Building a Drift-Ready Classic BMW E30 Drift Car

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Tyler Geosano - BMW E30 Drift Car

Instagram: @tgeosano

Photographer Adam Delgadillo

Instagram @oadam7

A Lifelong Passion for Cars

Hey y'all, I'm Tyler Geosano—a full-time game developer and part-time hobbyist engineer. Originally from Southern California, I've lived across the U.S. for work. Recently, my fiancée and I settled down in Austin, TX.

My love for cars ignited during childhood when my dad and I stumbled upon rally racing on TV. Growing up, my parents owned a series of impressive European cars, including a royal blue BMW E36 3 Series, Mercedes E63 AMG, BMW M5, BMW 240Mi, Porsche Cayman S, and Porsche 911 GTS. Their passion for European engineering deeply influenced me.

Diving into Drifting: The Early Years

Around 2013-2014, drifting gained momentum in the U.S. I became captivated by old Option DVDs, Network A Tuerck drift videos, and Animal Style content. My fiancée, Lauren, and I met while working on Call of Duty in 2014. Our shared love for cars brought us closer. She invited me to Formula Drift Long Beach and encouraged me to get a chassis to learn drifting.

After retiring from competitive hockey and focusing on my gaming career, I needed a new outlet. I saved up and bought my first RWD car—a 2013 Scion FRS. While it was fun, I didn't want to risk damaging my daily driver. In 2017, the hunt for a dedicated drift car began.

Finding the Perfect Project: The 1987 BMW E30

Initially, I wasn't drawn to boxy designs and thought BMWs were a bit pretentious. However, after test-driving an E36, I understood the appeal. Scouring Craigslist, I aimed for something different from the prevalent Nissan S13s in the drift scene.

After a failed Craigslist deal in South San Jose, we spotted a 1987 BMW E30 325is in bright red with a manual transmission and black leather interior listed for $2,500 nearby. The post was fresh, and we arrived within minutes. Despite its rough condition—lowered, old 15-inch Enkei RP1 wheels, and various issues—it had potential. I negotiated the price down to $2,000, and the journey began.

Stance Auto Magazine: BMW Magazine 2025

Learning Through Challenges

With minimal mechanical experience, we dove into the rebuild. The car had numerous issues: a moldy carpet from heater core leaks, fuel-soaked rear carpet, exhaust fumes entering through a firewall hole, blown shocks, cut springs, and a failing head gasket.

Instead of being discouraged, I became obsessed with understanding the car. I taught myself engine building, suspension design, welding, wiring harness creation, and tuning. With help from friends and Lauren, we transformed the E30 through multiple iterations, each improving upon the last, always chasing reliability and OEM-level fit and finish.

Stripping Down to the Essentials

After years of learning and countless drift laps, we decided in early 2020 to strip the chassis to bare metal and build my dream race car. During the COVID lockdown, Lauren and I built her turbo E36 and my E30 side by side. Both cars were designed to handle 350-550 wheel horsepower and share spare parts, including M50 engines, custom turbo kits, EMU Black ECUs, front suspensions, and transmissions.

Lauren's car hit the track in 2023, while I spent additional time perfecting every detail of the E30. I continued practicing in a stock E36 we rescued from a junkyard but eagerly awaited returning to my pride and joy. The E30 made its track debut in early 2025, performing impressively with minimal issues—only a minor fire due to a melting plastic OEM valve cover.

BMW E30 Drift Build: Comprehensive Mod List

Performance Upgrades

• 2.5L M50tuB25 zero-mile refresh
  

• 8.5:1 compression ratio
  

• Cut-ring head gasket
  

• ARP head studs, rod bolts, and main bolts
  

• Gapped rings
  

• Tial MVR 45mm wastegate exiting the hood
  

• A90 coil packs
  

• Bosch Motorsport 1000cc injectors
  

• OEM E36 M50 intake manifold and throttle body
  

• Reboot Engineering billet valve cover
  

• Pulsar Gen2 3076R turbo
  

• K64 Performance twin-disk clutch
  

• E36 M3 5-speed ZF transmission
  

• Custom chassis-mounted shifter
  

• Custom 3-inch exhaust
  

• Custom driveshaft
  

• Custom engine and chassis wiring harnesses
  

• ECU Master's EMU Black ECU
  

• BMW E28 3.46 welded differential
  

• Radium surge tank with Walbro 450lph pump
  

• Walbro 340lph main tank lift pump
  

• Modified E36 M52 fuel rail (soon to be replaced with Radium components)
  

• Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator
  

• E85 flex-fuel sensor and fuel hose
  

• E36 M3 CSF radiator
  

• Custom fan shroud with twin 10-inch SPAL fans
  

• Custom intercooler piping
  

• Custom catch can and coolant tank
  

• Custom power steering cooler
  

• Porsche 944 ATE brake booster
  

• BMW E32 brake master cylinder (larger bore for stiffer pedal feel)
  

• Nameless Performance handbrake plumbed inline
  

• OEM 4-lug brakes with Hawk HPS pads
  

• Reinforced subframes and chassis

Suspension and Wheels

• BC BR coilovers with 12k front and 8k rear springs
  

• SLR Super Angle Kit
  

• Custom DTM Group A-style rear trailing arms
  

• E36 non-M steering rack swap
  

• OEM front sway bar; no rear sway bar
  

• 17x9 -10 MST wheels (rear)
  

• 16x8 +0 MST wheels (front)
  

• Falken 615k+ front tires
  

• Rear tires vary based on series; commonly Kenda 300tw or 200tw
  
  

Exterior Enhancements

• Cliq Tuning bumpers and side skirts
  

• Big Duck Club E30 M3-style overfenders
  

• Cliq Tuning sunroof delete
  

• OEM 325is rear spoiler
  
  

Interior Modifications

• Custom 10-point Formula Drift-legal cage
  

• OMP HTE-R Halo driver seat
  

• OMP WCR-R passenger seat
  

• OMP seat brackets
  

• Status 6-point harnesses
  

• Momo Prototipo steering wheel
  

• Momo hub and quick disconnect
  

• STACK gauges within a StimTech DTM cluster blank
  

• 10-inch amp

Looking Ahead

In 2025, Lauren and I are competing in the 235 spec tire drift series with Dreamers of Drift in Austin, Texas. We also plan to participate in some Klutch Kicker rounds and embark on cross-country drifting trips to visit friends we've made along the way.

Future developments will focus on enhancing reliability, completing interior and exterior trim, applying paint and team livery next season, and dyno-tuning to determine peak power. Currently, the car is street and track-tuned, aiming for 550 wheel horsepower and 500 torque on E85. The car likely weighs around 2,600 lbs, and the "butt dyno" estimates 450 wheel horsepower at 16-18 psi with the current street tune. I'm thrilled with its performance.

Acknowledgements: Gratitude to the Team

This build isn't sponsored, but I owe immense thanks to my fiancée, Lauren Neighbors, and Austin Lucy. Lauren's unwavering support and countless hours dedicated to the build—fixing body panels, sanding, and vinyl wrapping—were invaluable. Austin's expertise in mechanics and welding, especially his work on the cage, was crucial. Their contributions made this complex project possible.

Follow the Journey

For updates on the car's development and drift events, follow me on Instagram: @tgeosano

Photography by Adam Delgadillo: @oadam7

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