BMW E36 and E30 V8 swaps

Facebook page more active than this blog

2011-09-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

Since I've created the Facebook page, it's much more interactive than this blog. It's alot easier for people to comment/discuss stuff, and easier to post pics. Check it out here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/E36v8-Motorsports/220057698033202

Finished E30 5.0 for sale in Boston

2011-09-07T06:43:00.001-07:00

Here's your chance to get a driving E30 5.0: Ryan from Boston is selling his converted car: "Hey Matt what's going on? I have driven my E30 all summer as a daily driver with absolutely no problems. Now it is time to sell, I am going to do a 740i with a LS1 conversion next. My car is on Craigslist Boston for $4,900 or best offer." You can call Ryan at 508-509-6375

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/cto/2584730317.html

E30 trans mount sorted

2011-07-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

I tweaked the design on the E30 transmission crossmember last night. I made it to fit both the T5 and the Tremec. I should have some in, and some E30 oilpans made up, in a week or two.

Got donuts?

2011-07-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

Tremec, meet your new home!

2011-07-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

I finally massaged enough of the transmission tunnel to fit the Tremec in the E30. And check out our new Facebook page!

Fitting the T5 in the E30

2011-07-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

I have been learning the hard way how much the trans tunnel needs to be massaged to fit the T5 bellhousing. Install, mark, remove, beat with a hammer, repeat! I think I did this maybe 6-8 times yesterday? I dont want to beat too much because it takes away from legroom. So close, but not in yet.

Oilpan mod

2011-06-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, after I dropped the engine in, the oilpan was hitting the rack bolts, so out it came and I had a new pan made. Take 2!

The shuttle has landed

2011-06-07T19:55:00.001-07:00

I dropped the 5.0 in my E30 tonight without any major problems. Woot!

E30 oilpan

2011-05-15T18:39:00.001-07:00

I got my oilpan did!

Big brake kits for E36, on a budget

2011-05-05T13:53:00.001-07:00

Robert Mott knows a hell of alot more about big brakes than I do. He has been making brakes adapters for Porsches and other track cars. He is making caliper adapters that make big brakes super easy and cheap for non-M E36 cars. Here's what he sent me:

"Non-M3 to Wilwood Superlite adapter Prototypes off a 3 axis Bridgport mill are done and fit perfectly. I'm going to sell these Billet adapter protoypes with BRAND NEW M3 325x28mm rotors.... The next sets will be CNC'd and have an elliptical shape and will include new mounting bolts....$425 shipped anywhere in the U.S." So basically, all you have to do is buy the Wilwood calipers and pads and you have giant brakes on the cheap! Contact him at robert-mott@ouhsc.ed u

Robert may be developing a similar kit for E30, stay tuned...

E30 progress

2011-04-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

Here's where I'm at today:

Bought Explorer motor, Tremec 5 spd trans, BBK headers, Summit parts, etc. The car is already stripped. I had to put wiring harness and glass back in. Sunroof panel tack welded in place. I'm going to convert the Explorer EFI to Mustang EFI. I cant decide to keep the 3.73 limited slip or use a 2.93 open to keep the revs down. Decided on manual brakes, couldnt find a 540 booster/linkage setup. I'm working like crazy on this manual.

Everything is going to go much faster than my first swap.

Jack's E36 pictures

2011-03-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from Jack's E36 swap:

More pics here

E30 arrived, 5.0 bought

2011-03-10T06:25:00.001-08:00

I ended up buying Tommy's shell of an E30. Ironically, Tommy was one of the first guys to try out the E30 engine mounts. He decided to go back to his Miata project instead of the E30. He stripped it down to almost nothing. No drivetrain, interior, sound deadening, nothing! It's so light, thee men can pick up the rear end and move it. So I have to re-assemble it, but its kinda neat because I will add back the bare essentials to keep the weight low, but have it driveable. It came with Corbeau seat brackets, cool 16" Miata wheels, rear plastic bumper, boxes of parts, a pair of my motor mounts, prototype trans mount, and a one-of-a-kind steering wheel. :)

I also found a whole 1997 Mountaineer 5.0 with a bad transmission for $500. Why an Explorer 5.0 instead of a Mustang 5.0? 3 reasons:

1. Shorter front accessories should fit better in the E30 (1.75" shorter, I believe)
2. GT40P heads kick ass
3. Explorer intake and throttle body kick ass

Temporarily out of stock - motor mounts

2011-02-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

Sorry, Im currently out of motor mounts, I should have more in a few weeks, bear with me

Announcement: E30 V8 beast in the works

2011-02-22T19:35:00.000-08:00

Many of you have reminded me to get off my ass and write the E30 V8 swap manual.

