My diamond black SPORT and IS

[march109]

My 1989 Tech2 Sport, on 124k ish miles. More a labour of love than decent car at the moment.

Bought her in September last year, only just got round to this post as until last week she has been a daily driver for me and is starting to show signs of it as I commute from Bournemouth to Swansea every week.

Also replaced the battery for a BMW genuine item last year

Currently undergoing lots of TLC, which has included
new interior (cloth trim),
getting the engine sorted (on going),
a serious buff with a PC to remove some of the small nicks and professional detail.
carpet dyed black,
New bonnet, new boot, new original gear knob to replace momo crud, new (ish ebay thing) tech1 steering wheel, new fog lights, new rear lights lenses (TUV approved smoked jobbies), german plates (for off road use only ), new interior trim including under the steering wheel, gearlever/handbrake surround, centre console, and glove box.
Worst 2 alloys replaced for refurbed items (still not sure if I should go for BBS RS, or a whole new set of refurbed BBS, but at the moment money is tight).
BMW torch/toolkit bought to replace missing items, headlight wash wipe reconditioned. replaced K&N (cheap copy not really a K&N) airfilter with original BMW item.

Still todo, stone chips in front bumper and splitter and mirror surrounds, fit new (and non rusty) sunroof panel, rewire the thing (no power to stereo) or lights or windows before immobiliser is disarmed! And immobiliser playing up a treat. Fit tech2 spoiler to boot, new windscreen (stone chip today !!). Fit rear head rests, mabe a leather retrim (but not 100% I like leather, cold in winter hot in summer!). Small surface rust to sort (below offside rear light, offside rear wheel arch), and laquer peeling from bodykit on driverside door panel.

A few other niggly problems but thats the brunt of it, had trouble sourcing parts so bought an IS to use in the meantime and as a donor for some parts. Also got properly anal, and when I fitted the new seats I anti bacterial sprayed the bottoms, and resprayed the runners black. Before dyeing the carpets since I had the seats out.

As she stands now



The shocking state of the wiring old steering wheel and gear knob


Crappy K&N wanna be (notice its melted!! )


Drivers seat before


Drivers seat during (being cleaned, anti bac'd then recovered)

[march109]

Now for the IS, bought her this month as my daily driver, only got the one picture at the moment but she is far from perfect and has a few dents and dings and some mahussive scratches.

Bank holiday weekend I went to get her on saturday after coming home from swansea via Ledbury to collect some other goodies.

Shes on 177k miles so a new timing chain and tensioner is on the list of todos as I have no record of it having been done (despite history upto almost 150k, and every MOT since new), and at 177k miles I think its due! Will do the normal service when I get round to this too!

Fortunatly many of the good panels on the IS are happily the panels I need for the Sport. Interior is also mint and will be stripped out and sold on ASAP. The IS will be a stripped out track day toy, hence my trip to Ledbury.


The IS tucked away for now.


Picture showing the contents of my car Saturday morning before heading (road trip style with walky talkys!) to Dartford ish for the IS.


Fibreglass boot lid and race seats are going to come in handy I think.

I slept alot bank holiday Sunday!

[snoops]

how can you tell the k&n is fake?

[chicken]

it says "n & k"?

on no it's upside down!

[march109]

Yes the comedy K&N filter was the first thing to be taken off my car, although strangly now adorns my garage shelf as a trophy of the work done so far.
Couldn't believe how shite it was and yet when I checked the AFM there was no crap or anything in there infact it looked very very clean.

New seats are in:


Plenty of spare parts left incase another one goes soon. Colth seats rule!

Front Valance off for refurb and budget spray job:


Removed crappy fog lights, notice the rust (whise idea was it to put a drain channel there! ):


Thank god for the IS! spare part heaven.

[snoops]

so how did you know it was fake if it says k&n on it?

[march109]

K&N don't have metal filters that melt in an engine bay (if they did they would be out of business by now!) I had a proper K&N filter before so know what they should look like, be made of and how they should perform. This was no K&N and I'd be happy to send it to anone for inspection of its crappyness.

It also looked like it may have fallen out of the engine bay and been driven over a few times, it was shocking!

[DanJones]

Make sure you post some pictures of the IS when completed. Id love to do the same sort of thing but money and space doesnt allow at the moment, as im in uni. and by the time i finish, not many e30s are going to be in decent condition then!!

Looks like a really good project for you though! keep us posted

[march109]

Make sure you post some pictures of the IS when completed. Id love to do the same sort of thing but money and space doesnt allow at the moment, as im in uni. and by the time i finish, not many e30s are going to be in decent condition then!!

Looks like a really good project for you though! keep us posted

I'll update you on the IS over the weekend, it is definatly NOT in good condition, hence why it will be my track day fodder!

Tis weekend I will be taking an angle grinder to the wing, removing some trim, and hopefully making it lighter and more presentable, also if I get round to it I need to service the sport, shes due a 5000 mile oil change.

[march109]

Ok this weekend I done nowt, went on the piss saturday and sunday I frequented PBMW at Brands Hatch well worth watching people and doesn't cost a fortune to get in if you have to pay either!



I'll try get some work done this weekend, on a side note the exhaust on the IS fell off on the way to swansea, Its now held in place b gaffa tape - bugger that isn't going to hold for long!