Castro Motorsport: Bar Legal S50 E30 M3

[e30polak]

perfection is an understatement, awesome classic build

It''s a nice, complete package, and it's a BLAST to drive!

[howsyouraspen]

Kick ass! Great engine in a fantastic car. Nice work.

[e30polak]

Kick ass! Great engine in a fantastic car. Nice work.

Thanks!

[244Brick]

Me no see pictures

[EdwinBlack]

Pictures aint working

We want to see this!

[P78]

Pictures ain't working

We want to see this!

this

stupid exceed bandwith message

[e30polak]

Me no see pictures

Pictures aint working

We want to see this!

this

stupid exceed bandwith message

Sorry guys, photobucket was being retarded!

Pics fixed, Imageshack FTW!!!

[MrZog]

God I love responding to purists! Let me get the list going (most of this was covered in the initial post, but I'll repeat it)

1. Alex wanted a lot more power then the s14 had to offer.

2. Alex wanted a low maintenance, reliable engine. The US s50/2 are pretty bullet proof, especially when compared to the high cost, high maintenance s14.

3. The cost of building the s14 to Alex's power goals, would've meant a full 2.5L stroker with aggressive cams, DTM airbox, rally header, and standalone = $10K +. That's alot of money to spend on a motor that will have roughly the same power as a bolt-on and tuned s50/2, but with a much less useable powerband for the streets.

4. Alex preferred the sound and behavior of a variable valve timed inline six, then the peaky nature of the buzzy s14.

I wouldn't call myself a purist . . and I do see the practical advantages of a M50/S50 . . no doubt . . but I still don't get it . . then why did he buy a M3 in the first place, when he didn't like the engine? . . just for the fenders? . . just because of the looks? . . just to say "hey I do have a M3"? . . . to impress his buddys? . . the light and rev-happy S14 is exactly what makes the M3 E30 so much fun to drive . . now it's just another E30 with a heavy M50/S50 conversion and ruined weight balance . . all what makes a E30 M3 great is now gone just in favour of a bit more horsepower . . and not even that much of it . .

Or maybe I am a purist .. or maybe driving to me is just more important than figures and looks . . at least in a drivers-car like a M3 .. .

well, each to their own . . it's his car and he can do what he want's with it . . but I don't like it . .

[e30polak]

I wouldn't call myself a purist . . and I do see the practical advantages of a M50/S50 . . no doubt . . but I still don't get it . . then why did he buy a M3 in the first place, when he didn't like the engine? . . just for the fenders? . . just because of the looks? . . just to say "hey I do have a M3"? . . . to impress his buddys? . . the light and rev-happy S14 is exactly what makes the M3 E30 so much fun to drive . . now it's just another E30 with a heavy M50/S50 conversion and ruined weight balance . . all what makes a E30 M3 great is now gone just in favour of a bit more horsepower . . and not even that much of it . .

Or maybe I am a purist .. or maybe driving to me is just more important than figures and looks . . at least in a drivers-car like a M3 .. .

well, each to their own . . it's his car and he can do what he want's with it . . but I don't like it . .

Yup you're a purist.

As written in my original post, Alex bought the M3 almost 10 years ago, and enjoyed it for the time he did till he overheated the motor. The car has always been used as a daily driver AND his fun car. This car will rarely see a track, like MOST e30 m3s out there these days. The car handles amazing in the canyons/twisty roads, while having the added grunt Alex wanted for street & highway driving.

Knowing full well how much it would cost to rebuild the s14, he didn't see that it was worth spending that much money, when he could get a more powerful, and more reliable engine swapped in it for cheaper. Alex wanted to keep the looks and handling of the M3, while modernizing the engine. We helped Alex accomplish his goals, within his budgetary needs.

The current suspension set-up handles extremely well! Alex's M3 would easily keep up with my similarly set-up, more nimble, s14 powered e30 m3 on the track in the turns, while blowing past it in the straights! Unless you're a true race car driver, you wont be able to drive this car to the limit, where it would be THAT much slower in the turns than a similarly set-up s14 car.

Have you ever driven a PROPERLY set-up 24v e30? If you haven't then your input isn't valid. I've owned and driven e30s/ e30 M3s with s14s and s50/2s, and there isn't that big of a disadvantage added by the extra weight over the nose. The front end feels a bit less nimble, but the spring rate, shock, and sway bar combination were tuned to handle the added weight. With the quicker ratio steering rack in place, and the suspension set-up, the car is very responsive. The only time you actually feel the difference between the s14 and the s50, is in downhill braking and turns.

When someone used to more modern cars, with more power, their prioirities change, The light wiehgt, rev-happy s14, isn't very exciting in comparison to most cars these days. Put a passenger or two in the s14 powered car, and it becomes pretty lifeless. IMO the s14 powered car is only "fun" on a track. Since 90-95% of the E30 M3s out there, are rarely tracked, if at all, your argument holds less value.

My biggest qualm with the US S50/2, is the lack of individual throttles. That being said, a euro s50 or an s54 are a MUCH more expensive project.

[Castro Motorsport]

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

As far as the whole swap argument: bottom line is that we did as the customer asked and he couldn't be happier to drive his m3 again!

[e30polak]

As far as the whole swap argument: bottom line is that we did as the customer asked and he couldn't be happier to drive his m3 again!

This.