325i Cab (M60 Project)

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So I have been on here for some time now and have had my E30 for a few years now. After a rocker arm snapped and the mot ran out I stuck it in storage where it has been for the last year whilst I focussed on other projects (Polo G40's).

Here she is prior to being put in to storage.


Anyway the time has come to start playing with the beemer so my loose plan is to fit a set of wheels that I bought for it last year, they are 5*120 fitment and 16*9" with a low ET so I wanted to go for a hub swap rather than adaptors. So I have gone with E36 Evo front set up, E36 compact rears and H&R coilovers, the brakes are a touch too big so the wheels are presently fitted with 10mm spacers but hopefully a tickle with the grinder will negate the need for spacers. I am in the middle of the 5 stud conversion at present and have also replaced the snapped rocker arm. Hopefully going to look to have it MOT'd and on the road for Feb.

I have also got an M60B40 to drop in, still pending sorting a gearbox, engine mounts and manifolds but have a mate who is a top fabricator so no concerns on sorting that. Will hopefully look to have this in for the summer.

Have just realised that I have an extra two days off next week so hope to have the 5 stud conversion complete next week ready for the wheels as soon as the tyres go on.

Here she is in her present guise


Cheers for reading.

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[satvir]

Whats the most power an e30 cabby can take? I've head about there point swapping in for example an e36 M3 engine becuase the chasis can't take the extra power. And your looking to drop a v8! good on ya

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Not heard about the chassis not being up to scratch but only one way to find out! Do the chasis legs give up or something?
I had planned to go S50B32 but after going out on the track in M60 E30 I was sold! The perfect sound track for roof down action! Bit of a symmetry freak too so the V8 will look much nicer in the bay to me!

[FinalD]

Despite all the extra weight and strengthening BMW put into the cab, the chassis is likely to flex more with the power from the V8 but I can't see it being that much of an issue really.

It certainly won't be doing this:




There are already various E30 V8 converted cabs about so it really shouldn't be an issue at all.

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So after about 3-4months with zero car action I've started on the beemer again...

I'm now moving to London in a months time so decided I'm going to take my time with this rather than try and churn it out in a month...

Have fitted the 5 stud conversion, just need to have shims made up to space out the E30 rear ABS sensors for the E36 compact trailing arms and cap off third wire on the front ABS sensor. I'm using the full E36 M3 Evo fronts and E36 Compact rears with a set of E36 H&R Coilovers. Contemplating a switch to genuine coilovers for the rear as at present I can't seem to ge thte stance how I want it.

M3 Evo Front Set up (presently fitted with 10mm spacers)




E36 Compact Rear Set up (the guy casually omitted the fact that they were painted in a ridiculous yellow!!) Also the drive shafts were cut which made for fun removing them!




Hopefully have the tyres fitted tomorrow, 16*9's with 195/40/16 Toyo T-1R's. (Flush metal valves have not yet turned up... slightly frustrating)



Took delivery of an E34 530 Barge 5 speed manual on Tuesday to provide the gearbox, gear linkages, clutch and flywheel to mate up to the M60B40. (will also be breaking the 34 if anyone wants any bits... has a fully panoramic roof and (what I believe are possibly alpina) leathers.)



Started stripping the dash (and unveiling a wealth of dodgy wiring!) so that I can suss out the servo/MC relocation to behind the dash, hopefully in a way that I can retain the heater and passenger footwell space.



Sprayed up the headlight surrounds and kidney grills surrounds and removed the head light washers/wipers to clean up the front end.




So lots more to be doing but awesome to back tinkering again!

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[macas]

Was that cab a motorsport,or did you i stall the motorsport seats yrself?

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No not changed the seats so I would guess that they are original, it has an mtec2 kit and steering wheel, but that said the kit is quite poorly fitted so guessing this may have been added by a previous owner...

[grungeisdead]

Yes pidgeon looking dope. It makes me sad that we're not finishing this in time for your voyage to landan taaaan.

[macas]

No not changed the seats so I would guess that they are original, it has an mtec2 kit and steering wheel, but that said the kit is quite poorly fitted so guessing this may have been added by a previous owner...

Yes,looking a little closer you havnt got the matching doorcards...but the seats are still worth £££ mate....get em covered up!

Nice project btw...

[Ajsingh]

What wheels are they?

They look great as does the car so dar, going to be a fun thing to drive! Always wanted to go in a V8 e30, not had the chance yet

[ajay]

Just a word of warning if contemplating rear full coilover, you may end up with clearance issues depending on the offset of your rear wheels. I tried and failed (inner edge of rim/tyre touching the coilover spring once the car was on the ground) some have managed it though, so it is possible.

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Cheers AJS the wheels were a real find... Got them from Germany from a guy who said he bought an m3 with them on and switched to bbs and they just sat in his cellar for 10years or something like that! Still not found another set so will be mindful of that everytime the rear end kicks out!! I did a few passenger laps in an E30 M60 last year and was sold... Plus that soundtrack in a cabby

AJay - cheers for the word of warning, I can see that that may cause issues as using the E36 H&R dampers was not pos due to clearance as they are broader than the E30, though I don't think it was the wheel that they caught on from recollection!

