New Zone member... new E30 owner.. pics..

[VW-will]

Hi guys,
I'm Will, have only recently passed my driving test, (december *i'm 17) Have a Vw golf mk2.. but though i'd like a BMW e30 as a project to do over summer as last year i had my golf... needed something new this year!
i spoted a E30 320I on pistonheads heres the link... http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1661923.htm
within a couple of days i had braught the car... and got it trailored home, the fact of welding doesnt really bother me as i am a welder so its all fun! and i love working on cars - bonus!
i started stripping the car down straight away.... here are some pictures





the hole in the passenger footwell is now done! and re-undersealed, the drivers side has a hole thats much smaller so will get onto that once the rain has stoped! i've got a car with a perfect scuttle pannel a friend has said i can have as long as i go and cut it out myself... once the car is done i have a friend whos going to re-spray it fully for me, in the Diamantschwarz Black.

i'll post more pictures once the weather has brightend up so i can go out there!
heres a picture of my golf.. just for good measure


Thanks will.

[daimlerman]

Welcome to the zone,you look to be our kind of zoner!
If you get stuck,ask for help....

[VW-will]

Thanks for the welcome mate
wasnt sure if i'd get a welcome or be ignored due to my age! ha, some forums are a bit against younger people... !

[Falkster]

Welcome mate, I found that with quite a few forums but not here, there's a few old duffers but they're alright

[skipunda]

Welcome Will, looks like a bit of fun that!

[bobbin1982]

wanna come cut my rust out and weld new bits in?... lol welcome mate



Andy

[VW-will]

thanks Guys, when i got the golf it was pretty much a wreck... it came out ok.. just a quick1,
as my scuttle pannel has big holes in the corners, would this be why my car is leaking? i cant see why as there is the air vents next to the holes... but yet i have water running in (just a little puddle mind) also, the blue temp sensor how much are these and where can i pick them up from? the cars constantly running on choke unplug the sensor and it runs sweet as a nut!
Thanks Guys, more pics to come tomorrow

[town325i]

Liking the Golf just about to buy one myself as a stop gap

As for the blue temp sensor you can get them from GSF for around £10

[VeinAST]

Looks alright! 17 and from Essex though? Either you're paying through the roof for insurance or someone's paying it for you

[d6dph]

Welcome mate, We occasionally invade the east coast dubs meets in colchester with the E30s. They go nuts for them

Let me know if you fancy heading to one and I'll try to round the troops.

[jbh]

welcome to the zone looking forward to more progress on your car

[VW-will]

Thanks guys! ahh the little blue sensor only about a tenner?! awesome! i'll get one of them in the week,
just went out and passengers footwell is flooded, luckily i have taken the carpet out though! to dry (was wet when i got the car) cant seem to see where its coming from, bloody rain!!!

[d6dph]

Check under the fuse box.

[BadDave]

I've got a car with a perfect scuttle pannel a friend has said i can have as long as i go and cut it out myself

IIRC a new scuttle panel is £30 from the dealers, and should last another 20 yrs
You would need to get the VIN stamped into it, but it's better than having a scuttle panel with a different chassis number to that on the V5c

If you intend keeping the car for any length of time, it may be a better option.

And welcome to the mad house BTW

[VW-will]

hi mate, have you got a link to the scuttle panel? i was looking for a new 1 but couldnt find1? thanks.

[crazy1]

hello and welcome, you seem to be doing a good job on the 320i, heres a link to the scuttle

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=41&fg=30

[BadDave]

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E30/2 ... ork/apron/

Number 14 if I'm not mistaken

HTH

[VW-will]

done some more on the old Girl today,
the passenger side finished....



Rust proofed, Primerd, and undersealed..

Also started to do abit on the drivers side, but it just wasnt going to plan... started Pi$$ing down with rain so i had to come in - got this far though..






oh.. and my welding mask!:)


Will.

[12345kevin]

Hi Will

Good to see another Essex zoner. I'm only over the water in Benfleet and have a few parts left where we have broken some E30's if you need anything.

[suchy]

Welcome and keep the progress shots coming
I'm an ex-dubber myself but no looking back since E30 ownership
RWD FTW

[CUTZ]

thats some good welding skills there for a 17 year old how long have you been doing it for

[VW-will]

humm.... not that long to be honest, this is my 2nd project car though, the golf had no rear arches, when i got it... and the drivers sill needed doing also... so it was good practise, bodywork metal is soo much harder compared to the stuff i'm use 2 welding, its either not penetraiting enough, or its blowing holes.

[andrew320i]

Hi and welcome, looking forward to seeing the 320 progress!

[bobbin1982]

Us on the zone love restoration threads

[VW-will]

Done quite abit more today, got the drivers side footwell finished, rust proofed, Primerd, then undersealed... heres my mate michael going at it with a wire brush

Also, i noticed today that the front anti rollbar mount on the drivers side, is snaped... the big bolt that goes through the subframe is still there but the mount has snaped off of it, but doing so has snapped the little lug off the back of the subframe, would it be ok to weld this? or isit really a new 1 needed.... thanks.

[Rav335uk]

Best to get another one new, only a couple of quid from the dealers.

[12345kevin]

Got a couple of good subframes here if any good to you.

[/// KAMI]

good to see a e30 have some love

[VW-will]

Cheers guys, found a dude near my college who breaks E30's privatly.. got a uncracked dash for 50.00, sunroof for a 10er and a scuttle pannel for a 10er, still trying to find somewhere with the rear pannel instock, think its going to have to be a bmw order...

[VW-will]

Well, i got a scutle panel.. cut it from another E30! just been cleaning it up today
making sure all the edges are as they should be, and unbraizing the Apilars from it.


These are the bits i'm going to use, as i dont want another cars chassis number on here really!

[VW-will]

Left side of the scutle is done... doesnt look too bad... just in primer atm as will go for re-spray after the MOT.


how bad the standard one was..

doesnt look to bad IMO, just the otherside to doo then i can put the wings back on and start on rolling the rear arches, and the back of the car!

[suchy]

Good work so far, keep them coming

[VW-will]

here is the new rear panel i picked up from my local bmw dealer... was quite exspencive tbh! but none of the 50.00 ones would be instock till the start of july, so 188.00 one would have to do! :/

[skipunda]

Impressive work. Welcome to the zone

[VW-will]

Well, both side of the scuttle are finished, both floors are done, Carpets are in, dash is going back in soon Spax suspention orderd, Eibach anti rollbars order, full stainless exhaust system orderd... thinking about a quick shifter aswell? whats the best one? and are they hard to change??
heres some pictures.

Found some rush on the rear passengers inner arch at the top,
thank fully it hasnt spread to the outer skin too much and that is still usable!

New body metal cut to a rough shape ready to be welded and beaten into place to give the standard shape

2 new lips for the inner arch and the outer arch made up, outer arch has the holes init so it canbe spot welded to the new inner lip, i do have a proper spot welder but it keeps nocking the fuse of my garage out, think its a bit to heavy! haha

and some spare metal, just incase..


hopefully the arch will be done this weekend, then in the week/next weekend i can get the rear panel done, then its things like breaks and putting all my new shiney bits on! and painting the old stuff up, then MOT within 3-4weeks, then Spray job! really cant wait

Thanks.