Which would be better?

[accesspecialist]

I've not posted on this forum befor now but have spent many happy hours reading.
My choice is this, Build an e30 s50 as a few of you have done or supercharge/turbo a 325.

I own a 95 M3 saloon which i picked up on ebay about a year ago for £2000. I just stuck a bid in thinking it wont go for less than £3500 and was surprised to say the least. Its in fair condition, 97000 miles, good black leather, sweet engine, gearbox and diff, bit of rust in the usual places.

I'm off to view an e30 today which is just as I would have ordered it back in 88. 325sei 2 door, dimond black, black leather, 153000 miles, shadow line, bbs alloys ect. It looks to be in very good condition with some rust starting on the arches and sunroof and a crack in the windscreen.

I have read a few of the m50 / s50 swap threds and it looks like a lot of hassel when I could sell the M3 and buy a LSD and either super or turbo charge the existing engine.
Which would be easier / better? I want the style and looks of the e30 but I want it to feel like the smother more modern more powerfull M3.

Many thanks for your thoughts.
Matt

[Boyraceruk]

Sell the M3, sign up to Trampdrift.com and buy the E34 M5 engine for sale there at £500 plus the box for £150, then treat as an M30 swap.

[Gunni]

It comes down to the power level you want.

This thing right here does 12.05sec 1/4mile at 116mph.



The specs are

Stock B25 9.7:1 compression engine
.140 MLS gasket
ARP head studs
some unknown aftermarket clutch

Volvo L120F turbocharger , wich is a Borg Warner S257 ,
Split pulse turbo manifold
"3 exhaust

"3x12x24 Intercooler

42lb injectors maxing out at 6k and 1.3bar boost.
Walbro fuel pump.

VEMS ecu powering a Vauxhall 6cyl wasted spark coil pack.


It´s pushing out about 380-400hp based on the 1/4mile time and speed. If the injectors where bigger we´d just run more boost for more power without problems.


This is all done on a stock engine.
It also has the best spool characteristics of any turbo engine I´ve been in.

People should not underestimate how crazy a 400hp E30 really is. And how "cheaply" it can be done. All you have to do is spend your money wisely.

[accesspecialist]

That turbo'ed car sounds wicked! Just got back from looking at the e30. It was amazing to drive very tight and responsive + i'm 99% sure it had a LSD could'nt belive it had done 153000 miles. The structure was sound too but the bodywork was bad ... very bad would need some welding, a new sunroof, a fair bit of filler and a full respray ... doh. Any one got an idea what sort of ball park that amount of work would be in? Strange though, I'm still interested as the drive was that good. It has been lowered about 40mm and was firm but not harsh so i think it was done with quality components.

[Morat]

Rust is the E30 killer - you're probably better off finding a decent shell and putting your own components in it. Or make the guy a silly offer so you can swap the bits over when you find one. It's not the arches so much (although rear arches will probably require some clever work to fix, front wings are bolt-on) but the sunroof. The roof panel itself is an easy swap but you've probably got rust in the sunroof tray, which is a Big Job (tm).

[accesspecialist]

Think I may have found my shell! Its a C reg 316 2 door in white 58000miles very good body and structure but it was hit in rear while parked 2 days ago. Not much damage looks like the bumper took most of it. Small dent below the number plate. Any thing I should look out for? Its got a nice set of bbs alloys and a nice 1/2 leather interior + a m sport 3 prong steering wheel. The only rust I can find is on the battery tray(front under bonnet) and around the areial but its nothing. One small (5-10cm) crack in the dash on the passenger side. It gets hot in slow moving traffic, the clutch bites very high and the gearbox is stiff when cold. Some small noise comming from rear possibly wheel bearing. What do you think its worth?

[accesspecialist]

I'm just wondering if I can do it. I have wanted one for ages and it gives me confidence that there are so many around but I dont have much space or much skill.
Out of my M3 what can I use and what cant I use?

Engine
ECU / loom
Gearbox
Diff ?
Suspention, hubs, brakes, wheels ?
Inlet / exhaust manifolds ?
Steering rack ?
Drive shafts / prop shafts ?
Radiator ?
instrument cluster ?
front seats ?

I just cant understand how you can do this yourself although many of you have. I am going to ask around my local garages and see if anyone is willing to take on such a project. I know it will cost a fortune but it would be better than me ending up with 2 half cars rotting away on my drive.