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  • itsarebuild

    June 21, 2010 3:45 p.m. itsarebuild Reader

    a local add a friend was reading listed a 1995 318 m3. any opinions on this car as an HPDE vehicle?

  • 93celicaGT2

    June 21, 2010 3:48 p.m. 93celicaGT2 SuperDork

    Depends what it is....

    Is it perhaps the 318Ti with the M3 bumper treatment?

  • Giant Purple Snorklewacker

    June 21, 2010 3:49 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

    Well, its not both 318 and M3... so its probably a 318. They are cool, fun to drive but slow.

  • Matt B

    June 21, 2010 3:50 p.m. Matt B Reader

    Is that kind of like a German Mustang V6 Cobra?

    I have nothing of value to add here. Carry on.

  • pilotbraden

    June 21, 2010 3:53 p.m. pilotbraden New Reader

    I have seen several 318/M3 conversions. M3 drivetrain in a 318.

  • Buzz Killington

    June 21, 2010 3:55 p.m. Buzz Killington Reader

    Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

    Well, its not both 318 and M3... so its probably a 318. They are cool, fun to drive but slow.

    a guy in our SCCA region dropped an S52 into his 318ti. not slow. i think he calls it an M3ti.

  • Giant Purple Snorklewacker

    June 21, 2010 4:10 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

    Buzz Killington wrote:

    Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

    Well, its not both 318 and M3... so its probably a 318. They are cool, fun to drive but slow.

    a guy in our SCCA region dropped an S52 into his 318ti. not slow. i think he calls it an M3ti.

    My 325 has a worked S52, ZF 5sp and a 3.64 LSD at 2200lbs. "Not slow" is a bit of an understatement.

  • itsarebuild

    June 21, 2010 4:32 p.m. itsarebuild Reader

    the ad claimed 318 m3 so maybe he did a swap. it also said thee was no ac so it has apparently been fiddled with! any construction issues/ equipment interaction issues to look for in that kind of swap?

  • Giant Purple Snorklewacker

    June 21, 2010 7:50 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

    itsarebuild wrote:

    the ad claimed 318 m3 so maybe he did a swap. it also said thee was no ac so it has apparently been fiddled with! any construction issues/ equipment interaction issues to look for in that kind of swap?

    The swap is pretty straightforward but pay attention to how the exhaust was fabricated and how the harness was retrofitted. Sloppy work there indicates slop where you can't see it. Is the subframe reinforced under the motor mounts? Lots of little details make the difference. Does it have an M3 trans or a getrag 260... if it has a 260 the S52 will kill it pretty quickly with any kind of "fun" usage. It will tear up the smaller diameter flex disks too. The right way to do it use the M3 trans, the E36 328i driveshaft, 328 (or M3) flex disk and with the 328 center support bearing backwards so the holes line up. That also means you need a taller rear end - the 318i came with a 4.10 (getrag 260 has an overdriven 5th, ZF has 1:1). Something less than 3.64 is right.

  • tuna55

    June 22, 2010 6:58 a.m. tuna55 HalfDork

    You guys are great. You hear about an ad claiming to be two different cars, and you jump to "it must be a cool engine swap that the ad poster used to rename his car and then neglected to say anything about in the ad.", rather than "the guy posting it was probably an idiot and someone told him once that his car was basically like an M3". What would you think if you saw an ad for a "Mustang I4 Cobra Boss"?

  • tuna55

    June 22, 2010 6:58 a.m. tuna55 HalfDork

    itsarebuild wrote:

    the ad claimed 318 m3 so maybe he did a swap. it also said thee was no ac so it has apparently been fiddled with! any construction issues/ equipment interaction issues to look for in that kind of swap?

    Maybe I am being pessimistic, but it sounds to me like four cylinder car in which the air conditioning stopped working.

  • John Brown

    June 22, 2010 7:07 a.m. John Brown SuperDork

    I loved my Mustang I4 Cobra Boss

    It was similar to this but had a black interior:

    AND a BOSS 351C/C6 drivetrain.

  • itsarebuild

    June 22, 2010 8:21 a.m. itsarebuild Reader

    tuna55 wrote:

    You guys are great. You hear about an ad claiming to be two different cars, and you jump to "it must be a cool engine swap that the ad poster used to rename his car and then neglected to say anything about in the ad.", rather than "the guy posting it was probably an idiot and someone told him once that his car was basically like an M3". What would you think if you saw an ad for a "Mustang I4 Cobra Boss"?

    it very well may be as you have said, but that is easy to see withut needing any other input. i figured i would get the answers to the complicatd possibility first and deal with the second option if it comes up.... by walking away.

    and just maybe cobra's boss has an i4 mustang.... i dont know him.

  • mad_machine

    June 22, 2010 8:27 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

    tuna55 wrote:

    Maybe I am being pessimistic, but it sounds to me like four cylinder car in which the air conditioning stopped working.

    Or like me.. was removed. Not only did I never use the air in my Ti.. but a friend needed a working compressor. So I had the system drained and removed everything. Less weight, less complexity, and I made 50 bucks. Win Win Win

  • Buzz Killington

    June 22, 2010 8:32 a.m. Buzz Killington Reader

    tuna55 wrote:

    You guys are great. You hear about an ad claiming to be two different cars, and you jump to "it must be a cool engine swap that the ad poster used to rename his car and then neglected to say anything about in the ad.", rather than "the guy posting it was probably an idiot and someone told him once that his car was basically like an M3". What would you think if you saw an ad for a "Mustang I4 Cobra Boss"?

    i don't think anyone "jumped to 'it must be a cool swap'." rather i see some people pointing out that such a thing is possible. the asking price should spell out pretty clearly whether it's a cool swap or just a slightly broken but stock 318. the latter strikes me as more likely but god forbid someone points out that there is another possibility.

  • tuna55

    June 22, 2010 10:25 a.m. tuna55 HalfDork

    Buzz Killington wrote:

    tuna55 wrote:

    You guys are great. You hear about an ad claiming to be two different cars, and you jump to "it must be a cool engine swap that the ad poster used to rename his car and then neglected to say anything about in the ad.", rather than "the guy posting it was probably an idiot and someone told him once that his car was basically like an M3". What would you think if you saw an ad for a "Mustang I4 Cobra Boss"?

    i don't think anyone "jumped to 'it must be a cool swap'." rather i see some people pointing out that such a thing is possible. the asking price should spell out pretty clearly whether it's a cool swap or just a slightly broken but stock 318. the latter strikes me as more likely but god forbid someone points out that there is another possibility.

    What a buzzkill!

 
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