E36 Modification Help

[Tbonesteak]

Hey Everyone.

I picked up a 1995 e36 for pretty cheap and I wanted to do some work to it, primarily the engine. I have been looking around and have found numerous swaps, tunes, turbos and whatnot and am really not sure what the best road to take is.
It would be used as a semi-daily car, and I want it to have decent power/torque to have fun with. Would it be better to just turbo the existing M52B20 or swap it with a M54B30? I was looking at an S54 swap but with money being not as flexible as I wish and I am yet to find one within my budget. There are also no S52/S50 for sale around me (Melbourne based). Thanks in advance!

[gdavid]

What is your realistic budget, emission regulation requirements and experience?

M54 would not be an easy or cheap swap, the dual vanos of the M54 engines (or M52 TU motors as well) would make the swap about as complicated as a S54 swap, even though the parts are cheaper. An M52B28 would be a straightforward swap and a better starting point for a turbo swap. With the right cams and tuning, a non-turbo 2.8 you could get pretty close to the performance of a M54B30 but that is a still a whole different realm from a turbo performance.