98 328i Conversion to 98 M3?

Hey guys I'm brand new to the forums and I've been thinking of doing this conversion for a while now and my 328i is my first beamer I've owned so I don't know much about beamers, so what would I need to swap out to do this conversion? Is it cheaper to just buy a 98 M3?

The following items are different between your car and an M3:

- Engine & DME
- Differential
- Exhaust
- Shocks/struts
- Upper strut mounts
- Wheels & tires
- Bushings
- Sway bars
- Sway bar links
- Springs
- Control arms (same geometry, different ball joints)
- Brake rotors
- Brake calipers
- Brake pads
- Front spindles
- Front bumper
- Rear bumper
- Side mirrors
- Side trim
- Various interior bits (steering wheel, seats, shifter knob)
- Instrument cluster

Also, I don't expect you to know this since you're new to the game, but "Beamer" = BMW motorcycle, and "Bimmer" = BMW car. I suppose one could deduce this since this forum is named "Bimmerfest" and not "Beamerfest"...

Cheaper to just buy an M3 if that's what you really want. If you just want to upgrade the suspension so it handles better than an M, that's doable! An engine swap is pricey and pretty difficult.

You forgot the VIN No matter what you do, that VIN will never be WBS, and it will always be pretending.

That said, M3 or not, at this age a good deal of the suspension will need replacing which gives you a good opportunity to meet or exceed M3 performance there, and the drive train swap itself is not horrifically expensive. You can put yourself in near M3 category for pretty cheaply if you were planning to put some money in upgrades anyway.

Sent from my LG Revolution 4G using BimmerApp

Originally Posted by ZeGerman

The following items are different between your car and an M3:

- Engine & DME
- Differential
- Exhaust
- Shocks/struts
- Upper strut mounts
- Wheels & tires
- Bushings
- Sway bars
- Sway bar links
- Springs
- Control arms (same geometry, different ball joints)
- Brake rotors
- Brake calipers
- Brake pads
- Front spindles
- Front bumper
- Rear bumper
- Side mirrors
- Side trim
- Various interior bits (steering wheel, seats, shifter knob)
- Instrument cluster

Also, I don't expect you to know this since you're new to the game, but "Beamer" = BMW motorcycle, and "Bimmer" = BMW car. I suppose one could deduce this since this forum is named "Bimmerfest" and not "Beamerfest"...

Thanks for the correction, now I know.

Originally Posted by E36 Phantom

You forgot the VIN No matter what you do, that VIN will never be WBS, and it will always be pretending.

That said, M3 or not, at this age a good deal of the suspension will need replacing which gives you a good opportunity to meet or exceed M3 performance there, and the drive train swap itself is not horrifically expensive. You can put yourself in near M3 category for pretty cheaply if you were planning to put some money in upgrades anyway.

Sent from my LG Revolution 4G using BimmerApp

Well the school I'm going to go to will teach me how to replace all that is needed, I was going for more of a sleeper look for the car thats why I asked. Money isn't an issue either. But I'm also curious to see what would put out more power: a single turbo, a twin turbo (if do-able) or a supercharger kit? All suggestions are welcome.

If you want a sleeper, replace your 328i badge with a 318i badge. Done and done.

Originally Posted by petriej

If you want a sleeper, replace your 328i badge with a 318i badge. Done and done.

That's funny, I lean more toward the performance side so that won't happen.