E30 Zone

This is the latest turd to grace my drive. I've never been a fan of pre-facelift E30's but I think it's come a time where shell condition overides age and colour preferance.

I'd looked at five E46's and for what I wanted to spend on a car to use in the evenings and weekends they were nasty, so this car presented itself and a deal was struck.

I've got a small list of things to sort out:
- LSD.
- Sport interior, if I can find beige front and rear seats.
- Other niggles, panel alignment etc.
- New rear bumper.
- and a leak into the passenger footwell which is proving a pain to locate - Anyone?

So far:
- Suspension removed (H&R Cup kit) and underside cleaned.
- Welding to sills and boot under battery.
- Sills and rear valance stone chipped.
- Dinitrol cavity & underside waxes.
- New front wishbones inc' M3 eccentric bushes.
- RD ARB's with new links.
- New chrome trims for front and rear screens.
- New front arch liners.
- New elephant trunk.
- Detail inc' clay, Menzerna compounds, sealant etc.
- and the list goes on.

From crawling around under this thing I found a few previous repairs in the footwells/floor, rear inner arches and front inner arch. I've ground them all back with a knotted wire wheel on a grinder, rust-killed them with POR15 metal ready, zinc spray, seam sealed where appropriate, BMW underseal then lastly Dinitrol spray wax.

Originally it was a 316 M10 on the slush.....









M52B28

i like these early cars especially with a decent engine. much more fun than e46 and simpler and cheaper to fix.

Great car, has been on the zone before:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=202874

Looks great finished, love the interior houdstooth cloth is great

That looks rather good,I have a spare biege carpet somewhere....

Wow, that looks absolutely awesome. Good looking car.

That's Robin's old car.

I love the odd coloured Chromies

super nice pre facelift!!! poverty spec FTW! love the colour just a shame its not a four door

Good to see it stay on the zone

No euro slam/gape though please

Looks great and I bet it pulls like a train!

This is a nice one to own

What's the spec regarding the m52? Any bhp mods?

DanThe wrote:Good to see it stay on the zone

No euro slam/gape though please

None of that chap, the ride height is staying and it may get another set of wheels but no bigger than 16".

About time we had some pics of this fella, none of the ones you test me ever came through!

Kedge wrote:About time we had some pics of this fella, none of the ones you test me ever came through!

Poo phone my dear.

Dan320is wrote:

Kedge wrote:About time we had some pics of this fella, none of the ones you test me ever came through!

Poo phone my dear.

Better than a snot car

Kedge wrote:

Dan320is wrote:

Kedge wrote:About time we had some pics of this fella, none of the ones you test me ever came through!

Poo phone my dear.

Better than a snot car

Mucus (sp) is faster than silver

Dan320is wrote:

Kedge wrote:

Dan320is wrote: Poo phone my dear.

Better than a snot car

Mucus (sp) is faster than silver

Precious metal wins over sticky goo

Kedge wrote:

Dan320is wrote:

Kedge wrote: Better than a snot car

Mucus (sp) is faster than silver

Precious metal wins over sticky goo

Ok you win......................rust does win.

Dan320is wrote:

Kedge wrote:

Dan320is wrote: Mucus (sp) is faster than silver

Precious metal wins over sticky goo

Ok you win......................rust does win.

Trying to win with a low blow like that.........very unsportsmanlike!

You taking this to the Pod? What wheels you thinking?

A very nice looking colour, dont really see many aboout, that looks pretty mintish...

got many plans for it?

did you install that engine or buy it already in...

does that mean you sold you iS?

Trying to win with a low blow like that.........very unsportsmanlike!

You taking this to the Pod? What wheels you thinking?

I haven't really thought as far as pod to be honest. My mind is focusing on the interior leak it currently has.

I've got some of the deeper dish 15" BBS' getting refurbished this week. But, I'm really tiring of cleaning BBS' so another route may be taken. Who would have thought, me in a prefacelift.

SHAKEELE30 wrote:A very nice looking colour, dont really see many aboout, that looks pretty mintish...

got many plans for it?

did you install that engine or buy it already in...

does that mean you sold you iS?

Just LSD and interior change for now. I bought it with the M52 already installed, I probably wouldn't have entertained it otherwise.

I still have the iS, sat in the garage under a cover with a dehumidifier. I'm digging it out for an MOT shortly and readvertising it.

Very nice mate!

DanThe wrote:Good to see it stay on the zone

No euro slam/gape though please

would look good with some kw coilovers wound right down and some banded steels with stretched tyres

Thats a really nice looking Chromie.

Proper Sleeper, with the 316 badge

Looks very clean indeed

Lovely looking e30.


Regarding the leak is it from the heater box?

Sanchez wrote:Lovely looking e30.


Regarding the leak is it from the heater box?

I think that's ok

Tonight I have stripped the interior, dried everything and dusted the front section of the floor and bulkhead with talc to detect the leak.

Pal318is wrote:Proper Sleeper, with the 316 badge

Looks very clean indeed

I think I saw you the other day, I work in Bedford.

Maybe a rust hole under the fuse box or lower area of the windscreen behind the rubber.

To be honest the bulkhead can rot anywhere, the car I am breaking now has a random hole behind the heater box and a rotted area where the bonnet release cable goes through, both were letting rain water in

To restore it would have meant engine/dash/heaterbox/carpet and insulation both sides removed. An epic task in itself.

Hope this one doesn't have rot, but I am starting to think most E30's are hiding bilkhead nasties these days

really like this.

the older i get the more i like the earlier cars, particularly in the more unusual colours.

The interior leak has been found! While the engine is idling the heater tap leaks. I've had a very good poke around the floor and bulkhead and no rot to report. Phew.

that looks awesome

Dan320is wrote:The interior leak has been found! While the engine is idling the heater tap leaks. I've had a very good poke around the floor and bulkhead and no rot to report. Phew.

Drama queen!

Looks epic, has the new signage turned up?