Then, one day, this happened....
An electrical issue meant the dash wiring shorted out and my car and 3 years hard work went up in flames.
A bit of internet action and I bagged myself a mint 316 which had spent a good few years stored in a concrete bunker in France. It cost a bit more than I wanted to pay, but the condition made it worth the extra. It was the most basic, 4 speed 316 I've seen, but the condition of the shell was great.
Once it arrived home, I packed it off to my pal in Essex. He owns www.pristinebodyworks.co.uk and does damn fine work.
Over the next few months I spent my pocket money on a few parts, to add to the stuff salvaged from MIB.
Nytrex triple threat NOS system.
323i rear chassis rail (200 mile round trip!)
Meanwhile, the shell was stripped and went for blasting.
This is the only bit of rust on the whole shell. (below rad) So we let new metal in.
I'd always liked the colour of MIB, so stuck with orange again. It's BMW Fire Orange from the GTS M3.
Unfortunately, as the paint went off, it soon became clear there was a problem with the mix and the primer was still bleeding through. Gutted.
Whilst I thought about my next move, the postman brought these from the good people at Cat Camshafts. I had planned on fitting US spec M3 cams but these are a nicer alternative. Thank you Cat!
The diff mounts are came from the US and servo and brake upgrade were SVC & WMS Brakes respectively.
Stack gauges. I know they're only gauges but they're excellent quality.
The 6x9's were an eBay bargain at £11.00!
On impulse I opted for Laguna Seca blue.
While still more bits were arriving.
Keri @ WMS has done an awesome job on replicating the cosworth kit I was running on MIB.
The paint finish looks awesome.
NOS rear lenses arrived. I could have probably got away with using the old ones but inspired by the other builds on here, I figured I would go the extra mile - or try to anyway.
Custom brake install meant we could bin the OE servo and convoluted linkage.
The m50 inlet swap is done and the 6 branch is also on. The nitrous jets are going on and going to be hidden beneath the inlet manifold. There's also a lightened flywheel and uprated AP clutch.
It's going to look so much better with all the redundant e36 wiring being binned and no OE fuse box and clutter.
Brake kit from WMS. They're very nice and super light.
Opted the replace the plastic thermostat housing with a nice alloy one.
I know an e21 interior is pretty basic but opted to go for a stainless gearknob from Storm.
The super light flywheel eventually arrived.
Things are slowly moving along but with so much to do, and lots of custom bits, it's taking a while.
Well I went and saw MIB yesterday and there's been a fair bit of progress, with lots of the less obvious jobs now finished.
The e36 loom has been split and any superfluous wiring is being deleted. The OE fuse box is being junked and the whole engine bay will be much less cluttered. The Cat Camshafts have also been installed.
The new fuel lines, pump and sender are also in.
The cage has been painted, the floor strengthened and we are just waiting on new front coilovers from Gaz and the new front brakes can finally go on. Whilst there is still a bit to do, we are definitely making real progress now. In fact, next week it's off to Quest Motorsport for the exhaust manifold and system to be fitted.
6 branch fits perfectly. The system isn't quite as wanted but it'll mean we can finally fire the engine up!
Next on the agenda is to fit the new Gaz front suspension and WMS Braking Systems kit. The new loom needs finishing too. There still a way to go but we're getting there!
The manifold mods and exhaust are complete now.
The new front coilovers are GAZ golds although we painted them black as they're a bit more subtle.
The boot spoiler is a fiberglass copy of a genuine BMW Motorsport ''ducktail'' which means I can prep and paint it in body colour. I really like how squat and agressive the stance is and the spoiler really adds to that.
New wheel bearings all round and can finally get the new WMS billet 4 pot callipers & 298mm discs on. Keri @ WMS did a great job with getting everything machined accurately and it all went on without a hitch. Using braided hoses and HAWK fast road pads.
The Cat fast road cams are in and timed up. The current job is fitting the new wiring loom that came from the USA. It's a major pain re-wiring the whole car but I am determined to lose the OE bullet fuse box and have proper blade fuses etc. I'm also fitting a proper alarm and immobiliser with tracker.
Been looking at making a few subtle detail changes to the trim of my road car, so looked at e46 M3's in laguna for some inspiration. I really like the black chrome effect some have on their alloys and want to do the centre grill. The problem has been finding a company that still does it. Hopefully I've found somewhere that does a black nickel process, so I managed to split my spare grill and sent it off to be done. I know I could have just gone with satin black but I don't want to lose the whole chrome or polished look. I may get the wheels done also?
Also managed to snag a RHD a/c console.
I know my wheel choice isn't for everyone, but I'm really happy with the way they look.
The remote servo has been mounted beneath the inlet manifold and should easily be hidden from view. The whole braking system is far better than it was with the OE servo and linkage. I'm really chuffed with the way it's gone together and now much tidier the engine bay is now.
It's taken a while but nearly all of the e36 loom we didn't need, has been removed. The ECU and fuse box are going to be mounted where the glove box usually sits. The lid will remain as a cover for them though.
Well I went to Pristine Bodyworks smart new premises today and saw MIB. The move has delayed work on MIB but it should be getting painted in the next couple of weeks. Mechanically everything is just about finished, so once painted, it just leaves wiring and interior. We're definitely on the home straight at last.
Smart new offices have nearly been completed inside the workshop space.
Hopefully the next update will come as the prep work starts for paint.
Hopefully, now the mechanical mods are finished, we can get the car painted in the next 2 weeks. There's just the wiring and interior trim to go then. The aim is to have it on the road this Spring anyway.
