Hello, all ~ What engine is this?

[mark7andrew]

Greetings from the 'Great Pacific Northwest'...I am an ex-professional import tech, now engaged in a land-clearing business out here. I found what appears to be an M20 engine coupled with a Getrag 5-speed trans in a field under a tarp. It was initially headed for the scrapyard, but I deceided to take it home instead.
The oil looks clean, and I'm interested to find out which model it is from. The engine casting numbers are: 1278921 Any one know? THX!

[drz]

Welcome!

Are tehre any other markings on the engine? Is there a VIN?

Anyhow, using the seven digit you provided on this site: BMW VIN Decoder - By Mitsuhiko Kanekatsu, it tells me that that the car was:
Series E24
Model 635CSi
Body type coupe
Catalog model ECE
Production date 1985 / 01
Engine M30
Transmission Automatic

But I can't know if the number that you found actually corresponds to the VIN of teth engine from c=which it came off. It may just be a coincidence that BMW happened to make a vehicle with taht serial number.

Good luck. It sounds like you've made a nice find.