AlpineAde's 325i (Update NOV '11)

[AlpineAde]

Hey, everyone!

I joined a while ago and thought it best to say hello and post a few pictures and a few details of the E30 I purchased at the beginning of the year.

It's a 1989 4 door manual 325i with 175 000 kms on the clock (approximately 108 000 miles)











Interior:








Sundry images:








I previously drove Audis and have now gone BMW (as you can see ). The car presented well, good body, engine appears strong (excellent compression test result), no rust whatsoever, Not too bad.

The car has absolutely no history so I had a thorough examination done at a reputable independent service agent and I was very pleased with the time they took over the car. Received a full written report detailing a few "observations" and a couple of points that have since received attention.

My aim for the car is to do about 5000kms a year, some of which will be made up of track day activities. After a bit of research I settled on either a 318iS or the 325i. I located an example of each that I thought suitable and drove them both. In terms of handling and performance both models were exemplary. The 325i won out simply because of the extra usable torque. I must admit, though, that if the 325i hadn't panned out I would have been more than happy with the 318is. The M42 engine in an e30 body is a truly marvelous combination!

I do love that M20 6, though. The sound as it revs out is a wonderful one indeed. And what's not to love about the e30 shape? Beautiful.

[Greeny]

Welcome to the Zone.

Your E30 looks very clean and tidy.

Six cylinder E30's are far and away the best (Can of worms now open)

[Ajay325]

G'day Mate! Welcome to the zone... you have a very nice, CLEAN, motor which i think will serve you well for your purpose. The iS is also a very good car, but i'm sure you love the sound of a 6-cylinder engine. Where abouts in Aus are you... I'll be coming to live there for a year after my degree hopefully!

Ajay

[eko]

Welcome to the Zone Ade
Car looks sweet mate,really clean looking example!

Six cylinder E30's are far and away the best (Can of worms now open)

but 6 cylinders and 24 valves is even better (contents of the worm can out

[AlpineAde]

I should mention a few further details....

The car has a leather interior, air conditioning, electric windows front and rear, ABS, electric sunroof, good quality aftermarket alarm/ immobilizer...the usual stuff.

Good points on the car: cylinder head has been down (along with guides, water pump, etc, etc), timing belt has been done, Compression test shows cylinders one through six as reading: 170, 165, 165, 160, 160, 170. The car is very original (a plus for me) and has its entire complement of tools, jack, etc. All the electrics work (definite bonus).

I didn't pay a vast sum for the car (at least I didn't in Australia, where six cylinder E30s are beginning to get a little scarce) so things like tired suspension and poor brakes didn't phase me. I had a few things in mind anyway .

Brakes:










ATE Powerdiscs at front, OEM at rear, performance pads all round, 7 series master cylinder, 1 litre of AP Racing fluid (I couldn't get hold of the Motul I ordered, so this was suggested by the guys doing the brakes for me) and labour. All aspects of the braking system were inspected and upgraded where necessary (rear rotors, for example).

The EBC pads (yellows and Greens) are simply wonderful. They do need a little heat but when that is happening the stopping goodness to be had is superb. Brake dust from the YellowStuff pads is next to nothing.

The Brake Master Cylinder upgrade is awesome. Big reduction in pedal travel; much better feel and more responsive to modulation; the "legwork" required to apply the brakes appears no different to stock...minimal extra pressure needed at most. Heel-toeing is made a lot easier simply because the brake pedal (when depressed) sits more in line with the position of the throttle ~ no more contortions to try and keep consistent brake pressure during throttle application....brake and blip: easy!

I cannot recommend this mod enough. I found that on the stock pedal there was to much empty travel before real bite came on board. Now I feel that the pedal has "tightened up" dramatically and the sensitivity gained is a huge bonus.

For the money I am very happy with the project outcome. You can spend a bucketload more cash if you wish but in terms of a budget "bang for buck" upgrade, I think you'd be hard pressed to to get a better result.

In the future I might consider braided lines, but at this stage, given the overall condition of what's on there, I'll let this one go for the moment.


ATE Powerdiscs and EBC YellowStuff on the car:

[AlpineAde]

Wow! Thanks, guys! What a warm welcome. Thank you.

The car is in Melbourne, just 2 minutes from Sandown International (you fellows might know it if you watch the V8 Supercars).

[whipsey]

welcome to the zone mate

[E30BeemerLad]

Jesus, look at that thing, it has wheel arches boys

[AlpineAde]

The suspension was very tired and the previous owner had put in some dogy springs.

Another challenge!

