Right, a bit of an update. Generally it's not been smooth sailing! Been helping out at the garage to keep all the costs down, means they only need one person on the job so labour costs'll hopefully be halved. Old rear sub-frame and trailing arms came down fine, and then I saw the 'new' subframe, trailing arms and hubs that had been sourced to put back on the car. Looked like it had been used as a boat anchor for years.
So there was no question that the replacement subframe and trailing arms set-up was going to be a bit of work, a bit of a shame as I'd been hoping it would all just swap over easily. Had a look at the brake pipes on the car, and decided I might aswell get those renewed while everything was off. And the propshaft coupling too - and then I changed the bushes in the gearshift linkage aswell. So hopefully the car will drive a bit better when it's back on the road. Anyway, the new brake lines look good - done a really good job on it.
Got new discs, pads, shoes, spring kit, handbrake cables, just need to see if the calipers are seized, but that's going to have to wait till the brake system's bled up I suppose. Changed all the brake hoses and lines on the trailing arms too.
So things have definitely gone over £500!
Especially as the wheel bearings need doing - basically the only decent parts were the trailing arms and the rear subframe. Even the backing plates have rusted to hell and the slotes where the handbrake shoe retaining clips should slot into have rusted away into 1cm holes. So that means new backing plates... grrr...
But on a positive note, I'm learning a hell of a lot about mechanics! I could now change rear subframe bushes, make brakepipes, understand how the whole rear suspension works... all good knowledge - no substitute for experience is there? Given me the confidence to probably do any similar jobs myself in future, I never realised how simple it all was.
What else.. oh I replaced the blue temp sender, though about 25 ml of water must have come out of the cooling system when I changed it - does that mean I'll have to bleed up the cooling system before running the engine? Wanting Brianmooore to tell me no if possible! Changed the rocker cover gasket and those four black rubber seals that go underneath it, as one of those was leaking. Got the shock of my life when I turned the key on the engine though, thought I'd left a spanner or something in there, but realised it was due to the lack of an exhaust - sounded like a spitfire or something
And I changed the T-piece in the windscreen washer system, you were right Brian it sorted the problem straight away. I now have a beautiful spraying pattern over the whole windscreen now.
So basically, it's getting to be a bigger and bigger job, and costing lots, but I am going to get rear discs, new brakelines, new wheel bearings, new rear subframe bushes, etc etc, and I have had time in a garage to do little niggling things that have been bothering me. Will end up paying out a couple of hundred of my own money, but I think the car will be a better car for it. All stuff that I know is done now, probably won't increase it's value to anyone else but will increase it's value to me. Will try and get some pics up tomorrow of how things are looking.
One more thing... Munky if you're looking at this, I ended up getting very angry when I was trying to take the hideous Breyton rear valance off, and ended up ripping it to pieces with a big set of grips to get it off. I'll get a photo of it for you, but it's definitely not worth £15 now! You can fit most of it in a Morrisons shopping bag
But the car looks so much better with the kit off - more well-balanced, with nicer lines.
Any moral (or financial
) support welcome. Is all this hassle worth it for a 320i that's heading towards gradual mintness? Need a bit of the E30zone love and support
