Plus, if I get it wrong, I won't have to see the tree that kills me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoICf55jED8

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.