$500 E30 Based Rally Car Goes to The Baja 1000

Jason · 10-28-2010, 01:03 PM

UPDATE FROM SEMA:

Here is what the E30 Baja 1000 Rally car currently looks like during its buildup at 2010 SEMA. Baswell and his team have only two weeks until the Baja 1000 rally race but it looks like they are making good progress. The E30 rally racer has now received a new roll cage and suspension from Bilstein, as well as a complete subframe. The majority of the car will be built right at SEMA. Photos from Autoblog and Jalopnik.

At least it looks like they are having fun with the project (as seen in this video)

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__________________________________________________ ____________

Via Jalopnik

Quote:

Bill Caswell and his $500 Craigslist rally car [amazing original story HERE] have a new challenge: the Baja 1000. Caswell's heading to SEMA, welding together a Baja E30, then heading to Mexico. He took a break from construction to share his plans with Jalopnik.

Caswell made history and warped minds when he took a beat-up E30 he'd purchased off of Craigslist and, with a mixture of grit and luck, finished an amazing 3rd place in his class at the WRC Raly Mexico. He's attempting to shatter more expectations by racing the first BMW car or truck in the famed and torturous SCORE Baja 1000 rally.

And not just any BMW truck. He's racing a freaking E30 that was a parts donor to the rally car.

"The silver-and-black hood from the original rally car came from this car, it's kind of strange, my autocross car has the engine from it," said Caswell. "This was basically a parts car and after buying most of it he he basically gave me the chassis for free."

This is Caswell's biggest challenge to date because he's promised his sponsor, Miller Electric Manufacturing, he'll weld the main roll cage, front and rear cages, suspension, and other accessories to the car on site at SEMA. This means it has to be designed and partially pre-fabricated in his mom's garage before the car is picked up tomorrow for delivery.

And that's not the end of it.

"I've got ten days from the end of SEMA to make the start of the race, so I'm basically doing all the welding at SEMA and will do all the plumbing along the beach in San Diego," said Caswell. "So far we don't have a shop down there, so unless someone has a shop we're doing it on a public beach."

The first drawings of the car show just how intense this Baja E30's going to be. It'll be sitting on 33x10.5-inch tires with a rear track, hub-to-hub almost as wide as the car. The motor's a 3.0-liter inline-six out of a a 1995 M3 putting power through a differential and drive/halfshafts used on off-road buggies.

Rest of story at Jalopnik - http://jalopnik.com/5674807/500-crai...yline=true&s=i

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JoeyBananaz18 · 10-28-2010, 02:05 PM

this guy is a real enthusiast. awesome.

rob612 · 10-28-2010, 02:05 PM

omg.. I can't wait to see how this will turn out in real life..

Gavin@MMW · 10-28-2010, 02:10 PM

Lol sweet, ive always wanted to jump my e90

Silver-Bolt · 10-28-2010, 02:15 PM

Awesome!

SlicktopTTZ · 10-28-2010, 04:59 PM

BMW should take note of this and make a real "Sports Activity Vehicle".......

Schm · 10-28-2010, 05:09 PM

Bill Caswell is my hero

ibeclueless · 10-28-2010, 08:18 PM

cool!

Definitive · 11-01-2010, 11:58 AM

Wow can't wait to see this at SEMA!!!

D

E46toE90 · 11-02-2010, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craven 328

Lol sweet, ive always wanted to jump my e90

Lmao

JoeyBananaz18 · 11-04-2010, 11:27 AM

this car needs to be put into the Welt.

Feyd · 11-04-2010, 12:14 PM

Can't wait to see this thing run.

+1 on being at the Welt.

AllydNYC · 11-04-2010, 12:16 PM

ryanful · 11-04-2010, 01:01 PM

Man does this guy ever have some Bravado!

Huge

Good luck.

just4kickz · 11-04-2010, 04:30 PM

that looks like fun

BrokenVert · 11-04-2010, 05:01 PM

This car keeps getting more badass.

Transport3r · 11-04-2010, 10:48 PM

Any word on what's being done to the engine?

