# VERY theoretical question: Which is easier... an engine swap or a tranny swap?



## Llarry (May 17, 2002)

Yeah, I think I gotta do the lemming thing here and vote for the 6-speed in a 540iT.

This would be a truly awesome car.

Hey, TD, by the way, do you, uh, have your wife's email handy? Let's get her in on this change-wife's-cabrio-into-our-touring thread...


----------



## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

LMC said:


> *
> [...]change-wife's-cabrio-into-our-touring [...] *


:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:


----------



## PhilH (Jun 7, 2002)

Since you're so damn picky, you might as well just pick up a Euro E34 M5 and be done with it.



















http://www.robertlevinson.com/M5_Touring/


----------



## Guest (Jan 10, 2003)

LMC said:


> *Yeah, I think I gotta do the lemming thing here and vote for the 6-speed in a 540iT.
> 
> This would be a truly awesome car.
> 
> Hey, TD, by the way, do you, uh, have your wife's email handy? Let's get her in on this change-wife's-cabrio-into-our-touring thread... *


She saw the thread as of the first evening after I originally posted it. She knows. And I showed her the Car and Driver Volvo V70R article last night after I saw it.

I got a "We'll see..."


----------



## PhilH (Jun 7, 2002)

This guy did a V8/6-spd swap with an E34 touring.

http://www.bmwe34.net/ASP/DURegistry/RegDetail.asp?id=100


----------



## Plaz (Dec 19, 2001)

TD said:


> *"We'll see..." *


"...monkeys fly out of my butt before I drive THAT thing!"

:lmao:


----------



## Guest (Jan 10, 2003)

Plaz said:


> *"...monkeys fly out of my butt before I drive THAT thing!"
> 
> :lmao: *


Not nearly that strong. She's not opposed to wagons at all in principle. She'll just debate how long we can continue to get by with just the convertible. Me just being annoyed about Home Depot runs really isn't enough incentive in her mind. But eventually, enough incentive will exist as, should we ever have a second child, she just won't be able to fit both in her convertible. It's already tough for me to be a passenger in her car when our daughter is in her child seat directly behind me. My knees are in the dash. As her legs have been getting longer, it's been getting worse. And I'm not even mentioning how much I enjoy being kicked in the head.

So it'll happen. It's just a question of when. It'll be hard to convince her to do so before this summer is over. But we'd get a lot more for her car in resale if we sold it in the spring. So it might be this year, it might be next. But she knows we'll have to.

I'm not a big convertible fan, so I'd sell it tomorrow and get by on one car until I found the right wagon. But, obviously, THAT isn't going to happen.


----------



## DINANISR3 (Aug 16, 2002)

ey TD.. check this out.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33615&item=1876598882
go for it.. youd be the man if you bought this and actually went through with it.. and guys check the sellers view sellers other items.. race M3 shell anyone? those 2 things would be the perfect car... only if i had the money..  :thumbdwn:


----------



## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

PhilH said:


> *This guy did a V8/6-spd swap with an E34 touring.
> 
> http://www.bmwe34.net/ASP/DURegistry/RegDetail.asp?id=100
> 
> ...


Yeah, short of an M5T, a 1995 540iT Sport is exactly what you would want.


----------



## PropellerHead (Jan 3, 2002)

I vote tranny swap into a 540iT. The motor swap wont happen b/c of the steering rack (as mentioned by JST). Pick up a used one from 2000 or so and drop it at Koala. 

Or, get a 2001 540iT step, get the paddle shift upgrade, and supercharge it- ~$8000 or so from ESS.. Definately not boring.


----------



## Plaz (Dec 19, 2001)

TD said:


> *Not nearly that strong. She's not opposed to wagons at all in principle. She'll just debate how long we can continue to get by with just the convertible. Me just being annoyed about Home Depot runs really isn't enough incentive in her mind. But eventually, enough incentive will exist as, should we ever have a second child, she just won't be able to fit both in her convertible. It's already tough for me to be a passenger in her car when our daughter is in her child seat directly behind me. My knees are in the dash. As her legs have been getting longer, it's been getting worse. And I'm not even mentioning how much I enjoy being kicked in the head.
> *


Understood. It was just too easy of a setup. 

As an aside, you can't put the child seat in the center? Is that a convertible thing? I was informed that the center is definitely the safest place. Barring the center, the seat behind the driver is supposedly the 2nd best, as drivers instinctively will swerve a vehicle to avoid being hit themselves in the event of an inevitable impact.


----------



## Guest (Jan 10, 2003)

Plaz said:


> *Understood. It was just too easy of a setup.
> 
> As an aside, you can't put the child seat in the center? Is that a convertible thing? I was informed that the center is definitely the safest place. Barring the center, the seat behind the driver is supposedly the 2nd best, as drivers instinctively will swerve a vehicle to avoid being hit themselves in the event of an inevitable impact. *


The seat is in the center in my car. But the convertibles only have two seats in the rear with a raised cushion between the two seats. You physically can't put it in the center in the convertible.

So it's on the passenger side (easier to make eye contact via the rear view mirror and easier to reach when you need to turn around when stopped).


----------

