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CsChuck14

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hey, first post! i finally was able to log in. so i just sold my 81 320i, good solid car, but i want an E9 and hopefully in a month i will have one. but i had a couple questions. the e9 i am looking at is automatic. and i definatley want a manual. i am looking at putting a bigger more powerful engine in with a manual trans (dont hate me), and no not a bmw engine. what exactly do i need to do to have a working clutch and manual trans. also with say 300 hp , can the diff handle it? if not or if maybe, then what upgraded lsd's fit?

thanks for the help, im sure ill have any more questoins as time goes on, and if anyones wondering, i do plan to do everything myself (for cost) and yes the car probably has a good bit of rust
 
There is at least one E9 that has a complete E28 M5 rear subframe and diff installed and those engines were rated 256HP in US specs.

But you really need to look at the left side of the engine compartment and figure out what you are going to do for a brake booster and possibly the steering if you are going to swap in any engine that is very wide.
 
I believe Chuck has in mind a Chevy engine and trans. He has been in contact with me but I have not said anything to discourage him. Extensive mods would be necessary to the chassis, which we oldtimers describe as a flexi-flyer. Cannot imagine the front subframe rails being up to the task torque wise, nor the diff without mods. Hell, make a proper tube frame and hang the body from it, like a race car, especially if its rusty. Thats the only way it will take a Chevy big block I do believe. Front inner fenders do not look wide enough for the transfer either, and they are as we all know, structural. Find yourself an M5 or M6 wreck and do a transplant of the drivetrain, gotta be easier than a Chevy.

PS. Chuck is 18 years old. Give him a break, he has a lot to learn about E9s, BMWs, and probably a lot more.
 
Hey, Chuck save your money and buy a Viper! P.S. They should have a Forum too.
 
CsChuck14 said:
i am looking at putting a bigger more powerful engine in with a manual trans (dont hate me), and no not a bmw engine. ........ i do plan to do everything myself (for cost) and yes the car probably has a good bit of rust
Click to expand...

Chuck:

tmason is offering you sound advice. If you want a car powered by a V8, start with something engineered to take a V8. Viper, Corvette, Cobra, Mustang, whatever. But please don't destroy a CS coupe.

Here are a bunch of reasons not to do what you propose:

- Your message says you will do all of the work yourself (for cost). Do you have a budget for this project? Have you ballparked the expense of re-engineering the steering, braking, cooling, drivetrain, and all the other systems that will need to be modified to make your CS drivable and safe? Do you have the welding and machining skills, as well as the shop and equipment necessary to complete a conversion like this?

- Your post also says the car has quite a bit of rust. Do you know what it costs to correct rust issues on an unmodified CS? (answer: LOTS!). Any CS you buy is probably going to have rust issues, but I get the sense that cost is an issue for you - If you start with a visibly rusty CS, the project will be more expensive overall, no matter how cheap the car is initially.

- Most engine conversion projects never get completed. Another forum I participate in has some enthusiastic guy join about once a year announcing his plans to install a V8 in a ____. He posts photos for about 3 months, showing how he has chopped up what used to be a nice car, and then, his postings stop coming. I have NEVER seen one of these projects completed.

- A high-performance car is more than just a high HP engine - there needs to be some balance between power, braking, handling, and weight distribution. You may stuff in a V8, and get your CS on the road, only to find that it is a miserable car to drive. The engineers at BMW weren't fools when they chose to put a 3 liter inline 6 in that chassis - a lot of thought and work went into making it a well-integrated package.

I don't want to discourage anyone from buying a CS, and sure, hotrod projects are fun to work on even if they never get completed. My advice is to buy a Coupe (but if you want a manual, get a manual) repair its rust and get it running/driving. If you then find you need more power, and you are confident that the chassis can handle more power, install a BMW 3.5 (lots written on this forum about that swap). After you are bored with that, consider more exotic projects.
 
Re: More Umpph!

dave v. in nc said:
If you wrap an elephant penis in a large fajita wrapper, it doesn't make beef wellington. IMHO. Dave V. in NC
Click to expand...

