86’ M325i Import

[Flaffy1991]

Ello ello.

So here’s the beginning of what i think is going to be a LONG journey!

Bought this New Zealand imported M325i about a month ago now. 96k miles only a couple owners from new and as far as I can tell it’s a fairly clean example. Underneath was under sealed when it was fairy new and it’s had a respray not too long back (although it seems to of been painted by stevie wonder) tuns under the trims and seals with overspray on for example.

Been wanting an E30 since I was probably 12 and now at the tender age of 31 years old I’ve finally bought one.

This is going to be a bit of a restomod, want to build it as it would be built by bmw today if that makes sense.
Anyway. Couple photos to get us started, although I don’t actually have many!

[Flaffy1991]

So first things first on my test drive I noticed the headlights weren’t working, well one of them was the rest weren’t.
On closer inspection I found most of the wires had either snapped off at the connector or were on their way to doing so.



An easy job I thought, new connectors and wires and job done.
Didn’t quite turn out that way as I ended up stripping a lot more than I thought I’d need to but anyways. Photos…..

Before



Bought the proper BMW connectors and wires
Here’s the part numbers if anyone needs them


And they’ve been superseded from the straight connectors to the 90° connectors







Stripped out the SLUG of electrical tape to be greeted by THE best attempt at joining wires together I’ve ever seen





Anyways, cut all the old birds nest of wiring out and using genuine BMW butt connectors and all weather heat shrink I worked my way through replacing the connectors.




All the connectors wires up


Then started tidying up and wrapping the wiring up and securing it better with…. You guessed it…. Genuine BMW loom tape


And all finished for now. Admit it’s not my best tape job but it will do for now…. I’ll sort the drivers side out another day.



I used to work at BMW as a senior technician hence the bmw butt connectors, heat shrink and loom tape… I didn’t go mad and buy that stuff haha

Thoughts?!

[twenty]

Welcome! This car looks very familiar - was this on an auction site not too long ago?
I remember getting reports back from at least one person who inspected it manually that it it was going to be a lot of work in terms of rust - which to be honest is a typical E30 thing, but because it came with a respray, expectations were higher I guess.

Anyway... no you're not mad. Using OE parts is the only way to do this. I'm in the process of restoring mine and many thousands have been spent on parts alone so this is insignificant haha. You can follow my build at https://www.instagram.com/e30aw.

[Flaffy1991]

Welcome! This car looks very familiar - was this on an auction site not too long ago?
I remember getting reports back from at least one person who inspected it manually that it it was going to be a lot of work in terms of rust - which to be honest is a typical E30 thing, but because it came with a respray, expectations were higher I guess.

Anyway... no you're not mad. Using OE parts is the only way to do this. I'm in the process of restoring mine and many thousands have been spent on parts alone so this is insignificant haha. You can follow my build at https://www.instagram.com/e30aw.

It was on a Classic auction site a while back yeah. I need to get it on a ramp and give it a proper proper go over but from what I can see on a Jack on the driveway it’s not THAT bad…. He says. Like you say it’s had a respray so you would of thought it would of been sorted but if the workmanship on the respray or light wiring is anything to go by it’s going to be tatty round the edges.
Inner wheel tubs inside the boot have gone. Arches themselves front and rear have gone too. Battery tray has been replaced previously and it’s as if they replaced it and didn’t coat it or protect it at all as it 100% needs doing again.
Underneath looks clean enough but like I say it’s been under sealed and I’ve not been under it properly yet.
Hopefully get it up this week and give it a proper look over.

I was always expecting a fair amount of rust, I’m just hoping it’s not absolutely loads. But we will soon find out!
OE bits is absolutely the way to go with all these bits and bobs. I still get a decent discount from my old place of work so that should soften the blow a bit I suppose.
I’ll add you on Instagram tonight buddy and have a nose through!

[twenty]

Welcome! This car looks very familiar - was this on an auction site not too long ago?
I remember getting reports back from at least one person who inspected it manually that it it was going to be a lot of work in terms of rust - which to be honest is a typical E30 thing, but because it came with a respray, expectations were higher I guess.

