Need Help!

[MeanGreenBeam23]

Hey what’s up everybody so I have a 1995 325is e36 BMW to be exact and I need some major help. I just got this car not to long ago and don’t know to much about cars besides basics but im starting to learn and this is my first project car. My budget is around 8k-10k and I would like to stay around 8 if possible. So my main issue is that I want to upgrade my car and make it all around, more powerful, and an all around better car but I’m not sure if I should stay with my 2.5L M50 and just upgrade it or if I should just start fresh and swap the engine. I’ve been reading lots of forums but haven’t found an exact answer. I already bought a K&N cold air intake and I want to get started on ECU, exhaust, cams and much more but I’m not sure if I should save my money and just get something better. I’m open to LS engines and any other opinions you all have. Hope to hear back! Thank you!

[shogun]

Moved to E36 forum.
First of all buy a Bentley Repair Manual for the E36 and start doing maintenance on your car.

[323i E30]

Best post your budget as well, in order to get better answers.
Personally I'd skip the 'cold' air intake by te way, as it will only suck up HOT air from underneath your bonnet. It's just fun for the fuller exhaust note, if desired.

[pbonsalb]

Budget and DIY skill level are needed. If you just bought a 25 year old car and know nothing about cars, you are not starting in the best position. Probably a swap to a an engine from a completely different car will be more challenging. I’d leave it alone for 6 months while you read and learn. Then make an informed decision.

I agree with not spending money on naturally aspirated bolt on mods for the M25TU.

[xxxxxxx]

Here's what I'd do:
1) Maintenance. Yeah, it doesn't sound that cool, but your car is old. Start with maintenance. Fix everything that needs fixing.
2) Suspension. No grip is no fun. Also looks better with a little drop.
3) Forced Induction or engine swap or just leave it as is and enjoy. Chip might get you another 10hp and higher rev limit. Lighter exhaust is a bonus. But they won't really transform the car. These motors don't have much more power waiting to be unlocked.

[MeanGreenBeam23]

I’ve been pretty on top of maintenance and luckily for me it only had 1 owner before me who bought it the year it came out and took amazing care of it so it’s in great condition. I’ve been looking into suspension, do you have any recommendations that are compatible with my car? And my thoughts exactly, even after all modifications are put on there’s still not to much potential for it.

- - - Updated - - -

All maintenance very well taken care of and my budget is about 8,000-10,000

[MeanGreenBeam23]

Budget is 8k-10k, and the car was given to me by my boss for free so I want to take advantage of being given a car that is in perfect condition and this whole project is just for fun, I’m in no rush to finish, just excited to start my first project. Also what I mean by “know the basics” is , changing wheels, maintenance, and changing sound system . Besides that I have lots of family and friends that are experienced with older model BMW and will be helping me with anything I need help with. By the way “leave it alone for 6 months” isn’t really helpful.

[MeanGreenBeam23]

“Leave it alone for 6 months and learn” what’s the point of saying that, that’s not helpful with this at all and I have friends and family who are very experienced especially with BMW’s and they will be helping with all labor and they have given me lots of advice on this but I wanted to hear some more opinions

[pbonsalb]

What advice have your experienced friends and family given you? If they told you to buy the K&N intake, chip, exhaust and cams, they don’t want you to have very much power. Also, all the information you want has been posted in these forums many times over the years. Since you have no defined plan or budget, you should spend some time learning and then post your informed ideas. People with experience will then be better able to help.

[zellamay]

“Leave it alone for 6 months and learn” what’s the point of saying that, that’s not helpful with this at all and I have friends and family who are very experienced especially with BMW’s and they will be helping with all labor and they have given me lots of advice on this but I wanted to hear some more opinions

The "point(s) of saying that" are listed above in a couple of threads. Your post implies you know very very little about your car, but then you say you have BMW experts available. It's confusing for anyone wanting to help. I'll say these things: Don't spend money trying to get power out of the M50, unless you go to FI, which is a major undertaking. You would be surprised how much more you can get out of a car with simple maintenance. (New spark plugs, or rebuilding the vanos, might "add" more power than a KN intake.) I've owned many cars, rebuilt cars, etc., and I still spent money needlessly because I went on impulse and didn't research enough. Ask specific questions, read everything you can on this site, and take your time.

[gsanvi]

Here's what I'd do:
1) Maintenance. Yeah, it doesn't sound that cool, but your car is old. Start with maintenance. Fix everything that needs fixing.
2) Suspension. No grip is no fun. Also looks better with a little drop.
3) Forced Induction or engine swap or just leave it as is and enjoy. Chip might get you another 10hp and higher rev limit. Lighter exhaust is a bonus. But they won't really transform the car. These motors don't have much more power waiting to be unlocked.

/thread

Especially points no. 1 and 2. When you'll start fixing everything you'll see how much money it takes. Also a well sorted 2.5 is a lot of fun, you don't need to go all out and do an LS swap immediately. I'd start with sorting out the suspension and brakes first and then move on to the rest of the car.