Outside the Box
After the stock engine in his '75 died, Tom Pappenhagen of Wilmington, Delaware, swapped a tii engine into it, incorporated the tii gas tank and rigged up an electric fuel pump. Tom's advice:

1. Pull the engine and transmission as a pair. It's very difficult to mate them in the car.
2. The fuel pump doesn't have to be mounted below the tank, but mount it safely.
3. Take your time, and do it right the first time.

Ever consider putting an M3 engine into your 02? Milton Wilson of Bryan/College Station, Texas, did just that, putting an S14 from an '88 E30 M3 into his tii. He obtained the engine from Motorsports Imports in New Hampshire and did the swap himself with help from Dave Varco's M2 guide and conversations with Pete McHenry, Ben Thongsai, Ian Dickerson and Daniel Cooper. His advice:

1. Plan it, collect the parts, do the deed.
2. Spend time with cars with the same swap before you start. There are options, and some solutions are much more elegant than others.
3. Upgrade brakes and suspension first.
4. Pick a car that doesn't otherwise have high collector's value.
5. Buy your motor carefully.

Gary Bossert's M3 engine

Gary Bossert of Tewksbury, New Jersey, put the engine from his M3 race car into his 02 with help from friends Ben Thongsai and Filippo Morelli. During the swap, he incorporated a 5--speed overdrive and a 3.90 limited slip from a 320 as well as an electric fan and other odds and ends. Gary's advice:

1. Don't use a kit. I bought one, and it sucked. We scrapped everything from it.
2. If you aren't a DIYer, bring the project to someone who's done the job. Save a lot of aggravation in the long run.
3. If you install a used engine, make sure it has new gaskets, seals, etc., before you put it in or you'll be asking for leaks.
4. Don't try to do the whole job in a weekend unless you plan to stay up until 3 a.m. every night and have expert help.
5. The first time you drive it, the grin is difficult to wipe off of your face.

Tips from Da Man Ben Thongsai of bimmers.com stands out as an expert on engine swaps. Just read the advice from Milton Wilson and Gary Bossert to confirm that. From the man himself, here are five tips to consider before doin' the swap: Budget about twice as much as you think it will cost. You might get close. Do it right the first time. Put in the proper parts, rebuild the engine if necessary, reinforce/replace any needed parts. It will save a lot of work and frustration later. Figure out where you want to end up before you start. If you want a screaming 250HP engine, an S14 swap will probably be the best path to take. If you want a smooth, torquey motor that pulls off the line well, consider the M20 small--6 swap. If you just want some added power, a light buildup of the ol' M10 is the cheapest and easiest. Don't forget the suspension, brakes and tires that the added power will need. Going faster doesn't do much good if you can't keep it under control. Most of the time, it helps the difficulty/pocketbook to do the swap in stages. Do the trans swap, radiator upgrade, exhaust, battery relocation, etc., first before swapping the actual engine. It spreads out the work and cost into more manageable pieces.

Amy K. Hooper lives with Tank Girl, her '72 02, in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Have you swapped your engine? Share your experiences with us: ba02_mail@yahoo.com

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