Buy euro engine???

[m3f_BMW-///V\-_9d3887488c]

Hey I'm getting a 95 M3 in a few months, and I'm extremely interested in the euro-spec engine.



Is there anywhere I can buy this engine? Will it fit my US M3?



Will I need to purchase other things (i.e. does the euro engine have things the US doesn't)?



Will it pass emissions with US exhaust and everything, just the euro engine, or is that even possible (do I have to use special parts for exhaust and/or other parts)?



Finally, do I have to get the euro transmission and gearbox and all (6 speed)?



Thanks in advance!!!

[m3f_Viking]

Hey I'm getting a 95 M3 in a few months, and I'm extremely interested in the euro-spec engine.



Is there anywhere I can buy this engine? Will it fit my US M3?



Will I need to purchase other things (i.e. does the euro engine have things the US doesn't)?



Will it pass emissions with US exhaust and everything, just the euro engine, or is that even possible (do I have to use special parts for exhaust and/or other parts)?



Finally, do I have to get the euro transmission and gearbox and all (6 speed)?



Thanks in advance!!!





First of all, its fairly easy to get. Second the only thing the euro engine has in common with the US engine is the BMW name.



I guess you will need other exhoust and katalyst. Gearbox will most probably fit, but I would go for the 6 speed and then you should go for the 3.45:1 diff. At least if you take the 6 speed. If you go for the 5 speed you will need a 3.15:1 or 3.23:1



I will find you an adress you can check in Germany

[m3f_Roadrunner_00430f3330]

contact james clay at bimmerworld. i think he has one right now.

[m3f_98technovlt]

The US spec 5 speed tranny will bolt right up, but it would be a shame not to get the 6 speed...

IIRC It will NOT pass emissions.

[m3f_///sleeper_f29d08a5a4]

Be careful bro...I was looking into doing the exact same thing as you and decided not to. Sure you can pick up the engine for 8 or so grand but that's just the beginning...You'll easily be dropping 16 grand into your car to do this swap with all the shop time and parts and what not. My advice, 1) don't by the '95 US car...import one from germany as a collector and talk to someone who knows loopholes in the law, or 2) put a cam kit in your car (bimmerworld has a nice one) with full straight exhaust (headers, track pipe, muffler) and you'll get similar gains to the euro (stock of course).

[m3f_///sleeper_f29d08a5a4]

If you do get the engine, I was told not to worry about emissions...you can get it to pass. In Colorado there is no emmisions requirements in a town called Commerce City, so I was going to get a PO Box there and have my car registered in that city if I did the swap. Check into that and don't let emmisions stop you if that's what you want.

[m3f_BMW-///V\-_9d3887488c]

Be careful bro...I was looking into doing the exact same thing as you and decided not to. Sure you can pick up the engine for 8 or so grand but that's just the beginning...You'll easily be dropping 16 grand into your car to do this swap with all the shop time and parts and what not. My advice, 1) don't by the '95 US car...import one from germany as a collector and talk to someone who knows loopholes in the law, or 2) put a cam kit in your car (bimmerworld has a nice one) with full straight exhaust (headers, track pipe, muffler) and you'll get similar gains to the euro (stock of course).



Well that pretty much obliterated any hopes of getting a euro engine into atomic dust, so lets refine this and try attacking the issue from a different angle.



Importing a euro car is pretty much out of the question. The fact that I'm not quite 18 yet unfortunately puts my parents into the picture. That coupled with the enormous cost I fear that comes with importing a car pretty much rules that out. I should have noted that my budget is about 15k.



I do plan on doing a cam kit, among other many things, and emissions aren't an issue as long as I can swap out the aftermarket exhaust for the stock exhaust (which I'll keep) the day before I have it tested.



So, the revised question is, can I buy a euro engine, and be able to put it in and run it with stock exhaust (or any exhaust for that matter), and pass emissions?



Thanks in advance.

