Does Anyone here autocross an E28?

[Dungbeetle]

I have a 528i Euro version, and it seems to handle nice enough. It also has quite a bit more power than a 528e.

[Otto Krosse]

Try asking your question here: http://www.mye28.com/

I know there are a few there that track their 5ers.

[Travis R]

I have proof that I've autocrossed my car once. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q9ubVQ5Zn4

[Dungbeetle]

I have proof that I've autocrossed my car once. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q9ubVQ5Zn4

That looked good. Do you have any suspension mods? With your power, how do you stack up against an e30 325i? I bought my car new in Europe and was always impressed with how nice it drove, but about 10 years ago, I passed it on to my kids. Eventually it developed some injection problems, so the car was parked at ignored for a few years until I recently diagnosed the injection problems and restored it to the performance it had earlier. Now I am wondering if I should spend any more time on it.

[Travis R]

I haven't done anything to the car. As far as I know the springs and shocks are stock. The car does have adjustable sway bars, installed by a previous owner. I leave them set on the softest settings though, since the mounts have a tendency to tear out. The wheels are 16x7.5 style 60's with 225/50-16 performance summer tires.
I have no idea how my e28 would compare to an e30. What does an e30 weigh? I think the e28 is around 3000lbs.
Honestly though I don't think the car could ever be a great autocross car. It could be lots of fun, but you're not ever going to get FTD. I'd just get the car to a reliable state, set the car up so it's still good to drive on the street and call it a day... point of diminishing returns and all that.

[Dungbeetle]

I haven't done anything to the car. As far as I know the springs and shocks are stock. The car does have adjustable sway bars, installed by a previous owner. I leave them set on the softest settings though, since the mounts have a tendency to tear out. The wheels are 16x7.5 style 60's with 225/50-16 performance summer tires.
I have no idea how my e28 would compare to an e30. What does an e30 weigh? I think the e28 is around 3000lbs.
Honestly though I don't think the car could ever be a great autocross car. It could be lots of fun, but you're not ever going to get FTD. I'd just get the car to a reliable state, set the car up so it's still good to drive on the street and call it a day... point of diminishing returns and all that.

I have two cars with full race suspensions... a 98 M3 and a 90 325is. But, occasionally, I like to invite others along to go racing, for example, kids in my neighborhood. I'm thinking that with some good shocks and fresh bushings, it might be a nice car for a beginner to start out on. In a stock class, they could run some of my older R-compound race tires that I have replaced on the M3 or the E30.

[Travis R]

That's great that you're inviting the neighborhood kids along. I think the e28 would be a good car for a beginner.
Keep an eye on the steering box mount.

[e28535ismjl]

a local 535i took FTD at a auto-x event a few weeks back. he was in esp or dsp but either way these cars can move with the right suspension and camber plates and some race rubber they are very good cars. but there wasn't the e36's out to to compete with and a couple of local cars are very good

[Dungbeetle]

a local 535i took FTD at a auto-x event a few weeks back. he was in esp or dsp but either way these cars can move with the right suspension and camber plates and some race rubber they are very good cars. but there wasn't the e36's out to to compete with and a couple of local cars are very good


Really! That's kind of interesting. I'm going to have to give this car a try. Mine is the European version so it may be lighter than the USA models. The bumpers are a lot smaller, and the I don't think the doors have the USA required reinforcing. Also, everything is manual.. seats and windows.

[Vin Diesel]

i have suspension techniques baby bars, ground control coilover kit with revalved and bumpstop shortened bilsteins, 520 pound springs in front and 380 in back, the car grips real well. other goodies too.
its being made into a track/street car

[e28535ismjl]

yeah that sounds like that car would grip real well but camber plates would be a big help with front end grip my plans are right now for GC w/ Camber plates and koni's and if I need them some sway bars for fine tuning the rotation. the bushings are other area to improve feel and suspension control movents. like the subframe bushings and trailarm/ dog bone links play a big part in change the aligment has the car turns.