Tonight, I have started plans for a E30 V8 car. Here's the details:

- 1988 325is coupe, stock suspension and brakes (for now)
- 3.73 LS rear end
- 5.0 with carb, GT40 Explorer heads and headers
- C4 automatic transmission

I'll post pics of my progress on here and document everything fully for the manual.

The C4 automatic and carb will make the swap alot simpler and cheaper, which goes perfectly with the E30, I think. It will also give people a wider variety of options. When I finish the E30 swap manual, I'll include the E36 swap manual on the CD too.

I might even paint the thing flat black. :)

Im still here

2011-02-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Well, after the most traumatic 2 months of my life, I'm still here and getting you guys what you want! Its amazing what you can bounce back from with the right attitude.

Due to my divorce, I sold my E36 5.0 on eBay. The new owners are crazy about it. It's a husband and wife, and the wife grew up racing cars on dirt tracks and stuff. She has called me several times to tell me how much she loves it.

I still have all parts in stock, and I am working on writing the E30 swap manual. (Rewriting actually - hard drive crash erased the last one) I also have a bunch of E36 shift rods made up, I just need to add links for the shopping cart.

I have sent a ton of parts out, all over the world. I sure wish you guys wouldn't leave us all hangin' and SEND US YOUR DAMN PICTURES LOL!

Thanks again folks and if you need anything from me, just let me know!

Matt

Some good deals on E30's and sick motor setups

2011-01-06T14:13:00.000-08:00

A few people have emailed me about some stuff for sale:

Jeff is selling an E30 and TT302 setup:
Simply inquiring if anyone you know would be interested. If you give me a number i can send photos of the motor assembled, the FR T5, and all the other mounds of shit I have for the swap. I just got a new house and cannot afford to spend time on this car. 87 325e in great shape minus a small rust spot under drivers door... 87 302 rebuilt last year with 38.5k on rebuild, twin garrett T04Rs, 76MM garret single ( for optional single turbo setup) HUGE Fmic, zoom clutch, your motor mounts and trans prototype ( thank you so much for being kind enough to send it). The engine has TFlow track heat intake, FR injectors, FR MAF, new water pump, a pair of T04 manifolds on it wth the T04s bolted to it. Text me or call me if you are interested in seeing any of these pics i have on my phone.

Contact Jeff at six three six 328 5476 stlsportscars@yahoo.com

Tommy is selling his E30:
I'm needing to sell my E30. I'm moving in the next few months and will only be able to take my Miata along, so the V8 I've built up will be going into that instead. Would you want to pick up the E30 pretty cheap (less than $1000)? Comes with my prototype trans mount. ;) If you have any interest in it at all, lemme know.

Contact Tommy at nismo_92@yahoo.com seven seven oh 778-2638

Divorce sucks

2010-12-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

Blindsided by a divorce, I'm sorry if I can't get you your emails right now. I will get orders out as soon as I can, please be patient with the questions. - Thanks, Matt

My car is still for sale

2010-11-29T03:32:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to sell my car, and I've lowered the price. If you or anyone you know is interested, please let me know:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1526320

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250733191222&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

http://picasaweb.google.com/65Matt/350iBMWWith50Engine#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seWYVz368-w

Thanks!

Cody's E30 5.0 swap pictures

2010-11-02T10:56:00.001-07:00

Cody is taking alot of awesome pictures of his swap here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeypwnsj00/sets/72157625202508640/

Awesome work!

Global swapping, international shipping, and Jalopnik feature

2010-10-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that these swaps are going global. I shipped a set of mounts to Norway today, and I have shipped sets of motor mounts to England. I quoted some shipping rates to Australia a while back.

