BMW E36 Compact M62B44 4.4 V8 Manual – Extensive Build

40,000-mile shell. Extensive conversion. Road-going, track-capable V8 all-rounder.

THIS IS NOT A DRIFT CAR.

Please don’t confuse this with a tired, beaten-up Compact that has simply had a V8 dropped into it. This car was specifically chosen for the conversion because its low-mileage, 40,000-mile shell was one of the cleanest we could find.

This is a very tidy, carefully executed installation. Proper adapter harnesses have been used rather than chopping into the original loom, and the engine bay has an almost factory appearance. The wiring and overall finish reflect the time and care that have gone into the conversion.

A huge amount of time, money and work has gone into the complete package: engine, drivetrain, cooling, suspension and brakes. Everything in the vehicle works as it should.

Extensive supporting paperwork, including printouts and order confirmations totalling OVER £9,000 in parts and orders alone. That excludes the cost of both cars, the engine, the many hours invested and the various fabrication works carried out.

The engine was removed from a running and driving E39 540i with 127,000 miles and underwent extensive work before installation. The 40,000 miles relates to the car, not the donor engine.

Engine, Cooling & Drivetrain

- BMW M62B44 4.4-litre V8

- All engine gaskets replaced, including head gaskets and valve stem seals

- ARP connecting rod bolts

- Genuine BMW head bolts

- New timing chain kit and guides

- Proper adapter wiring harnesses used for the conversion

- Direnza M3 radiator

- Electric cooling fans controlled automatically by a 92°C temperature switch

- Fans cycle on and off with temperature and have a permanent live supply, allowing them to continue running after the ignition is switched off

- Eight brand-new Lucas coil packs

- Adamat sump kit with modified oil pump

- PO Performance exhaust manifolds

- Twin 2.5-inch stainless exhaust with X-pipe

- Digital Tuning ECU with slightly raised rev limiter

- Poly engine mounts

- Adamat adapter plate and lightweight flywheel

- LUK 530d clutch kit

- ZF 5-speed manual gearbox from an E36 328i

- Solid guibo with poly inserts

- Poly gearbox mounts

- Custom BAR PROPS propshaft, shortened and balanced, with new centre support bearing

- 168mm differential fitted with a Blackline ATB limited-slip differential

- Brand-new JR driveshafts

Suspension & Handling

- HSD Monopro coilovers with 12kg front and 10kg rear springs

- Custom mounts allowing front anti-roll bar fitment with the Adamat sump

- Meyle HD front arms

- Meyle HD inner and outer tie rods

- Meyle HD lollipop bushes

- Rear axle removed and adjustable camber and toe plates welded in

- Powerflex Black Series rear trailing arm, subframe and differential bushes

- BMW 318ti rear anti-roll bar

- Ultra Racing rear strut brace

Braking System

- E36 328i front brake conversion

- MTEC drilled and grooved front discs

- EBC Bluestuff front pads

- BMW Z3 rear brake conversion

- MTEC drilled and grooved rear discs

- Mintex rear pads

- OBP hydraulic handbrake

- Proline braided brake lines throughout

- Motul RBF660 brake fluid

Interior & Other Modifications

- Very rare MFlight interior with M Sport seats and Hi-Fi speakers. I’ve personally never seen another set in this trim

- Mk3 Astra power steering pump relocated to the boot, with bulkhead fittings through the boot floor

- Chassis-mounted short shifter

- Battery relocated to the boot

- Strom DS05 alloy wheels

- Front wheels: 17x8.5 ET20

- Rear wheels: 17x9.5 ET20

- Brand-new Kumho Ecsta Sport tyres all round, covered less than 200 miles

- Genuine BMW M Sport rear spoiler

What It Has Been Built For

This has been put together as a very capable track car and road going all rounder, with a manual V8 drivetrain and supporting modifications throughout.

The Blackline ATB differential is part of that road and track setup. If the next owner wanted to take it in a drift-focused direction, the V8’s power delivery gives them a strong starting point. A different differential setup and an angle kit would be things to consider for that use.

That is an option for the next owner not the purpose of this build.

Points to Mention

- Slight exhaust blow from a weld underneath, audible when cold but quiet once warm

- Small crack in the windscreen

- Some age-related bodywork marks, small dings and areas of lacquer peel

If I were keeping the car, I would probably replace the short shifter with a standard shifter. That is purely personal preference, as I’m not a fan of short shifters.

The shell was the reason this car was chosen for the build, but the cosmetic points above are worth being clear about. It is an older, extensively modified car, and I’m not advertising it as mint.

Overall

A low-mileage E36 Compact shell with a neatly installed M62B44 V8 manual conversion, backed up by substantial paperwork. The work goes well beyond the engine swap, with attention paid to the wiring, cooling, drivetrain, suspension and braking system.

All in all, a great all-rounder: pop to the shops on a Sunday, or take it to a circuit and give some much faster machinery a proper run for its money.

The car did a European trip last year including the Nürburgring and performed faultlessly!

I simply need to move on some of my collection as 4 e36s currently with my others is becoming a joke (as per the wifes opinion) :-P

priced at the parts to build the car alone so its a reasonably priced car in my opinion!

Rochford, Essex

07791 210813