NEW to E30 and stuffing an M5 in!!!

Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:51 am

Hi Guys, looks like a great site with lots going on.

I thought I might join you as since selling my M3 (E36) I miss having power and comfort.
I had no money since the divore so ended up buying an old (1994) E34 520SE.
which is nice and comfortable but gutless.

Well I have just been given an old 318i E30 (1989) in working order, but need brakes and bodywork for an MOT.
New front wings, sills and valences! Usual stuff. So I am after a full bodykit which will take care of the sills and valences cosmetically.

I have also just bought a rather cheap M5 E34 (3.6) it is stripped and runs nice but is in a bare shell!!!

So I am seriously thinking at migrating what I can into the E30 to make it seriously fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you guy's give me some advise.
1. What M5 parts can I use.
2. What other BMW parts are required to make it fit?
3. Does he bulkhead need reshaping and moving back.
4. If the above what do I lose in the car ie Air con or even heating etc.
5. Can I swap to 5 stud hubs / flanges and what do I need to do so?

I am no stranger to HP and the requirements to hold a car together and also stop!

What I do not want to do is re-invent the wheel.
This is the only site in the world that can help and I have seen some good conversions.....
.....please help

Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:58 am

Don't know much
but i know you can get hold of E30 M3 suspension legs and hubs etc for the five stud conversion.
engine gearbox you can use
Prop not sure ???
LOOK in engine swaps at KARAN post about M5engine in an E30 will tell you alot.
looks hard
but each to their own

but if you want to sell any of the M5 Parts let me know as i will have the steering box and Exhaust manifold off you
and wheels and any other stuff

Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:46 pm

i wouldnt be putting an m5 lump in a rusty shell with a bodykit hiding the holes for a start..

Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:44 pm

I didn't mean it to be worded so it it made me out to be a cowboy.
I will be fixing the sills and valences so they are solid,th point of the kit is they cover this so doesn't need to be cosmetically 100% etc.

Beleive me I know how to build a fast car and skimping on the safety is not one off my soft points.

So if any of you had a free E30 and got your hands on a cheap(ish) M5 unit, what would you want to do??

G

Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:46 pm

sell me the steering box and manifold

any pics of the M5 as i will have bits off you
Cheers
Ben
I would do the same but there will be alot of changes to make and alot of custom work
but its your car
hope it goes well
i will catch you in my new project

Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:52 pm

First thing to do is search for posts by Karan. He is in the middle of doing exactly this. Nice chap, very helpful.

If you're prepared to do the bodywork yourself, fair play. I'm putting a 3.2 MRoadster engine into my car which has a bloody great Citroen Picasso shaped dent in the side! The shell's mint otherwise so I know its worth repairing.. You just have to look at some second hand E30's. They are an old car now and it may be more economically viable to buy a decent one to start with. You'll have to do the math yourself there..

Good luck with the conversion. The only major heardles I can think of are the exhaust manifold, buying the engine mounts from E30.de (is that it guys??) or making them and getting the brake master cylinder out of the way of the inlet plenum.

Good luck, it'd be good to see nother E30 with a mental engine!

Jai

Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:37 am

take a look in www.e30.de, there should be useful information.

Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:45 am

Thanks for the replies so far and I can sense concern from some thinking I am bodging the big six into a rust bucket.

Just to make it clear, I am a custom car nut who used to build them and modify them for a living!

I love what you can do to a piece of metal and who quick you cna project it.
There is no piece of metal on earth that cannot be transformed into a work of art, or just an out and out speed machine.

I want advise as to where to go so I don't have to re-invent the wheel, I know how costly this road is!!!

I keep getting told the exhaust manifold wont fit, is this 100% true or can you get it modified to fit?
Do I have to keep the CAT or can I lose it and re-chip the M5 ECU?

On one of my previous custom cars I had to route the exhaust out of the inner wing and under the car that way (on both sides as it was a V8).

Emmmm, V8 engine E30, that sounds interesting!!!!!!!

LOL, I think one project at a time.

Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:02 pm

Firstly, welcome

I'm of no use technically but as said above Karan is the man to speak to about this. Also, I'm pretty sure glenn would be a major help. There doesn't seem to have been an engine bult that he can't shoehorn into an e30 (He's currently sticking a v12 into Dips' Touring and already put the e39 M5 V8 into his own motor.......legend)

All in all you'll find the advice you need here in spades.

Good luck and I'm looking forward to keeping an eye on the progress thread when you begin

Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:18 pm

ill send u a pm wit my number.... gimme a call anytime

mine is almost done

Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:44 pm

Karan: Almost done?? Looks like you're gonna be like the zone taxi soon with all the 'quick spins' everyone is gonna want!

Good stuf though, wish I had somewhere to do the conversion now, I had to vacate my mates driveway cos I was taking too long! My own useless fault.

GManBimmer: Wasn't trying to rain on your parade dude! Good luck with the conversion. Stick with it and stick with the zone, loads of guys here who are always willing to help!

