Hello! White late model coupe from the bay

[Toodaloo]

Hello! White late model coupe from the bay

Long time no see everyone...

I've been so busy with work and school, and was hoping to take a break from r3v to focus on the car and finish restoring the wheels and complete the interior before making another post.

Well...

I have installed the Wilwood BBK and it's simply amazing. I never knew the car could stop so well! It's simply stunning how much of a change the brakes made in the mountains. No more brake fade for me! (Sorry for the poir quality snapchat photo/filter. Never got around to shooting better photos)

The interior is about half done. Door cards are finished, and I'm mid way on the front seats.

I've polished the lips, purchased deeper barrels and the centers are ready for powder coat.

Neither project is finished, and I was hoping to have them done within the next two weeks to make it out to a few shoes before summer ends.

It appears there will be some delay :(

My commute to work is a short 12 mile drive, however the daily 10 minutes of 3k rpm highway driving took its toll.

Last Friday I noticed my coolant level was low. Thinking it was simply the air being bled off over the past 7 months from when I fixed a small coolant leak from the thermostat (I bled it all properly, but didn't think twice about it really.) topped off the overflow tank and two days later had the low coolant light come on once more. Drive the e30 home and onto the ramps. My coolant cap had very little pressure release when I opened it up, so I instantly started looking around for leaks. Checked the heater core first, then the throttle body cold start heater housing, and all the other lines. They all seemed to check out fine to me. Inside, I was expecting the worst, and left the worst till the end. Fighting the thought of the possibility of the dreaded milkshake.

I open the oil cap to find the one thing I really didn't want to see...


Just as I was about to finish with the big modifications to go onto the car (16x9 BBS RS' and suede/m rain interior) my headgasket decided to go.

The head was rebuilt a few years back. I don't have any proof, however the head looked super fresh. No wear on the cam lobes, the inside of the head was fresh and clean, I burnt maybe half a quart of oil between a 4K mile oil change, and after meeting with the m20 God, Eric Burger, he said the head definitely had to have been rebuilt after looking through the oil cap a few months ago. The weakest part of the rebuild was the choice in gaskets. Eric told me that he recognized it to be a Victor Reinz gasket. Notorious for leaking. 2 months later, what do you know. Leaky leaky.

Sigh...

The past few months I've been considering selling the car for a newer e46 m3. However I could never bring myself to it. Simply having this car as a daily driver pains me. It's constantly complimented by friends, and other enthusiasts young and old. That really means a lot to me, because when I got it; it seemed pretty trashy and I was constantly made fun of for buying "an old shitty Bimmer". I've put countless hours into restoring it and lightly modifying it to high standards with a great attention to detail and am proud of myself every time someone says something nice about it. Especially knowing that I did it with my own two hands.

It's a terrible feeling to leave the car in a lot and come back to find a new door ding or small scratch when I put so much effort into keeping it at its highest potential.
I know almost every square inch of the car... The countless late night hours, love, dedication, and thought I have put into it make it nearly impossible for me to part with it.

So R3v, what should I do?

Replace head gasket/partial rebuild?

Swap?

Sell the car after fixing it and buy myself a newer car that I don't have to constantly worry about while I'm in school?

Fix the car and find another daily?


Thanks again for all the support. The community has been so awesome and supportive. I'd love to hear some feedback from you guys and get some opinions of what my next steps should be.

[efficient]

Change the headgasket for a elring or oem and put copper spray on it. Just get the head resurfaced and new gasket, call it a day

I mean goetze headgasket.

[sonomabimmers]

I've read your build thread and i love your car especially being from the north bay. to me your car seems like the perfect candidate for an m5x/s5x swap i think it would be awesome.
my 2 cents

definitely grab a cheap daily parts getter if you can though...

[rzerob]

Change the headgasket for a elring or oem and put copper spray on it. Just get the head resurfaced and new gasket, call it a day

[Toodaloo]

Hello! White late model coupe from the bay

Change the headgasket for a elring or oem and put copper spray on it. Just get the head resurfaced and new gasket, call it a day

This is my top option!

I've read your build thread and i love your car especially being from the north bay. to me your car seems like the perfect candidate for an m5x/s5x swap i think it would be awesome.
my 2 cents

definitely grab a cheap daily parts getter if you can though...

I'd rather not sink more money into the car, however there is a crashed 96' m3 parts car for sale for CHEAP on the local BMW Facebook page. Included is a ZF 5 speed, and s52; Supposedly with only 130k miles. I'm in contact with the seller. And am hoping to get over there and test the compression on the motor. Rather than spending $500 bucks on the parts and machine work to regasket the m20, by adding some money I could perform the swap in the garage. Then junk the m3 shell.

