Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Talk me out of this
  • oldtin

    Feb. 19, 2010 12:59 p.m. oldtin Reader

    I'm thinking bmw 5 series (e28) for a challenge car. I don't think it would be competitive - but seems like a fun car with a 5spd and m30 engine. Where's the error in my thinking? How is this likely to go horribly wrong?

  • HappyAndy

    Feb. 19, 2010 1:06 p.m. HappyAndy HalfDork

    oldtin wrote: I'm thinking bmw 5 series (e28) for a challenge car. I don't think it would be competitive - but seems like a fun car with a 5spd and m30 engine. Where's the error in my thinking? How is this likely to go horribly wrong?

    Is'nt going horribly wrong part of the challenge procces?

  • jwdmotorsports

    Feb. 19, 2010 1:09 p.m. jwdmotorsports HalfDork

    As long as you have fun you're not going wrong.

    I brought a horribly put together car in 2009, finished toward the end of the pack, sold the broken car out of the parking lot at the end of the weekend, and loved every minute of it.

    www.facebook.com/teamdixonracing

  • Giant Purple Snorklewacker

    Feb. 19, 2010 1:12 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

    Don't discount the E28 from overall winner... they can be made to boogie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzZlakDcCKI

    walterj, playing with the 'preferred username' feature

  • racerdave600

    Feb. 19, 2010 2:34 p.m. racerdave600 Reader

    You're in the wrong place to have someone talk you out of anything! There's no such thing as can't do around here!

    For example, "I just got a great deal on an old Cessna wing" which leads to the inevitable... "great, strap it on a Miata or put a V8 in it and take it to the challenge!"

  • stuart in mn

    Feb. 19, 2010 6:15 p.m. stuart in mn SuperDork

    Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Don't discount the E28 from overall winner... they can be made to boogie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzZlakDcCKI

    Yeah, but that's an M5 with cubic dollars invested... I've seen that car in person and it is really nice and really fast (in fact, I have the original brakes off that car sitting in my garage right now, they're going on my M535i this spring.) This is not to say regular 535i can't be a lot of fun. They're not particularly fast by today's standards, but lots of guys have installed homebrew turbo kits that will wake them up. They handle pretty well with some reasonable mods, and they're built like tanks - several LeMons teams have used them with success.

    Edit: you can take a lot of weight out of the car by stripping out the interior, power accessories, the big US bumpers, etc. The best place for e28 knowledge is www.my28.com .

  • oldtin

    Feb. 19, 2010 6:57 p.m. oldtin Reader

    I've been lurking around mye28.com lately - Looks like there could be decent runners that are challenge priced. Last year I took on too much of a project and ended up as a spectator (still worth the entry fee). This time the plan is to at least have a car.

  • mad_machine

    Feb. 19, 2010 7:22 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

    love the e28

    Non-Sequitor Alert!

  • Raze

    Feb. 20, 2010 12:11 a.m. Raze Reader

    dissuading you would be like dissuading a crack addict from buying another rock...

  • Luke

    Feb. 20, 2010 4:07 a.m. Luke SuperDork

    I endorse this idea. My E28 with a 5 speed and standard M30 2.8 is a blast to drive. Bit heavy, but still plenty of fun.

    ...does the M30 take well to turbocharging?

    Also, someone ran an e28 in the most recent UTCC, and didn't finish too badly, (mid pack, from memory.)

    Drink beer. Drive a metal car. Don’t be a ponce. - James May

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