E30 Zone

After deciding to break the m30 Touring last week I got straight on the look out for something to replace it! Found this M50 converted 320i on ebay so nipped up to Bristol today and picked it up....







Plenty of rust to keep me busy...






Few bits missing too...





Any comments, suggestions welcome!

Not a bad start squire! I would of thought that the porsche is keeping you busy on the rust front!

I by magical chance have a comfort interior for a 2 door which is missing a drivers seat

Yeah mate there is plenty to do on the 911 but I am getting bored of having nothing fun to drive so the e30 is my quick fix!

Pm some details on the interior please mate

PM on the way.

It needs the 4pot wiring cover and the battery relocated to the boot to make it look nicer

I am fragging a moordoor that has 2 really solid sills mate. The battery tray has been repaired though sadly.

If you want a repair section cutting out of the drivers sill pm me.

I have a nice interior up for grabs too

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=167726

Thanks mate but I'm now completely skint! Have to just be sheet metal patches and maybe SE skirts for the minute.

Well after some much needed help on here I identified my gearbox and ordered my clutch, I had a few days off so chucked it in on my drive (not the most fun I have ever had!)





I noticed one of the front shock was leaking so I nicked the fron legs off my 335i breaker



Taking it to work tomorrrow to crack on with the welding, couple of brake hoses and a number plate then it should be mot time! Just need to find some wheels, not feeling the steelies at all!

i may have a friend interested in the wheels bud when you find replacements. They want something more standard apparently - got 17's on it now.

Good luck with the MOT

what colour is your touring that you are breaking thanks.

Lachs silver, its in the "parts for sale" section

Took the 320 to work today with the intention of welding it up, bit of a dissapointing outcome to say the least!

I started to pull the loose rust and sealer off at the rear of the rear arch but the more I pulled the more s hit came off! It looks like someone has reconsructed the inner quarter with some kind of roofing marterial!!







Anyone got a cheap rust free shell??

fucking hell jay - thats got some rot

It had some kind of roofing felt layer under the arch, didnt really notice how bad it was until I started digging! Rough as f**k.

whats going on with the touring? You have everything to reshell it into that... right?

Unfortunatly not mate, sold quite a lot already, and in my impatience the other day I chopped a load of wiring under the dash rather than removing it as I was sure it would be getting weighed in!

I now have an incomplete 335i touring that doesn't run and an m50'd 2 door made of dust!!

my dad spotted a cheap e30 for sale with a noisy camshaft in one of the magazines he buys it. When he finds it again i'll let you know - might be worth a try but i dont know how local it is

edit: its £595 and in lancashire

I think I have seen it, white Touring?

After much head scratching today I think I am going to stick the m50 in the Touring as I just can't afford another e30 at the minute!!

I am going to drop the whole front down, subframe, suspension and brakes in one. Any of you m50 swapping pro's got any pointers for me, is it as "plug and play" as an m30 swap? Are the looms joined in a similar way to the m30?

Any help appreciated!

Wish I had looked at the welding before I did the clutch on the floor!

in theory mate yes it should be plug and play becuase you have got everything you need there. the loom of the touring like where the c101 is? the m30 does still utilise the c101 doesnt it? And i trust the m50 engine loom has a c101 plug on it?

I might as well delete the thread and just pm all my questions to you mate!

Yes the m30 engine loom just plugs straight into the c101, haven't looked at the m50 yet so not sure if that does.

Wish I had looked at the rust before I did the clutch, bought number plates, brake hoses and an interior for it!!

For the M30 there will be a wire cut out of the 'body' part of the c101 and earthed somewhere (normally to the starter) iirc the wire is black/green

true, it is a bit of a kick in the nads At least the brake hoses can be used on the touring and the clutch can still be used!

Fingers crossed the m50 has a c101 on the end of the loom - that way it will be plug and play.

One thing to check out on the m50'd e30 is whether the car has EWS - the immobiliser system that was used on m50/2's from around 1995 onwards. There should be a signal loop, key (or just the chip from inside it), a little black box on the end of the signal loop and the EWS unit itself IF the engine has it. Its worth double checking before you are wondering why the m50 wont start in the touring!! It'll probably be hidden underneath the steering coloumn if its going to be anywhere

leeparkes wrote:For the M30 there will be a wire cut out of the 'body' part of the c101 and earthed somewhere (normally to the starter) iirc the wire is black/green

Yeah I think mine goes to the starter motor, I did the m30 conversion so I am hoping swapping to m50 won't be too much of a mission!

Cook318IS wrote:One thing to check out on the m50'd e30 is whether the car has EWS - the immobiliser system that was used on m50/2's from around 1995 onwards

Engine is from a 1993 5 series so pretty sure it won't have ews, I will double check though.

ahh im pretty sure you will be fine then

Check Pin 20 of the C101 car side to make sure there is no earth wire there

Jay there is a 325i 4dr for sale on Preston Down Road.
Only seen it in passing but looked like it had a tec2 kit on/lowered/wheels etc.
Faded Red paint.
Got told by someone the other day that it is MOT`d etc but engine dead?
Well worth a knock if your looking?

Thanks for the heads up mate but as funds are low I need to use the good shell I already have, some of the missing bits can be whipped off the 2 door and the others are cheap enough to pick up else where!

Jay i havent fitted the touring carpet etc to my car yet, so if you need it back or the springs etc let me know if i can help out, you must be well peed off mate.

What a legend! I might take you up on that, only really need the carpet for the minute, got springs and can get door cards at a later date.

Not too bothered to honest, its a hurdle not a show stopper!

Touring door cards do I hear you say?



I have the 4 all handles and rest's intact. £20 plus postage. Just need a clean no rips or stains.

Thanks for the offer Dezzy but I think I'm sorted on that front, you don't have any Lachs panels kicking about though do you??

Sorry mate I don't.

I started to dissconnect everything today in the hope I can get the engines swapped over the weekend, nothing out of the ordinary yet, all seems the same as the m30 swap, via the c101.

The ecu wiring was fed through the passenger side of the bulkhead though and the ecu itself in the glovebox. Is this common practice on the m50 swaps?

Wiring, coolant and fuel all dissconnected...

PM sent

normally the ecu goes in the standard e30 location above the pedals. Although the e34 m50 loom is shorter than the e36 one so its not uncommon to find then the ecu on the battery tray (like what i had when i was running an m50)