The Purple ///Monster Build

[e30polak]

WARNING: I LOVE TO USE SMILIES!

So I figure I should start a thread for my M3 project build.

First I want to give a little bit of background about myself. I've always been a fan of e30s, especially after my friend's dad got one when I was 10. In high school I was supposed to grab one for my first car, but my parents wouldn't insure me with any kind of sporty car. I was pissed, because my friend had a clean Brilliantrot 1990 325i 2 door, 5 speed, with a rebuilt m20, H&R sports, Bilstein sports, and some clean 16s. My parents refused to put me on their insurance with any kind of sporty car, so I never bought the e30.

So a few years went by, and in 2005 I finally bought an '89 Brilliantrot 2 door 325i, with plans of swapping in an s52. Anyone that follows the "Kill Section" saw how well Scarlet did against many cars.

The swap took me about a year to complete because I ran into some financial problems along the way. My s52 car ended up have full coil-overs, 22/19 sways, polyurethane everything, etc. I loved that car, and all the power it had! We also fine tuned the suspension to handle on rails!

After getting bored with the power of a bolt-on s52, I looked into boosting my s52. I was going to supercharge it for a while, then I though about turbo. Finally I decided, screw the s52, I want an LS1. I had bought some 17x9.5 Rota p45r and was ready to put on Eurostop's new "extra" wide body, 2002 style flares.

As I was getting everything ready for the new wheels, I came up on a deal I couldn't refuse! I found this 1990 M3, within a day of the owner posting the car up on r3vlimited. I dropped all my plans for my s52 car, and decided to sell it to fund my new project!

(only pic I have for now)


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I got the car for a ridiculous price because the previously rebuilt motor had been taken apart, and left that way after due to running issues. Turns out the owner that had it rebuilt, 2 owners ago, bought parts without researching. The s14 has 95mm over-bored 13:1 CP pistons! Those are made for fully built race engines! As a result the lack of clearance caused the cams to get damaged, and the motor to run like crap.

Pros of the car:

1. The car has a clean title with less then 101k on the clock!

2. Even though the piston choice lead to running issues, the rest of the rbuild was done properly, within spec. The motor is complete with everything needed to get it running again. The motor has brand new: injectors, entire timing chain assembly, new fuel pump, fuel filter, all ignition components, water pump, oil pump, and a rebuilt head.

3. It came with brand new H&R Race Springs, along with front and rear H&R sways, and brand new Koni top adjustable shocks.

4. The interior is a mint!

Cons:

1. The paint. The car was originally Zinnoberot, until the owner that rebuilt the motor had it resprayed Diamonschwarz. The paint looks like it was done at Earl Scheib or One Day Paint - very poor quality job. Around the front windshield there is some red coming through, and there are other areas where the black paint chipped off, revealing the zinno. It's obvious that the car wasn't even sanded before the respray, because it the zinno paint underneath still has a bit of clear-coat left on it. :down:

2. The motor was apart when we bought it, and I had no idea of the piston specs. I'm also not sure about the condition of the transmission right now, other than the word of the owner that I bought it from.

The Plans:

I've been fortunate enough to become best friends, and business partners with a shop in North Hollywood - Castro's Smog and Repair. I met Chris 3 years ago, and he helped me with my suspension on the s52 car along with many other things; since then we've been best friends. Consequently, the majority of my M3 project will be done in house at Chris's shop!

Chris and I were ready to embark on the LS1 swap in my car, so we could be one of the first on the West Coast to do it in an e30. After I found the M3 my mind changed 360 degrees!

Since the E30 M3 has been my dream car since I was 13, I wanted to keep this one all BMW. I was bored of the s52 power, and wanted something more. Since I'm also good friends with Osh and Chris at RMS I thought, why not supercharge the s14? Well that idea didn't last long after I started seeing how doable an s54 swap was, and how affordable the motors were becoming. So I finally decided I wanted to put a bolt-on s54 into the M3. The s54 is the perfect match for the M3 IMO. While the power from boost is awesome, I prefer a high revving, powerful NA motor! It's similar in weight to the s52, so I wasn't worried about suspension tuning, or weight over the nose. While having the s14 up front makes the car more nimble, my s52 car handled just as well as my buddy's e30 m3 with some suspension work in MOST cases.

For suspension, I will be mimicking the set-up we put together on my previous car, but with even better coil-overs. For brakes, I will be running E36 M3 front calipers and rotors, with stainless lines, and an e34 m5 master cylinder. For wheels, I've collected a few sets, but I will have 1 set of 17s and 1 set of 18s. Finally for paint, I decided to fully strip the car, and have Alex Castro (Chris' brother) paint my car Techno Violet! It's one of my favorite colors of all time, and I have only seen 1 other E30 M3 painted that color. :pimp:

I will update this thread as the project moves along. I never made a project thread for my first project, so that makes this project that much more special!

Unlike my first project car, I've been very diligent in finding really good deal on all the parts I need for the swap. I'm not going to rush this project, I want everything to be done right. I've already collected most of what I wanted, other than the actual s54.

