318ti.org forum - View Single Post - Blew my engine

cali-ti · 06-08-2005, 01:40 PM

how much time do you have that you can be without your car? how much money can you spend? have you started looking for wrecked m3's in your area yet?

the shop i was talking to about a DASC/m3 also said exactly what you did, you want an m3 donor car, not just the engine/trans and it's all the little bits and pieces that you'll need to do it right that will nickel and dime you to death.

if you can source an m3 donor and a shop that has experience doing the swap quickly enough, i think a week is a safe bet on the amount of time it would take to have it done (hopefully less but a week to be safe). check some of the other threads on what kind of labor costs you'd be looking at for that amount of work, rental car fees (unless you can borrow a friend's spare car or something), etc ... can you afford it?

then price out a used 96+ m44 and see what that would cost. labor should be a good deal less because it should be a direct swap. obviously, this won't give you the even bigger grin the m3 swap would, but if you can't afford the time/money ...

06-08-2005, 01:40 PM	#2
cali-ti aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 iTrader: (0) Photo Gallery	how much time do you have that you can be without your car? how much money can you spend? have you started looking for wrecked m3's in your area yet? the shop i was talking to about a DASC/m3 also said exactly what you did, you want an m3 donor car, not just the engine/trans and it's all the little bits and pieces that you'll need to do it right that will nickel and dime you to death. if you can source an m3 donor and a shop that has experience doing the swap quickly enough, i think a week is a safe bet on the amount of time it would take to have it done (hopefully less but a week to be safe). check some of the other threads on what kind of labor costs you'd be looking at for that amount of work, rental car fees (unless you can borrow a friend's spare car or something), etc ... can you afford it? then price out a used 96+ m44 and see what that would cost. labor should be a good deal less because it should be a direct swap. obviously, this won't give you the even bigger grin the m3 swap would, but if you can't afford the time/money ... __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts 2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel