This Korman Built M30 BMW E12 Has Quite the Story to Tell | A $6k+ 1980s Engine Build!

[@robsweekendgarage]

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.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

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.

[@e28forever30]

Brilliant find! Enjoyed it. Poor E12, must’ve been a really cool car…

[@m3nameisjosh464]

One hell of a car in its glory days

[@morreus7966]

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.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

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!

[@viperocco]

You tha man brotha!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Nah You da man!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@viperocco]

@@m3nameisjosh464 haha

[@juancorrea9037]

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?

[@m3nameisjosh464]

E30 would be a good candidate!

[@qers]

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.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@ because they are cheaper and almost more abundant here. It would cost me $30k minimum to fix this car, and for what? I can go buy a rust free one for $6k. Sad to kill any old bmw but something’s arent worth saving

[@qers]

@@m3nameisjosh464 You guys are very lucky to have those cars available for 6K. These bodies get restored over here because good ones are worth about the same as a 5 year old 5-series.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@qers no doubt they are valuable when mint! I would gift this shell to a subscriber to restore, problem is no one will pick it up in time :(

[@ruslanniftullaev5908]

Great find!

[@tiitsaul9036]

TRX wheels look good on e12. I'm looking forward to seeing where does the engine end up.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I agree they do look nice! Engine will end up in my storage unit for a while LOL

[@mikesphoenix_e46m3]

Still great video josh and found the history of it really interesting just ashame its ended up in this poor state

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thanks Mike!

[@courtneyshim3480]

Quite a story around that E12. Hope the engine is a Korman engine.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Talked to the PO, it certainly is the Korman Engine so that is good!

[@teamphashash]

Love the trx wheels. Please refurb them for one of your other classics. Maybe widened 3piece even❤.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@teamphashash i do LOVE 3 piece converted TRX

[@drewdavis239]

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

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Good idea!

[@drewdavis239]

@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

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@ yup they should be Korman arms

[@HeritageRiverGarage]

I just fully restored a e12 based M90 powered 635CSI. My floor pan in the rear was also split like that when I bought it. I put a video on my channel if you want to see the pain it takes to bring something that rotten back. (although mine wasn't half that bad tbh).

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@HeritageRiverGarage holy hell man!! Amazing work and a great video!! You are one dedicated man to take on that project. Major props, and the end result looks awesome! I lack the skill/ patience/ motivation to take in a restoration like that!

[@HeritageRiverGarage]

@@m3nameisjosh464 Thanks man! Your channel has been a huge inspiration on the mechanical side of things. I would avoid fixing rusty cars & just keep saving the clean ones if I were you lol.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@ that is the plan😅😅😅

[@harveydolden8572]

Thats a very cool car! Unfortunately we never really got the 530i in the uk. 😢 They did however import some and race them in the saloon car championship in the uk for a few years and in Europe. I believe those cars had 10.1 compression different camshaft and exhaust, possibly a few other bits... they produced 240hp 199ft lbs of torque 😎 Im not surprised that Korman swapped the camshaft out to a milder one. The compression on those stock 530s are something like 8.1.1 ? Unless this one has different pistons ? Such a cool piece of history great video 👌

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@harveydolden8572 thank you! Cool to hear about the racing of 530s in Europe. Did not know that!!! This engine has a hotter cam actually. 292 shrick. Stock pistons I believe

[@harveydolden8572]

@@m3nameisjosh464 Think what that engine could do with some euro piano top pistons! Thanks for the info.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@ it would be a riot!!!

[@jean-jaquesrousseau4712]

Very cool car! It was French actor Alain Delon's car in the movie "Man in a hurry" Does anyone of you guys know why M20b25 only runs on even cylinders 2-4-6? 1-3-5 are dead. Is there any split in the electronics?

[@dougi.2238]

I’m not sure on M30 but on S14 and S50 cams “SCHRICK” is cast into the shaft. A part number is laser etched onto another surface.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@dougi.2238 will have to look closer! Thanks for the info

[@RmsOlympic1913]

What do you do after parting out a car like this? Sell the whats left of the body for a couple hundred bucks or do you just take it to a junkyard?

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@RmsOlympic1913 body goes to scrapyard. Get paid scrap value. Usually between $100-$200

[@jotighe2]

interesting.

[@AndrewMcMillenium]

Be careful with sharing your phone screen with us, haha!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Hey I made sure all the lady callers notifications were off the screen muahaha

[@RonaldKamphuis-d1z]

I'm interested in the doorcards and center console for my e12 m535i that is sitting in Georgia

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Cards are gone ,but i do have a center console

[@gertstolk]

Luxus is german for luxury 🇩🇪

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@gertstolk thank you!

[@enjoythehunt5135]

Awaiting the Merch with the snow face, biohazard, and the no windshield pics all in 1......

[@m3nameisjosh464]

AHHAHAHHA good idea!

[@daveg2113]

interesting car. Funny that if it is a Korman engine they didnt safety wire the spray bar banjo bolts.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@daveg2113 maybe in 1984 when it was built they werent aware of this issue yet??)-)-

[@daveg2113]

@@m3nameisjosh464 Yeah could be. Who knows.

[@BerwhaleTheAvenger-b5s]

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.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

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.

[@drewdavis239]

That ecu... Thoes are weird fuses in the side ,thoes eye shaped bits

[@m3nameisjosh464]

yeah never seen those!

[@Justin_Shepard]

I worked on that car when I worked at Korman. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@Justin_Shepard]

Those are Korman rockers. We modified stock rockers and Shrick remachined stock oem cams for their smaller lift cams. Smaller base circle was used.Stahl Headers. Engine was built by Henry Lawrence and the hand written description was done by Ken Adair who was shop manager.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

WOW! The power of the internet!! That is so awesome to hear Justin. Never would have imagined id get that sort of information from posting a video! Thank you very much for clearing that stuff up. I guess my only other question is what else was done to engine? Porting/ polishing the head? Any bottom end work? Again thank you for dropping in!

[@rainworldangell]

king

[@m3nameisjosh464]

:)))

[@hkmonaro8153]

Have seen far worse bodies repaired, would be a shame to see that special car die..

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@hkmonaro8153 a lucky viewer can step in and take this shell home to restore if they would like!