325i Touring restoration "the wrong way around"

[Dan318-is]

dude you are one lucky mofo!

[old_skool]

dude you are one lucky mofo!

Thanks Dan

It's great having access to all the kit when you need it

[gareth]

i'd love to do that! i get the engine bay steam cleaned on every car i buy as it makes working on the thing so much nicer but unfortunately they never even get the underneath of the bay properly clean.

[old_skool]

Steam cleaning the engine bay is always great. A bit of WD40 afterwards and they come up like new. I'm thinking of getting a set of longer forks or some box section to extend the existing forks then it will make picking up cars even easier. That way anyone local who wants the underside of their E30 steam cleaned knows where to go

[Andy335Touring]

Andy, that is a help because now I can see possible problems like the header tank and oil filter housing. Let me know how you get over these.

M30 air box is a not going to happen because of the ABS pump, i think i'm going to use a BMC air filter pod thingy as it will fit straight in.

http://www.bmcairfilters.com/infoCDA.asp

[Simon]

Haha, nice one! I have access to a tele handler, but I'd be afraid to put the forks under my car!

I use a H frame, connected to the HIAB, it fits under each wheel and picks the car up perfect!

Loving how clean it's come up, fair play!

[Andy335Touring]

How abouts an LCB, picks about 7t up and the air con is nice in the summer



I've only lifted one side of my car up with an RSS(nearest one)



All pics are from my old warehouse thats closed down, ghost town

[Simon]

I gave up driving forklifts last year, best thing I've done! Manufacturing in the UK has no future! I've got an RTITB instructor ticket, and haven't used it in 2 years now, there's not enough money in it.

Nice trucks Hysters though!

[TouringMatt]

I've used a fork lift to change an engine before - thats something else

Somehow not had an update on this thread since page 4, you've made some fantastic progress dude!!!

Always makes for good reading

[Brianmoooore]

If a car has a tow bar, then a chain hoist and sit the thing on its nose is a good way of working on the underside.

[old_skool]

Jeez Andy, I can honestly say that I have never seen a fork lift that big before

Telehandler is the kit for us, ideal for moving, shifting, loading, scraping, collecting and damaging anything you care to mention and can go in the rough big style!!

Trouble is this new JCB has got overload and tip alarms and stuff to tell you how mad you are. Back in the day we used to have a Coventry Climax 1970 ish? Now that was agricultural...

[Brianmoooore]

Was using a JCB telehandler like that every day back in the summer for a few weeks. Came very close to taking the sidecutters to those flashing lights and that "bleeping" alarm!

[old_skool]

Was using a JCB telehandler like that every day back in the summer for a few weeks. Came very close to taking the sidecutters to those flashing lights and that "bleeping" alarm!

The worst has got to be the damn reversing beeper, drives you bloody mad!

[325bhpbruiser]

If a car has a tow bar, then a chain hoist and sit the thing on its nose is a good way of working on the underside.

wouldnt catch me under it! lol
have a mondeo v6 lump nearly land on me when the seals went once.
by by sump i said lol and not only that it squirted oil out the seal into my eye, funny thinking about it should ahve been on cam that lol

[Brianmoooore]

If a car has a tow bar, then a chain hoist and sit the thing on its nose is a good way of working on the underside.

wouldnt catch me under it! lol
have a mondeo v6 lump nearly land on me when the seals went once.
by by sump i said lol and not only that it squirted oil out the seal into my eye, funny thinking about it should ahve been on cam that lol

??? Seals? Chain hoist doesn't have seals, and there's very little load on the chain when the car is right up, anyway.

[325bhpbruiser]

sorry mate read it wrong, was thinking engine hoist.

[old_skool]

Ok, started to do some blasting on the shell today Whoo Hoo! Got everything prepared, fired up the compressor, plugged all the equipment together - then it started raining

So, not being one to let the side down I sheeted the unit up and made ready for the mess Yes I know I said I wouldn't.

Does anyone remember M*A*S*H, the 4077th? Remember all those green surgical tents?

Yup, a mere five 20' tarpaulins, a bundle of rope, some 20mm steel conduit, duct tape and zip ties. Amazing. Good job I was a Blue Peter watcher.



By the time I went to the shops and picked up what I needed, then erected it all, it got pretty late so didn't have time to do a lot. Bear in mind that I don't have anyone helping me.

A few random naked E30 shots , will take some better ones of the body when I get further tomorrow night:







Worst evidence of rust I have found so far is behind the drivers side headlight where the flat metalwork meets the inner arch, the seam sealer has failed, only in a tiny spot but the water obviously gets into it and the rot spreads out without you knowing. Moral of story, check your body seams

More progress and pics tomorrow, whatever the weather.

P.s. Thanks to all for posting on to this and your PM's, all appreciated

[WillG]

, mine went in same spot aswell, youve got a good one if thats the only spot

[old_skool]

^^Hey Will, how are ya? I was only thinking of you yesterday. I was taking the steering column out (shear head bolts) and thought hmmmm, I'll drill them out - naaaa. Used the stihl saw. You know I like saws

How's yours coming along now???

