Touring 'clubsport' project - Back on the road after 4 years

[Morat]

When you're done, take it to the BMW factory and tell them "This is how McLaren would have built an E30"

[Chris_B86]

Excellent build thread, so much attention taken. Will be such a good car when it's done!

[ZARS]

Absolutely epic! Just been through the whole thread, simply amazing

[winx]

When you're done, take it to the BMW factory and tell them "This is how McLaren would have built an E30"

The bit I am absolutely dreading is taking it to work to do corner weights and alignment, it will be inspected from head to toe by all the techs to see how someone from the 'office' can build a car!!

Thanks for all the positive comments, spurs me on to complete it!

[RobbieT]

Nice project. Lets hope people from Mclaren don't read this thread and see how much stuff you've stolen from work

[winx]

Thanks, stolen is not accurate though. For instance the seats were being thrown out at the end of the programme and I was allowed to have them.

[crossie]

service plug = fault code fixer!

[winx]

service plug = fault code fixer!

Ah thanks for that, I thought the plug on the right was for that.

[crossie]

sorry -no idea on the left one

[RobbieT]

Thanks, stolen is not accurate though. For instance the seats were being thrown out at the end of the programme and I was allowed to have them.

Just pulling your leg chap . I know how wasteful companies like Mcl can be. I've had a quite a lot of dealings with Mcl and the SLR specifically and those seats are super arse-grippable, will be perfect for slinging the old barge about a race track

[DanThe]

Have you already wired the C101 and got rid of the old X20?
If so the other two plugs will be for traction control and autobox

[winx]

Have you already wired the C101 and got rid of the old X20?
If so the other two plugs will be for traction control and autobox

Yup this one is spare so I'll bin them, cheers Dan (again!)

[winx]

Just pulling your leg chap . I know how wasteful companies like Mcl can be. I've had a quite a lot of dealings with Mcl and the SLR specifically and those seats are super arse-grippable, will be perfect for slinging the old barge about a race track

The stuff that goes to scrap has us in tears sometimes!
The pictures of old development cars being crushed is particularly depressing as they would make rather good track hacks!!

[fearlessphil]

Winx
Where did you get the Seats from dude i really like them!

[rix313]

Great updates

Did you have to take the wings off to weld the turret reinforcers on? I got a quote from BMW for them and it was £57

[winx]

The wings were already off for the engine bay respray and it was easier with them off...

[Demlotcrew]

Looking good Henri

[winx]

Spent a little more time on this recently...

Almost finished wiring in the dash and mounting the logger, just speedo and fuel level to finish.

View with wheel removed:


And wheel on:


Probably the screen I will use on the road:


And on track to start with:


Once I get used to it the lap timer will probably be up, its got some serious stuff like being able to show 'time slip' between current lap and best lap.

Logger in place:
I tried a plastic blacking plate but it was too flimsy so used sheet ali for the front and made a back plate for the 4 bolts to sandwich the surround. The logger and the dash both need 0.5 amp fuses and I have heard a few people having problems with the dash very occasionally freezing so I have fitted switches for the logger and the dash so they can be switched independently of the ignition as well as working with it.


I hope to find this really useful, I can log diff temperature for instance to look back after the day and see if I am managing without a diff cooler, same for engine oil etc etc.

Started to bolt up the DanThe exhaust as next job is welding on the M3 flange for my existing system. Both downpipes interfere with either the block or gearbox so quite a bit of grinding was needed! This is much better than it looks:


More stuff bolted up:


Rear end coming together, just a drive shaft to fit:


Now the undersealing is done stuff like the new tank mud guards could be fitted and brake/fuel pipes bolted up for good:


I also gave the rear end a quick refurb as the white was looking distinctly yellow and the black grey!


Starting to feel quite close to getting it to the MOT, might even be this year!

[jimbom30cab]

might even be this year

nice work, be nice to get this on the road mate

[B7]

Henry, this is proper hard core. Massive respect to you mate.

[winx]

Cheers fellas. Still enjoying it and the end is in sight to start enjoying actually driving it rather than building it!

[oguz327]

Only just seen the updates for this year, fantastic work and very close indeed!!

[winx]

Sooooo.....

Fitted the other driveshaft:


Bought an ARB from here, can't remember exactly which one it is now but was something like Whiteline I think?


Fitted the windscreen properly thanks to Steve for the loan of the proper tool, and Si got me a new clip for the middle, £8 I think for a tiny piece of bent metal!


Painted the front grills to smarten them up a but, still cant decide whether to do the kidneys white as they were or black??


