E36 suspension/handling
Discussion
Right, the end aim of this is to chuck an M3 engine and associated gear into an E36 touring.
Based on:
www.fabdirect.com/index3.htm
There's a choice of a complete kit which includes suspension, or one without suspension and diff, or just the engine. My questions are:
1: Does the touring handle like a big bag of jelly compared to the other models?
2: Is the M3 suspension interchangeable with that of a touring? I assume the front is the same but is the rear different? Bearing in mind that springs/dampers etc will probably be replaced with non OEM stuff.
3: I would assume the engine and etcs are a farily straight swap? Someone tell me i'm wrong...go on....
4: Would the engine run with the standard gearbox and diff without ripping it to bits (or at all)?
As a final thing, anyone know of a garage mad enough to do the work for me as i find using a dipstick a challengine experience?
Edit: just noticed the thread title is nothing to do with the question, ah well.
>>> Edited by agent006 on Sunday 17th April 16:30
Based on:
www.fabdirect.com/index3.htm
There's a choice of a complete kit which includes suspension, or one without suspension and diff, or just the engine. My questions are:
1: Does the touring handle like a big bag of jelly compared to the other models?
2: Is the M3 suspension interchangeable with that of a touring? I assume the front is the same but is the rear different? Bearing in mind that springs/dampers etc will probably be replaced with non OEM stuff.
3: I would assume the engine and etcs are a farily straight swap? Someone tell me i'm wrong...go on....
4: Would the engine run with the standard gearbox and diff without ripping it to bits (or at all)?
As a final thing, anyone know of a garage mad enough to do the work for me as i find using a dipstick a challengine experience?
Edit: just noticed the thread title is nothing to do with the question, ah well.
>>> Edited by agent006 on Sunday 17th April 16:30
I saw your post when it first appeared, and without wishing to cause offence, it really is a non starter of a project when all things are weighed up. The cost will be horrendous if you pay someone else to do it. It may be a good idea if you had an M3 originally, smashed it up and bought a 328i Touring cheap and were capable of swapping parts over yourself. It would be cheaper to buy an M3 and a bargain E30 touring if you need to cart stuff about. I hope you don't see this point of view as being rude, but I'll bet most others on the forum think likewise. Cheers!
Certainly depends on why you want to do this. If you are not mechanically inclined, you would be better off trading the Touring in on an M3 and be done with it.
Or, develop your mechanical skills on the Touring. If it's bone stock, you can install a chip, that's not too hard, maybe put some better dampers on, uprated brake pads (when you wear out the ones you have) You can incrementally hone your skills as you incrementally improve the car (if you dont' go overboard you won't lose a lot of money when you sell/trade)
I am not much into modding but do all my own maintenance, and I was not born with these skills - there is no such thing as a "car lord". Go bust your knuckles like the rest of us, and develop the skills you will need to be able to build your own one-off eventually.
Just dropping the M3 motor in the touring *might* be OK if you want more power for hauling something heavy - but unless a lot of discretion is used with the loud pedal, you will find out the hard way that the M3 motor is quick to write a check that the Touring's chassis can't cash.
Or, develop your mechanical skills on the Touring. If it's bone stock, you can install a chip, that's not too hard, maybe put some better dampers on, uprated brake pads (when you wear out the ones you have) You can incrementally hone your skills as you incrementally improve the car (if you dont' go overboard you won't lose a lot of money when you sell/trade)
I am not much into modding but do all my own maintenance, and I was not born with these skills - there is no such thing as a "car lord". Go bust your knuckles like the rest of us, and develop the skills you will need to be able to build your own one-off eventually.
Just dropping the M3 motor in the touring *might* be OK if you want more power for hauling something heavy - but unless a lot of discretion is used with the loud pedal, you will find out the hard way that the M3 motor is quick to write a check that the Touring's chassis can't cash.
Can't help with most of yr questions im afraid, but for a garage to do it- West at Thruxton could defo do it & advise you on it.
Not gunna be cheap tho.
I'd have to say ditch the gaylord M3 lump & go for a 540 or 840 sourced V8 tho
a V8 touring would be a glorious wagon & epic if you supercharged it or used an e39 M5 lump.
If you can cope with LHD, maybe easier just to buy a used Alpina b8 or B3 touring tho. (dunno if they did B3 in touring actually)
If you are set on a touring & LHD not an issue- worth thinking that e34M5 tourings are not silly money now either...
Not gunna be cheap tho.
I'd have to say ditch the gaylord M3 lump & go for a 540 or 840 sourced V8 tho
a V8 touring would be a glorious wagon & epic if you supercharged it or used an e39 M5 lump. If you can cope with LHD, maybe easier just to buy a used Alpina b8 or B3 touring tho. (dunno if they did B3 in touring actually)
If you are set on a touring & LHD not an issue- worth thinking that e34M5 tourings are not silly money now either...
Just punting ideas around at the moment. The end intention is to have something a bit different to use on track. The plan being to buy the 328 and use that for a while whilst getting the cash together for the conversion. The kit will cost around 3500, and an M3 conversion on a coupe costs around £1k so i think a budget of just over £5k would be a reasonable sum. So basically £8k and a year or so down teh line i'd have something a bit unusual for the price of a rather tatty M3Evo. Hence this is why i'm after views on how the touring handles in comparison to the saloon and coupe. But seeing as my other option is to tune the nuts off an audi S6, any BM will handle well in comparison.
No need to carry loads of stuff around, just prefer the design of the touring. Not looking to learn all about mechanics either, i'm quite happy to chuck money at a garage and get them to do all the work.
V8 is a nice idea iguana, but you've already done that! Now the engine from an 850CSi would be a nice one to try....(wanders off into distance mumbling about V12s and mid mounting).
No need to carry loads of stuff around, just prefer the design of the touring. Not looking to learn all about mechanics either, i'm quite happy to chuck money at a garage and get them to do all the work.
V8 is a nice idea iguana, but you've already done that! Now the engine from an 850CSi would be a nice one to try....(wanders off into distance mumbling about V12s and mid mounting).
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff