NOR-CAL General Chat.

[2mAn]

I was and always will be a big fan of the M20, but M50s are great and can be made street legal.

[oliver.r]

kalim has 2 s54 BAR cars

[oliver.r]

theyre not e30s but that is is besides the point

[phreshkid]

I still advocate for s54 swap. It has been done, it can be done, clutch/flywheel is optimized for the 6-speed from factory, and it's plenty for an e30, as wh33lhop so graciously pointed out.

S54 is better in nearly every way than the s52, and loads better than the s38. And if smog is your greatest concern, there are at least three loopholes that will get you around the issue of bi-annual smog in Ca. This is coming from a guy who BAR'd his car.


IDK, man. I would rather see you pushing an s54 than an s38.

S38 powered e30s have gnarly front-end push. There is an orange, donk-looking mtech2 cab down here with an s38b38 powerplant that drives like butthole. So heavy.

[phreshkid]

kalim has 2 s54 BAR cars

theyre not e30s but that is is besides the point

Didn't Kalim have the m20 swapped Polaris 02? Sold it for the s54 powered e28 m5? If so, I spoke with him last week.

[Cabriolet]

S54 is better in nearly every way than the s52, and loads better than the s38. And if smog is your greatest concern, there are at least three loopholes that will get you around the issue of bi-annual smog in Ca. This is coming from a guy who BAR'd his car.

If you think it can be done legally i will defiantly consider it.
Kailim put s54s in to m54 cars, so the swap it much more straight forward than putting one into an e30.

[kronus]

Didn't Kalim have the m20 swapped Polaris 02? Sold it for the s54 powered e28 m5? If so, I spoke with him last week.

nope totally different guy

I still advocate for s54 swap. It has been done, it can be done, clutch/flywheel is optimized for the 6-speed from factory, and it's plenty for an e30, as wh33lhop so graciously pointed out.

S54 is better in nearly every way than the s52, and loads better than the s38. And if smog is your greatest concern, there are at least three loopholes that will get you around the issue of bi-annual smog in Ca. This is coming from a guy who BAR'd his car.


IDK, man. I would rather see you pushing an s54 than an s38.

S38 powered e30s have gnarly front-end push. There is an orange, donk-looking mtech2 cab down here with an s38b38 powerplant that drives like butthole. So heavy.

donk-looking orange convertibles aren't likely to drive well no matter what engine is in them.

S38 weight: 330lb, S54 weight: 326lb

what do you hate about the S38 so much? I don't disagree that it's a large, expensive engine that's difficult to fit into an e30, but no need to slander it.

[mtech325]

S54 is better in nearly every way than the s52, and loads better than the s38. And if smog is your greatest concern, there are at least three loopholes that will get you around the issue of bi-annual smog in Ca. This is coming from a guy who BAR'd his car.

This is interesting. The only 3 ways I can think of are a 1. handshake smog, 2. register car in a county that doesn't require smog (but you need an address/PO box of sorts), 3. Historic plates for a car 25 or older (not sure about limited mileage though). Otherwise I want to put an s54 in my e36 ASAP!

[phreshkid]

nope totally different guy



donk-looking orange convertibles aren't likely to drive well no matter what engine is in them.

S38 weight: 330lb, S54 weight: 326lb

what do you hate about the S38 so much? I don't disagree that it's a large, expensive engine that's difficult to fit into an e30, but no need to slander it.

Forgive me as I had no intention of slandering the s38 engine, but I don't think it's the "ideal" engine for an e30, considering what a rebuild costs these days.

If the car I purchased had a s38 from the factory, I'd keep it as was intended for the car. I've always liked the engine, but in terms of swapping out the m20 in favor or another m-engine with ITBs, there are (in my opinion) better options.

But then again, everything is relative and this conversation is purely opinion-based and not very factual from my end. For example, I like the m42 engine over the m20 engine. Never cared for the m20 and probably never will.

This is interesting. The only 3 ways I can think of are a 1. handshake smog, 2. register car in a county that doesn't require smog (but you need an address/PO box of sorts), 3. Historic plates for a car 25 or older (not sure about limited mileage though). Otherwise I want to put an s54 in my e36 ASAP!

Correct.

[kronus]

S38 rebuild costs are often exaggerated because the people that typically own S38s are way more likely to drop their car off at a world-class facility with a blank check.

As a reference point, I'm doing the majority of the non-machinework labor, and the parts+machine work for completely going through the head, replacing all the valve guides, an exhaust valve, doing a valve job, replacing a valve seat, replacing all the timing components (tensioner, sprocket, rails, chain, guides), regasketing the front covers and top end, and replacing the cooling system (expansion tank, hoses, WP, t-stat) is going to run me about $2200.

[phreshkid]

S38 rebuild costs are often exaggerated because the people that typically own S38s are way more likely to drop their car off at a world-class facility with a blank check.

As a reference point, I'm doing the majority of the non-machinework labor, and the parts+machine work for completely going through the head, replacing all the valve guides, an exhaust valve, doing a valve job, replacing a valve seat, replacing all the timing components (tensioner, sprocket, rails, chain, guides), regasketing the front covers and top end, and replacing the cooling system (expansion tank, hoses, WP, t-stat) is going to run me about $2200.

Time to start researching porsche engines. Those sound a little more expensive than an s38.

[oliver.r]

Time to start researching porsche engines. Those sound a little more expensive than an s38.

po of my 911 spent 22k on engine and trans build

[oliver.r]

Kailim put s54s in to m54 cars, so the swap it much more straight forward than putting one into an e30.

thats not the point.
you mentioned that a s54 swap cant be BARd. he is proof that it can be. it doesnt matter what kind of car it went into

[Uber E30]

It kind of does matter considering you need to have the original emissions equipment. I could be wrong about this but every e30 s54 I have seen doesn't have the cats due to what looks like a space restriction.

[Cabriolet]

thats not the point.
you mentioned that a s54 swap cant be BARd. he is proof that it can be. it doesnt matter what kind of car it went into

my point still stands. i have yet to see and single e30 with a BARd s54. im not gonna be the first, im not that brave.