[Dungbeetle]

i have suspension techniques baby bars, ground control coilover kit with revalved and bumpstop shortened bilsteins, 520 pound springs in front and 380 in back, the car grips real well. other goodies too.
its being made into a track/street car

This thread is getting more interesting all the time.

Are you running an M20 engine?

[PixMan]

Attend the upcoming "5er Fest" in Chattanooga TN, and try it with the rest of the E28 crowd! It's the most fun you can have in the car (with your hand still on the wheel & gear shift.)

[Dungbeetle]

Attend the upcoming "5er Fest" in Chattanooga TN, and try it with the rest of the E28 crowd! It's the most fun you can have in the car (with your hand still on the wheel & gear shift.)

Probably won't ever get that far east, but it sounds like fun.

It's looking like this car has possibilities. As near as I can tell, there are plenty of camber plates and other suspension mods available... it's not that much heavier than an e30.. it already has 5 lug wheels.... and I can get a 745i engine from a friend that bolts in a brings it up to 400 hp with a few mods. What more could you want?

[Travis R]

Proper camber curves. :stickoutt

[sweet e36 pimp]

these cars can be a blast to drive. if you like e30's i don't see why you wouldn't love an e28. my 83 533i is a drifting machine.

[Dungbeetle]

Proper camber curves. :stickoutt


what's the rear control arm setup like? Can I add adjustable control arms like the E36, or do I have to weld in adjustable perches like on the E30?

BTW, I'd go look, but I'm at a tennis tournament in Indian Wells right now. I won't be home for another 10 days.

[Travis R]

You'd probably have to modify the rear subframe and make adjustable pitman arms if you wanted to change the rear. But I was mainly refering to the front (strut).

[e28 man]

I reside over on mye28, come over here every once in a while. I have a 535i that i've been doing interesting things to. I have stock springs, looking to get lowering springs on it. KYB gas-adjusts, stiffest non-race adjustable I could get. And I run sumitomo tires, (I like the summer UHP ones). That thing grips real well, i'd swear that it had better handling than my friends CRX (sticky tires, 3 inch drop, JDM motor swap and bad shocks). It's respectable for a sedan.

I've also been welding up a steel airbox, bolting it to the runners of an e12 intake manny and preping it for an Eaton m90 supercharger out of a pick and pull. 10psi non intercooled (I guess 8:1 compression is good for something...) and I'm gonna get a chip burned by mark d'sylvia. Assuming i can get the rrfpr adjusted properly, I'd like to think i'll get around 300 hp. It will probably total for everything new under the hood at below $800.

If I ever get this thing on the road, expect a detailed write up.

[e28forlife]

Probably won't ever get that far east, but it sounds like fun.

It's looking like this car has possibilities. As near as I can tell, there are plenty of camber plates and other suspension mods available... it's not that much heavier than an e30.. it already has 5 lug wheels.... and I can get a 745i engine from a friend that bolts in a brings it up to 400 hp with a few mods. What more could you want?


Fairly sure that the 745i engine you speak of (depends upon year of 7er chasis) is the m102/3. Its pretty much just a turbo charger m30. The headers and turbo stuff all bolt up to the m30 engine. I dunno if the 528i is an m30 or m20?

Quite a few people at mye28.com use 5ers as track cars. With the right suspension setup, they will handle pretty tight. The extra torque would be nice too for tight sections. The e28 will never feel as light as the e30, but I'm sure it would be a blast for your passengers in the e28!

[tammer]

E28 on stock suspension or regular lowering spring/sport shock setup, no other mods, will understeer on turn-in (sometimes badly) and be quite neutral once the nose is aimed the right way. They really need camber plates in front to help out, especially if lowered as the semi-trailing arm rear gains a lot of negative camber with lowering. They can be fun but the slow steering is a let-down (though steering feel is great). If you can address the turn-in issue, they can be quick around an autocross course, and they're a surprisingly competent track car where sudden transitions are uncommon. In short, go for it, but you'll notice the extra length and weight vs. an E30.

