[Shotimes] RE: supercharging

[Ron Nottingham]

I'll do you one better...  Build a Locost 7.  Use the rotary engine from a
93-95 RX7 Twin Turbo, a few mods on the engine (like BOS for the SHO) and
you're in the 300hp @ the WHEELS league.  A Locost with a typical 150hp
4-cylinder is in the 1200 pound range, I would expect with the rotary, 1000
to 1100 pound range, easy.  Do the math...  V8 Camaros are in the 3400 pound
range, crate motor (I'll assume a ZZ4 small block) is 410hp @ the CRANK
(assume ~15% drivetrain loss = 350hp @ the wheels, I'm being generous here).
1100 lbs with 300hp would be 3.67 lbs/hp for a Locost, 3400 lbs with 350hp
would be 9.71 lbs/hp for the Camaro.  Doesn't matter how you add it up, the
Locost will blow the Camaro into the weeds, pricewise and performance wise
(except maybe the Camaro has 2 little seats in the back for toddlers, which
the Locost does not have :-)

Ron N. - Dalton, GA
90 SHO
"It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lewis" <lewisweb@charter.net>


> Why don't you just buy a 88 Iroc-Z, put a crate motor in it and beat the
BMW
> and the SHO.  I don't know about you guys but if you start trying to
> quantify how much stuff costs for how much performance you get, you are
> starting with the wrong vehicles.
>
> I mod my SHO because I like the SHO, period.  A friend of mine put around
> $30,000(yes, you read that right) in his Gti with a N/A VR6.  It would
hang
> right beside his 96 vette.  Now he spent a boatload on that car and got
the
> same performance that he already had in the vette, but that wasn't the
> point.  And IIRC his N/A VR6 was laying down 256hp at the wheels!!!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
>
> So, how much did you pay for your SHO?  Did you build this yourself?  Or
did
> you buy it from someone tired of trying to tune it?  BTW, already modified
> cars will always be cheaper to buy than if you bought a stock car and
modded
> it yourself.
>
> If anyone wants a recipe for an E30 BMW (84-91 325) that will spank a SHO,
> here goes:
>
> Start with any 84-87 325es or 88 325 (not 325i or 325is, just 325).  The
> preferred starting point (less engine mods) is the 88 325.  These cars
come
> with a 2.7L eta (economy) I6, not much hp, but have boat loads of torque.
> Now, depending on what year eta you have determines what parts you will
need
> (the 88 eta engine is considered the best, as it is known as the
SuperEta).
> I will concentrate on the 88, since it is a little easier.  First get the
> cam, Motronic ECU, intake (complete TB, FI), valve springs, and tachometer
> from a 325i.  The 88 325 has the 325i head, all that is needed is to drill
a
> few oil passages for some of the cam bearings (the SuperEta only revs to
> 5200 rpm, not all cam bearings need oil passages), if you have another
year
> 325es, you will need the 325i head also, as the Eta head has small valves
> and intake and exhaust.  Install all the parts and you will have a ~195hp
> 2.7L screamer, with a nice fat torque curve (peak around ~200 lb-ft).  If
> you have an es, weight should be around 2780 lbs, while the 4-door only 88
> 325 would tip the scales around 2760 lbs.
>
> Next, get a T25 turbo, either have a exhaust manifold welded up, or find a
> manifold from a 524td (it's a turbo diesel, but you will need to weld up
new
> flanges).  Now, you will need a chip, pretty easy to get custom E30 chips,
> since E30 tuning is still big.  You should see around 275 hp, with light
> boost (8 psi) and no intercooler.  All in a car that weighs around 2800
> pounds, AFTER the addition of the turbo.
>
> Finally, get a 4.10 LSD from a 325is.  It sure is nice paying $250 for
LSD,
> instead of the $1200+ for an LSD for the SHO :-)
>
> This car could be built for less than $2500 (including the car!!).
Easiest
> way?  Find a ragged out 88 325 that some poor schmoe can't afford to fix
> (offer $300, go up to $400), get a totaled 325is parts car with good
> interior ($600).  Do the work yourself, and buying other parts as needed,
> say you spend $1500 out of pocket (ragged 325 + totaled 325is + misc
parts:
> $400 + $600 + $500 = $1500), you have around $1000 to spend for
> turbocharging (or if you want, a supercharger).
>
> I don't know how this combo will work on a dragstrip, but on any road
> course, it should eat up any SHO.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Timothy Tyner" <shospeed@bigplanet.com>
>
> > I was just comparing apples to apples Ron.  Who turbo's a SHO?  There
are
> a
> > lot more turbo BMW's than turbo SHO's.  The second I see taillights from
a
> > BMW that cost less than my SHO, you can have my keys.
> >
> > -------Original Message-------
> > From: Ron Porter
> >
> > Who puts a turbo on a BMW? Sorry, I'm not a turbo fan. Yeah, I would buy
a
> > factory turbo 911, but that's about it. Turbos on BMWs are quite rare. I
> am
> > familiar with mods for 911s, and for BMWs through what good friends of
> mine
> > do, and I won't get into that discussion here. Besides, older M3s are
low
> > 14-second cars, new ones are high 13s STOCK....you start from a
different
> > base.
> >
> > Dinan is a top-end aftermarket tuner. Take a SHO to Vadim, hand him the
> > keys, and have him do a complete turnkey blower car.....THEN compare the
> > price to Dinan.
> >
> > Sorry, BMWs have held resale very well wrt to used-car market. Look at
the
> > percentages, not absolute $$$. Even so, an '89 535i that listed for 2x
the
> > cost of an '89 SHO is now worth 5x the price of a used '89 SHO, and if
it
> > was cared for, it's tighter than the SHO ever was when new.
> >
> > As has been said here before.......don't confuse "best for the money"
with
> > "the best". A Ponderosa steak at $5.99 may be the "best for the money"
> > compared to a Ruth's Cris or Morton's steak for $25-30, but it ain't
"the
> > best". SHOs have been BMW wannabes since the day the first SHO rolled
off
> > the line.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> >
> > That is what I mean. Turbo kits for BMW's are not cheap. Even a Dinan SC
> > is crazy expensive. If you think it is cheaper to modify an M3 than a
SHO,
> > I have some SHO mods to sell you. Also, unless it is an M, the resale
> value
> > on BMW's sucks.