E30 3 series

[Rotary Madness]

im wondering if anyone here can give me any help on an idea of mine.

I plan to buy myself a reasonable E30 318 for around 1k so i can get an ok one. Thing is they only have a 1.8 engine and 5 speed box as standard. Now my plan was to run it for a little bit in standard spec whilst i clean it up and do the suspension/brakes etc. I then want to hopefully drop in a bigger engine, most likely a straight 6 from an E36, if im lucky a 3.2 from an E36 evo, or if i was feeling really mad a v8, or even a v12 etc from a bigger bmw. Ive also been wondering if itd be easier to install a longer legged diff then swapping the gearbox out for a newer age one/6 speed?

Any help mucho apreiceato!

[buggalugs]

Diff can be done - coincidentally I'm going to stuff the longer diff from an e28 into the back of my 320i tomorrow if the weather is agreeable! The 318 will come with a small case diff but this can be changed to medium case quite straightforwardly. Diffs in 318's, 320's etc. can be up around 4.1 - 325's can have 3.64's, and if you go find the diffs of e28's you can get down to 2.97. I'm trying a 3.07 in mine which should give about 2200rpm at 70mph with the current gearbox.

M50 swap is pretty do-able too, I've agreed to buy an engine off a PH'er, together with an m40 box and a few e34 bits should drop in quite nicely. The hardest bit so I'm told will be the exhaust manifold - you need to be handy with a welder, or a have a lot of money to get round that one. Luckily I'm handy with a welder, phew!!

e30zone.net is a good source of swap info - theres a forum dedicated to it. there's a few v8's in the works at the mo. Theres also a 1UZ Lexus engine'd one, and a Nissan SR20DET engine'd one running around.

Great cars, awesome to drive. I love the looks of mine - it's a very plain dark blue with a bit of chrome around the windows, running on BBS's. No spoilers, eyebrows or any of that bks please.

Enjoy