DUBL-STUFD

I recently had the opportunity to shoot a E30 BMW 318is that's far from stock. Unfortunately the owner of the car wasn't the builder, but that doesn't take any of the enjoyment away when you've got a second E30 that you did build yourself. Joel Buchsdrucker is the proud owner of two E30s, and this one in particular is quite unique. I took the time to ask him some questions and learn why he appreciates this 318is so much.

I asked Joel why he purchased the car, and this is what he had to say. “ I've been wanting a swapped E30 for years. The used engine market in Edmonton is terrible and after of not finding anything for a long time I settled on a turbo build up for my daily driver E30. Shortly before I began gathering parts together for that, I heard about this car for sale 3 hours south and my heart jumped a little. I knew I had to have it.”

I asked what has been done to the car. “Well first and foremost the engine is an S38B36 3.6L I6 from a 1991 BMW M5. The differential and transmission is the 5 speed from the M5. The suspension consists of a 5-lug swap with E36 M3 front end and E36/8 M Coupe rear end all sitting on adjustable Ground Control springs and camber plates and Koni shocks. The front brakes are E36 M3 and rear brakes are from an E46 330i. Supersprint exhaust, JimC chip, Style 73 BMW wheels from a 330xi and complete Hartge late model body kit.”

I found out a bit about how rare the swap is. “The S38 is infamous for being expensive and high maintenance. Most E30 engine swaps today are M50/2 or S50/2 engines from the E36 which can be done fairly easily with little modification or fabrication. The S38, however, is physically larger and heavier and requires more ingenuity to swap. The car was built by a shop in Toronto 6 years ago and was the owners personal ride. Cooling is an issue, but it has been uniquely solved by moving the radiator 6 inches forward, preserving the mechanical fan and adding an electric fan. The overall result is a very clean, functional swap.”

To Finish this i wanted to know how the car made him feel, and this is what he had to say. “In one word; excited. The sound of the 3.6L I6 engine with the ITB's is beautiful, people have compared it to air-cooled 911's and old Ferrari's. It's pretty fast and it can get a little scary at times, but that's part of the fun, right?”

Some stats on the car from his own knowledge. “I honestly don't have any firm stats, but with the chip and factory ratings the engine should be good for about 325hp and 290lb/ft. Overall car weight should be around 2700lbs. Top speed is unknown but I predict it would be around 260-270kph, and 0-60 in 5 seconds.”

Josh, Signing Off!

Link to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshualegault/

BMW 318is SPECIFICATIONS (as per wikipedia including M5 swap)
Manufacturer BMW
Production 1982–1994
Body style 2-door coupe
Layout Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine 3.6 L S38B36 I6
Transmission 5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,570 mm (101.2 in)
Length 1988-89 Sedan, Wagon & Coupe: 4,450 mm (175.2 in)
1988-89 Convertible: 4,460 mm (175.6 in)
1990-91 Sedan, Wagon & Coupe: 4,326 mm (170.3 in)
1990-93 Convertible: 4,323 mm (170.2 in)
Width Sedan & Wagon: 1,646 mm (64.8 in)
Coupe: 1,661 mm (65.4 in)
Height Sedan & Wagon: 1,379 mm (54.3 in) Convertible: 1,369 mm (53.9 in)
Coupe: 1,400 mm (55.1 in)
Curb weight 1,070–1,368 kg (2,359–3,016 lb)