new car 1st convertible is being binned, this new project

[matt86]

60,000 miles, 3 owners from new.

Plans of restoration are the new hood of my donor car, cardinal red leather interior, mtech 2 kit thats it pretty much for now.

Cheers

Matt

p.s any comments welcome positie and negative and any advice on what you would do to car, as haven't decided 100% yet.

[Tom_Maverick]

nice! I like the colour and the wheels.. needs a bit of lowering and the horseshoe sorting out..

also I like the cream / blue are you sure a cardinal red interior wouldn't look a bit odd?

[matt86]

I've been wondering this myself and can't decide, thought the dark blue bodywork with red interior might contrast quite well, but on the other hand could look a disaster plus is 600 quid!!

To be fair the leather in it is good condition, yes I'm quite keen on the colour for a convertible.

Yes definitely needs lowering, got about a 3 inch gap between arches and tyres, could almost fit my foot in there.lol

Thanks for the comments, am going off the cardinal idea a bit now, it could look nice, but 600 is a lot to fork out to find out, that would pay for my 6 months tax, mtech bodykit and mtech2 steering wheel too, which personally looks more appealing, especially if the leather in the car is good, just conditioned the leather with autoglym aswell and sand beige leather dye due to arrive tomorrow, so could have them looking really good, there not far off mint now, just some of the colour has lifted.

Thanks for your comments and advice mate, agree with you on all of that.

[matt86]

Also if anyone's got front fogs, mtech2 steering wheel, mtech2 bodykit please pm me, won't have the cash available till mid-end of march though, so bare this is mind if your in a hurry to get rid.

Cheers

[matt86]

I swear my e30 looks longer than my van in the first few pictures

Maybe its just the way its parked, but the convertibles do seem to be long beasts.

[capri_rob]

Get the proper rear lights swapped over - quick and easy job and flog that aftermarket tat on ebay to make some money back

Nice looking car

[matt86]

Thanks mate.

[Blitz]

If that really is a 60K 3 owner car thats needs putting back to standard.

[matt86]

It will be apart from the aftermarket BBS wheels

[E30S]

Nice looking car and a great colour (keep the leather!) - did you get a bargain - any gremlins - rust wise?

[manse73]

am i right in thinking you are breaking the j plate if so let me know i have a few bits i need for mine and always ready to strike a deal

[matt86]

Nice looking car and a great colour (keep the leather!) - did you get a bargain - any gremlins - rust wise?

Hi mate, yes I stripped the whole car down to a shell yesterday, so have every part available, seats are pretty screwwed though.

Let me know what you want, some of the parts I'm keeping for my new convertible, but let me know what you want.

Thanks

Matt

[matt86]

Hi mate, yes I stripped the whole car down to a shell yesterday, so have every part available, seats are pretty screwed though.

Let me know what you want, some of the parts I'm keeping for my new convertible, but let me know what you want.

Thanks

Matt

[andyp]

Get the proper rear lights swapped over - quick and easy job and flog that aftermarket tat on ebay to make some money back

Nice looking car

my thoughts exactly

[matt86]

Nice looking car and a great colour (keep the leather!) - did you get a bargain - any gremlins - rust wise?

Only rust on the whole car is a little (1-2cm) on bottom of passenger door, it really is clean, paid 400, is cat d and roof completely fooked, but taken the one of my other convertible, which is only a year old and not far off mint in blue.

I've just got to take the fooked black hood off and fit the blue one now, took it off myself the other day, not too bad a job if you're taking the hood and frame out together rather than swapping the hood onto a frame which is a complicated and profesional job in my opinion, I wouldn;t want to do it anyway.

I did have plans to fit mtech2 kit, but because of condition and mileage etc, I think other zone members are correct in saying it will be best kept standard and worth more in the long run, so just going to spend money tidying any little bits now, put standard or all red rear lights on and only mods will be some stiffer springs for handling and the bbs wheels as shown in photos, but I will keep the bbs originals incase I decide to revert back in the future.

Plans now are stiiffer springs, cardinal red interior (sorry I know some will disagree and yes this means beige is for sale), some new bmw badges front and rear as have started to peel, foglights, as currently there are blanking panels there-dont know if some came without front fogs and then fix electric roof motors, also was going to revert from chrome trim to black, hope this doesn't devalue the car but I really don't like all that chrome on a car.