What I've got so far:

Engine & Trans:
1 piece CSL replica airbox :j
ZF320 5 speed
3.46 LSD
Ralco Short shift kit

Suspension & Steering:
TC Kline Coil-Over springs - 500# front, 700# rear
Koni top adjustable struts - front
Koni dual adjustable shocks - rear
Vorshlag camber plates, with race perches
IE 22mm front sway
ST 19mm rear sway
Treehouse Lollipop CABs
IE Billet RSMs
IE Poly RTABS
IE Poly rear subframe mounts - street compound
IE Poly steering coupler
Rebuilt factory M3 steering rack, with new tie rods
Aluminum control arms
AKG subframe and trailing arm weld-in reinforcement kits
Sparco front strut brace
Custom rear strut brace based off the Mason Engineering design, which also mounts to the differential carrier

Brakes:
E36 M3 front brakes
E34 M5 Master cylinder
SS brake lines

Wheels:
Real 18" Alpinas!!! - 18x8 et20 front, 18x9 et24 rear (show & cruising wheels) :pimp:
17x8 BBS RX et10 (track, canyon, everything else wheels)

Exterior & Lighting:
Real motorized AC Schnitzer side view mirrors!
Startec tail lights (may not end up using)
Mint Euro Hella Smileys
6000k Hids for the lows and fogs

Interior:
Old school Corbeau reclinable sport seats
3 spoke Alpina steering wheel
3 spoke BBS steering wheel
E36 center console and armrest

System:
Alpine 6.5" Type S components in custom map pocket door pods
Sony 3 way 6x9 speakers for the rear
Clif Design 1400x4 amp for the highs
MA Audio 1800 watt monoblock amp
Full JL Audio wiring kit

Still to get:

Engine & Trans:
S54 motor, harness, dme
JVT Ebay headers for s54 - To be ceramic coated, and ported
3" Borla ProXS single in/out muffler (to be used as the center muffler)
3" Vibrant Street Power muffler (to be used as the end muffler)
V-Bands
8.5 # JB racing flywheel
Sachs Race clutch & pressure plate

Exterior:
MA Shaw Evo trunk spoiler, with CF gurney flap
TMS Evo 2 front lip

System:
Alpine CDA9835 head unit
Kicker 10" CVX or Infinity Reference 12" subwoofer

[garretvs]

If you want to know how to put an LSx & T56 into an E30, See:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1348710

and:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...&highlight=ls1

there ain't no replacement for displacement! The LSx engines put out more torque at a little over idle rpm than any of the Mxx-Sxx engines that have found their way into E30's.

[hefftone]

I can appreciate the owners desire to stick with the M-pedigree. That car with an S54 will be a sick package. How much are S54's going for these days? Pardon my ignorance, but the transmission you referenced, what does that come from?
I used to be a fiend for some bass, but nowadays, I just can't live with the weight penalty.

[e30polak]

If you want to know how to put an LSx & T56 into an E30, See:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1348710

and:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=177608&highlight=ls1

there ain't no replacement for displacement! The LSx engines put out more torque at a little over idle rpm than any of the Mxx-Sxx engines that have found their way into E30's.

I was going to go the LS1 route with my red car Garrett, by I can't bastardize this M3 that bad. The s54 will make plenty of power when I'm done with it, and it will be much more appropriate for my M3.

I can appreciate the owners desire to stick with the M-pedigree. That car with an S54 will be a sick package. How much are S54's going for these days? Pardon my ignorance, but the transmission you referenced, what does that come from?
I used to be a fiend for some bass, but nowadays, I just can't live with the weight penalty.

It should be fun with 330-350whp/250-270 wtq!

The trans is just a 96+ ZF 5spd out of the e36 328/M3s. It has nearly identical gearing 1st - 5th gear with the e46 6 speed. for a 1/4 of the price (plus I already had a spare). I don't care for gas mileage as this is going to be my fun/weekend car. The 3.46 + the ZF was fun with my s52, but it will be WAY better with the added power, and being able to rev it past 8k!

An s54 can be had for anywhere between 3-6k, depends on mileage and how desperate the seller is. I want one with high mileage so I can just do a proper rebuild on one since I'm doing cams, etc.

I love music too much. I'm only 24, so I'm still young enough for it. Plus, the sub + box + amp will help with traction, and to balance the added weight of the heavier motor up front. Weight will be coming off the front of the car: CF/Fiberglass hood, no AC, CF airbox, lighter after market headers, aluminum control arms, etc.

[Karuza]

Buy a wrecked m3 from the auctions and have all the parts you'll need for s54 swap. Look up my thread on the s54 details and it might be helpful. I've been planning on doing the swap forever but right now my funds are limited.

[e30polak]

Buy a wrecked m3 from the auctions and have all the parts you'll need for s54 swap. Look up my thread on the s54 details and it might be helpful. I've been planning on doing the swap forever but right now my funds are limited.

