Swap or Buy an M3?

[1996 318ti NY]

So i found a deal on a 1997 M3 drivetrain for 2k shipped with clutch pedal assembly Ecu wiring etc problem is my car is an automatic right now and i dont know if its really worth it to attempt the swap i mean i am mechanically savvy but a motor swap? i also found a swapped one that was converted to OBD1 for a decent price but i really dont know if im up too the swap at the moment i dont want CEL's etc and i sure as hell dont want to be stuck without a car everytime i look at someones swap thread it scares me away alittle because for some reason something that seems so straight for almost looks like a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. bleh anyway any info would be appriciated and if anyone knows of M3's for sale for a good price you welcome to PM me lol

[ChItalian1027]

i would swap it. at most the longest your car would be out i would say 3-4wks (i think) the only part that would give you trouble would be the electrical again (i think)

[Bluebimma]

If it takes you more than a weekends worth of time, you may want to rethink it. It shouldnt take more than a couple hours to do a swap. I did my last swap in about 13 hours, 1.9 auto 4.44 rear to 2.5 manual 4.10lsd. These swaps are so simple and people get hung up on the stupidest issues. Everything is literally PNP, not sure why the hard times and weeks of down time.

[tiFreak]

not everyone's as mechanically savvy as you, and there are occasional little gremlins that get people, like James' issue with the FPR

[Bluebimma]

I had told him about that...

[pdxmotorhead]

I have a local shop that does a lot of swaps, they allow 3 working days to do it.
Which is about 24 hours shop labor. But thats pretty much on track, there are things that a shop has to do that the owner might skip, like new clutch or other engine work...

Dave

[roadrash]

Having all the necessary tools and a good workspace is a pretty significant factor too.

[FMD]

My swap took 2 days, first time doing it, and it fired up with no problems

[projekt EPiK]

yea, 3-4 days is what i would expect for your first swap.. if you are prepared well for it.

i say researchresearchresearch the swap details.. then do it.

[dahamler]

First I would be careful about a 1997 S52 for 2k shipped the price seems a little low, check the mileage and the VIN. You will always take a risk with buying just the drivetrain unless you can hear it run. Salvaged cars are usually better buys, reducing the need to buy small parts that can quickly increase the price of the swap and down time.

One thing that I love about these swaps is the ease of swapping the components. Since the engine bay is virtually identical to other E36s the engine is easy to install and it will run with factory precision. Tony is correct about everything being plug and play (try converting a carbureted Honda to fuel injected the correct way), this ensures that reliability is maintained and maintenance is the same as a factory car.

I would allot at least two weeks (ideally three weekends) for any average person to complete a swap. This includes chassis cleaning and prep, performing preventive maintenance on the new engine (water pump, oil pump nut, gaskets etc.) One weekend would be used for disassembly and prep of the swap car, 2-3 hours per weekday nights for preventive maintenance items. The second weekend could be used to place the new engine in the car; two weekdays to figure out the little things you missed, one day for exhaust work and the remaining time for odds and ends. This schedule will allow you to enjoy the swap and also ensure that everything was done correctly.

OBDI cars are less expensive to modify and swap (as long as the chassis is also OBDI) software and EWS issues are easy to rectify but you loss the diagnostic capability of OBDII. OBDI cars are also easier to pass emission testing due to many states switching to OBDII only testing.

If you do decide to swap you can always make your self a digital manual by taking pics of where components are connected and refer to the numerous swap threads on this site.

All in all buying an M3 is usually a better value than buying a swapped TI or building one yourself. Resale value is maintained and more parts are available for suspension and some body panels. TIs are unique and add a certain level of utility if thats what you need but if that's not important just buy an M3.