Anyone keep a tab on your swap costs?

[Tico Frank]

My swap was free. Traded about $300 worth of e30 parts for a vanos e34 engine, complete with everything. I pulled it out of the e34, and dropped it in my e30 as-is.

Fabbed a trans crossmember, made my own harness adapter. Used an e21 booster that a friend gave me. Bought engine mounts and headers, and already had 2.5" from headers back. Sold my eta engine for more then the mounts and headers cost.

If I would have spent more then $500 on this swap, I'd have been thoroughly disappointed. I can't imagine spending thousands like some people did, just for an m50 swap.

So far it's been about 4 years and 40k miles, problem free.

I did spend $300 for s50 cams and software, not sure if it was worth it. Dyno says yes, 1/4 mile times say no.

Amen, I found a m50 with 119k so clean that you could eat off it for $425 all accessories included.
The oil pan was $19.95 and 2.5 hours of my day at the salvage yard and $5 to have it cleaned/tanked at the local machine shop.
I got the 413 DME for $20 local guy
I will probably spend $150 on mounts, throttle cable and rear main seal other misc stuff like gasket for oil pan.
Since the motor is going to come out I might throw a new clutch in for another $150-200 at most?
Do the harness myself.
Spend $75 on the trans brace
Just move the brake booster over an inch or whatever it needs to clear or if I see a used cheap booster grab it.
I can't possibly justify more than a $700 swap or a bit more with a new clutch.

[e30rapidic]

not sure really as never added up but it was worth it. Plus I only have 140 miles on a totally rebuilt/freshly machined S50 ;-)

[JGood]

My swap was free. Traded about $300 worth of e30 parts for a vanos e34 engine, complete with everything. I pulled it out of the e34, and dropped it in my e30 as-is.

Fabbed a trans crossmember, made my own harness adapter. Used an e21 booster that a friend gave me. Bought engine mounts and headers, and already had 2.5" from headers back. Sold my eta engine for more then the mounts and headers cost.

If I would have spent more then $500 on this swap, I'd have been thoroughly disappointed. I can't imagine spending thousands like some people did, just for an m50 swap.

So far it's been about 4 years and 40k miles, problem free.

I did spend $300 for s50 cams and software, not sure if it was worth it. Dyno says yes, 1/4 mile times say no.

[avery0829]

About 4k on my M52 swap with a bunch of bolt on goodies and while your in there things.

[cale]

Picked up my touring with completed swap done right for slightly more than some people are into their swap alone for...I'm ok with this :)

[DREWHALL]

I'm under $5k with purchase of car, but I just ordered bbk for front and still don't have real suspension so I have to add that on top. M50TU, G260, all stock and a hacked up exhaust. :drink:

[lbreevesii]

Rule #1 of a project car: NEVER ADD UP YOUR RECEIPTS! ;)

Cheers,
Chris

Truth. I'm sure I will do a rough total one day, but i fully expect to have at least 15k in the car when i'm done.

[MattM]

Edit: Doublepost

[MattM]

im at about 3k not including the car buying cost for my IX M52 and 5 speed conversion project.

My red cars M50NV with zf320 swap cost about 4k all said and done... done up with brand new everything pretty much... how much into the car total... never added it up, but i estimate around 17-18k

[matthugie]

And if you aren't doing the "whileiminthere" you're half-assing things.

This.

Edit: I'll tally up what I have into mine next week when it's wrapped up. I have about 10k into it total, but most of that isn't swap related.

[7pilot]

I know how much I paid for everything I've done during the course of my swap, but I'm not adding it up. You guys are gluttons for punishment.

^^^
I have all the receipts, plus I had WhileI'minthereitis,and upgradeitis.
I'm not going to add the stuff up- I don't hate myself.

m

[Adrian_Visser]

I had a list but I burnt it, couldn't stand to know how much I dumped into that money pit.

Ok guestimate:

s52 with 85k to my door $1800
oil pan, dipstick, pickup $150
3.5" HFM $100
413 red label DME $150
Bimmerworld boot $75
K&N filter $110
TRM chip $200
M50 manifold $150
Sensors $150?
JBR flywheel $500
S52 clutch/pp $250
Injectors $60
Misc. fucking hardware $$$$$300
IE yellow e28 mounts $80
e21 tranny mounts $30
Misc. Hoses $50
Gaskets refresh $100?
headers $130
exhaust $1100
Z3 rack $275
Z4 shifter and rebuild $75
IX booster and 25mm MC $100
Guibo and CSB $120
fluids $120

So somewhere around $6200.



I know I'm forgetting lots of stuff too.

Add to that the GC coilovers that I haven't installed yet and new wheel bearings and you can throw another $2k on there. Then the new rust free shell I just bought for $1600.

Then I can think about a rebuild and adding some boost. Fuck this addiction has got me.

[funcrew]

Bought the rust-free cabrio with S50, 5-lug, new paint, new ragtop for $7K. My wife promptly puked the S50, which is OK; she has few faults besides sucking at gear selection. I paid $5500 including labor to upgrade to a low mile S52 and fix a bunch of other stuff while the engine was out. Nice engine, though.

[Mr.SWISS]

Holy hell. I spent about $2,500 on a M50NV and auto to 5 spd swap. How you guys get into the teens is amazing. My custom built S52 with racing chains,MLS, and ARP head studs I'm only $ 1,700 including machine work on head.

:loco:

[I*Do*Werke]

~ $8,500 with all the goodies for a blown head gasket m52...