I don't want to deal with a whole parts car. I have a lead on 2 complete motors, with all the accessories, harness and DME. I need nothing else for this swap, as the factory DME will be reprogrammed to run without issue in my M3.

[Karuza]

Meh could save yourself a ton of money, but it is also a ton of work replacing the e36 wiring with that of the e46 for a factory swap with ews and traction control abilities. Its whatever you prefer.

[e30polak]

I think you misread, this is going into an e30 m3. I don't care for traction control or EWS. Unfortunately I won't be able to get rid of drive-by-wire this route, so I'll have it in Sport mode most of the time!

Wiring instructions are provided with the pre-programmed/pre-wired DME. Wont be very hard at all. The tuner has 2 e30 m3s running on s62s already, and a few s54 cars in Europe as well.

[BigC986]

Wow ive always been a fan of scarlet and cant wait to see what this crazy set-up will do! Congrats!

Also do you have an estimate on how much you think this swap will cost?

[e30polak]

I haven't worked out all the figures yet, but I wont be paying any labor. The most expensive parts will be the s54, the reprogramming, and the Alpha-N + Dyno-tune.

[BMWFanatic]

dayum Chris! this is gonna be sick! what a journey of decisions you made before getting to this point! its gonna be mean as hell im sure. cant wait for her to be complete!

-Chase

[cky751]

oh I like where this is going A LOT! what's happening to scarlet?

[Johnbennett103]

Great project! I have an e36 with a S54 swap, and I love it. I didn't do the project, but it has drive by wire, and alpha N. It passed emissions in CT easily. Since it has a 6 speed, my next project is to swap out the rear diff to a 4:10. Put a S54 in an e30, the car will be amazing. But I have heard that the swaps can be tricky - just talk to a lot of people.

[e30polak]

dayum Chris! this is gonna be sick! what a journey of decisions you made before getting to this point! its gonna be mean as hell im sure. cant wait for her to be complete!

-Chase

Ya, I'm very fickle when it comes to big changes with my car. I don't have a lot of money to waste on a bad decision, so i waited long enough to make the right one.

oh I like where this is going A LOT! what's happening to scarlet?

Scarlet was sold back in March in order to pay my dad back for my M3. She's actually up in the Bay Area now!

Great project! I have an e36 with a S54 swap, and I love it. I didn't do the project, but it has drive by wire, and alpha N. It passed emissions in CT easily. Since it has a 6 speed, my next project is to swap out the rear diff to a 4:10. Put a S54 in an e30, the car will be amazing. But I have heard that the swaps can be tricky - just talk to a lot of people.

I've done my research and the only tricky part will be the brake booster location with my CSL style airbox. We have an idea up our sleeves at the shop, so hopefully it works as planned.

UPDATE:

Picked up a few things in the past few weeks for the project -

1. Anthracite Alcantara head liner, shift boot and e-brake boot, with ///M stitching, from my buddy Rich!



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2. Ted B. gauge overlays. Now my tach will read past 8k with the s54, rather then into the oil temperature gauge!



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3. Staggered AC Schnitzer type 2s - 17x8.5 et 15 front, 17x9.5 et22 rear.

(Teaser)



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MMMMmmmm... Concave goodness!!!

[e30polak]

S14 should be in and running in the next month!!!

[IWannaBMW]

Big fan of your e30, can't wait to see this one done .

Tell us how you get the moneyz naoo

[e30polak]

Big fan of your e30, can't wait to see this one done .

Tell us how you get the moneyz naoo

I make decent money, and have few expenses (I'm 24 and still live at home)

I've been finding sick deal on all the parts I buy.

The ///M3 was $6,500. I sold my red swap car for $8.5 k. The entire s14 drivetrain will basically pay for the s54. So on and so forth.

I'm also a business partner with a shop, so I don't pay for labor.

[IWannaBMW]

I make decent money, and have few expenses (I'm 24 and still live at home)

I've been finding sick deal on all the parts I buy.

The ///M3 was $6,500. I sold my red swap car for $8.5 k. The entire s14 drivetrain will basically pay for the s54. So on and so forth.

I'm also a business partner with a shop, so I don't pay for labor.

I was mainly jokin around lol . On the living at home part, alot of us eastern europeans do that shit til we're like 30 or get married .

I'm 23 and still at home

[colbytwentytwo]

this thread needs moar photos chris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[e30polak]

this thread needs moar photos chris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing has been done to the car in the past few months unfortunately. Pics will be posted when we drop the s14 back in. Hopefully this will happen in the next few weeks.

[airkhin]

cant wait to see more of this beauty!

[turbo325ii]

I want your guage overlays. Tell me who ted is, and how to get some... Possibly ones that go to 200mph...

[e30polak]

Finally picked up the motor from the machine shop today! Towing the M3 to the shop Thursday!!!!

This has taken WAY longer then expected, but I'm super stoked nonetheless!!!

[narbeh07]

Subscribed! Cant wait for it to be finished-

[blackoute30]

nice!!!