My '87 325i - Updated 03/02/11 - Time to say goodbye

[capri_rob]

Sorted - they're on the list

[daimlerman]

My method of bush removal!

[capri_rob]

My method of bush removal!

DanThe has already done the hard bit by the sound of it - arms are bare so we will just need to put the new bushes and bearings in - they are powdercoated and look amazing but a couple of small vice-marks mean they aren't quite up to the Aston Martin coachbuilt standard needed for one of Dans motors - for my rusty turd however they are just the job

Thought of you today Malc when I saw the rust in the boot - was wondering If I've got any Dulux in my shed for when my welder mate has done his stuff

[daimlerman]

If it's good enough for the garage doors it's good enough for the 'out of sight' bits of my cars!
MoT man fell in love with the cabbie!

[capri_rob]

If it's good enough for the garage doors it's good enough for the 'out of sight' bits of my cars!
MoT man fell in love with the cabbie!

Would love to see it in the flesh Malc - due to the vast amounts of dollar my turd is absorbing at present I can't see me making it to Zone Roam this year but if you fancy a drive to the Midlands in a couple of weeks the Midlands meet is shaping up to be pretty good

[town325i]

If it's good enough for the garage doors it's good enough for the 'out of sight' bits of my cars!
MoT man fell in love with the cabbie!

when is erh in doors getting the new job?

[djk]

Setbacks taken in the right spirit here Rob - I'd have probably cried if I found all that grot on mine. It's made me happy to let sleeping dogs lie - removing the boot trim on my turd will be left for when I've got a far healthier bank balance than at present!

[town325i]

i hope this snow sods off so we can get some work done on this the weekend

[Tedswagon]

My method of bush removal!

Thats well and good, but what if you dont have a bottletop

[town325i]

this is what i didnt want to see.


hope this lot goes before saturday i dont mind the cold but snow is a different matter

[capri_rob]

AAAAARGH !!!!!

[capri_rob]

Ok after that little shock I've been busy today :

Here's the offending fooked subframe :

You can just see at the back edge where the ARB bush metal clamp is supposed to fix to has gone

New secondhand subframe - Thanks Theo


Cleaned up with the wirebrush in the drill


Bit of smoothrite - lovely jubbly - gonna nip back in the garage later and do the other side



Powdercoated new rear trailing arms thanks to DanThe


Local garage pressed in the wheel bearings FOC



Ordered a shitload of nuts and bolts to put it all back together and new ARB bushes and clamps from the dealers plus new Lemforder front droplinks and rear beam bushes from ECP picking up tomorrow.

Hopefully my garage will be as helpful pressing out the old rear beam bushes and pressing the new ones in next week.

[Alex]

Giving it plenty of love under there

[capri_rob]

I like the car Alex - and the more rusty sh1tters I see on here the more I think that If I ditched it to try and find a better one I'd just end up with something else with other problems.

Was thinking on my way home today about what I'd have if I had a bit more wonga to spare - If I can make some decent wedge this Year I might look to do an M30 build into a Facelift Dolphin grey 2Dr shell - if I can find one that is totally rust free.

That would be my perfect E30 with grey sports cloth and all the other options boxes ticked but just standard bootspoiler, SE skirts and IS front lip

Otherwise if I continue to be potless I'll just keep the bronzit turd

[Alex]

I like the car Alex - and the more rusty sh1tters I see on here the more I think that If I ditched it to try and find a better one I'd just end up with something else with other problems.

Great minds think alike

[Ollie_bwoii]

Awesome work Rob.

I wish I had had my trailing arms powdercoated instead of hammeriting them and then waxoil over the top. Yours are just worthy.

When this is all back togather it's going to be one hell of a chromie.

[capri_rob]

Was just very lucky that Dan had a set "in stock" - I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of getting them powdercoated myself TBH - would have just done what you've done with Smoothrite. They do look good though

Picking a rear beam up from town325i on Saturday which will also be getting the wirebrush and smoothrite treatment

[DanThe]

If you want some bushes pressing in Rob bring it over with some beer tokens

Was that your grandads drill?

