E30 with M52b28

[TJ Blaze 1]

Hey everyone, I've got a E30 dream! How I get there...hoping some E30 enthusiasts can help. 

The dream would be a e30, manual, swapped M52b28 (or better, but from reading this is best bang for buck). 2 door preferred but door more common so that's OK also. Currently I don't own anything but have been looking for a straight e30 to start. 

First option and less likely, anyone selling their own finished project (unlikely I know)? 

Otherwise advise on best path and who could do the work (I can do basics but not a full engine swap)? 

Cheers

Tim

[Blackie 510]

Welcome, you should deffo follow this thread then...

 

[Sammo 2550]

2 hours ago, TJ Blaze said:

Hey everyone, I've got a E30 dream! How I get there...hoping some E30 enthusiasts can help. 

The dream would be a e30, manual, swapped M52b28 (or better, but from reading this is best bang for buck). 2 door preferred but door more common so that's OK also. Currently I don't own anything but have been looking for a straight e30 to start. 

First option and less likely, anyone selling their own finished project (unlikely I know)? 

Otherwise advise on best path and who could do the work (I can do basics but not a full engine swap)? 

Cheers

Tim

Join the club  Whats your general budget?

FB groups are a good place to look as well - theres a guy who has been looking to move on a tidy looking M52B28 swapped sedan for a while there.

@BMTHUG is a good man for working on E30's - workshop on North Shore.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

Welcome - lots of love on here for the E30 and quite a few places around Auckland that know their way around them as well.

[Southerner 146]

On 10/30/2021 at 8:37 AM, TJ Blaze said:

Hey everyone, I've got a E30 dream! How I get there...hoping some E30 enthusiasts can help. 

The dream would be a e30, manual, swapped M52b28 (or better, but from reading this is best bang for buck). 2 door preferred but door more common so that's OK also. Currently I don't own anything but have been looking for a straight e30 to start. 

First option and less likely, anyone selling their own finished project (unlikely I know)? 

Otherwise advise on best path and who could do the work (I can do basics but not a full engine swap)? 

Cheers

Tim

Welcome to the forum!

I too have the same dream and am doing this swap myself, my project is in the project thread.

As @Sammo said, whats your budget? Realistically its not a cheap process these days, even the car themselves have skyrocketed, probably 15K minimum for a nice coupe, that before any work on it

[TJ Blaze 1]

Thanks everyone who replied, good to see the dream is shared with others. I'll start with FB groups.

So budget wise I was hoping for $15K but could stretch to $20K if needed. As I think I'd be hanging onto the car for some years I'd be happy to get something rust free and straight to begin with, then can slowly spend more and chip away at the project - drive train, panel, paint, interior etc. Anyone have a rough indication of cost to swap, all components and labour? Would $5K get it done nicely?

 

[Blackie 510]

52 minutes ago, TJ Blaze said:

Would $5K get it done nicely?

 

I doubt it.

I did a M52 swap into an E36 compact. It cost me around 500-600 because I found a wrecked donor cheap and did all the work myself.  The car was already manual, etc with little needing doing. If you need a manual setup budget 3k+, clutch 1.5k, M52 500-1000 depending. Replace buggered hoses and gaskets, ECU remap, freshen gearbox linkages, gilbo, radiator, brakes and swaybar upgrade etc. That's without labour which is possibly the most expensive part?

[nick496 269]

I did the swap myself in my E30 about 5 years ago, and it cost me around 6k including the cert.
Mine was manual to begin with.

Prices these days for most of the parts have gone up, so ballparking maybe 10?

Don't forget the exhaust. If you're not handy with a welder, that can get pricey.

[Southerner 146]

2 hours ago, TJ Blaze said:

Thanks everyone who replied, good to see the dream is shared with others. I'll start with FB groups.

So budget wise I was hoping for $15K but could stretch to $20K if needed. As I think I'd be hanging onto the car for some years I'd be happy to get something rust free and straight to begin with, then can slowly spend more and chip away at the project - drive train, panel, paint, interior etc. Anyone have a rough indication of cost to swap, all components and labour? Would $5K get it done nicely?