[m3f_///sleeper_f29d08a5a4]

check my post right above yours...I emailed James @ Bimmerworld about this and he too said not to worry much about emissions. Seriously, there are so many loopholes in emission testing. My buddy put a chip and full 4 in exhaust on his F350 turbo diesle and couldn't get it to pass so he registered it at his old man's ranch. If there's a will, there's a way.

[m3f_Edgy_592e912c16]

Sorry to be the boring voice of reason in this thread, but if $15K is your budget, concentrate on finding a M3 in decent shape with under 100K miles on it, before thinking about mods that will run you many thousands $$ more... just a thought.

[m3f_BMW-///V\-_9d3887488c]

Sorry to be the boring voice of reason in this thread, but if $15K is your budget, concentrate on finding a M3 in decent shape with under 100K miles on it, before thinking about mods that will run you many thousands $$ more... just a thought.



Trust me--It's already taken care of. It's surprisingly easy to find 95 M3s in good condition under 15k now-a-days, and I already have a few lined up (all under 100k miles, cept for one which is like 113k or something).



At any rate, that's not an issue. Which is why I've shifted my concentration to the euro engine--the biggest step next to buying the car.



check my post right above yours...I emailed James @ Bimmerworld about this and he too said not to worry much about emissions. Seriously, there are so many loopholes in emission testing. My buddy put a chip and full 4 in exhaust on his F350 turbo diesle and couldn't get it to pass so he registered it at his old man's ranch. If there's a will, there's a way.



Ok, I need to elaborate on my personal situation and future to give you guys an idea of what I'm 'up against.'



First off, I have no problem with illegal emissions, so long as I can get away with them. I live in Falls Church, Virginia, about 30 minutes outside of D.C., so needless to say there are no places that don't require emissions that I know of. Maybe in the south where its all back-country, but around where I live is more 'metropolitan' than most places. My point? There is no where to get a P.O. box in an area that doesn't require admissions, and I live right next to Fairfax. All you Fairfax guys know what I'm talking about. There are cops everywhere, and they just love citing old emissions tags. No joke--it's like a game with them. Almost as bad as their damn speed traps. Me or you might check out the different types of cars we're going by, they have nothing better to do than check stickers.



Enough of my ranting. The point is I can't just go without ever getting it tested. I don't know of any places that will pass you if you ask them/pay them, but I have heard of them and I'll look into it.



Therein lies the problem. Should I happen to find a place that will pass me, well thats great, but its only temporary, so long as I'm in college (It's in-state). I don't know how long I'm gonna stay in college, at most it will be for a bachelor's degree. After which I plan on enlisting in the military, and probably making my 'career' there. I don't really have any ties at home, and I'll be in a combat unit. Read: I'll be moving around, alot. My point being that I don't want to do something with my M3 that isn't reversible, because I may not have the luxury of cheating emissions in a few years.



So basically, nothing permanent. What are my options?



Yet again, Thanks In Advance.

[m3f_scuzzy]

Okay, I think that I probably speak for a lot of people when I say that I'm confused by your comment "So basically, nothing permanent." Aren't we talking about an engine swap here? That's pretty far up on the permanent-mod scale if you ask me.



My friend from VA beach has told me about places there that'll pass your car even if it isn't emissions-legal, as long as you grease their palms a little. Or, you could move to MD where you don't have to put ugly stickers on your windshield, and not give the cops a stupid excuse to write you tickets.



As far as your expected military career goes... why don't you just wait to be stationed in, for example, Europe, where you can get a euro m3 for much less hassle. I hear about overseas troops getting awesome cars without import hassles all the time, mostly stuff like skylines and mitsu evos and the like from Japan.



You can probably find better stuff to spend your cash on at college than an expensive engine swap, anyways. What school are you going to, by the way?

[m3f_SG_M3_d1201712b5]

Hey I'm getting a 95 M3 in a few months, and I'm extremely interested in the euro-spec engine.



Is there anywhere I can buy this engine? Will it fit my US M3?



