Author Topic: DesktopDave (Read 68803 times)

DesktopDave · « **Reply #45 on:** November 13, 2011, 05:18:35 PM »

I'm not that worried...this car has certainly paid her dues and has been an excellent deal so far.

I was considering a 40 weight oil, but if I can find the Syntec 50 weight at my local Pep Boys I'll grab some there. I might run a quick compression check, though the test showed zero coolant, no water and insignificant fuel dilution. The motor runs clean as well - insoluble particulates were very low.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #46 on:** November 19, 2011, 06:46:04 PM »

Gah. Guibo on the way out. Clatter clatter clack clack starting in first gear. Have to order one, unless anyone has one for sale.

Got me thinking about a spare car. Just in case, you know. I'm thinking bigger this time. Less hypersensitive than the M42...

The sorta match, don't they? Definitely a diamond in the rough, but I'm thinking it'll make a great addition to the fleet. Once I get it running, that is.

Gerta318is · « **Reply #47 on:** November 21, 2011, 12:36:55 AM »

Always liked the looks of those 63x rear seats ... I think they go well with the recaros (real E21 style). Nice find Dave!

DesktopDave · « **Reply #48 on:** November 26, 2011, 10:40:18 PM »

Figured I'd post a couple of links...I've been enjoying these two sites for a few days now. I hope you do too:

http://rustybuttrusty.com/
http://www.justacargeek.com/

There's a lot to see there, I love seeing others with the same, uh, car problem I seem to have (sickness? obsession?).

Wrench · « **Reply #49 on:** March 05, 2012, 06:32:09 AM »

Those are great sites. Thanks!

DesktopDave · « **Reply #50 on:** September 19, 2012, 02:36:27 PM »

Figured I should post something here, it's been FAR too long. Projects I've lined up for the fall include an e36 steering rack and miscellaneous interior work. I'm thinking that I'll go for the H&R/Bilstein combo I've always wanted while I'm doing the rack. So I took a little time today to see where the car was at after a year or so of driving.

I knew the passenger side half shaft boots were cracked and the car's been running a bit warm recently. So I swapped the half shaft and installed a new fan clutch this afternoon. I also cleaned the taillight signal pins and even adjusted the trunk springs to compensate for the heavier e34 toolkit I'd installed a few years ago.

Unhappily, I saw a lot of other bad things along the way. I expected to see some rust creeping here & there, but it wasn't that bad. However, the front tires are kaput, the guibo looks dicey, the muffler has rusted out, the front brakes are marginal and the rears aren't too far behind.

Moral of the story? Don't ignore the poor girl for too long!

DesktopDave · « **Reply #51 on:** October 01, 2012, 04:16:10 PM »

I finally got some more work done on the car! Most importantly, she's now inspected & legal. The stickers expired about three years ago - slightly before I bought her

. She needed front CABs, a muffler and two front tires. I'd already installed the CABs & decided on a cheap ~$40 Thrush Turbo can. The Thrush is substantially smaller than the stock can, so I left two rusted scrap hangars in the trunk and my mechanic welded it all together. The muffler isn't that much louder, we'll see how long it holds up.

I'd also installed a set of used OEM BMW front pads (Textar) to try them out. They definitely have better feel than the EBC Greens they replaced. The EBC Greens do last a long time, and didn't destroy my Ate PowerDisc rotors - that setup has been on the car for two years and still has a lot of life left.

I also took a crack at DIY string alignment. Surprisingly, it seems to have helped out significantly, though the car still pulls a bit to the right. The M3 offset CABs - highly recommended BTW - makes the car oh-so-much more more willing to take a turn.

I'll likely install the cheap KW 1.5" drop springs I ordered off Ebay if they get here this week. The e36 rack & spacers are still sitting in the garage - hopefully that'll get done this weekend.

DirtyD · « **Reply #52 on:** October 02, 2012, 12:43:05 PM »

Lets see some recent pictures of the lady!

DesktopDave · « **Reply #53 on:** October 02, 2012, 04:49:28 PM »

My wife refuses to take part in my curious hobbies.

Oh - you meant the car! Well, here's a bunch:

Check out the ellipsoids! Just NA, but a big improvement regardless:

Interior with mods:

E34 tool kit:

Check out the lovelrly red silicone rubber:

And finally, the new muffler:

deansweet · « **Reply #54 on:** October 02, 2012, 07:21:37 PM »

That's the closest thing to a complete boot lid tool kit I've seen and what's there seems unused?! Niiiice!

DesktopDave · « **Reply #55 on:** October 02, 2012, 07:32:28 PM »

Quote from: deansweet;116393

That's the closest thing to a complete boot lid tool kit I've seen and what's there seems unused?! Niiiice!

I can personally guarantee that only two tools in that case have been used - the combo screwdriver and the wheel spigot. It's been in the family since 1989 - I pulled it out of our old 525iM before I sold it!!

fixierider84 · « **Reply #56 on:** October 08, 2012, 08:01:19 AM »

Looks good, Dave! Wow is that new muffler tiny compared to the stock one! The tip looks lovely though. I am looking forward to hearing how you like the springs (and seeing pictures of course!) as well as the e36 rack. I recently put an e36 m3 rack in mine and I love it on those windy Pittsburgh roads. I am sure you will too!

DirtyD · « **Reply #57 on:** October 21, 2012, 11:37:18 AM »

Man, that silicone looks greats! I noticed you have two throttle cables, what is the benefit of having two instead of one?

Gerta318is · « **Reply #58 on:** October 21, 2012, 12:40:24 PM »

Dave has cruise installed hence two throttle cables

DirtyD · « **Reply #59 on:** October 21, 2012, 01:08:39 PM »

ohhhhhhhhh... wow.. I forgot about that. ignore the n00b in me...