If you are outside of the USA, make a note of this: I can ship the CD and the engine mounts inside a USPS flat rate box for about $45 anywhere in the world. The problem is the trans crossmember, it's too long for the flat rate box. If you want the crossmember, the next cheapest option is Fedex International. Shipping to Norway was a hefty $220, shipping to Australia was higher I believe.

If you want to check rates, just go to Fedex International, and estimate the rates for a 'Large' Fedex box about 15 pounds. It ships from US zipcode 31904. I don't mind filling out the customs form, but you'll have to pay any import taxes that might apply to you.

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In other news, my car was featured on the automotive blog Jalopnik:

http://jalopnik.com/5667308/for-9000-get-a-light-sleeper

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Lastly, take a look at this Flickr photo set by Joey. He's got an eye for photography, so it will be neat to watch him document his swap. As he progresses, I'll do another blog post about it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeypwnsj00/sets/72157625202508640/with/5098962158/

Timothy's 5.0 build thread: super clean and lots of pictures!

2010-08-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

Tim, an experienced 5.0 swapper, is doing an amazing job on his project. Everything is super-clean and his exhaust is very nice. Here are some highlights:

- Exhaust, for now, is 2 passenger side headers. The passenger side dumps backwards, while the drivers side dumps forwards and snakes around the front. Pipes are dual 2.5" into a flowmaster.

- He plans to have fully-functioning air conditioning

- He is using the Trick Flow package for a giant leap in horsepower.

Check out his build thread:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1496109

The world's fastest E36 5.0 conversion

2010-07-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present the world's fastest BMW engine conversion. Prize goes to Zongyang, from Kentucky.

Zongyang bought the manual and mounts on June 6. Let's say it took 4 days for everything to arrive to his house. That was 6 weeks ago.

I got an email from Zongyang the other day, saying that his car was running and driving, but he was having cooling issues. He used the stock BMW radiator, and is going to switch to the Thunderbird radiator to see if that helps. (That should only take about 20 minutes for him) :)

I'm still stunned that he is already finished.

Anyway, enough BS, here's some pictures:

He's going to post more pics of his conversion here at his Photobucket Acct:
http://s386.photobucket.com/albums/oo304/dragonszar/FMIC/

In other news, Gene's car is on the track, but he still hasn't sent videos. I guess it's time for me to pester him about that...

edit: Zongyang fixed his cooling issues after swapping to the T-bird radiator. Great job!

E30 5.0 pictures!

2010-07-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

Robert is nearly done with his E30 5.0 swap, and sent some pictures. We're going to be testing out the prototype E30 transmission crossmember shortly. Look at that ginormous radiator!

Gene's E36 5.0 is DONE! Plus, his exhaust pics!

2010-05-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Well folks, this is a happy day for me, as Gene has his car on the road now. Here's a few pics when he was getting his exhaust done.

Folks, this has got to be the simplest, easiest, cheapest setup. Just drop the motor in and tell your exhaust guy to finish it like this. You could probably run the E30 exhaust just like this.

If you remember, Gene's build has the Trick flow package, so he's probably pushing about 300-350 rwhp, near LS1 power! He hopes to do some testing and tuning at Watkins Glen racetrack in about a week. Kick ass!!!

update 5/26/10: Gene emailed me the following:

I am told by the engine builder that rear wheel HP should exceed 400HP with the set-up I have. From the little I've driven it so far, I can tell you it has INCREDIBLE power and acceleration like I've never experienced!!! Hope to dyno it this season. If all goes well I hope to take some on track videos at the Glen and send them on to you. As a SCCA racer and track instructor I hope to have this beast on the track more than a few times this year. Now the rest of the car has to be brought up to the performance of the engine. While I upgraded the front suspension during the build I will gradually be upgrading rear suspension and brake system, interior, paint, etc depending on how the funds hold out.
I still don't understand why your build has not taken off like the LS1 conversions. While this has not exactly been an easy weekend project(I estimate about 350-400 hours so far), it certainly doable with persistence and certain mechical skills. Maybe my build will encourage more interest. I will be more than happy to share what I have learned. Thanks for all your development and engineering work, and your encouragement. Keep in touch. Regards, Gene

The fastest way to a BMW E36 V8: Buy my car!!!

