Ratch's 318iS Resto is back!!!

[toby]

Interesting to find out who has had the same E30 for the longest unbroken run.

I've had my 325i touring for eight years. It has two huge folders of receipts going back to 1997. It's my third E30 and we had a 1987 316 from new (which got stolen in Bermondsey )

[kieran325]

Interesting to find out who has had the same E30 for the longest unbroken run.

Ive had my Sport for 15 years

[Alex]

just sent you a pm Ratch

[robbo86]

Good work. How much was the new roof skin and how much was your new head unit.

[On_a_Roll]

The roofskin was about £400 heavily (I mean HEAVILY) discounted. I had it delivered to the nearest dealer to the bodyshop and they collected. You don't want to move that stuff about too much.

The head unit retails for around £800 but I got it here for £600:

http://www.aliencaraudio.co.uk/product/ ... ties_01964

Coupled with an iPod adpater and Amp Pre out which I also got, it's a do-it-all head unit that does not look like all the other shite - they're German after all. It looks old school and minimal but it's super tech - I'll post up about the install as it requires a mic and GPS antenna and I'll be wiring it into the amp.

Here it is in Amber backlight:




And in an E46:







@ Alex - reply in a sec.

[On_a_Roll]

No it's not my E46, I don't rock out to 'The Fray' though 'How To Save a Life' wasn't total shite...

[skipunda]

such a brilliant colour. very

[robbo86]

So whats the full going rate for a decent roofskin with sunroof tray. I have a sneaking suspicion my sunroof tray is rotting out.

[On_a_Roll]

It's £400 for the part. I'm sure that's what Karl at the BMW parts section will do it for.
Maybe less maybe more - you know how BMW prices fluctuate wildly. Factor in £800-£1000 for labour.

Remove trim and grind out old skin, weld in new skin and smooth joins, prime, paint, waxoyl and sealer, re-fit all the sunroof bits. If you can do any of that you'll save money I guess but I supplied the car with ALL the trim out and it was still a grand in cash for the labour - but they were nice enough to mop the whole car and steam clean the engine too.

[On_a_Roll]

Okay, let's geek out some more on minty fresh parts...!


Dug out some more bits today in preparation for Monday down to the bodyshop. I wrecked my drivers side door in a freak 'handbrake not engaged' accident. It's not that bad but certainly not repairable. So had to dip into my treasured stash of minty Lazer Blue bits. It will be painted alongside the whole drivers side from bonnet to rear light to fix a badly blended drivers wing I had fitted years ago.

So out comes 1 x Mint Drivers Door (down to my last one now!)


Previous chap was nice enough to leave the loom in tact - I hate butchery it's so ghetto...


Also getting low on Indigo Blue trim - on 2 x everything now with one set of door cards sacrificed for the speaker pods - need to be cut into!


Fresh B-Pillar trims for for the nice new re-trim.


Anyone know what these are?

They are fresh lock 'Escutcheons' for the lock barrel to replace my scratched up ones - yes I am that anal. Details lads details...

Talking of details, gotta have a spanking new key in your hand right? I bought a bunch of these from a guy in the USA.



Is this new or just minty mint?


Also forgot I had this - it's a coin holder that clips to the window...?


Onto gathering up ALL the billions of ICE bits as I need to wire the doors up for speakers whilst they're off the car.

ICE Stash LOL! The dodgy InPhase speakers were a gift. With gifts like that, who needs enemies right...


Tweeter Pods with the lame Nokia tweeters removed (meth spirits the fall right out). Infinity tweets ready to bond in.



Got some tasty 5.25" Infinitys for the stock footwell position on standby just in case I get the door pods on and they horrify me.


Crossovers with AudioQuest Silver hi-fi speaker cable. £8 per meter but I don;t need much and it makes a massive difference.


Steam cleaned the carpet, still needs more work with the vax but it's pretty awesome now.




Got a mint dashboard ready fitted with brand new vents - again, it's all about smooth and stiff controls, no sloppiness.



Crack free zone...



Not happy about this - creased centre console. Whilst they are still available from BMW they are now made of some dodgy cheapo black plastic. Anyone have a mint one they want to donate? Will pay for minty mint.



Down to my last 2 spare wheel Fuel Canisters, one of my favorite 'morsels' - now officially NLA and I just sold 2 on eBay.





These next bits are for me, the most important parts of trhe E30 - visually, they are what MAKES an E30 an E30.

Fresh grilles - not cheap but neat black plastic is a must on tidy paint. A lot of people lust after re-sprays but you can tidy things up a LOT by renewing bumper trims and door strips etc.



The truly legendary item!





WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!


Is that one £20 item not as awesome as any MTECH Carbon Bilstein Turbo bit? That part is SYMBOLIC STUFF.






Couldn't leave without snapping Big Zed - he's also getting a bit of TLC. Fork re-build and re-chrome and sorting the brakes. I do love old metal...





