i run a small body shop and im pretty good at what i do. but times are tough and work is slow and this opportunity fell into my lap...
i already have a 98 m3 parts car with 58 miles on it and i can pick up an 87 325e for pretty cheap. body has 240k miles and is clean title.
what i am happy to see on this car:
completely rebuild suspension
eibach/bilstein and tokico sway bars
borbets that i can sell
2.7 es/i motor
m3 seats
body is in decent shape
late bumpers already on
now, my plan is to sell off the motor/transmission and wheels out of it to fund the project and do the following:
clean up the body - fix all the dents and dings, roll/pull fenders, do a little shaving/smoothing, install a rear lip and just make the rear bumper look right (i can do this, trust me)
clean up the engine bay
full respray
wrap the seats in red leather/vinyl. door panesl will be red/black. headliner and anything that shows age will be taken care of so it will look brand new inside.
swap in the e36 m3 motor/transmission, make it CA carb legal
e36 non m brakes so i can fit 16s
because the suspension is all fresh, i want to keep it 4 lug and just run some 16x8 porsche d90s.
the other option is to swap in the front m3 5 lug (58k miles so its all good condition too) and z3 rear and run some 17x8 style 42s that i have. if i go this route, i will run M3 front brakes.
i know there are hacks out there but this thing will be CLEAN inside and out with custom work on area of the car.
so considering it will go as planned and i end up with a car thats perfectly painted, with new interior and good suspension and low miles s52 swap, what can i get for it REALISTICALLY? i am trying to weigh my options if i should just sell the swap and just fix up the e30 a bit and flip it, or put some real time (that i have plenty of) into it and hopefully make some more money.
honest opinions please and i appreciate your time.
what i am hoping to work on


and im a VW guy, but i do work

i already have a 98 m3 parts car with 58 miles on it and i can pick up an 87 325e for pretty cheap. body has 240k miles and is clean title.
what i am happy to see on this car:
completely rebuild suspension
eibach/bilstein and tokico sway bars
borbets that i can sell
2.7 es/i motor
m3 seats
body is in decent shape
late bumpers already on
now, my plan is to sell off the motor/transmission and wheels out of it to fund the project and do the following:
clean up the body - fix all the dents and dings, roll/pull fenders, do a little shaving/smoothing, install a rear lip and just make the rear bumper look right (i can do this, trust me)
clean up the engine bay
full respray
wrap the seats in red leather/vinyl. door panesl will be red/black. headliner and anything that shows age will be taken care of so it will look brand new inside.
swap in the e36 m3 motor/transmission, make it CA carb legal
e36 non m brakes so i can fit 16s
because the suspension is all fresh, i want to keep it 4 lug and just run some 16x8 porsche d90s.
the other option is to swap in the front m3 5 lug (58k miles so its all good condition too) and z3 rear and run some 17x8 style 42s that i have. if i go this route, i will run M3 front brakes.
i know there are hacks out there but this thing will be CLEAN inside and out with custom work on area of the car.
so considering it will go as planned and i end up with a car thats perfectly painted, with new interior and good suspension and low miles s52 swap, what can i get for it REALISTICALLY? i am trying to weigh my options if i should just sell the swap and just fix up the e30 a bit and flip it, or put some real time (that i have plenty of) into it and hopefully make some more money.
honest opinions please and i appreciate your time.
what i am hoping to work on


and im a VW guy, but i do work


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