Dave V - I just threw up a little bit in my mouth, thanks!

OP - When you say a "little" rust, what do you actually mean? In the E9 world a "little" rust usually turns into a lot of rust as soon as you get a good look inside some of the hidden areas. If you want a V8 go find a Jensen or converted Aston. I understand why some people put small block V8s in old Ferraris and Astons for economic reasons, but the 3.0 or 3.5 liter inline six is probably the cheapest and most plentiful part of the entire E9. If you want that kind of grunt in a CS, then the best way would be to turbocharge a 3.5 (that has actually been done).

Let's all devote our time and considerable knowledge to coupe projects that actually stand a chance at becoming a reality. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and make the bold prediction that this FrankenCoupe will never make it past the planning stage. I mean no disrespect to the OP of course, but if you have the means and ability to stuff some sort of V8 in an E9 body as you suggest then you should already know how silly and upside down this project would be. It will shred money faster than Citibank!

Like JMackro said, there is a myriad of reasons NOT to do this, but if any of you want to play the role of Dr. Kevorkian, all the best.....
 
A small spanner in the works:

[Broken External Image]:[URL]http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss236/TimT_pics/Other BMW/DSCN0690.jpg[/url]

Car seen at UK BMWCC national event 2008.

[Broken External Image]:[URL]http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss236/TimT_pics/Other BMW/DSCN0689.jpg[/url]

[Broken External Image]:[URL]http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss236/TimT_pics/Other BMW/DSCN0688.jpg[/url]

Not going to be "approved" of by everyone but appeared to be done effectively. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet the owner.
 
Approve or not, a 385HP Porsche Cayenne motor in an E9 is an impressive project. Hope the builder did something to stiffen the frame.

(am I wrong?, that looks like a Cayenne V8 based on the intake plenum)

What do you think that buildup cost the owner?
 
acat2002 said:
Approve or not, a 385HP Porsche Cayenne motor in an E9 is an impressive project. Hope the builder did something to stiffen the frame.

(am I wrong?, that looks like a Cayenne V8 based on the intake plenum)

What do you think that buildup cost the owner?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that's an LS1 Chevy V8.

I would never discourage someone from trying an engine swap. Finished or not, its a good experience that may lead to bigger and better things in the future. A rusty old CS chassis donated to a V8 project wouldn't be the end of the world either.

I started this project when I was 18 and had it on the road a couple years later...

http://www.britishv8.org/MG/DanGraves.htm
 
acat2002 said:
(am I wrong?, that looks like a Cayenne V8 based on the intake plenum)
Click to expand...

Looks like Chevy LSx with custom coil covers to me. I just finished putting one in my Jeepster. I've been thinking about dropping one of those with a six-speed out of a GTO into a beat down Bavaria, but would never consider doing it to my coupe.
 
AndyM said:
acat2002 said:
(am I wrong?, that looks like a Cayenne V8 based on the intake plenum)
Click to expand...

Looks like Chevy LSx with custom coil covers to me. I just finished putting one in my Jeepster. I've been thinking about dropping one of those with a six-speed out of a GTO into a beat down Bavaria, but would never consider doing it to my coupe.
Click to expand...

I'm curious now, but you're probably right now that I'm looking at the location of the spark plugs. It was just the intake plenum that looked like a Cayenne V8, plus the fact that I assuemd that the location was Europe where Porsche parts probably grow on trees compared to the US.
I should do my homework before speculating, eh?
 
acat2002 said:
AndyM said:
acat2002 said:
(am I wrong?, that looks like a Cayenne V8 based on the intake plenum)
Click to expand...

Looks like Chevy LSx with custom coil covers to me. I just finished putting one in my Jeepster. I've been thinking about dropping one of those with a six-speed out of a GTO into a beat down Bavaria, but would never consider doing it to my coupe.
Click to expand...

I'm curious now, but you're probably right now that I'm looking at the location of the spark plugs. It was just the intake plenum that looked like a Cayenne V8, plus the fact that I assuemd that the location was Europe where Porsche parts probably grow on trees compared to the US.
I should do my homework before speculating, eh?
Click to expand...

