What Did Your M3 Get For Christmas?

[1000hp]

Bad luck and terrible engine builders during the pandemic.

1. Cracked Cylinder 2 Wall
2. Spun Rod Bearings (after paying a shop to do bearings)
3. Missing Crank Position Ring
4. Spun Rod and Main Bearings and ate the crank after 3k miles

This is my S3R not my NA car.

It's okay now but I am way more invested in this thing than I wanted to be.

Hopefully soon I can buy a C6 ZR1 to make up for this nightmare lol

Yikes 😬 This is why I don't trust anyone else to fix anything of mine.

There is a C6 ZR1 for sale near me (Virginia) for $68k. Clean title with, I think, 40k miles.

[Cubieman]

Yikes 😬 This is why I don't trust anyone else to fix anything of mine.

There is a C6 ZR1 for sale near me (Virginia) for $68k. Clean title with, I think, 40k miles.

C6 ZR1 would be the shit, I love those, I'm a Euro guy but its hard to argue with value for $ on some of these Corvettes. I would love to experience a C8 Z06 even though I don't really care for the looks of the C8.

[bmw m3 s50]

I think I can get an S65 motor into an E46 for under 30 grand, but I have a good relationship with a shop. They've never done it before, but I have faith.

No chance.

Just the s65 with transmission will be over $10k that is without accounting for the R&D and fabrication of custom parts as well as tuning it to run like stock. I could see the swap costing just under $30k if there was an over the shelf kit out there with step by step instructions but no way without an off the shelf kit.

[bigjae46]

No chance.

Just the s65 with transmission will be over $10k that is without accounting for the R&D and fabrication of custom parts as well as tuning it to run like stock. I could see the swap costing just under $30k if there was an over the shelf kit out there with step by step instructions but no way without an off the shelf kit.

I think the big question is what tradeoff are you accepting with engine placement? Probably can make life easier, place the engine higher and further forward and maybe get closer to $30k. The common theme from most swap videos is around the oil pan.

Which begs the question maybe the better approach is a redesigned front subframe to clear the oil pan and bolt into the FCAB locations. Then dual link control arms like the E90 - swap in E90 front spindles. I think that will much more robust than anything I've seen so far.

[9kracing]

Also I think people run dry sumps.

I actually stopped by my shop yesterday and brought this up, they agreed we could get it done for under 30K.

I'm not going to do anything crazy while my S54 still functions, but this is definitely on the table.

[bmw m3 s50]

I think the big question is what tradeoff are you accepting with engine placement? Probably can make life easier, place the engine higher and further forward and maybe get closer to $30k. The common theme from most swap videos is around the oil pan.

Which begs the question maybe the better approach is a redesigned front subframe to clear the oil pan and bolt into the FCAB locations. Then dual link control arms like the E90 - swap in E90 front spindles. I think that will much more robust than anything I've seen so far.

As mentioned, a dry sump certainly helps with that problem but its not only the oil pan. It's getting the steering column to clear coupled with the custom exhaust headers needed. I know supersprint has a set for the s62 but don't think that they have any for the s65. Getting the accessory components with the power steering, alternator, etc. This is with skipping the A/C to avoid complexities of running lines and everything else involved with that. Then getting to the most complex part, the engine management so that it runs like stock and not like some mis-tuned Honda. I can't possibly see how you can get the entire project done for $30k after accounting for sourcing engine and transmission, all custom fabrication, misc parts sourcing, and figuring out proper the engine management. No to mention the labor costs.

I remember having a conversion with RD Sport back when the e46 m3 was released when they were swapping the m5 v8 into the e46 m3. It was them and Hartge, they both were swapping the m5's s62 into the e46 m3 back then. They mentioned that the costs would be north of $60k with them keeping the s54 engine afterwards and that those jobs had virtually no profit for them. Those jobs were more a point of advertising the company and showing off what they can do. I distinctly remember thinking that the swap was about the cost of getting another e46 m3. That was with an s62 motor that was within the same era of BMW as the s54 not the s65 motor.

[bmw m3 s50]

Also I think people run dry sumps.

I actually stopped by my shop yesterday and brought this up, they agreed we could get it done for under 30K.

I'm not going to do anything crazy while my S54 still functions, but this is definitely on the table.

$30k just labor or $30k everything included?

[bigjae46]

As mentioned, a dry sump certainly helps with that problem but its not only the oil pan. It's getting the steering column to clear coupled with the custom exhaust headers needed. I know supersprint has a set for the s62 but don't think that they have any for the s65. Getting the accessory components with the power steering, alternator, etc. This is with skipping the A/C to avoid complexities of running lines and everything else involved with that. Then getting to the most complex part, the engine management so that it runs like stock and not like some mis-tuned Honda. I can't possibly see how you can get the entire project done for $30k after accounting for sourcing engine and transmission, all custom fabrication, misc parts sourcing, and figuring out proper the engine management. No to mention the labor costs.

I selfishly always think about my car. I think has maybe 10 wires running from the ECU to the inside of the car - power wires, CAN, brake pedal, fuel pump, and instrument cluster. Integrating the OEM ECU, assuming it can be modified to operate without all of the other modules, should be relatively easy. MK60 is basically a standalone unless you must have DSC.

Looking at the Driftworks V10 project (WTF BTW) - they had a hell of a time with the steering because RHD and the dry sump pan puts the pump right in the way of the steering. But then they made those stupid ass headers. In my case, I think the steering column and retrofitting a ZF320 would be the trickiest parts of the swap for me.

Honestly, I'd rather just buy an E9X M3...but one can dream.