Cement

Some more progress over the last few days ... dropped the front subframe and suspension while I wait for the certifier to come and check the reinforcement welding. Can't wait for water restrictions to be over so I can water blast this stuff !! Before removing the subframe I used my laser level to record positions of the steering rack (recording on the garage wall) for height and fore/aft as this is the major area of concern. Also I have locations done previously for the bottom of subframe etc. Now a milestone piece of work ... putting the engine and trans into the hole !!! The good news is that there will be no more fabrication needed than what I expected ... a new subframe for sure and then the real fun of either making a new wet sump or if I come into some money a dry sump setup !? (over capitilising I know !!) ... will just have to see whats possible / practical to get the steering rack into the right / factory location. Will investigate all options to get things to hang together at this point. Will need some customisation around the cabin air intake tray thing also as the motor sits very high. This is positioned so the bonnet can close also without some weird top fuel bulge TLDR: There is hope but its not going to be easy, or cheap. Should I have done a LS or 2J or something instead, probably

Not a whole lot of progress to report, completed the welding in of the top side RACP to frame rail plates. Tricky welding the 3mm plate to ~1mm ... I'd describe it as 'functional' Next up I will remove the fuel and brake lines to clean the underbody ready for some fresh paint, in parallel I might drop the front subframe and test the engine / trans fit.

A couple more happy snaps from today ...

After being out of the car scene for some time, I've decided to throw my hat back in the ring and create something fun to build and ultimately fun to drive. A user friendly budget would be a bonus but we'll see how that one pans out !! This will just be a fun street car so the aim is to have a mix of comfort, performance and looks. The car: A NZ new 2000 BMW 318Ci with 4 speed auto. Quite tidy generally with only a handful of the expected BMW "things that don't work no more" to resolve at a later date. Being under powered will hopefully mean no cracking around the subframe and minimal hard driving time etc on the body. The engine: A Nissan VQ37VHR from a 2009 Skyline 370GT automatic. 125k on it give or take so hopefully plenty of life left in it. Factory spec at 243kW which should be a solid upgrade over the cars stock 77 !! No plans for anything engine wise at the moment, must get mobile and legal first. Progress so far: The car is sitting with front end off, engine and driveline are out, rear interior and fuel tank etc removed. Have cleaned the underside to a reasonable standard and have welded in the CMP RACP reinforcement kit. Have cleaned and painted the 330 rear end components ready for reinstallation along with installing Powerflex bushes in most locations. Have created a rig to fire up and run the VQ37 on the ground which was a success and a lot of fun ... had the Nissan anti-theft (NATS) removed via UpRev and an ARC license installed at the same time. This was to validate that I can run the motor prior to install and working out the wiring later on when its more difficult. You can check the video here: Next Steps: REALLY keen to get the rear end back together so something is finished !! Will need to complete the welding in of the RACP to frame rails in the boot before the LVV certifier comes to check out my work. Once that's done I can get ready to stitch weld some other trouble areas then underseal and paint it all real pretty before installing the backend. Once the back end is together and looking slick I can finally turn attention to the pointy end and see if the engine is going to play nice. There will be a lot of work involved and a few options to investigate ... current thinking is it will be a custom oil pan and cross member at least. Steering rack may also be an issue. Some Pics To This Point:

Bump ... such value !!

Bump for this beauty

As title says I have an E46 rear subframe reinforcement kit from DriftShop which is surplus to requirements. Link as per the below ... located on the North Shore, Auckland. $75 https://www.driftshop.com/bmw-e46-rear-chassis-subframe-reinforcement-competition.html

As title states I have a M43 engine and 4 speed auto trans removed from a fully functional E46 318Ci with about 196km on it. Comes with alternator, air con compressor, ignition pack etc Apparently trans was just serviced prior to me purchasing the car for a project. Pickup is on the North Shore, Auckland. $400

Thanks for this, I had one ordered from schmiedmann but was told yesterday its back ordered until December so will need to look elsewhere now.

I'm all good for now thanks, the only thing I'm still needing is a clutch pedal.

Interesting ... is there a pretty well accepted recipe for what gets PU and what gets rubber ? This is my first BMW so I'm a little lost

I've seen a few pictures of VQ35's here and there but have not seen a VQ37 as yet ... I like the challenge of getting it all sorted but would be nice to see some more resources out there !! Latest problem is differing wiring between the Infiniti G37 and Nissan 370Z (USDM) which makes me question the 370GY Skyline wiring I am looking at also ... just more work to validate everything really. Back to the bushings, getting some varied vibes really so am a bit on the fence again ... @zero are you recommending a mix of polyurethane and rubber for different locations ?

Nobody has anything that might be useful ? Is it safe at least to assume the pinout is common and ECM simply manufactured by different companies ?

Thanks for the advice thus far ... might be disturbing to some viewers, but the swap is a Nissan VQ37VHR The motivation is a bit of a mixture between future proofing, prep for a power increase (155kW increase ho ho ho) and getting to a known good state as I've only just got the car for this project. I know for sure the front LCA bushes are shot, some times a mild clunk from the rear end. Engine and trans are not an issue as they will almost certainly not be reused, likewise cooling system bar radiator (potentially). Good call it might be smart to take a decent poke around on a hoist with an expert ... mostly I just don't want to drop the rear out again after the power increase reveals its all a bit sloppy. Any inspection recommendations in Auckland (North Shore ideal) to go to who is more at the performance end as opposed to quiet and comfy ? No drift plans, will be a fun streeter only ... got onto driftshop.com looking for a fuel pump funnily enough but they sell a lot of what I need and prices seem good. Based out of France which is fairly unique !

I'm giving my E46 318ci a freshen up as part of a motor swap project and am looking for guidance as to what is most likely needing to be done from those with more experience with the E46 / BMW in general. Its done nearly 200,000km and maintenance so far (i just purchased for this project) looks to have been at the 'must do' only end of the spectrum based on the tar its running where engine oil should be and the front control arm bushings that are stuffed. I've got some 330 components to go in so will be giving these the love and swapping in when the time is right. Specifically I have front knuckles and calipers, rear subframe / diff / brakes and axles plus drive shaft which will need to be modified at some point. So far the shopping list is below. The obvious omission is shocks / struts / springs / ARB's which I will do later once the project is mobile and finances evaluated. I want to do the harder to get to pieces while I have things in pieces: Rear chassis / subframe reinforcement kit Goodridge braided brake hoses Powerflex bushings (ref numbers 1,3,10,11,17,18,19,25,26) Front control arm bushing set Rear trailing arm bushing set Rear subframe rear bushings Rear subframe front bushings Rear upper arm inner bush (pair) Rear lower control arm outer bush (pair) Rear lower control arm inner bush (pair) Rear diff front mounting bush (pair) Rear diff rear mounting bush The Questions: Is this a generally reasonable approach (essentially replace anything assuming its shot) or overkill and should dial it back to save some cash ? What items are likely to need doing to get things up to a reasonable standard which I have not covered ? (LCA ball joints etc ?) Has anybody had experience with Driftshop.com as this is where I am looking to get everything from. Cheaper / better alternatives ? Best outlet to get brake rotors and pads from ? Looking for slotted only.

This is for an engine / trans swap so don't need trans / related electronics etc. Would this would work for you to part out the conversion ?

Thanks Harper will try him tomorrow.

Hiya ... looking for some upgrades for my 318ci as per the below: 330 Parts: - Essentially full rear end (subframe, diff, axels, brakes etc) Ideally looking for around 3.5 final drive. - Front brake calipers and carriers - Master cylinder to suit Manual Conversion Parts: - Brake and clutch pedal assemblies + anything needed in engine bay (clutch master cylinder etc ?) - Clutch line to slave cylinder - Console surround and shifter boot (I have a coupe if that makes a difference)

Hi hi ... I need to get the ECU / DME pinout for my 318ci E46 (NZ new with M43 engine). Basically all of the content I see online is for Siemens computers (MS43 etc), including resources at https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e46-318ci-cou/components-connectors/components/a-control-units-modules/ My ECU is a Bosch unit 'DME 1 430 940' ... i see there are variances with pinouts on newtis for the various A6000 entries so keen to ensure i get the right info. Mucho thanks !!!