[Tommy604604]

I was lucky enough to find an S50B32 and have it swapped in here in the US. As a comparison not to be too drawn out but if you can find a euro car or motor that's in your price range go for it! Unless someone came to me with a heavy check, I have intentions to keep this car for a long time.

[W///]

Originally Posted by Bimma360

^I hear ya. I think all things equal, 99.9% of everyone would pick the Euro. I think that almost goes without saying. The real question is, at what point does the upfront premium not make any sense to do so?

For me personally, its at about $5k or so. Anything else over that, and I rather spend a few more and throw in an S54. Anything exuberant over that, which by the sounds of it is actually going to be the case, and I would rather get into a 997 or a handful of a lot of other cars. The E36 chassis is a great one, and I am glad a lot of people are realizing what some of us have been saying all along. But from a $$ perspective, there comes a point where the same money can get you something much better and just as enjoyable (if not more).

Perfectly said

[StJamesM]

Originally Posted by Nate047

In California, the Euro spec cars will never be able to pass smog legally without major modifications, the process of which would ruin "collector" status. Because of that, I would take the same lump of cash and build a S54 CA State BAR Certified swap and upgrade other aspects of the chassis to mimic or improve upon Euro spec performance. This is assuming you'd want to actually drive the car and not just look at it.

Or, get a P.O box in Arizona...

does this (in your opinion) deter from the "collector" value , aspect?

i've always wondered about that

(this question is for everyone too)

[englishtom1596q]

Originally Posted by StJamesM

does this (in your opinion) deter from the "collector" value , aspect?

i've always wondered about that

(this question is for everyone too)

Depends what kind of "collector" you're talking about. Someone who wants everything perfectly original as it came from the factory will obviously not like it. If the swap is done to OEM specifications and is integrated properly into the car then I doubt anyone would say it decreases the desirability of the car. You rarely see S54 swapped cars go up for sale and although they are around fully integrated ones are not and have certain draw backs to owning, (not carb legal, no AC etc.

[Bimmerman325i]

Originally Posted by englishtom1596q

Depends what kind of "collector" you're talking about. Someone who wants everything perfectly original as it came from the factory will obviously not like it. If the swap is done to OEM specifications and is integrated properly into the car then I doubt anyone would say it decreases the desirability of the car. You rarely see S54 swapped cars go up for sale and although they are around fully integrated ones are not and have certain draw backs to owning, (not carb legal, no AC etc.

Not to shamelessly plug my swap (build thread link in sig), or gpeterson's.... but both of us DIYd ours and have full S54 swaps with factory integration. E46 Mk60 DSC, Cruise, AC, certified CARB legal, Z3M cluster to control it all, etc etc. Are either of ours perfect? No, and I know of a few areas on mine I'd like to further improve on, but to say fully and California-legal integrated ones don't exist is not accurate any longer.

Now does it reduce collectability? Probably; it's not a factory swap. Are any US M3s, aside from LTWs, collectible in the first place? I don't think so (and I own two), not if they're in the >150k mile range.

[englishtom1596q]

Originally Posted by Bimmerman325i

Not to shamelessly plug my swap (build thread link in sig), or gpeterson's.... but both of us DIYd ours and have full S54 swaps with factory integration. E46 Mk60 DSC, Cruise, AC, certified CARB legal, Z3M cluster to control it all, etc etc. Are either of ours perfect? No, and I know of a few areas on mine I'd like to further improve on, but to say fully and California-legal integrated ones don't exist is not accurate any longer.

Now does it reduce collectability? Probably; it's not a factory swap. Are any US M3s, aside from LTWs, collectible in the first place? I don't think so (and I own two), not if they're in the >150k mile range.

I'm not saying the swaps don't exist. I've read through your build thread along with countless others when deciding between turbo s52, s54 or LS swapping. What I'm saying is there still aren't many when you consider the number of e36 M3's in the US. In my opinion that makes them rare and desirable in my eyes. Especially considering the S52 was the only thing "wrong" with the US m3 and the s54 is far superior to the s50b32. Therefore a properly swapped car like yours and others on this forum would still be seen as collector worthy to me because you've basically made the car better while still using OEM parts.

[StJamesM]

Originally Posted by Bimmerman325i

Now does it reduce collectability? Probably; it's not a factory swap. Are any US M3s, aside from LTWs, collectible in the first place? I don't think so (and I own two), not if they're in the >150k mile range.

so i should stop driving mine once i hit 100k miles


I want to do the M50 manifold update (with the kit), and probably leave it at that.. If i can find a euro transmission, i'd probably consider that swap as well, but im not sure its worth the money? I dont plan to sell really, i just want to have an iconic example in the stable lol

[StJamesM]

Originally Posted by englishtom1596q

I'm not saying the swaps don't exist. I've read through your build thread along with countless others when deciding between turbo s52, s54 or LS swapping. What I'm saying is there still aren't many when you consider the number of e36 M3's in the US. In my opinion that makes them rare and desirable in my eyes. Especially considering the S52 was the only thing "wrong" with the US m3 and the s54 is far superior to the s50b32. Therefore a properly swapped car like yours and others on this forum would still be seen as collector worthy to me because you've basically made the car better while still using OEM parts.

also a fair statement..

i originally wanted to do ITBs , but at that point i might as well pay abit more for an S54..

[warez]

Some of you might have watched this before but this is a interesting video comparing the differences of US M3 vs. Euro M3.

8 Ways American E36 M3 Buyers Got Screwed Over

8 Ways American E36 M3 Buyers Got Screwed Over - YouTube

[westopher]

This video is just clickbait shit made by some frat boy that's got his foreskin in a knot over buying a rusty piece of garbage.