So far, we’re up to episode three of The Drive’s adventures with turning an old, E30-generation BMW 325is into a race car. The idea is that they will first turn it into a rally car, so that they can compete in Rally Cross, and then turn it into a track car, so they can compete in ChumpCar. We previously saw them buy the raggedy E30 and fix it up a bit. We also saw them take it out on a race track to test it out after buying it. Now, though, it’s time to turn it into a rally car.
Before it goes rallying, though, The Drive needed the E30 for an NBC Sports special where Matt Farah drives it in Colorado. For that, the E30 needed to be raised a little bit and given beefier tires. To do so, they fitted it with Bilstein HD shocks and BMW 325ix springs. The 325ix’s springs were a bit taller than normal, so its ride height is a bit higher with them. Plus the BFG All-Terrain tires and the E30 rides a lot higher than stock, giving it the ground clearance and capability to tackle some off-roading in Colorado.
After it got back from Colorado, it came time to rally-prep the E30. So a roll cage had to be installed and we get a good look at how they did it. It’s impressive because they fabricated a roll cage that can work for two completely different sports that both have different requirements. So with careful studying of both races’ rule books, they were able to build a roll cage that works for both races, without having to change anything.
It’s a cool video that really shows the gritty aspect of getting these cars ready for rallying. This E30 325is was in pretty rough shape so it required quite a bit of work to get it ready for RallyCross. Check the video out and then check out The Drive on NBC Sports to see Farah take the E30 to Colorado.
