Keen youngster (well 24 0n thurs!!) looking for help

[FIREBREATHER60]

Hello everybody,
I'm pete and i joined this site the other week and so far i just can't believe it, i've never been a forum fan but this is fantastic you guys have done some amazing things and have given myself confidence to try. basically story so far i bought a 318 i lux H reg 74000 miles with fsh for £350 needed some work to get through the MOT but nothing major, i have intermidiate mechanical knolage and have always been tinkering with engines and machinery so all my work i do myself. i want to inprove the car by doing an engine swap i was thinking of a turbo but thought £ per horse power you get much better value for money jumping in and doing a swap, so my initial thoughts were for a 2.8 straight 6 but after reading about all your projects i been thinking bigger. i want to create something unique and because mine is the 4 door i thought that it would stand out from the croud. basically what i'm asking for here is just some advise to get me started, what you guys ( and gals ) think i should know befor i start looking for bits pit falls difficulties etc. i know it is a lot of hard work but damn it will also be good fun!!! i will add some pictures soon working 14 hour days at the mo so don't get a chance to see her in the daylight.
Thanks for listerning and i look forward to your replys

Thanks

Pete

P.s Ant Where abouts are you? i live in tooting bec and would love to pop down for a chat?

[Jhonno]

errr. not sure where to start, you dont give alot to go on other than you want to modify your 4dr..

Work out what you think it will cost, double it and add a little as a rough guide imo to do it properly

[m3ben05]

errr. not sure where to start

x2

A bit more info needed i think mate!

Oh, and at 24 your older than a lot of people on the zone

[brian325i]

im only a baby so having just turned 20

what ya looking to get from your car??Styling or pure performance or a mix?

keepin it original is nice though.Imean bm parts like.mtec 1 rear spoiler,iS lip, se sideskirts.15"crosspokes,slammed

[Toby_Unna]

start with a 535i engine and take it from there

cheap power!

[FIREBREATHER60]

Hello,
My appologies for the lack of info, what i want to achieve basicaly is a quick car that looks preaty much standard from the out side i'm really not in to the styling much just the power, also i want to see if i can do it ( if that makes any sence? ) i have back ground experience of mechanics and also a barn on my familys farm in which to work in ( my brother is a farm engineer so between us we have all the tools needed including engine lifts, block and tackle etc. i have spent the last few months toying with the idea and doing some reaserch but it was only after looking at this forum that i finally decided the swap was the way forward. would you suggest the best thing to do is get a compleat car (eg 535i) so that i have a donor car to rob bits off? because i know that i will need to litraly re build the car as far as brakes, suspension, diff and final drive are concerned. will parts from a 5 series fit? or is it best just to get a 5 engine and box and then piece together the other parts from 3 series cars (eg e36)? this is what i need help with the starting point, trying to work out exsactly what i will need to change and what car i can get them from. i know this might be asking a lot but i am kinda new to this type of modifing.
Hope this helps

Thanks


p.s i'm sorry if i offened any one with the youngster thing!

[brian325i]

how deep are your pockets.an m50 conversion is all bolt on , no real modifying, and a superchareger can be a bolt on job, 300bhp at whells without custom work

[FIREBREATHER60]

unfortunatly my pockets arn't that deep hence the reason i decided to wait to do one big mod rather than little bits like super chip, boost valve etc

[brian325i]

535 is way forward so id say..but im only a newbie

[FIREBREATHER60]

start with a 535i engine and take it from there

cheap power!

What about a 525i?

[brian325i]

24v or 12v??

im in the middle of a 525 24v conversion..car is in bits outside my window

should be good when done..192b hp in e30 seems fun to me

[snoops]

id say go for the m50 conversion (24v 2.5l found in e36/e34) first then when you've got a bit more cash turbo it but remember to think about your insurance!

[Jay07]

Welcome to the zone mate! You come to the right place for the info you want... Im not clued up enough on that side to give you advice more so i wanted to give props to another member of the 4 door massive!!! good luck!!

[Gravy]

If you have access to al the tools/space/equipment and you have time on your hands, and you can fabricate stuff, and you can weld then V8!!!

It's a barsteward of a job, a heavy lump even though it is all alloy, it's very wide and impossible to work on from above and it requires a good bit of custom work to do properly, plus gearboxes are rare as fook. But the noise........

But I'm biased!

I reckon your best bet is a 3.5 M30 for good power gains and a fairly striaght forward job if your handy with the spanners, it's well covered in these pages!

Whatever you chose, it will be fun!

[FIREBREATHER60]

If you have access to al the tools/space/equipment and you have time on your hands, and you can fabricate stuff, and you can weld then V8!!!

It's a barsteward of a job, a heavy lump even though it is all alloy, it's very wide and impossible to work on from above and it requires a good bit of custom work to do properly, plus gearboxes are rare as fook. But the noise........

But I'm biased!

I reckon your best bet is a 3.5 M30 for good power gains and a fairly striaght forward job if your handy with the spanners, it's well covered in these pages!

Whatever you chose, it will be fun!

Tell me more about the v8?!?

i have just found a 325i engine and gear box 70000 miles and quite cheap at the moment just emailing the guy to get some further details