He seems very inclined to sell with such a low price and life circumstances, however it's hard to simply trust his statement that it runs great. The numbers will tell all in this case!

I believe I had mentioned the car in my first post, but the 88' Plymouth reliant that my parents bought some 20 years ago when they first immigrated into the country will serve as my daily for the time being. It's been sitting unused as my father has two other vehicles (his daily driver and work truck), however he simply hasn't been able to let it go over all these years as it still runs and has high sentimental value.

I'm thankful I have something to get me from A to B while the e30 is down, but boy I have never been so embarrassed to drive a car haha!

I'll have updates on my decision soon!

[efficient]

It's better then walking or waiting for the bus

[Toodaloo]

It's better then walking or waiting for the bus

Indeed it is.

Which is why I'm not complaining.

[brokecollegekid]

This was one of the first build treads I looked at when I first joined the forums. Seeing some of the work you did inspired me to work on my car. Definitely keep it. You know your m20 runs great so I'd say get a new gasket, resurface the head and keep it. Cheaper to fix than doing the swap and you know for sure it'll run well and don't have to worry about fixing problems with the swap while you're at school.

[sonomabimmers]

that sounds like a meant to be type situation with the wrecked m3 and i definitely second it would be worth throwing 500 at the swap then fixing the m20(even though m20s are awesome!!) lets hope the number are great!! good luck with it ill be tuned in for updates

[2mAn]

That sucks to hear about the milkshake. I was in your shoes right before I did a 24v build in 2012.

My M20 had a very recent rebuild with all the bells and whistles but a VR headgasket so I blamed that. Took the head off, dropped it off at a machine shop to make sure it was flat then after it was verifed to be "flatter than his first GFs chest" we reinstalled it with a Goetze headgasket. Sadly, the milkshake never went away. Rather than be "economical" and buying a Myster-E head, as they were known then (aka Bimmerheads) I spent a LOT more and built a 24v. Do I regret it? Not really, but the smarter money wouldve been to get a properly built head, and get my car back on the road and then build a badass hi comp M20 to drop under it later on. Then it wouldve been OEM+ instead of another swapped 24v ..but instead I built my badass M52 for a lot more money and now have the BAR to deal with.

I would do a compression test and a leakdown test to see how the bottom end is before deciding which way to go with the motor...just my

[CharleyGFX]

hella random.. I was just on your instagram randomly.. then I come here to check the daily stuff. BOOM lol


I'd love to see your car in person again, I saw you in at Cars&Coffee; but was too busy working the event to come check it out close up. also didn't have the e30 yet =\

[rzerob]

I'd rather not sink more money into the car, however there is a crashed 96' m3 parts car for sale for CHEAP on the local BMW Facebook page. Included is a ZF 5 speed, and s52; Supposedly with only 130k miles. I'm in contact with the seller. And am hoping to get over there and test the compression on the motor. Rather than spending $500 bucks on the parts and machine work to regasket the m20, by adding some money I could perform the swap in the garage. Then junk the m3 shell.

He seems very inclined to sell with such a low price and life circumstances, however it's hard to simply trust his statement that it runs great. The numbers will tell all in this case!

I would seriously recommend not doing this swap right now. 24v swaps are awesome. But they cost a lot more than people think they do, to do them right. They will nickel and dime you. It is something you should consider more after you are done with school. If you do go the 24v route I think you will not be driving your car much for a while. Good luck with your decision.

[Toodaloo]

This was one of the first build treads I looked at when I first joined the forums. Seeing some of the work you did inspired me to work on my car. Definitely keep it. You know your m20 runs great so I'd say get a new gasket, resurface the head and keep it. Cheaper to fix than doing the swap and you know for sure it'll run well and don't have to worry about fixing problems with the swap while you're at school.

Thanks for addressing some important points. The motor has been crazy reliable for me and that's why my number one option is to simply fix it. I don't want to be forced into having to work during a tough semester just to have enough money to finish the car. Racecars are important, school is important-er. Haha.
The added downtime doesn't make me feel any better either.

that sounds like a meant to be type situation with the wrecked m3 and i definitely second it would be worth throwing 500 at the swap then fixing the m20(even though m20s are awesome!!) lets hope the number are great!! good luck with it ill be tuned in for updates

Well, the owner wants $1000 for the whole car. It's a steal, but I've heard mixed opinions of the guy and he seems pretty shady with the sale (Not including a compression/ leakdown test, only including two photos, and then having some stories that simply don't match up). In order for me to even consider the swap, I would have to go run my own tests on the donor motor to make sure it's solid. Since its a complete driveline, tons of parts can be reused. But knowing me I'll want to refresh everything while I'm in there + the cost of swap parts will make it not only time consuming, but wallet consuming.

That sucks to hear about the milkshake. I was in your shoes right before I did a 24v build in 2012.

