I was going to upload all the photos and write out text once the car was more done, but I have a terrible memory for times and dates and what order things happened so although it's going to be slow progress due to my work area being an hour away and funds tight I'm going to start the project log now.
This is the transformation of my 84 318i. I was given this car by my father who got tired of working on it. I was working on a shitty Neon project at the time and when the offer was made I jumped on it.
I knew the engine was tired and so a swap was the first thing on my mind, but at the time it ran and that was good enough. I drove it for a year bone stock while I fixed little things along the way and made my plans for what I wanted to do.
I loved driving the thing, it had no power, a coil on each of the rear springs had snapped off and there was rust forming but I loved the feel of the RWD and the raw simpleness of the engine. Then one day it all when wrong. After a failed attempt at a clutch kick on an on/off ramp I broke both of the motor mounts and both trans mounts, shredding the p/s and fan belt and essentially setting the engine on the subframe. I did get it back to my parent's place but it did run super hot after getting off the highway to drop off a passenger. About two weeks later the car starts running super rich to the point where it will barely idle, and won't run under any load. I had another car to drive on the daily so away it went as it felt like a fitting time to move the car to project status.
Old pics when it had a running m10
In the driveway pics it's sitting on H&R OE Sport springs that were shipped to me instead of the H&R Race I wanted for it.
So after gathering parts and researching all fall, winter and spring, stripping a smashed E36 that I bought for $300 I had a start of something.
Here's the recent progress.
First I started unhooking the harness, took the DME out, and unbolted the p/s lines and got that sucker ready to come out.
Really not much to pulling an M10
Started pulling the heat shielding/insulation/black crap away and checking for rust, and I found what I knew was there.
Nothing too serious, will be doing some cutting/welding before the engine goes in.
Also added the M-tech 1 wheel off of my parts car that I got from Pat aka Pac1373 on here.
Now for what's going in! It's just a simple, plain old M50tu from a 94 325is. I already had the E34 pan/pickup and had swapped all that over the night before the engine came out, looked really good in the bottom end despite the crack in the oil pan. The E36 that I got the engine from was in a pretty serious wreck and actually broke the engine free from the mounts. I know it really should be rebuilt but I'm just going to throw it in, hope for the best and if the crack is fucked/head gasket is blown, etc. I'll build it up as a stroker and boost it.
It does look good inside, though.
And now for the really cool part: My 5 lug: E30 M3 front struts/control arms and rear trailing arms. I don't have brakes yet but I'm working on it. Got all that stuff along with a trans, E28 lsd, steering rack and some other misc. parts for $255.
The plan is for GC full coilover kit to be installed in the housings.
I also got the booster removed in preparation for installing the iX booster and made a clutch stop for it, no pics of those though.
That's where I left it off so far, I only get to work on the car a few times a month due to work and living so far away from my parent's place where I keep it, but it feels good to actually be making some progress.
This is the transformation of my 84 318i. I was given this car by my father who got tired of working on it. I was working on a shitty Neon project at the time and when the offer was made I jumped on it.
I knew the engine was tired and so a swap was the first thing on my mind, but at the time it ran and that was good enough. I drove it for a year bone stock while I fixed little things along the way and made my plans for what I wanted to do.
I loved driving the thing, it had no power, a coil on each of the rear springs had snapped off and there was rust forming but I loved the feel of the RWD and the raw simpleness of the engine. Then one day it all when wrong. After a failed attempt at a clutch kick on an on/off ramp I broke both of the motor mounts and both trans mounts, shredding the p/s and fan belt and essentially setting the engine on the subframe. I did get it back to my parent's place but it did run super hot after getting off the highway to drop off a passenger. About two weeks later the car starts running super rich to the point where it will barely idle, and won't run under any load. I had another car to drive on the daily so away it went as it felt like a fitting time to move the car to project status.
Old pics when it had a running m10
In the driveway pics it's sitting on H&R OE Sport springs that were shipped to me instead of the H&R Race I wanted for it.
So after gathering parts and researching all fall, winter and spring, stripping a smashed E36 that I bought for $300 I had a start of something.
Here's the recent progress.
First I started unhooking the harness, took the DME out, and unbolted the p/s lines and got that sucker ready to come out.
Really not much to pulling an M10
Started pulling the heat shielding/insulation/black crap away and checking for rust, and I found what I knew was there.
Nothing too serious, will be doing some cutting/welding before the engine goes in.
Also added the M-tech 1 wheel off of my parts car that I got from Pat aka Pac1373 on here.
Now for what's going in! It's just a simple, plain old M50tu from a 94 325is. I already had the E34 pan/pickup and had swapped all that over the night before the engine came out, looked really good in the bottom end despite the crack in the oil pan. The E36 that I got the engine from was in a pretty serious wreck and actually broke the engine free from the mounts. I know it really should be rebuilt but I'm just going to throw it in, hope for the best and if the crack is fucked/head gasket is blown, etc. I'll build it up as a stroker and boost it.
It does look good inside, though.
And now for the really cool part: My 5 lug: E30 M3 front struts/control arms and rear trailing arms. I don't have brakes yet but I'm working on it. Got all that stuff along with a trans, E28 lsd, steering rack and some other misc. parts for $255.
The plan is for GC full coilover kit to be installed in the housings.
I also got the booster removed in preparation for installing the iX booster and made a clutch stop for it, no pics of those though.
That's where I left it off so far, I only get to work on the car a few times a month due to work and living so far away from my parent's place where I keep it, but it feels good to actually be making some progress.
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