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Thread: The final junkyard project

  1. #1
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    The final junkyard project

    I just picked up a $600 1993 318is manuel with a clueless number of miles, no key, smashed windshield and bent hood. The people I picked it up from say that it overheats. I spent $150 towing it across state from the finger lakes. So i think im overall in good shape. LMFAO!

    Besides the mentioned damage the car is amazing compared to the normal unkept e36 finds. Theres little to no rust with the exception of 2 minor bubbles yet to break the paint on front fenders. The under coating is intact. The trunk wireing is good. The door panels are repairable with no bubbles besides 1 sheetrock screw. Needs a sunroof switch trim panel, brakes, and a m50b30 shoved in it.
    The plans for the car is yet to be determined. I'm mostly sure wife wont want the kids in it because I drive like a lunatic the first instance a neon honks. So i should be able to gut it and racecar the f×*8 out of it. I think alls I need is a obdl manuel m50tu harness, and I should be in business. Pics coming in a few minutes. I shall name it flash.
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  2. #2
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    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  3. #3
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    Getting the car started to see wtf is going on on my new back lawn ornament. 1st objective, be able to move it. Lack of a key makes it difficult. But with my handy dandy search bar. I came across a steering wheel lock removal mod. Done. Can now steer the lawn ornament. With a push bitton start search I found how to bypass the ignition switch while learning what security system and features are in the car by production date. Ews l. So the car can start without the key! To prevent being locked out of the car I removed the trunk actuator rod and drivers door lock actuator rod. So the car is completely accessible. And I found the mileage. A whopping 222000! A good healthy christmas sized cel light. Abs light as well even though im not sure if that goes away when the car starts. So next is some pics and a attempt to start this pile.

    - - - Updated - - -

    20181014_171611.jpg20181014_171545.jpg20181014_171618.jpg
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  4. #4
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    It took a minute of holding a screwdriver in the ignition switch but she fired up.. Then.. Smoke and a smell of burnt rubber started spewing from the bay. Looks like the belts are slipping on some pulley thats froze. So looks like il need some more time with her after work this week before she gets around the block once and a good compression check. I'm praying that it is just a water pump or crapped out radiator and not a head replacement. I have gotten lucky before!
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  5. #5
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    Nice find! Best of luck with it!

  6. #6
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    She's in good hands
    Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
    Click the search button, select "search single content type", select the "e36 sub forum" specifically, try the "search titles" then try the "search entire posts".

  7. #7
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    Why final? It is worth getting the 4 cylinder running if you are going to engine swap it? Would a running take out with that many miles and reports of overheating be worth the effort to sell? I'm looking forward to see what you do with it. Good luck.

  8. #8
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    Nice pickup. Clean it up and enjoy.

  9. #9
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    I wanted the experience and knowledge of working on the 4 cylinders. Tbh I havent ever messed with them.
    Theres 2 options immediatly for the car. Fix the 4 cylinder, drive it this winter as my commuter and swap it in spring. Im not concerned with selling the 4 cylinder. As far as im concerned its limited potential and just not what I want in any direction I would go with the car. So I would most likely halk it off as a core or maybe throw it on a go kart of some kind.
    Option 2. Source everything for a swap. Which might as well be another car now that i think about it.
    Newly formed option 3. Fix 4 cylinder. Sell it. Buy a manuel 325is. Lmfao. Shit.... 318's fu#\\in suck.

  10. #10
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    Rip that 4-banger out of there ASAP lol
    Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
    Click the search button, select "search single content type", select the "e36 sub forum" specifically, try the "search titles" then try the "search entire posts".

  11. #11
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    So to swap this m42 to a 6 cylinder. I need a 6 cylinder cars worth of crap... How dumb this is. Im actually mad at myself for buying this even for $600... Complete waste of time and money. Its going to cost at least a grand in junkyard parts to make this into a 6 cylinder. The entire rear subframe with axles and driveshafts. Rear trans flange. Guibo. Shift linkage.(So I dont even have a full tran Assembly yet) Engine. Engine worth of sensors. Engine harness dme and cluster. Intake. Full exhaust. Radiator. Rad mounts. Engine mounts. Sway bar. Then the few repair parts it needs already which are probably about $400.
    And then to do the usual mods on top of it... The only thing this is good for is a shell. Why the fu#% would anyone want one of these is beyond me. Its literally only a few parts away from an entire chassis swap.

    Ok. Im over the meltdown. This is going to cost me a small fortune to make cool. And it isnt worth it in the slightest.

  12. #12
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    Sounds like the sort of project that requires some restraint to avoid over investing. Hopefully the m42 can be fixed with limited effort and be restored to a cheap runner. Windshield replacement without insurance is pricey but I imagine you have access and experience with cutting used ones out of junked cars. At least it is a manual and most of the body looks good. I was looking for a shell with a good body cheap to dump a project motor into and kept seeing 4 bangers cheap but kept thinking of the same long parts list, although I didn't think of the front sway bar. I'm sure you will make something of it. Best of luck.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Or how about an electric drive? That could be cool.
    Last edited by gdavid; 10-15-2018 at 09:15 PM.

  13. #13
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    Not going to find a windsheild in a junkyard.
    Safelight fluctuates so much with quotes. Now its about $270 for them to come put one in. Which isnt bad at all considering. So as long as this junk m42 head isnt cracked I might be ok for the winter. It's apperently harder to find m42 stuff than m50 or m52. Il break even and consider the swap a possibility as things arise. I need some major learning on this engine. If this engine is toast. There is a 98 z3 manuel at work with 85000 miles. Thats a m44 right?
    Would I be able to swap the m44 with harness in with cluster straight? Will a z3 m44 harness plug into a e36 cabin harness? If so it might cost 4 or 500 bucks. But it would be the best immediate shot I have and driving this car faithfully.

