how helpful is the pnw?

[MikeM]

So I am thinking of getting a new car in about a month or two but I haven't decided on which car. Options include going newer with something like an e36 m3, is300, wrx, gti 337 or something of that nature (in that order), or just getting another nice e30 (except not a convertible).

My question is, would buying an e30 with intentions of swapping the engine be manageable if I don't have my own tools to do the conversion? I'm in college and driving an s52 e30 sounds awesome but I am interested to see what sort of assistance is available. I am under the impression that I could build a pretty cool e30 for about the same or less than I would spend on an e36 m3, is300, or wrx. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks

[PNWDan]

I think just swapping an m50/m52 into an e30 would give you the best for the price. If I were to do a s50/s52 swap, I would be going through the entire motor. That would raise the price considerably. There are e36 m3s decently priced out there. If you don't have tools or a place to work on cars, I wouldn't be considering swapping anything and or plan on having a swapped car for a daily driver.

[Den_k321]

wrx and s52/50 clean e30 is awesome! == e36 m3's are made so we can take engines out to put into e30. =] ahhah

[Slidewayzz]

My question is, would buying an e30 with intentions of swapping the engine be manageable if I don't have my own tools to do the conversion? I'm in college and driving an s52 e30 sounds awesome but I am interested to see what sort of assistance is available. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks

secret 5toes post?

[bmwm42]

pnw is dam helpfull and even if you dont have the tools the place there are plenty of people who are always down to lend a hand and turn a wrench

[e30austin]

pnw is dam helpfull and even if you dont have the tools the place there are plenty of people who are always down to lend a hand and turn a wrench

Word.

[thebutterson]

I've done an s52 swap into my 318ti which is halfway between an e30 and e36. My swap was a nightmare, and by the time I realized it, I had already bought too many parts and felt it was too late.

The engine I bought ended up having a cracked head and rusty cylinder walls and needed a rebuild. This tacked on quite a bit of money to the swap that I wasn't planning on as well as pushing the length of the project out quite a bit.

If an s52 powered e30 is your dream and you couldn't see yourself in anything other than an e30 for a long time, go for it. Otherwise, once you buy a good e30, a decent motor, all the necessary swap parts, the "while you're in there's", and the "gotta beef this up for the s52" parts you're in the range of buying an e36 m3 given what they go for these days. After you do all that, you have a car that won't be able to keep up on the track, so really consider what the criteria for a good car is for you, and use that to decide.

However, there are quite a few people who score killer deals, and are really skilled at doing this kind of thing that make it a really economical choice for them. If you've never done it, and don't have connections, you probably don't fall into this category.

[LuckyHenriksen]

I can complete your entire E30 build for you. Suspension, interior, drivetrain swap, etc. it is my favorite kind of project :)

[MikeM]

haha I've seen all the shit 5toes gets and I am not on that level. I redid all the suspension on my current car with the help of a r3v member and that was pretty cool. Then just the other day I swapped out the vert top with Austin. So I know how the network is, I was just wondering about engine swaps and if that was even a possibility.

I can complete your entire E30 build for you. Suspension, interior, drivetrain swap, etc. it is my favorite kind of project :)

Lucky, I'm not sure how you and I haven't crossed paths yet...

[LuckyHenriksen]

You are welcome to stop by the shop sometime :)

[bmwm42]

The network is as big as you make it, you help others others help you we all specialize in different things some in all and there are plenty of us out there.

[DuxNW]

Honestly, with the amount of documentation available on the 24v swap, if you have all the parts, it should be done in a weekend. I put an m52 in my car with 2 others, over a weekend, stripped the car friday, was driving it again sunday. And that was 5 years ago, when Plug n Play harnesses weren't really available.

[5Toes]

If you want to learn how to pull an engine, come out to Bremerton MOnday or Tuesday, and we will get it done!

[stamar]

It almost certainly is a better buy to get an e36 m3. particularly from the resale market.

if you were to swap in a s52, unless someone is doing it for free, you are spending a premium to make a frankenstein...

[LuckyHenriksen]

But a Frankenstein is so much more fun ;)