Lightweight e30, have platform/engine ideas, leaning 318is/N52… talk me out of it

[OSAH racing]

That is a proper swap job. I read in the comments that his cost while doing all the Labor is 15 grand. I am sure the driving experience will be exceptional for an e30. But given the cost of a nice ,clean car 10k +, upgrades to the suspension for the best possible handling / steering 1k to 3k your going to be nudging in on 30 grand. sure you could find the perfect car with everything done to it for less ( what I would do is find a abandoned project that is done well ). For me when the numbers hit 20K the choice is Porsche Cayman. If you are building a track only, want an e30 because Civics and Miata's are not your thing then I would K swap it.

[OSAH racing]

That is a proper swap job. I read in the comments that his cost while doing all the Labor is 15 grand. I am sure the driving experience will be exceptional for an e30. But given the cost of a nice ,clean car 10k +, upgrades to the suspension for the best possible handling / steering 1k to 3k your going to be nudging in on 30 grand. Sure you could find the perfect car with everything done to it for less ( what I would do is find a abandoned project that is going in the proper direction ). For me when the numbers hit 20K the choice is Porsche Cayman. If you are building a track only, want an e30 because Civics and Miata's are not your thing then I would K swap it.

[TobyB]

more people do the [(N52) swap and the aftermarket picks up

Just an observation from being around this joint for a while-
I'm not convinced there's going to be enough of an N52 swap market
to interest much of the aftermarket.
Both the engine and chassis supplies
are finite (neither is made any more) and critically,

the E30 market's headed in the 'keep it stock' direction.
The beaters don't show up in the junkyard or Craigslist that often, and
the 'scruffy runners' are being tarted up- or crashed.

15 years ago, yeah, when you couldn't give away a Bronzit 4- door automatic, maybe
someone like RaceHead would start making parts.
Now?
Hope is good, holding breath maybe less so.

I'm not saying there won't be more N52 swaps,
just that I wouldn't count on production solutions
for the current problems that would really benefit from a produced part.
(I'm thinking about the oil pan, in particular)

just my '02,
t

[Striker01]

Checking back in here - as I’ve done more research on the N52 swap, I’m come to realize that it’s quite the endeavor. The amazing work that folks like Hoveringuy and Stryker have done notwithstanding (like finding out that Z4 engine mounts fit perfectly), it still takes a lot of custom work. I’m trying to assess the level of difficulty vs M5x swap, but it seems the M5x is more bolt in. To me this not only increases the up front cost/effort, but I would think the ownership experience is more burdensome as well as the car ages and things break/need replacing (harder to find a spare fuel filter that you had to bend/fabricate).

Now I expect that will get better as more people do the swap and the aftermarket picks up, but this will take time (vs S52 which has been done upteen times). 22RPD seems like a candidate for a shop that will pick up some of this. How about Gargastic or Condor speed shop? I have read some negative reviews on 22RPD, not sure if that’s something to worry about.

N52 still intrigues me though due to its weight and power. And most of my desire to go with this platform would be to have a bit of a custom car (if I’ve wanted stock/turn key I would just pony up due an M3). The velocity stack kit that 22RPD is working on will supposedly save an additional 15-20lbs, which would put you within 10-15 of an M42/K and give you an amazing sound. The K though is enticing if I could get over the heritage piece. But I don’t think they sound that great.

More crockpotting to be done!

This is my first swap but I can tell you its been quite the endeavor and the budget was blown a couple months in, I was hoping 5k or less when I started; I didn't make it. Granted, a lot of the work and cost wasn't necessary for a swap. I don't want to discourage you, just giving you an idea up front. It has been frustrating at times but I'm really enjoying this process and learned a ton.

Thankfully Hoveringuy is still around the forum and extremely helpful, Adam came on board a little later but he is also a huge help. I would not have made it this far without having the ability to bounce stuff off of both of them. Both are great guys and I'm thankful they are around and willing to help!

I can't say anything bad about 22RPD, they have been super responsive and helpful. Very patient with a flashing issue that took at least a month to resolve, messaging back and forth, and was my own fault. There is some very minor stuff I'm still working through with them but nothing that prevents the car from working as is.

I don't really know what aftermarket stuff you are specifically looking for. CAD for oil pan is out there, the pickup is a bit tricky but I can't see that being profitable for a company with this kind of volume. I'm sure a 24V swap exhaust kit could be used with some minor modifications, especially with stock N52 manifolds.

[OSAH racing]

Look for a Video from Garagistic soon. They have ran their K swap and Spec E30 on the same track and tires. I hope to hear very important information on lap times, handling differences and cost.

[Maxhouse97]

Great please let us know when it comes out