I have decided to make an e30 track car. I have a few questions about some of the mods i would like to do though. How much should i expect to pay for a s50 engine swap? What is the most light weight or all around best racing seat to get? And what is the best susspension set up? Thank you very much for your imput. Any suggestions on mods i should do are also encouraged.

haha you should buy my e30 m3, its pretty much track ready. you would just need to spend a little on racing seat(s) and a rollcage, some wheels and tires and its set to go.

Do you plan to get a 318/325 or an M3?

If it's going to be a dedicated track car, I'd replace all the suspension mounts and bushings, then do a coilover setup with high spring rates (i.e. 500/750). Ground Control is something you should look into (www.ground-control.com).

As for seats, maybe a Sparco Evo. They are very lightweight shells. A number of companies make shells though, with carbon and fibreglass backings.

An S50 swap will run you about $4500-5000 for a motor/tranny, then about 500-1000 in swap parts, and then the labor to have it installed. You'll also need to purchase a swap kit too. Precision Performance Services sells a swap kit with a parts list, wiring info, etc. Contact Pete McHenry at (336) 761-0643 for more information.

haha thnks. i just saw that you had an s50 in your sig on another post and asked you about it. Yeah i am looking right now for a car to make it out of. since i plan on doing the engine swap i think ill get a 318. just cause it is cheaper. i would like the engine swap to be the first thing. seeing as i will be driveing a littl 318 around. I have a friend that does fab work who will make my roll cage and maybe some suspension components such as strut tower braces and x braces. me and a friend are gonna start making cf parts so eventualy ill do cf interior pannles. it will eventualy be a dedicated track car. but for now i am going to use it for track and street. i also have a truck for a daily driver. i was looking at evo seats but didnt know what else there was really so i thought id ask.

E30 Stu: IM me. id like to tald to you more about the engine swap.

E30 M3 - track ready out the box.

i realize that e30 m3 is already track ready but it is not what im looking for for variousl reasons one of which is the stock price of the car. i can get a 318 for 1k where as an m3 will be 7k. that is the cheapest ive seen one for. the bottom line is that im basicaly using the e30 for the chassis.

The M3 is no more track ready out of the box than any other car. Just like any good E30, it's probably going to need new bushings, shocks, etc....AND, it's going to cost more to buy and you aren't going to want to strip the interior out of a perfectly nice E30 M3 down the road to turn it into a track car.

On the other hand, you buy an E30 318 for little to no money, and since you need to replace suspension pices anyway, you go ahead and replace them with really good stuff. Then you can stick in a nice 3.0 liter M3 motor and have a much faster, better handling car than any stock E30 M3. On top of it all, you won't feel too bad when you gut it and put a cage in it to turn it into a dedicated track car.

for a perfect swap id say 8 grand and up i used Precision Performance Services swap kit with a parts list, wiring info, etc. Imo that was the best thing i could have ever done, the swap went perfect and it was awsome. if you do it do it right. i say get a 318is and leave it stock and drive the balls off of it and then race it, with a swap car your looking at running in a mod class which cost alot of money to run.
Contact Pete McHenry at (336) 761-0643 for more information on the kit it realy is the best way to go

BMWRacerITS: you hit the nail on the head. that is exactly what i was thinking.

VoodoMagoo: Thanks for the info. Part of getting this car is gonna be the fun of moding the hell out of it. When i am ready to do the engine swap i will keep your info inmind. thank you verry much.

Thank you to everyone who replied. Please feel free to add more.

Originally posted by OPTIMO
E30 M3 - track ready out the box.


A stock E30 M3 can't be considered track ready. It would hold up better than a 318is/325is on the track, but it is only capable of light track duty at best.

Like BMWRACER said, it will have ~100+K miles, and bushings, brake components, suspension components, etc will need to be gone through. You will also be destroying a nice E30 leather sport interior.


Personally I'd start with a 318is, but that is just me.