I set about rectifying it with these goodies:













Eibachs and Konis seem the business ~ at least they are in Audi circles....so I went with them here. I also grabbed some M3 offset caster bushes. Should make for handling goodness in the bendy bits! I was getting some clunking from the rear of the car so I grabbed some E36 rear strut mounts and some Z3 rear strut mount reinforcement plates. This is probably a worthwhile thing to do when upgrading the suspension anyway.

[AlpineAde]

but 6 cylinders and 24 valves is even better (contents of the worm can out

Orca Project?

Don't worry! I've been looking and thinking!

[AlpineAde]

Along with the brakes being done, the suspension work will constitute the bulk of the "handling" part of the project. When I finally get the old banger out on the track we'll see how it settles and perhaps look into swaybars from there.

The tyres were technically legal when I purchased the car but there was evidence of sidewall damage and there was some mismatching.

The tyres had to go.

It was a toss-up to hang out for 15" rims (good compromise for street/track) and get an entire package or replace them immediately. I thought they were so bad that I had to replace them as soon as possible.

So I boughty some Pirelli Dragons (not sure if you fellows get them over there?). If not, here's the spiel:





and on the car:




Grip in all conditions is sensationally good (wet grip is outstanding), excellent channeling and I am a big fan of the nice and meaty shoulders on these tyres. Very good feedback and I have noticed no noise whatsoever.

[Greeny]

Mmmmmmm Koni and Eibach my favourite combination.

Good choice

[AlpineAde]

Thanks, Greeny

And thanks to Ajay325, eko, whipsey, and E30BeemerLad.

The welcome is very kind indeed.

[AlpineAde]

I have also purchased one of these:



I should have it in the car in the next 6 weeks or so....just got to find the time.

As for other things, well, I wanted the car to actually stop and turn well first; but I think I've managed to source a Schrick cam, big bore throttle body, and a tweaked inlet manifold...At least, I've put my hand up for these items if the price is right. No major rush as the fellow who has them at the moment is in no hurry to get rid of them and is quite happy to wait a while for someone to take them of his hands. I suspect that I will grab them, though. With some decent headwork and a good free flowing exhaust I think the car should perform quite well.

My aims in terms of power are probably pretty laughable around here. I'm only looking for a tad over 200bhp. If I get that and manage to get 50-75kgs out of the car, I'll be pretty happy.

It is a sort of "budget" street/track project and things can get out of hand money wise if you're not careful. I should be safe, though ~ as I haven't got too much cash left at the moment .

Cheers All!

Ade

[brian325i]

Welcome to the zone(loads of advice available here and all are uber friendly)

Your car looks very clean,no rust issues in oz?
Quality mods done,sorted out all important stuff first fairplay,i have same disks,cheap upgrade and worth it.
I agree with eko,24v her

[AlpineAde]

Brian,

We do see some cars with rust but they are very few. Usually it it is the result of accident repairs that have been carried out poorly at some stage and further down the line the rust bug has come and has started to bite. Further, a dodgy windscreen replacement where not enough sealant has been used to can lead to issues. Ordinarily, however, rust doesn't appear as a major drama on a well looked after E30.

[E30Mark]

Looking good!

Do you know of any local BMW meets in your areas? I'm coming to Aus end of Sept / Oct and would love to drag the misses round a car show just to make her feel at home!

[AlpineAde]

Hey, Mark!

I know the BMW Car Club of Victoria have a social event due for mid October (there's track day and a 6 hour relay race at Winton in the mix there too). If you are in Melbourne mid November then there is the club's Show and Shine where some absolutely stunning cars are put on display.

I must admit I am yet to join (still a member of Club Audi Victoria (runs and hides under couch!) ).

The Show and Shine would be THE event to take the Missus to. I can get details to you closer to time if you wish.

Cheers!

EDIT: Here's a link to the Club's activity calendar:

http://bmwccv.bmwclubs.asn.au/2007/cale ... tml#August

[E30Mark]

Hey, Mark!
EDIT: Here's a link to the Club's activity calendar:

http://bmwccv.bmwclubs.asn.au/2007/cale ... tml#August

Cheers! I'm there from 24 Sept to 24 Oct Will have to sort out my itinerary, shame about missing the Nov show & shine...

[josh-hocking]

looks good i love white!

[AlpineAde]

looks good i love white!

Ha Ha! I don't mind it myself.

Cheers for the hello, man.

Cheers! I'm there from 24 Sept to 24 Oct Will have to sort out my itinerary, shame about missing the Nov show & shine...

If I hear of anything of interest during that period I'll drop you a pm to let you know, Mark.

