Show Me Your BMW!!!!!!!!!
Discussion
ATM said:
aka_kerrly said:
RoverP6B said:
Incidentally, why an LS1 swap rather than an M62?
Could be the LS1 makes more power as standard, no doubt consumables and rebuild costs are substantially lower and the range of aftermarket parts is enormous. 
Just bought my first beemer! My family have been BMW mad since I can remember and I've never been in the position to own one until recently.
After scouring the web for the right one (right mix of economy and practicality as it needed to be a hatch for my drums) I came across this gem.
It's a 1996 E36 316i SE Compact finished in beautiful Alaska Blue. It's covered just 85,000 miles and the previous owner had the car FROM DAY ONE. That's right, a one owner car. The previous owner had OCD so the car has been maintained to an exceptionally high standard with every service and work done documented in full and in detail. For a 20 year old car it drives like it's 6 months old!
I paid just £950.
I'm going to keep the majority of the car standard, apart from fitting some genuine fogs and period 16" alloys...although this is subject to change!
It's my daily drive and even though it may be classed by some as the 'runt' of the BMW litter but I absolutely love it and never fails to put a smile on my face.
After scouring the web for the right one (right mix of economy and practicality as it needed to be a hatch for my drums) I came across this gem.
It's a 1996 E36 316i SE Compact finished in beautiful Alaska Blue. It's covered just 85,000 miles and the previous owner had the car FROM DAY ONE. That's right, a one owner car. The previous owner had OCD so the car has been maintained to an exceptionally high standard with every service and work done documented in full and in detail. For a 20 year old car it drives like it's 6 months old!
I paid just £950.
I'm going to keep the majority of the car standard, apart from fitting some genuine fogs and period 16" alloys...although this is subject to change!
It's my daily drive and even though it may be classed by some as the 'runt' of the BMW litter but I absolutely love it and never fails to put a smile on my face.
aka_kerrly said:
Could be the LS1 makes more power as standard, no doubt consumables and rebuild costs are substantially lower and the range of aftermarket parts is enormous.
An M62B46 as found in many E63 X5s makes a respectable 350ish bhp, and is hardly trying at that. S62 (and there are plenty of scrapper M5s to plunder), 400bhp stock. BMW engines are well supported here - LSs aren't, everything has to be bought in from the US... and then there's the completely un-BMW agricultural character of these engines, all mid-range and no top end, can't rev 'em much thanks to GM's archaic ideas about valve control... putting an LS in a BMW seems as daft to me as putting an M62 in a Chevelle.RoverP6B said:
aka_kerrly said:
Could be the LS1 makes more power as standard, no doubt consumables and rebuild costs are substantially lower and the range of aftermarket parts is enormous.
An M62B46 as found in many E63 X5s makes a respectable 350ish bhp, and is hardly trying at that. S62 (and there are plenty of scrapper M5s to plunder), 400bhp stock. BMW engines are well supported here - LSs aren't, everything has to be bought in from the US... and then there's the completely un-BMW agricultural character of these engines, all mid-range and no top end, can't rev 'em much thanks to GM's archaic ideas about valve control... putting an LS in a BMW seems as daft to me as putting an M62 in a Chevelle.ATM said:
RoverP6B said:
aka_kerrly said:
Could be the LS1 makes more power as standard, no doubt consumables and rebuild costs are substantially lower and the range of aftermarket parts is enormous.
An M62B46 as found in many E63 X5s makes a respectable 350ish bhp, and is hardly trying at that. S62 (and there are plenty of scrapper M5s to plunder), 400bhp stock. BMW engines are well supported here - LSs aren't, everything has to be bought in from the US... and then there's the completely un-BMW agricultural character of these engines, all mid-range and no top end, can't rev 'em much thanks to GM's archaic ideas about valve control... putting an LS in a BMW seems as daft to me as putting an M62 in a Chevelle.Saying the LS1-X V8 engines are not well supported in the UK is a bold comment. You only have to look around the Yank/Holden forums on here to find a few uk suppliers/tuners who can source any part needed.
Drumtasticnick said:
It's a 1996 E36 316i SE Compact finished in beautiful Alaska Blue. It's covered just 85,000 miles and the previous owner had the car FROM DAY ONE. That's right, a one owner car. The previous owner had OCD so the car has been maintained to an exceptionally high standard with every service and work done documented in full and in detail. For a 20 year old car it drives like it's 6 months old.
