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Old 01-01-2017, 02:21 AM   #18
anassa
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Join Date: Dec 2011
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Default Progress!

The backstory to how I decided to go with the swap.


***Don't worry it won't be quick. *****

Around the start of November I was really thinking if it was even worth keeping my ti. Even though I had replaced the clutch/guibo/oilhousing gasket and it was running better then ever, I just wondered why I should keep it. I still think the rear looks awkward after owning the car for four years, the e36 coupe looks a lot better and comes stock with a m52/s52 (I would go OBDII for sure) then there is also the more complex rear suspension. Other then weight and "uniqueness" there isn't really much going for the 318ti in my opinion.

Besides why should I keep a car, keep investing in it when the value probably won't really ever go up, I mean its not a ///M and it isn't rare enough. Lastly when I bought the car I was actually looking for a e30.

The e36 is can look nice for sure, but it when it comes to styling it seems the awkward teen phase between the boxy and tough e30 and sleek and stylish e46. So I started looking at craigslist and forums, spending hours looking at cars and considering going back toward a Japanese car.

The only problem with going to any other used car is that in my price range (3k~4k) I know I would have to do maintenance and start over with a unknown car. But I was open if it had good maintence records, so I ended up driving only driving three cars:

- 2.8l z3 with hardtop. Talk about lack of space!! Not practical but kind cool... with my head close to the roof . (6'2)

- 95 318ti with 302 v8 mustang engine. Now that was awesome!!! But the work to make it smog legal, and it was nose heavy, and MPG's... (I want to do this someday though )

- 318ti w DASC & NickG Stg2 tune, this was a members car and was also fun, kind of weird that everything feels exactly the same but with more power. Some work was needed though with maintenance/bushings etc.

Basically no matter what I was going to spend money... and I didn't want to. In mid-late December I had two weeks with more free time then usual before the full swing of things started so I needed to make sure I had whatever I was going to do done with. The only reason to keep my car was familiarity and also because what I had imagined for it was not completed. So that bugged me.

Then I thought well if I swap in a m52 on a budget it could be done around 3k hopefully and it would also increase the value of the car if Reffed to be smog legal. That way I get some more power, keep it reliable and get it one step closer to what I had imagined years ago. I asked around, got my budget set and decided to go that route.

One of my concerns was proper brakes/suspension and with the adapter for 300mm vented rear rotors by SRS-concepts, the brakes could be done in a more or less OEM bias, and using Z3M suspension would keep it decently well balanced.

Then came the swap, and getting parts. But that is coming in another post, I will also be posting up the actual cost... I went way over budget... , but! I think its worth it. I will explain later.


It runs!! So close to complete:

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Last edited by anassa; 03-23-2017 at 05:32 AM.
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