[drifty325i]

Oh no not another Ausy! lol na welcome mate. car looks really sharp and you are doing some quality mods to! should jump on www.bimmersport.co.nz as well its good for us southeners lol

[hubble]

Welcome to the zone. And what a car. Looks stunning. Reminds me of my first white 325 i used to have. Well done.

Just one thing. Any chance of sending some of that sunshine over here...bloody pissing it down again

[AlpineAde]

Thanks for the hello, fellas!

Drifty, I'll have a look at that link you provided (seen some footage of the NZ BMW racing before...there's an amazingly quick little 2002 turbo if I remember aright).

Hubble, on the sunshine front, I'll do my best,,but it's a little dark and chilly here at the moment, too. We'll start getting some real sun action in the next few weeks I suspect..

[drifty325i]

That little 2002 is dam quick aye! there are a few bmw beasts in the works at the mo for that series

[AlpineAde]

The latest....

Suspension is all in and set. Alignment is complete.

Excellent result all round and the car feels amazing. There is nothing tired about the suspension now!

Looking at -2.5 degrees of camber all round +/- .1 degree

9.10 degree of caster left front
9.12 degree of caster front right

1mm toe on the front, give or take....

-1mm of toe at the rear, give or take....

The car sits even lower than it did before on its tired old "I've no idea what they are" sprigs (about 15mm) and really looks the goods.

I'm well chuffed, I must say.

[AlpineAde]

On the exhaust front....

Larini have cut the E30 325i from their range. I did like the look of their exhausts.

Leaves me in a bit of a bind.

So, I've decided to do the exhaust in two stages. Cat back first. Extractors and hi flow cat second.

The rear section of the exhaust on the car at the moment is a total mess ~ it was "repaired" in one of the most bungled fashions imaginable. It actually sucks power, so getting this remedied is the first port of call ~ and a very necessary one.



Supersprint.

Ordered.

[Bades2001]

Great to see another Aussie e30 mate!! looks like she coming on nicely

[jbh]

welcome to the zone bud. your cars lookin nice always fancied a holiday in oz my ex lives in sydney she said shed put me up for a week or 2 if i wanted so you never know might come over and check out the e30 scene

[Pal318is]

Welcome to the Zone Ade

Some excellant mods carried out already mate...Will vouch for your suspension set up fella, as I have the same set up too...

Keep the pic's coming

Pal

[AlpineAde]

Thanks, guys!

Bades! You ECCA fiend, you!

Yep, I'll keep posting pics as the car comes along.

I'll even post up a pic of the rear exhaust horror so you fellows can have a laugh.

I'll have to balance this out with a pic of the Supersprint, though. Just to be fair.

Unfortunately, there's a bit of a wait on the Supersprint. They're hard to get hold of here in Australia, so I'll just have to bide my time and be a bit patient. Ah, well....

Pal318is, yep, the suspension freshen up really worked wonders on the car. Not too much for day to day street driving and promises a reasonable return for track work. It'll be fun seeing how it goes. Might have to do anti-roll bars but I need to try it on the track first. It'll be the only real way to tell. See how it feels.

Cheers again, fellas!

[AlpineAde]

welcome to the zone bud. your cars lookin nice always fancied a holiday in oz my ex lives in sydney she said shed put me up for a week or 2 if i wanted so you never know might come over and check out the e30 scene

E30s are loved in Australia, mate. You'd have a ball. Strong community via the BMW state car clubs and a few forums.

[jbh]

E30s are loved in Australia, mate. You'd have a ball. Strong community via the BMW state car clubs and a few forums.

always knew there was a reason why i liked Australia.. good weather, crackin beaches, sound ppl and to top it off they love e30s

my folks almost moved over there back in the late 70s but backed out of it wish they hadnt

[AlpineAde]

Indeed, there is so much love for 'em that finding a good one is becoming harder and harder.

A good 2 door 325i sill set you back £4-5K; a 325iS (rare in Australia) will run somewhere between £5-8K. An E30 M3 (usually come in from America from what I can gather) will see £12-14K+. And parts are, well, expensive ~ to put it politely.

Ouch!

But it is a joy to see these cars on the track.I live within 3 minutes of one of the circuits used by the V8 Supercars and the trackdays there are awesome. Cost about £70 for a full day and you see some wonders and have some big fun, too. A great way to spend a day. Interestingly a well driven, well sorted 325i will still shame many newer, far more powerful cars. Always makes me smile, that one!

Cheers, mate!

[oze30]

Ahh.. calder! Nice track! The guy up the road from my parents was selling a 318is for 15000AUD.. roughly 6000GBP. but it lost all the good stuff. Bottle tops and no front lip.

Welcome to the zone dude!!