B7's Next Installment. Rear End Action! SHE'S HOME!!!!

[Dezzy]

Top marks for the petrol tank studding idea. I have had the pleasure of messing with a tank and I wish I had thought of that.

What paint did you use Trev. The finish looks perfect.

[Simon13]

suit you sir!

[B7]

Top marks for the petrol tank studding idea. I have had the pleasure of messing with a tank and I wish I had thought of that.

What paint did you use Trev. The finish looks perfect.

It's just straight cellulose black over antichip. Mazda black as it happens. I had half a litre left over from the old MX5 on the shelf and half a gallon of standard thinners so apart from the white spirit to clean the black shite off, nil cost

It's not perfect to be honest. I was short on thinners to degrease it so it got a wipe over at the very most. Theres a bit of reaction but looking at it this morning it's flowed out okay. With a good polish I reckon it'll look mint under there.

Rear arms will be anti chipped after the bushes are out and replaced. thats a job I'm not looking forward too. I have 3 genuine bushes, 2 lemforder and 2 Febi bilstiens.

Question is, if I use 2 genuine and 2 of the other makes, where to place what. Genuines on the outer and lemforder or febi's on the inner or vice versa????

There must be stress on more than the other. My moneys on the inners taking the most and should be genuines. I'm not paying out for 2 more genuines when I have OEMs on the shelf. Or am I worrying needlessly??

[B7]

I've just lost the brand new Genuine WHITE battery that I only fitted 6 months ago. Dead Cell . Barrys done his best but only black ones available now. There comes a time when you HAVE to compromise on the OEM homo bit. Devastated but can't be helped. Cheers Barry for trying mate and for getting the warranty claim through

[Simon13]

do you want my white BMW battery!

[B7]

I'm tempted si but I'm sitting with a brand new BMW battery worth the best part of £80 quid and common sense tells me I should be happy at that and just use it.

However, the little voice on my right shoulder says "It has to be white and you know the big mans gonna rip it out of you every time you open the bonnet"

[Ollie_bwoii]

Just a thought but can a battery from a different model of BMW not be used? Just a thought as I noticed the other day my sister's MINI has a white BMW battery.

Sorry if that's sounds dumb, but I'm not clued up on batteries.

[Ranchero]

the Mini brand is now owned by BMW. That would probably account for the battery in your sister's car.

[Ollie_bwoii]

No I know why it's there, I mean can Trev not get a new battery that is meant for a different model of BMW.

[Dezzy]

Don't think it will be powerfull nough but maybe the one out of a deasel might work.

Terv just stick the new black one in and stop being a homo.

[B7]

They have only just discontinued the white batteries. So any mini with one could be holding the last ones.

Bottom line is, Part no.? Known! and there ain't a white one with that part number anymore.

[B7]

Terv just stick the new black one in and stop being a homo.

I know! I can be such a knob over shite like this . Have to remember barry has tried and if he can't get one, then a black one it will be. It's a genuine one after all.

[Dezzy]

Terv just stick the new black one in and stop being a homo.

I know! I can be such a knob over shite like this . Have to remember barry has tried and if he can't get one, then a black one it will be. It's a genuine one after all.

Exactly mate.

It's only a battery, it's oem but it's black. Your car will still be pristine!

[E30BeemerLad]

PM sent Trev

[Jhonno]

I had the same issue with my brand new white battery.. Dead cell, replaced with a black one on the warranty claim

[B7]

I had the same issue with my brand new white battery.. Dead cell, replaced with a black one on the warranty claim

How strange is that???? Weird Wonder if they've been hanging around abit?

[Dezzy]

I had the same issue with my brand new white battery.. Dead cell, replaced with a black one on the warranty claim

How strange is that???? Weird Wonder if they've been hanging around abit?

That would be my guess.

We sometimes get that at work. Brand new battery back after say 3 months with a dead cell. They are just numax aftermarket.

[E30BeemerLad]

Anything happening with your car lately Trev?

[B7]

Anything happening with your car lately Trev?

NOPE! I've been wrapped up at home quite a bit and I have just not had the time.

All the components are finished, the only resto work left before reassembly is the instal of the riv nuts for the brake and fuel line clips. Once they are done, it can go back together.

