This is the best overview of swap challenges I've seen. Here's the link:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=584570 Your post got me really digging to find out what the swap challenges are. I still don't understand why swapping the wiring from one car to the other is a challenge other than to try not to dig down to these components and swap them out.
My point is, if you have a donor car available, start taking it apart to dig out all the engine management components. I figure you can be careful of the wiring but not respectful of the car's hard components. That way you get the entire engine management wiring extracted. Then you can decide best if it's less work to try to simply swap the harness to the engine and build a custom solution like the one this guy is suggesting.
Since I'm already very comfortable to taking on some major fabrication, and the fact that I've already stripped an earlier car down to make it into a cheap racecar, it seems less complicated to keep the later engine management.
That said, I could really benefit from your take on this. Look into what this guy is talking about and let me know what you think.
You gotta become a member to see the pix; Might be worth it.
From a higher perspective, all swaps are challenging, and there are always parts of the process that suck. You will be frustrated and overwhelmed. Creating a new thing like this is a serious commitment. I will say this though, the drive when it's done is SO fulfilling. You seriously feel a sort of affinity with Frankenstein and feel some sympathy for his efforts to create life. It's an awesome feeling of accomplishment or a sincere sense if disappointment if not finished. I've done both.
For me, it's worth it. But, like any endeavor involving cars, it's just going to cost money. The trick is to buy your happiness with the expense. It's really got to be a hobby that makes you happy in the end. That is the best thing to support with our hard-earned money, IMO. We only live once and we gotta find a way to happiness or none of this matters.
Wow, sorry dude. I guess it's too late to skip all that self-important blather I just wrote. If you read this far, definitely keep me posted on what you find. I'd love to hear your perspective on this.