Until next time.

[kieran325]

Wow

Some serious money going into this, well done

[Alex]

hope the radio surround panel isnt new, realoem lists them as around $400

awsome ratch, going to inspect my sunroof tray today , wish me luck

ive got the same comps in mine, they sound really good

[b4gga83]

Update!!

[On_a_Roll]

hope the radio surround panel isnt new, realoem lists them as around $400

awsome ratch, going to inspect my sunroof tray today , wish me luck

ive got the same comps in mine, they sound really good

Post some pics - start another resto!

[Alex]

mine is more of a rolling resto fitted a few new things, i'am a bit like you like to buy new things if mine dont look new, but have a shit wage as i only do 12hrs a week at the moment

[Alex]

inspired by you ratch

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=143466

[On_a_Roll]

hope the radio surround panel isnt new, realoem lists them as around $400

You sure? Mine says it's NLA but costs £1300 - some kinda glitch I'm sure. I checked about 3 years ago and it was £40.

On another note, have you seen the other version of that stereo trim for non-OBC models with the head unit mounted in the centre of the facia panel?

Item 1:

[Alex]

yep seen that one before, all uk ones had item 2

but £1300

might ask cotswold

[Nay]

Ultimate respect. Thats all I can say!

Well done dude. I really hope I can get the time, space (and money) to do mine this well. Even if most of the hidden stuff if refurbed and cleaned used parts....

Looking forward to more!

[wheelie_lv]

nice poroject!~

Doeas really exp. tank NLA or it's NLA in UK? Our local BMW dealership e-warehouse says that it's still avaliable, part Nr. 82119413174, ~ 62 eur

[robbo86]

Is it possible just to get a sunroof tray welded in do you know, rather then the whole roof skin!

[Guest]

Yeah - have you not seen Simon13's mammoth Alpina resto thread? Makes this look like a quick jetwash!

Search for it the whole process is documented in detail.

[Mitch_Buchanan]

Of course - this is what Simon13 did - his resto makes this one look like a wash and wax.

Look it up - not sure it's that much cheaper though...

[shafiq]

good stuff
man
should look awsome

[scootlife]

Some great items there. That coin holder , how does it clip on to window?

[toby]

yep seen that one before, all uk ones had item 2

Number 2 looks wrong as the hole for the clock is on the wrong side.

[Alex]

i know that but you know what i mean, they had the one with the whole in

[armanib]

Where did you get the boxes of hardware?

[Andyboy]

On another note, have you seen the other version of that stereo trim for non-OBC models with the head unit mounted in the centre of the facia panel?

Item 1:

Indeed I have Ratch, and I once owned such a mythical beast.

Ultra basic 316/318i/diesel cars (generally LHD only) had a big clock in place of the rev counter, and such cars had no clock next to the radio and thus had this panel.

I robbed mine from a chromie 324d Moredoor in Hamburg's Kiesow scrapyard - once a haven for unworn 'drivers' front seats, unfettered front 'drivers' doortrims and good panels.

[tomson]

Maplight mirror is a must too - also with new loom.

I dont suppose you have the part number for the loom Ratch do you?

Great thread BTW.....

[Dave_M3]

^^^


+1 as I need one too actually!

[Foolio]

Don't you just hate guerilla posting?


So, went down to the bodyshop with a new door and valance in tow for some painting. This is what happened to my original drivers door in a freak lack-of-handbrake accident:


Not toooooooo miffed as it had a few tiny dings in it anyway and that whole side is being repainted but it hasn't had any real damage in 11 years and the day I go to actually tidy it up that happens.

Here WAS my replacement door - a near mint Lazer Blue Coupe door from my stash ready to bolt straight on...


...but things can never be that simple. Must have got dinged whilst in storage as it has a huge dent by the rubbing strip. So now I'm after a mint drivers door to get this torturous part over so I can get the car back and get it sorted - answers on a postcard...?

On the bright side, nice new BMW valance:




Meanwhile, back at the farm, one of my most favorite bits has shown up!



Europe-wide map is on CF card freeing up the CD for more choons.



Mock up in the E30 trim - just looks so correct!



Tell me you'd rather have some flashing, mismatched flip screen silver crap in there! Set the display and switches to amber and away we go!

Stay tuned for more - may be intermittent but I will try and broadcast as and when I can, given my current Zone VISA status....

[Alex]

awsome, looks rite at home in there that becker

sorry to hear about the door though

[Foolio]

Maplight mirror is a must too - also with new loom.

I dont suppose you have the part number for the loom Ratch do you?

Great thread BTW.....

I found that on eBay still in packet - a sheer fluke.

Quite easy to make but if you search the electrical section of the ETK and look at 'additional wiring sets' one of them is that loom. Just 2 pins - Earth and 12V.

[E30BeemerLad]

Hello Immigration calling