This has been saved, red 325iASE finishing polish action

[RM2186]

Well done Si, it looks real well after all the fettling. Be a good buy for someone and that black headlight ring thing works really well with the red

[Razorsharp]

Epic thread Si - good work fella!

Let's hope this goes to a fellow zoner to love for years to come.

Hopefully you'll sell it on soon so we can see the final work on the C2.

[B7]

Good news. That MOT place seems to be getting a bit of a rep???

[RustyRuss]

Great MOT news mate

[powelly]

Happy days, I look forward to seeing the turd, It's been a while, this will make a real nice car for someone. Will it be at the next guildford meet, wherever and whenever that might be.

[m0gsia]

Rough idea of the price you are after?

[Simon13]

Yes i've had a figure all along, a realistic one as i know its not a 2 owner 80,000 mile car.

What do people think then?!

[Dezzy]

IMO its a 2 bag car. For a very quick sale.

You couldnt buy piece of mind like this else where.

Its actually worth more than that but that would see it on its way in a hurry

[e30topless]

I have seen some real shit sell around the 1500 mark,
this has had quite a lot of therapy and surely has the edge over the usual neglected turds around,

I can't remember the last time i saw a well sorted 2 door 325i SE for sale ?

[The_Diddler]

Good turn around Simon, nice to see it saved, should see a tidy profit from that car

[goosiegander]

I think £2850 myself, if not quite a bit more, throw a detailing session in and take some arty pictures, it'll be well on its way.

Cracking job by the way Simon, Do you think the 'Pina will be back together for summer?

[Simon13]

interesting thoughts. Its an odd market a little imo at the momnet. A well written waffle ad can add to its value as a manual dolphin car on pistonsheads sold for 3k?!

but there is a sub 100k cirrus blue auto 2dr for about £1400 atm

This car is no cream pie, but it drives 100% no clonks rattles or sqweeks, everything works, central locking, e/w and sunroof,OBC bulb, instruments and check control with no warnings and there aren't big rust holes in it. Engine is serviced up, tappets checked cambelt fresh coolant,oil brake fluid etc. It really is a drive away E30 and do what you want to it not fix little niggles like 99% of them now

Pina 2dr is gagging for some action, alas the crank has been at the machine shop about 6 weeks now?! i'll have to chase him up to get the ball rolling again

Try and pitch it right in the middle and not be greedy, but there aren't many out there to price against. Could always try a bit higher and can always come down a bit if it struggles

[pacerpete]

Get it paedoed up and try £2250 ? All the work you have done needs doing to ALL of them at the lower end of the market and would cost 1k + at a garage and would not have been done with the same love and care

Get it on Pistonheads and carand classic with some nice pics and a detailed list of the work done.
Personally I wouldn't mention the weldfest, just state that it has none of the usual e30 rust issues and has a fresh MOT

Are you bringing it down the Ace Monday ? I am looking forward to seeing the phoenix like turd !

[Simon13]

Indeed i'll bring it to Ace monday. Swapped the insurance over from the pina touring yesterday

[Simon13]

Just some minor tinkering



Had to sort out the no sounds so soldered this in




Even the aerial works! was chuffed with that. Should be a chrome one no?




This was quite pink and came back without much effort much to my surprise but i won't go nuts as Powelly will be giving it a once over with the machine





Interior has come up nicely. I've put 70 miles on it and nothing has fallen off sh!t itself yet. A nice run to Ace 2moro should help for the nit picker crew to point out the finer details!

[bss325i]

Nit picker crew lol!

[Dezzy]

What's cracking?

[B7]

Up for sale yet Si? Or enjoying the fatblokes slushbox too much?

[Simon13]

you really don't want to know

[Alpina99]

Hero, have a look at this

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.c ... read=70135

Thanks for this one,

Didn't know about this forum, learnt shedloads just reading that thread alone !

[B7]

you really don't want to know

Bell you laterz.

[SteSE]

Well done Si looks good!

[tonybtonyb]

Looks nice well done

[Simon13]

So lets move on with this bloody thing! lol

well after the mot came some clay bar action, which has done wonders! They are brilliant things, if you've never clayed your E30 you should!














Then Powelly on here gave me this stuff and its the shizzle brought the rims up a treat, couldn't believe it! sounds to good.




horrid clay bar now ready for the bin!



