S54 vs S50 3.2

[thed4ppa]

So with most of the parts for my little E30 project purchased / on order I'm down to sourcing an engine etc.

I can see the s54 is clearly 24hp more that the s50 3.2 which is a nice start, but the conversion is quite costly. Is it worth the extra effort or for a substantially smaller figire is the s50 3.2 a good choice, how well do they respond to tuning? Realistically I think part wise the s54 with a decent manifold will be around 4500k the s50 would be a fair bit cheaper!

I have seen a complete e30 running a e36 3.2 engine too which is tempting.

If the S54 is the hands down better option and basis, then ill push along with that.

[jmc330i]

I've not priced up an S50 conversion since I did mine, but a decent S50 conversion will be £5k-£6k. I'm sure you could add another £1k-£2k for an S54, unless it gets bodged together...

[DanThe]

Stick to the plan

[ajay]

As above, if you can strech to an S54 do it, you will not regret it.
There is quite a bit more of a difference than you think

[thed4ppa]

Thats it then, a decoy had come up so was just a thought. 344hp sounds better to start with any way ;)

What day are you off to Autosport Dan?

[reggid]

S54 handsdown, better parts availability and aftermarket bits due to presence in the US market