is this a stupid move to do to an E30 ?

[helalo]

i bought an e30 1988 325is black.....automatic . 1 owner car, 9/10 in and out.
i got it for 1500$ :) and i think this is the best deal i can get on such a clean E30.

i work for a private german repair facility and the guy i bought it from is a customer of ours for 18 years. the car leaks from the headgasket, is due for a timing belt, and the tech said the trans needs to be resealed, all of it.

i mentioned i plan to swap the transmission to a 5 speed and the tech and manager said that would be a stupid move to do to a classic car

so my headgasket leaks(maybe head needs to be reworked - i need to check the old invoices for the car we stored), my transmission needs a reseal, and its due for a timing belt.

they think its stupid to swap it...and now im not only thinking of swapping but also putting a e36 m3 engine in it. theres an M3 engine and transmission in our area for 2200$.

is it a bad move ? what engines and trans are best recommended for E30s for daily and spirited driving ?

[reelizmpro]

There's nothing particularly special about an 88 325iS other than being an "iS" package which isn't rare. Enthusiasts tend to like manual transmissions for good reason and they are the ones who set the market on these cars so doing a 5 speed conversion is actually a good thing. S50 swap is a plus as well assuming the car isn't some pristine museum quality low miles car that deserves to be preserved.

[JinormusJ]

Tell them to stuff it.

No one wants an automatic e30; and if someone has one, I guarantee a manual transmission swap is part of their build. Like Barry said: e30s are a market control by the enthusiast, so doing a 5-speed swap will only add to the car's value. Having 3 swaps under my belt, I can attest to the fact people want a 5-speed standard car over a 4-speed auto

[word is bond]

Unless this thing is an "all original" museum piece, a manual swap would only increase its value. S52 probably would to. M20s are great, but not all that special.

[TurboJake]

Not a perfect car = not a perfect collectors item.

Do what you want. Just, for the love of god, don't hackslash it.

[McGyver]

If you've got the cash for either an s50 or s52, go for it! You'll have a lot more fun than with the m20 and it's a relatively easy and well documented swap. Or you could go m30b35 for a cheaper fun swap. I just wouldn't suggest m50, m52, or any m30 that isn't a b35 unless you're going to boost the car because:
-You'll add some power, but not really enough to be worth the work IMO
-the m20 is plenty reliable, so swapping one of those engines for reliability doesnt make much sense
-they've all been done enough that it isnt rare or crazy cool anymore

That said, go ahead and swap the tranny, who cares? you're only going to sell the car to an enthusiast, so the car will be worth more with a 5-speed. I doubt you picked up a garage queen e30 for $1500, you'll enjoy it more with a manual, so make the car "yours" and go for the swap!

[evandael]

I would keep the m20 but definitely manual swap it

[kway]

Agreed. Forget the s5x for now but definitely do the manual swap. Mike Miller once told me, "God has a special place in heaven for guys who convert BMW automatics."

[nando]

if you got it for $1500 a manual swap isn't going to hurt it's value. automatic E30s are not really ever going to be highly sought after models.

[Andy.B]

It's also entirely possible to do the swap without making any permanent modifications. It's pretty much a bolt on job, so if you save all the parts, and every other e30 on the planet is raptured, and Jay Leno comes by looking to buy it, but is disappointed to find that the Vin indicates it's supposed to be an auto, you can change it back and get that big fat check from him.

Otherwise, just do the swap cleanly with correct year parts (ie: don't swap an early eta manual tranny in) and it will be worth more than with an auto.

[slammin.e28]

Don't do it you will fuck the resale value all to bits and everyone will hate how you ruined a perfectly good e30.

[helalo]

yes its a garage queen in perfect conditions, just needs a bit of service update. the old man that had it didnt drive much, it has 116k original miles.

im located in AL, birmingham. is there any place or any person around that has done swaps before i can refer to ? incase my shop didnt like the idea of touching the car originality, which is their opinion.

[Reichart12]

Like everyones been saying, as long as its a nice swap job theres nothing wrong with that. And hey you bought it so do what makes you happy.

[helalo]

[heatmakerz]

Looks good for $1500, but I would swap it anyway. I don't think it would hurt resell value.