[GreenDragon]

I'm debating if (in the future) I would rather rebuild my current engine (bore, port, polish, etc) or do an M swap (I've seen some for sale already ported and polished claiming a 15% power/torque increase over stock). I'm not sure if there would be more involved in the swap besides dropping the new engine, and installing the new ECU (like tranny, clutch, replacing the german fighting midgets in the intake manifold, etc).

What do you guys think? Any pros/cons to the rebuild over the swap? Wich do you think would be cheaper, or more cost effective?

 

[donutchow]

i think it all depends on how much you want to spend on getting more horsepower to sit on the beltway in traffic.

 

[GreenDragon]

True. But I travel to NY/NJ alot to visit family so I do get some opportunities to open her up and enjoy the car. I also plan on keeping this car as long as she'll have me. I have alot in mind that I want to do (repaint, exhaust, CAI, Chip, bigger brakes, new brake lines, suspension, Headers, high flow cat, even though headers and cat will possibly cause me to not pass inspection) but I'm preparing to buy a house so those are back burner. This is essentially my daily driver/project car.

I forgot to add - The M3 engines are also rebuilt.

 

[triggrhaapi]

Unless you're one of the rare few people who have friends who are machinists, rebuilding the engine yourself is a very costly enterprise. I'd say do the M swap because it will end up costing you almost as much just to get your current engine rebuilt by a comptetent mechanic.

 

[GreenDragon]

Definitely not a DIY rebuild, I would be going to some sort of competent hack for the work. So you think it would run about the same to rebuild as opposed to swap huh? Hmmm. The engine I saw was aroung the 8 grand neighborhood. Would you know, trigg, if there would be more involved to the swap besides just dropping the engine in? That I could probably DIY with a rented engine crane (or whatever you wanna call those things) and some time plus tools.

 

[triggrhaapi]

it shouldn't be too difficult, provided you had the M3 specific exhaust systems already installed,etc. I'd ask Gary (TMD Kit) cuz he's researching that for his car.

 

[GreenDragon]

Cool, thanks man.

 

[Guest]

green for 8k you can get a new euro 3.2 liter m3 engine (from the euro e36) 321hp stock!

 

[GreenDragon]

Fo shizzle? Where at? Give me some links baby!!! Not that it would really matter right now, but it'll be good to have some researchunder me belt knowhutimsayin?

 

[Guest]

thats what TMD[kit] said, so ask him