how much would a zoner charge

[Ali786]

How much would a zoner charge to do a s50 swap? if i bought a e36 m3 to the person that would be willing to do it and if i take my running 320i cabby to the person and supplied all other parts you need how much would you charge to take my engine out and take the m3 engine out and put the m3 engine into my car and make my car start and drive?

[Jhonno]

You'd be looking at 5k labour + parts imo.

Oh and a flawed end result. S50+Cab=Fail.

[Ali786]

Roughly how much labour pal

[Jhonno]

Errr.. Did you not read my post. Pal?

[Ali786]

Sorry mate just re read it my mistake thanks

[Rav335uk]

You'd be looking at 5k labour + parts imo.

Oh and a flawed end result. S50+Cab=Fail.

Nathan and Richard just did one.

[penton08]

Nathan just did one.

And i would do another, no problem! What the customer want the customer gets It is the " i will supply all the parts" bit that worries me

[Barx325i]

the manifold is a massive chunk, well a manifold worth its salt

[ultralinear]

I don't understand putting a 'motorsport' engine into a cab. The only motorsport you'd be engaging in is 'driving fairly quickly in a straight line'.

Heavy wobbly bendy shaky thing travelling too fast for its silly bendiness.

[Barx325i]

I don't understand putting a 'motorsport' engine into a cab. The only motorsport you'd be engaging in is 'driving fairly quickly in a straight line'.

Heavy wobbly bendy shaky thing travelling too fast for its silly bendiness.

I thought they were a total heap of shite before I drove one, very pleasant, and the s50 isn't just about the power imo. it's nice to open the bonnet and have it sat there & that engine is a pretty nice machine

so why Motorsport produce m3 convertibles?

[e30topless]

I don't understand putting a 'motorsport' engine into a cab. The only motorsport you'd be engaging in is 'driving fairly quickly in a straight line'.

Heavy wobbly bendy shaky thing travelling too fast for its silly bendiness.

I thought they were a total heap of shite before I drove one, very pleasant, and the s50 isn't just about the power imo. it's nice to open the bonnet and have it sat there & that engine is a pretty nice machine

so why Motorsport produce m3 convertibles?

an S14 and a S50 is a completely different animal !


as above... S50 in a cab is a waste of time and money. the chassis of a cab can't deal with the power

[Jhonno]

I don't understand putting a 'motorsport' engine into a cab. The only motorsport you'd be engaging in is 'driving fairly quickly in a straight line'.

Heavy wobbly bendy shaky thing travelling too fast for its silly bendiness.

I thought they were a total heap of shite before I drove one, very pleasant, and the s50 isn't just about the power imo. it's nice to open the bonnet and have it sat there & that engine is a pretty nice machine

so why Motorsport produce m3 convertibles?

Errr the S50 is ALL about the power and driving it..

They did it because there was a market. I didn't see many droptops being raced..

[ultralinear]

I believe M division produced cab with an 'M' on the back because people would buy them!

The E30M3 in particular is meant to be a thoroughbred race-derived road car... or as close as you can get with BMW.

The fact that they then made the E30M3 cab twists my brains! It even confuses me that there is a sunroof in E30M3s!

[ultralinear]

S50 in a cab is a waste of time and money. the chassis of a cab can't deal with the power

But it can wobble. Yes siree!

[Barx325i]

so you get my point? it's hardly going to be a track car is it.. Nor do people 'race' on the road

horses for courses

if someone wants to put an s50 in a cab, let them get on with it I say, if they have the money to throw at a zoner to do it, that's a good thing right? or maybe I'm mistaken

[ultralinear]

so you get my point? it's hardly going to be a track car is it.. No do people 'race' on the road

horses for courses

if someone wants to put an s50 in a cab, let them get on with it I say

I see what you're saying but it just seems a shame to spend that amount of money on something that can't really use to full effect.

It's like giving a donkey steroids, rather than a racehorse.

[Barx325i]

Well it's more like injecting a donkey with adrenaline

[Ranchero]

Bit of pepper on the balls works just as well in any case .

[Gunni]

I have had S50 in cabs and coupes.

I liked both because the S50 is about the best daily driver engine I have ever had.

Good low end torque makes for excellend driving characteristics.

[Aston-AKA-Ash]

If it were a race car i wouldn't suggest starting with a cab, but a decent engine in a decent daily driver sounds ideal to me.

Though i did change my mind on building a turbo engine for a mk4 escort cab, purely because it doesnt need lots of power. Instead i opted for bodies as it'll sound better, feel awesome and still go well.

That's what it comes down to, if you think it'll sound nice, go well, or feel amazing, then go for it!

[wullie325i]

you have pm.

[Aston-AKA-Ash]

If it were a race car i wouldn't suggest starting with a cab, but a decent engine in a decent daily driver sounds ideal to me.

Though i did change my mind on building a turbo engine for a mk4 escort cab, purely because it doesnt need lots of power. Instead i opted for bodies as it'll sound better, feel awesome and still go well.

That's what it comes down to, if you think it'll sound nice, go well, or feel amazing, then go for it!

