My new 3.2TI

[3.2TI]

Strut brace...

Yes I know but since my OEM rear shocks are like spaghetti and stock height. I feel this can improve handling and performance if corrected.

[Marv17]

is that a OBD I or OBD II conversion? reason i as is because i see the battery in the engine bay and no secondary air pump.
with the right diff you should be able to handle it well.

[3.2TI]

OBDII with 3.73 LSD

[gundamit]

If you dont mind me asking where did you source the motor? An total cost for the build? Pm me if you dont want to post that info. I am thinking about doing this in the future.

Was it a mater of convenience(time/space to work) to use a shop ? I seem to recall a member who sold a manual of some sort for this kind of swap but I want to wiegh all options before the plunge.

More Pics by the way

[3.2TI]

Originally Posted by gundamit

If you dont mind me asking where did you source the motor? An total cost for the build? Pm me if you dont want to post that info. I am thinking about doing this in the future.

Was it a mater of convenience(time/space to work) to use a shop ? I seem to recall a member who sold a manual of some sort for this kind of swap but I want to wiegh all options before the plunge.

More Pics by the way

Well, since you ask I can go into detail on my opinion about doing a swap.

It is wise to spend every second you can researching the type of setup you are most interested in. Although there are many choices and different stages to go with, you must choose wisely. Think of this as the car that you are looking into at the dealer brand new at the showroom while understanding the different options that each model comes with.

A-Stock
B-Stock w/Turbo
C-Stock W/supercharger
D-Stock w/Metric Motor
E-M50 w/stock transmission
F-M50 w/M3 transmission

and so on.

The idea is that you select what is best for you and your budget. The overall project cost will depend on the route and setup you select. I focused on the setup that was gong to make me the happiest while keeping in mind all the factors involved. For example I can tell you what my choice was and why.

s52-m3 engine
5SP manual trans ( from same donor car)
5SP OEM M3 driveshaft ( from same vin# of donor car)
M3 cluster (from same donor car)
E30 3.73 LSD (Medium Case)
E30 rear Axle Shafts


The mentioned parts above are the most important to get started, but they are not the only things needed and you will find this out throughout the process. For starters my motor was not in the best condition and did not include any of the parts to make the engine run.

No A/c compressor
No Alternator
No Clutch fan
No Fan
No Radiator, fan, reservoir, shroud or anything related.
No thermostat
No hoses
No a/c lines
No power steering pump
No Power steering pump lines (total 2)
an unimaginable list of miscellaneous parts and bolts that are not listed here.
No engine mounts
No transmission mounts
No MAF
No Air intake
No Flywheel for Clutch


Replaced
New Crank Shaft Seals,
New Valve Cover (cracked)
New Valve cover gastket and service
New spark plugs
New fuel filter
New oil pan gasket ( leaking)
New Guilbo (flex disk)
many modifications to make things look as OEM as possible.


Problems I encountered.
Transmission had been mounted and installed but would not go into 5th gear, it was necessary to bring it down and replace a $38 part that took 4 hours of extra labor. There were many more hiccups but all part of the swap so will not list the rest.


Research that tool place.

Once I decided what I wanted to do I spent all my time online looking at all the options that existed, how long it would take to get the parts and the cost of shipping. Some parts I was not going to buy used as they were parts you wanted to be reliable.



Would I have chosen a cheaper and faster upgrade like Supercharger or Turbo, NOOOOOOOOOOO, once again I wanted reliability and a car that will last me for a long time.


Ok so I blabbed out loud but I am sure that this will help you think right.



Overall cost, lets not discuss that in public .

[3.2TI]

Well it seems I did not answer 1 of your questions so I will add it now.

Why did I choose a shop over a garage install, hummmmm.

Many factors took place here, but it all came down to this A-knowledge B-Location C-Results.

I called over 20 shops all the way from homestead Fl, to Alabama looking for someone that gave me the comfort to take my only car to, not only that but which one gave me the most security and best price. I had to make sure that the place I took my car to was going to have the experience for this particular setup and have the ability to follow the right way of doing it and not re-inventing the wheel and mutating your car. I chose Active Autowerke to work on my car and although they are 3 miles from my house I had not chosen them as my #1 choice until I got to meet them in person and this was after I called everyone.

Even though many places said they could do the swap and gave me the lowest prices out there I did not go with them for many reasons. Mainly because I did not feel a business relationship with any of them or honesty when questions were asked. I know the concept you always get what you pay for so the last thing I wanted to do was end up in a money pit. Also you must keep in mind that if anything goes wrong after the swap then you should have someone that is going to guarantee the work and fix it if related to the swap. This is only my advice and not a book on how to do things. At no point do I bash or badmouth anyone, it is only an investment that I have the right to choose where and who works on my car.

[BMW_Hatchback]

pics

[3.2TI]

This is a 1.3mpx camera and I'm no good at it so hope they are ok. My coils and wheels are not on since they sent me the wrong coilovers.

[3.2TI]

[signature sound]

subbin for more pics. very nice so far. cant wait to see how it looks minus the sleeper stock wheels setup lol. (jealousy setting in over here btw)

[BMW_Hatchback]

looks sweet, love to get more details on the exhaust

[318_mzk2]

+^^^^^

[3.2TI]

Thanks guys, I am very happy as well.. The exhaust is Active Autowerke e36 M3 exhaust which had to be customized to fit the TI. Active autowerke Short Shifter and Knob, and the matching CAI. Car feels like its gonna fly from under me and reaches extreme torque due to the short exhaust compared to a full M3. It is a beast of its own kind and actually scares the crap out of me..

[318_mzk2]

Videoclip of exhaust pleasee!!!!!!!

[barische]

looks sick man... nice car