Will I need to purchase other things (i.e. does the euro engine have things the US doesn't)?



Will it pass emissions with US exhaust and everything, just the euro engine, or is that even possible (do I have to use special parts for exhaust and/or other parts)?



Finally, do I have to get the euro transmission and gearbox and all (6 speed)?



Thanks in advance!!!



You are doing it the best way, buying a US car and swapping. Its very troublesome and not worth it to import a euro car.



The euro 3.0 and 3.2 will both fit. You can use bimmerworld or Simmons on bf.c imports motors also. There are many importers, they just don't advertise. Word of mouth kind of thing.



If you want to do the swap correctly, buy from a respectable person or business. It gets very expensive if parts are missing. You will need the complete EWS system, very important. The computer and all the wiring will help. Basically get everything you can with the motor. Everything.



It will pass emissions just like the US 3.0 or 3.2. Possibly even cleaner.



The US 5 speed trans will bolt up just fine. If you want to do the 6 speed you will need the gearbox, linkage, and shorten your drive shaft. If do the 6 speed you should run a shorter rear end. Stock is 3.23, a 3.64 is perfect. If you want to go crazy you can swap the rear subframe for the euro "big bearing" diffs.



Hope that helps, just plan for it to be very expensive. Not just the intial cost, but after purchase maintance. You will need to buy a set of shims, for the 15k mile valve adjustments.

[m3f_BMW-///V\-_9d3887488c]

Okay, I think that I probably speak for a lot of people when I say that I'm confused by your comment "So basically, nothing permanent." Aren't we talking about an engine swap here? That's pretty far up on the permanent-mod scale if you ask me.?



Haha, I meant exhaust wise, in regards to emissions tests. I certainly don't plan to swap my engine every time I get emission tested. The engine is permanent, I meant with stuff that you can use to actually pass emissions, such as exhaust parts, stuff I can replace relatively quickly.



My friend from VA beach has told me about places there that'll pass your car even if it isn't emissions-legal, as long as you grease their palms a little. Or, you could move to MD where you don't have to put ugly stickers on your windshield, and not give the cops a stupid excuse to write you tickets.?



Right then...I'll just pick up and move to Maryland. Why didn't I think of that in the first place?



As far as your expected military career goes... why don't you just wait to be stationed in, for example, Europe, where you can get a euro m3 for much less hassle. I hear about overseas troops getting awesome cars without import hassles all the time, mostly stuff like skylines and mitsu evos and the like from Japan.



Because I have no idea if I'm going to ever be stationed in Europe. Especially with the way things are looking these days, I'll be dead before I'm ever stationed anywhere that actually has a BMW dealership. But trust me--If I do end up stationed in the EU, I'll find a way to trade in my car for a euro, probably no matter what the cost.



You can probably find better stuff to spend your cash on at college than an expensive engine swap, anyways. What school are you going to, by the way?



And no, there definetly won't be anything better to spend on in college =) And I'm looking at JMU, Mason and Radford.

[m3f_BMW-///V\-_9d3887488c]

If you want to do the swap correctly, buy from a respectable person or business. It gets very expensive if parts are missing. You will need the complete EWS system, very important. The computer and all the wiring will help. Basically get everything you can with the motor. Everything.



Thanks--any idea where I can find out exactly what I need, or do they sell 'kits' or something?



It will pass emissions just like the US 3.0 or 3.2. Possibly even cleaner.



So the stock U.S. exhaust will work with the Euro 3.0 or 3.2 engine?, and pass emissions?

[m3f_///sleeper_f29d08a5a4]

You should really just put a cam kit into your car (chip, cams, intake, injectors, hfm) and then do full exhaust. It'll be MUCH cheaper w/, according to numbers, similar gains (I've not driven a euro so I don't know first hand) to the 3.0 Euro engine. In all it'd be around 3.5 grand so you'd be able to afford other more important stuff such as suspension and brakes. The Euro motor would be sweet and I still intend on it when I'm done w/ school. Best of luck...