M42boy

[M42boy]

Okay, I'm still buttoning up things, but the car is FINALLY back on the road, after a fairly extensive teardown and rebuild.

I bought my car about 9 months ago off eBay. It basically turned out to be a midwest rustbucket and needed just about everything underneath it replaced. Cosmetically, the body, paintwork and interior were all very nice though.

Here's a rundown of what's been done to the car and what performance parts are on it:

New Parts:
Thermostat and flange
All new engine sensors
Rebuilt calipers front & rear
Timing chain, tensioner & guiderails
Timing case and oil filter housing gaskets
Upper & lower oil pan gaskets
Clutch & pressure plate
Motor and tranny mounts
Rear subframe bushings & collar nuts
Center support carrier

Mods and Upgrades:
Turner Motorsports subframe reinforcements (front & rear)
Rebuilt 4.10 "medium case" ltd slip differential
M Coupe finned rear diff cover
ATE PowerDiscs & Hawk HPS pads
Green High Performance air filter
Goodridge stainless steel brake lines
Autosolutions short shift linkage
Sports & Vintage Racing "Wildknob"
Kosei K1's with Hancook Ventus RS2's

Suspension:
Suspension Techniques sway bars
Turner Motorsports RSB brackets
Vogtland Sport Springs
Koni SA adjustable shocks
E30 M3 Aluminum control arms
Solid rubber "offset" M3 control arm bushings
IE "Spec E30" adjustable camber plates
BavAutosport poly rear trailing arm bushings

Future planned upgrades:
Conversion to R134A (compressor, reciever and dryer)
Refinish and attach iS lip spoiler
Plastic fog light lenses
15" BBS euroweaves
Euro elipsoid lenses (yellow highs)

Okay, enough of the details... here's a few "teaser pics" I don't want to post much as I don't have all the covers on in the engine bay and the car looks lame without the iS lip spoiler, etc. Needs some detail work to make it right.

Awaiting final completion...

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_5246.jpg

Completed... for the most part

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_5268.jpg

Interior

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_5302.jpg

[M42boy]

More pics:

Engine

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_5310.jpg

Suspension

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_5292.jpg


Only thing I was really not happy about, is I had to modify the strut towers to get the camber plates to work. For this reason, I don't reccomend the IE adjustable camber plates. Get the fixed plate or use the factory upper strut bearing. Unfortunately, I think IE is the only company that makes a fully adjustable plate for use with a stock diameter spring.

Needs the front end fixed and some more detailwork... I'll take more pics when it looks a little better.

[mikesjo]

How do you like the Vogtland springs? How does it handle? How long have they been on the car too :).

[M42boy]

I was going to let the suspension settle and give it a few weeks before I pass on overal judgement on them. It's a nice drop (as you can see from the photos), but it's settled down even more since then.

Overall, I like them, but I think they are still on the soft side for my tastes. But, they are good for what I have, which is basically a daily driver that will see the track from time to time.

I may swap out to H&R Race springs or coil-overs at some point in the future. They seem pretty good. I'll let you know exactly what I think once I get the rest of the car sorted and can really start pushing on it.

[e9nine]

Looking good Dan. I think you owe me some pics though ;)

[ohnoes]

Great car and pics, Dan. Your interior and engine bay look very nice and clean. The 318iS I'm looking at has a crappy interior (and no leather!). However, it has only 103,000 miles, which is a big upside.

[M42boy]

No 318is has leather. You got a choice of either vinyl (which BMW called leatherette) or cloth. WAY better than leather IMHO! :D

Thanks for the compliments. Occassionally a good one shows up a the yard. I saw one with a good interior there and some kid yanked the whole thing for his 325is... before I could get to it, of course. ;)

[silverblades181]

I love alpinweiss E30s! Yours is a very nice example and looks pretty clean for a "rustbucket". I brought my car in at school for an alignment and was pretty disapointed at the lack of adjustments (read none aside from toe). Besides the bad fitment, how are the IE camber plates? And what can we do about caster? More pics btw!!

[Eurospec]

Excellent work!

Glad your car is up and running.

[john318isau]

Very impressive car -- amazingly clean inside and out.

[ohnoes]

No 318is has leather. You got a choice of either vinyl (which BMW called leatherette) or cloth. WAY better than leather IMHO! :D

Oh, I didn't know that. The 318iS I'm looking at has "leather seats" listed in the description. Typical for an ignorant dealer. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the compliments. Occassionally a good one shows up a the yard. I saw one with a good interior there and some kid yanked the whole thing for his 325is... before I could get to it, of course. ;)

I'm thinking Recaro seats might be in order on my future E30. Most of the bone-stock E30's I have seen are in need of some interior rehauling and upholstering. I might as well just replace the interior entirely with Recaro seats. ;)

[M42boy]

I'm thinking Recaro seats might be in order on my future E30. Most of the bone-stock E30's I have seen are in need of some interior rehauling and upholstering. I might as well just replace the interior entirely with Recaro seats. ;)
Okay, not to pick on the newbie, but the stock 318is seats are made by Recaro! :cool: Hehehe

They are actually really well bolstered and quite nice. You can have them recovered with new factory (leatherette) skins for about $400 a seat, which is not bad for a good seat.