Anyway... no you're not mad. Using OE parts is the only way to do this. I'm in the process of restoring mine and many thousands have been spent on parts alone so this is insignificant haha. You can follow my build at https://www.instagram.com/e30aw.

It was on a Classic auction site a while back yeah. I need to get it on a ramp and give it a proper proper go over but from what I can see on a Jack on the driveway it’s not THAT bad…. He says. Like you say it’s had a respray so you would of thought it would of been sorted but if the workmanship on the respray or light wiring is anything to go by it’s going to be tatty round the edges.
Inner wheel tubs inside the boot have gone. Arches themselves front and rear have gone too. Battery tray has been replaced previously and it’s as if they replaced it and didn’t coat it or protect it at all as it 100% needs doing again.
Underneath looks clean enough but like I say it’s been under sealed and I’ve not been under it properly yet.
Hopefully get it up this week and give it a proper look over.

I was always expecting a fair amount of rust, I’m just hoping it’s not absolutely loads. But we will soon find out!
OE bits is absolutely the way to go with all these bits and bobs. I still get a decent discount from my old place of work so that should soften the blow a bit I suppose.
I’ll add you on Instagram tonight buddy and have a nose through!

Whatever it is, it won't be as bad as mine rust wise. Good luck!

[Flaffy1991]

So I finally got some spare time to have a little look over the car on the weekend and I’m fairly happy with it all in general.


All in all it’s in really good condition underneath. It’s been under sealed in the past with that thick black crap but it is all fairly solid underneath. I’ve not took any panels off yet to look behind them (so I could still be in for a surprise) but the underneath is pretty solid.
Up until 2 years ago I was a mot tester so know the deal with hidden rust.
Gave it all a good knock and found no real issues on the underside of the car.
Couple of bits of surface rust that will need sorting as you can see but nothing major. So I’m quite happy with that.
















This is just where it’s been jacked up a few times and messed up the underseal. It’s absolutely solid but just looks bad



The very little bit of inner wheel arch rust, again just surface rust really



Onto a couple of bad bits.
First of all we look at the leaks. It’s a BMW… and old one so it’s going to have leaks.
The gearbox has a little leak and the engine has a leak too. Neither are too bad however it’s clear the engine leak is coming from the head gasket, not a big issue really but it does need replacing.
The head was removed and “refurbished” not that long before I bought it. I’ve always had my suspicions on the quality of the refurb and I’ll be honest this kind of confirms said suspicions. It’s always been a bit tappy too so won’t hurt it taking it off and giving it a proper refresh.





While I’m at it can anyone identify this sensor off the top of their heads?





Next up is the drivers side sill. It’s clear it’s had some repairs done on this sill. Badly too. Not too bad but absolutely not up to my standards so this will be getting cut off and replaced. The rear end of the sill is rusting out anyway so a full replacement sill is in order.





These two front panels under the lights seem to be the worse part of the rust so again replacements will be welded in there.



After that we move onto the engine bay. It’s got an aftermarket radiator fitted and it’s clearly either not the right one or something is up with it, as the bottom radiator hose is angled in such a way it’s catching on this pulley and wearing through. Good thing I spotted it to be honest as it’s nearly gone all the way through what seems to be a brand new hose.





Next up in the bay is this airbox. Clearly again not the right airbox for the car so I need to look at what exactly needs replacing. The box itself or the elbow setup. As it’s not sitting near the mounts and is catching on the alternator fan
If anyone could let me know whether this is an elbow or airbox issue that would be brilliant.








Rear brakes need replacing. Discs are fairly new but some deep corrosion and one of the pads looks like this
So new discs and pads needed too.



And for now that’s it. I’ve got other stuff on a big long list but I’m happy now I know it’s not a flinstones car, I can start actually spending some money on it now and getting it sorted.

Last question to the BMW gods. Anyone give me a bit of info about this diff with this tag on it?



Should be updating more frequently soon so keep your eyes peeled for what ever comes next.

[BenHar]

Sensor is the oil pressure sender.

Airbox may be off a 325i. Should look like this :https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images ... 66_11.jpeg

Diff looks like a 3.91 open diff.

