DesktopDave

[keflaman]

I love those cars (except for the bumpers put on all cars of that era). What's the story behind finding this one? It looks like a "barn find" of sorts.

[DesktopDave]

looks like it'll clean up nicely!
What engine are you putting ib this one?

Dirty M30! The best motor for this car is the M90B35, the so-called "L Block." I'm also hoping for a Getrag 265 and a 3.65 or 3.73 LSD as well. It's the block that the M88 and early M30 shared. All Euro cars should have one. We got the later M30, which doesn't rev as well and makes a lot less power. I found a low-mileage M90 in a Euro parts car, but we have to agree on a price yet. I have yet to raise some cash & find a way to get it to my house...

[DesktopDave]

I love those cars (except for the bumpers put on all cars of that era). What's the story behind finding this one? It looks like a "barn find" of sorts.

I was sitting in a garage for years. Inspection sticker expired in June of '02. PO's father bought it for him when he went to college; kept the car until the M88 blew up. It's been parked in Mom's garage since. Father passed away, nobody wanted to restore it, Mom wanted the space back. I solved some problems for them, and got a decent car out of it for my trouble.

This car was affordable mainly since all the M5 goodies are missing. No big deal, I happened to find a decent E28 that will donate its brakes & suspension. Good thing I have some spares, LOL. 

I did find a Euro E24 to donate some parts. It has low mileage and a desirable powertrain (high-compression Euro M30B34, Getrag 265, 3.64 diff). Unfortunately it's a rusted-out hulk with no title, and I'm not sure I can even get it here yet. The planets have to line up just right...but I'm confident that it'll happen.

[keflaman]

Thanks for the background. Looks like a fun project.

[DesktopDave]

Forgot to add some blog articles inspired by my 745i, figured I'd share. Here they are:

http://rustybuttrusty.com/2013/10/11/autobahn-bruiser-part-zwei-1984-bmw-745i-turbo-5-speed/
http://jalopnik.com/a-1984-bmw-745i-turbo-for-2-800-1620058344
http://www.dailyturismo.com/2014/08/3k-seller-submission-1984-bmw-745i.html
http://bringatrailer.com/2014/08/17/5-speed-swapped-1984-bmw-745i-turbo/

I've never had this kind of attention before for a sale, it's been flattering. Feels like quite an honor, but not for me...all due to the car. I currently have three interested parties, but no cash has ended up in my hands yet.

[DesktopDave]

Not much going on here, so I worked a bit on the E23 today. Found something a little worrying:


That's the lower radiator hose. There's supposed to be a bracket to keep it from kissing the water pump pulley. Dumb design, IMHO. It's also easy to forget that bracket when swapping the hoses. Seems like a really good way to get stranded, eh?

[DesktopDave]

Did more work on the E23. I finally cut out the damaged headlight loom (PO chopped it up for a HID install) and rewired to OEM specs. I've repaired a few of these before - it requires proper inline splices with solder and heat shrink tubing. I also discovered that the Euro and NA E23 have different wiring and fuses in an identical fuse box. PO had replaced all the fuses in the NA pattern...a 7.5A fuse will not run two headlights, LOL. IIRC the H4 high beam filament is 60W, the H1 high is also 60W...10A instantly burned out both fuses. The proper 15A fuse was an easy fix.

An E30 harness worked perfectly, even matched up the same colors. It was from my 318i...I saved it when I upgraded the E30 to NA ellipsoids. Good thing I had a spare, eh?

I've owned this thing for a year without the front lights working, but now it's perfect. All six headlight filaments, the markers and the turn signals! I couldn't wire up the city lights, I'd assume those bulbs were never required in Belgium, where this car was originally sold. I love these Euro halogens, I'll be upgrading my E24 to Hellas or Cibies when I find a decent set.

[DesktopDave]

Not much E30 activity going on around here...the car just keeps running. Monotonously, almost.

I did sell the 745i today. I still have mixed feelings about it. I had big plans for the car, but when they fell through I accepted an offer. Nice fella came up from NC and bought it. He really enjoyed the car...I miss it a little bit already. 

