New to Ti but a BMW enthusiasts

[Cwjacksonka]

Hello everyone. I will start off by saying that I absolutely love BMW! I have always been a fan of the way they handle and their power band. Last BMW I had was a 2000 323i. Was a great car but family issues caused me to get rid of it. Finally got my hands on a 95 318Ti to drive to save on gas. Main reason I got it was so my son and I could build it and it be his first car when he turns 16. Now my daughter is wanting one too so I am looking at getting a 95 325i I got 8 years to build them both..LOL..but will be driving the 318Ti to save on gas in the mean time. I have noticed that the 318Ti is kinda rare so I am not sure if I really want to go extreme on it. I am torn between building and boosting the M42 or swapping the M50tu. I am also going to go look at a 1998 318ti but it has no title and will be for parts only. I have been seeing search results on the S42B20 and it does look like a good project. What are your thoughts?

[dahamler]

Welcome to the site!

I think 6 cylinder swaps provide the best "bang for your buck" when it comes to HP/TQ and the added weight would be comparable to a supercharged or turbocharged version of the M4X. The increased displacement will also provide a solid base for future modifications (in case you get bitten by the HP bug) and will also provide a more liner powerband and increased reliability. The swap is very straightforward and extensively documented in several threads on this website. I own two swapped 318ti(s) that my wife and I take to autocrosses and HPDEs. I daily drove her car for 4 years with a 700 miles weekly commute and the S52 returned an average of 26 mpg with a 2.90 lsd and 90/10 highway/city.

Where in Georgia are you located? I'd love to take you out for a test drive and discuss your options.

[Cwjacksonka]

I live in box springs Georgia and work on fort benning

[Driving_Impaired]

Hey Georgia guy here too! I'm up in Atlanta and just got my first ti to surprise my dad with. It's going to be a rallycross build.

Funny you mention boosting it... That's what my shop wants to do. That will be a lot farther down the road but an intriguing option nonetheless.