My first project car "Ellie"

[Slybeanx]

Pretty much any motor swap at this point needs to be rebuilt first. Whats your goal for the swap?

I liked the red top, black also works

Only goals for the swap are a small boost in power, 50hp I think would be plenty with room for growth.

I prefer reliability vs massive power. while I like to wrench, I don't want to constantly wrench. Is there a forum go to for rebuilt engines? The two machinists I went to for my M30 had never worked on a BMW before.

I'm thinking a naturally aspirated swap would be the best route for reliability. That or maybe 6-8PSI on a turbo setup, but that adds complexity with more parts to fail.


I liked the red too, but everyone kept calling it a Pokéball lol. I think ill either stick with black or swap to white to match.
The 90 hp really makes me miss my M20 lol. Very different feeling 90s "sports" cars.

[2mAn]

M5X still the go to swap? Forums seem dead af.

Pretty much any motor swap at this point needs to be rebuilt first. Whats your goal for the swap?

I liked the red top, black also works

[Slybeanx]

Last year of law school so busy busy. No E30 updates butttttt...... I bought an NA miata as a daily/fun car for the city.

Decided to try rattle canning and see how bad it really would come out. Was obviously not perfect before, but for $1500 an NA with a hardtop is hard to beat!

Currently got new wheels, all new interior otw and plenty of mods and maintenance. Figure its about time I really learned stick so i've been driving only the miata for 3 months. I've gotten a lot better at it.

The E30 will be getting some love soon once I get a full time job and a place I decide to stay at for longer than a year. Still considering an Engine swap (for the 3rd time), or turbo M20.

M5X still the go to swap? Forums seem dead af.

Video of me walking around after rattle canning it back to one color. https://imgur.com/a/XOOkVLi

[Slybeanx]

E30 is currently on Jack’s while I wait for AC parts

[Slybeanx]

Sold the M30 (and my truck), and with my spare cash I went and bought a DD.

[Slybeanx]

My C10/LS swap has been getting most of my love and money.

I got some nice photos of her yesterday tho.

need to fix the camber on my right front tire that the alignment shop just ignored (camber plate was left untouched). Need to fix my AFM gauge (dead) and then paint the trunk and she’s done for a bit!

[Slybeanx]

M30 has finally be figured out and put together. All new gaskets, clutch, the works. I’ve listed it locally because I’d rather do an LS swap on my C10 with the funds but if come summer it hasn’t sold it’s going in the E30. Trying to figure out the wiring and where some of the parts go.

Harness is just a real rats nest from the previous owner. Plan on running MS, 36 pound injectors, and using my 325i harness instead. If I’m running B34 coolant pipe in the real what cooling hoses should I purchase? I doubt a kit will work.

need to find hardware for everything, stuffs been moved around too much and can’t find my driver side motor arm bolts, AC bracket bolts, transmission bolts etc etc. needs a parts car at this point lol.

i plan on cutting my trucks frame and making it a shortbed. I’d like to sell the longbed and make it a flatbed with side rails and a big box to hold shit. Thinking wood or aluminum to keep the weight down.

If anyone local to MD is good with a welder I’d love some help, I don’t trust myself to weld a frame so it’s either local trusted friend or a professional lol. Too bad I don’t live back in Washington anymore, two of my HS friends have become professional welders and do fabrications for automotive stuff on the side

[Slybeanx]

Cluster got an update. All new lights, trim rings, paint etc. odo gears are good so trying to figure out what else I’d want while I’m in here.

SI board done by bav rest

[lukeADE335i]

With the mounts, you can use the M20 rubber engine mounts & e21 transmission mounts with alloy enforcer cups to restrict fore / aft movement. I ran rubber engine mounts & poly transmission mounts for a while, and the poly trans mounts were too noisy for me. The rubber mounts seems sag under the weight of the M30 after a while, so you just need to replace them from time to time. I've replaced mine once so far in 8 years of driving mine.

[Slybeanx]

Slowly piecing together the M30, took the oil pan off this break. So many small bolts, do I go further or is it okay to normally send the bottom end? Oil had no flakes in it.
E30 has way to much NVH do I think the poly mounts need to go, unless someone has a better recommendation than garagistic 80a, so much NVH at 2k RPM and I have a bunch of sound proofing on this bad boi. Got my new stock clutch

truck has been getting a lot of attention as well and is now up for sale. It won’t fit in Chicago parking spots so I’m looking to get a GTI or 1er

[Slybeanx]

I really love fall, probably my favorite season. Only big news to add so far is I’m getting a puppy this thanksgiving.

Truck and E30 have been slumbering as I’m working now at a firm. Hopefully I’ll be able to get one out here to Chicago and then the builds will be able to pick up. Parking however is atrocious downtown.

[Slybeanx]

Hood is finally painted and new emblems put on. They are brass and hopefully will last longer then my last set (about 3 months in the sun to fade into oblivion)

[Slybeanx]

So after a long rebuild I’ve finally got my M30 back together for the most part. I’ve misplaced a decent amount of hardware due to time and reorganizing my garage. I really owe it to guys in the M30 FI FB group as they helped a ton with figuring out stuff.

I painted my hood since I was already finishing up the truck and decided it was probably time. It still needs the doors and quarter panels painted but it’ll be alright for now.

my mom got a new MB SUV and look at the size difference! Always throws me off swapping from the E30 to her car, but it’s so nice to have AC in the MD heat. Next job is putting the M30 in and adding AC!

[Slybeanx]

The E30 has been getting ignored besides the occasional drive as i've been trying to do a complete restoration of my C10. It's also so low now that It has become a hassle to jack the car up. The M30 head has come back from the shop and is now nice and clean, head was decked .004, new rocker, valve and seals on all the valves. Cost me about 600$. Looking to either sell the M30 or M20 at some point, if anyone local to MD wants to come check them out they are both currently in my parents garage.

Currently looking into a better way to get my E30 up, does a quick jack come in handy vs ramps?

Heres a link to some of my C10 rebuild. First time painting a whole car and I learned a ton. https://imgur.com/a/5moPibR?s=sms

[Slybeanx]

Also the paint on my fender came out well. The clear coat was the hardest part. I have orange peel in it and I need to sand it out. Also picked up more paint for the hood and trunk.

ive started my E30 parts collection in the rents garage...

and my M30 with a broken rocker going to the machine shop to get the valves done, decked and then fixed.