bmw haters

[markmam]

hi im planning a big project for my 1984 E30 318i that is sitting in front of my house for a long time waiting for an engine donnor. and we found one. i have a friend who crashed his 1994 rx7 it was hit on the rear and declared totaled he has a lot of cars so he doesnt mind giving me the front clip of the car.

now the best part how can i do the engine swap what does it take

i know that my car has an inline 4 1.8L with manual trans

the rx7 has a rotary 1.3L with manual trans

i can strip my bmw coz none of the electronic work and i would just work back after i got the engine in.

ill just keep it short so you guys wouldnt get tired reading it

but i love that 318i it has the ride of a 300e and a handling of a real bmw
this are the last cars bmw really made good

[raymr]

The rotary has a high output shaft so either the engine has to sit low or you need plenty of clearance under the tunnel for the tranny. The turbo adds lots of complexity with the additional plumbing. They are hard to mantain as is. Hopefully the engine won't crap an apex seal when you are all done. It sounds like a fun project but be prepared to shell out some big bucks for a custom driveshaft, mounts, linkages, hi-temp cat and cat-back, etc.

[markmam]

i think i got plenty of clearance on the tunnel coz the car is also built for an inline 6 bout those high temp stuff is my problem. and the drive shaft does it cost to get a custom one that can support 300 hp. and its hard to find a indepedent rear end that can mount on the e30 with out making too much mod. even the m3 e30 only can support 200 hp. can you list more stuff that my problem that can get on the way

[BAVBMW]

Wow.

You sound ambitious. I suppose that could be commendable.

As a professional BMW and MBZ tech, I could go on and on about the problems you'll face, but that would only depress you, and make you decide not to undertake this problem... forgive me, I meant project. But the choice really only belongs to you, so I'll let all that go. The only question I do have is why? Why would you want to do this? What are you hoping to gain? What is your ultimate goal with this car? Please enlighten us.

MV

[markmam]

well having a one of a kind car is one thing, money is not a problem but one of the thing is that i built it. im an enthusiast.

http://www.europart.co.nz/sponsored%20racer.htm

this guy did it so it means its not impossible i just need to know the part and the full extent of the work can it be done in my garage. can it be a one man team to do it.

i need more info from you Bavbmw what is the full extent of the work i know i dont have.

pls tell me the problem coz i dont want to find it while im on the way.

i wanted to tackle a good project but not a hard one i have all the engine and car for free. i got plenty of time in my hand my son can get tools from his school. and i got a friend who is SAE certified but he is in california and im in las vegas. im reasearching on what the problems are. do i need to relocate and make a new hole for the shifter and more.

pls knowledge me

[Ara T.]

You got a machine shop handy I hope. If it were me I'd want the Rotary in the BMW. That's the whole point of the RX7.

[TheDon]

why not slap that wankel into a beetle.. i would

[t walgamuth]

the classic ingredients of an engine swap:

one car with a bad engine,

another with a good engine and bad body.

this cross bred beast is one i would not attempt. it will be tons of work and when finished you wont be able to sell it to either bmw guys or mazda guys.

saleproof.

if you can get it done first.

but god knows i admire spunk.

good luck in whatever you do.

tom w

Will that little 1.3L 2 triangle engine even have enough torque to get the BMW going?

[Maki]

Get an M42 BMW 4-banger from a wrecked E36. A lot of people regard the E30 318i with the M42 engine as the poor man's M3. Make sure the profile gasket has been changed before installing.

[Maki]

...Or better yet, an M50 6-cyl rocketship. Looky here: http://www.zionsvilleautosport.com/store/shop.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=6134&Product_Code=EEECL&Category_Code=CKE

[markmam]

oh if your asking about torque you got plenty

its twin turbo

redline at 8000 rpm it i might be wrong i think its 10000 till you hit the rev limiter

bhp is 245

torque is 250 lbs.

rotary engine is a wonderful thing (seals are have to be rebuild every 70k miles) but u would not have a problem on overheating. and there is not a lot of moving parts so its free on redlining it can handle it. the power of that little thing beats every engine on power to litter ratio.

about the bmw e30 its absolutely a champ its a 22 year old car but no rust the inside is beat up but can be fixed. the best part is the suspension of that beast. pop a stiff spring on that beast you can cancel out understeer and oversteer (i found a video of an e30 that turns like an F1 racer). but stock its a monster soft on bumps but hadle corners like a champ so its a both of the two. and i dont have a lot of electronics on the bmw no pwr locks no pwr window so i dont need a lot to change all i need is a good a/c and heater radio and thats it.
i think after spending 8gs it would be a good or an amazing car with new paint and an acceptable interior.

pls share your ideas because i dont want to tackle this project and stop on the middle if i cant do it. i want to have all the answers to the problem before i encounter it.

thank you guys for your info

more would be merrier

[t walgamuth]

i dont want to tackle this project and stop on the middle if i cant do it. i want to have all the answers to the problem before i encounter it.

exactly why i will discourage this project.

i have done a couple of very simple engine swaps: a 300d motor into a 240. we used all stock mercedes parts. a very minimum of fabricaiton was done. and still it takes some effort to pull of a complete swap in which everything works in the end.

different make swaps make me cringe unless the person doing the work is EXTREMELY experienced and well funded.

with either ingredient lacking the possibilities of an aborted swap seem very high.

there is no swap that cannot be done given money and or skill.

for your first, i recommend sticking with a more energetic bmw motor into your sweet little 318. this way you can round up parts that actually exist and have a car that when finished you can not only enjoy but sell to a bmw lover when you tire of it (and we always do).

or do an all mazda build up with your good motor.

good luck

tom w

[cmac2012]

I wouldn't do it. Sorry. Major headaches ahead for questionable gain.