[Alex]

Will hammerite last as long as powder coating??

[capri_rob]

If you want some bushes pressing in Rob bring it over with some beer tokens

Was that your grandads drill?

Uxbridge motors did the wheelbearings into the trailing arms as a freebie cos I had the E36 MOT'd there on Monday - I'm hoping if I drop the beam off next week they'll do the same again - they should do as they had a fortune off my Mrs when she had her Laguna

And yes it was my Grandads drill I've got a new one but this one refuses to die !

[town325i]

that drill looks as old as me

[Ollie_bwoii]

Gorgeous shepherd. What's his/her name?

Looks exactly like my old Acer , before Oskar came along.

[town325i]

Gorgeous shepherd. What's his/her name?

Looks exactly like my old Acer , before Oskar came along.

i thought that was the paint brush

[capri_rob]

Gorgeous shepherd. What's his/her name?

Looks exactly like my old Acer , before Oskar came along.

Thats Ruby - she's 2 in a couple of weeks time and was very confused last night as she can't normally get in the garage because of the E30



Hope this snow disappears by tomorrow - I'm getting E30 withdrawal symptoms and its only been off the road for a week !

[capri_rob]

that drill looks as old as me

Could well be mate - I've had it over 10 Years and my grandad had it for years before that ! Even running over it with the Capri only cracked the handle - easy fixed with insulation tape

[capri_rob]

Give the other side of the subframe a coat of smoothrite before I brave the roads


Not particularly pretty or a good finish but if it stops it going the way the original one went I'm happy ( and it looks better than Dulux )



New Rad from Theo - a million times better than the one that we took out - might give it a blast through with the hose later

[town325i]

Hope this snow disappears by tomorrow - I'm getting E30 withdrawal symptoms and its only been off the road for a week !

thats how i feel every week working away

[capri_rob]

Picked up my Lemforder droplinks and rear beam bushes today - good to go for tomorrow assuming the snow fecks off

[daimlerman]

Grandad's drill? Bloody youngsters,I inherited a yard brush,it's had three new heads and two handles but it's still grandad's old yard brush...
Get some Dulux on that front crossmember,go on,you know you want to....

[capri_rob]

Grandad's drill? Bloody youngsters,I inherited a yard brush,it's had three new heads and two handles but it's still grandad's old yard brush...
Get some Dulux on that front crossmember,go on,you know you want to....

Too late Malc its done in good old smoothrite - had to bring it in from the garage though as it was too cold for the paint to harden - been in the kitchen overnight ( missus not impressed as kitchen now stinks of smoorthrite fumes ) but proper dry now

Just waiting for town325i to pick me up so we can get to work on the turd in the snow

[town325i]

sorry i was late this morning i had a slightly heavy night on the pop as you seen this morning

[capri_rob]

OK another big thanks to a hungover town325i for yesterdays spannerwork in the snow


This is where we started Yesterday morning - springs have settled I think - although there are no shocks on the back at the moment


Up in the air looking very sorry for itself

Engine hoist to support the donk in order to get the subframe out


Pic not great but the mounting for the ARB clamp has rotted away to noting - both sides


Out with the old - in with the new - Genuine ARB bushes and clamps on lightly refurbed subrame


Back in business


New Lemforder front Droplinks


Pressing in Trailing Arm bushes for next week


Tech 1 Snowspoiler !!!


For newbies asking how to identify a 325i Head



Front end now done including new Rad and coolant all bled and working perfect

Got a rear beam to get the grandad-drill and smoothrite on today and then just gotta get the old bushes out and new Lemforder bushes pressed in.

Hopefully should still be done in time for Mildands Meet

[darkchild]

Well done gents!

You won't catch me working on cars in that weather!

[capri_rob]

After standing on snow all day it took about an hour before I could feel my feet !

[town325i]

After standing on snow all day it took about an hour before I could feel my feet !

it took me all day to find out where i was with my stella induced comma