'vette in an e34?

[filip00]

so, i just heard today that there is a chevy engine for sale, along with other things needed under the hood, including the tranny, 4spd auto....for not that much money :D

what i'm interested in knowing is....tranny swap? i'm thinking about installing the beasty engine in my weakish e34, but not a chance that i'm driving an auto. so, is it possible to somehow arrange the old manual 5spd gearbox to fit the other engine? or sth else?

i'm asking this because i don't think i will find a chevy manual gearbox... (croatia, not many of those cars here).


thanks.

[repenttokyo]

if you are going to install a vette engine in your e34, go for an ls1 or an ls6. From the sounds of your post, the engine you are looking at could predate either of those two motors.

[jjdickm]

do not use the lt1 engine, its a dog. Like repenttokyo said use at least the ls1 and you can use the tremmec t56 5-speed. it will take allot of owrk getting that in there right but if you have good fabricating skills then go for it.

[bimmerd00d]

The LS1 + T56 is acutally lighter than the M50, M20, M30, and M60 motors with their respective transmissions. Make sure to use a lighter flywheel, the stockers are ~50lbs on the LS1. You can't use a tranny from a 97+ Vette, has to be from a GTO or F-Body. Check out the conversion forum at www.ls1tech.com, many guys have done this or are in the process. I am planning this myself, once i find a good base Touring to do it in. I want to throw it into a 92-94 525iT, pre wide-grill. Might have to do a 530iT though for the external brake booster, i'm still researching if the 6cyl one will work right. As jjdickm said, do not use the LT1. It's a GREAT motor when you dump some serious cash in it, but for 1/3 of what it costed to mod the LT1, you could have an LS1 with more reliable power. Plus the reverse cooling on the LT1 would be one fun setup, lol.

[shogun]

someone on bimmerboard is doing it with an E32
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/296906/
http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/htrdbmr/Engine%20011507%20002.jpg

[jjdickm]

that looks like a lt1 with a tuned port injection. nice heads on the block though!

[Itsnotme1988]

Do It!!

[shogun]

There are more pics on bimmerboard if you want to see more. Just do a search with the name
htrdbmr

[TC535i]

I am planning this myself, once i find a good base Touring to do it in. I want to throw it into a 92-94 525iT, pre wide-grill.
Wait, I thought that was the idea behind the 525i?

[bimmerd00d]

Wait, I thought that was the idea behind the 525i?

It was, i think im going to fix this one up a bit and sell it to fund that project. I got this thing for so cheap, it'd be stupid not to do that instead. I really want a touring.

[MPD47]

:D ;) :p

That's all I've got to say.

[NovceGuru]

You guys are tainting your bimmers! :P

[Jon K]

you can't really use your stock transmission unless you have some whacky adapter made and would probably need to extend the input shaft, shorten the drive shaft, make new mounts, etc.

[MPD47]

Using a stock BMW transmission would be a complete waste. You'd spend $1000 or so fabricating stuff to make it work (possibly more) when you can get a great condition T56 for $12-1400.

[Alexlind123]

If you go ahead with this, you are required to remove your roundels from your wheels, hood and trunk.

[kesslerbmw]

I'll have one. Saving for a wrecked Camaro or such right now.

[filip00]

If you go ahead with this, you are required to remove your roundels from your wheels, hood and trunk.


hehehe...got 6 roundels on my car :D

well, i definitely dropped the idea, it would cost me waaaay too much, and finding the manual gearbox would be a mission imposibble, so that wraps it up.


shogun - thanks for the info, appreciate it.

[bimmerd00d]

All teh haters need to realize that GM has actually made one hell of a good motor this time. Face it, there's nothing wrong with the LS1, it's a well-designed, reliable pushrod design. It's powerful, lightweight, and reliable. The BMW V8's are great at one thing, they make power from smaller displacements. The downside is that they don't make much torque, they're very heavy, not THAT reliable, and they are reliatively expensive to make any sort of power. The LS1 based motors are great, end of story.

[angrypancake]

I really want a touring.


dont we all.

[MPD47]

*shifty eyes* My LS1 arrives in 12 hours.