 

To be realistic it depends on what your thinking is nicely? Is it purely a M52 and nothing else possibly.

But to go with one to do it nicely,

Gearbox

Clutch

New radiator

LSD

Suspension

Brakes

Steering Rack

Dont know if your allowing for wheels and maybe even interior in this build and is that part of the 5k? Could be done later. Depends on where you draw the line in the sand, 

[nick496 269]

It's easy enough to draw the line in the sand about if you need to certify it or not
That will determine if you do it before the cert or after.

[polley 916]

Look at m52tub28 and m54 as well, probably easier to find than a m52 these days and similar price.

[Sammo 2550]

43 minutes ago, polley said:

Look at m52tub28 and m54 as well, probably easier to find than a m52 these days and similar price.

M54 in an E30 would be wicked - is it a trickier install with the drive by wire throttle though?

[Ghost Chip 188]

43 minutes ago, polley said:

Look at m52tub28 and m54 as well, probably easier to find than a m52 these days and similar price.

The double vanos on the tub28 I’ve heard is not as nice to work on. M54b30 would be great although I’m pretty sure it’s near impossible to have AC if you want that (-already quite difficult as it is with a m52). M50b25 would be a good base if you’re wanting to turbo it.

This guide below gives a good overview of what the swap will entail. Although if you’re planning to cert it, you’ll need to do more (depending on what your certifier says e.g driveshaft hoops, wrapping the exhaust, etc…)

https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/index.php?title=Engine_Swap_-_M5x

[polley 916]

12 minutes ago, Sammo said:

M54 in an E30 would be wicked - is it a trickier install with the drive by wire throttle though?

Its only a few wires and mounting the throttle pedal really.

[polley 916]

5 minutes ago, Ghost Chip said:

The double vanos on the tub28 I’ve heard is not as nice to work on. M54b30 would be great although I’m pretty sure it’s near impossible to have AC if you want that (-already quite difficult as it is with a m52). M50b25 would be a good base if you’re wanting to turbo it.

This guide below gives a good overview of what the swap will entail. Although if you’re planning to cert it, you’ll need to do more (depending on what your certifier says e.g driveshaft hoops, wrapping the exhaust, etc…)

https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/index.php?title=Engine_Swap_-_M5x

The vanos system is pretty simple, and plenty of info online if you wanted to touch it, not that you really need to.

[Sammo 2550]

On 11/1/2021 at 9:54 AM, nick496 said:

I did the swap myself in my E30 about 5 years ago, and it cost me around 6k including the cert.
Mine was manual to begin with.

Prices these days for most of the parts have gone up, so ballparking maybe 10?

Don't forget the exhaust. If you're not handy with a welder, that can get pricey.

Quite spendy I would think these days, especially if needing a workshop to do it (I would).

Was thinking about this route (put a 24v in an auto 318i)  if I can't find a manual 325i 2 door... not sure if it would be any more cost effective though.

 

[nick496 269]

7 minutes ago, Sammo said:

Quite spendy I would think these days, especially if needing a workshop to do it (I would).

Was thinking about this route (put a 24v in an auto 318i)  if I can't find a manual 325i 2 door... not sure if it would be any more cost effective though.

 

Yeah, I don't know if it's any more cost effective if you're not doing the work yourself.
The difference being that at least you know that the gaskets etc have been refreshed while you've done the swap. 

The struggle is of course at the moment finding a decent example of a 2 door, 318 auto or 325i manual.

[Ghost Chip 188]

@Sammo if you’re serious get a quote from SJ. He did it for the previous owner of the car that I now own + cert as well. It does start adding up quickly if you want it done properly, but the tax on a 325i coupe is quite high as well.

[Sammo 2550]

16 minutes ago, Ghost Chip said:

@Sammo if you’re serious get a quote from SJ. He did it for the previous owner of the car that I now own + cert as well. It does start adding up quickly if you want it done properly, but the tax on a 325i coupe is quite high as well.

Yeah, My E46 is there as we speak so going to pick his brain a little when I pick it up 😎