318Ti M5 Swap! - BMW Forum

bacustoms420 · 02-20-2006, 07:16 PM

Alright I've done just got tired of this hitty M44 Engine! I have been thinking of a radical conversion to my E36 95 318Ti to an M5 V8! I think it would be a really insane combo. A super light chasis to a superpowerful V8. I figure I would have to swap all the suspension parts for the most partI would also say most of the braking system and make a driveshaft! I would figure in a full weekend starting early Friday morning by sunday night I should be test driving! I'm not entirely sure what it would consist of as far as time consuming! Have there been insanitys like this performed before? If so how did Murphy's law jump into the equation! I don't think I can put her in SCCA or BMW Club racing being a "Ti" but it would be a really nice swap. I'm looking into this and would appreciate some feedback or ideas on this swap.

Bryant

Teh Prof · 02-20-2006, 07:25 PM

Are you joking?

Please don't blow yourself up. We rather like you.

boostinsixtwintturbo · 02-20-2006, 07:49 PM

i dont know if its even plausible, but then again you have companies dropping v8's in miatas, so i guess it could happen. I just see the balance of the car beeing thrown off just from the weight of the v8. But i dont know much about 318's , yet alone M3's, its all been a learning process for me.But anything can be done with the right amount of money. But then again, why not just get an M3 instead? Maybe if i had a a 318 along with my other cars , and a spare motor , maybe then, but why not just do the s50 motor swap in the 318? Its cheaper.

used:

Torque · 02-20-2006, 08:04 PM

A BMW V8 weighs as much as the whole rest of the 'ti. Sure, if you wanna build a nose-heavy mini-Cadillac car, go for it.

///M Power · 02-20-2006, 11:28 PM

The bmw v8 you're talkign abotu is ridiculusly heavy and overpriced. Many peopel ahev consider it but it throws off the balance of the car. What you should seriosuly consider and it has been done many many many times is swapping in a chevy LS1 motor. They are cheaper than the m5 motor, weigh about as much as a s50, sit far back in the engine back to keep balance, and haev been proven to produce lots of power. I think theres a guy on bimmerforums with an s52 in his 318ti and who is now going to sell that setup and do the ls1 aswell.

Aether · 02-21-2006, 08:50 AM

..Or just buy a Camaro.
Doesn't sound like you're too terribly concerned with handling anyway.

ldsbeaker · 02-21-2006, 09:53 AM

Or buy an Aluminum LS1. I know that's been done. Google....

bob318 · 02-26-2006, 07:17 PM

do it and then park it in my drive way and take mine. haha

theironm0nk · 02-26-2006, 10:48 PM

for the price of everything just go out and buy a M5

A better idea is a M46 M3 engine in a Ti

zoomzoom · 02-27-2006, 09:48 AM

I agree with a small block Chevy engine. You can beef it up with a mid range cam, 4 bar. carb, or even Injection if $ no problem. Getting the car to handle will be your real challenge. I put a V8 in an Austin Healy, 1956 4 banger. Ultimately, I remove the body so I could work on the frame and suspension. Replace floor boards, seat mounts, made a new drive shaft, coupled to a 411 positive trac rear with a muncy 4 speed. When the car was put back together, went like a bat out of h..., and handled reasonably well. FYI, car took first place in the World of Wheels Auto Show in Hawaii. Good luck, ZZ

bob318 · 02-27-2006, 12:35 PM

Get the m3 engine man.That would be so sick. Lighter too.

///M Power · 02-27-2006, 01:11 PM

The LS1 weighs just about the same as an m52. In fact it's a few pound slighter and it sits back further in the engine bay compared to the i6 so it doesn't throw off balance or weight by much.

bacustoms420 · 03-09-2006, 07:52 AM

guys I think I have made a decision, I would do the LS1 swap if I could buy one at the auctions wrecked up but I do have a couple of spare 305's & 350s laying in the back of the shop. do the v8 swap with the 305 15:2:1 compression would be awesome but then it would eliminate the street driven idea. or a mild borderline wild build with a super charger. I have been know to be a nitrous expert but I really wany to stay away from the juice. Just about every car has been sprayed that I ever owned so I want to extend a bit out of my norm. and I do agree there are absolutely no M5's at the auctions or even M540 to buy cheaply. I would need an entire car seeing as the whole shabang has to be swapped over! the LS1 would also be right up there for 8K I can build an alcohol blown Ti with a 350. both the LS1 and the blown are both out of budget quite a bit out of budget. The 15:2:1 would be my dream on that motor but that would still put me close to 5K in parts alone! I know we're definately going to need a ford 9" rear adapted to the car to handle at least 400HP from a mildly built naturaly aspirated 305. We're going to put the v8 in the Ti we are just on the drawing board about how we are going to generate our horsepower. I have pics of the 305 already in the dismantling stage which I need to post up. I'm hoping to remove the motor and all elctrical inside of her. I honestly don't know the nightmare of mounting the motor yet but from what I have seen on the LS1 swaps it looks like there may be the need to relocate the steering rack a little bit forward!