Long Time Dream Fulfillment: E30 Street and Track Car Combo

[kronus]

you are making me miss track days. glad the car's ok!

[CubbyChowder]

Well... I have a bit of an interesting curveball. I bought an E36 today!

I've been having a recurring feeling over the past couple months that I'm ready to pursue something more track dedicated. This E30 project has been extremely fulfilling and rewarding and honestly exceeded my expectations tenfold. But as I push the car harder and harder, I'm finding myself growing more and more nervous of wrecking it, and I just enjoy daily driving it so much that I'm not really willing to sacrifice any more streetability in order to gain performance on track. If anything I'm wanting to go the opposite direction and make it even more street friendly.

I think I've just reached a point where I'm craving a track focused build (which I always suspected might be the natural progression of all of this). So I've been casually perusing CL, FB Marketplace, FB groups, Offerup, you name it - like I always do. It's just something I do regardless, it's a daily habit. This E36 got posted on FB Marketplace once like 4-5 months ago and I've clicked on it a few times and thought it was a cool example, it was just never really on my radar seriously. He originally had it listed at $9k and the other day it pops up now at $7k. Having just sold off another car of mine ('85 E24 635CSi) I had a little bit of extra money to work with so I revisited this listing more seriously. Got in touch with the owner (who ended up being super cool and was also out at Buttonwillow last Friday coincidentally) and went to see the car today, after about 20-30 minutes of chatting I grew increasingly interested in the car and threw him an offer of $6k and he accepted!

So here's the scoop on the car, info pulled from his ad:

1992 BMW 325is with an S50B30 swap from a 1995 M3
Alcon front brakes
E46 vented rear disks - DTC 60 pads, front brake ducts/backing plates
TC Kline (Koni) adjustable coil overs with camber/caster plates and rear extra adjustable camber links
Solid subframe mounts/welded subframe reinforcement
solid suspension mounts all around
UUC flywheel Short shifter
Power steering stops (to protect the ducts)
Aluminum radiator
Welded oil nut
Head gasket and valve stem seals replaced about 10k miles ago
Diff cooling cover
New wheel bearings front and rear
K1 wheels with Hankook V12 (255/40/R17)

Notable spares: Supercharger kit, 24v Headers, extra 5-speed Getrag and E36 Diff

The car came with a TON of extra good parts, many of which I will be selling off to recoup some funds.

I feel like I scored big time, I'm really excited about it. I drove it a bit and it feels solid. Looking forward to digging into this one deeper and learning more about it and coming up with a good gameplan for getting it track ready. Just a couple crappy iPhone pics for now:




So yeah, I'm hyped. Definitely keeping the E30, still plan on swapping that S50 I bought a few months back into it soon and continue to daily drive it. It'll probably be a while before I get the E36 out to the track as I am mega poor shop boy now, but we'll get there in time.

What do you guys think? Should I update progress on the E36 in this thread as well? Or just keep it E30 related.

[moatilliatta]

Good deal with a lot of potential!

There has to be an E30 to non E30 ratio content that doesn’t get exceeded on the the forum. I don’t think we’re there, and regardless who’s gunna complain? Non E30 content > Most popular thread that is trending politics..

E36 Track dedicated car to preserve the E30!

Better yet no airbags or silly stance!

Don’t forget S50’s have faulty valve spring retainers that need upgraded. Don’t want to drop a valve!

Looking forward to more updates.

[Panici]

Well... I have a bit of an interesting curveball. I bought an E36 today!

1992 BMW 325is with an S50B30 swap from a 1995 M3
Alcon front brakes
E46 vented rear disks - DTC 60 pads, front brake ducts/backing plates
TC Kline (Koni) adjustable coil overs with camber/caster plates and rear extra adjustable camber links
Solid subframe mounts/welded subframe reinforcement
solid suspension mounts all around
UUC flywheel


What do you guys think? Should I update progress on the E36 in this thread as well? Or just keep it E30 related.

Already sounds like a spicy start to your adventures! I'd bet the early E36 weighs less then the later models as well.

As an aside, I believe 1992 E36 is wired much like an E30 and very different to the later E36 cars.

My vote is keep this thread E30 related, and start a new one for the E36!

[moatilliatta]

92's were interesting, Almost like series 1 E30's. The front sway bars were even different on them, I think they had strut mounted links.

[CubbyChowder]

Thanks guys! Yeah, I've been wondering if there are any big differences between my '92 and later model E36 cars, something I need to research. I know next to nothing about E36's so I'm excited to learn this new chassis.

[Joeyz31]

This is one of the few threads I pop in here to check out from time to time to see what’s new. Your build is one that I have always loved and you and I started tracking our e30s around the same time and appreciate how frequently you update the thread!
Was stoked to see you got an e36 and look forward to updates there and how it is vs the e30.
seems like you got a great deal and an awesome car to start with.


I had been wanting an e36 for a while at this point and found a deal on a 95 m3 track car over the summer (but no track days yet) so it will definitely be cool to follow along and see how you like it.

