Quote Originally Posted by slow_hatch
My wife has an '82 Bmw 320i w/ a bad motor. Swap it?? lol
I, personally, have a soft spot for the E21 320i. It was my first BMW. The only swap I'd seriously consider for a budget build would be the M10 engine from a E30 318i. Any other engine and you would need to find a very rare front cross member.

I've considered replacing my 944 with a S13 240SX and even an RX-7. I think both cars have decent chassis designs and reasonable after market support.

I think any of the more modern chassis would make for a good project. I would stay away from the 510. The reason is that those cars are 30+ years old and finding one in reasonable shape to restore will be difficult.