Lude Generation

So the lude is finished as far as I am willing to spend on it. The next step has to be a full exhaust and a remap at £1500 and I am not willing to spend it. It has gone into a garage for safe keeping and will come out again in time.


This means there is a gap in my project life


so I have been looking into other options on the cheap.....


What I have come up with is the following and I would like your opinions and any other ideas you might have for the same sort of thing but different.

Get a BMW E36/46 316 compact and shoehorn in the M52B28 2.8l engine from the sportier models.
I would be using an M3 gearbox and weld the diff on a 3.92 ratio rear box. It would also get the intake from the 2.5l engine to open the top end up.

what that would give me is 200hp 215ft/lb with a fast accelleration differential in a car weighing 1200kg before I start to strip it out. So I'm looking at 5.5 to 60 and a very light rear end.


All of this can be done for under £1500. I saw a finished conversion sell for £620 on the bay......


Am I mad or does this sound like the kind of motor you could get into lots of trouble with? I dont care about it being ugly, I will probs ratlook it anyway overtime (as I bash it into lamp posts/kerbs etc) I am just interested in lots of torque and lots of drifting.


thoughts? japan dont offer anything close so I have had to look elsewhere...

Sim simma.

They're cheap enough and there's fun to be had. If you can do it and have the money burning a hole in your pocket, why not?

What about the Nissan 180 RWD with a Sr20 (or something)?

@nitin not within a 1500 quid budget inc labour mate. and im still not a fan of turbo's init


i thought about an MX5 with an SR20 but it turns out to be rather expensive for the results.

Should think you'll be pressed to find a reasonable 180 for cheap enough to start with anyway The DE isn't powerful enough stock, same for the DET tbh. Sounds like you would be bored of it too soon.

V8 from a Lexus soarer shoehorned into a 5th gen.

They go well, guy on my Facebook drifts one

It's not a popular mod really as you can buy a normal 328 for £500 and not have to bother with swapping engine

But as it's a project go for it, you can't beat a bit of drifting

@ammo: agreed but i like the idea of always going for lighter if you can and yeah, its more a project to keep me occupied over winter summer than a need.


plus it has real sleeper camoflage

They are a bit more snappy then the salons due to no boot over hang and different rear suspension they basically run a E30 rear axle but 5 stud, so the shock and spring are 2 separate items, rather than shock and spring as one unit we are used to as lude owners (and on the saloons)

having looked at the interior the whole car looks to be a hell of a lot lighter thsn the saloons. Im after a shockingly fast sleeper that I can take round corners backwards if the thrill arrives.


i might just get a 328 to start with but thats a whole different statement and one im not sure i want to make.....