US M50 Motor into e30 Chassis Transmission There are two options for the transmission. One is the e36 318 or 325 transmission, which can be connected directly to the original e30 5-speed driveshaft.
Alternatively, there is the e36 M3 transmission; it’s beefier, but adds a weight penalty. In addition, it is necessary to acquire either an e30 M3 5-speed driveshaft or a ’97 e36 M3 5-speed driveshaft.
As shown in the picture below, we used the 320i transmission mounts with an old 2002 trick: machined aluminum cups over the mounts to eliminate excessive movement under braking (available in our catalog). Both the e36 318/325 or the M3 transmission can hook up with the support shift linkage and shift lever from an e36 5-speed M3. The original e30 back support is used for the bracket.