I just want to tidy the car up now rather than put silly mods on.

Any suggestions or comments negatib=ve or positive would be welcomed and thanks for the advice from people to keep standard, as I have realised I could of ruined a very good car and is rare to find one with 3 previosu owners, 60,000 miles and no rust

I AM ALSO BREAKING THE JREG HAVE EVERYTHING OFF IT, WHEN I GET SOME FREE TIME WILL PUT IN THE PARKS FOR SALE SECTION,take photos and advertise parts HAVE EVERY LAST THING OF IT THE MOST POPULAR BEING BEIGE LEATHER INTERIOR NO HOLES, VERY GOOD CONDITION, ORIGINAL BBS WHEELS VERY GOOD CONDITION, 2 LITRE GEARBOX AND ENGINE VERY GOOD CONDITION, 2 LITRE ECU and all the smaller bits and pieces.

[matt86]

a few new pics-red rear lights fitted, new roof from donor car swapped and fitted at weekend and good clean carried out.

[kolee]

Those rear lights look really really shiete. The rest looks really really nice.

[matt86]

I know.lol, the left light came out well, right is cloudy, wondering whether to just put my standard set on now, what would you advise?

[kolee]

Personally, I'm an oem homo, so the standard lights cant really be improved.

What would i recommend?

Stick with what you like mate, its your motor and you have to drive it. Everyone elses opinion means sod all, as long as you are happy with it.

Great to see you are making so much progress with it. Good luck with that horseshoe.

[matt86]

Thanks mate, appreciate that, I am trying and getting there slowly but surely, think the worst bits are out of the way now apart from getting electric roof and horseshoe working-that should be fun.

[tonybtonyb]

Your cab is getting there,this all take time..

[matt86]

Thanks mate, yes getting closer to being finished, still a fair few little bits to sort, adi's been a great help too with parts. Thanks for your comments matt

[matt86]

A COUPLE MORE PHOTOS AFTER A REALLY REALLY GOOD CLEAN AND WITH NEW BBS WHEELS FITTED AND FRONT GRILLES I SPRAYED GLOSS BLACK AND HAVE COME UP NICE AND NOT FADED ANYMORE

[matt86]

a few new photos taken over the weekend after a good clean with autoglym products, also tinted the rear lights red and fitted the bbs wheels properly this time with 15mm spacers (thanks tom maverick)

[adit]

that looks beautiful Matt

[matt86]

Thank-you Adi, its certainly getting there, I know some people won't be keen on the rear lgihts/wheels combo, but I like it.

Bodywork comes up very well to be honest with a good clean.

Prefer the black trim kit I think (my mum preferred the chrome though )

[Tom_Maverick]

That... Looks bloody nice! 100% better well done mate..

[matt86]

Thanks Tom was partly down to you aswell, so thanks for the advice with the wheels and rear lights, was very helpful, as you said 25mm spacers would have been too much as the 15mm ones sit perfectly inline with the arch.

thanks for your time and advice,

cheers, take it easy

[Rav335uk]

All it needs are some love;ly smoked front lights

[tonybtonyb]

All it needs are some love;ly smoked front lights

I wonder who does them lol

[matt86]

[matt86]

just a few pics after fitted pressed number plates and a good clean, also now sitting on 40mm lowering springs, which me and my brother fitted saturday morning, took 2 and a half hours, some arts were a bit of a bitch.

[Tom_Maverick]

looks really really nice mate! got that rear quarter sprayed yet?

[magpie]

ditch the all red rears and fit standard or at least leave the reverse lights clear, totally all red looks gash .

surely that beige trim L@@KS better than red would and if the beige is in excellent condition then why swap

no boot spoiler ftw on a cab

[matt86]

Thanks for the comments, I was thinking of doing another set with reverse light left normal actually, tom you have that don't you and looks good. The quarter panel is being sprayed in 2 weeks, this car is bankrupting me, may have done a bit too much too soon. Lol. I think I will concentrate on the mechanical side now, give it a full service and cambelt change, fit my vented discs of the other car and the calipers as there's play and a knocking noise in one.the beige blue combo I think is probably the best too.