How do you know it was an M5? could've been a 540 or 525. Also mods for the 2jz will run a hell of a lot cheaper than for the M5 engine, that's actually part of why I want to do that instead of swapping my M44 for an S50 or S52.

 

Try http://www.ddmtuning.com/ for the M3 parts.A friend bought M3 bumpers and trim from them,and it was all nice quality,and very inexpensive.Also,try Eurosport in Franklin County.I think they just got an E36 M3 in,and I believe they have a couple more. DiamondstarGSX on here works there-maybe try contacting him.
And yes-BBS FTW!
Chris

 

lol an M3 is only good for it's engine as far as I'm concerned (and maybe the vaders) all the other parts can and have been duplicated. I've been to ddm before and that's where the angel eyes, bumper, and mirrors are coming from. Thanks for the heads up about Eurosport, I'll have to check that out. But yeah if anyone knows a shop that would (or better yet specializes in) stuffing a 1/2jz into an E36 don't be shy lol

 

awww, come on. do the swap yourself. If they make a kit for it, im sure its not too hard. Plus, a shop would rape you on fees for swapping a 1/2jz in a BMW.

 

lol having never swapped an engine into any car in my life (only 19) and having never done any electrical work or anything of that sort EVER (short of a head unit) I can safely say that that idea would only end in tears. Everyone else that I've seen that's done it has either done it before or had a shop do it. This swap (at least the 1jz) seems to be pretty poorly documented, I haven't seen anyone put up a parts list, build instructions, or even complete build threads. If I'm going into uncharted waters I want it to at least be worth it and get something unique out of it. A 1/2jz would be absolutely sick and I know that I'll have enough money by the end of the year to do it but I need downtime to be minimal and every detail laid out in black and white lol

 

Well you dont do it then.... you and a bunch of friends (who have more experiance than you) do it. Trust me after the trip I went through I feel confidant you can do anything with the right tools and the right friends.

 

haha my friends aren't exactly swap gurus, of my friends who are interested in cars they have collectively between them an eg civic with a sway bar, CAI, and some Megan Racing stickers (eww) and an automatic 350z which he basically just throws money at (although he probably knows a hell of a lot more than I do and his cousin owns a shop). I'd feel a lot more confident in pursuing this if I could find a comprehensive list of parts that I'd need and maybe some proper build threads (with pictures and shit) and half of the build threads for this swap the people get to the point of buying the engine trans and shit and then inexplicably disappear from the forum without saying whether the swap was completed. Either that or someone posts a build thread and it's really just "I'm at _________ stage and ___________ won't fit, HELP!" I need a complete guide from start to finish. btw what swap did you do?

 

I didnt do a swap.... I replaced two rod bearings in a garage in flagstaff AZ on my friends car...

along with fixing her brakes in Tulsa (from an idiot who half assed the job... still not sure how someone can do what he did)

And all this after dropping my transmission to replace the clutch that broke two days before I was supposed to leave. Believe me the hardest thing about doing work is getting over your fear of doing it and just working with a smart head and dont panic.

 

well I think I found a guy in Maryland who does this swap as a hobby? (oddly specific hobby but w/e) on bimmerforums and I pm'd him to see about a parts list or better yet whether like next summer or something I could just come up and have him basically do it while I watch and assist.

 

That's where you're wrong...Even the engine in the US M3s sucks.I'm extremely jealous of the Euro fuckers that got the cool engines.
And I second the notion of doing it yourself/with friend's help.Use the money you would have spent on paying somebody to do it to buy tools if you don't already have them.All the info and any support you may need are just an internetz away.
Chris