[DesktopDave]

More updates...unfortunately not M42 updates, that car just keeps on running. I also had to fix a bunch of picture thumbnail links. Between PB and my own housekeeping, that's an ongoing task.

I'm making arrangements for a donor car...the new-to-me E24 needs a power train. You had a feeing that it was time for my usual "let's make one out of two" show, didn't you? Here's our newest victim, definitely not the prettiest thing:



Happily, the transmission and diff are in better shape. The rest of the car is a shame; it had been driven up until about ten years ago, until someone cracked the pan. It's the high-compression Euro "dirty" motor too...the M30B34 Motronic non-catalyzed variant...218hp. Very sad. Hopefully some parts can be salvaged, but I suspect the worst.

You were aware that the E24 is justifiably famous for rusting?

[keflaman]

I've never seen a car where even the rust rusted.

[DesktopDave]

You know it! Leaving your toys out in the rain means we can't have nice things.

[DesktopDave]

More non-E30 content! 

The car arrives...donor & recipient shot:


Eww. Admittedly, the car is a mess. We knew that going in. There's a little more here than I expected; I prefer to start out pessimistic. Given, it's a flood car...but I have my fingers crossed that it's not a total loss. Insurance-wise it is...although I find it odd that Experian's AutoCheck didn't note the flood damage on the title. They did flag a mileage discrepancy; that information saved me a bunch of money.

Today's fun was cleaning it up a bit to see exactly what I have. I've been very curious about the motor's condition. I knew the oil pan was cracked; but I had some hope that flood damage could include F&R dents, a cracked pan and lots of rust. So I pulled the air filter & plugs; they seemed OK. I squirted a good bit of SeaFoam's penetrating oil down the plug holes to let it soak in. Then I pulled off the cam cover...it wasn't completely trashed! No severe rust, nothing really awful. Then I pulled the engine fan & radiator - the entire system is bone dry. Not exactly promising.

Got my big honkin' 36mm socket onto the crank bolt...with a 3' length of conduit as a breaker bar...and gave it a yank. The motor gave a bit of a groan, then broke loose & spun! 

Surprisingly, cam box isn't all that bad, just surface rust. Plugs weren't awful either.

[DesktopDave]

Haven't been here in a while, have I? 

Here's what I've been up to - I scrapped the Euro E24 and the motor is on a stand getting some work done. It's a bit ugly, but I'm confident that it'll run:


Here's the recipient:


But something else just came up, and I couldn't pass it up. The newest member of the fleet:

[monty23psk]

Nice add, and '93, great find.

[DesktopDave]

The 'vert was a bargain if I don't spend too much bringing it back to life. I've spent a good few hours cleaning, trying to find what kind of bargain it is.

After cleaning & conditioning [what's left of] the leather, I'm trying out a cheap DIY recipe for getting rid of carpet stains.

I didn't have any gentle automotive carpet cleaners, but the carpet is smelly and stained. I decided to try out something gentle & homemade.

Step one is deodorizing. I sprinkle washing soda or borax all over the carpet (I use the whimsical 20 Mule Team Borax that every other homesteading eccentric washes clothes in). Baking soda works too, but it's much more expensive. Try for an even dusting...then let it sit with the doors closed for at least an hour. More is better, overnight might have been best. Then vacuum it all up. It actually works! I'd recommend one of the non-hepa vortex types. My nasty thrift store pet vac even smells fresher too. The downside is that it's messy, even inside the vacuum cleaner. Try not to get soda dust in your eyes & don't use your bare hands too much. Washing soda is very alkaline.

Step two is spot removal. I looked up a few recipes on the web. Here's my first stab at a [cheap] DIY recipe for getting rid of carpet stains:

Fill a dollar store spray bottle halfway with white vinegar...add a squirt of liquid dish detergent, a few drops of an essential oil, and top it off with hot tap water. The kids got to help out on this one - my daughter chose "spike lavender." It's a bit more minty & spicy than French lavender. Gently shake the bottle to mix, then spray the devil out of the carpet. The vinegar and essential oil are an incredibly pungent combo. A small handle scrub brush really helps to work it in, keep at it until the fumes overwhelm you. Don't worry, the smell will fade in a few hours. Repeat until spots are gone.