s14 or s50

[madjurgen]

Ill take the S14 if you dont want it

[Mot]

Have you even driven an S14 powered E30 M3 Josh? You are always quick to downplay them.

Ive driven 3 s14 powered m3's and I wasnt that impressed with the stock motored m3's. Cool motor and heritage, but if he already has an s50 its the better choice.

[ptownTSI]

thats a good point, if the S14 turns out to be in great shape, maybe selling the S50 would be a good idea.

on the other hand i love power and the S50 has alot more of it. a buzzy 2.3 or a torquey 3.2...hmm. it is still an M motor. it came in only the M3. seems like a logical "upgrade" over the S14 which many people have stated is expensive to maintain. if you want to daily drive a gorgeous M3 then the S50 is a better choice. known good condition and only 25,000 is worth pure gold in the used engine world.

[uofom3]

you shouldn't buy an e30 m3

[uofom3]

Ive driven 3 s14 powered m3's and I wasnt that impressed with the stock motored m3's. Cool motor and heritage, but if he already has an s50 its the better choice.

i will take the pepsi challenge with an s50 m3... the s50 just isn't that much fun

[Jand3rson]

Have you even driven an S14 powered E30 M3 Josh? You are always quick to downplay them.

Yes TJ, I have, and I had a shit-etaing grin on my face a mile wide the whole time. It's one of the greatest engines ever built, and I've/I'll never downplay the S14 as an engine itself, what I argue against it is pretty much my own objections to owning one. I don't think I could keep up with the maintainence, let alone the cost of owning one, at least not at this point. For myself, if I were to own one, I would want one with an S50. Now if it was going to be something like a strictly track or weekend car, then I would like to have the S14.

[Avus E30]

Yes TJ, I have, and I had a shit-etaing grin on my face a mile wide the whole time. It's one of the greatest engines ever built, and I've/I'll never downplay the S14 as an engine itself, what I argue against it is pretty much my own objections to owning one. I don't think I could keep up with the maintainence, let alone the cost of owning one, at least not at this point. For myself, if I were to own one, I would want one with an S50. Now if it was going to be something like a strictly track or weekend car, then I would like to have the S14.

I think thats a good way to put it. if the time and money is there and youre not gonna beat it up daily then sure s14 but if its gonna be a daily then s50

[1991 318is]

M3 shell?

To me it depends on what you mean by an M3 shell. To me that means a beater with no interior, motor, etc. or what used to be called a "roller" - in that case it makes no difference what you put in it because it will never be a pristine all original M3 again anyway. If you put an S50 in it, what worthwhile class could you run in that you would be competitive? If you want a hot street car go with the S50. If you want to race, forget all of this a buy a used Formula Ford or something like that.
" Keep in mind, I don't have all the money in the world. I am just a student working part time..." How does a college kid on a low budget have an M3, S50, and an S14 on the way?
If you want to race, sell all three.

[reelizmpro]

Damn I had a post but it somehow didn't get posted. Basically, if you have to ask this question...put the S50 in. The S50 will be the engine of choice for those looking for HP/cost, torque, availability, driveability and low maintenance especially since your M3 doesn't yet have an engine. This is coming from a purist too, but purists can't own them all and at the end of the day it is your car.

Now if you're at all concerned about heritage and having a car that was as intended then you may want to think it over. Sure the S50 is more powerful but the S14 has a lot of room for improvement. I made 194rwhp with cams and bolt ons on an otherwise stock 2.3 with 135K miles. The cost is high because let's face it, it's a special car/engine! and they aren't a dime a dozen. Especially these days since everybody and their mama (enthusiast and non-enthusiasts) wants to get one and has their own crazy ideas of how they feel "the most winningest touring car of all time" should be or supposed to be. You guys should see some footage of this car in action back in BTCC or DTM, and see what it's really about.

[erik325i]

To me it depends on what you mean by an M3 shell. To me that means a beater with no interior, motor, etc. or what used to be called a "roller" - in that case it makes no difference what you put in it because it will never be a pristine all original M3 again anyway.

That's exactly what it is, a roller. It is a body sitting on GC coilovers. everything else is stripped. everything. This means that even putting in my s14 will not be a simple plug in deal. I will need to source a tranny, wiring harness, and all of the other associated parts including cooling system... I figure putting in the s14 will be just as much work as swapping in my s50.

How does a college kid on a low budget have an M3, S50, and an S14 on the way?
If you want to race, sell all three.

First of all, I never said I was on a low budget... Just a somewhat reasonable budget (meaning that I cannot afford an s50b32 with 6-speed...) Rest assured, I will do what needs to be done and not half-ass anything.

As to how a student can afford these things, well first I found a low milage s50 for sale locally for a good price, so I borrowed some money from my GF, and picked it up (don't worry, I paid her back).
A few months ago, I found this m3 roller for sale that was completely stripped except for the coilovers. I saved up for a couple months and had it shipped to me.
And as for the s14... well, with a deal this good, I would have been an idiot to pass it up

Basicly, there are a lot of reasons not to do things, but if you really want something, you can find a way...

-Erik

[rwh11385]

That yellow E30 M3 pickup that BMW Motorsport built as a special project has an eta engine in it.

my buddy's yellow m3 has a convertible top and a s52.. and dogleg

[rwh11385]

i want to put a F20 in an e30 m3

[YAN-3]

YES.


the s50 would not only put more weight up front, it would be unbalanced weight.

as e30 m3's are getting more rare and expensive by the day, my soul hurts everytime i see one w/ an s50 in it.

GO s14. put the s50 in your 325i. rebuild the shell and have a badass, authentic e30 m3.

I totaly agree. the car was built the way it was to conform to FIA hom. as a DTM car. I say if you wanna do engine swaps and crazy body kits and crap leave the e30 M3 alone. go get yourself good non M e30 shell and do whatever your heart desires, but please e30 M3s are becoming a rare bread, leave them alone. anywho why even consider it? just buy a e36M3 if your into it for the HP. all im saying is an e30 M3 is THE M3 because of its history, if the s14 was good enough for the track its should be more than enough for anyone of us. and if the maint. is your wory, then once again, please stay away from the M3.

[Gus]

S14

e30 4's>e30 6's in handling (yes i have a six and have driven both).

plus its only a US S50....nothing particularly impressive...240hp? at least the euros are 286

plus no wiring hassles...plug and play.

and it looks oh so cool in the engine bay

non-M e30s are everywhere...s50 that!

[bmwm3n528]

my buddy's yellow m3 has a convertible top and a s52.. and dogleg

OMG!!!1 you sirius?