The 318is

[Byron]

hell yea! the world needs more LS-swapped BMWs!

this build just keeps getting better and better

Oh heck yes. That engine is beautiful.

just read all of this. i came 3 times in the last 15 minutes

+1

Thanks guys!

ough..i have an m10..

That just means you have a steel oil pan

gotta say, (just read whole thread) if i can get my e30 even close to how low your is- i will be so happy. even if its beat-up in some spots- i envy your car so much. now because of you i will never be satisfied with how much i drop my car, this is pure inspiration <3

Haha sorry to do that to you man. I have an idea I'm going to try while putting the LS1 in that will get me even lower, but with more ground clearance


I really have no updates unfortunately since I'm poor as hell right now. I've been waiting for a deal on a transmission to fall in my lap, but it hasn't happened yet for some reason. There's a few big-money things I want to buy (clutch and flywheel; cam, pushrods, lifters; transmission) before I start taking apart the car. I found somewhere to store it inside for the winter, so I'm gonna try to collect all the parts before the spring so when I pull it out I can get started right away.


I was going through some old pictures today and found some from my m30 swap. I don't think I ever actually talked about it in this thread for some reason so here it goes.


So it's late 2009, I was using this car as a daily and was building up a new m30 for my white e30 that I blew the engine in over the summer. While removing the subframe from the white car, the bolts that held it up decided to break off inside the frame rails. I tried a bunch of different ways to get them out, but none worked. So I had a busted white e30, a slow and bad sounding black e30 and a complete m30 swap sitting around doing nothing. I was out sliding the black car one day between classes and understeered into a curb, mangling the front valence and my ego.



Since my radiator support had been fucked up since I bought the car, I decided now would be a good time to fix that as well. So I took the whole front end off



And cut out the bent part



And welded a new one on.

This was kinda my turning point from one project car to the next. I convinced myself over the next few days that I wasn't going to be able to fix the white car anytime soon, and it was pointless to let the m30 swap go to waste. I did a bit of research about the wiring into the 318, since the wiring I had in the white car was for a 6 cylinder early model. I found that early e34 535 harnesses were a direct plug in affair. After searching on craigslist for a day or two, this gem ended up in my possession.



A bit overkill for a harness, but it was only $300 for a running 535i/5 lol. I pulled the e30 into the shop on a Friday after work and drove out Sunday afternoon with a m30 under the hood.

Coming out



Going in



Boom, done







And a quick video



I didn't tell anyone I was doing the swap, I just showed up to our weekly meet and told everyone I had just put a new exhaust on haha. The m30 was better in every way than the m42; Unfortunately, only 2 months and about 3000 miles after I got it going, it somehow ran out of oil and got a rod knock (see the pattern here?). I heard it knocking and pulled over to check the oil and it didn't even register on the dipstick . No idea where it went since it wasn't burning. So it sat once again in my driveway until I decided to do the m60 swap.

And so ends a little known chapter of the 318is.

[CHIF8008]

gotta say, (just read whole thread) if i can get my e30 even close to how low your is- i will be so happy. even if its beat-up in some spots- i envy your car so much. now because of you i will never be satisfied with how much i drop my car, this is pure inspiration <3

[eMile]

I'm shooting for something along the lines of how this guy's sounds. It doesn't have the rasp they normally have

Ls1 swap mustang, Eps 234/246 - YouTube




I'd say the m20 pan is the best stock pan, but that's not saying much. Both the m30 and m60 pans that I've had sit higher than any stock pan does, the m60 being the highest and strongest.

I didn't chance the capacity at all with what I did to my pan, I just made it thicker. Internally it's exactly the same.

ough..i have an m10..

[244Brick]

just read all of this. i came 3 times in the last 15 minutes

+1

[hetzyhetz]

just read all of this. i came 3 times in the last 15 minutes

[the jank]

Oh heck yes. That engine is beautiful.

[HWY HNTR]

this build just keeps getting better and better

[motocaddy]

hell yea! the world needs more LS-swapped BMWs!

[Byron]

I'm shooting for something along the lines of how this guy's sounds. It doesn't have the rasp they normally have

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEtZT13zvAk"]Ls1 swap mustang, Eps 234/246 - YouTube[/ame]

well im seeing you know what are you doing on the stance..and i have a little ask..
e30 engines are very low and thats make oil pans crack with a low suspension..but wich engine (e30) is higher and let you more clearance stock and for that allow you to low the car a bit more?
seeing you im thinking to modify my pan like you to let me low my car more..any problem with the less oil in the oil pan?

I'd say the m20 pan is the best stock pan, but that's not saying much. Both the m30 and m60 pans that I've had sit higher than any stock pan does, the m60 being the highest and strongest.

I didn't chance the capacity at all with what I did to my pan, I just made it thicker. Internally it's exactly the same.

[eMile]

well im seeing you know what are you doing on the stance..and i have a little ask..
e30 engines are very low and thats make oil pans crack with a low suspension..but wich engine (e30) is higher and let you more clearance stock and for that allow you to low the car a bit more?
seeing you im thinking to modify my pan like you to let me low my car more..any problem with the less oil in the oil pan?

[jcbe34]

Can't wait, I'll be watching this. I personally like how SLP's sound on LSx motors, but I like Spintechs even more. This is definitely going to be my next move on the e30. Do itt!

[MikeG]

I admit theres quite a few out there that sound bad but thats mostly because everyone runs the same exact SLP loudmouth exhaust lol. You can definatly make them sound good, plus I used to work at an exhaust shop When I get home and away from my work youtube blocker I'll post some videos.

I've been spending all my money on maintenence for my e39 recently so I don't have any updates. I'm new to LS1 aftermarket too so I've been spending my nights on ls1tech.com figuring out the best stuff to do. It looks like with the LS6 intake (already installed), a set of headers (need to make them anyways), a big cam (looking at the EPS 234/246 currently...) and tuning poeple are putting down around 400hp to the wheels

I dunno Im not a fan of the sound of chevy motors in general they all just sound like noise to me and dont have any definition like BMW or Ford motors. LS6 intake and headers and a mild cam should put you at 400. Thats why LSx motors are so great some light mods and they make awesome power. Plus theyre small and light. At one point I was debating putting one in my E34 but decided against it.

[Thingsandstuff]

LOOVVEEE this e30. Can't believe it's gonna have an LS1 in it on top of all the other work you have done to it.

[Byron]

I admit theres quite a few out there that sound bad but thats mostly because everyone runs the same exact SLP loudmouth exhaust lol. You can definatly make them sound good, plus I used to work at an exhaust shop When I get home and away from my work youtube blocker I'll post some videos.

I've been spending all my money on maintenence for my e39 recently so I don't have any updates. I'm new to LS1 aftermarket too so I've been spending my nights on ls1tech.com figuring out the best stuff to do. It looks like with the LS6 intake (already installed), a set of headers (need to make them anyways), a big cam (looking at the EPS 234/246 currently...) and tuning poeple are putting down around 400hp to the wheels

[MikeG]

Ok I just saw this now...its about time.. THIS IS FANTASTIC. lighter, smaller, more powerful, more aftermarket support. Better in just about every way except they dont sound as good. Good stuff. Any updates B?