Beautiful 1991 BMW 325i Cabriolet

Description

For sale is my 1991 BMW 325i Cabriolet with 162K miles. I'm a BMW enthusiastand have had several over the years, but this one has been the most fun to work on. This car came from Texas and I purchased it in Oklahoma about 14 years ago. It was a daily driver until 8 years ago and has been garaged. I’ve decided to sell it and get another project car (wife said I have to sell one of my cars to get another...). I swapped engines with a newer BMW model about 7 years ago which gained an extra 40-50 HP, 4 valves per cylinderinstead of 2, timing chain instead of belt. This swap will now also make it very easy to replace it with an S50 (M3 motor) if you like. At the same time I swapped the automatic for a five speed. It is lightning quick! The M3 Springs and Bilstein/KYB strut/shocks makes it handle like a dream. The paint is original and has a few minor imperfections as the car is 26 years old. I would not hesitate to drive this car anywhere – very reliable.

Original paint and top. Rear window was replaced about 10 years ago (zipper type-easy to replace) but will need to be replaced in the next 2-3 years or so (you can get them on eBay pretty cheap).

No rust!!!

Dash has two minor cracks in the tray.

The ‘checkered flags’ are vinyl and can be removed if you like.

M type steering wheel – original air-bag wheel included.

Cruise control does not work due to newer engine computer.

Perfect shape OZ 16" wheels with Bridgestone G019 Grid performance tires with 85% tread.

Engine swapped with a 1992 M50 2.5L with ~100K miles. Cold air induction, ECU performance chip, Stainless Steel Headers.

5-speed with 4.11 rear axle (car originally was an automatic). Lightning quick.

Sachs high performance clutch.

Bav-Auto short shift kit.

M3 springs.

M3 polyurethane offset front suspension bushings.

Bilstein Front Struts.

KYB Rear shocks.

Meyle Slotted / Cross-drilled brake rotors with Akebono pads.

Custom two-toned Leather seats. Front seats are heated.

European ellipsoid headlights.

Front spoiler swapped for ‘is’ style.

Top is electric up/down.

Battery moved to trunk.

Panasonic touch-screen AM/FM/MP3 stereo with trunk amp/subwoofers.

Day/Night rear-view mirror with map lights. Original mirror will go with the car.

Alarm/keyless lock is installed but disabled since I park it in the garage. I do have the wiring diagram available.

Bentley repair manual included.

When the motor was swapped I replaced the Air Conditioner Dryer, Expansion Valve, and all O-Rings. Never got around to filling it with refrigerant (it’s a convertible…). I do have two cans of Freeze 12 that will go with the car.

I have a pair of side-skirts that I never installed that will go with the car.

Extra parts – starter, clips, gaskets, original stereo, etc. etc. etc.

Purchaser can fly in to Nashville (BNA) and I will pick you up if necessary, along as it’s outside normal business hours. Winning bidder must provide $500 down payment via PayPal and balance due at pickup.

It’s a great car and I hate to see it go but it’s time to start with something else.

Someone local asked me for more details about the engine swap so I thought I would include it here.I researched for several months about what would be needed to swap the original M20 for and M50 on several BMW message boards as this swap has been done many times before. Once I knew I could accomplish the swap without to much difficulty, I set to work on finding an E36 M50 engine. I was mainly looking for a mid-90s engine, but when I found the 1992 M50 with such low miles (~95K) and was able to see the car it came out of, I drove the 300 miles to have a look. The car was rear-ended and totaled, but the front was just fine. I ended up buying the engine and brought it home.I spent 2 months prepping the M50 for the swap. I tore it down to a long-block so I could inspect everything and replace what was necessary. Items I checked and showed good: Both cams, compression check, timing chain / gears, and main bearings. I did replace front and rear main seals, valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket (oil pan is from an E34 5-series to clear steering rack), all intake manifold gaskets from the head to the AFM. Repainted the block/heads black and valve cover red for some contrast. I custom made a bracket so I could use the original AC Compressor. Attached the Stainless Steel Headers with new gaskets.I then attached the 5-speed to the engine. The 5-speed came from a 1989 E30 that a friend had, so I knew it was in great shape. I did replace the front / rear main and shifter seals. I had the E30 flywheel checked for conicity and it was good. Of course I installed a brand new Hayes racing clutch set with a new release bearing, plus a new slave cylinder.Once the engine was ready it was time to do the swap. Once I pulled the M20 engine out, I power-washed the engine bay and completely repainted it with OEM Alpine White. I moved the Brake Master Cylinder over to the outside 15mm to clear the new engine intake manifold, and at the same time replaced the Master Cylinder. While the Brake system was open I went ahead and replaced the wheel lines with stainless steel hoses. I couple of years before I had picked up an M3 Steering Rack so I replaced the boots on it and installed.Now it was time to drop the engine in. I was a snug fit but the new E24 motor mounts (message board's recommendation) worked great. The original mechanical fan would not fit without interfering with the radiator so I replaced the electric flat blade fan with a later model curved blade fan - plus I changed the fan temperature sensor with a lower temperature unit so the fan would kick on sooner. I've driven the car in 100 degree stop and go traffic and it never overheats. The electrical system was pretty straight-forward to connect (I have all electrical diagrams on disk that will go with the car). On the convertibles the battery was located in the engine compartment so I moved it to the trunk and ran the cables to the front using the existing wiring trays for protection. Installed a new O2 sensor.One note - the M50 is tilted 15 degrees to the driver's side more than the M20 engine so the shifter was tilted as well. I heated the shifter linkage and was able to twist it back the 15 degrees so it lines up. This shifter is about 1 inch to the front more than original but it doesn't bother me so I left it alone. While I was working on the shifter I ended up replacing all of the bushings on it.Once the engine was installed and tested, I trailered the car to our local muffler shop and Mike welded the Header collectors to the existing exhaust system. I made sure the original exhaust could be detached in case it was necessary.Then it was time - I drove it home from the muffler shop and was very surprised and happy at the performance. It's been a blast to drive since...I do have pictures of this process that I will share if you like.I've decided to find an old, old 7-series to restore - that's why I'm selling this car. I'm a BMW nut, but the wife will only allow so many in the driveway/garage. Of course her X5 gets the top spot...Thank you for your consideration.

Thanks for your interest.