e34 535i Sport Modifications? PICS added

[320Touring]

I've acquired an e34 535i sport and my brother and I are planning to prep it for doing trackdays..

I'm new to this game, so can anyone give me pointers on the way to do things?

Essentially it'll be a budget driven job- any upgrades will be financed either from the sale of unneeded parts or from meagre available funds..

I'm particularly interested in brake and suspension upgrade options, and what order to do them in..

Currently thinking

Fully strip interior
Fit Racing seats
Full check and repair of Stock Suspension
Full Check and repair of Stock Brakes
LSD Oil Change

any other tricks/cheap/free mods that will enhance the car on track?

Also- What tyres would be best for track AND road use, as we'll need to drive the car to and from the track..

[Simon13]

why choose a fat heavy 1700kgs slob wagon better suited to drifting?!

[bss325i]

Some second hand M5 springs and some secondhand hand yellow bilsteins?

Some Braided brake hoses, some ATE super blue fluid and some EBC red or yellow front pads?

Some secondhand R rated tyres?

[320Touring]

Some second hand M5 springs and some secondhand hand yellow bilsteins?

Some Braided brake hoses, some ATE super blue fluid and some EBC red or yellow front pads?

Some secondhand R rated tyres?

Cheers Barry! whats the best source for bits?forum5?

Si, it was too cheap to say no to..plus wwhen it dies its an m30 conversion

[Simon13]

hairy muff, is it a nail? they seem to have a kind of value now as they're all gone!

[320Touring]

hairy muff, is it a nail? they seem to have a kind of value now as they're all gone!

Its a Scottish Car.. Rust and a ding in every panel..

But with Leather/Aircon and a working LSD not to mention the 540 wheels

[mrLEE30]

Stripping everything will looses much weight, so all A/C pipes and rad, remove the matrix inside for heater and A/c - just leave the blower unit.

Remove all nice bits like seats, carpet, window motors - leave drivers if you want, roof lining, stereo and speakers, windscreen wipers and squirty bits, everything from boot.

If really keen remove soundproofing from underneath - but lot of scraping for few kg.

Then just enjoy it for what it is - but understand that this car will not pass MOT so you either have track car or road car.

[320Touring]

Stripping everything will looses much weight, so all A/C pipes and rad, remove the matrix inside for heater and A/c - just leave the blower unit.

Remove all nice bits like seats, carpet, window motors - leave drivers if you want, roof lining, stereo and speakers, windscreen wipers and squirty bits, everything from boot.

If really keen remove soundproofing from underneath - but lot of scraping for few kg.

Then just enjoy it for what it is - but understand that this car will not pass MOT so you either have track car or road car.

I'll need to keep it MOT'd so I can get it to the track

Happy to keep most of a dash ad front seats in it

[320Touring]

As you can see, its been lowered! god knows how, and any advice re the front bumper?


A bad pic of the leather



and its best angle!

[daimlerman]

Just stick the engine in a proper BMW,job jobbed!

[320Touring]

Just stick the engine in a proper BMW,job jobbed!

I will do, one this one's MOT is up...

[zaust]

Just stick the engine in a proper BMW,job jobbed!

Just what I was thinking too.

[Blitz]

Nice 535i sports are scarce these days.

[mrLEE30]

My opinion is changed!!!

Leave it EXACTLY how it is. just throw some new pads/cheap disks in, change the brake fluid and perhaps hoses if a bit soft then thrash the arse off it round the track with tunes blaring and AC on!!

Don't rough it!

[fozzymandeus]

"Rust and a ding in every panel" need not be the death knell. How's the structure? Is it a big patchwork effort or is it straight underneath?

If there's any hope for it, don't knacker it... 535i with a manual gearbox was probably pretty rare even when new!

[320Touring]

My opinion is changed!!!

Leave it EXACTLY how it is. just throw some new pads/cheap disks in, change the brake fluid and perhaps hoses if a bit soft then thrash the arse off it round the track with tunes blaring and AC on!!

Don't rough it!

Eh?

Its rufff! all door bottoms scabby, theere is rust above the rear bumper.

Passenger side doors dont work off the central

Drivers seat needs re trimmed and the drivers door card is gubbed.

Mileometer dont show and aircon blows warm..

