BMW 330CI

[Second Gen]

Morning - Since I sold the RX7 (FD) about 10 years ago I have been driving the M Roadster (BMW Z4 with a S54 Motor) and it is just still to nice to be wrenching (60K unmolested). So I am thinking about selling it in the spring and getting a RWD BMW I can wrench on (Like Doc says "it not what you buy..."). Either way I like the 3 series BMW's and found one in VA with a bad motor and debating on picking it up and build/turbo'ing it or a swap (Not likely a LS). Maybe a N54 (Turbo BMW 6). Curious if I do this is there many people in C-bus that might be doing something similar or some support (I always leaned on the crew of the RX7 store (Xavier) or Logan Carswell if I got in over my head with the ReX).

 

Let me know as I will likely head down this weekend if the guy does not sell it before.

 

Yes the 330Ci looks to be pretty clean (Good starter chassis)

[cruizin01]

E46 chassis?

 

I haven't really seen anyone swapping N54's into those, especially locally. N54 swap seems complicated and expensive to me. But I guess it would be cool.

 

Ive seen several E46 LS swapped cars locally. My buddy is LS swapping his E90 car right now.

 

But yeah I dont really know any shops locally that are doing this type of work. Its rarely profitable if I had to guess.

[Second Gen]

Yes an E46 chassis and maybe I will just go with the M54B30 and rebuild it with lower compression pistons and plan out a turbo build. Know the N54/55 motors are capable of so many HP's. Will keep looking at other sites (Nothing really specific for BMW's in the thread about good sites to look at car shtuff's). Still thinking about it but think the E46 is a good platform to start with..

[Second Gen]

Goal was to get something close to the old FD/RX7 (400 HP and 320 trq). Would want to get close to 500 as this platform is quite a bit heavier (Weight-to-thrust close). Another ReX might be an option if they were not so stinking expensive right now (Including parts)..

 

Assuming most of the guys that have them are thinking about selling them (FD's) now..

[AWW$HEEET]

Dude just buy a 335i. You'd spend more on your e46 mystery swap idea.

 

Source: 135i owner

[RyM3rC]

Dude just buy a 335i. You'd spend more on your e46 mystery swap idea.

 

Source: 135i owner

 

Joke's on you, an old 335 will be a project anyways. :gabe:

[AWW$HEEET]

Joke's on you, an old 335 will be a project anyways. :gabe:

 

If its cheap, yeah youd have to unfuck it. But an outright swap would be way more difficult, and expensive.

[STEVE-O]

Joke's on you, any 335 will be a project anyways. :gabe:

 

Fixed it for ya

[Aaron]

This generally sounds like a terrible idea. You have a nice desirable car, With the right recipe. Rwd manual with a characterful motor, with low miles in presumably great condition. The grass isn’t greener on the shitbox “swap” side of the fence. You’ll regret it and be out time and money you could have been enjoying actually driving your modern classic.

[AWW$HEEET]

In general, I wouldn't swap anything into that e46. If you have a line on a clean 330ci (manual of course), buy it, white knight all the maintenance, and enjoy it for what it is.

[Not Brian]

(Like Doc says "it not what you buy...")

The same Doc with a pile of Bentleys and other unobtainable foreign cars in his multiple garages?

[Doc1647545523]

My sig is:

 

What's impressive is what you built, not what I bought

 

and I stand by that. There's more sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in what you build yourself than in anything you buy. I admit I don't have the skills to build or significantly modify a car, and I do the next best thing .... buy it. But no one should be impressed by someone who only writes a check.

[Otis Nice]

My sig is:

 

What's impressive is what you built, not what I bought

 

and I stand by that. There's more sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in what you build yourself than in anything you buy. I admit I don't have the skills to build or significantly modify a car, and I do the next best thing .... buy it. But no one should be impressed by someone who only writes a check.

 

[RS69]

+1 with Otis!!

[Geeto67]

buy it. But no one should be impressed by someone who only writes a check.

 

I dunno, without checks, some of these really great shops can't do the really impressive things they do. There is something to be said for the patron of the arts, and to that end there is something to be said for the guy who commissions Speedkore, Steve Strope, Chip Foose, et al to make magic happen. I am not saying you should value the check writer more than the craftsman, but it should be recognized that one doesn't exist without the other.

 

 

 

turning this back to a BMW conversation for a second - rather than an N54 in an E46, I don't think this is a great idea. Those engines have a fair bit of turbo issues that usually require sorting. They are reliable when sorted and maintained but most of them out there are suffering from some combination of the following common problems:

 

High-Pressure Fuel Pump(HPFP)Failure

Turbocharger Failure/Wastegate Rattle

Leaky Fuel Injectors

Leaking Boost/ Charge pipe Failure

Valve Cover Oil Leak

Carbon Build-up

Vanos Solenoid failure (2A87 and 2A88)

Water Pump Failure

 

Instead, I would look at an M62 naturally aspirated v8 swap into the e46 chassis. There are more than a few swap kits that make this a bolt in proposition, and it's not hard to tune 400hp out of one (S62 in the e39 m5 was 394hp stock), plus they are cheap and common.

