Some 24v swap questions

[Turf1600]

Say I was to buy a complete parts car - what is the best one to get?

95 or so 525i?
Would a later 5 series work? Like a 528?

Also, what is the main difference between the performance of vanos vs non vanos? Difference in fuel consumption?

If I was to purchase a 92-95 525i - what else would I need to make it fit and run in an e30?

I know all of this info is out there - but most of the threads are non technical and scattered with misinformation. Therefore searching is difficult.

[madjurgen]

Searching is not difficult, it's time-comsuming. Go put your time in like everyone else and come back with specific questions, not "give me a complete parts list". All the info is in the stickied thread or the wiki.

[Turf1600]

Searching is not difficult, it's time-comsuming. Go put your time in like everyone else and come back with specific questions, not "give me a complete parts list". All the info is in the stickied thread or the wiki.

Every thread is a freaking argument with no straight answers. Even the billion page comprehensive 24v swap page is full of bullshit. I can easily find 3 or 4 different conflicting answers to the same question. Don't automatically assume I haven't searched and spent a lot of time reading.

Easy question: What's the best available parts car for a 24v swap?

[matt]

e46 M3.

[matt]

In all seriousness... there are trade-offs to EVERYTHING. I can tell you the best way to do a swap, but what I'm really telling you is either A) this is how I did my swap and its great or B) this is how I did my swap, but if I did it again, I would change X, Y, and Z.

Answers are no substitute for understanding.

[Turf1600]

e46 M3.

Yeah - I'll go buy the lowest mileage example I can and part it out for my $1100 e30.

[Turf1600]

In all seriousness... there are trade-offs to EVERYTHING. I can tell you the best way to do a swap, but what I'm really telling you is either A) this is how I did my swap and its great or B) this is how I did my swap, but if I did it again, I would change X, Y, and Z.

Answers are no substitute for understanding.

My swap is a practice in economy and reliability. That is all. I want a more modern motor with equal or greater power and better fuel economy. I've been working on a buddy's s52 swap so I understand the details. I just want to buy the most beneficial parts car. Which seems to be a 93-95 525i.

[matt]

Well, maybe. There are always tradeoffs... you'll have the oil pan, but you'll need motor mount arms and a different radiator. If you get an e36 325i, you'll have a radiator to use but you'll need an oil pan and pick up.

The best parts car is the one that's cheapest and runs the best and provides the best combo of parts for the price.

[Jean]

I vote e34 525i 5spd.

[Turf1600]

Well, maybe. There are always tradeoffs... you'll have the oil pan, but you'll need motor mount arms and a different radiator. If you get an e36 325i, you'll have a radiator to use but you'll need an oil pan and pick up.

The best parts car is the one that's cheapest and runs the best and provides the best combo of parts for the price.

Makes good sense. Thank you Matt. One more easy one I can never get a straight answer from - fuel consumption in vanos vs non vanos? I want the best possible fuel economy out of this.

[FredK]

3,383 posts and still a noob

[FredK]

jk

[matt]

Assuming both are running perfectly and driven the same way, the vanos motor will provide better economy.

Newer is always better.

[Turf1600]

3,383 posts and still a noob

I'm impatient and I get irritated with misinformation. the 24v forum is not my favorite place. People need to have permission to post "facts" in here.

[FredK]

In my opinion, the best parts car is the one that you can find locally, test for functionality (compression, leakdown, idle quality), and can get the cheapest. An engine you can fully test will end up being the "cheapest"--you won't expend all this energy worrying about having inserted a possibly blown engine, or rebuilding one that doesn't check out properly.

If you can find a 525i oilpan inexpensively first, you can focus your energy to finding a good condition E36 325i. I am a fan of using the E36/34 manual transmission, so it'd be a priority for me to find a car with a manual. If you get an E36, you can use the manual driveshaft.

So there isn't a bar-none, "yes, definitely get X car" rule. It's whatever you can procure locally, easily, while achieving some price efficiency.

I bet you could make more money parting out an E36, but that's just a hunch.