[420coupe]

I currently own a 2002 4200 coupe and while I love it, I daily it and it breaks down from time to time. I'd like to get myself a fun and cool backup car and I have always loved the biturbo. I've owned a few e30's in the past and was hoping that one of these would be a similar experience? I may have found myself a garage queen with low mileage. I would basically need something that can do 5000 kms a year without much maintenance. Is this an unrealistic expectation for this car? I have a decent mechanic. my commute is about 15 minutes in very light traffic.

 

[Oishi]

Had a Biturbo and daily drove it for several years. I parked it when it tossed the timing belt for the third time.
When they are running right, they are a hoot to drive, but you have to differentiate between maintenance and repairs. Maintenance is fairly easy and cheep, repairs are random, and can be expensive.
All in all, I say go for it.

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Oishi, when the BiTurbo tosses timing belts, does it damage the heads/valves? Interference engine? Guessing so...

 

[Welsh Rob]

I currently own a 2002 4200 coupe and while I love it, I daily it and it breaks down from time to time. I'd like to get myself a fun and cool backup car and I have always loved the biturbo. I've owned a few e30's in the past and was hoping that one of these would be a similar experience? I may have found myself a garage queen with low mileage. I would basically need something that can do 5000 kms a year without much maintenance. Is this an unrealistic expectation for this car? I have a decent mechanic. my commute is about 15 minutes in very light traffic.

im doing 60 miles a day in the GT...all good so far.

 

[Oishi]

Yes, the Biturbo is an interference design. Heads off, rebuild top end of engine. Not cheap, or fun. Setting tappets using valve stem shims ( tiny cups of various thicknesses) is an art. If you get it wrong. the noise will cause the computer to dump boost, and the car runs like crap.
Edit: very interesting design with 2 intake valves, one small, one large, actuated by a single cam lobe.

 

[FernandoIsFasterThanYou]

I have used mine as a daily now and then over the last 6 years - other than devouring a lot of fuel it's practical and reliable. So far no breakdowns thankfully

Edit: I just realised this is about the bi-turbo era cars. Sorry for the off topic post!!

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Yes, the Biturbo is an interference design. Heads off, rebuild top end of engine. Not cheap, or fun. Setting tappets using valve stem shims ( tiny cups of various thicknesses) is an art. If you get it wrong. the noise will cause the computer to dump boost, and the car runs like crap.
Edit: very interesting design with 2 intake valves, one small, one large, actuated by a single cam lobe.

Last hijack, I promise... My very first car was a 1972 Fiat 124 Sport Coupé... which had "shim over bucket" valve clearance compensation. The BiTurbo obviously has, per Oishi, shim under bucket design, like DOHC 4 cyl Alfa's do. The shim under bucket Alfa design, well the one on the intakes of the sohc Busso V6, are very slow to get 'outa adjustment. But the sheer brilliance with that design on the Busso is that the timing belt/sprocket does not have to be disturbed, with removal of the intake cam, {to effect a change of shim (s)}.