BMW E30 5 Speed Kit for Spridgets

[Jim_Gruber]

Bill or Gerard,

Did you see the reference last week to some folks in Deutschland that have developed a kit to use the BMW E30 5 speed kit for a Spridget that supposedly involves no cutting. Finding an E30 tranny, BMW 3 Series ought to be a whole lot easier to find than a 210 Tranny. Pricing with current exchange rate would come in close to $2k for the swap. Since the two of you know a heck of a lot more about fitting alternate transmissions to these cars I'd like to hear your comments.

30

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I saw the blurb on that. Seems like there were several custom parts on that conversion besides the backplate.

I'd like to know more as well.

 

[Rut]

I thought I saw something last month about the BMW guys moving up to 6 speeds and the 5 speeds were becoming available. I may have been dreaming...
Rut

 

[Guest]

Looked into this when on the team. Looks like they might clear...just one problem. The BMW 5 speed has 1-to-1 for 5th. I do believe there may be an OD 5 speed in the 325e series but could be wrong. The 6 speed has o.d, not the 5.

 

[58Custom]

What is the name or designation or part number of the specific trans?

 

[Guest]

420g is the 6 speed IIRC.

 

[Guest]

What you need to find out is if ther 325es had an overdrive 5th.

 

[Guest]

Hmm, earlier ones did:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_(E30)

IIRC, from my initial assesment the tunnel need to be moded.

 

[Guest]

Where'd yall see that?

 

[Jim_Gruber]

I tried sending an e-mail to the address listed and it bounced back. Anyone get a copy of the publication cited. MASCOT if I recall correctly where information was published.

 

[Gerard]

Seems like a good alternative, but given that most people think that $800 is too much money to do the swap. I can't see many people actually considering it. I don't know if you factoring in shipping, but that's not going to be cheap either.

 

[Scott_Hower]

What you want is a Getrag 260; 5 speed used with the 6cyl variants of the E30 (325e, 325i). Ratios:

1st: 3.83:1
2nd: 2.20:1
3rd: 1.40:1
4th: 1.00:1
5th: 0.81:1
R: 3.71:1

A 6speed was never used in an E30 or an E36, it was introduced on the 03 E46 "ZHP", then made standard on the 330i spec'd with a manual trans later in 03.

Finding a Getrag 260 should be easy and cheap; they're everywhere.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

SO far biggest issue is finding the contacts or more information on this kit. The sources mentioned, e-mail bounces back.

 

[Guest]

I can't find anything either.

 

[Guest]

Seems the E21 trans is a bit shorter than the E30. I also read the E30 trans doesn't have a spedo drive. This is very interesting. I wish I had known a BMW O.D 5 speed exsisted. I would have looked into it already.

 

[Guest]

I know this if for the motor too but... :eeek:

https://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,25710

Gotta get the one w/ the single rear mount.

 

[Guest]

https://www.british-cars.net/mg-midget-sp...32104176702.htm

https://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/...0208234230139&source=L&anc=2011-11-0402:36:20

 

[Guest]

This got to be it here:


https://usedmanualtransmissions.blogspot.com/2009/01/1984-1985-e30-318-318i-used-bmw-5-speed.html

 

[fairmounter]

With all of the little parts added in all three swap kits are about the same price. So the difference is the kit and the transmission it uses. I like the kit that uses the datsun clutch because it seems like it would be stronger. But between the datsun or bmw transmission, I would guess the bmw ones can be gotten for less than $800 and they do have a nice shift action/feel. This seems like a very interesting option to consider.

 

[RichBall]

It looks to me like the starter location wil foul the intake and exaust on the A-series engine.