[ajay]

Offset rear top mounts should help.

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So I've moved to London now but under the guise coming up to meet my new niece I headed back up to Manchester for the week and put in some spanner time! So a quick update.

Tyres are now on and fairly happy with the fit.



E34 has now been liberated of it's engine and box






Then the fun that lies ahead



The box, clutch, fly wheel, engine loom & ECU will be transferred on to the 4.0l lump and chucked in when the engine mounts arrive!


Plans now sit as follows for the engine:
- Manifolds to be made
- Servo/MC to be relocated behind the dash (decided due to the 5 stud conversion and cleaning of the bay to delete the ABS)
- Make up the linking loom to a C101 connector
- Fit remote oil filter & cooler
- Figure out plan for power steering... whether to run or not & how to do so

From a stance perspective:
- Sort camber/castor
- Try Corsa B shortened springs on rear to see if I can get it down to a satisfactory height or resort to a full coilover

Aiming to stock pile and take another week off around xmas with the aim of having it ready and well tested for a 3k trip around Europa in May next year!

[magpie]

bubble leather is well sort after and expensive

subscribed .

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Bobbed back up north for a tinkering session this weekend...

Pulled the M20 out and made a little more headway in figuring out how everything is going to be done!

Engine Out


Out with the old


In with the slightly less old


And some standard issue phallic based vandalism courtesy of the unit boys!


Hoping to get back for a few weekends in Nov to get this ticking along a bit faster!

[pacerpete]

Bobbed back up north for a tinkering session this weekend...

Pulled the M20 out and made a little more headway in figuring out how everything is going to be done!

Engine Out


Out with the old


In with the slightly less old


And some standard issue phallic based vandalism courtesy of the unit boys!


Hoping to get back for a few weekends in Nov to get this ticking along a bit faster!

If you somehow manage to get an MOT on it, can I have the guys number

[magpie]

i thought you liked a bit of "poke" Pete .

[rob0r]

OMG, what are those wheels?! Stunning!

Awesome project, really impressive stuff.

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Pete - Stance very much WIP at the mo, was more a case of getting the 5stud fitted at this stage... fronts will come in 10mm yet, plus camber front and rear and more drop, tread will be inside the arches...

Rob - Wheels were a bit of a find... Eta Beta Lucy 9's some dude in Germany took them of his m3 that he bought 15-20years ago and just put them in his cellar!!

[pacerpete]

Never mind the council action, talk us through the poor '66 Impala ?

[Nobby_N]

Nice and subscribed

[Blitz]

Never mind the council action, talk us through the poor '66 Impala ?

Oh no!

[sweep]

whats up blitz....?

[maf260]

Never mind the council action, talk us through the poor '66 Impala ? :(

You have a sickness, Peter!

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Rears tuck in just fine even pre-camber adjustment...



Debating whether shorter/custom springs will do the trick to get it down at the rear or whether full coilovers will be required but it's not as easy to strengthen the turret on a cab so slightly reluctant to go down this route!

[pacerpete]

Rears tuck in just fine even pre-camber adjustment...



Debating whether shorter/custom springs will do the trick to get it down at the rear or whether full coilovers will be required but it's not as easy to strengthen the turret on a cab so slightly reluctant to go down this route!

Yeah, that looks gape. Getting back to more serious matters, tell us about the Impala ?

[Gert_8]

The impala seems to be sitting on its guts!

[pacerpete]

The impala seems to be sitting on its guts!

Bagz, innit

[magpie]

pete you've got more eyes than a sack of tatey's !

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So not been on the forum for a while and the only real update is a unit move which means that the 30 is still up North whilst I reside down South! Continuing with the stock piling ready for my next visit!

Got myself some really odd looks heading back from Abbey Wood on the train with one of these...


Here's the 530 donor car less it's manual box... I.K.Jayes were really helpful and efficient... great service...


Then a couple of the move and new home... transporter proved challenging to get on to even minus the engine... I think will be carrying C-Spanners!




And tucked away in her new home

[Gert_8]

What's that like to drive with the tyres so stretched?

[pacerpete]

What's that like to drive with the tyres so stretched?

Absolute sh1te, not that he will be driving far when the rozzers spot it.

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TBC Gert, it will have some compromise to handling but will still be fun and we build these things to satisfy our own tastes, I'll keep tweaking it until I find the best balance of what I want from it... It's only in a rolling state at present, the tyre tread will be tucked in when it's finished.

[mcbonio]

Well tyre stretch is a funny one, law states the wheel face can't protrude more than 30mm from the arch and that the tread has to be under the arch itself.

But, it also states wheels have to have the correct tyre size they were designed for and that you can't use wheels that require spacers to make them fit.

Either way you're gonna get stick for having those 10j wheels on. See those 9j borbets I used to have on my 335i in my avatar.. I got stopped a number of times and not one copper actually knew the correct law. They protruded 25mm and the tyre was 5mm inside the arch so I managed to fend the uniformed blue gang bangers off with real facts. They don't like that normal people know the law too.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996 ... tents/made