E30 convertible

I may be getting an engine-less E30 ragtop for a little more than scrap value. I can't resist a cheap E30, but what do I do with the thing? I could: A. Get a cheap E36 & do an M50 3.0 swap to the E30 convertible

B. Use my E30 318i as a drivetrain donor

C. Source a used drivetrain, make the convertible a whole car & sell it

or?? Anybody have any better ideas? I'm On a wicked McBudget because I've got a Boxster/911 3.6 swap eating up my resources

I always see rusty 635s around here. Will those engines drop into an E30?

In reply to Woody:

I don't know, but E34s and E36s are practically free.

I'd say using your 318i as a donor is probably not worthwhile.

Even if you want to sell, the m50 swap is probably the best choice. It seems fairly easy and is very well documented, and you'll have to do all the work of figuring out wiring/troubleshooting a motor install anyway.

What year is the vert? How's the condition of the body?

Also - people do the M30 swap (635 engine) as well, but from what i've read on the internet, it's quite a bit bigger/heavier than the other options.

I think you should go with option 2. With an interesting Boxster-911 3.6 project, it seems like you shouldn't have even bothered with picking up the E30.

In reply to Mr_Clutch42:

You sound like my wife, which means you're probably right. Thanks!

Be careful. NICE E30 convertibles (325i w/sport interior, etc) can fetch a pretty penny. Needy ones tend to be worth less than tin-tops...don't invest a ton of time and effort just to break even!

Woody wrote: I always see rusty 635s around here. Will those engines drop into an E30?

IIRC one of the German BMW tuners did drop the 3.5L into the 3-series, I think it was the E30, may have been the E21 which has even less space.

I think it can be made to fit, but it does require some work as there are some issues with co-spatiallity of radiator fan and radiator.

The M30 swap is probably the second most popular swap for E30s, after the M50/S50/52. Lots of info here: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=128

The M30 was stock E30 engine in South Africa, called the 333i.

Also done by Hertge and Alpina. So it's definitely an accepted period-correct swap.

That said, M52 is the easy button with the most return for dollars invested. The V8 swaps are also becoming much more common, everything is available to bolt one right in.

GM 2.8L V6s fit without too much trouble and they are cheap... like $50 cheap. The turbo you should put on it isn't cheap though.

I think the plan is an M50 swap, then sell it on eBay to help fund my Boxster/911 3.6 project (which is actually my all-time "dream car" - I sometimes go out to the garage and just look at it and the pile of awesome parts I've gathered up for it because I can't believe it's really mine. )

All that being said, most of the E36 325s I find areF#%!ng automatics. However, 88-92ish 535s with manual transmissions seem easier to find around here. Did the M50 come in E34s as well?

Yes M50's came in e34's. Don't do an M50 though, do an M52. Exact same parts are needed and engine cost is almost the exact same. M52 has forged crank, forged pistons and more displacement, there's no downside.

In reply to curtis73:

3400 + T5 + E30

Strike_Zero wrote: In reply to curtis73: 3400 + T5 + E30

YES!

I actually had dreams of a supercharged 3.8L in my E30 cabrio.

In reply to mr2peak:

In what worn out E36 M3box BMW will I find an M52? This project is only viable for me, if I can source the drivetrain from a cheap donor car.

What is your intention? A quick fix and flip? If so, then don't do anything crazy. Find a better example of the original engine and get it running. And by original, I mean: if it had a 4 banger, get a 4 banger, if a 6, then another 6. Depending on where you live, swapped cars can be a PITA to register or get inspected. And you will generally reduce your buyer choices to enthusiasts - your average car buyer will be leery of a non-stock engine choice.

All of this assumes the rest of the car is in decent condition and only needs moderate "wheeler-dealer" treatment.

In reply to M030:

In any e36 328i, so they are littered everywhere across the country. Do some reading though, there are a few different versions.

Also, you probably won't make any money on swapping the car unless it is very very clean. If it's rough, you should pass. My semi restoration is proving to be quite expensive

Ian F wrote: What is your intention? A quick fix and flip? If so, then don't do anything crazy. Find a better example of the original engine and get it running. And by original, I mean: if it had a 4 banger, get a 4 banger, if a 6, then another 6. Depending on where you live, swapped cars can be a PITA to register or get inspected. And you will generally reduce your buyer choices to enthusiasts - your average car buyer will be leery of a non-stock engine choice. All of this assumes the rest of the car is in decent condition and only needs moderate "wheeler-dealer" treatment.

10000% this. Do an engine swap because you want to, not because you are trying to add value. It's way too much time and effort for way too little (if any) return.

Until I got a ridiculous offer on the shell and the engine, I was going to take my '92 325i 'vert and make it a nasty cruiser.

Basically just throw a seriously built turbo motor, go E85 and enjoy embarrassing other cars with highway pulls. The enigne/cam/head/turbo setup should have been good for the 400-425whp range.

[URL=http://s14.photobucket.com/user/z31maniac/media/IMAG0059.jpg.html][/URL]

But I paid $500 for the shell and traded about $1000 in parts for the motor. I flipped them both in the neighborhood of $6k.

302 + T5, can be done very very cheap.

camaroz1985 wrote: 302 + T5, can be done very very cheap.

With very wonky exhaust routing and no brake booster.

Yes and yes. Have been dealing with both on our Lemons car for years.