My 2 door track car (warning -lots of pics !)

[Rallyprep_UK]

ahh thats good to know ! Doesnt anywhere sell some uprated buggers !? Dont mind spending out if its going to save time/money/effort replacing it in 10 mins and also benefit from better performance...

I did have the original sunroof but thought it was quite heavy and there was a decent gap around it...

I bet those S38 ones are pretty tough mind - thats a helluva lump !...

[DanThe]

Yeah I imagine its a right anchor
The AKG mounts are the best you can buy ATM, but at $200 + shipping and taxes they are a bit pricey, ive been looking at getting something similar made so if your not in a rush get your other jobs done first

[Rallyprep_UK]

Silicone turned up today...

The throttle body will be given a good old clean up before this goes back on and I want to find an M50 fuel rail, I already have the cover.

Suspension springs have been sent for powdercoat - they were minging !!!

I also bought some more silicone for the ICV and FPR etc. And a water temp T-piece for the new gauge.

Oil pressure T-piece has been fitted where the oil pressure switch lives and the sender has been added.

I am not sure yet where I will put the oil temp sender, I was thinking sump but dont really want to drill it OR remove it !...

[nickso]

i can vouch for the AKG mounts. they are pricey but good. my front manifold is very close, about 2mm to the rack, and it's never touched despite some harsh driving.

[Rallyprep_UK]

ok cool thanks for your input, I had a quick look on their site, I am wondering which ones

[nickso]

they are on the site as "s50/m50 swap". they will fit an m52 too though.

[Rallyprep_UK]

thanks

[Rallyprep_UK]

Today i mounted the fan to the front of the rad, also I finished my steering linkage and my water temp sender t-piece turned up

Also I got an M50 fuel rail and bought a set of pink injectors which have been reconditioned (cleaned and tested etc).







Thats it for tonight.

[Rallyprep_UK]

Today, I just tidied up mostly. The workshop was getting into a right state !!!

I dug out the front bumper, is lip, fogs, no. plate, bonnet and wings and quickly threw it all on the car to keep it together.

I bolted the standard drivers seat runners back in and am going to weld a frame to them which I will mount my seat upon.

I am in need of a pair of facelift front wings too as I am keeping the wide arch stuff for my other E30 project.

I am waiting on a clutch at the moment from america - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... ink:top:en

So much cheaper buying it from accross the water and I happen to have some parts being shipped over from the states anyhow so postage will be freeeee

[Rallyprep_UK]

Tonight a good friend came over to play with the wiring on my car. There were wires everywhere inside around my feet and they needed to be re routed out of the way.




Much better

Thanks very much Big Lee...

Next on the wiring front is to get the gauges connected, relocate the battery to the boot via the kill switch and make a small loom for the electric fan setup.

These seat runners are about to get the welder unleashed on them !!!
!

I am now mainly waiting on the paddle clutch kit from america then I will install it along side a lightened M20 flywheel and put the engine and gearbox back in once and for all .

Getting there slowly but surely !!

[Rallyprep_UK]

I have some more goodies



I got an M3 wiring cover which tidies up the engine bay nicely and it was a bargain at 12 english pounds from the main stealer...



Springs back from powder coating - just waiting for my top mounts now...

I bought this from the states and am desperate for it to turn up so that I can get the engine and box back in and sort the exhaust

A lightened M20 flywheel is in the pipeline also.

I have got an enlarged throttle body in the post too...

As my engine has covered over the 100k mark I have now picked up some refurbed injectors.

[Rallyprep_UK]

Yeah I imagine its a right anchor
The AKG mounts are the best you can buy ATM, but at $200 + shipping and taxes they are a bit pricey, ive been looking at getting something similar made so if your not in a rush get your other jobs done first

forgot to say mate, I'm going to stick with the e34 ones I have for now and see what you can get made up ...

[Rallyprep_UK]

I take it when using the m20 flywheel I have to use the m20 starter

[MarkT]

Yes mate, IIRC the M50/52 one sticks too far through and clashes with the clutch. Do you know if the flywheel bolts are stretch bolts or re-usable?

[Rallyprep_UK]

ok thanks,

I think the m20 bolts must be used, but I plan on using new ones either way really

I expect they could be re used but also doubt they cost a lot so new it is !

[nickso]

not a good idea to re-use the fly bolts. someone on here did and they loosened off IIRC.

[baptie0]

not a good idea to re-use the fly bolts. someone on here did and they loosened off IIRC.

A drop of thread-lock on the bolts should stop them coming loose

[Rallyprep_UK]

The power cut off handle has been fitted to the scuttle...


The engine bay was filthy where the car has been sat in the workshop for so long and I gave it a little clean today before the engine goes back in. M3 wiring cover also in and clutch hose swapped for silicone stuff.



Also today, the coilovers and hubs were put together and the rear cut springs changed for the new ones.

I also re routed the brake pipe which goes to the hydro handbrake along the top of the tunnel.

The inlet manifold has been cleaned up, I have fitted the recon injectors along with an m50 fuel rail. The throttle body was removed so that I can see what I need in the way of a gasket to fit the enlarged m52 throttle body. Some sheet gasket has been purchased and I will make up my own.

[Dave_M3]

Me likes

Going to be a cool chariot once done!

[Rallyprep_UK]

Thanks dave !

Im ITCHING to drive it I have to fit the clutch / flywheeel which should both be here this week and then put it all back together and weld up the exhaust !

