What to do with my s52/5-speed car. Sell, trade, turbo, LS?

[green525]

So I did the s52/5-speed and have had it for about 6 months. It's great but I'm bored with it..so I can either sell the whole car, or part it, or dump more money in a turbo engine or LS. Any suggestions? :dunno

[Tre0Tre34]

I vote turbo!

Ample opportunity to keep tuning and tweaking in order to keep your interest peaked

[Sam Son]

The S52 is the engine the E34 shouldve come with from the factory. However it's not exactly a power house. They can be damn quick but certainly leave you wanting more after a bit

[green525]

I have a M52 short block that I would use for a turbo set up, but I probably sell the S52 for funds. I have a 5.3 Ls engine also just sitting...guess I could sell that too.
My S52 rips, but an e34 is a lot of weight to move. Thought about cams, and had Windows XP set up on an old laptop with the intention of going W.A.R. then just lost interest.

Engine '97 S52- All work done by Collier Machine in Naples, FL.
- Block resurfaced, bored to 87mm, hot tanked and painted gloss black
- OEM main bearings
- OEM rod bearings
- CP 87mm 11:1 forged pistons
- Resurfaced cylinder head
- VAC stainless steel valves w/ valve job
- VAC uprated springs with keepers
- Cometic head gasket
- 413 dme w/ TRM chip
- UUC 17# flywheel w/ M5 clutch kit
- 3.23 lsd diff

[Sam Son]

which 5.3 do you have? Thats a fair amount of work into that S52. But an E34 needs more grunt.

[GGray]

How about a 5.3 turbo.... Just go full baller with a T56 six speed...

[Redfive]

The S52 is the engine the E34 shouldve come with from the factory. However it's not exactly a power house. They can be damn quick but certainly leave you wanting more after a bit

Agreed it should have been the middle engine (between the 540 and the 525) instead of the 530 V8. But in the 90s V8s sold luxury cars and it was too close in performance to the 540.

[green525]

I thought about just pulling the s52 and replace it with a m52 and sell the car.

[Sam Son]

Which 5.3 do you have?

[green525]

It's a iron block, cathedral port aluminum head Vortec from a Tahoe.

[Sam Son]

gotchya.

[green525]

I was originally going to use the block for a twin turbo set up in a '81 malibu wagon project.

[Sam Son]

That would be amazing. They make awesome sleepers with those engines. And considering how cheap and plentiful those iron block 5.3s are you can build one up for pretty cheap

[green525]

Think I might just pull the S52 and swap in a M52 with the S52 cams and sell the car. Nobody is going to pay what I want for it the way it's set-up now. Or get into the shipping biz and part it..what a PITA.

[Redfive]

What car would you get to replace it?

[green525]

Well, I just bought a 4-door 2015 GTI on coil-overs and 19's, instead of a mini-van..then there is the '71 square back that needs attention, and the '78 KZ1000 that needs a resto/mod makeover..and family..god I'm old.

[clevertd]

Think I might just pull the S52 and swap in a M52 with the S52 cams and sell the car. Nobody is going to pay what I want for it the way it's set-up now. Or get into the shipping biz and part it..what a PITA.

Well, what do you want for it?

[Burn535i]

Well, I just bought a 4-door 2015 GTI on coil-overs and 19's, instead of a mini-van..then there is the '71 square back that needs attention, and the '78 KZ1000 that needs a resto/mod makeover..and family..god I'm old.

Quite the laundry list ya got there! How do you like the GTI? Did you get the DSG or the manual. I drove a 2015 DSG recently and loved it in both the A3 2.0t and the GTI. I've had a few VW's in the past and always seemed to eventually get sick of the FWD over and over, but this new one just feels so much better. very undetectable unless it is really pushed hard. Im actually considering one myself as my daily. That being said I'm not so sure I want to get a daily like that which could be so much fun it could detract from my 5 in any way (if that makes sense).

[green525]

It's a great all around car. I have the DSG, great double clutch and my wife can drive it, which I never allow..I would say get the real torsion front diff if your going to track one, the electronic version is made to correct torque steer.

[Sam Son]

any pics of the Kawasaki?