E30 Zone

have a tidy 320 is as above my best option for a better car all round would like opinions on this and how much for engine do i need a gearbox ect

i assume you mean a 325 transplant?

yes as everyone says a 320 is crap so should i change

if your cars in really good condition then it can be best to stick with what you know and change the engine for a few hundred quid. if your cars average then sell it and buy a 325.

mine is clean and has all the se extras as it is an se so an engine how much

'better the devil you know'

keep it.

you can use eveything that i attatched to your engine now, so bassically you need just a bare engine if that make sense.

Ive just done an engine and gearbox replacement on my 325i touring. Came in at just under £300 for engine and box thats not including delivery.
If your car is in really good nick and worth saving then go for it..

The body shell is the most important part of an e30 to get in the best condition as it is expensive to put right PROPERLY if its in poor condition and mechanicals are easy enough and usually cheaper to repair/replace.

If you have a good shell than an engine swap is best unless its something special.

I agree with the above.

I bought an S50 and with all the good intentions in the world though: I'll take my red car off the road and fit it. Then god saw fit to ram it in the side via the medium of the 'stupid b!tch in a picasso' (as I beleive he has done to many others..).

Thank god. I went out and bought another E30 to do the swap into and I'm really glad I did. The bodyshell of the new project car is fantastic and I've sold bits of the car I wont need to help fund it. Since picking at the few scabs on the red car I'd always just washed around; it turns out to be just another scabby E30. There NO WAY I could have got it into the condition of the silver car for the £750 that one owes me.

You should take the time to look at your car, examine all of the horror spots and all those little jobs you've been meaning to get round to and decide then. If you do decide to do a swap, treat yourself to a few of those little jobs at the same time. You'll love the car all the more..

In a 20 year old car, it has to be the bodyshell first and foremost.

That said, although it's SOOOO easy to swap an M20B25 in, seeing as you're going to the trouble I really think you should get an M50B25 from a 525i sport, the getrag gearbox from an early E36 325i and swap that in. All you'd really need is an electric fan, a golf servo and some slightly modded E36 M52 manifolds.

hello mate, cheap option 325 manifold + throttle + chip

A clean shell is worth keeping..

Do an engine swap

Echo all the above with regards to your shell,it is easier to swap in a bigger engine starting with a 320i because the suspension is set up for the heavier engine.I see little point in fitting a standard 325 engine,for simolar money you could build a 2.7 or 2.8 and get the engine an E30 always wanted... do not forget that you will need to budget for a diff swap as well,you will need a medium case(8 bolts on the back cover) 3.64 or 3.91.

ok so budget for a stock 325i engine
rebour for 2.7 with oversize pistons
lightened crank and flywheel
bigger diff
chip bigger throttle bodie
ok will ask a mate who builds engines for a formula ford ( yes i know its not a bmw ) but what this guy dont know aint worth knowing

any thing else

gaszman wrote:ok so budget for a stock 325i engine
rebour for 2.7 with oversize pistons
lightened crank and flywheel
bigger diff
chip bigger throttle bodie
ok will ask a mate who builds engines for a formula ford ( yes i know its not a bmw ) but what this guy dont know aint worth knowing

any thing else

An 2.7 M20 uses a standard bore size. The increase is in the stroke.

unless you use a 320 engine and bore that , i was told that was a better way to go

how much power are you loking at getting? Why not think about what you want from the car first before you start spending money?

M30? I have a fairly clean 316i shell and that's what i'm doing.

Onz wrote:how much power are you loking at getting? Why not think about what you want from the car first before you start spending money?

good call

hongkongfuey wrote:unless you use a 320 engine and bore that , i was told that was a better way to go

Yes very true as you would get a virgin bore but the 320 blocks dont have the small holes between the bores that 2.5's have. I dont think these are a necesety (SP) though.

ok guy down the road from me has a 535i on his drive tax exp 1999 says i can take it away for nowt is this a good doner car ? any thing i can use or not

gaszman wrote:ok guy down the road from me has a 535i on his drive tax exp 1999 says i can take it away for nowt is this a good doner car ? any thing i can use or not

If its an E34 535i (F to K reg) manual then this would be an ideal donor car for an engine transplant.

Just mae sure the engine is good.