how do you tell......

[Bimmerboy91]

ok, i went to a junkyard or auto recyclers today and came apon 2 e30s and 2 e28s. one of the e30s seems to be an m3 (it has a badge on the trunk that looks as old as the car, the //M3 badge is on the right) but the engine doesnt say that it is. how can i tell if its an m3 engine? or better yet what are somethings i can look at to see if this thing was really a 318 and the chump that wrecked it just put a m3 badge?( althought it doesnt look like if had the numbers 318 on it)

[Erick]

It's not an M3.

[Bimmerboy91]

how do you tell? by the M power on the engine?

[808BMW]

An M3 looks totally different. Fender flares, bigass wing, 5 lug wheels, etc.

It basically screams race car, and anything that is questionable is obviously not an m3

[Bimmerboy91]

i wish i had my camara working to take pics. if it wasnt then i was most defintly a "is". its got a pretty bashed up rear and the apron is crunched. the front is in great condition tho. maybe ill go back tomorrow again and check it out.

[Erick]

You found 2 e30s.... if you cannot tell an M3 from a regular e30 by just even an eye glance, then you have issues. They are two completely different cars in almost every aspect. Through your description, you seem to show that both e30s are fairly similar... otherwise you would probably not have asked this question.

[Bimmerboy91]

well, buddy, like i said these cars are in a auto recycling place. these cars are crashed. one is a poser M3 or so we say, and the other one there that i havent givin a description on is a 325i. both of which are pretty messed up trust me you WONT be able to from an "eye glance" see the difference.

[Kruzen]

well, buddy, like i said these cars are in a auto recycling place. these cars are crashed. one is a poser M3 or so we say, and the other one there that i havent givin a description on is a 325i. both of which are pretty messed up trust me you WONT be able to from an "eye glance" see the difference.

Even if its crushed in a cube its still easy to tell if its an M3 or not

[Bimmerboy91]

ok guys. maybe cuz my e30 325IC is my first car, really dont see e30 M3's. thanks for beating it into my head:crazy: lol. moving on, the imposer M3 gots the front end in really good shape to be ina junkyard and was wondering if those front end parts could be put on my car?

[Fidhle007]

No, you can't ever take parts off one e30 and put them on another. It's impossible and simply cannot be done. Unless of course that car really is an M3 in which case you're golden.

[Bimmerboy91]

damn people im just to be sure about things. i havent done body work, really. plus the fact that the imposter M3 is really a 318 and i have a 325i, i dont know if the front ends are the same size.

[JasonC]

I think that the front fenders are different on the cab's, down by the rockers.

[Bimmerboy91]

ok thanks ill be checking it out probably tomorrow

[Fidhle007]

E30s are like fingerprints, no two are exactly alike. Therefore it is impossible to salvage body parts, except on M3s. I believe the only parts that are indeed interchangable are the exhaust bearings.

[garrett]

^ f'in awesome :nice: