Michael.

What part of it is 4,125m2?

Import something from Japan land. Cheap!

Mmm that would go well.

Yeah for sure. I think it ended up being a few hundred dollars to do my E36s subframe mountings, including the rear trailing arm socket plates. Although from what I've seen E46s fail in a slightly different way.

Interesting stuff. I think I should have mentioned the whole joint of a project is to center it around using a good reliable, well proven engine, I believe using a car like an E46 just gives it a good handling, and well styled shell to run in. Using something with a varied track record like an M62 would bring the whole thing down in my opinion, yes its nice to keep it OEM, but when there are better options it seems foolish.

True I agree. But there's also the dodgy coolant reservoirs that like to leak in the valley of the block to reseal. Brittle plastic cooling parts need replacing, oil pump bolts loosening too or was that an M60 issue? All add to additional repair work that a Toyota V8 doesn't require. I had a chat with one particular ex BMW mechanic that strongly advised to not bother with them when I looked into possibly changing the existing 1UZ in my E36. Prior to I was quite interested in them and went as far as borrowing an M62 and heads from Ray to draw up on CAD for some comparisons to my 1UZ arrangement. Seems they heads are a bit wider than the 1UZ otherwise much the same overall. I never finished drawing it up as it felt like a dead end with what the mechanic had to say. Even Glenn shared similar comments if I recall correctly.

Yeah it's quite a logical idea. That engine seems to have mixed opinions out there though. I thought about playing with them but a few guys were saying no way, don't bother. (including a couple of BMW mechanics) What have you done to the M62 you put into your red E30? The usual preventative maintenance?

Hmmmm I can see the LS1 as a good option. They are a popular engine for a reason But I've always felt they seem a little pricey on the market because of the popularity. From what I've seen a half cut package is on average $6000 for a 350hp/490nm LS1, That makes for $17.5 per HP and $12.2 per NM Where as the 3UZ V8 half cuts seem to float around $4000 for a 320hp/430nm engine, making for $12.5 per HP and $9.3 per NM On the flip side, I know Toyota engines well, what to expect with , the wiring and fueling aspects so they are an easier choice. Not the most powerful, but easier

10/10 Ray and team, you've done it again! I still can't fathom how foolish BMW was not to make the Touring an M3. Looks superb. Very RS4 esque with the wheel arches... can't wait to see the rear done too.

Exciting! I love such trips.

Interesting possible candidates. Does seem kinda problematic though... and the other side of it is how well would they all get a long on camera. Guy Martin is a complete cowboy, very hard to understand too. I like him a lot but I can't see how the BBC would run with him. I sense too pushing him into a show like that would possibly ruin his quirky charm. Jode Kidd, well hardly surprising they want a woman in the mix. She would be ok, but it would change the dynamic of the show completely. Philip Glenister is pretty cool, but from what I've seen he doesn't really know a great deal about cars. He doesn't seem funny either. It all sounds like a lot of hot air really. Next minute they will probably announce the show is on a undetermined hiatus

Cool stuff Nice work bending that control arm!!

Even Brosnan would agreed, he was clearly enjoying his in the back seat:

That 100-220kph is insane. Soooo much torque.

Haha. Funny you say this guys years ago I thought the idea of a 'track ready' E38 to be quite an exciting prospect, mainly because of the way they look and the whole vibe they have. You're probably right about not dismissing them too quick... perhaps I should take you up on that offer of a test drive. I've not actually driven one! I've always like the way the look, but never looked into them enough to know what the suspension is like etc. On the plus side, two E38s could be had for the price of one E46 touring given typical market prices!

Yeah way to expensive for what I would be willing to spend. As good as the S65 seems to be, their early bearing failures rings major alarm bells... what will happens when they are 10+ year old engines? S85 more expensive again, not sold on the way the V10s sound compared to your V8 options either. Yeah agreed, everythings been done really, but the fun is purely about just doing such work yourself etc. Gotta spend money somehow Haha, but thats the thing, I like the way BMWs feel on the road and the way they look, same with the way they are put together. It's a hard to beat combination. Toyotas just don't have the same road feel I find.