[WillG]

glass is in its coming back next week but i dont have money to sort out ECU, tuning, suspension and brakes, also cost with assembling engine like clutch, gaskets, seals etc so im having a think what im gona do it might end up going in my bros sport in the summer and keep it as a weekend/show car and try sell tec2 touring shell to someone to get money back for painting, cant make my mind up at the moment, i was pretty stupid christmas eve and leaft 2 crates of fosters on my back seat of my golf over night and someone even more stupid manage to smash 3 windows and bend my drivers door stealing it , ive managed to bend the top of the door back but harrys doesnt have the glass so ill have to try twigworths. could of been worse tho they leaft £60 wiskey and my HGV jump leads and stereo

[gareth]

If a car has a tow bar, then a chain hoist and sit the thing on its nose is a good way of working on the underside.

i have the perfect tool for this, a set of drive on ramps that have built in scissor lifts! they can raise about 24" gave me enough lift to slide the fully dressed M30 with gearbox, subframe, steering rack and wishbones in from underneath!!! also useful as jacks!

this is NOT at full lift

[old_skool]

glass is in its coming back next week but i dont have money to sort out ECU, tuning, suspension and brakes, also cost with assembling engine like clutch, gaskets, seals etc so im having a think what im gona do it might end up going in my bros sport in the summer and keep it as a weekend/show car and try sell tec2 touring shell to someone to get money back for painting, cant make my mind up at the moment, i was pretty stupid christmas eve and leaft 2 crates of fosters on my back seat of my golf over night and someone even more stupid manage to smash 3 windows and bend my drivers door stealing it , ive managed to bend the top of the door back but harrys doesnt have the glass so ill have to try twigworths. could of been worse tho they leaft £60 wiskey and my HGV jump leads and stereo

Will, that's miserable. Glad they left the Whiskey and the jump leads though.

[Rich25i]

not to be out done...
This is mycar lift



16 ton Kalmar

[old_skool]

^^ Sweet!

Gareth, that's a fine bit of engineering

[TonySR]

What a well documented & dedicated build!

A credit to you

[Morat]

If this guy was building Wembley it would have been finished early!

[old_skool]

Hi all,

I've been playing in what I affectionately call "the sandpit" for the last few days and have been too bloody tired to post

Finished the last of the sandblasting of the shell tonight. It is now fully bare metal. I took some pics last night when I finished but didn't get chance to post them.

Today I blasted the underside and cleaned up the small rust spots back to clean metal ready for brush on sealer and repainting. The floorpan/underside is now cleaner than new.

Another small change of plan, I have come to the conclusion that moving the shell to a bodyshop is going to be far too much aggro and finding a decent bodyshop is no laughing matter either, hence I'm going to paint it myself

I've spent enough time in bodyshops to know which way round the gun plugs in, don't panic!! I can sort some filtration and heat so shouldn't be a big issue.

Tomorrow and Friday I hope to get the shell degreased, etch primed and filler primed and then paint next week. All I need to do is decide what colour to paint it.

Pics:











I'm thinking about an E46 M3 colour, maybe carbon black with Imola red leather trim

Whatever colour it is will be a bmw colour. Any opinions/suggestions please...............?

[Jhonno]

Carbon black with Imola Red trim would be sex.. Do it!

Wanna do mine?! Ive started my S50B30 in August n still have wiring, coolant, oil cooler and brake solution to sort.. At least the engine/box is in place!

I'd love to gut mine like that and rebuild it

[maxfield]

Jet black would look awesome with smoked front are you going 5 stud?

[old_skool]

thanks Jhonno, I think the colour/trim would look good.

Glad your doing the S50 too. What are you planning to do with the brake servo on yours. Pretty sure I've got mine snagged now (with muchas help from Buster )

Sounds like your nearly there with yours, I'm determined that this will be finished by the end of 2007. We'll see

[old_skool]

Jet black would look awesome with smoked front are you going 5 stud?

Yep, 5 stud E30 M3 complete running gear going in. Just need to get round to collecting it. Not sure about straight black Max?

Smoked front sounds good, maybe single headlamp conversion?

[Jhonno]

Keep twin headlights!!

Carbon black for sure

Brake servo.. Not sure still atm, got the hydraulic setup in the garage but you still need to mod the plenum/elbow to fit it apparently. Might even go with manual brakes!! Tho gonna look into remote servos. Really dont want to mod the plenum or start cutting the bulkhead, but we'll see

Im running M3 running gear also, was gonna swap it all into a black touring but never happened, sold it instead

[WillG]

Topaz or estoril blue is nice, greys and silvers always look good aswell, wouldnt have black, you after a tech 2 kit then or not going to bother?

[TouringMatt]

Dark charcoal grey is what i'd have mine if i had the ability/space to spray

[maxfield]

Jet black would look awesome with smoked front are you going 5 stud?

Yep, 5 stud E30 M3 complete running gear going in. Just need to get round to collecting it. Not sure about straight black Max?

Smoked front sounds good, maybe single headlamp conversion?

Jet black would look awesome even tho would be difficult to keep clean.

Smoked hellas or smoked single lights
smoked rear lights
smoked side repeaters
smoked front indicators
maybe smoke the fogs??
black kidneygrill
35% tint
and bbs LMS with nogaro centres with some big red calieprs

pass me the tissues