To address another point, the 528e is a 2.7L M20 (same as the 325e), while the 528i is a 2.8L M30 (baby brother to the 533i/535i).

-tammer

[Dungbeetle]

E28 on stock suspension or regular lowering spring/sport shock setup, no other mods, will understeer on turn-in (sometimes badly) and be quite neutral once the nose is aimed the right way. They really need camber plates in front to help out, especially if lowered as the semi-trailing arm rear gains a lot of negative camber with lowering. They can be fun but the slow steering is a let-down (though steering feel is great). If you can address the turn-in issue, they can be quick around an autocross course, and they're a surprisingly competent track car where sudden transitions are uncommon. In short, go for it, but you'll notice the extra length and weight vs. an E30.

To address another point, the 528e is a 2.7L M20 (same as the 325e), while the 528i is a 2.8L M30 (baby brother to the 533i/535i).

-tammer

I notice the extra weight and length of my M3, but the extra horsepower makes it a faster car, at least that's my impression. With a 400 hp 745i engine in it, it ought to be very interesting. The only thing I'm worried about is the spool up time of the turbo. I think there must be more responsive turbos available now than what the 745i originally came with.

As near as I can tell, the camber plate setup is just like my E30. Since I only intend to race the car, I'll probably cut some plates that give it a fixed camber increase.

[Dungbeetle]

E28 on stock suspension or regular lowering spring/sport shock setup, no other mods, will understeer on turn-in (sometimes badly) and be quite neutral once the nose is aimed the right way.

-tammer

not sure what that means


They can be fun but the slow steering is a let-down (though steering feel is great). If you can address the turn-in issue, they can be quick around an autocross course



What can be done about this? Can the steering be converted to rack and pinion? I have a rack and pinion out of a 95 M3.

[Love///M3]

not sure what that means



What can be done about this? Can the steering be converted to rack and pinion? I have a rack and pinion out of a 95 M3.


One thing that can be done is to switch to an M5 steering box

[tammer]

not sure what that means

What that means is that from straight ahead, without some serious negative camber in front the car doesn't like to turn in. Trail braking helps (keeps the front tires loaded), neg. camber helps (improves grip at turn-in), stickier tires help, but overall the E28 is an understeering car. Once you've slowed down enough or gotten enough grip up front to get the car in and the car is cornering, it is then quite neutral and can be steered with the throttle. The tricky part with an E28 is getting the mass to change directing, then they're a lot of fun.


What can be done about this? Can the steering be converted to rack and pinion? I have a rack and pinion out of a 95 M3.
M5 box is about all. R&P conversion may be possible, but I've never seen one. It would be tough to find space for a steering rack. FWIW the recirculating ball steering box has excellent feel and should be responsive on-center if it's in good shape; the problem is that many of the boxes and/or mounts are worn at this point so there's a lot of slop. And even the M5's steering is slow compared with a sports car. Remember, it was a luxury sedan. A smaller diameter wheel and the M5 steering box is probably your best bet without spending a bunch of money and doing a lot of custom fabrication.

-tammer

[knaws2]

I'm currently stationed in Germany and I'm interested in bringing back a euro E28. I was wondering how you shipped one into the states.

[Dungbeetle]

I'm currently stationed in Germany and I'm interested in bringing back a euro E28. I was wondering how you shipped one into the states.

I bought it new at the Schipol airport in Amsterdam and the dealer shipped it to San Francisco for me. I was able to drive it for a year on international plates, and then I had a company in California convert it to meet US specs. Among other things, they put in a carbon cannister, catalytic converters, and oxygen sensors with a box that tricked the L-Jetronic fuel injection into leaning it out under certain circumstances. Normallly, the L-Jetronic runs without feedback as to the fuel air-ratio. That was 23 years ago. I'm not sure what the current regulations require, or if they have changed. HTH.

[tammer]

Under the EPA's 25-year exclusion, you can bring an '82 model back now, or an '83 next year. If you want an M5 or an Alpina B9 or the like, you'll have to wait a couple more years.

-tammer

[knaws2]

How do you go about bringing back a 25 year old car?