Sills are probably gubbed too.

Its dropped somehow-looks like lowering springs- but I dunno re quality..

[fingerman]

That actually looks really nice and lot better than most of the turds I've driven

Anyway, there's still quite a few E34s out there so flog all the nice bits like the leather, wheels, clear/smoked lenses, obc etc and strip it as mentioned above - also if it is a nail then the engine will be a good un for future use

[320Touring]

That actually looks really nice and lot better than most of the turds I've driven

Anyway, there's still quite a few E34s out there so flog all the nice bits like the leather, wheels, clear/smoked lenses, obc etc and strip it as mentioned above - also if it is a nail then the engine will be a good un for future use

The rust at the rear quarter isnt great!

its kinda hangdog- effort would get it looking good, but it only has 4 months MOT- is it worth saving?

[Tedswagon]

"is it worth saving?" would it pass another MOT with minimal effort?
OPTIONS
A) buy cheap sell in bits for a profit or
B) buy cheap tidy up and sell for a profit

Both options require a track day or two of course. Just got an e-mail re track scotland coming up soon - 9 to 5 - dont think mine would take that much abuse!!

[320Touring]

"is it worth saving?" would it pass another MOT with minimal effort?
OPTIONS
A) buy cheap sell in bits for a profit or
B) buy cheap tidy up and sell for a profit

Both options require a track day or two of course. Just got an e-mail re track scotland coming up soon - 9 to 5 - dont think mine would take that much abuse!!

thats the thing, If we wanted, we could just track it til it dies then part it no problem,

god knows I've got m30's coming out my ears, and the interior/air con and LSD are worth something..

and all that stuff can be stripped prior to tracking-think I'll be at 1st June one, probably in the iS- Claire's cousin is getting to go for her 21st, and I wouldnt trust her with the m30..she drives a corsa!

BUT, its a lovely old cruiser- with an air of geezer about it.. so part of me wants to be nice to it

[capri_rob]

I love these turds - my old Bosses E34 535i Sport was what got me into BMW's - good colour as well

[Kedge]

An old mate of mine has a white 525i Sport, was a nice one but has been sat on his parents drive for years now unmoved.

[320Touring]

I love these turds - my old Bosses E34 535i Sport was what got me into BMW's - good colour as well

Its not too bad a colour.. Think It may get put on the road and given some time to prove itself..

If it proves to be a shed then trackcar it is!

[Andyboy]

Those springs will be useless for a track car. It's too low and it'll be a horrid, understeering turd bouncing up and down on standard bumpstops, especially the rear. It'll want a set of standard 535i Sport springs putiing back in it, or a decent 25/30mm set.

[320Touring]

Those springs will be useless for a track car. It's too low and it'll be a horrid, understeering turd bouncing up and down on standard bumpstops, especially the rear. It'll want a set of standard 535i Sport springs putiing back in it, or a decent 25/30mm set.

It had some "spirited" driving on the way back and didnt bottom out etc, but I'll expect to overhaul the suspension before track use..

any ideas re springs?

[Andyboy]

Trust me, it'll be useless on a track, even a flat one like Croft. I had a 525i manual with some 60mm Spax springs on good Sport dampers. Handled well on the road, but was hopeless (and I mean hopeless!) arounds Croft.

Springs - no lower than 30mm, Eibach or even standard 535i Sport ones. For track use you really need to lose weight - seats, carpets etc.

[320Touring]

Trust me, it'll be useless on a track, even a flat one like Croft. I had a 525i manual with some 60mm Spax springs on good Sport dampers. Handled well on the road, but was hopeless (and I mean hopeless!) arounds Croft.

Springs - no lower than 30mm, Eibach or even standard 535i Sport ones. For track use you really need to lose weight - seats, carpets etc.

Cool- I'll try to source some...

Think the stripping out will be key

[leeparkes]

How's this chariot coming along?

[320Touring]

How's this chariot coming along?

battery flat and f all done.. a 4hr oil change on my e36 killed my enthusiasm for old shoitters

It'll probably be getting an outing on 1st June, se whats what on track

[leeparkes]

4 hours

[320Touring]

4 hours

yup- sump bolt snapped in half, then 2hrs driving about trying to get bolt extractors on a saturday afternoon

all done now though!