My M20 had a very recent rebuild with all the bells and whistles but a VR headgasket so I blamed that. Took the head off, dropped it off at a machine shop to make sure it was flat then after it was verifed to be "flatter than his first GFs chest" we reinstalled it with a Goetze headgasket. Sadly, the milkshake never went away. Rather than be "economical" and buying a Myster-E head, as they were known then (aka Bimmerheads) I spent a LOT more and built a 24v. Do I regret it? Not really, but the smarter money wouldve been to get a properly built head, and get my car back on the road and then build a badass hi comp M20 to drop under it later on. Then it wouldve been OEM+ instead of another swapped 24v ..but instead I built my badass M52 for a lot more money and now have the BAR to deal with.

I would do a compression test and a leakdown test to see how the bottom end is before deciding which way to go with the motor...just my

Thanks for the input! The 24v is definitely not my favorite idea after considering downtime and costs. Even last semester I barely had enough time between my own projects and school to work on the car other than routine maintenance. That certainly won't be any better this upcoming semester.

I will definitely run a compression test tomorrow after work to confirm the motor is still in a solid condition. Afterwards I'll probably order all the parts! I have contacts to two different shops that do excellent machining work in the 200-300 dollar range.

hella random.. I was just on your instagram randomly.. then I come here to check the daily stuff. BOOM lol





I'd love to see your car in person again, I saw you in at Cars&Coffee; but was too busy working the event to come check it out close up. also didn't have the e30 yet =\

Hey man, how're you doing!? I'm not sure if I remember you. There are way too many faces at cars and coffee! Once the car is up and running, I'll start coming out to the monthly events and we can talk cars! What's your Instagram name!? I'll give you a follow so we can link up in the future!

I would seriously recommend not doing this swap right now. 24v swaps are awesome. But they cost a lot more than people think they do, to do them right. They will nickel and dime you. It is something you should consider more after you are done with school. If you do go the 24v route I think you will not be driving your car much for a while. Good luck with your decision.

Thanks, I totally agree! As a basic rule I like to save (and not touch) half of whatever I make from work/selling parts/etc. Simply after counting up the swap parts and gaskets alone while working say two days a week during the semester, would take me quite a while just to afford it. The fact I won't have much time either stretches the project even longer. Potentially leaving me without the car for 3-4 months. Not to mention the distraction from my studies and lack of social life during the period... Haha!

M20 refresh will be the way to go!

Thanks for the input guys! I think I've made my decision.

I'll go ahead and refresh the m20 and add arp studs with a headgasket that has been proven to hold boost.

I'm not saying I'm boosting it, but if one day I decide to; I will be ready for it!

While I'm at it, I'll clean out the engine bay and possibly bedline it. Maybe even a semi-shaved bay!

I dislike spending money without seeing benefits in the first hand. Simply regasketing the motor will only make it just as good as it was a month ago. So if I'm able to clean up the engine bay while I'm at it, and add the potential for more power I feel like it's more than worth it to me!

Expect more updates soon!

Again, I apologize for not posting much lately. I feel like now I'll have a little more drive single I'm getting progress done on the interior and wheels, and I'll or posting updates more frequently.

Thanks for the support everyone! If anyone needs some decal/design work shoot me a PM!

[jpod999]

Redoing the M20 is definitely the fastest way to go, easiest too. I have come to almost expect a 24v engine to be in E30s owned by an enthusiast these days, having the M20 almost makes your car stand out amongst the crowd lol.

Save up for a 32v swap, should be pretty easy by the time you are ready to do something with the car.

Also, why would anyone get an E46 M3 when the E39 M5 can be had for the same price?

[BlackbirdM3]

I think keeping the M20 is a good choice. Its a solid engine, and it belongs under the hood. With doing a swap, there are always unexpected costs, and the engine should be rebuilt before installing anyway (because who knows how close it is to blowing a head gasket or something else. Great, it ran fine before the car was totalled. Big deal, yours did as well before the head gasket failed.) Rebuilding the M20 makes the most sense. You know what was done, and you will have the reassurance that all the tolerances are within spec. With the thing apart it also gives you the opportunity to make some internal upgrades should you wish to. Heck get the rotating assembly balanced at the very least, the crank and block magnafluxed and the cylinders honed. You might be able to reuse the pistons (check the clearances and go from there.) It could be as simple as new gaskets, bottom end bearings and a head gasket. Get the block hot tanked so there is no crap anywhere in it.

I'd love to lend a hand with the build, I even have an engine stand I can loan you, and an engine lift. Yes, it does suck that the HG blew, but at the same time it does give you a reason to make the engine and engine bay look great. Once its rebuilt you will also know that the odds are pretty high that you won't have to worry about it doing anything evil in the future.

Will