[B7]

Small update. No pics unfortunately as forgot my camera

Yesterday, I dealt with about 5 small areas of blistered underseal by grinding back with a dremel and rust killer, followed by ati rust primer and a dollop of spray underseal I have which is rubbberised.

I then tackled the front to rear fuel and brake lines. And heres where theres a difference.

The convertible has an outrigger to the front of the floor pan. The breather pipe runs through it. Theres no way you'll thread the pre bent pipe through. Originally there was a front section, joined to the one that ran along the inside edge of the sill, by a peice of rubber pipe. So I had to cut the new BMW sourced pipe which was for a coupe, and join them via the same rubber pipe.

Bending the new BMW brake line was fun. Big tip here, start at front of the pipe!!!
I started at the rear, taping the new pipe to the old as I went, making a pattern. All went swimmingly and I ended up with virtually a perfect copy. Expect I have too much spare at the front and it now shoots past the bias valve it screws into . If you start at the front, you can lose the excess underneath the fuel tank. I've now got to either cut and reflare the front or try to lose the spare in an S shape.

The broken pipe fixings in the floor pan were ground off, a hole drilled and riv nuts inserted. Then longer screws of the same head and diameter were used to secure the fixings to the riv nuts. What a great design and it worked perfectly.

I'll get some photos soon but I feel that progress has been made.

Plans are, finish the rear end, Fit the cruise control kit and refinish the cam cover (as I'm not happey with the finish currently), all in time for next spring.

I'm back in the groove now.

[Dezzy]

We need pic's Trev.

Feels good when you tick a few jobs off the list though doesn't it.

[daimlerman]

Breather pipe had rusted out on my cabbie,I bought the correct one which terminated just short of the re-enforcing plate and I used new tubing through into the engine bay and terminated it correctly at the carbon canister.

I could have discarded the cannister,but I have always been unhappy about the breather pipe just being tucked into the suspension turret!

[B7]

We need pic's Trev.

Feels good when you tick a few jobs off the list though doesn't it.

You could say that. i was most pleased with the riv nuts. I bought this tool off ebay with this task soley in mind. And it worked perfect. I had already bought zinc plated crosshead M4 screws as well, So the fixings to the supply and return fuel and the brake line look completely stock under there with no need to remove the carpet to place any nuts or the chance of sharp self tappers peircing the carpet.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rivnut-Rivetnut-N ... 27b5c09cd2

I chose this tool as it went small enough (i.e. down to m4) and it has a limited travel. i.e. you can only compress the fixing so far. It's also compact and perfect for under there

[DanThe]

Proper job that Trev

[e30topless]

pics please Trev , I like the look of that method

[The_Diddler]

Trev

I need to do this to my turd, any instructions method etc, do you need to drill the floor, how does it work??

ta muchly

[powelly]

Looks good Trev, with hindsight i'm not sure the ones we use at work would have done the job, they are pretty chunky.

We have these ones

http://cheapestrivnuts.co.uk/tools.aspx

[B7]

Trev

I need to do this to my turd, any instructions method etc, do you need to drill the floor, how does it work??

ta muchly

You only need acces to one side. It works on very much the same priciple as a pop rivit.

The tool comes with three sizes of mandrel. It also came with the 3 exact drills of the corrrect size.

* Drill the hole.
* Insert the riv nut
* Screw the mandrel (mounted in the tool) into said riv nut
* Tighten tool to virtually the stop. This pulls the upper section of the tool in and the mandrel up and so compressing the back of the riv nut and so clamping the panel.
* Unscrew the mandrel and hey preso, a secure threaded fixing in said floorpan!!!

[Simon13]

can it re fix my vin plate for the 2 door?

[B7]

can it re fix my vin plate for the 2 door?

The vin plate is pop riveted is it not?

[e30topless]

normal pop rivet for the vin Si,

[The_Diddler]

Great thanks trev......

Any chance of a borrow

[B7]

Great thanks trev......

Any chance of a borrow

For £20 and the price of a selection of fixings, every e30 owner should have one.

One of my spire clip studs that hold the exhaust heatshield has gone as well. That get one of these as well.

[powelly]

They are a life saver, we use them quite alot on Astons, mainly the floor panel.

[B7]

Photos later!