My 1980 Sierra LWB build

[ivorton74]

hey just came upon this thread...pretty decent truck u got...I got a 74 that im gonna be swappin a 5.3 in soon as I can...any updates on ur truck? what's the deal with the bmw in the pic above? am a bmw fan as well...I have an e39 5 series

[C15_Sierra]

Originally Posted by ivorton74

hey just came upon this thread...pretty decent truck u got...I got a 74 that im gonna be swappin a 5.3 in soon as I can...any updates on ur truck? what's the deal with the bmw in the pic above? am a bmw fan as well...I have an e39 5 series

Latest update is that I'm still in the process of putting the interior back in and swapping gears - spare time has been far and few in between this past week because of the holidays. But I'm hoping to get back on it so that I can get the GMC out of the garage and the BMW in. All that's left is to rehab the fuel system - the neglect and crappy fuel up here has already trashed the lines and tank.

That particular BMW is an '87 535is that I bought in non-running condition for $800. I replaced the battery, drained the fuel, and changed the air and fuel filters and plugs, and it fired right up. She needs some TLC from sitting for the last 4-5 years, but there's minimal rust for an E28 (just the usual spots, and no rocker rot). Only 118k miles, and its an auto - I've got a Getrag 265 sitting in my garage that's going to go in, along with new brake/fuel lines and hoses, suspension and exhaust refresh, and new brakes. A buddy has a set of Style 29's from his E39 that he's giving to me. The plan is to have another classic daily to offset some of the mileage I'm piling onto my 1994 Miata. I've helped my friend mentioned above on his E39 over the years (he's got a modified 2000 528iA that he's had for 11 years), most recently on a suspension refresh and a couple other E39 maladies (power steering, VANOS) so I'm pretty confident the E28 should be a walk in the park.

Good luck with the 5.3, it's relatively easy and very worthwhile - me not having prior experience with engine swaps, it went very much without a hitch (except for the fuel pump wiring episode) and now there's work to be done because of the neglect from the past year and a half, and I'm finally getting around to putting a higher-spec interior in it - being a base Sierra, and in 34-year-old well-used condition, there was not much in the way of luxury. When it's done I'll use it around town, or sell it and go truckless for a little bit until I sell my VW and buy a late-model crew cab.

[ivorton74]

Kool man...i plan on keeping my truck for a long time...i originally wanted an 84 nissan truck with 4wd but decided to get the chevy and i have no regrets...its the first truck i ever bought...also my first chevy and my first American vehicle lol...i thought about sellin it a couple times but i know ill regret it if i do.
I like those old e28 bmws...a great classic bimmer. Ive had my 2001 530i 5 speed since june and i love it although i wish it had more power....will eventually upgrade to a 540 or maybe an m5...i hope to have my truck running by spring or so to take all the burden off the bimmer...i was going to drive the truck all winter to work but trans went kaput...am having the swap done by my buddies at their shop

[C15_Sierra]

Are you planning on putting a 4L60E behind the 5.3?

On my buddy's E39, he eventually wants to put an LS motor and T56 in there, can't wait for when the swap will take place (in a couple years, he says )

[ivorton74]

Originally Posted by C15_Sierra

Are you planning on putting a 4L60E behind the 5.3?

On my buddy's E39, he eventually wants to put an LS motor and T56 in there, can't wait for when the swap will take place (in a couple years, he says )

Yea im actually on the hunt for one..either a 4l60 or 4l80...am tryin to find one on the cheap like maybe 500 bucks is the most i want to pay for one...am on a bit of a budget..im absolutely dyin to drive my truck again...cant wait to feel that power....
Ive read and seen videos about e39s with ls swaps...they're wicked cars bro...the best one is a 528 touring that a guy swapped in an lsx427 and tr6060 6 speed....baddest one ive seen yet...there are threads about the car on bimmerforums.com and ls1tech.com....check em out!! Threads are kinda long but worth the read!

http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversion...0-project.html
Heres the ls1tech link for the 427 e39 wagon

[ivorton74]

How about an lsx in ur e28? That'll be fun dont u think....heres a thread about one...

http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversion...bmw-build.html

[C15_Sierra]

Originally Posted by ivorton74

Yea im actually on the hunt for one..either a 4l60 or 4l80...am tryin to find one on the cheap like maybe 500 bucks is the most i want to pay for one...am on a bit of a budget..im absolutely dyin to drive my truck again...cant wait to feel that power....
Ive read and seen videos about e39s with ls swaps...they're wicked cars bro...the best one is a 528 touring that a guy swapped in an lsx427 and tr6060 6 speed....baddest one ive seen yet...there are threads about the car on bimmerforums.com and ls1tech.com....check em out!! Threads are kinda long but worth the read!

http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversion...0-project.html
Heres the ls1tech link for the 427 e39 wagon

The LSx part of the conversion is easy - just getting the BMW DME to power the rest of the car is gonna be the tricky part.