renazilla · 11-05-2010, 08:07 PM

That looks Awesome, I wonder if it has AC? LOL

10-28-2010, 02:05 PM	#2
JoeyBananaz18 Brigadier General 401 Rep 4,084 Posts Drives: metrocard Join Date: May 2009 Location: Whitestone, NY iTrader: (3)	this guy is a real enthusiast. awesome. __________________ 7/18/09- I pick up my baby- 2009 E92 335i Xdrive, Space Gray over Coral Red. Premium Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, M-Sport Pkg, 193Ms, Gloss Black grills, Custom Gloss Black Mirrors, Performance shift and E-brake boot, M3 spoiler, Euro fog switch, gloss black interior tim, Coco-Mats (red/black), H&R coilovers, 19'' Alufelgen SF-71s......
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10-28-2010, 02:05 PM	#3
rob612 Second Lieutenant 15 Rep 235 Posts Drives: e92 - m3 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California iTrader: (1)	omg.. I can't wait to see how this will turn out in real life..
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10-28-2010, 02:10 PM	#4
Gavin@MMW Brigadier General 431 Rep 3,879 Posts Drives: MMW Supercharged E90 328i Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 818/805 iTrader: (18)	Lol sweet, ive always wanted to jump my e90
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10-28-2010, 02:15 PM	#5
Silver-Bolt Captain 28 Rep 805 Posts Drives: 2011 Z4 35is Melbourne Red Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 Z4 35is [9.00]	Awesome!
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10-28-2010, 04:59 PM	#6
SlicktopTTZ Captain 13 Rep 685 Posts Drives: 91 300ZX Twin-Turbo, 2010 135i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Corpus Christi, Texas iTrader: (0)	BMW should take note of this and make a real "Sports Activity Vehicle".......
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10-28-2010, 05:09 PM	#7
Schm Colonel 165 Rep 2,731 Posts Drives: e90 330i Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Missouri iTrader: (3)	Bill Caswell is my hero __________________ 2006 E90 330i.
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10-28-2010, 08:18 PM	#8
ibeclueless What 143 Rep 9,325 Posts Drives: E92 328xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Quincy, MA iTrader: (1)	cool! __________________ E92 328xi Space Gray Aero Lip \| M3 Side Skirts \| CF Performance Spoiler \| ACS Roof \| Gloss Black Grilles \| LUX H8 Angels \| BMW Performance Exhaust My E92 Photos
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11-01-2010, 11:58 AM	#9
Definitive definitivecars.com 376 Rep 3,832 Posts Drives: Elsa - 2015 F80 M3 - YMB/SS Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: So Cal iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011 E90 M3 [6.66] 2009 (Lease up Sept ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up 6/19 ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up Octo ... [0.00]	Wow Wow can't wait to see this at SEMA!!! D
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11-04-2010, 11:27 AM	#11
JoeyBananaz18 Brigadier General 401 Rep 4,084 Posts Drives: metrocard Join Date: May 2009 Location: Whitestone, NY iTrader: (3)	this car needs to be put into the Welt. __________________ 7/18/09- I pick up my baby- 2009 E92 335i Xdrive, Space Gray over Coral Red. Premium Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, M-Sport Pkg, 193Ms, Gloss Black grills, Custom Gloss Black Mirrors, Performance shift and E-brake boot, M3 spoiler, Euro fog switch, gloss black interior tim, Coco-Mats (red/black), H&R coilovers, 19'' Alufelgen SF-71s......
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11-04-2010, 12:14 PM	#12
Feyd Major 366 Rep 1,288 Posts Drives: a DEEZZULL Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (2)	Can't wait to see this thing run. +1 on being at the Welt.
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11-04-2010, 12:16 PM	#13
AllydNYC Loading... 364 Rep 2,187 Posts Drives: 91' E30 318is Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Location iTrader: (15) Garage List 1991 BMW 318is [0.00]
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11-04-2010, 01:01 PM	#14
ryanful Second Lieutenant 51 Rep 200 Posts Drives: 16 X5,06 e91 325ix,03 Mini R50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (2) Garage List 2016 BMW X5 xDrive3 ... [0.00] 2006 BMW 325xiT WAGON [0.00] 2009 BMW 128i Conve ... [0.00]	Man does this guy ever have some Bravado! Huge Good luck.
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11-04-2010, 04:30 PM	#15
just4kickz boku no namae ha... 344 Rep 11,023 Posts Drives: 2006 BS 330i Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: S. Bay Area, CA + Newark, NJ + ChiCity + True Blue iTrader: (11) Garage List 2006 E90 330i [0.00]	that looks like fun __________________ looking for a PreLCI Black Sapphire e90 front bumper without license plate holes "Akimbo shotguns. Broken wrists anyone? And don't give me that 'it's just a game' bull**. Where the are my akimbo interventions then?! One scope on each eye mother**er!!"
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11-04-2010, 05:01 PM	#16
BrokenVert Resident Kerbalnaut 484 Rep 10,703 Posts Drives: Topless Brute/Hybrid Boogaloo Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Fahrvergnügen/NY iTrader: (0)	This car keeps getting more badass. __________________
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11-04-2010, 10:48 PM	#17
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11-05-2010, 08:07 PM	#18
renazilla New Member 3 Rep 13 Posts Drives: 2006 330I Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Midland,TX iTrader: (0)	That looks Awesome, I wonder if it has AC? LOL
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