2010-05-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, I am selling my car to make way for a new project. This is the fast way to get a v8 E36 without putting in the hours of work! I would like to see someone else to take this car in a new direction (turbo/heads/supercharger/strip it down/race it) Here's the details:

- BMW 1996 328i - converted to 350i
- Ford 5.0 (302) engine from a '91 Mustang in great condition
- T5 manual transmission
- stock 3.90 rear end
- Full mandrel bent single 3" exhaust w/ high flow cat and summit turbo muffler
- Engine mods: Explorer intake & throttle body, K&N filter, underdrive pulleys, aftermarket headers (1 5/8 primaries), 3" custom single exhaust.
- Suspension: Brand new H&R sport springs and Koni single adjustable shocks, M3 strut hats (offset for more caster), polyurethane rear trailing arm bushings
- Wheels/tires are staggered M3 with Michelin Pilot sports. Tires are not bald, but they could probably use replacing soon.
- New brake pads on front
- Car is very clean with no accidents, approximately 195k on chassis
- White exterior/black leather interior
- Car works great with a few thousand miles on it
- Tinted windows
- Clear corner and sidelights
- Issues: A/C is not connected, chip in windshield, one tire loses air, and I haven't corrected the tach: To correct tach, just install this: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DAK-SGI-8/
- Car is located in Columbus, GA
- Total weight is forthcoming
- The car comes with a free conversion manual to document everything
- Price: $8,900 or best offer

Why I'm selling: I enjoy building things more than driving them. I know it's weird, blame it on my ADD :) Here's some projects I'm considering:
- A BMW E30 5.0 with Explorer motor and a carb (basically a go-kart)
- 4wd 2nd generation 4Runner - possible 5.0 swap, maybe chop the back off
- '48-54 Chevy pickup Rat Rod - slammed & rusty with a fuel injected 350 and torq-thrust wheels

The car is sorted and reliable. There's no reason why you couldn't drive it home. I have filmed a few videos where the car was driven hard, but most of the miles on it since the swap are easy miles, cruisin' around town with the V8 rumblin'. More pics and details are available, just email me at 65matt@gmail.com

Ryan's E30 Remote booster pics!!!

2010-04-30T07:12:00.001-07:00

Here's Ryan's pictures of his '91 E30. He mounted a remote booster from a '94-95 e34 540. Awesome work, Ryan!

Here's how to put a 5.0 in a BMW 2002!!!

2010-04-30T06:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I received an email from named Petri, who builds hot rods out of Alpine, California. (www.alpinetrade.com) He is originally from Finland. He has an amazing project, where he basically cut off the bottom of a BMW 2002 and welded on the entire bottom of a Fox Mustang, including suspension, floor pans, everything! What an amazing project:

http://www.alpinetrade.com/Racing_Team.php

E30 remote brake booster

2010-04-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

I received this email the other day: "Hey – I bought your engine mounts and e36 manual, very helpful. I am doing a 91 e30 conversion and will try to send some pictures soon. Car is just about done. Just wanted to let you know that a 94-95 e34 540 has a remote booster setup that puts everything in front of the shock tower and runs off linkages. I got one from a salvage yard complete master/booster all linkages and firewall plate for $75.00. I had to move abs pump forward about 6 inches and shorten the linkage rods but it fits great, just thought you might like another option."

I'll post pictures as soon as I get them - the booster seems to be the only hang-up in the E30 5.0 swap. This is a nice cheap solution to the problem, and the only one where you get to keep your power brakes!

BMW E36 5.0 302 V8 swap: Hard Launch!

2010-04-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

To satisfy demand, here's a hard launch video of my BMW E36 with 5.0 Mustang engine and T5 transmission swapped in. This is not a full rev, clutch dump burnout, but it is a hard, tire spinning launch. You can also see that it's easy to spin 2nd gear at will. The rear end is all stock BMW, with 200k miles on it - see, it won't blow up! :) It is not a limited slip rear-end, but sometimes both tires spin. I have very wide rear tires with the staggered M3 rims - 245's I think. Full information is available at www.e36v8.com and www.e30v8.com (E30 5.0 swaps are now happening, too). Check out the blog on my site for other swapped cars. Keep in mind, I only spent about $2,300 on this swap total!

