Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » LS1 swap into E36 1 2

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  Dec. 29, 2010 6:04 p.m. jv8 None

  Anybody complete this swap?

  I'm looking at the Vorshlag kit. I've searched the forum and seen a bunch of complaining about the price... but honestly although I'm grassroots at heart I'm short on time these days and not as short on money.

  The argument is that by the time you are done putting the LS into the E36 you could have just bought a C5 vette and saved a bunch of time. But what I'm looking for is that drivetrain in a sleeper wagon body that can still handle well. I owned a C5 before and I didn't like the attention or lack of rear seats.

  So I'm thinking about a 325i wagon with an LS1 and some M3 suspension bits.

  Thoughts?

  It's too bad the US is the land of the crossover SUV instead of the sportwagon.

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  Dec. 29, 2010 6:52 p.m. ansonivan HalfDork

  Where are you getting this magical e36 wagon? I'll have one too please.

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  Dec. 29, 2010 7:00 p.m. Junkyard_Dog Dork

  ansonivan wrote: Where are you getting this magical e36 wagon? I'll have one too please.

  LS1 E36 wagon with M suspension?

  Thats like a unicorn humping a rhinoceros, on crack.

  I love going to the Pull-a-Part because the dollar admission is cheaper than most car shows and you almost always see cooler cars.

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  Dec. 29, 2010 7:42 p.m. ansonivan HalfDork

  Also, I wasn't being a smartypants*, I really want an e36 wagon.

  I think the Vorschlag kit is a wonderful thing, yes it's expensive but it's a lot cheaper than doing all that development work yourself.

  Do it, do it for freedom, happiness and all the other good things.

  *ok yes I was.

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  Dec. 29, 2010 7:42 p.m. jv8 New Reader

  ansonivan wrote: Where are you getting this magical e36 wagon? I'll have one too please.

  Doh! I guess E36 wagons were euro-only. So I'd be looking at early E46 or just sticking with a sedan.

  Unicorns though? The LS1 swap has been done before. Is it hard to make a BMW wagon handle? I'm more familiar with Subaru where the parts are like Legos. I thought about building a replica of the Forester STi sold in Japan but I'd really like to get back to a big naturally aspirated V8.

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  Dec. 29, 2010 8:04 p.m. 4cylndrfury SuperDork

  ooooh...RWD LSX Forester?!?!?!

  Help help, Ive been boggled...in a good way. My mind staggers at the awesomeness!

  Real cars only have one header!

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  Dec. 29, 2010 8:32 p.m. Kiponator New Reader

  Here's an E36 touring, it's a shame we didn't get them here, I am not sure I have ever seen a better looking station wagon.

  http://www.carsbase.com/photo/photo_full.php?id=62677

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  Dec. 29, 2010 8:38 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

  jv8 wrote:

  ansonivan wrote: Where are you getting this magical e36 wagon? I'll have one too please.

  Doh! I guess E36 wagons were euro-only. So I'd be looking at early E46 or just sticking with a sedan.

  For an E36 Touring you might look to our brethren in the north. CA might have some gray market deals.

  I know a guy who put an S54/6speed in an E46 wagon. It was awesome. An LS would be a little more of that goodness but with a better soundtrack. IIRC James Clay at Bimmerworld also has a super or turbo charged monster E46 wagon that made an appearance at the UTCC.

  Lord of drivel and harbinger of Floundering

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  Dec. 29, 2010 8:50 p.m. nutherjrfan HalfDork

  I seem to remember this idea having some life on the old boards, with a guy in Texas, I believe, hawking his kit, and it being pooh-poohed because buying a conversion kit, as opposed to engineering one yourself, wasn't sufficiently grassroots. I seem to remember the kit being around 8k, and the abundance of cheapo straight e36s in Texas being talking points. If I could afford it, I would, tastefully of course, plaster the thing in bow-ties.

  Confucius say It does not matter how slow you go, so long as you do not stop. Confucius was wrong.

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  Dec. 29, 2010 9:04 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

  i like the concept of an E36 wagon better than the execution thereof. looks like an E36 sedan gettting fudgepacked by a Saturn SW2.

  if you're gonna be a bear.... be a grizzly bear!

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  Dec. 30, 2010 12:58 a.m. WilberM3 HalfDork

  yea i prefer both e30 and e46 wagons. they look like a more singular design. at least we got the e46T here.

  Dave

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  Dec. 30, 2010 2:33 a.m. grimmelshanks HalfDork

  just a thought... lsx e34 wagon?

  pinion shaft? uh-oh

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  Dec. 30, 2010 7:05 a.m. Strike_Zero HalfDork

  ^

  Something like this E34??

  

  Gen3_V8 has done one as well. . . . with turbo

  -=PJ=- "Oh FFFFFFFUUUUUUUU . . ."

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  Dec. 30, 2010 7:46 a.m. DoctorBlade Reader

  All i know is that ls1tech.com has a large Conversions and Hybrids forum, where there are quite a few people doing the LSx into a BMW route. Some are machinists, mechanical engineers and some are just guys who work in the shop. It seems to be very easy. Sure is fun to read.

