750i vs 320i

[zwinhaxx]

Hey guys

i want to buy my first drift car, and iv´e have found two different bmw´s.
the first one is a 1990 750i 5,0L v12 with 300hp, but the problem with this one is that its a auto and i dont know if its able to swap a manual into it.
the second one is a 1993 320i 2,0L coupe with 150hp, with a manual transmission.

I want your oppinion on which car would be best to drift with?
and if you know whether it is possible to switch the gearbox in the 750?

 

[Minimoke]

Not the best place to post this really mate....I know people swap manuals into the 740i's, haven't heard of people doing it on the V12's. But anything's possible with adapters and such. If you're starting out then the 320i makes a lot more sense. Easier/cheaper to fix if/when it goes wrong, much more learner friendly. And DEFINITELY cheaper to run. Get that one chap.

 

[zwinhaxx]

Not the best place to post this really mate....I know people swap manuals into the 740i's, haven't heard of people doing it on the V12's. But anything's possible with adapters and such. If you're starting out then the 320i makes a lot more sense. Easier/cheaper to fix if/when it goes wrong, much more learner friendly. And DEFINITELY cheaper to run. Get that one chap.

Where du you sudgest i put it then, i just signed up for this website and
not sure where to put it??
but thanks for the help, i also thought about the weight, the 750i weights 335kg more than the 320i, is it harder to drift a heavier car?

 

[rob0r]

I will be (sometime in the near future) swapping a manual transmission into my 1990 E32 750i. I bought the manual box, prop end, gear linkage, clutch and flywheel from a manual 850i which is a direct fit. I got the manual setup cheap and normally that's at least £3Ks worth of kit. PMC motorsport in Poland supply VERY reasonably priced V12 (and BMW V8 for that matter) bellhousing adapter to fit an M50/M52 box, and a custom flywheel/clutch solution utilising the auto flex plate. There is electronic work to sort to get the V12 to run without the autobox.

My E32 735i (M30 6 cyl) manual was a total drift machine, so a 750i will be better still. The 320i will drift relatively well on the smaller tracks but will be harder work in the dry or on bigger/faster tracks. Obviously a 320i has way more kit off the shelf and parts availability.

For a first drift car the 100% correct choice will be the 320i. IF or when you need more power, it will be easier to fit a 2.5 or 2.8 to the 320i than to try manualling a 750i. The 750i will be very expensive, very complicated and coilovers are at minimum £700 (E34 are direct fit) and spares are far harder to get. I've drifted E30 318is and E30 320i for a number of years before I felt like I needed more power.