Sell it, or drive it until it dies?

[Ryann]

Word.

[iamcreepingdeath]

I bought a 1984 BMW 533i for $550.  Runs perfect.  All it needed was a new PS pump and wheel bearing.  Got the entire hub/strut assembly from a junkyard for $60, scored a PS pump off a forum member (myE28.com) for $50, and its a great car!

[arcter]

I'll try to get the numbers maybe by this weekend.

While we're on the subject of putting in a new engine, might it be an ideal time to go for an M50 swap? I know it'll cost more but I'm maybe able to have a guy I know do the work for me for $25 an hour which will save me some money. My only concerns are how much money this would cost and getting it smooged in California.

[4banger]

i wouldt do a 6pot swap. id rebuild what you got. it is my goal to save as many 318's from being ruined with a 6pot swap as i can lol

[Chalino]

i wouldt do a 6pot swap. id rebuild what you got. it is my goal to save as many 318's from being ruined with a 6pot swap as i can lol

What exactly does the "pot" in 6pot or 4pot mean? I know it refers to the # of cylinders but why pot?

[BlueBMW]

What exactly does the "pot" in 6pot or 4pot mean? I know it refers to the # of cylinders but why pot?

Good question... :confused:

I agree with other and say keep the car, fix it up and enjoy it!  If you're even a little bit mechanically handy you'll be able to keep it running nice for not a whole lot of money.  Hopefully you can figure out what's messing it up.  Worst case, I've seen guys on here selling motors on occasion for not a lot of money.

[arcter]

I know the "6pot" swap would ruin the 318iS in the sense that it would no longer be a 318iS, but is there anything else wrong with it? I mean, if I'm committing to keeping this car, I wouldn't mind more power, even though I do find the m42 to be plenty of fun. If I'm doing any sort of engine replacement it'll probably just boil down to what I can do for a reasonable amount of money, and what sort of engine I can find. I don't see many m42's for sale and some of the other engines are quite a bit more common.

I have a guy that will do the work, whatever it ends up being, for $25 an hour. So because I've got that help I've got a little more freedom with what I do, but I still want it to be reasonably cost-effective.

[4banger]

What exactly does the "pot" in 6pot or 4pot mean? I know it refers to the # of cylinders but why pot?

its a european thing. being irish born my self and living there untill i was 16. old habits are hard to break.

[4banger]

I know the "6pot" swap would ruin the 318iS in the sense that it would no longer be a 318iS, but is there anything else wrong with it? I mean, if I'm committing to keeping this car, I wouldn't mind more power, even though I do find the m42 to be plenty of fun. If I'm doing any sort of engine replacement it'll probably just boil down to what I can do for a reasonable amount of money, and what sort of engine I can find. I don't see many m42's for sale and some of the other engines are quite a bit more common.

I have a guy that will do the work, whatever it ends up being, for $25 an hour. So because I've got that help I've got a little more freedom with what I do, but I still want it to be reasonably cost-effective.

weighs more. it wont handle as well. it throws off the near perfect 50/50 weight distro the 318's have.. i you want a 6pot car sell the 318 and buy one.

[BlueBMW]

Why not fix up the m42 for a bit more power?  There seem to be plenty of options to get more power (turbos etc)  Not sure how the cost would compare to a 6 cyl swap... but might be more original.

[arcter]

Why not fix up the m42 for a bit more power?  There seem to be plenty of options to get more power (turbos etc)  Not sure how the cost would compare to a 6 cyl swap... but might be more original.

Well, it mostly comes down to the cost of fixing this engine up, and of course FI isn't quite as reliable as an engine swap.

[jgraves]

I was considering an S52 swap myself and I had just as much work done on my M42 as you have.  I noticed the biggest difference in my M42 when I have my valve cover gasket replaced and a good cleaning of each fuel injector.  When I started looking at $3800-$4500 for a S52 engine and transmission and another $3500 for labor to put it in, it didn't make sense to do it now.  I know two people here in New Jersey that have done an S52 swap on their E30 and they regret it now.  They were unfortunate to end up with engines that already had serious issues before they put them in and did not realize it until they had them installed.  That's why it's better and cheaper to keep what you already have, because you don't want to make an expensive mistake on an engine that's been dogged out.  Let's face, people that own any M BMW don't buy it to cruise around being cool.  They buy them to dog the hell out of them.

[arcter]

I was considering an S52 swap myself and I had just as much work done on my M42 as you have.  I noticed the biggest difference in my M42 when I have my valve cover gasket replaced and a good cleaning of each fuel injector.  When I started looking at $3800-$4500 for a S52 engine and transmission and another $3500 for labor to put it in, it didn't make sense to do it now.  I know two people here in New Jersey that have done an S52 swap on their E30 and they regret it now.  They were unfortunate to end up with engines that already had serious issues before they put them in and did not realize it until they had them installed.  That's why it's better and cheaper to keep what you already have, because you don't want to make an expensive mistake on an engine that's been dogged out.  Let's face, people that own any M BMW don't buy it to cruise around being cool.  They buy them to dog the hell out of them.

Well admittedly I'm looking mostly into M50s which are typically pretty reliable engines if you find a good one. I miss my E34 sometimes

[BlueBMW]

I always thought an M60B30 would be an interesting swap.... probably too heavy though.

[Phreon]

Hey Arcter,
Where are you and how much do you want for it?
P