This time, its owner was there

"John_Harbinson" (jensenkid97) 06/18/2015 at 07:00 • Filed to: bmw, oppo, e-12, e12, 530i, chevy, powah

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Very cool guy. Crazy cool build. Here’s the short version of the story. Guy works at Midas, owner’s wife’s aunt or somebody dies, and the car is destined for the scrapper, due to a cracked block (mechanic ran it with no coolant in it). Guy buys car. Guy plans to swap a newer BMW 6cyl into it, but then realizes that his engine stand is occupied. By a small block chevy. Guy looks at SBC. Guy look back at BMW. Guy looks back at SBC again, and does the only logical thing in this situation. End up with a 1978 BMW 530i that makes 550hp and 650lb-ft at the WHEELS. He is also, quite curiously, still running the factory rear diff and axle, which is showing no signs of being overworked, to both his, and the local BMW tech’s amazement. He’s put about 20,000 miles on it since the build, which he did with his father, and the car is on its second th400 automatic, although if this one blows, the owner says he will be looking for a muncie 4-speed. Here’s a video of the glorious sound that it makes.

Also; yes that is dryer hose, and yes, that is a 3/8 piece of threaded round stock holding up the water pump, or whatever that thing is. Bottom line, it’s badass.

Mattbob > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 07:32

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I wonder how the balance is affected. Considering an iron straight six was taken out, it can’t be worse, right?

505Turbeaux > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 07:35

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I cant say I appreciate the aesthetics of it at all, but hey, at least he is having fun.

I had one in this amazing copper color, had a cracked head which was common for these - like the E3. I put a 535i engine in it. Loved it

JGrabowMSt > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 07:52

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Stock BMW rears can take serious power. Like, more than you would ever expect at all. Ive seen clown shoes and E46s with several hundred ponies and a completely stock rear. Many with stock transmissions as well. Im not a huge fan, but I can certainly appreciate the durability of the drivetrain.

But all BMW engines have weak points. Rod bearings, cylinder head, turbos and suspension are problems on damn near almost every BMW since the late 70s.

Gonemad > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 08:19

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Longitudinal mount. Does the chevy bend the car when he smashes the go pedal? Can I see a picture with the lid down, see that humongous air intake?

asenna > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 09:33

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Did he take the hood emblem and his side pipes aka smoke stacks from a mac truck?

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > JGrabowMSt 06/18/2015 at 09:37

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E46 M3 transmissions can handle around 800hp before needing major modification, don’t think the rear ends can handle that much though.

Imirrelephant > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 09:38

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This is what hot rodding is all about! Take what you have and make something fun!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Mattbob 06/18/2015 at 09:40

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Is that a 350 or an LS? Not massively up on what the various American smallblocks look like, but I’m guessing smallblock.

Fully dressed weight of an NA 350 smallblock I’ve got pegged at 260kg, and if it was an M30 in the car before that they weigh 188kg.

Weight distribution of an M30 E12 is about 56% front, with 789.6kg out of 1410kg on the front end. Adding 78kg to that front end weight takes us to 867.6kg out of 1488kg on the front end, or 58.3% front. Pretty rough maths that doesn’t take into account where the weight was added compared to the front axle line, just assuming it all averages out to weight gain directly over the axle, but it’s as decent an indicator as you’ll get.

That’s a reasonable shift in weight distribution. Probably enough to be clearly noticeable compared to the 6, but not enough to make it into an undriveable crippled understeer-machine.

Mattbob > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/18/2015 at 09:46

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Hopefully it’s not too bad.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 10:47

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Cool build! I wonder if there would be a way to make the hood treatment more like stock - folks would be in for an even bigger surprise.

The post-sideloader BMW rears as noted below can take a lot of power. If it had an original BMW manual box, he would have probably gone through several (dozen?) of those already.

JGrabowMSt > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo 06/18/2015 at 14:59

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Well, the rod bearings will go before the rear does, so we may never know. Those funny oil pans...

swaptastic > John_Harbinson 06/18/2015 at 15:53

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Very cool project. Do you happen to have any more photos?

John_Harbinson > Mattbob 06/18/2015 at 16:23

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Well, he has a turbo 400 transmission in it as well, and some big, heavy ol’ subwoofers in the trunk, so that should offset the weight distribution a little.