Gene's progress

2010-04-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of Gene's progress - it looks great with the Trick Flow intake and MSD wires. He deleted his A/C, but is keeping power steering. Looks great!

Perry's BMW E36 325is 5.0 V8 converted race car (on a budget!)

2010-03-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

Perry, one of the earliest people to start this swap, is a SCCA champion autocrosser. After finding a cracked block, he was forced to rebuild his engine, setting him back. The engine is currently built and on the stand.

Perry's motor is a great example of how to build a 5.0 on a budget. By using GT40P heads and headers, and a F303 cam, this engine will be putting down strong, reliable power using dirt-cheap factory parts. The GT40P heads and headers come stock on '97-99 Ford Explorers, and the F303 cam is a tried and true bumpstick. Perry has built his engine to produce boatloads of torque, something that he can really use on the racetrack. With a combo like this, who needs to drop $5,000 on an LS1, or $10,000 on a supercharged/turbo'd M3 motor?

Perry should be able to recover most or all of his engine cost when he sells his built BMW M50 motor. Here is one time when the high cost of BMW parts actually works in your favor!

The sickest part about this whole thing is that the engine is going to be dropped in Perry's stripped-down race car that only weighs about 2400 lbs (with drivetrain). This thing is going to have the power to weight ratio of a Monster Miata or a Shelby Cobra replica, but has the benefit of a stiff chassis, great weight distribution, huge brakes, and huge tires, at a fraction of the cost.

Here's the specs on his build and a teaser shot:
Engine: 1994 302

GT40P heads (58cc version)
F303 Cam
24# injectors
70mm Throttle Body
Exploder Intake (GT-40 style)
FRPP GT40P Specific Shorty headers

Trans: T-5

12lb Flywheel
Stage 2+ clutch

Car: 1992 BMW 325is

Projected weight: 2400lbs
17x9.5 Corvette wheels (!)
275-45-17 tires

The motor should make 270-290rwhp 300-320rwtq

Swap brought to you by:

2M2BES (2 motorcycle, 2 bike, engine shed)
Jamie
Home of the BMW E36 5.0 V8 conversion

Stay tuned as we post more updates from this awesome build!

Gene's ABS relocation

2010-03-02T08:24:00.001-08:00

Gene's 5.0 E36 is coming along nicely

2010-02-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak peek of Gene's 5.0 BMW E36. Check out the sweet Trick Flow valve covers, MSD distributor, and ceramic coated headers. Do I spy 30 lb. injectors??? His plan is to turn the exhaust pipes back under for dual exhaust, instead of Y-ing into one pipe like I did. Stay tuned for updates...

Brad's 5.0 E30 is alive!

2010-02-16T12:52:00.001-08:00

This man works faster than anyone I know. This is the second known E30 5.0 in existence!

Matt Haskell's E36 318ti 5.0 build (with Cali emissions!)

2010-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Matt Haskell is a guy who completed his E36 5.0 swap before I did. He did a great job, and had to jump through extra hoops to get his car emissions certified in CA. Here's his build thread, which you guys may not have seen because Bimmerforums does not allow links to competitive sites:

http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24620

Tommy's E30 347 build

2010-01-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

Tommy is the second person to get my E30 5.0 mounts. Once we're 100% sure Brad's mounts fit, I will be sending him a pair. He's building a monster - a stripped down E30 with a 347 with a carb, I believe. He's documenting his build here:

http://www.347i.tumblr.com/

Brad's E30 5.0 Build

2010-01-22T13:49:00.001-08:00

I have been working with Brad, pioneering the E30 5.0 swap. He is documenting his swap over at E30Tech.com. Here's the link:

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85697

Welcome to the E36V8 and E30 V8 blog

2010-01-22T05:55:00.000-08:00

Folks, the spammers overwhelmed me on the message board, so I deleted it. Too much pain in the ass. Sorry about all that. I figure there are lots of message boards out there on this stuff, like Bimmerforums, E30tech, and others.

I've replaced the boards with a blog, where I can showcase the badass cars you guys are building and post other important info. You can add it to your RSS feed, or I think you can even have it emailed to you. I promise not to fill up your inbox with dumb stuff, but I will do a separate blog post for each persons car. That way, you can easily look in the sidebar and find someone's car.