[CubbyChowder]

This is one of the few threads I pop in here to check out from time to time to see what’s new. Your build is one that I have always loved and you and I started tracking our e30s around the same time and appreciate how frequently you update the thread!
Was stoked to see you got an e36 and look forward to updates there and how it is vs the e30.
seems like you got a great deal and an awesome car to start with.


I had been wanting an e36 for a while at this point and found a deal on a 95 m3 track car over the summer (but no track days yet) so it will definitely be cool to follow along and see how you like it.

Damn that's awesome! Our paths are very similar. Thanks for the kind words and I'll definitely keep updating this thread frequently as I continue this journey. Congrats on scoring the M3! Curious to hear how you like it compared to your E30 as well.

[CubbyChowder]

Just wanted to check in and update the thread to keep it alive. Not much has changed lately, just been enjoying daily driving this thing. It's been my daily for almost 2 years now, have put about 14,000 miles on it in that time. It's looking extra dirty right now from all the storms we've been getting in CA. I also never wash it, because shitbox:



Realized I never posted a pic of my tan interior swap, here's a crappy one for now. After cleaning and conditioning everything, it all turned up super nice. The rear seat looks brand new, I have it covered with a blanket right now:



I've been collecting parts and gearing up for V3 of this build which I'm really looking forward to diving into. I ordered a bunch of seals and gaskets for the S50 that I bought last June. Got a ZF 5-speed that I'll be swapping in with it, going to do the detents on it first. Gave it a good pressure wash:



Now it's random story time, I'm playing musical chairs but with transmissions. Let me explain, so the reason I got that ZF was because a solid 1997 328i E36 5-speed sedan fell in my lap for $300 recently:




It was about to be towed off to the junkyard later that day and I was able to swoop in at the last second and save it. It overheated pretty badly a couple years ago and has been sitting since 2019. So, I opted to try and find a good known running M52 and just swap it in rather than dig into the current engine. I managed to find one with a ZF still attached, and came home with a ton of extra parts/wheels too. I had to drive 5 hours each way but I got a REALLY good deal on all of this, I was so stoked:




So I've been busy working on that sedan. Got the new M52 mildly torn down for all new seals/gaskets and going to replace the entire cooling system as well. Going to get it running, driving, smogged and registered to sell it and hope I can make some money.

Got the engine pulled out and did some pressure washing, it worked wonders:





Anyways, so I had a master plan with all of this too. This might get a little confusing but it makes sense. Since the blue sedan came with a complete ZF 5-speed setup, and the new M52 I bought came with a ZF as well, I now have 2 ZF's in my possession and I want to keep them both. So I decided to pull the Getrag 250 setup out of my white S50 swapped E36 track car (that I posted recently in this thread). It's a solid unit with no issue, gave it a nice pressure wash:



I'm going to slap that Getrag 250 onto the M52 and put that back in the blue E36 sedan, that way both my white E36 and my E30 can be S50/ZF swapped cars. So that will be sweet. It's a bit of extra work in the end but totally worth it to me.

So that's all for now. Really hoping I can get the S50 swap rolling on my E30 within the next month or two. I still have the 2.93 LSD that came in the car when I bought it so that will pair nicely with the S50/ZF combo. Going to make for such an enjoyable daily driver.

Thanks for reading!

[CubbyChowder]

It's been over a year since my last update! I haven't really driven the E30 in the past 6 months, it's just been parked in my shop since the registration expired. I bought a little 6MT 2016 Honda Fit as a daily because I moved a few towns over and am doing carpentry full time with a good buddy of mine now, so I'm just driving a lot more and need to keep a lot of tools in my car.

But, I have been stacking some parts and getting prepared for my S50 swap that I bought 2 years ago now (time flies). I will have about 6 weeks off of work between June and July since my friend is going traveling, so I'm taking that time to do my own thing in my shop and knock out some projects. Top of my list is to knock out this S50 swap! No pics of this, but I started stripping it down to replace a bunch of seals/gaskets etc and rebuilt the Vanos unit. It's almost ready and should be very straight forward since I'm already M50 swapped.

Today I pulled out my ZF 5-speed that I scored at a junkyard a while back. VIN sticker says it's from a 1998 M3 Sedan. Gave it a pressure wash and it cleaned up nicely:






Then I brought it in to do a detent service on it:



Old detents out:



New detents in:




Should feel crispy now! Also replaced the shifter shaft seal while I was there.

Laid out the parts that I've been collecting. Going with an eBay lightweight single mass flywheel, E36 M3 Sachs pressure plate, E34 M5 Sachs clutch disc, Sachs throwout bearing and pilot bearing. Got a brand new driveshaft with serviceable U-joints, new clutch slave cylinder, new Z3 1.9 shift lever and other little odds and ends that should be replaced while I'm in there. I just want it to feel fresh and mostly stock:



Also recently fitted my cow catcher valance that I bought a couple years ago and had to make several repairs to. Got it all body worked, in primer and fitted up to the car. Also built some custom front bumper tuck brackets and refinished the rubber shrouds. Fashioned up a simple plate filler panel too:





So yeah, hopefully I can get the swap all sorted out this June/July and then the plan is to finally get it registered in CA (It was registered at a friend's house in Oregon all this time). So I hope to get it through CA BAR and make it legit. Once that's all done, the car will get prepped for paint and will at last be one color again!