  14. #14
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    Swapping a m42 to a m44 isnt going to happen. Its slightly less dibilitating as swapping in a m50.

  15. #15
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    You might be lucky with the engine, and it was just a bad water pump or thermostat or fan, and no permanent damage was done.
    If you get it to run properly, you might discover it's fun to drive. It will never have the acceleration of the 325/328 models, but it's relatively light and you'll probably notice it's real fun to drive it on twisty roads.. If you make it even a bit lighter by stripping some of the interior, etc, and install a chip to get it to close to 150HP, you might be pleasantly surprised.

    Upgrading it to a (fast) 6 cylinder model will prove a bit costly, with all the parts needed, but you could also just wait until a wrecked 325/328 comes around that has (almost) all necessary parts for real cheap.

    Or, just sell it as is.. You won't lose that much money I'd say. Or repair it and sell it afterwards. Chances are you'll at least get all your invested money back. Depends a bit on the state of the engine/head though.. I wish you good luck!
    Last edited by ed323i; 10-16-2018 at 07:56 AM.


    1997 E36 BMW 323i
    (European) 275k km (171k miles), with following small mods:

  16. #16
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    . I might be in business or At least ok shape. There's a 328vert and a z3 in the yard with most everything i need. Except a obd1 harness and such. If a 98 z3 front driveshaft is the same as a 328is's, il be set I think. I will just eBay a harness.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by spyderg0d View Post
    . I might be in business or At least ok shape. There's a 328vert and a z3 in the yard with most everything i need. Except a obd1 harness and such. If a 98 z3 front driveshaft is the same as a 328is's, il be set I think. I will just eBay a harness.
    Hmmmm. As your lawyer, I can only recommend an LS swap. Its really the only next logical step in this scenario.

  18. #18
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    Nah.

  19. #19
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    After the pandem widebody and the m90 fabrication im over any sort of non bolt on applications. Lol

  20. #20
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    So. I spent more time with the car to see what was going on. I started it up and there was no death squeal and the belts are in ok shape. I checked the exhaust for holes as it seemed ridiculously loud, and found smoke coming from before the muffler. I think some mice or some sort have clogged the muffler, and let the exhaust escape prematurely as smoke from the bad head or gasket bellows from the driver rear wheel well after a couple minutes of running. The exhaust is not a big deal at all to fix. I found no power steering, and no power steering fluid in the resivior. Also, not a big deal to fix. I did find a bad valve cover gasket since the engine is covered in oil gunk. But i think overall, the head and gasket are the only drawback on the car.

    I know im capable of the head gasket job. But the problem right now is soarcing a head. I have 3 m50tu heads in my basement, but no m42s. Lol. So if someone is willing to trade a used m50tu or m52 head for a good m44 head (used or not idc), feel free to hit me up. Otherwise im going to attempt to have a machine shop weld the one I have and deck it.

  21. #21
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    And. Literally as I hit the post reply button, a notification for FB marketplace came up on a newly listed search item. A guy 40 min away listed 2 m42 engines for $350. He just sold me a 80,000 mile m42 with listed compression specs for $150 loaded with sensors and accesories, still in the packaging from a salvage yard. I'll be picking that up this weekend. So this project just did a complete 180 and fell in my lap. Its pretty much just a windsheild and some minor elbow grease left.

  22. #22
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    Wow, that's a great deal! And an M42 transplant is a lot less complicated than an M50. It fits a lot easier, being a lot shorter, and lighter (in Europe there was also an E34 518i with M40/M43 4 cylinder engines, and the engine just looked lost in the engine bay; seas of space all around ;-) ).
    Good luck!


    1997 E36 BMW 323i
    (European) 275k km (171k miles), with following small mods:

  23. #23
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    It's not a swap is it? 93 318is is a m42 as a stock engine isnt it? They switched to m44 in 96 right?

    - - - Updated - - -

    I will be swapping in a m50tub30 in spring. I have everything besides a m50 intake, obdl engine harness and cluster. Maybe some engine sensors. I have some m5 style 5s, waiting and a Eaton m90 in the machine shop getting shortened.

  24. #24
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    Your comment confuses me edboy. I find e36 with 6 cylinders to have plenty of room. Especially obdl. I pull engines from anything you can imagine. Anything beats an old detroit diesel stuffed in a tiny fire truck. Or even those supercharged Nissan trucks. How about any transverse junk squad car ever. Ha. The only issue ive ever had with a straight 6 is those damn aftermarket tube headers, or that frickin bottom cvv hose connection. Maybe that very back intake bolt and valve cover bolt when you find yourself too lazy to remove the cowl. Other than that, peachy.

  25. #25
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    Correct.. Your car has the M42, so the M42 is a direct "swap". Perhaps I should have used "replacement" or another word. I'm Dutch, not a native English speaker, so I probably used the wrong English word.

    I've only done two engine swaps in my life (20 years driving BMW and never had an engine die on me luckily, knock on wood), and that was changing the M10B18 engine in an 1984 E30 to an E36 M43 engine, both 4 cylinder.. And one small motorcycle engine on a Honda 4-stroke bike (that was easy ;-) ).
    To me, changing an M50/M52 in the E36 looks a bit more complex, especially if you also want to keep the transmission and manifolds connected to it. I would personally be a bit intimidated by the job, and afraid of making scratches or damaging parts while sliding it all in, and getting everything lined out.. In your case, with your experience, I can imagine it looks quite easy.. Definitely many more difficult examples can be found, like you write :-) .
    Last edited by ed323i; 10-18-2018 at 09:03 PM.


    1997 E36 BMW 323i
    (European) 275k km (171k miles), with following small mods:

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