But there is always a but, so i've used it as a daily the past 2 weeks put 600 plus miles on here and noticed we had lost some coolant and some slight mayo in the header tank, no over heating as such but something not 100%. This car had a headgasket in 2007-8 ish at BMW dealer in yeovil.


Well too much is at stake here along with my reputation so for the sake of a few more hours.....................


We ended up like this last monday, so head off and this was dropped off tuesday to the machine shop

So onto today i get a phone call





Shes cracked. Plus you will notice that its been welded before with no mention of this either?!




anyhow here is a replacement 86 casting head which was also tested and came back good.

So a trip to GSF for an headgasket set and some spannering over the bank holiday to get her running again. Then some use the next week or 2 to be sure and then forsale? Or do you think it doesn't want to go?

Old cars? love um

[Kedge]

Think she must be growing attached Si due to all the loving you've given her!

Out of curiosity, how much should i be looking at to get an M20 tested?

[Simon13]

cost me £130 for 3 heads. £45 for the good ones. little less for the now scrap one.

[Jhonno]

Unfortunate on the head front Si.. Definitely doing the right thing though!

[Kedge]

cost me £130 for 3 heads. £45 for the good ones. little less for the now scrap one.

Bargain!!

Hope it all goes back together problem free!

[Dezzy]

Si there isn't many seller who would go to this extent to ensure the car was pucka. I hope it fetches you a good profit!

[suchy]

Si there isn't many seller who would go to this extent to ensure the car was pucka. I hope it fetches you a good profit!

Too true, many would just clean it up and move it on or even worse get it to this stage and just clean up the mayo and flog it on quick!!
BUT as proved many times on here, reputation is King

[B7]

We discussed this early on and decided that an in depth thread would help this car realise true money. No hidden horrors, a warts an' all picture book of the restoration to good health.

Nothing will help this car sell quicker than a photo resto.

[B7]

Si, I've found three mate. U have da PM innit!

[gazm3]

Doing a fine job, Si.
Think about my experiance buying that Wheeler dealers touring, from a zoner.

Its a credit to you

[Simon13]

thanks peeps, the way i see it is this. Its a small world and invariably cars end up back on the zone, everyone i've sold bar my sport has re appeared and the last thing you want is people saying look at that complete sh!t box simon fixed up, its total sh!te now and smiled put his name to it!

[Simon13]

So a manic 48 hours! don't know why felt the need to crack on with this show. Tax disc and MOT ticking away and a driveway ornament.


So gsf elring headgasket set and a borrowed valve lifter from powelly so thanks for that0. I should buy one seeing as i'm on top end overhaul no.4 i think and the 2dr to go at least, anyhow




all stripped and labelled up, your better being a tard and making it simple to not muddle everything up imo make it all idiot proof




everything cleaned organised and ready for the refit, i swear the cleaning and while your there jobs take longer than the re assemble!





Valves re lapped buy hand and new stem seals from the kit and all fitted back up




camshaft in, with new front seal, good time to fit the coolant pipe on the back, don't forget that or you will regret it!




rockers, rocker shafts, rocker clips, D deals, spray bar, rocker shaft locking pin etc all in, so taking shape




cam sprocket and rotor arm thing on, this has a litte nipple to locate it properly, don't let it rotate as you tighten the torx bolt. As trevor did and then the timing is out and it will never run! A tip we learn't the hard way!




new coolant studs.





gasket on, ultra clean bolt holes this is a must or the block WILL crack when you tighten down. So they were left to soak with WD40 for a couple of days then blown out with an air line and some brake cleaner too. So i cut some old head bolts up to locate the head. Seemed a good idea, it wasn't don't do it. Sh!t idea




head torqued, then its time for the valve clearances to be set. Timed up belt back on, quick crank over by hand to cheack all ok etc. Noice.





Refit, which is the reverse of removal as haynes says. Shes dead quiet top end and runs like a watch defo BHP added top end now as the old top end had a quite worn cam and rockers. They aren't now. Had a difficult bleedup as the little pipe from the rad to head was blocked with mayo needs a good flushout the best i can

Once un blocked it bleed up fine and all seems good, so i'll use it next week for work and hopefully all will be ok