[CubbyChowder]

Engine swap #3 has officially begun!



Solid Saturday progress, had a great day hanging out in my shop enjoying nice weather and good tunes while pulling shit apart. Got almost everything out. Still need to pull the diff:




Ready for a new heart:

[CubbyChowder]

Made a bit more progress today. Pulled the S3.73 diff out of the car this morning as I'll be running the original S2.93 LSD that came with the car when I bought it. Really glad I held on to it these past few years, I almost put it up for sale a couple times. I spent over an hour cleaning the S2.93, it had some serious goop all over it that would not budge from the pressure washer. Had to scrape at it with plastic scrapers and a wire brush, it was super tedious and it's not perfect but WAY better. It'll get a new cover gasket and fresh Redline 75w-90 tomorrow:



Then I moved on to more S50 prep. Got a new PTFE rear main seal installed and then swapped over the E34 oil pickup and oil pan from the M50. Secured the oil pump nut while I was at it too. I had aspirations to give the oil pan a good pressure wash and get some new bolts but thought about the amount of work I still need to do and had a moment of "eh, fuck it" and carried on:



Got a random assortment of parts in. FINALLY after all these years of ordering through FCPeuro I am utilizing the lifetime replacement service. Every boot on the Lemforder control arms I put on 3 years ago are already completely split open, which is lame, so I'm swapping them out for new ones. Doing the outer tie rods and motor mounts too which wasn't 100% necessary, but now's the best time to do it and it'll all be fresh again and then I'll redo it all again in 3 years probably. Got some LiquiMoly 10w-40, some Redline 75w-90 for the diff, Condor Treehouse CAB's so I can try to stuff the E36 midpipe in there to pass BAR, NGK 6962 spark plugs, OEM shift fork, CSB and a Graf water pump. Just some of the last little odds and ends:

[AWDBOB]

I always appreciate a Chubby build thread- I had a similar experience with Lemforder LCA boots ripping.

It appears most of the parts made for these cars now are only meant to be bolted up and driven 150 miles then sold.

[CubbyChowder]

I always appreciate a Chubby build thread- I had a similar experience with Lemforder LCA boots ripping.

It appears most of the parts made for these cars now are only meant to be bolted up and driven 150 miles then sold.

Precisely. This is my first time actually keeping a car for longer than a year and driving it regularly, so I'm feeling that statement. Quality just sucks now, man, in basically everything. But, that's a rant for another time, we're all feeling it.

With that said, I'm on a roll and making good daily progress at the moment. I love getting into these grooves of motivation and focus towards the E30. Should have another update in the next day or two!

[CubbyChowder]

More progress! Been steadily knocking out a few tasks every day.

Starting with the diff - drained all of the cold brew concentrate out of the S2.93:




Got the rear cover sealed up and filled it with fresh Redline 75w-90, then swapped over the diff studs from the S3.73 and tossed it in:



Then it was time to install the exhaust manifolds. I couldn't bare to put them on all rusty and discolored, so I decided to take some time to prep them and slap some header paint on them, knowing full well that they'll likely just burn through it and get rusty again within a couple months. But oh well, at least it'll look good for a little bit and on the plus side, it only cost me 24 cents to mask them off:





Got them installed, I think they look nice. But now I hate myself for not fully cleaning/painting the block:



Got the new E30 offset CSB installed on the driveshaft. I made sure to order the correct early model one this time!



Pulled the "old" Lemforder control arms off the subframe to swap them out. Pretty sad that it wasn't even 2 years before they looked like this.:



While I was at it I pressed the Condor treehouse CAB's onto the new control arms and bolted them up to the subframe. Curious to see how those feel, I'm not really excited to run UMHW but need the clearance. I think it'll feel OK. I'm also debating ditching this IE front sway bar in favor of a convertible bar with stock bushings and end links (any thoughts or input on that would be appreciated) because I can hear play in the IE rod ends. Or, if I can just run stock style endlinks on the IE bar, that would be sweet too:



Then it was clutch and transmission time! Started with the eBay special single mass lightweight flywheel and F*G pilot bearing:



Clutch kit installed. I made sure to flip the M5 clutch disc the other way with the spring pack facing the flywheel:



Installed new OEM pivot pin with spring, shift fork and Sachs throwout bearing:



Transmission bolted up super smooth! It popped right in. Excited to see it at this point, it's almost ready to go in the car. Check out that elegant bespoke engine cart, one of my finer pieces:




One last holdup - I ended up having to order a new E30 transmission crossmember, totally thought I had like 3 of them laying around, turns out I have zero. That'll show up tomorrow and then I should be ready to starting piecing it all back together. Really looking forward to driving this thing again in it's third (and best) iteration.