1991 325i M50NV (first ever) Build Thread! (now CA BAR'D)

[b1800e30m3]

oh wow looks amazing!! what type of degreaser did you use? seems to have worked well for ya. I'm in process of swap myself working on rear end of car now. getting ready to clean up a 3:73 diff.

TIA,
Barry

[kevvve]

cant wait to get my all together nice progress buddy.

[petrolhead]

What "first ever" is there about this project?

I know you're probably thinking, 'NON-VANOS is so stupid' and 'You're wasting your time'

Nothing wrong in an engine that doesn't have VANOS. People who talk about low/midrange torque, use wrong gears to accelerate.

:)

[James Crivellone]

Was something wrong with the M20 causing you to want to replace it? Reason why I ask is I raced with an M50NV E30 for an entire season and after going back to M20 for rule reasons I sure as hell cannot tell the difference.

[Nick_S]

What "first ever" is there about this project?


Nothing wrong in an engine that doesn't have VANOS. People who talk about low/midrange torque, use wrong gears to accelerate.

:)

If I were to guess, it meant his first ever swap. Great thread, about to undertake the same swap on my car.

[drummerchubbs]

oh wow looks amazing!! what type of degreaser did you use? seems to have worked well for ya. I'm in process of swap myself working on rear end of car now. getting ready to clean up a 3:73 diff.

TIA,
Barry

Barry, I used a non-concentrated concentrate (I was supposed to dilute it 10 to 1) that my friend got for me from his auto detailing shop that he works for. The stuff is super potent. :)

[drummerchubbs]

cant wait to get my all together nice progress buddy.

Thanks for the kind words. Take your time and research is key to not throwing money away :)

[drummerchubbs]

What "first ever" is there about this project?


Nothing wrong in an engine that doesn't have VANOS. People who talk about low/midrange torque, use wrong gears to accelerate.

:)

This is MY first ever swap. I've been driving the car as a daily for 5 days now and the M50NV belongs in the e30. It's perfect power for everyday and I have a 2.93 with the zf320 trans. It's very much an improvement over an M20.

[amcink]

Any plans on BAR'ing the e30?

[drummerchubbs]

Any plans on BAR'ing the e30?

Yep. Before I started the project I researched the BAR rules/regulations and asked some locals about their experience. Then I figured that it would be a smarter decision to actually buy a e36 parts car because all the emissions would be there that are often overlooked when purchasing items individually.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE BAR:
1) get cone filter
2) call and schedule appointment
3) pass and celebrate

;D

[drummerchubbs]

Was something wrong with the M20 causing you to want to replace it? Reason why I ask is I raced with an M50NV E30 for an entire season and after going back to M20 for rule reasons I sure as hell cannot tell the difference.

Nothing was wrong with the M20, besides that it wasn't in the engine bay when I purchased the e30 ;D (I was looking for a good rolling shell anyways).

I've driven the car for ~150miles now and I'm pleasantly surprised. It does feel like a significant (very subjective words here) power increase. The torque is very smooth and feels RIGHT for the e30. I could probably feel even more power with a 3.25 diff or something like that, but the 2.93 with the ZF trans certainly puts a smile on my face.:D

[drummerchubbs]

If I were to guess, it meant his first ever swap. Great thread, about to undertake the same swap on my car.

Thanks for the kind words. I will have more pics soon of the car how it sits now, after ~150miles of commuting.

[gome123]

Great stuff Chubbs... I just picked up my '92 525i doner car. I also wanted the M50NV. Now time to do my research and commence swap. Keep updating this thread. :)

[drummerchubbs]

Great stuff Chubbs... I just picked up my '92 525i doner car. I also wanted the M50NV. Now time to do my research and commence swap. Keep updating this thread. :)

525i motor and harness will definitely save you a lot of time in this swap. Do a lot of research, when you think you have done enough, do some more ;)

Update coming shortly...:p

[drummerchubbs]

UPDATE 10-16-13

I've been daily driving the car for almost a week now and I LOVE IT!!! I've been breaking in the clutch so I haven't done any hard acceleration but the mid-range torque is very nice.

So far I have a few small problems:

1) idle is a little low (650rpms)
2) when idle is that low it seems to miss a little and then it'll rev itself up intermittently. Does it 2 out of 10 times that I stop at a red light. (maybe vacuum leak)
3) The manifold is touching the booster so I have a vibration at 2-2.5k rpms.
4) On light to medium load in all gears its feels like the vehicle is getting pulled back, like brakes are being applied for a seconds and then released.
5) Need to get a kamotors CAI system before I suck up some crap into the MAF.


Besides these things I've loved every minute. Here are a few pics of how she looks after a good interior and exterior wash.




Took off the flaking lip for repaint.


This was the result of 20years of filth.



NEED TO DO (cosmetically):
1) Eliminate the reverse rack
2) buff and polish
3) re-paint the front clip and re-paint all black rocker panels
4) get tires and install new wheels

OVERALL: :):):)