318ti==>332ti

[tparrish711]

curious who has done the swap and if they would be able to give me some estimates on total cost of swap including brakes, suspension, exhaust, ect. i've found a 318ti with blown engine for $1k... its got about 120k miles but i figure sicne the whoel suspensionw ill have to be redone thanks to the new power in the 3.2L engine miles on chassis doesn't really matter... any insight? thanks

[windnsea00]

There are a few people on here with M50/M52/S50/S52 swapped Ti's. Having done an E30 S50 and building my suspension up on my Ti...I would put at least $6k aside for an S52 swap, suspension, exhaust and various components (not including any labor).

Of course always expect more because *hit happens.

[Ahheck01]

I owned a 332ti for a while (OBD1 S52, etc), and TRUST ME on this one. Get a coupe or sedan with a blown motor, and put the engine of your choice in there.

Having been all over the BMW spectrum, I have decided that I want to put an LS6 in my 328i, along with the T56 6spd manual transmission. It won't be that much more than a twin screw supercharger, and is lighter than the BMW inline 6's by themselves.

If you insist on sticking with the Ti, just know that you've been warned. I would still recommend going with an LSX engine, as the bangforthebuck is so much higher with them than any other swap.

Don't let the purists dissuade you.

-Evan

[tparrish711]

alright thanks guys... maybe i won't get the Ti after all... jsut thought with the M motor powering such a light car the ride would be fun... Ahheck01 could you tell me what exactly the LS motors are in and maybe some basic information on each number (I assume there is a LS1-LS6 atleast) what would be a pretty basic setup (IE not alot of modification) choice of the engine?

[Ahheck01]

The LS1 is a 340 HP corvette engine. The LS2 is the newer corvette engine, about 400 hp. the LS6 is the old Corvette Z06 engine, with about 405hp, and the LS7 is the new Corvette Z06 engine at i believe just over 500hp. All aluminum V8's that are lighter than our inline 6's, and much more output.

-Evan

[LeMansGT]

The LS1 is a 340 HP corvette engine. The LS2 is the newer corvette engine, about 400 hp. the LS6 is the old Corvette Z06 engine, with about 405hp, and the LS7 is the new Corvette Z06 engine at i believe just over 500hp. All aluminum V8's that are lighter than our inline 6's, and much more output.

-Evan

Slide a cam in a LS1 and 400rwhp is not hard to get. ~$1g in parts plus tuning software ~$500.

[beemertech136]

for and s52 swap be prepared to spend 6k-7k for the swap not including labor, im less than a month away from starting a s52 swap into a ti myself and i have almost all the parts i need.

[msgroner]

for and s52 swap be prepared to spend 6k-7k for the swap not including labor, im less than a month away from starting a s52 swap into a ti myself and i have almost all the parts i need.

We have done a few of these conversions and this $$$ figure is correct. Maybe a little less ... depends on the miles on the engine. (low miles = more $$'s) One other item to consider is doing a 3.73 LS diff from a late 80's early 90's e30 325is. You should be able to pick one up for around $250 - $300.

[Hawkster]

Ahheck01 - What's your reasoning against the Ti's? I put one in mine 22,000 miles ago, and haven't had a single swap-related problem yet! And god damn, it's a fun little car.

On the contrary of what msgroner said, I would NOT suggest a 3.73... I've got a 3.46 right now, and I want to go to a 3.15 or 2.93 if that tells you anything. First gear is POINTLESS with this engine/body combo and the 3.46... so I could only imagine with the 3.73.

My biggest recommendation to you, tparrish711, is to make sure you have two COMPLETE cars. A donor and a roller. This is the way I did it, and it cost me a hair under $4g's. (Labor = Me). You then are able to pull EVERYTHING you're going to need for the swap, aside from a diff. If you're using a manual Ti car to swap into, you may not even NEED the diff. Like I said earlier, I've got 22k on the swap, on the FACTORY 3.46 diff. Everyone says it blows up. Not here. Diff has 22k of swap, 160k total on it.

Your call.

[Fair]

The real issue with the 318ti is the E30 rear suspension. Very different than the "real" E36 rear suspension. It doesn't play nice with lots of power and you cannot adjust rear camber. For tooling around, basic street driving it is fine, of course. Same rear suspension in the Z3, and those even came with the S54 late in the game. Have driven several of those - fun, fast, but finicky handling.

Honestly, the 318ti just isn't enough lighter or cheaper at this general age of all E36 candidates to warrant the added challenges of the dated and hamstrung rear suspension. I mean, we bought a running (straight but dirty) 325is for $800... how much less is a similar 318ti??

Some people love the 318ti - different strokes and all that. :D Not knocking the 318ti, just warning that it isn't all perfect.

As for a 3.2L swap, it takes some significant work and costs.

[windnsea00]

The real issue with the 318ti is the E30 rear suspension. Very different than the "real" E36 rear suspension. It doesn't play nice with lots of power and you cannot adjust rear camber. For tooling around, basic street driving it is fine, of course. Same rear suspension in the Z3, and those even came with the S54 late in the game. Have driven several of those - fun, fast, but finicky handling.

Honestly, the 318ti just isn't enough lighter or cheaper at this general age of all E36 candidates to warrant the added challenges of the dated and hamstrung rear suspension. I mean, we bought a running (straight but dirty) 325is for $800... how much less is a similar 318ti??

Some people love the 318ti - different strokes and all that. :D Not knocking the 318ti, just warning that it isn't all perfect.

As for a 3.2L swap, it takes some significant work and costs.
You can buy camber brackets for the E30/Ti subframe as you probably know. A stock 318ti weighs in at ~2750 lbs., same as a E30 325is which to me is a great place to start compared to a 3,000+ lbs. E36.

Also the Ti is 10 in. shorter than the E36 sedan/coupe, thus minimal rear overhang but while using the same wheelbase of the E36 sedan/coupe. Also it's nice not to have to worry about subframe tearing. My previous car was a `93 325is and I personally prefer the small/nimble feel of the Ti over it. Not to mention headroom was lacking in the E36 coupe. Basically the Ti reminds me of my past E30, a more modern version.

While the rear suspension is not as advance, it can work when properly setup. Not to mention it's a lot cheaper to take care of. I prefer the E36 Z-axle for street usage but I find the semi-trailing design capable and downright fun with a stiff spring rate and lots of rubber :)

[Hawkster]

To any that are interested, I will be building a prototype multi-link rear suspension in late spring/early summer. It will be built on/for my 318ti, but will obviously fit E30s, as well as Z3's, and MZ3's. I'll keep everyone updated.

[scabzzzz]

Ummm... bring your check book. When my friend owned my car, he had a s52 in it. He sold that motor then sold the car to me. I went off and bought an m52 for it to save on money and build that, and let me tell you, its not a small project. depending on the year motor you buy and the year Ti you have, hooking up the OBD2 crap can nickel and dime you dry and not to mention all the other stuff you need. Set aside about 8-9k to do it right. Depending on the shop you go to and who is doing it, expect it to be out of your hands for a while. I dont know many shops out there that are familiar with doing the Ti.

And unless you're in love with the Ti, dont bother with it. Buy a high mileage 325 and you will be able to do more .

Edit: 3.73 in a Ti isnt that bad. You're turning right around 4k rpm's at 80 mph and I drive my car everywhere. You can pick them up off TONS of cars for a nice price. Any auto e30. 4.10 is a little high IMO but 3.73 feels pretty good. You have torque everywhere in any gear. And to the tune of Vorshlag, the semi trailing arm suspension can be weird at first but once you're adjusted to it, its really fun. Its an awesome blend of e30 + e36 but does have its problems. Just like a regular e36