The real cost of BMW engines

[lemansguy]

So I have been doing a lot of researching, which has meant a lot of reading on the internet. I want to turbo my e30 at some point, but I’d like to build a separate motor for it when I do. As I search for motors, and which one to use (m20 or m5x) I keep seeing the same phrase used. "m20s are everywhere and they are cheap". This gets me to the point of this thread, where are all these cheap m20s? I browse craigslist and forum for sale threads almost daily, and rarely do I find a complete m20. craigslist in particular has a quite a few m5x motors, but I’ve only seen 1 m20 in the past 8 months that I have been looking for one, and the seller wanted as much as an m50 that was listed on CL as well.

So what is a fair price for an m20? Where are people finding these motors? If an m20 sells for 400 bucks, but I can get an m50 for 600, why would I ever buy an m20? I don't necessarily want to get into an m20 vs m5x debate, just trying to figure out why m20s seem to be just as expensive at times, and honestly are much harder to find.

[heatmakerz]

A complete m20 (harness, ecu, etc) with tranny will probably only go for about 600-800 bucks. If it were me, I would just save and get an s5X engine and swap with that.

[613EDRTY]

m20s seem to be just as expensive at times, and honestly are much harder to find.

Maybe we are about to see an increase in M20's value as they become harder and harder to find.

If I wanted a 2nd M20 to build, id keep my eye out on all the forums for someone swapping theirs out and jump on it.

GL

[mr2peak]

Keep in mind the cost of the rest of the swap parts.

Tha said, nice low mileage M20's are getting much harder to find due to the age of e30's. Best cheap boost motor would be an M52, do some research in that direction

[lemansguy]

A complete m20 (harness, ecu, etc) with tranny will probably only go for about 600-800 bucks. If it were me, I would just save and get an s5X engine and swap with that.

if that's the case, then the motor alone should still be 400 bucks or less right?

I guess the fact they don't come around as often as they used to, has driven their price up. I can go to the FS section now and close my eyes and find a m5x/s5x. I don't believe there is a single complete m20 on there.

I love the idea of just boosting an m20, cuz its older and original to the car. but if a motor is hard to come by, I might as well save up a bit more and just buy a newer one.

[rcsoundn1]

Cost may be similar even when you add on a boost or s5x swap. Your goal is more the point to me. If all you wanted was to put a working m20 into a car to keep it going, m20 makes sense because it drops in easy. Swap has much more labor involved. So if we are talking costs for a turbo m20 vs a s5x swap, well then we are in a turbo vs s5x swap debate.

[lemansguy]

Keep in mind the cost of the rest of the swap parts.

Tha said, nice low mileage M20's are getting much harder to find due to the age of e30's. Best cheap boost motor would be an M52, do some research in that direction

I agree there are some added costs to swapping in the newer motors, so a motor swap instead of replacing with another m20 gets instantly more expensive as an entire project. but the initial cost of a 30 yr old motor still seems high to me, considering how many motor swaps we see.

[ttrousdell]

I see many high milage m20s got for around 500-700 with tranny. Well maintained <120k go for 1000+ with assesories. We are in a time where everything e30 is going up in price including e30 engines. E36 is not a classic and there are more of them which is why we are seeing m50/52s cheaper than m20s now.

[lemansguy]

Cost may be similar even when you add on a boost or s5x swap. Your goal is more the point to me. If all you wanted was to put a working m20 into a car to keep it going, m20 makes sense because it drops in easy. Swap has much more labor involved. So if we are talking costs for a turbo m20 vs a s5x swap, well then we are in a turbo vs s5x swap debate.

that's a fair statement. and yea, overall project cost would probably equal out, depending on cost of parts and fabrication ability.

I honestly hadn't put much thought into an s5x swap. had only looked at turbo m20 or m5x. maybe I should start researching that avenue as well.

thanks for your input

[slammin.e28]

You can sell M20s?

I guess I need to stop just dumping them at the scrapper....

[lemansguy]

You can sell M20s?

I guess I need to stop just dumping them at the scrapper....

lol and that's the attitude a lot of people have. just not people who live anywhere near me.

[Andy Mechnic]

The rule of thumb is, you'll only find one if you're not looking. As soon as you want one, they're not around.
Just as an example there's been a complete M20 with tranny on Omaha's CL for a month or two that no one wants. They're asking $500 and I bet they can be talked down.

[flyboyx]

why not get an m30 out of an 88 or 89 535 or 735? cheap as hell, lots of torque pretty easy installation. easy wiring. win win!

[roguetoaster]

why not get an m30 out of an 88 or 89 535 or 735? cheap as hell, lots of torque pretty easy installation. easy wiring. win win!

^Normally I'd say this.

But if you actually want to find M20s for fair prices just check or ask on mye28.com as many of the members there seem to dislike M20s (me included). One went up FS in FL for $200 earlier today.

[slammin.e28]

Christ, I've given away complete M20s because the space they took up in my shop area was more valuable than the M20.....and it's my personal shop area, not a business.

My friend had trouble ditching his M20 for $50. Finally someone came along a picked it up.

Fact is, if it's someone's car because it's a car, and the belt pops, they junk the car. Replacement isn't worth it to them. "Enthusiasts" are more apt to remove them M20 in favor of something else....sometimes driven by the above, or similar scenario. If they do pull the M20 and it's good, there is where you'll find your engine. Usually by the time the swap is done the M20 is long gone to the next member who, for some unknown reason, wants to swap that turd back into his/her car instead of installing a real man's engine.

Do yourself a favor....give a M30 a home between those strut towers.