2002 roof replacement and M60 swap

[regalE34]

Hey guys, new here. Been a big e34/e30 guy for the last few years and I recently just picked up a 1976 2002 to save. Its been very neglected, but I have a dream to bring it back to life. I need to give it a donor skin for the roof, its a sunroof car that got pretty ate up. I'm looking for a donor roof preferably no sunroof but either way is fine, if anyone has any leads I would greatly appreciate it. I'll be referencing the write up on here to complete it. I also have a good M60B40 with all accessories sitting in my garage, I have not seen much information on swapping one  in, wondering if anybody here has successfully completed the swap, and what modifications are possibly necessary to fit it? I have a large amount of time and budget for this project, and want to build it right. I know the m60 very well and have replaced one in my e34 540i/6

[tzei]

Can’t remember straight up if someone has done it for 2002. But in E30’s has em so i’d start there. Engine bay is different but smallish like 02 so you’ll get the idea what to look for.

 

Here is one

E30 M6X Swap Guide: Complete M6x into an E30 Guide- E30 M60 Swap, E30

WWW.GARAGISTIC.COM

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So you want more power in your E30? Well then an M6x engine is definitely a great way of giving your E30 some more punch. The engines are cheap, the mounts are made...

 

[Mike G]

4 hours ago, regalE34 said:

I need to give it a donor skin for the roof, its a sunroof car that got pretty ate up. I'm looking for a donor roof preferably no sunroof but either way is fine, if anyone has any leads I would greatly appreciate it…. I have a large budget for this project, and want to build it right. 

welcome, sounds like a fun project. 

BMW 2002 Carbon fiber Roof — SON OF COBRA

WWW.SONOFCOBRA.COM

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Lightweight carbon fiber roof skin for BMW 2002 e10 1966-77. Weight: 3.2kg (7lbs) Weight saving: 8.2kg (18lbs)...

 

[TobyB]

There have been a couple of pictures of M60 cars over the years- one, totalled, on CoPart-

 

but I don't recall anyone ever documenting squeezing one in.  As with all V8 projects,

getting the left bank exhaust out while retaining the steering column and pedal box

is going to be a challenge.  Likewise, tunnel space for a transmission just isn't there, so you'll

have to commit to some metalwork.  188mm diff swap, some E21 trailing arms, and you're more or less

there.

 

The 2002 responds well to horsepower, but torque, maybe less well.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it!

 

t

also has a couple of E39s' but with 6es.

[regalE34]

9 hours ago, Mike G said:

welcome, sounds like a fun project. 

BMW 2002 Carbon fiber Roof — SON OF COBRA

WWW.SONOFCOBRA.COM

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Lightweight carbon fiber roof skin for BMW 2002 e10 1966-77. Weight: 3.2kg (7lbs) Weight saving: 8.2kg (18lbs)...

 

how would one install something like this? Doesn't the roof have some structural aspects to it other than the pillars? I figured I would have to brace the chassis and everything.

[regalE34]

45 minutes ago, TobyB said:

There have been a couple of pictures of M60 cars over the years- one, totalled, on CoPart-

 

but I don't recall anyone ever documenting squeezing one in.  As with all V8 projects,

getting the left bank exhaust out while retaining the steering column and pedal box

is going to be a challenge.  Likewise, tunnel space for a transmission just isn't there, so you'll

have to commit to some metalwork.  188mm diff swap, some E21 trailing arms, and you're more or less

there.

 

The 2002 responds well to horsepower, but torque, maybe less well.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it!

 

t

also has a couple of E39s' but with 6es.

Gotcha. Thanks for the advice. I figured there would be steering box/header clearance issues as well as brake booster placement problems as with the e30 m60 swap. I just love working on M60s, the way they sound, easy to work on, its basically modern tech in a OBD1 car. Parts are easy to find and cheap, and the motor itself is cheap. I'll have to look into getting the getrag 420G and they're becoming hard to find. I MAY consider an M20 or M50 swap, I just want to squeeze out more power and I already have an M60

[Mike G]

34 minutes ago, regalE34 said:

how would one install something like this? Doesn't the roof have some structural aspects to it other than the pillars? I figured I would have to brace the chassis and everything.

It is glued down, it comes with instructions. It will probably add rigidity compared to a stock roof, especially a sun roof. 

[Mike Self]

9 hours ago, regalE34 said:

how would one install something like this? Doesn't the roof have some structural aspects to it other than the pillars? I figured I would have to brace the chassis and everything.

If the carbon fiber replacement roof is just the skin, and your old roof has a sunroof, that sunroof has reinforcement pieces under the roof skin that support the sunroof mechanism, if left in place when re-skinning will provide additional reinforcement that a non-sunroof car won't have.  

 

Besides, a lot of high performance aircraft are basically glued together, and I suspect they are under considerably more stress than a 2002, even on the track...

 

mike

[Ian]

I have the Son of Cobra CF roof skin.  You basically cut out all the roof and bond their panel in.  The CF has more structural rigidity than steel and seems to work without any internal structure.  I had the opportunity to visit the SoC guys when I was out in CA last fall.  Their parts are top-notch, and I am squirreling away my lunch money to get some more of their panels.

[tech71]

7 hours ago, Ian said:

I have the Son of Cobra CF roof skin.  You basically cut out all the roof and bond their panel in.

Any issues attaching a stock headliner? Seems kind of a race application.

[Ian]

6 hours ago, tech71 said:

Any issues attaching a stock headliner? Seems kind of a race application.

That's what I thought.  But I checked their car when I visited their shop and loved how they trimmed it out.  They used a stock headliner and cut a giant rectangle out of the middle where the CF panel goes.  Because you bond the CF panel on top of a perimeter of original sheet metal, you cover the sheet metal with the headliner.  Then they covered the exposed edge of the sheet metal with window moulding.  They left the carbon weave visible on the inside and painted the outside. 

Total stealth from the outside, and very cool looking on the inside.  They claim the CF panel absorbs or blocks sound better than sheet metal so didn't find it too noisy.  I ordered my panel finished so I could leave the CF weave exposed on the inside as well.  I'll report back here and in my blog after install the panel later this fall.

[Ian]

I'm thinking this might be a good spot for one of Blunt's alcantara headliners.

[d.hitchcock]

I've been fantasizing about a CF roof panel on my car.

[tzei]

Damn and I have only been fantasizing some ladies in my car.

 

[lostagain]

Hey...  How far have you gotten digging up info on the V8 swap ?