Its still an impressive motor! The 6.0 LS2 puts out about 400 hp and 400 ft/lb torque. I only recongized it because of the oil cap.
 
ok, you can stop worrying, im not going to drop a v8 in the car.

a chevy 350 weighs about 550 pounds. and a m30 weighs around 320... sooo this is a problem saved for a different project, such as a race car build..later.. so dont worry.

now. you are correct, budget is somewhat tight, so im thinking more along the lines of an e28. not an s38 cuz i couldnt afford that. but a regular m30 with monotronic or kjet or j spectronic or L jet... whatever . (does anyone have any expirence with megasquirt, or similar programs)

rust may be an issue.. ha may be.. rust will be my biggest problem and im young and willing to go into battle with this oxidizing bastard, and no i do not know what im getting myself into... but im ready. i have a welder, lots of time... what other tools do i need? (what is a wire grinder) and are there any books that might help me?

i have been thinking about this, and tell me if its absurd or possible. e28s had a very unique and i think great looking and feeling interior. if i find a 28 with a decent interior would it be possible to put this interior in the coupe? ive never seen pics, or herd about it so im guessing it hasnt been done, but what are the chances


i did find this while i was surfing today.
http://www.e12-e28.pl/printview.php?t=1379&start=0&sid=05a24a7386f4a0338faaed697d633f33

kindof interesting... aluminum block, super light
 
CsChuck14 said:
hey, first post! i finally was able to log in. so i just sold my 81 320i, good solid car, but i want an E9 and hopefully in a month i will have one. but i had a couple questions. the e9 i am looking at is automatic. and i definatley want a manual. i am looking at putting a bigger more powerful engine in with a manual trans (dont hate me), and no not a bmw engine. what exactly do i need to do to have a working clutch and manual trans. also with say 300 hp , can the diff handle it? if not or if maybe, then what upgraded lsd's fit?

thanks for the help, im sure ill have any more questoins as time goes on, and if anyones wondering, i do plan to do everything myself (for cost) and yes the car probably has a good bit of rust
Click to expand...

I think you need to do a lot more research before buying an E9. And if you have no intention of dropping in a BMW engine why not buy a Camaro.
 
cuz a camaro is a turd. now the man who suggested the viper has a little more sense

im putting a bmw engine in it...

any suggestions on the rust?
 
Ideas on rust

Pretend you are a Boy Scout--"BE PREPARED"

I seriously suggest that you take some time to become a little better acquainted with the Coupe--before deciding to "bastardize" it.

Yes--I'm one of the purists with ownership--or better--caregiving to Coupes for over 37 years and 500,000 miles--so I have had a little more time in the saddle over those years than I sense you have been around and I view them in an entirely different light. I'm not saying you should embrace similar values to what I have embraced--however--I would suggest that you do some research on the many posts that have been made about rust and restoration issues. There are scores of posts available for your review made by many others much more brave and willing than I to do the "hands on" required to bring a rusty body to roadworty condition. As an owner of 37 years, with several other Coupes that I have located and sorted for responsible enthusiasts, I view your postings thus far as being very ill prepared--to battle the major foe of E-9's--rust.

You sound very young and determined to "jump in and redo" one of the most desirable drivable classics still on the road as actions inconsistent with and contrary to the majority of responsible Coupe owners.

However, if you decide to tackle a rusty one to own and hopefully show it the respect it deserves--you will find help from many on this board--as you will find corrosion in places you cannot see without actual "peeling the layers" much like an onion.

These Karmann bodies are very complex and have many interesting pockets and crevices to spawn rust. Most who have responsibly tackled same find the typical time to repair a rusty E-9 has ranged from 2 to 5 or 6 years to return it to the road--unless you are full time have patience and are skilled or become so at metal working and all other aspects that goes along with the correct treatment of one of these early cars.

Perhaps let some time pass while you gain some maturity as to what these cars are about. The last ones were built about 35 years ago and generally Coupe owners on this board appreciate others who are commited to their restoration and preservation by putting them on the road again in good shape.

My .02 cents
 
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