hi, i just bought my first bmw yesterday and i was thinking of swapping a m50b25 in it.
From what i've read most swaps were done with on e30 with m20 engine
and damn, i cant believe the part list required to do this swap...(i only had subarus so far and parts from 93 to 07 were extremely swappable)
Would the m50 worth the time, money and headache spend on it??
im looking for around 170~180 hp, would the m42 give me this extra go??
thanks, im from canada and my english isn't that great sorry
Congratulations on joining the 'club! I'd stick with the M42, of course. The 318iS is gaining in value, and a swap would murder your resale price. An M42 isn't really all that far behind a stock M20 in terms of power, especially given a few little mods. The longer inline-6 motors tend to ruin the happy balance of the 318iS...one reason they're so special is that they're one of the best-feeling BMWs to drive.
But if you're looking to do a cheap & fun E30 swap, sell off the 318iS and find an '88 325 with a 5-speed (the so-called 'Super Eta'). Drop in a 325i top end/harness/173 DME. The resulting hybrid motor is nicknamed the '327i.' With a chip you'll see an easy 180hp (MarkD has one IIRC). Some claim over 200hp with a good tune. You can also find that motor in an '88 528e. The diving board E30s are a bargain, and the Eta will always lag behind the rest of the E30 flock in value (M10 318i excluded), but they're basically the exact same car. I'll bet you could get the whole swap done for under $1000 or so. Just describing this all to you makes me what to try it. I know where one is right now, LOL.
If you desperately wanted to swap something into your 318iS, the best "bang for the buck" candidate in an E30 is likely an M52 from a late 90's 528i. It has the oil sump at the front of the motor, thus will fit the E30 subframe. But you're right about the parts list...it's long and pricey.
I've had a few Subies myself, always admired the way they were put together. Their commitment to interchangeability and servicing is rare in the automotive world. IMHO, all the times I've been to Canada...I've noted your Canadian "English" is better than our American "English."
yeah ive read of that too (327 hybrids), but yeah im in quebec and there is like none e30 around for sale...there's a couple in ontario but than again, i would need to import the car fix everything =.= and do a inspection to be able to plate it. cars from quebec are sad man, HUGE potholes everywhere, falling concrete from the bridges, huge amount of salt so its really really hard to find old cars in good condition
i wanna stay with this 318is i bought it for 1200$ and it was the cheapest one in the market (there's 5 in the market right now), so yeah i dont mind doing a m5x swap on it
would i be able to reuse some of my parts?? the seller gave me a extra 4.10 welded diff, if i cant keep the drivetrain, would my original transmission crossmember work??
ill post a pic of my engine bay
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