As for the braking, Chris had bought a kit from Ireland Engineering, which used Ford Mustang calipers and custom rotors on the front, but he had always wanted Brembos. So he got a pair of Brembo's Mini Cooper 4x100 rotors and hats. Ben Thongsai at B&D Automotive in Westchester, IL then machined a spacer to clear the tie-rod ends and align the center bore. He also produced brackets to mount Brembo's Lotus-type four-piston calipers. On the rear, he used a Brembo E36 M3 rotor and mated it to Brembo calipers from the Mitsubishi Evo 8.
To ensure the brake upgrades worked efficiently, Chris fitted the master cylinder from a BMW 750iL that would be able to push sufficient brake fluid. "You have to pay to play and I wanted everything to be perfect, so I didn't cut corners anywhere, especially with the brakes," Chris explained.
By the middle of '04, the car was deemed ready for its heart transplant. "The S52 swap wasn't as common back then, but there was plenty of information available," Chris recalls. So he did his research and had spent 18 months obtaining the necessary parts, including the 3.2 liter motor and tranny from an '98 M3 plus everything to convert it to OBD1.
He then assisted Ben Thongsai install the parts and claims Ben's custom harness adapter makes all the difference; allowing the E36 engine wiring to simply plug into the E30.
The transplant requires no major surgery. The engine sits on E28 535i motor mounts, using E36 mounting arms. The transmission tunnel was also unmolested, requiring an E21 320i "California Mount" to ensure a perfect fit.
The E30's stock fuel system remains and an M3 radiator was used before Chris switched to a thicker aluminum aftermarket radiator.
You don't need to change the instrument cluster but Chris wanted E30 M3 instruments for the higher redline and top speed. The only additional part he needed was a signal interface to mate the six cylinder motor to the four cylinder tachometer.
Before the motor was fitted, Chris bought some performance parts. These included larger injectors, a Euro M3 air meter plus software from Turner Motorsport, which is a very popular mod for E36 owners. He also swapped to the early M3 3.0 intake manifold because it has bigger intake runners. He then constructed a custom cold-air intake using a carbon heatshield manufactured in Britain for the E36 M3. He combined it with a K&N filter from Gruppe M. Finally he bought a long-tube header and created a free-flow exhaust system.
Although the car's not been on a dyno, the mods are expected to give a healthy 240hp.
The car has a Z3 M Coupe diff. It uses a shorter final drive than the tall-geared 325e, giving it sharper acceleration. It's also the same final drive as the European E36 M3s, which is something Chris can utilize when he eventually installs a six-speed gearbox.
Other plans include a custom turbo system. While Chris admits he's "very happy," he says "it'll never be finished because there's always something to change."
"I'm not into street racing or drag racing.
I built it to work on a road course and to be used as a daily driver," Chris said. "The stiff suspension means it's not too comfortable on Chicago's streets, but it's perfect for track days."
Recalling a recent experience at a Porsche Car Club event, he recalled that "blowing past a new Carrera 4S is a great thrill!"