My driver's seat is the only one that needs recovering, but I might replace that with a real Recaro cloth racing seat with harness holes and the whole nine yards. I just don't know if these are really good for a daily driver though.

[Deutschbag]

Wow those seats are in amazing condition. Super clean ride man.

[john318isau]

Okay, not to pick on the newbie, but the stock 318is seats are made by Recaro! Hehehe

Sorry but the sports seats are actually made by BMW - not Recaro - although some E30s (not 318is's) came with the very rare genuine Recaro seats from the factory.

[mikesjo]

Can you get some more pics of the springs settled :).

[M42boy]

Can you get some more pics of the springs settled :).
I'll try to take some more this weekend when I have a chance to clean her up again.

[Febi Guibo]

Late to this party (just unfrozen from carbonite) ...looks amazing man... seriously...!

[M42boy]

Thanks man. Unfortunately, taking exterior shots isn't going to show you anything that's actually been done to the car. Everything invested so far is on stuff inside and underneath the car.

Here's a shot of the motor on the engine stand, pre installation.

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_5040.jpg

Repaint of engine bay...

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_5028.jpg

Car relegated to a mere shell

http://www.s-cars.org/postnuke/modules/gallery/albums/danh/IMG_4981.jpg

[dude8383]

wow!

its coming along quite nicely man!

[silverblades181]

Are you doing all this yourself or is it being done by a shop?

[M42boy]

I did about 80% of the work myself and some friends helped with some odds and ends. I was using the shop of a mechanic who wasn't around much as he's tech for some race treams (911GT3 race teams). So, I got to use the lift, shop, tools, etc.

I did most of the motor work, the paintwork, rebuilt the shifter, brakes, etc..
He did the clutch and most of the suspension, and some wiring. And, I more or less had to let some of the work go because I needed to pay him something for use of the shop, so figured I'd let him do some of the labor, and things got so crazy at work, I couldn't logistically drive 1+ hours up to the shop after work and get much done, before driving 1+ hours home.

Basically everything I did was done right. And, everything I didn't do, there were problems with!!! This has been a big lesson for me.

I'm doing ALL the work on my car from now on. Even though I may not know how to do some things, I just feel like I can't trust anyone to do it right unless I do it myself.

As a result of the mechanic's incopetence, I'm having to put a second clutch in it. A Metric Mechanic lightweight flywheel and 228 clutch kit are being installed at this very moment.

[e9nine]

Oh..new clutch kit? This is news to me :eek:

Schwwweeeet :D

BTW - BMWCCA auto-x on the 16th...come have some cone dodging fun :cool:

[silverblades181]

He works on a Porsche 911 GT3 but can't install a clutch on an E30? What does he do on the Porsche, change the bulbs?

[M42boy]

He works on a Porsche 911 GT3 but can't install a clutch on an E30? What does he do on the Porsche, change the bulbs?
Hahaha... Yeah, the guy who told me that my clutch was toast after a week of driving said the same thing. Does he fetch coffee for them or something?

Nah, I guess he really is pretty good with 911's, but he isn't familiar with BMW's and I think he was trying to do a lot of that work real rushed as he was only home for a day or two at a time, then back out on the road. I think he was just sloppy.

But, you do that on a GT3 race car and during a race, and they probably chop off your nuts! :eek:

[M42boy]

BTW - BMWCCA auto-x on the 16th...come have some cone dodging fun :cool:
Metric Mechanic 10.9 lb flywheel should be interesting though.

I'm totally down for the BMWCCA auto-x!! I'm gonna suck like nobody's business since I've never done one before, but I guess ya gotta start at the bottom and work your way up. Hehehe... might be good that my iS lip spoiler ain't on yet. I can wipe out cones and not worry about any damage! :cool:

I'll sign up this week. Thanks for the heads up.

[M42boy]

Metric Mechanic heavy duty sprung clutch and 10.9 lb single mass flywheel are installed! And, I LOVE IT!!!! :D Photos will follow shortly.

Idle is perfect, no chatter or bucking, and revs come on a lot quicker! No drivability issues whatsoever.

The combination was $800, so not the cheapest upgrade on the list, but if you have to replace your clutch and flywheel, I highly reccomend it. Feel free to talk to Jim Rowe at Metric Mechanic, and tell him I spoke highly of both him and thier products! :cool:

http://www.metricmechanic.com/

And, no, I'm not getting a kick back for the plug. I'm just a satisfied customer.

[D. Clay]

That's the nicest looking rust bucket I've ever seen! How about uploading the pics to the garage.

[M42boy]

Thanks for the compliments! It's a big improvement now, but still a beater. I think I removed about 10 lbs out of this E30 by grinding off rust! All the stuff underneath this car looked like it came off the SS Titanic. :eek:

One good thing about rust is it adds to weight savings! :D

So, I'm trapped now. I can never sell this car. I have so much money and time tied up in it, I'll never be able to sell it for a fraction of what I have sunk into it. I should have sent it over a cliff or something, but instead I wanted to save it. Now, the only two parts I didn't replace are giving me problems... the prop shaft and rear half-shafts. :mad:

[Febi Guibo]

glad to hear the flywheel worked out man... again, your car looks truly outstanding!!

[FL318is]

Really easy bro, keep it.

I too have the half shaft coming up. Need that part time income.