  "Meh."

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  Dec. 30, 2010 8:24 a.m. jstein77 Dork

  Strike_Zero wrote: ^ Something like this E34?? Gen3_V8 has done one as well. . . . with turbo

  Wow, that E34 wagon is really attractive. Maybe you should consider that instead, especially if it is more avaialble.

  

  Jerry in Melbourne

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  Dec. 30, 2010 12:34 p.m. dj06482 Reader

  Vorshlag's kit is for the E36 only, although Terry (Fair is his forum name) might be turning their E46 DSP coupe into a LSx-powered monster.

  '97 328is | '05 Odyssey | '06 RAV4 | '06 Dodge RAM 1500 QC

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  Dec. 30, 2010 12:42 p.m. speedblind Reader

  Love the idea, especially if you can put it into a wagon. Awesome daily driver and the definition of a sleeper. I think I'd do a wagon once there's a kit for the E46 - for daily driver duties, the E46 was a big step up from the E36. For track driving, the extra weight and refinement is unnecessary. I'm anxiously awaiting Vorschlag's progress on their E46 - from the minimal research I've done, I think the electronics will be the biggest hurdle with the E46.

  As for your project, I personally would save the time and go the Vorschlag route. Saves time scratching your head and staring at an engine on a stand and an empty engine bay - time that can be better spent driving the finished product.
  

  The Vorschlag kit keeps getting cheaper, and they've done multiple cars and keep refining it and adding additional options. A lot of the other kits are done once, a jig is made, and that's it. The Vorschlag guys seem to be always improving their products.

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  Dec. 30, 2010 12:42 p.m. ansonivan HalfDork

  An e46 lsx kit might be the best thing ever, those cars are well down the depreciation slide now. I imagine getting the engine electronics talking to the e46 dash might be a challenge compared to the more primitive e36.

  Edit - speedblind beat me to it.

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  Dec. 30, 2010 1:05 p.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

  AngryCorvair wrote: i like the concept of an E36 wagon better than the execution thereof. looks like an E36 sedan gettting fudgepacked by a Saturn SW2.

  I'm with you. I'm not feeling that AT ALL.

  SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS

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  Dec. 30, 2010 1:08 p.m. joey48442 SuperDork

  ansonivan wrote: Also, I wasn't being a smartypants*, I really want an e36 wagon. I think the Vorschlag kit is a wonderful thing, yes it's expensive but it's a lot cheaper than doing all that development work yourself. Do it, do it for freedom, happiness and all the other good things. *ok yes I was.

  If he doesn't do it, the terrorists win. I don't think he wants the terrorists to win.

  Joey

  Once I ate leftover chinese that had been kept in an unsealed container and I experienced complete awareness.

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  Dec. 30, 2010 1:14 p.m. coll9947 New Reader

  My friend is well underway on a Ford 302 swap into an E36 sedan. I bug him daily to join GRM and throw up a build thread.

  e36 v8.com was all it took to get him hooked.

  It has a lot of reasons why the Ford 302 is the best bang for the buck for the E36.

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  Dec. 31, 2010 1:30 a.m. pimpm3 New Reader

  e39 540i wagon with a 6-speed swap. It seems like this would be the way to go. It would be like a factory car and it sounds like this would be cheaper then the 8 grand cost associated with the lsx swap

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  Dec. 31, 2010 8:00 a.m. dyintorace SuperDork

  I've thought about that swap into my DD (the e46 wagon below). As for swapping an LS1 into an e46 wagon, it's been done before. Check out the video.

  e46 wagon with LS1 goodness

  

  Gainesville, FL

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  Dec. 31, 2010 11:30 a.m. coll9947 New Reader

  That e46 wagon was built here in Idaho by a now-closed speed shop. They built some crazy stuff back in the day, don't know what happened to them. Turbo Escalade, turbo 5.0 1st gen RX7, 2JZ powered early 90s Toyota pickup, 6-cyl swapped twin-turbo E30 M3, Nissan Stagea wagon with RB26 of some variety. And they had one of the fastest FWD cars at the local AutoX, a B18 EF hatch that was absolutely bonkers. Those were the days...

  I remember they had a VERY built E46 M3 that was wrecked by a kid my brother knows, car must have had $40k in modifications and he stuffed it into a concrete barrier. Haven't seen him since... weird...

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  Jan. 1, 2011 8:13 a.m. jv8 New Reader

  Thanks for the comments and links!

  The kit looks like the right fit for me. Most mechanical bits except for cat-back exhaust would be bolt-on. I'd probably farm out the exhaust to a local shop. The cooling, plumbing and electrical I feel confident to tackle myself. Especially the electronics - I design computer chips (ASICs, FPGAs) for a living and have access to lots of design and test equipment. As long as the protocols are known I think I could fab an interface board to marry the LS1 with the BMW dash.

  Right now I'm hung up on the fact that the kit is for E36 and my ideal vehicle is an E46 wagon. I don't think I have the time to start something from scratch.

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