That looks lovely & sounds like you've bought a really nice genuine car. Cherish it & try to keep it as original as possible & you'll find that you will get a lot more than you paid for it when you come to sell it in a few years time 
Drumtasticnick said:
Just bought my first beemer! My family have been BMW mad since I can remember and I've never been in the position to own one until recently.
After scouring the web for the right one (right mix of economy and practicality as it needed to be a hatch for my drums) I came across this gem.
It's a 1996 E36 316i SE Compact finished in beautiful Alaska Blue. It's covered just 85,000 miles and the previous owner had the car FROM DAY ONE. That's right, a one owner car. The previous owner had OCD so the car has been maintained to an exceptionally high standard with every service and work done documented in full and in detail. For a 20 year old car it drives like it's 6 months old!
I paid just £950.
I'm going to keep the majority of the car standard, apart from fitting some genuine fogs and period 16" alloys...although this is subject to change!
It's my daily drive and even though it may be classed by some as the 'runt' of the BMW litter but I absolutely love it and never fails to put a smile on my face.
Nice looking car. If you change the wheels, I may be interested in your current 15 inchers..After scouring the web for the right one (right mix of economy and practicality as it needed to be a hatch for my drums) I came across this gem.
It's a 1996 E36 316i SE Compact finished in beautiful Alaska Blue. It's covered just 85,000 miles and the previous owner had the car FROM DAY ONE. That's right, a one owner car. The previous owner had OCD so the car has been maintained to an exceptionally high standard with every service and work done documented in full and in detail. For a 20 year old car it drives like it's 6 months old!
I paid just £950.
I'm going to keep the majority of the car standard, apart from fitting some genuine fogs and period 16" alloys...although this is subject to change!
It's my daily drive and even though it may be classed by some as the 'runt' of the BMW litter but I absolutely love it and never fails to put a smile on my face.
aka_kerrly said:
Consider that not all conversions are based on hours of comparing OEM/non OEM engines, a LSX V8 has a proven track record especially when fitted to many non US cars. Saying the LS1-X V8 engines are not well supported in the UK is a bold comment. You only have to look around the Yank/Holden forums on here to find a few uk suppliers/tuners who can source any part needed.
Being able to source parts and having them in stock as a matter of routine are two very different matters. Personally, I don't care for non-OEM swaps as they usually don't fit the character of either car or engine, it just ends up feeling like a misfit. BMW engines are supposed to rev like hell, and LSs don't. The best place for an LS is, I would argue, in a Chevrolet Suburban, or replacing an old iron-block in some piece of classic muscle.RoverP6B said:
aka_kerrly said:
Consider that not all conversions are based on hours of comparing OEM/non OEM engines, a LSX V8 has a proven track record especially when fitted to many non US cars. Saying the LS1-X V8 engines are not well supported in the UK is a bold comment. You only have to look around the Yank/Holden forums on here to find a few uk suppliers/tuners who can source any part needed.
Being able to source parts and having them in stock as a matter of routine are two very different matters. Personally, I don't care for non-OEM swaps as they usually don't fit the character of either car or engine, it just ends up feeling like a misfit. BMW engines are supposed to rev like hell, and LSs don't. The best place for an LS is, I would argue, in a Chevrolet Suburban, or replacing an old iron-block in some piece of classic muscle.Thinking about trading in the e46 for the new 6 series 640d. There's a nice little overview and a few pics of this beautiful car here: http://msportdriver.com/share/general/12. I gave the M6 e63 a thought as the V10 sounds brutal, but the petrol consumption is too much of a killer as a daily runner!
RoverP6B said:
Don't do it! 640d - awful engine, great big 2-ton whale of a car, electric steering, the definition of dull...
Yes it does feel its weight and the steering isn't that communicative but the engine is very effective and it offers serious pace yet still returns around 40mpg so it does have a strong appeal if you are covering big miles.Plus its a lovely looking motor(I reckon) and has a very nice interior too.
Agree diesel engines aren't especially exciting but its hard to blame BMW for their current petrol and diesel engine line up as pretty much all manufacturers have had to adhere to tighter emissions rules...it doesn't make for a very exciting engine sadly when compared to the old days, but that's the modern way now.
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