Whats my e30 S54 swap worth?

[LowR3V'in]

and adjustable seats.

[Bmwdayz]

That hard part about this car is someone else was pay'd to do the work and buy the parts. You'll never get that part of the cost back. I built and s52 325is and had maybe $4500 into it. I took my time sourcing parts very carefully and sold everything I took out of the car that I wasn't going to use. So when people tell me it cost 10k to do a s52 swap I can't image how unless you built a brand new engine with all parts bought from BMW.

I'd have to agree with the 12k statement.

[TheDirtyS54Thirty]

I wasn't really planning on selling the car anytime soon just wanted a general opinion on the worth. Almost sounds like the car is worth more parted out.

[2mAn]

I wasn't really planning on selling the car anytime soon just wanted a general opinion on the worth. Almost sounds like the car is worth more parted out.

I wouldnt say parted out, but a "ready to go S54 package" might be worth a good chunk of change leaving you with a caged roller to sell to someone who wants to build it using any motor they want to a specific class. I would advertise it to the race groups out there and have the complete or roller option.

[Stanley Rockafella]

Tips to get more money:
- Remove the cage
- Reinstall the heater
- Order paint matched spray cans and paint the bumper and lip
- Reinstall the fog lights
- At least include the driver high beam
- Make sure all your underhood wiring is as neat as possible and wrapped

-Re-install the interior trim pieces
-re-install the back seat and all associated insulation

[JimmyP]

Most everything has been said. This car,,, despite how much fun it is on track,,, is a tweener.

If someone buys it to make it into an actual race car its got thousands of dollars to go (actually maybe tens of thousands) to be even remotely competitive in the class(es) it would end up racing in with that power plant.
Attempting to race it anywhere like it is now, it will get crushed. No one wants to buy a new race car and get crushed.

Its also way to "track ready" for all the Cars and Coffee stars who want all the nice interiors and tricked out upholstery and stereo, etc as was mentioned in the above posts.
Some of the really slick cars for sale I have seen on here are just that, super slick looking show cars.

So who is your buyer,,, someone who LOVES the E30 platform beyond good reason and wants to be the king of his DE group,,, and has the cash you want out of it.
Thats a narrow field of buyers.

As was posted previously, most people will just buy a track ready E46 M3 and deal with the extra weight.

Not bagging on your car or your build, I am sure its a blast, but its aimed at a very narrow sliver of buyers.

[LowR3V'in]

what type of cars would this car be competing with btw?

[varg]

I think that for SCCA it would be in a modified class based on the work done to it. Depending on which modified class (I'm not that familiar with the rules) it could be a decently competitive or completely noncompetitive car, up against cars with lots more power and better suspension. Of course it probably still needs lots of work to fit into one of those classes.

[Preyupy]

what type of cars would this car be competing with btw?

That's the problem, it is not built to a class or rule book. That engine never came in that car so you would by most racing organization's rules have to run it as a sports racer or modified where the classes are based on engine size almost exclusively. It will get "crushed" by a purpose built 1500 lb sports racer with a "under 3.5 liter" engine. This is not a race car. it is a really fun DE car and it's value is "What ever someone is willing to pay, AND the owner is willing to accept"

[TheDirtyS54Thirty]

Most everything has been said. This car,,, despite how much fun it is on track,,, is a tweener.

If someone buys it to make it into an actual race car its got thousands of dollars to go (actually maybe tens of thousands) to be even remotely competitive in the class(es) it would end up racing in with that power plant.
Attempting to race it anywhere like it is now, it will get crushed. No one wants to buy a new race car and get crushed.

Its also way to "track ready" for all the Cars and Coffee stars who want all the nice interiors and tricked out upholstery and stereo, etc as was mentioned in the above posts.
Some of the really slick cars for sale I have seen on here are just that, super slick looking show cars.

So who is your buyer,,, someone who LOVES the E30 platform beyond good reason and wants to be the king of his DE group,,, and has the cash you want out of it.
Thats a narrow field of buyers.

As was posted previously, most people will just buy a track ready E46 M3 and deal with the extra weight.

Not bagging on your car or your build, I am sure its a blast, but its aimed at a very narrow sliver of buyers.

I think you're a 100% right and I apologize if I acted out in a negative manner in previous posts. Guess I had to be brought back down to reality. Until then Ill just enjoy the shit out of it and improve on my driving skills.

PS: I just bought a RYP S2k CR delete with 35K miles and I keep telling myself you're not going to ruin this one haha. This car in hands down the best car right out of the box I've ever driven.