[Second Gen]

Picked up the 330CI over the weekend and other than being horrible dirty I like the vehicle:

 

Observations:

No rust anywhere - Color is Laguna Seca Blue (448) with a black leather interior and yes the clear coat is coming off in a couple places

Motor/Head gasket toast (Smell antifreeze in the smoky exhaust but too funny runs well

Lots of miles on the motor/car (200K) was told the car was originally from the South

Nice M wheels and newer tires

Surprise in the trunk (New Powerstop rotors and Hawk Plus pads - all four corners) - $300 plus value

Another surprise with a nice® set of M floor mats (Dirty - Will steam / power wash)

Interior 7 out of 10 (Mostly one door panel and the drivers seat is toast

 

Plan is to get the head off after I get the Timing chain alignment tools (Coming from Amazon). This locks everything in place to simplify reassembly (No assumptions with the motor).

 

Would post pics, but do not remember the best location to post (Plus nothing exciting with the car yet)..

 

One more note rented a car hauler from U-Haul and what a hot mess. Had it at one location, then moved me to another only for that person not to return it. Then I was offered one in the town I was picking it up only to find out it was closed. They really sucked. Finally was sent to another town and literally when to an open parking lot to take the trailer (No one was there). Really a mess of a process, but the trailer was great (Would love to have access to one of these regularly.)

[Second Gen]

I dunno, without checks, some of these really great shops can't do the really impressive things they do. There is something to be said for the patron of the arts, and to that end there is something to be said for the guy who commissions Speedkore, Steve Strope, Chip Foose, et al to make magic happen. I am not saying you should value the check writer more than the craftsman, but it should be recognized that one doesn't exist without the other.

 

 

 

turning this back to a BMW conversation for a second - rather than an N54 in an E46, I don't think this is a great idea. Those engines have a fair bit of turbo issues that usually require sorting. They are reliable when sorted and maintained but most of them out there are suffering from some combination of the following common problems:

 

High-Pressure Fuel Pump(HPFP)Failure

Turbocharger Failure/Wastegate Rattle

Leaky Fuel Injectors

Leaking Boost/ Charge pipe Failure

Valve Cover Oil Leak

Carbon Build-up

Vanos Solenoid failure (2A87 and 2A88)

Water Pump Failure

 

Instead, I would look at an M62 naturally aspirated v8 swap into the e46 chassis. There are more than a few swap kits that make this a bolt in proposition, and it's not hard to tune 400hp out of one (S62 in the e39 m5 was 394hp stock), plus they are cheap and common.

 

May look into the M62 (If reasonable maybe the S62B50) as this is not too far off the HP I was thinking about. I also loved this combo in the E92's

[Second Gen]

One more:

I am not planning on this being a high $$ build and not one I plan to do overnight. Will definitely morph as I get into the tear down mode. As always appreciate any ideas (feedback too even if it is mentioning "Shit-box").

 

Who knows maybe this is just an excuse to tear into something as I have really not wrenched on anything since I sold the ReX/FD about 9 years ago)

[10phone2]

why not one of the older iron block and non-vanos heads dohc inline 6 engines for simplicity sake?

[Geeto67]

May look into the M62 (If reasonable maybe the S62B50) as this is not too far off the HP I was thinking about. I also loved this combo in the E92's

 

S62 is the e39 M5 engine, going rate is about $10K-$12K for one. An M60/62 can be found in any 540i or 740i from 1994-2003, and you can usually buy the whole car for around $2500 running. Avoid the later N62 that has the valve seal issues since those are a really expensive and re-occurring.

 

the M60/62 series v8s bolt up to the Getrag 420G transmission which is the same 6 speed used in the E36 and E46 m3 so it will go in the chassis (check the clocking though, I know in E30/E36's and E34s the same trans had different clocking between 3 and 5 series cars).

 

why not one of the older iron block and non-vanos heads dohc inline 6 engines for simplicity sake?

 

because the non vanos engines are mostly SOHC not DOHC. M50 was the first common modern DOHC BMW I6 and it is also the first vanos engine. The M88 is a DOHC Iron block but good luck finding one in the states - we only got them in the M cars (E24/28). Also those old iron block alloy head engines have their own issues with head sealing and warpage as well as overheating.

 

of the old engines the M30 is probably the best one to look at. made from 1968-1995, and found in the E12 M5,, the 635csi, and the E23 735i, they are common and have a lot of potential (esp turbocharging).

Edited November 30, 2021 by Geeto67

[AWW$HEEET]

why not one of the older iron block and non-vanos heads dohc inline 6 engines for simplicity sake?

 

Thats a lateral move tbh.

[10phone2]

could be at the end of it all. m50 iron block and head with the 330 crank, pistons, rods that he already has can make a bolt in 3 liter non-vanos head. strong as it gets for boost and one less bmw oil leak to worry about since no vanos.

[Geeto67]

could be at the end of it all. m50 iron block and head with the 330 crank, pistons, rods that he already has can make a bolt in 3 liter non-vanos head. strong as it gets for boost and one less bmw oil leak to worry about since no vanos.

 

what non-vanos head are you thinking about that fits to the M50?

[10phone2]

m50b25... but nevermind. that means going down the worm hole of having to use non-vano electronics or piggy back in the e46. all that trouble for no extra head flow and still using hydraulic lifters. sure there is a stroke advantage, but alot of risk in process.

[gillbot]

LS swap it :gabe: