Re: about swapping engines. (archive)

I have had experience swapping engines in 320's on four different occasions so my opinion might be a little biased. But if it were me (which it has been) I would swap just the engines. It is a really straightforward project. And in my opinion the 82 body is a lot tighter then the 78 plus you get the 5-speed. If you have a cherry picker and know how to remove your transmission you shouldn�t have any problems doing it your-self.

Good luck,
AJ
81 320is
79 320is
80 320is
80 323is
72 Bavaria 3.5L
99 323i

Ok, my 78 is pretty rusty. It originally came from nebraska and salted roads so the fact that the frame is still solid is pretty impressive. I have found an 82 manual 320i that has a good body (minor surface rust, no rust through) but the engine and such is pretty much gone. I was thinking since its a fairly cheap car that i could pick it up for less than it will cost to do the body work on the 78 and then paint it. My real concern is how difficult it will be to swap the engine. Or as an alternative (if its actually possible) to take the body mounts loose on both cars, pull all the stuff off the fire wall and any other connection between the body and the frame and then swap bodies. ( that would mean that my driveline and such will not have to come out makeing it a little easier to keep the engine running in good condition with a minimal of down time) Are there any cons to either idea or is it a matter of personal taste and abilities. Thanks

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