[JimmyP]

what type of cars would this car be competing with btw?

In BMWCCA CR it would go straight to C Mod, which is shark infested waters to say the least. Some of the very fastest BMW CR cars in the country are in this class. Brutally fast. Unbelievably fast cars. Most are E36s or E46s, but purpose built race cars with seemingly cost no object builds. Many CM cars are running lap times faster than many World Challenge pro cars at tracks across the country.

With SCCA it would have a few options.
It could probably find a home in ITE in some regions where they would look the other way and let him race, but that class is filled with Vettes and other cars that have no homes.

There is in the NEDiv and probably others a catch all class called SPO (Super Production Over 2.5 litres). This class can have "anything in it up to and including 800HP tube frame, NASCAR type silhouette cars. Anything.
The crux of it being some serious serious hardware.

It might have a fit in STU, but I think it would have to weigh in around 3200 lbs and with STU being a National class at the pointy end it attracts the fastest drivers in the most well prepared cars.

With NASA GTS I think it would end up in either GTS3 or GTS4 which would be a repeat of everything I wrote for BMWCCA CR C-Mod. Some super fast cars in those two classes.

But,,, just to get there,,, there is probably $10,000 in additional things it would need to even get "racing" let alone actually competing.

[lukeADE335i]

I just bought a RYP S2k CR delete with 35K miles and I keep telling myself you're not going to ruin this one haha. This car in hands down the best car right out of the box I've ever driven.

Nice one! Trick will be to not let the modding bug bite :D

It's hard to resist.

With the racing classes - do you guys have an improved production class up there? (I presume it's probably the C Mod class you've mentioned). We have a class down here that's stock bodied, engine open but must be by same manufacturer as chassis, and then the classes are just based on capacity. Unfortunately with an S54 down here, you'd be in the 3.0 - 6.0L category. In some ways you'd be better off with a hotted up M54 3.0L or Euro M50 3.0L so that you were in the 2.0L - 3.0L category.

[FredK]

With the racing classes - do you guys have an improved production class up there? (I presume it's probably the C Mod class you've mentioned). We have a class down here that's stock bodied, engine open but must be by same manufacturer as chassis, and then the classes are just based on capacity. Unfortunately with an S54 down here, you'd be in the 3.0 - 6.0L category. In some ways you'd be better off with a hotted up M54 3.0L or Euro M50 3.0L so that you were in the 2.0L - 3.0L category.

CMod is a club racing class for BMW Car Club of America (BMWCCA) Club Racing covers BMW-powered BMW racecars with engine displacements between 2980 and 3499 cc.

GTS is National Auto Sport Association (NASA) German Touring Series. It is a power-to-weight racing series. In GTS3 with a typical S54 dyno of 290 whp / 245 rwtq, you will need a minimum weight as you exit the track (driver, safety equipment, fuel at the end of the race, ballast) of 3169 lbs. In GTS4, the minimum weight would be 2449 lbs. This is using the current NASA GTS calculator, assuming DOT race tires.

I think this car would be great to continue your development as a driver, but the other posters have already made some great points about how you can go about getting the maximum amount of money for an E30.

[mr2peak]

Didn't Matt Farah say he would buy it? Go to him with a number you'd be happy with and negotiate

[luke412]

I have an s54 swapped 89 325i. The swap was done at a local shop. It also has several race car type upgrades - custom header, 3" exhaust, fuel cell, custom tune, BBK, reinforced rear subframe, new axles, etc.

I went a different direction than you, and made a street car/hot rod with an upgraded interior with an M-tech theme. Next step is to have it repainted. I already have more invested in the car than I'd like to admit.

I am planning to keep it forever, because I know I won't get anywhere near what I put into it, even if it ever gets to the true restomod state.

I think you are looking at less than you have into it, but knowing that it cost up to 4K for the engine without the tranny and upgrades, then you said 12 k for the swap (I am assuming that is without the engine?) and then all of the other upgrades may run you up over 30k total, if you add how in how much you bought the s52 swapped car for in the first place.

I think if you have a really detailed description of the build and run down of costs you can get better than 12k, more like 18-20? But who really knows. I agree that if it was a true restomod it would go for more.

If you do sell it, whoever is buying it is getting a good deal.



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Hey man, what did you do for the rear subframe/axle? Held up to the power fine?
Im doing a s54 also.
Looking at PPM axle, e36 twin mount diff hat and med case lsd
Cheers