Jai

Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:43 pm

I hope you can see these pic's, amazing what you find on a farm.
this is the M5 I bought with running engine & gearbox....

Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:13 pm

Hello mate, thats a great conversion to be doing, exactly what I want to do, but not got the experience. I see that you are in Kent, if you need an extra pair of hands give me a shout, would be very interested to see how its done and what bits are needed.

Theo

Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:17 pm

Got my links wrong, try this for previewing

Thr front don't look much better, but it is what is unde the bonnet that counts!!!

Will send more pictures when I get it home.
Probably with me pulling all the goddies off it.

When I figure out what I want and don't want I will let you know what you can have for those interested.

Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:51 pm

glad u found the site mate

Tue May 02, 2006 4:41 pm

Theo325
I will send you a PM with my mobily.

where in Kent are you?

I am still waiting for the car to arrive!
I won't be starting this until June now as my sister has hijacked half my garage since leaving her partner.
I may have to invest in a shed 'cause I need my f*cking Garage back!!!

Cars first then relatives!
G

Tue May 02, 2006 9:19 pm

Shed?? Just double up some bin bags....

Sat May 27, 2006 11:55 am

M5 arrived this week.
Just started stripping it last night.
I will be busy all day doing the same.

I am taking loads of pictures to record my progress and will hopefully post some tonight.

I got to go, busy day.

If anyone does want to give me a hand please PM me and you can all come round for a beer!

G

Thu Jun 01, 2006 10:50 pm

Hows the M5 dismantling coming on!
I think I really want to do this conversion but I'm concerned there is a ton of custom work to be done and I don't want a project sat around incomplete for years! M30 is the safer route but I really lust after an M powerplant under the bonnet - especially as mine is a touring, uber sleeper car, and 3.6 M5's don't seem to be extreme amounts of money at the moment unless they are minters.
Looking forward to following this build thread as I have done Karans, see how its done!

Good luck!

Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:13 pm

Gravy wrote:Hows the M5 dismantling coming on!
I think I really want to do this conversion but I'm concerned there is a ton of custom work to be done and I don't want a project sat around incomplete for years! M30 is the safer route but I really lust after an M powerplant under the bonnet - especially as mine is a touring, uber sleeper car, and 3.6 M5's don't seem to be extreme amounts of money at the moment unless they are minters.
Looking forward to following this build thread as I have done Karans, see how its done!

Good luck!

It comes down to how big your wallet is dude, an M5 engine makes for an excelent engine swap though

Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:26 pm

Sorry guys, spent the weekend with the girlfriend. Which is a dearer weekend than working on the car! LOL

Will lift the shell up on the M5 this week and drag my little baby out.

I have chosen to do it this way, as I have a dea M5 on it's belly totally stripped out and trying to lift the engine out of the top doesn't give you much room to manouvere the gearbox.

I have one nut that snapped in the chassis that will not give up. I was even standing on the engine trying to bounce it out.

I will get my grinder out tonight and take it out on the M5 chassis.

I have an engine crane over the weekend so I am hoping to have this out and with a lot of help put into my garage (The car/shell is at the bottom of my drive and I need to haul it up to the garage).
I should also have the 318 unit stripped out of my project shell this weekend to so I can start making preperation for install.

I do have some welding to do on the E30 and will do this once I have figured out all the options of position etc, so I can do it all in one hit. I will also start looking at weak spots that could do with reinforcing.

If anyone knows of common points that rust/ break on the shell chassis then I can add this to my list.
Did they do a rally kit for the E30 for stiffening the chassis etc?

I will make some decision this month on what I am going to do long term, as I have been in two minds as to stripping it back and having it as a 2 seater or making it nice inside with 4 seats!

I just got my hands on a Reiger kit and an Evo boot spoiler so I have some idea of what it will look like.

Graham

Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:23 pm

finally started work on the car this weekend.
Both engines are out and M5 shell is stripped of anyhthing worth having.
It was pretty much stripped when I bought it, but you can always strip more!!!

the 318 engine bay is empty now so I will be doing my Ebay bit soon with all the stuff I don't need!

cleaned the M5 lump and stripped off the gearbox, clutch, engine mounts and Manifold today. Cams look like new so I am happy there

will be thumping the engine bay tomorrow and offering the engine into the bay for a quick check of position etc (Ijust wantto see it in there)

going round the breakers on Wednesday to search for some parts.
I have sort of pursueded myself to stay with 4 stud at the moment.

Things to get.

VW Servo
325 arms and legs
New discs all round (larger front ones though!)
Front 4 pot calipers (alloy)
325 ABS system for conversion.

I will post some pictures of the car in progress tomorrow.

Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:56 pm

Engine bay ready for engine.
Got a new clutch and supm gasketto fit and crank seal for the front as my engine was leaking a little bit of oil.

Fitted VW servo and E36 steering rack.

Will have to get the engine and box done to offer back in.

then I will need funds for the expensive stuff like manifold and rad conversion!!!

Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:58 pm

Sounds good mate, don't forget to post some picies !