[doyley123]

Some very good comments in this thread. It's something i've never understood about bmw
why the hell did they put a motorsport engine in a convertible. I think this conversion would
just be such a waste of time and a waste of a good engine.

[Aston-AKA-Ash]

e46 330 cab are brilliant cars to drive roof up or down, sure they're not as good as the coupe etc but that doesn't mean they don't deserve a good engine.

I'm a massive petrol head, that shouldn't mean i can't enjoy having the top down too, or do you mean if i want to drive a cab then i should have to have a poxy shit engine?

It'll still be quick, sound nice, feel decent to drive and go sideways when wanted.

[Andy325i]

How do E30 cabs compare to E36 cabs? Drove an E36 cab a fair bit a few years ago. Was only a 325i. What a complete bag of shite that was. Thought it was going to pop the screen out over every bump. Looked nice, though not sure why they did them with even more power as this was bad enough!

[e30s50b30]

fellas i have a m3 cab used it since 98 never on track but it goes like hee good enough for me . although saying that im having a sb5030 e30 being built right now and it has not cost me an arm and a leg i supplied the donor m3 and he is making amazing progress . his work is amazing only trouble is im in oxfordshire and he is in nottingham . if you need help pm me and i can introduce you to this guy great man i can stake my life on it .

[Pud237]

e30s50b30 - how are you getting on with your conversion?

I'm interested in running an S50'd E30 as a daily, I work for a vehicle dismantler & service centre but do not have the space & time to do this for myself as we are flat out at the minute. With an M3 evo donor and an E30 supplied, whats a fair price for the job? If someone properly equipped and experienced was to start the job and work 9 to 5 at it, with all the required parts to hand, what sort of build time would people expect?

[Jhonno]

although saying that im having a sb5030 e30 being built right now and it has not cost me an arm and a leg i supplied the donor m3 and he is making amazing progress . his work is amazing only trouble is im in oxfordshire and he is in nottingham . if you need help pm me and i can introduce you to this guy great man i can stake my life on it .

.....................................

[Jhonno]

e30s50b30 - how are you getting on with your conversion?

I'm interested in running an S50'd E30 as a daily, I work for a vehicle dismantler & service centre but do not have the space & time to do this for myself as we are flat out at the minute. With an M3 evo donor and an E30 supplied, whats a fair price for the job? If someone properly equipped and experienced was to start the job and work 9 to 5 at it, with all the required parts to hand, what sort of build time would people expect?

His car was a HORRIBLY bodged abortion of a conversion.. The engine is fooked and the car is now dead.

Well, DIY you are looking at 5-6k for the swap. Inc engine.

For someone to do it for you PROPERLY, I'd expect a similar bill for labour and then parts on top.

[Pud237]

For someone to do it for you PROPERLY, I'd expect a similar bill for labour and then parts on top.

6k for labour, presuming thats at a typical garage rate of £42+vat per hour thats roughly 120 hours, does that sound right if someone was working on it 9-5 with all the parts to hand and nothing to hold them up?

As a rule I don't really like using garages for jobs like this, I'd prefer to give it to someone with time on their hands, plenty of prior experience and a good stock of tools who could do it from home..

What would the remains of an E36 M3 evo be worth in bits? I could break the Evo myself from work no problem, and just keep what I need.

[DanThe]

although saying that im having a sb5030 e30 being built right now and it has not cost me an arm and a leg i supplied the donor m3 and he is making amazing progress . his work is amazing only trouble is im in oxfordshire and he is in nottingham . if you need help pm me and i can introduce you to this guy great man i can stake my life on it .

.....................................

I just read that first post and thought similar

[DanThe]

For someone to do it for you PROPERLY, I'd expect a similar bill for labour and then parts on top.

6k for labour, presuming thats at a typical garage rate of £42+vat per hour thats roughly 120 hours, does that sound right if someone was working on it 9-5 with all the parts to hand and nothing to hold them up?

As a rule I don't really like using garages for jobs like this, I'd prefer to give it to someone with time on their hands, plenty of prior experience and a good stock of tools who could do it from home..

What would the remains of an E36 M3 evo be worth in bits? I could break the Evo myself from work no problem, and just keep what I need.

If you have ALL the parts pre-modified and its just a case of bolting it all in you can do it in a week quite easily, the time is spent on modifying everything, making parts from scratch, running round to find little parts etc etc, its the little bits that cost the most.

[Pud237]

I know what you mean about the little bits costing the most, its not the cost in £s but the cost in delays, phoning around for bits, going off to pick stuff up. A job is 10 times easier when you have everything to hand.

I think I'll have to leave this idea for now then, for the sort of figures mentioned plus what my M3 is worth I could get myself a tidy Z3M coupe and I've always wanted one.. If I ever get the time & space to have a crack at this myself then thats what I'll do.

[Pud237]

Does this belong to a zoner?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-E30-M3-/1 ... 2a1bac8447

[Jhonno]

No.. It requires plenty of caution when viewing. I believe it's more of a 5k car tbh.