S52 Powered 528e. (8/8/13 Update: Interior Pictures Added)

[pldlnr]

I'm always impressed by these two fella's and wish we could hang out more often!

Thanks, Brent. That means a lot coming from a complete lunatic.

[m-racer]

Brilliant!

[bkbimmer]

I'm always impressed by these two fella's and wish we could hang out more often!

Thanks, Brent. That means a lot coming from a complete lunatic.

I haven't taken my pills in a while.

[davintosh]

Gorgeous car, guys. I'd love to see some interior pics as well.

[Das_Prachtstrasse]

What a stunner. It's just a shame you didn't get the ITB'd S50's over there, that would just set that engine bay off. Gorgeous build, though, and I imagine it would be a real treat to drive. Nice work, Gents.

[joel323]

Here are a couple shots of the interior

Thanks everyone for all the kind words about the car

[jungle168]

Simply stunning!!!

[95maxrider]

Wow congrats, that's a very nice car you have there, it's so clean! Must be fantastic to drive too with that motor in there. I'm jealous!

[leadphut]

Nope. those interior pics don't do justice either.

[M. Holtmeier]

I just tuna sub again looking at the interior shots!

[95maxrider]

Could you tell me the details of this S52 swap? I would love to know more, since I'm seriously considering doing the same swap into my E28 and I need all the help I can get.

[wkohler]

Could you tell me the details of this S52 swap? I would love to know more, since I'm seriously considering doing the same swap into my E28 and I need all the help I can get.

That's like asking someone to read you the internet.

[95maxrider]

Could you tell me the details of this S52 swap? I would love to know more, since I'm seriously considering doing the same swap into my E28 and I need all the help I can get.

That's like asking someone to read you the internet.

I probably should have been more specific. I'm mainly interested in the motor mount setup and the drive shaft.

[wkohler]

Months were spent on that. Very meticulous work to get the motor in just the right spot. It is most certainly not a plug and play setup.

[pldlnr]

Months were spent on that. Very meticulous work to get the motor in just the right spot. It is most certainly not a plug and play setup.

Very true. They were completely custom made. We took a ton of time to position the motor exactly where we wanted it. We wanted it low, but not dangerously low, and as far back as possible. Remember that the motor sits at a more severe angle than the m20/m30. And, if you don't have it just right, the transmission doesn't fit. There will be interference between the intake manifold and the brake booster. We had to use a Porsche booster to make it work. As for the driveshaft, we used a stock '86 528e shaft.

There are several 24 valve swaps out there. It is a lot more work than an e30 swap. There are no plug and play parts for most of it. You will need to go slow, take your time, and be able to fabricate. We spent a lot of time and money to create the car and had to figure out a lot of stuff on our own since there just aren't that many of these swaps. I have seen swaps where guys used other mounting arms and extended the motor mount with flat stock. This seemed dangerous to me, but it seemed to work for them.

Sorry, I can't help you more on the mounts, we didn't take the time to replicate them or to take detailed measurements. Just know, if you get into this swap, you will need to be creative to sort out several issues.

[joel323]

Here is the basic process I used to place the engine,mock it up in the engine bay with the crankshaft centered in the car. I set the oil pan( e34 m50 pan) about an 1'' above the sub frame.then I moved it back as far as practical. The s52 sits at 30 degrees so 10 degrees more than the m20/m30 engines. I took measurements and made reference points on both the engine and subframe. Then I pulled the engine and subframe out and set the engine up on a stand at 30 degrees, leveled the sub frame underneath it and set it up with my previous measurements and reference points. I made the base plates that bolted to the engine for both sides and made the connecting pieces to the subframe mount with 1/4 plate . I tacked it all together and put the engine/transmission back in the car check clearances . Made a few adjustments for clearance of the brake booster and various other interferences and then finished fabricating the mounts. I did make the holes that bolts to the motor mounts slightly adjustable like the factory unit , it does make things much easier.

[RoyW]

Stunning car... don't know how I missed it when first posted. Congrats on the beautifully executed work.

-RoyW

[Bunsen]

What a gem! I love engine swapped e28s/e12s (with BMW powerplants).

[95maxrider]

Here is the basic process I used to place the engine,mock it up in the engine bay with the crankshaft centered in the car. I set the oil pan( e34 m50 pan) about an 1'' above the sub frame.then I moved it back as far as practical. The s52 sits at 30 degrees so 10 degrees more than the m20/m30 engines. I took measurements and made reference points on both the engine and subframe. Then I pulled the engine and subframe out and set the engine up on a stand at 30 degrees, leveled the sub frame underneath it and set it up with my previous measurements and reference points. I made the base plates that bolted to the engine for both sides and made the connecting pieces to the subframe mount with 1/4 plate . I tacked it all together and put the engine/transmission back in the car check clearances . Made a few adjustments for clearance of the brake booster and various other interferences and then finished fabricating the mounts. I did make the holes that bolts to the motor mounts slightly adjustable like the factory unit , it does make things much easier.

Thanks for the explanation! You wouldn't happen to have any pics of the mounts/arms, would you? Which rubber mounts did you use?

[joel323]

For mounts I used bmw part 11811130428

Ill see If I can find some pictures, I didn't take as many as I should have.

[Dinan e28]

This car must be seen in person, It is a true work of art. Very tastefully done. One of the best euro conversions I've seen.

[pldlnr]

Thanks, again for all the compliments.

Next step is updating the rear subframe. Since the car is an '82, it was manufactured without dogbones. We will be replacing all of the rear bushings and updating to a rear subframe with dogbones.

[Adam W in MN]

Has to be one of my favorite builds ever on this forum.

So dumb question, what does the 82 have for rear drivetrain that you would convert to over from? And does converting lose any of the uniqueness of the early e28 that sets this apart?

[pldlnr]

Has to be one of my favorite builds ever on this forum.

So dumb question, what does the 82 have for rear drivetrain that you would convert to over from? And does converting lose any of the uniqueness of the early e28 that sets this apart?

Hey, Adam. We really only intend to update to the later style subframe and trailing arms so the car will have dogbones. The added horspeower and torque exposed the lack of stability.

[tig]

I love this car so much that I just have to brag on Paul and Joel with some pics I took at 5erWest.

[leadphut]

last year i stared at this car as long as i dared, without causing someone to think I was going to steal it. couldn't really find a bad spot and the interior is too nice. i don't think i'd let anyone ride in it - probably have special slippers for myself. really nice car and tastefully done!

[pldlnr]

Thanks, Gentlemen. You are too kind. Some changes to the car are in the works. We are going from a 3.25 lsd to a 2.93.

The rear subframe, trailing arms, and springs will be swapped out in the next month. Joel was able to make a deal for some REAL Dinan springs. There also may be some changes to the exhaust system on the horizon.

Thanks again for the compliments.

[bkbimmer]

So you guys are turning it into a Donk? They wouldn't happen to be the springs from my car would they?

[GaAlpinaOwner]

Very nice custom conversion. That interior looks too nice as well. Awesome build thanks for sharing!

David Frankel

[leadphut]

So you guys are turning it into a Donk? They wouldn't happen to be the springs from my car would they?

i had a suspicion.