Seeing all the various BMWs today at the monthly Sunday meet got me thinking about what project options there are to work from. Rather hypothetical, but I always like to spin ideas around in my head until I get bored and move onto another idea. I'm still most pleased with my Soarers but I feel a void missing without a BMW to tinker with since selling my E36 V8. I suppose these are my options and my brief thoughts: 1 Series E87 - Never been a fan of the styling... quality is typical of an entry level BMW. 3 Series E30 - Do like them a lot, but easy to become massive resto projects depending on condition and spec... 3 Series E36 - Been there and done that, not a fan of their styling anymore or the way they feel on the road. 3 Series E46 - Coupe and Touring are smart looking machines even in non M spec... plenty of potential. I've always thought they have aged very well, I regret not doing my 1UZ V8 conversion in an E46. I've always like the touring E46 shape too, a well balancing looking car, better looking than the sedan and most people go for the coupes from what I've seen. 3 Series E9X - I'n not so much a fan of the bland styling, even on the facelifts, just a bit too uninspired. The interior quality seems less than of the E46s too. 5 Series E34 - As much as I like them, they are pretty dated and do need good overhauls, I've had a 540i and 535i so kinda been there and done that with both so I don't think much is to be gained playing with those again. 5 Series E39 - I did like them at one point, while I like the interior, the exterior doesn't excite me enough... nor does the prospect of various odd issues they like to get depending on their engine and year options. That said if I had a good one I wouldn't be unhappy. 5 Series E60 - I like some of them, the LCI facelifts seem like decent cars, not sold on the interior styling over the E39 interior though, possibly too new 'era' for me with all the I-drive stuff etc, I think they will become quite problematic in the coming years too, but who knows. 7 Series E32/E38 - Great looking cars but too big, fairly complex and not really a fun weekend project car you can take for a good drive - I'm not a chauffeur! 8 Series E31 - As cool as they look, they are complicated aging cars that need a lot of TLC. Not sure I want a big 2 door cruiser either. Having thought about each series, I think that just brings me back to the E46s again. Probably the easiest choice out of the lot, pretty simple cars too, similar to the E36 in many ways which is a car I understand well. Of course they have a few more electrics to get around but other than that seem like a sound choice. Between a coupe or Touring, I think a 6 cylinder touring would be a good base having the thicker axles and 188mm diff from factory. Of course I would be inclined to change the engine to make it fun, but what to run is always the question. While I like the S52/S54 and S62 - sweet engines a with a reliable track record and as good as NA motors can get, they are expensive options. That said it's ideal to have an OEM engine in an OEM car and would add to the value when it comes time to selling. Otherwise I feel there aren't many other BMW engines that interest me, not so keen on the M6X V8s or the M5X engines having seen where they can go wrong. So it leaves a few Toyota engine options out there: 2GR-FE 3.5 V6, same spec as a S50B32 output, but could be mounted further back being a V6. On the flip side I find V6s a bit boring but they are a compact modern 230kw powerhouses so end up being a bit more exciting than your average one. V6s don't sound as good as V8s either which means they are probably a no go for me. 1JZ/2JZ Turbos - Well proven engines with reliability and easy to get more power out of. Obviously the best choice for outright performance but I'm not such a fan on turbocharged engines and don't really want more than 350hp. 1UZ-FE, 4.0 V8, Good engine but a little old now, no vvti or modern features so don't really make enough power without being supercharged or turbocharged. 3UZ-FE 4.3 VVTi V8, The last and best variation of the 1UZ, 4.3L with 320hp/440nm out of the box, reliable as anything and can be had from 2001-201X so still modern engines in the used market. Easy to run a manual gearbox behind one too. 1GZ-FE 5.0 V12 - A motor I've always been interested in but they do need a front sump setup due to the way the oil pump and timing chain hangs down. Not sure this would work in an E46 chassis due to the subframe positions. Most expensive Toyota engine choice too, reaching stock outputs of ~ 330hp/481nm, pretty high scoring for the unique factor, not many quad cam V12s about! Having thought about the above I reckon an E46 touring, 3UZ V8, manual w58 5 speed, some nice M3 suspension bits and an similar style RS4 V8 exhaust with dual mufflers out the back would make for a fun practical machine. From my past experience the trick would be to making it all integrate easily, and making sure it was a good daily driver with all the comforts like A/C retained etc - Factory themed (with a Toyota motor) Another key is to keep an eye on the budget, so easy to over spend if ones not careful!

I didn't know you could get 540i E60s Nice.

Looks sharp. 530i?

New badges.

Probably a very good buy. Throw out the 3L V8 and go see Brent for a nice 4L non vanos until to swap in place.

Haha. I think that pics been on the internet for about 30 years.

Hahahahaha

I thought such. But on the contrary, if you can afford such a large expensive car, your garage and house should be able to accommodate it. Then again, I could see how this would be useful for tight spaces in concrete parking blocks under offices etc - although Im sure such tolerances would be too small and the program wont allow it to park automatically.. hopefully BMW did it properly.

I like that presenter. But I can't help but find that remote control feature far too gimicky. Purely a party trick so you can pretend to be James Bond in Tomorrow Never dies with 007 Motorolla controlled E38, except not as fancy When would one actually use it in reality?