Ben

[rix313]

Looks like it's had some right bodges done on it! Be good to see it back to how it should be once again. Great car!

As Ben said, it's a 3.91 open medium case.

[Flaffy1991]

Looks like it's had some right bodges done on it! Be good to see it back to how it should be once again. Great car!

As Ben said, it's a 3.91 open medium case.

Sensor is the oil pressure sender.

Airbox may be off a 325i. Should look like this :https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images ... 66_11.jpeg

Diff looks like a 3.91 open diff.

Ben

Thanks for the info chaps.
Been considering routes to go with this thing recently and I’m torn wether to just tidy it up and fix all the bits and bobs, fix the rust and a respray and a nice clean tidy restomod or wether to go full hog with it.
the fact the shell seems so clean makes me want to just full hit it and make it brand new again
So been looking at options for a full resto. Acid dip, E coat and full rebuild. My only issue with this is the info on these M325i’s are very lacking. Plus the fact it’s clearly been messed with by absolute clueless people in the past, so there’s a lot of very hard to get parts that have gone missing.
So making it exactly what it once was is going to be a bloody hard task.

Anyway I’m getting some small bits and bobs ordered in the next week or so, new brakes, gear bushings and I’ll be ordering an airbox too.
So small updates to come.

[rix313]

It's the nature of the beast with cars this age sadly. In the 2000's they were cheap and everybody had a pop and modding/bodging them. Then prices go up and people don't want to spend the money. Take it to the wrong places or have dillusional ideas of their own ability. Great car to have as a base though if you do go full on resto with it or enjoy it for the time being

[Flaffy1991]

It's the nature of the beast with cars this age sadly. In the 2000's they were cheap and everybody had a pop and modding/bodging them. Then prices go up and people don't want to spend the money. Take it to the wrong places or have dillusional ideas of their own ability. Great car to have as a base though if you do go full on resto with it or enjoy it for the time being

Suppose you’re right unfortunately, judging by some of the work on this the previous owners have definitely been having a go themselves.


No real updates as of now, currently paying out what feels like 20 bazillion pounds for a wedding in September so slow and steady.

Ordered some new brakes and a service kit which arrived (no photos as they’re in a box in the garage untouched at the mo)
However I took the car out today for a spin and it seems I’ve got a very bad oil leak. Had a quick nose under it and it’s coming from the oil pressure sender.
Weird one but it’s leaking through the sensor itself, oil is coming out from around the electrical connector on it….. bizzar but true.

This is an old photo but you can see the oil on the end of the spade connection. Thought this was oil from elsewhere but it’s flying out of it at a rate of knots now so will have to get one ordered.

Does anyone know where the wiring for said sensor should be? While I’m fixing the sensor I might as well wire the thing in as it’s never been plugged in, nor can I see any wiring anywhere that should be going down there?

Thanks

[tha881]

Hi very nice car. Early 2 door 325i is a great thing that is becoming extremely rare. Is it running jetronic or motronic injection? This needs to be established before ordering parts.

It could be that a previous owner in NZ used whatever parts they could find, so it would be worth checking real oem parts catalogue to find original part numbers for the car when it was new, and check against what is fitted.

The wiring for the oil pressure switch should exit the loom underneath the intake manifold, and wrap around the front of the engine, so look for any loose wiring in those areas. It's important to get this working as it lights up a warning on the dash if there is a loss of oil pressure.

[Flaffy1991]

So…… a bit of an update here.

Got myself a oil pressure sensor and replaced that to stop the leak, still can’t find the wiring for it. Seems like it might of been cut off so I’m looking into the diagrams to work out where I can link that back to.
Also did an oil and filter while I was at it, however when I drained the oil it seemed a bit milky. Checked the coolant while I was there and there was hardly a drop in the tank.










Had a spare day today so thought I’d have a proper look at the oil issue and possibly the idle at the same time.
Car has been idling erratically since I got it. I’ve checked all the normal stuff, air leaks, ICV, dizzy, sparks blah blah blah. Absolutely no issues anywhere.
The only way I’ve ever been able to explain the idle to anyone is it sounds like it’s got a rowdy cam in it….. remember this part for later.
I noticed it was quite tappy as well, and the previous owner said he had the head “refurbished” so thought maybe the valve clearances were wrong causing the bad idle and the tapping too.
So today rocker box off and valve clearances done along with a proper inspection for any wear or any obvious issues.
Unfortunately after doing all that I checked the coolant and there was nothing but thick milk in the header tank… looks like the heads coming off for a gasket.





