Just thinking out loud!!

Ok!! Here it goes. I’ve been lurking around on here for about the last year or so. I am currently living/ stationed in Okinawa, Japan and in the next year and a half or so I’ll be getting ready to move to my next base. My father in law gave me his 87 325is a few years ago. It’s been setting untouched for at least the last four years. So, with me moving soon I’ll have some options. There is a good possibility that I will be moving to Germany or I will try to move up to mainland Japan. If I stay in Japanland the car will sit some more but if I go to Germany (most likely will happen) the dust will be power washed off the car and it will be going with me. This is where y’all come in. I have easy access to SR20DET’s, 1JZ’s (I have 2 in my shed right now) and RB25/26’s. I have owned all 3 motors so working on them and getting parts is not a problem. Since the car has sat for so long the engine is going to need a lot of work. It will be cheaper for me to do a swap than a rebuild. The car will be stripped and set up for drifting/touge. So, I wanted to know which would be a better swap (getting it in the car)? Which would need fewer modifications to the car itself to get the motor and mission in the car? Thanks in advance for any help and comments.

Laters
Mark

i wouldnt bother waiting for an answer here. 99% of the engine swaps here are to other BMW engines. try asking on r3vlimited

if you have to ask you probably arent capable enough to do a motor swap of that caliber.

you need to look at the oil pan desigs of all 3 motors:

are the sumps in the pan like a bmw ?
is it in a location that would interfere with the subframe on an e30 ?
if it isnt, can the pan be modded, yet functional to be moved around the e30 subframe ?

next look at the drive system :
is it AWD ?
is the AWD system in a location that will hit or interfere with the trans tunnel or subframe ?


these are just some of the MANY aspects you need to look at. if you cant figure out the basics on your own, your going to be screwed when it actually comes to the hard, technical parts of the swap.

Originally Posted by fcsteve

if you have to ask you probably arent capable enough to do a motor swap of that caliber.

Now wonder I never like BMW's, most owners are pricks!

Don't blame the car for the actions of the owner. Lol. Some people are just more straight forward than others.

I don't necessarily agree with what he said from the start but he is right. Figuring out how everything or if everything can fit are the basics.

There's just a lot of technical but like the one guy said check out r3vlimited. You'll find better help or someone that can point you in the right direction.

Originally Posted by draggin a$$

Now wonder I never like BMW's, most owners are pricks!

Its not that we are pricks we just don't like people that ruin the car by throwing in some JDM junk. Respect the name and throw in a S50/S52 out of an M3 or something. You chose the wrong forum. And if you don't like BMW's then don't bother ruining the one you have sell it to someone who will enjoy it.

If you are going to Germany, you have many options that we here in the States only dream about. I would attempt a S62 in a touring. Or an S54. Or an S50B32... and so on.

Originally Posted by markseven

if you are going to germany, you have many options that we here in the states only dream about. I would attempt a s62 in a touring. Or an s54. Or an s50b32... And so on.

+1

+365

I completely forgot about it. Ur goin to Germany. You might be in the wrong car buddy. It isn't a BMW on the outside if it isn't on the inside.

M powaaaa!!! Lol

Originally Posted by draggin a$$

Now wonder I never like BMW's, most owners are pricks!

No, just Steve.

Originally Posted by swiss

no, just steve.

ygpm

Originally Posted by draggin a$$

Now wonder I never like BMW's, most owners are pricks!

Steve looks like you have another one all butt hurt

I’m not butt hurt about it!! It’s just I asked a question and the first response I get is “if you have to ask you probably aren’t capable enough to do a motor swap of that caliber”. To me that’s a dumbass. Y’all don’t know what I’m capable of. I’ve done all kinds of swaps. The reason I asked the question was because I got a free car and I can get these engines for free or really cheap. Which is better than spending a **** ton of money to have to rebuild or replace the engine in the car. The car is going to be a track car anyway so I don’t care what goes in it as long as it runs and I can slide it.