Have you gotten a 5.3 yet? If not, the best way to get this done on a budget would be to get a truck with a rotted frame or crash damage and part it out. That way you can get all the little odds and ends (epecially fuel system parts) and sell the axles (if you don't want to use them) and interior and junk the rest of the truck. I bought my 5.3 and 4L60E w/ wiring and accessories for $1400, which was the going rate at the time I bought them (early 2011). Not sure how much more expensive or cheaper things have gotten.

Originally Posted by ivorton74

How about an lsx in ur e28? That'll be fun dont u think....heres a thread about one...

http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversion...bmw-build.html

Haha, you're not the first person who's brought that up, depending on how long I keep the E28 I may go down that route. But for now I just want that smooth Bimmer six for its torque and sound. The M30 big six will do for now - I'm going to back it up with a Getrag 265 trans in case I want to do forced induction or V8 swap

[C15_Sierra]

Finally had some time to spend on the GMC build today. After struggling with the seat bolts, I decided to convert over to studs - I took some full thread 3/8-16 (2" length) and threaded them from below - had to drop the tank on the passenger side. Also, the passenger side fought me, so I chased the threads with a tap. But, I got the studs in and the seat went in without a fuss. I also swapped out the steering wheel that was in there for the same style but with leather wrapping.

I finally threw in the door panels I ordered about 2 years ago. As I thought, the red is too bright to match the rest of the interior, so I'll have to end up painting them in the spring. But for now, at least they're out of my basement

[ivorton74]

Originally Posted by C15_Sierra

The LSx part of the conversion is easy - just getting the BMW DME to power the rest of the car is gonna be the tricky part.

Have you gotten a 5.3 yet? If not, the best way to get this done on a budget would be to get a truck with a rotted frame or crash damage and part it out. That way you can get all the little odds and ends (epecially fuel system parts) and sell the axles (if you don't want to use them) and interior and junk the rest of the truck. I bought my 5.3 and 4L60E w/ wiring and accessories for $1400, which was the going rate at the time I bought them (early 2011). Not sure how much more expensive or cheaper things have gotten.



Haha, you're not the first person who's brought that up, depending on how long I keep the E28 I may go down that route. But for now I just want that smooth Bimmer six for its torque and sound. The M30 big six will do for now - I'm going to back it up with a Getrag 265 trans in case I want to do forced induction or V8 swap

I got a 5.3 out of a wrecked 99 Silverado 4wd...a buddy of mine who works at an auto repair shop hooked me up with this motor...he said the guy brought it in for maintenance regularly(even showed me records of maintenance) so its a well looked after motor....truck got t- boned by a semi but motor still ran...got it complete w/harness for $350...pics of the motor n harness below...also a pics of my truck...I tried the rustoleum paint job on it a few months ago...I made a thread about it too on here...
if I had cash like that I would swap an ls into my e39 too...that would ill but oh well...a ctsv motor n trans would be sick...all I can do is dream lol

[C15_Sierra]

Things are shaping up: got the fenders re-hung but have some fitment issues on the drivers door. The new bushings have changed the alignment so I have to shift around some spacers, and I need some more space in my garage - the left door doesn't open enough for me to get one of the bolts in. The door rubs a bit when opening/closing, so I'll re-align things when I get it out of the garage



Got the shifter back in, my dremel didn't make it through trimming the shifter trim base, so I didn't get a chance to finish it tonight, will get to it by the weekend. I re-installed the bench and shifter, replaced the steering wheel with the leather-wrapped one, and installed the door panels. They are a touch lighter than the rest of the interior so I'm thinking of re-painting them.

Pictures:

[C15_Sierra]

Got a new Dremel this weekend so I was able to finish the shifter base and get the rest of the shifter assembled. Looks great!

I moved on to the fuel lines - I found I made a grave error by using Jegs Push-lok hose - I failed to notice that it is NOT fuel compatible (even though it is rated for higher pressures). As a result, the old lines hardened and cracked, I'm very lucky I didn't have a fuel leak (they were used from the fuel filter up to the engine bay ).

Anyway, I made new stainless braided hoses for both the feed and return lines, I'll button them up later this week. I still need to go through and assess the condition of my tank (inside is pretty nasty, and I see some rust) so we'll see later this week what direction this build heads.

Also, I just got my dial torque wrench in, so I can continue the rear end build as well.

[ivorton74]

any progress?