Been promised some m3 evo wishbones but if they do not materialise then theres a pair of pattern ones on fleabay for around £120 delivered

sooo close !

Suspension/hubs/topmounts are assembled now too



The RPM topmounts seem to be of excellent build quality.

[Theo]

I don't think that silicone is brake fluid resistant - change it for some proper hose.

Nice project btw!

[Rallyprep_UK]

I don't think that silicone is brake fluid resistant - change it for some proper hose.

Yeah, your probably right - I have just got an E30 325 which has come into work for fragging so I can get a lot of the little bits which I need for my car and as I have lost or binned silly little bits and bobs, clips etc so I can get that all !!! perfect

I am literally just waiting for my flywheel to turn up now so that I can get my engine back in once and for all !!!!

My clutch is here from the states and My good friend Lee has been over sorting out some of the wiring for me.

He has made me and fitted a little loom for the rad fan and put the wiring in for the nitrous. The water temp sender for the aux gauge has also been wired in. The battery is going into the boot next and the cut off switch will be joined into the plan.

There was a bit of a problem removing the lower (n/s) bellhousing bolt which was already snapped off when I got the engine The bolt was so tight that it snapped one stud extractor and when I tried the second time this happened !



Sigh...

Anyway I will get around that somehow. Today my exhaust manifold nuts/studs/gaskets turned up



The old scrap !



We also fitted some nice new twin horns and moved them to the side out of the way of the radiator airflow.

[Dave_M3]

Had the same problem in one of the M52s I was working on. Bolt was well seized into the block. Got it out but the threads in the block were ruined so just had to use a strong nut and bolt for it instead.


Yours will need abit more work by the looks of it and maybe abit of skillful tig welding!

[GeoffBob]

Ouch, no fun! Needs milling back to a flat surface and a new "ear" of material tigged in place. Then a new hole drilled and tapped. Not such a big job, but I wouldn't want to be the one to have to strip the engine so as to get the block setup on the mill. Bad luck mate. Maybe you can find a way to bodge it, or find another block?

[DanThe]

[Rallyprep_UK]

This has really PI**ED me off !!!
lol, I have to laugh I suppose... it's just one of those things

I will bodge it for now (just put a nut/bolt/washer through whats left) and look for another engine I guess it will hold ok... .

There is an E39 touring 2.8 at work but it has the twin vanos engine... And the ECU has gone...

Is the bottom end the same though ?! or would it be easier to convert to the twin vanos ?!

There is also a Z4 3.0 in the salvage vehicle yard but it owes us a lot of £$£$ so the engine would not be cheap, BUT I dont think anybody is going to buy/repair it which means it might come into the breaking yard eventually...

Is that similar to convert as the M52B28TU ?

[Rallyprep_UK]

Oh, and Dan. I love the J.B weld pic with the housewife using it lol...

[DanThe]

3 bolts will be plenty mate, it is destined for diffin at the end of the day

Dont even think about messing with twin vanos lumps, they are only any good for donating cranks.

Why would a housewife need JB weld?

[Dave_M3]

It would be easier and cheaper and probably safer to just strip your own engine down to the block, head etc so it can be milled and re-paired rather than use another block as you know how troublesome head refitting jobs on the M52 can be......

Unless....

You get a new block, make it a 3 or even a 3.2 from using some other engine bits and use head studs instead to make it a proper lightweight demon!

[Rallyprep_UK]

ah ok, vanos idea forgotton !

Well, the car will be used for nurburgring mainly to be fair but I do like a bit of slidey slidey !

Just got back a week or so ago and it was VERY VERY slippery ! I drove it in a M50B25 vanos E28 and it was amazing fun !

I will just use this engine until a decent 2.8 turns up...

Going back to the ring in march and thats my target to get this car running and painted if possible (if not the rattle cans will do for now !)

Everything is waiting on my flywheel now

Just saw the cams/chip you have on ebay too. If only I had more money !

The E28 was running with the wrong AFM and returning around 18mpg so 1500 miles + other recent expenses + christmas soon = very skint !...

http://www.lovetogofast.com - have a look at the pics on my website and you will see some e30's and the E28

[Rallyprep_UK]

I have a 3.2 engine sitting around...

It had a slight knock on the bottom end but still ran.

I also have a perfect condition 3.2 crank !

I was saving it for my next project...
Im scared of S5x engines... Mad money when they go tits up ! I would rather have 240hp and not be scared of thrashing the hell out of it. Am I crazy or does that make sense !!??

[Rallyprep_UK]

I am also scared of trying to swap the crank myself and scared of the price which it takes to get somebody else to do it ! Plus I need a loom/ecu + pay dan to mod it etc etc.

the eng is complete though except the coil packs...

[Rallyprep_UK]

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yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Flywheel turned up on friday while I was at work and by 5am on Saturday morning she was running

more info and pics to follow...

[Rallyprep_UK]

Ok, I'm getting somewhere now ! well, it feels that way anyhow !

Got some more goodies today also
Genuine OEM E36 M3 Forged Alloys (apparantly 19.5lbs per wheel !??)

These need a good clean up and some sticky rubber ! Easily sorted though

Next mission = Exhaust...

I picked up this from a local chap (cheers millsy ! ) who actually bought it from me a while back for his m50 touring !

He started work cutting and bending it but gave up and I have decided to give it a shot...

[Rallyprep_UK]

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