Frankensteining my e30s

[Kanta]

Hello, r3v.


Well, I made a thread back in the tech forums for my bronzit 325i thinking that I needed to replace an alternator belt. It turns out that this was my problem:.
Since I know fuck all about automobiles, I decided not to get another engine and try to swap it myself. I didn't have the wallet to pay someone else to do it either, and I'd rather learn anyway. So I bought a '90 schwartz 325i off of a guy in Sacramento. Apparently, he hit a deer in it. The engine ran pretty well, but needed a new core support (and pretty much an entire new front end), and seeing as how I had everything else besides a working engine in my ton and a half paperweight, I decided to buy it. My friend's dad knows how to weld pretty well, so my plan is to cut the core support off of my bronzit and weld it onto my schwartz, swap the radiator, passenger side fender, wheels, and maybe rear seats. As it stands now, I've removed everything that needs to be cut, along with the fenders.

Pictures of both cars:
The bronzit, right after I got it.

Schwarz

Bronzit interior


more pics + info to come.

[dannyyisntt]

dude, that bronzit is too nice to kill off

[Mike]

Is that part of the oil pump auxiliary shaft! Holy Fuck!

[woodisgood]

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to swap the motor.....not to mention the cost of getting a car painted.

[Dissembler]

Why would you kill a perfect bronzit to try and save a wreck?

You say your funds are too tight to pay someone to do an engine swap, and yet your transfering body panels from your bronzit to the schwartz, which will then need paint and body work...

You also say you want to learn about engines, yet your avoiding doing the swap by cutting up your bronzit...

I'm not seeing a logical train of thought here.

[Kanta]

Why would you kill a perfect bronzit to try and save a wreck?

You say your funds are too tight to pay someone to do an engine swap, and yet your transfering body panels from your bronzit to the schwartz, which will then need paint and body work...

You also say you want to learn about engines, yet your avoiding doing the swap by cutting up your bronzit...

I'm not seeing a logical train of thought here.

The only thing I'll probably be paying a significant amount of money for would be the paint, which can be done also by someone I know. When I found out what happened to the engine, the shop initially quoted me around $1100.

My main concern at the moment is to get the car in a drivable condition. Yes, I want to learn more, and I plan on doing so, but an entire engine swap seems a lot more complicated than hooking up a radiator once the support is welded on, and I don't want to attempt that on my own and risk screwing something else up beyond belief. I've contemplated dropping the engine into the bronzit, but welding the support seems like the better route to take.

It'll be a couple weeks before it's cut anyway, so I'll read up a bit more on the swap, and weigh my options again before I do anything.

Thanks for the comments.

[grantlacey11]

A same motor swap is actually alot easier than one would think. I did mine last summer without having very much knowledge on working on e30s and i did just fine with the help of this here forum. all you need is am engine hoist, some jackstands or ramps, and a socket and wrench set.

[jasonsnoddy]

id rather do engine work than body work any day

[Danny]

Dude pm me and I'll give you my number.we'll do work.

[RainierHooker]

Dude,

Engine Swap Effort < Body Hacking and Welding Effort

Engine Swap Time < Body Hacking and Welding Time

Engine Swap Money < Body Work and Paint

Sure, you can get a crappy Maaco paint job or equivenent for a couple hundred bucks, but it will NEVER look as good as how your bronzit looks now. To get a decent spray, expect $1500-3000. Compare that to the pizza and beer you will have to buy some friends to help with a swap and its a no brainer...

[Schwarz325]

Dude find some forum people in your are that can do an engine swap. Taking the old engine out and swaping the same good running engine is easy as shit. I will agree with others the bronzit looks too good to be cut up.

[LuckyHenriksen]

Save the Bronzit! Part out the wrecked one

[Pac1373]

OP,
I agree with what EVERYONE else is saying, swapping M20>M20 would be a day or two job at the most even for light mechanical experience.

doing it the way you are proposing will cost you MUCH more and the finished product will be far from factory quality.

everyone here is giving you solid advice from a standpoint of having "been there and done that" I know that you would be better off to swap motors. and so do these guys. do yourself a favor and save the bronzit and the cash.

sometimes free advice really is good advice.

[jasonsnoddy]

seriously, its just a bunch of unplugging shit then plugging it back in.

[Danny]

Pm me duderino. We'll get it done.