Starting a thread to document my progress and hopefully keep me motivated through the winter.
Started out with a stock 325i with 170k miles.
M20 that leaked from every seal imaginable + an automatic trans that only shifts gears when it feels like it.
The interior was pretty wrecked, but the body was really straight and a good starting point for what I wanted to do.
Wasn't too interested in taking many pictures of it stock so here's an old pic I dug up from the craigslist post.
Started planning out how I wanted to build this thing right away. Wanted it to be fast, low, and wide.
Settled on:
- Air Ride P3 management, a 5gal tank, 1/4 lines and 2 444c Viair compressors. And spent a few weekends getting everything ran and dialed in how I wanted.
Picked up a did a mild repolish + new bolts on:
- 2piece OZ Fittapaldi 5 stars. 16x8 around ET -8 front and rear currently.
The trunk isn't finished yet - still need to button up the false floor and tidy up some wiring but at least it looks good from the outside.
Then started collecting parts for the motor/turbo/manual swap. Shooting for a ballpark range of 500whp/tq.
Picked up an M52b28 local to me with 90k miles.
The plan is to run a single turbo on stock internals and stock ecu with ethanol.
To support this so far I have purchased the below:
- CES cutring HG (still debating on copper spacer/dropping the compression - not sure if I want to be dependent on finding e85 if I'm traveling)
- ARP head studs
- ZF 310 trans
- 2.93 diff
- DKM twin organic disc clutch/flywheel
- M50 manifold + adapter for obd2 TB
- all the common e30/m5x swap parts (e34 oil pan, throttle cable, wiring harness adapter (from Condor), Condor motor mounts/trans mounts, e36 steering rack, Mishimoto + spal rad/fan setup)
- New gaskets throughout (pan, dipstick, and pump, rear main, valve cover + bolt seals, TB, intake mani, camshaft sensor, exhaust mani and the above mentioned cutring HG)
- New metal water pump + thermostat and metal housing
- Head is getting decked at the machine shop, I'm cleaning the block myself
- As of now planning to just relocate the stock brake booster - though this may change
For the go fast parts, I found a used kit online. Not everything I can use since it was all fitted for an e36 but for the price I got it for, I took everything and I'll sort out what I can/can't use later)
- Precision ball bearing 6262 turbo .82 A/R
- Precision Wastegate/Tial bov/Greddy bov
- Spa Manifold (came in that above mentioned kit - going to see how the fitment is in a e30, might sell and just go with a RSI manifold)
- Precision intercooler + tons of piping/couplers (25x12x3)
- braided 10an oil return
- e46 m3 oil filter housing tapped to m14 + achilles m14 braided vanos oil supply line
- e36 euro oil cooler/lines (not entirely sure I can get this to fit)
- custom made high flow fuel rail w/ AN fittings to run with a M50 mani
- injector dynamics id1000 (might end up going with something a little larger)
Still left to get/decide on:
Fuel setup (Walbro 450 + Aermotive FPR most likely)
Tune (RK Tunes/22RPD - still debating on who I pull the trigger with)
Waiting for a lot of random parts to get shipped in. I'll update again once I get the head back from the machine shop and the engine put back together.
Started out with a stock 325i with 170k miles.
M20 that leaked from every seal imaginable + an automatic trans that only shifts gears when it feels like it.
The interior was pretty wrecked, but the body was really straight and a good starting point for what I wanted to do.
Wasn't too interested in taking many pictures of it stock so here's an old pic I dug up from the craigslist post.
Started planning out how I wanted to build this thing right away. Wanted it to be fast, low, and wide.
Settled on:
- Air Ride P3 management, a 5gal tank, 1/4 lines and 2 444c Viair compressors. And spent a few weekends getting everything ran and dialed in how I wanted.
Picked up a did a mild repolish + new bolts on:
- 2piece OZ Fittapaldi 5 stars. 16x8 around ET -8 front and rear currently.
The trunk isn't finished yet - still need to button up the false floor and tidy up some wiring but at least it looks good from the outside.
Then started collecting parts for the motor/turbo/manual swap. Shooting for a ballpark range of 500whp/tq.
Picked up an M52b28 local to me with 90k miles.
The plan is to run a single turbo on stock internals and stock ecu with ethanol.
To support this so far I have purchased the below:
- CES cutring HG (still debating on copper spacer/dropping the compression - not sure if I want to be dependent on finding e85 if I'm traveling)
- ARP head studs
- ZF 310 trans
- 2.93 diff
- DKM twin organic disc clutch/flywheel
- M50 manifold + adapter for obd2 TB
- all the common e30/m5x swap parts (e34 oil pan, throttle cable, wiring harness adapter (from Condor), Condor motor mounts/trans mounts, e36 steering rack, Mishimoto + spal rad/fan setup)
- New gaskets throughout (pan, dipstick, and pump, rear main, valve cover + bolt seals, TB, intake mani, camshaft sensor, exhaust mani and the above mentioned cutring HG)
- New metal water pump + thermostat and metal housing
- Head is getting decked at the machine shop, I'm cleaning the block myself
- As of now planning to just relocate the stock brake booster - though this may change
For the go fast parts, I found a used kit online. Not everything I can use since it was all fitted for an e36 but for the price I got it for, I took everything and I'll sort out what I can/can't use later)
- Precision ball bearing 6262 turbo .82 A/R
- Precision Wastegate/Tial bov/Greddy bov
- Spa Manifold (came in that above mentioned kit - going to see how the fitment is in a e30, might sell and just go with a RSI manifold)
- Precision intercooler + tons of piping/couplers (25x12x3)
- braided 10an oil return
- e46 m3 oil filter housing tapped to m14 + achilles m14 braided vanos oil supply line
- e36 euro oil cooler/lines (not entirely sure I can get this to fit)
- custom made high flow fuel rail w/ AN fittings to run with a M50 mani
- injector dynamics id1000 (might end up going with something a little larger)
Still left to get/decide on:
Fuel setup (Walbro 450 + Aermotive FPR most likely)
Tune (RK Tunes/22RPD - still debating on who I pull the trigger with)
Waiting for a lot of random parts to get shipped in. I'll update again once I get the head back from the machine shop and the engine put back together.
Side note - anybody want a running 177k mile m20 + auto trans? I'm pretty much willing to give it away if I can't get a couple hundred bucks for it in the next week or two. Garage isn't big enough for all the stuff I have piling up. 
Tapped the block and JB welded for the -10 AN turbo drain. 
Threw on the S54 oil filter housing so I can try to fit an oil cooler on this thing and stripped the AC bracket/tensioner off. New water pump and tensioner, waiting for a new alternator and water pump pulley to come in soon. 
Red Loctite + safety wired the oil pump nut and threw on the M50 pickup tube. Waiting for my pan gasket to get here to get the M50 pan on. 
And a little sneak peak of something that just came in from Fedex today. Tramont Staria 3pc - 17x8.5 and 17x9 et21 all around 
And a little project to clean up, some of my all time favorites - 3pc Schmidt Modernlines. Currently they're 16x9.5 and 16x10.5 but going to switch up the lips and go 16x8.5 and 9.5 most likely. No plans to do enough fender work to stuff a 10.5 in the rear 
Hopefully my next update will be with the motor fully dressed and put back together (or at least with a head and oil pan on)
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