A Little History
I've been waiting to have something I can work on and learn since I was about 11 (I was born in '91). Back then all I'd dream of was Japanese, I didn't particularly like any other cars. My father used to be just like I was with his Mk1 Escort and the loads of other cars he had and liked to work on up 'til I was born. His advice was to never spend money on something as extensive as this (well, I didn't go by that rule, clearly). I guess I always looked up to him and his mechanical skills and wanted to be like he was so the aim of another car was to learn how things work and how to fix things myself. He was the Chief Engineer for the Armed Forces of Malta's Maritime Squadron, specializing on marine diesel engines and he does most of the mechanical stuff to our cars himself, so needless to say I could get some help if I needed it.
As soon as I got my driving license I was gifted my grandfather's 2002 Maruti 800 (which I believe is illegal in the UK due to safety reasons and is essentially a 1989 Suzuki Alto) with a genuine 2700kms since he stopped driving it due to poor eyesight a few months after he bought it. What I was eyeing then was a Peugeot 205, they're cheap, readily available and I could source lots of parts from salvage yards. This apparently wasn't a good idea for my girlfriend which decided I needed a larger car than the one I had as a second car, not one the same size. I spoke to a few friends for ideas, almost tripled the budget and started looking for an E30.
I searched and searched and looked up information and possible upgrades and all the lovely stuff, then I started looking. In March 2013 I drove with a friend to see this 4 door 316i in Calypso Red. I loved it and took it to my mechanic the next day for a check. Everything seemed in order bar some rust. 2 days later I was the owner of a Calypso Red 1990 316i with about 135k miles on the clock for €1300.
This is where all the fun started. In November 2013 I bought a M50B25TU off of eBay from the UK, I asked the guy that sold it for other required conversion parts since he was experienced in the matter and he slowly started gathering the parts for me. By February 2014 the engine and all the other parts were sitting in one of my garages. Come March 2014, the car went in for a complete bodywork overhaul to get rid of the rust and by August 2014 it was at my sprayer's for an engine bay spray job before moving it in early October 2014 to my mechanic for the swap to start.
The idea is to have somewhat of a sleeper and including some nice features that I can work on myself. I'm a software developer by profession and I'm hoping to be able to use my skills to add to the experience.
If anyone has any suggestions for my build PLEASE put them forward, I'd love to hear what you think!
Time for some fun.
Base Specification
Model: 316i (RHD)
Year of Manufacture: 1990/05
Colour: Calypso Red
Engine & Transmission: M40B16 with 5 Speed Getrag M/T
No. of Doors: 4
Optional Extras: Power Assisted Steering, Sunroof, Front Electric Windows
Current Changes/Upgrades
- New M40B16 Radiator change to E36 M50B25 Radiator
New Front Control Arm Joints & Mounts
New Alternator Belt
New 17" BBS RS style wheels with Falken ZIEX912 tyres
New front side panels (left & right)
New front valance
New Metzger E30 316i Front Springs
New Metzger E30 325i Rear Springs
Type 188 Medium Case 3.91 Limited Slip Differential with 3.23 Ring & Pinion
E30 325i Rear trailing arms for disc brake conversion
Rebuilt E30 325i Touring rear calipers with Bigg Redd Brakes 3541 35mm kit
New Bilstein rear discs
New Bilstein rear handbrake cables
New SPAL electric puller fan
New EXIDE Premium 100Ah 900cca battery
0 AWG cable for rear battery conversion
E32 735i Brake booster
M50B25TU 2.5 Litre E36 Engine with E34 525i Oil Sump
Getrag 220 5-Speed M/T
E36 Power Steering Rack
M50B25TU Tuned Chip (I can tune the chips myself)
New braided fuel lines
E30 M50 Harness adapter (Not cutting any harness wires and splicing with this baby)
***Parts listed in this section are already in my possession and are a definite upgrade***
- HAWK 280 Pro Car Alarm with Auto Closing Windows
Black Kidney Grille
Sunroof panel replacement
Mtech-II Rear spoiler (possibly not installing)
- Sparco R100 Sky Front Seats
Retrim of the rear seats to match the fronts
Turbo conversion
Front mount side cameras
Rear view cameras
Single Din 7" Screen (For cameras and ICE)
Interior Lighting
Headlamps with Halos & HIDs
BC Coilovers
All round bracing
Rear electric windows
MegaSquirt EMS
Fuel pressure regulator
HEL Brake Lines (E30 316i Front & E30 325i Rear)
Methanol/Water Injection
Day 1, what we're dealing with:
Old radiator was leaking out all the coolant...no wonder
New radiator in!
New wheels
M40B16 out!
3.91 LSD with 3.23 ring & pinion
Medium case diff cover
M50B25TU with approx. 96k Miles
Getrag 220 5 speed manual gearbox
Time for some body work!
Off to the sprayer's!
Restoring the trailing arms and touring calipers for the rear disc brake conversion, new springs all round and new rear discs. Calipers rebuilt.
Engine bay resprayed and ready to start the swap procedure
E36 PAS rack
E32 735i brake booster mod, internally the hydraulic push rod is essentially a bolt which needs to be replaced with a longer one, no other mods required since the valve rod fits perfectly and the E30 master cylinder is used.
