Very cool find... and now we have something in common! The turbo M30 project I mentioned when I asked you about the bolts for engine stand mounting (just arrived) was a Korman built turbo engine. I found the long block with 40k claimed miles one it on FB marketplace here in NC. It too was originally in an e12 ('78) and also came with the original work order and photos of the engine when it was built in '89. A few details: New/exchange 3.5L (Over $6k list), machined piston tops and combustion chambers, dual valve springs, Schrick 282 cam, new rockers modified to spec 2, Alpina 39mm exhaust valves, etc. I emailed Korman about it and Ray Korman did later respond back talking a bit about it and some other stuff. A couple parts of that read: "We built a number of those turbo charged M30 motors back then. A few years later the foundry that did the castings burned down and all the tech drawings with it. By that time there was no longer sufficient demand to re-engineer and reproduce the system again. That turbo/3.5 system produced 355 HP at just 5500 rpm at 11 psi boost. Peak torque was 386 at just 4000rpm. We delivered them at 11 psi but had tested them on the dyno to 15 psi which made 425 HP. We recommended the 11 psi max for longevity. They have held up well though the years. I had a similar system on my 1976 BMW 630." I should have it on the stand hopefully soon to start poking around on it.
WOW! That is really awesome. Funny enough turns out this E12 was originally a turbo Korman engine, but the owner didn't like it so he went back and had them make it back to NA!
Great find. From someone who lived in Buffalo 90% of his life - that def doesn’t seem like rot from driving salted roads. With the amount of rust in the roof, windshield channels and floors, you’d think you’d see rot in the wheel wells and rockers too. To me that looks much more like trapped moisture. We have tons of pines down here in GA and I bet the cover he had probably ripped and was covered with pine needles providing tons of water retention and organic material to build up and rot from the top down. Stuff probably sat all around the sunroof and window channels where most of the rot is, until it broke thru and settled on the floors rotting them next. Hope the engine ends up being what they say it is. You always buy smart but I’m sure the engine was the main reason you shipped it up here. If you ever need someone in the Atlanta area to put eyes on a car for you lmk. Be happy to help.
Thank you Rob! Talked with the PO, your theory is pretty much spot on! It sat in a shaded driveway under a bunch of trees. Under a car cover than failed so all the rain was let into the car and it never dried out. Years and years of moisture inside just demolished it.
@m3nameisjosh464 I would think the rocker arms are different too,just because any big power 2 valve BMW like to spit that rocker... The factory ones are known to flex at high rpm and cause that issue
Poor thing. The ECU is just the standard 530i one. Facelift cars arrived in mid-late 1976 and 530i's went from that bizarre injection system to early Bosch L. 530i's had the terrible thermal rector exhaust headers, low compression. air injection and retarded ignition timing so the thing ran super hot. They used to crack heads for fun.😂 Maybe Schrick just bought new cam blanks from BMW or reprofiled standard ones? The rockers don't look like std M30.
I used to have a 530i and I deleted the thermal reactors because of the horror stories! I believe Schrick does use BMW blanks, and I agree on the rocker arms after closer look.
Brilliant find! Enjoyed it.
Poor E12, must’ve been a really cool car…
One hell of a car in its glory days
Very cool find... and now we have something in common! The turbo M30 project I mentioned when I asked you about the bolts for engine stand mounting (just arrived) was a Korman built turbo engine. I found the long block with 40k claimed miles one it on FB marketplace here in NC. It too was originally in an e12 ('78) and also came with the original work order and photos of the engine when it was built in '89.
A few details: New/exchange 3.5L (Over $6k list), machined piston tops and combustion chambers, dual valve springs, Schrick 282 cam, new rockers modified to spec 2, Alpina 39mm exhaust valves, etc.
I emailed Korman about it and Ray Korman did later respond back talking a bit about it and some other stuff. A couple parts of that read: "We built a number of those turbo charged M30 motors back then. A few years later the foundry that did the castings burned down and all the tech drawings with it. By that time there was no longer sufficient demand to re-engineer and reproduce the system again. That turbo/3.5 system produced 355 HP at just 5500 rpm at 11 psi boost. Peak torque was 386 at just 4000rpm. We delivered them at 11 psi but had tested them on the dyno to 15 psi which made 425 HP. We recommended the 11 psi max for longevity. They have held up well though the years. I had a similar system on my 1976 BMW 630."
I should have it on the stand hopefully soon to start poking around on it.
WOW! That is really awesome. Funny enough turns out this E12 was originally a turbo Korman engine, but the owner didn't like it so he went back and had them make it back to NA!
Great find. From someone who lived in Buffalo 90% of his life - that def doesn’t seem like rot from driving salted roads. With the amount of rust in the roof, windshield channels and floors, you’d think you’d see rot in the wheel wells and rockers too. To me that looks much more like trapped moisture. We have tons of pines down here in GA and I bet the cover he had probably ripped and was covered with pine needles providing tons of water retention and organic material to build up and rot from the top down. Stuff probably sat all around the sunroof and window channels where most of the rot is, until it broke thru and settled on the floors rotting them next.
Hope the engine ends up being what they say it is. You always buy smart but I’m sure the engine was the main reason you shipped it up here.
If you ever need someone in the Atlanta area to put eyes on a car for you lmk. Be happy to help.
Thank you Rob! Talked with the PO, your theory is pretty much spot on! It sat in a shaded driveway under a bunch of trees. Under a car cover than failed so all the rain was let into the car and it never dried out. Years and years of moisture inside just demolished it.
Nice engine for a new project. Even if the body is not worth anything at all I hope to see that power train on another project. An E30 maybe?
E30 would be a good candidate!
In Europe that body would still get saved, but for some reason the US has a much more disposable mindset on old cars, which is a shame.
TRX wheels look good on e12.
I'm looking forward to seeing where does the engine end up.
I agree they do look nice! Engine will end up in my storage unit for a while LOL
Love the trx wheels. Please refurb them for one of your other classics. Maybe widened 3piece even❤.
Still great video josh and found the history of it really interesting just ashame its ended up in this poor state
Thanks Mike!
Be careful with sharing your phone screen with us, haha!
Hey I made sure all the lady callers notifications were off the screen muahaha
Quite a story around that E12. Hope the engine is a Korman engine.
Talked to the PO, it certainly is the Korman Engine so that is good!
You just need to cmmpare the cam lobe to a stock m30. 295 is a pointy ass cam. A stock one be blunter. Like m5o vs s52 cams, i know you know
Good idea!
@m3nameisjosh464 I would think the rocker arms are different too,just because any big power 2 valve BMW like to spit that rocker... The factory ones are known to flex at high rpm and cause that issue
You tha man brotha!
Awaiting the Merch with the snow face, biohazard, and the no windshield pics all in 1......
AHHAHAHHA good idea!
Poor thing. The ECU is just the standard 530i one. Facelift cars arrived in mid-late 1976 and 530i's went from that bizarre injection system to early Bosch L.
530i's had the terrible thermal rector exhaust headers, low compression. air injection and retarded ignition timing so the thing ran super hot. They used to crack heads for fun.😂
Maybe Schrick just bought new cam blanks from BMW or reprofiled standard ones? The rockers don't look like std M30.
I used to have a 530i and I deleted the thermal reactors because of the horror stories!
I believe Schrick does use BMW blanks, and I agree on the rocker arms after closer look.
That ecu... Thoes are weird fuses in the side ,thoes eye shaped bits
yeah never seen those!
king
:)))
Have seen far worse bodies repaired, would be a shame to see that special car die..