E30 M3 Steel Bodywork Conversion

[bmwmech1]

Here's something you don't see everyday... an M60 V8 in an E30 M3... I know, it's not a real M3, but at least the hardcore M3 lovers won't cringe at the thought of a V8 swapped into a legit M3, Lol...









Here's a shot of the firewall to engine clearance...



And a shot of the relative height of the bottom of the oil pan vs. the bottom of the front subframe...



Left side motor mount from below...



Right side motor mount from below...



And the exhaust manifolds on their respective sides...



... which is the whole reason I mocked the motor up again. I need the motor in place to fab the exhaust, so I thought I'd take advantage of the photo op... at least there's something to talk about for a few days now...:)

Garey

[LJ851]

nice!

[everlast]

Looks just right for a build of this quality. In any case, if an M3 purist had an issue with a V8 in a shell done up as well as you're doing this, they need a swift smack.

[bmwmech1]

Looks just right for a build of this quality. In any case, if an M3 purist had an issue with a V8 in a shell done up as well as you're doing this, they need a swift smack.

Thanks man... I agree, it does look pretty tidy in there, Lol!

Garey

[bmwmech1]

Couple of pics from before I left the shop today. Got the ride height a little closer to what it will end up being when it's done. Granted, the tires are huge, a 225/50 on a 17"X7" steelie, should be more like a 205/40, but you can see it starting to look like a real car, even though it's a long way off. Just thought everyone would like to see...





Garey

[Jalves619]

I don't know what it is, but I really love the look of e30 m3s without a spoiler.

[bmwmech1]

I don't know what it is, but I really love the look of e30 m3s without a spoiler.

Has to be something to do with the higher, more square rear deck. Maybe it accentuates the squareness of the body itself... dunno

Garey

[dirtysix]

This is one of those threads where I cant think of anything to ad.

Ummm, just keep doing what you're doing?

[bmwmech1]

This is one of those threads where I cant think of anything to ad.

Ummm, just keep doing what you're doing?

Thanks man... I'm trying to not leave anything on the table, as I'm building this thing. Good to know it's not going unnoticed...:grin:

Garey

[bmwmech1]

Not much to show, unless you like sanding dust, Lol! I've gotten the entire exterior block sanded now, with only a few imperfections to tidy up. I did order my primer today, so soon, I'll be getting ready to shoot the final primer before color. Nice to be almost ready for color...

Garey

[Keith M]

Looking forward to seeing it all shiny white.

[vlad]

awesome work :up:
I've never seen 17" BMW steelie

[bmwmech1]

Looking forward to seeing it all shiny white.

Me too! Not too far off now... maybe a couple of weeks

Garey

[bmwmech1]

awesome work :up:
I've never seen 17" BMW steelie

Thanks Vlad,

E36 winter wheels from BMW. They clear the M calipers in the front. ET41, 7.0" wide... pretty fugly, unless you're into the steelie look. I got them because they clear the M3 brake stuff I'm running and they were a cheap roll-around wheel... I think I paid $150 for the set... used... they're not too expensive new and I think they're still available, since they fit the E46 too, IIRC...

Garey

[Farbin Kaiber]

Curt had them on the "got e30?" car for a while.