(note: I also posted this on bimmerforums, but some related threads suggested I also post here given my plan involves an e30 engine swap).
The basic plan: I've been having so much fun working on my e36 M3 track car recently, I now have the itch to get an older BMW, tastefully retromod it, and have a one-of-a-kind 3rd car. I'm a bit of a wagon fetishist and have always loved the e30's looks, so I'm pretty settled on an e30 Touring. Does anyone here have experience (or can point me to an up-to-date summary) of the approximate cost and hoops I'd have to jump through to 1) import the car, 2) get it lab tested, and 3) registered in CA. Once it's tagged, I'd spend a couple years doing the full restomod (custom plaid interior, new paint, rebuilt engine) -- I'm envisioning something like a DIY attempt at a Singer 911 or David Brown Mini.
The master plan: Even cooler, would be doing a higher power engine swap, perhaps something like the S62V8 or even the more modest S52 or S54 I6. I'm also wondering if this might actually make it easier to pass CARB, i.e., I would take the engine with all emissions/exhaust equipment from a more modern US-legal car (e36/e39/e46, etc) and drop that into the e30 Touring. My theory here (perhaps very wrong) is getting a Euro spec e30 to pass CA smog will be very hard (perhaps impossible, I have never seen one in CA). I realize mechanically the swap massively ups the ante. Also, if I went the swap route -- is there are preferred engine (that adds sufficient power but is easiest to fit under hood, get running, minimal custom fabrication, etc)?
My target budget would be $25-35K (basic plan), maybe up to $50K for master plan with higher-end interior work. Is this reasonable? The alternative is buying a e30 M3, but I've seen a lot of them around lately, and I'd rather build and own a unicorn.
The basic plan: I've been having so much fun working on my e36 M3 track car recently, I now have the itch to get an older BMW, tastefully retromod it, and have a one-of-a-kind 3rd car. I'm a bit of a wagon fetishist and have always loved the e30's looks, so I'm pretty settled on an e30 Touring. Does anyone here have experience (or can point me to an up-to-date summary) of the approximate cost and hoops I'd have to jump through to 1) import the car, 2) get it lab tested, and 3) registered in CA. Once it's tagged, I'd spend a couple years doing the full restomod (custom plaid interior, new paint, rebuilt engine) -- I'm envisioning something like a DIY attempt at a Singer 911 or David Brown Mini.
The master plan: Even cooler, would be doing a higher power engine swap, perhaps something like the S62V8 or even the more modest S52 or S54 I6. I'm also wondering if this might actually make it easier to pass CARB, i.e., I would take the engine with all emissions/exhaust equipment from a more modern US-legal car (e36/e39/e46, etc) and drop that into the e30 Touring. My theory here (perhaps very wrong) is getting a Euro spec e30 to pass CA smog will be very hard (perhaps impossible, I have never seen one in CA). I realize mechanically the swap massively ups the ante. Also, if I went the swap route -- is there are preferred engine (that adds sufficient power but is easiest to fit under hood, get running, minimal custom fabrication, etc)?
My target budget would be $25-35K (basic plan), maybe up to $50K for master plan with higher-end interior work. Is this reasonable? The alternative is buying a e30 M3, but I've seen a lot of them around lately, and I'd rather build and own a unicorn.
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