0.25/.010




Now I don’t know for absolute sure. But is that a schrick cam….? I didn’t notice until I was looking back through these photos. But looking online the schrick cams have the yellow marks on and the engraving too? This would explain the erratic idle too as having a look online M20’s with schrick cams sound exactly the same as mine does….
Somebody tell me I’ve finally got a win with this car?!



Anyway. While I was messing about I thought I’d have a look at the reg plates lights as they’ve not worked since owning the car either.
Found the wiring diagram for it



Started following the wiring, Fuse seems to of been replaced. Bulb holders seem to of been replaced too. Then I came across ANOTHER beauty of wiring repair.
Rather than try fix the issue, the previous owner had just added his own wiring coming from the positive for the sidelight bulb. Across spaghetti junction and into the reg plate lights. You can see the piss poor attempt at soldering that has failed coming from the light cluster.
However the positive spades are pinched between the body and the massive oversize wood screws they’ve used to hold the bulb holder in place.





Anyways, ripped all that extra wiring out and started fresh. No 12v to the positive for the reg light, followed the wiring back and saw the rear light check relay was the only thing left.
Found it in the boot. Two screws later, checked the continuity across the coils. No continuity. Pulled it apart and was greeted with this.
Anyone have any idea if I can get a new one from anywhere as it seems only used ones available online.
If not I will build something myself.

[Tzantushka]

Oh god, what a bodge on the license plate bulb.
The bulb control module should be available will need real OEM to confirm part numbers. I ordered one for my cabby last year.

[BenHar]

Oil sensor wiring comes round the front of the engine from the left hand side.

Is that it wrapped up with the plug leads?

Ben

[Flaffy1991]

Oh god, what a bodge on the license plate bulb.
The bulb control module should be available will need real OEM to confirm part numbers. I ordered one for my cabby last year.

Seems to be the theme of the electrics in this car to be honest mate.
Not even the just electrics to be honest. The previous owner said they had the head refurbished. But the valve clearances were all over the place. First cylinder was fine. Then slowly got worse from there. It’s as if they checked the first and went yeah the rest will be fine.
That and the fact the head was “refurbished” and the headgasket is leaking oil from the front and the rear. Plus water and oil mixing. It’s just a very very bad job all round.

Oil sensor wiring comes round the front of the engine from the left hand side.

Is that it wrapped up with the plug leads?

Ben

I had a quick nose while I was tinkering the other day. Couldn’t find it round there but there was a few wires that have been cut. Starter Motor wiring for example has been snipped and spliced a couple of times it seems.

The one tied up with the plug leads looks to be a point for timing? As it is attached to the outside of one of the leads, you can kind of see the plastic circle around one of the leads in that bunch. I assumed it was out in there to connect a timing light to?

I will have a better look when I take the head off it this week sometime. I’m just praying it’s not cracked

[Flaffy1991]

Not had much time to spend on this recently. As I mentioned earlier the wedding is soaking up all my spare time and funds at the mo so just a few little updates.

I’ve been working away in Germany too so havnt managed to get the head off yet also havnt driven the thing in weeks if not months now.
Battery is dead after it slowly giving up the will to live over the past 8 months or so it’s finally gone.
Managed to get it jump started with a booster pack though and gave it a quick spin just to keep the brakes free more than anything.

Managed to find a lad on Instagram that breaks e30’s and has a whole load of parts.
Got the correct airbox, a brake caliper retaining spring (as mine was missing!) and a rear bulb check relay. So fitted that all today.
I’d highly recommend him if anyone’s after anything as it was cheap and VERY fast delivery. Dead easy to deal with. @lukee_e30 on Instagram if anyone needs anything.

No real photos but here’s a before and after of the airbox








Much better.

[BHadley]

Good job!
Some peoples repairs are pure comedy!