Then fitted the clips that hold them on. As the bay has been painted I didn't want to scratch the paint so used a small offcut of helicopter tape to protect it:


Was fitting my old arch liners and decided they were a little scabby so rang BMW... Only 1 of each side left in Germany so VOR'd them :):) As is my illness I also had to order all the clips and screws new as well.


When I did some welding underneath I removed the lifting pads but kept the angled part, so although it wasnt the original fixing the arch liners will bolt up:


Horns looked rank so had these in stock from my Land Rover days, new one on each side, twin tone of course!



Whilst under there I found that the bottom of the brand new Gaz coilovers were rusting. I guess they didnt blast them properly before coating them so I scarfed it back and painted them black:


Fitted the siren:


Cleaned up both sills ready for SE sill panels


DanThe kindly swapped the downpipes for ones that would fit an M3 flange, so welded it up and fitted the zorst.


Fitted the washer bottle and re-wired the pump as it had been in the battery tray with an IX bottle before, also painted the bonnet strut and bought the correct fixings:


Spent Aaaaggeeesss cleaning underneath the bonnet and removed the rust where the bonnet hinge fits:


Next job is to make some insulation panels for the 3 cut outs, not for sound insulation but just to reflect some of the heat of the painted top surface:


We use this stuff on the F1s at work so it should be good enough for me!


After a trip to Pacer to buy another bonnet hinge realised that mine wasnt actually broken, I was just an idiot so sand blasted mine and am in the process of painting it to look pretty.


On Bank Holiday Monday I realised it was ready to have a short test drive after 2 jobs...
Bled the brakes:


Bled the clutch...


Then it drove out of the workshop! I was so pleased I forgot to take any pictures

The fan won't cut in so need to try and work out why. The fan works but I think it is the fan switch (new from BMW...)

Bay as it stands, blue tape around the fuse box is from where I was tracing fan wiring and didn't want to damage the paint.


So there we have it, as the car stands tonight it is pretty close to an MOT!

[jimbom30cab]

lovely lovely work Henry, be good to see this at the Surrey Meet next month

[Neilios]

Very nice work and write up. Well done?

[Jon_Bmw]

Trackday at Abingdon on the 21st?

It's my first one In about 2 years. The shitter has throttle bodies now and other than chassis dyno time at work its not seen any road test. So expect multiple dramas!

[Jimbob]

Smashing job with your car, the engine bay in particular looks great!

[tomislav]

Just been thro this thread, your dedication and workmanship is second to none! Stunning!

Only problem is it makes me realise what i have to do to mine to get it the way i want it and thats a lot!

Arse

[winx]

Trackday at Abingdon on the 21st?

There will be a trackday at Abingdon this year but don't have the balls to book it before the car is MOT'd! I'll be in touch when I do, I know Theo is interested and Barry wants his missus to drive his knuckle dragger on track at Abingdon as well...

Thanks to the others for your comments, we are getting there. The paintshop at work have just delivered back a lurvely IS front lip for me so that might go on tonight.

[G-Bear]

Very well done winx. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread on and off today from start to current.

Very refreshing. A show of good will power and resistance.

Looking forward to more updates... in fact, have been trying to come down to the Guildford meet for about 8 months now. Hopefully work will let me get out in time to get to one soon and with a bit of luck you and your fine chariot shall be there too..

What are those lollipops? They look solid. Do they come as a kit with the adjustable top mounts or something..?

[winx]

Thanks fella, it has been a fairly long term project!

The Lollipops are from treehouse racing in the States.

[G-Bear]

Long is good. That's what I meant about strong will... it's easy for a long project to get boring and also easy to get over the time, money and effort invested and just give up.

Had a quick peep on Treehouses website.. nice bit of design those lollipops. Cheers

[Jon_Bmw]

Trackday at Abingdon on the 21st?

There will be a trackday at Abingdon this year but don't have the balls to book it before the car is MOT'd! I'll be in touch when I do, I know Theo is interested and Barry wants his missus to drive his knuckle dragger on track at Abingdon as well...

Thanks to the others for your comments, we are getting there. The paintshop at work have just delivered back a lurvely IS front lip for me so that might go on tonight.

Sounds good. Give us a heads up when you plan to do it. Officially I have run out of holiday for the year due to a couple of weeks in the states at the end of the year. Nothing a bit of bartering wont sort.

[oomz1975]

Really nice work, love seeing new screws & fixings everywhere

[rix313]

Where do the bolts screw into behind this panel? Do you have any photos? I used an adhesive to glue in an aluminium panel there but as soon as I pulled on it, it fell out