86 325i | M52B28

[sweep]

I would swop them for some bbs splits tho.

[leeparkes]

Hardcore council activity

[SteSE]

Experienced some scenery/vehicle contact over the weekend that has rendered the daily wagon unfit for purpose.







This has meant dragging the E30 out of its slumber and into action. It had been a while since the old girl had been started let alone used so I wasn't that surprised to find the battery dead. After a charge it fired up 1st time no drama and off to MOT station we went.

Got a call a little while after I dropped it off. They wouldn't test it as it had a fuel leak. Fixed that so dropped it off again this morning and collected it this afternoon with a full MOT.

Now, I've got a dilemma on my hands. I've got no money to get another daily drive so I can either sell the E30 along with all the bits and bobs I’ve been buying and get something newer and economical or make the E30 my only car and upgrade it as and when I can.

The plan for the E30 was to convert to m52 power. I have E30 M3 front and rear axles, hubs, brakes etc. I would need to purchase some billys and springs and then everything required for engine conversion. The car is also currently an automatic although I do have a getrag 260, pedal box and most other manual bits from a previous 325i.

I had hoped to have the E30 completed by now although a lack of cash, time but mainly interest has prevented this.

Worst and most likely case is I’ll do nothing and run the E30 into the ground wrecking a rare solid chromie in the process.

My brain says to flog everything E30 and buy a dreary but newer diesel and come back to cars when I’ve acquired some disposable cash to do it proper in one go. But my heart says E30 now that I’ve dusted the old girl off and put some miles on her.

[E30Gheko]

Just keep the E30. You know it makes sense. Your other option sounds far too dull.

[barker246]

Keep the chromie.

It took me a year to find mine and I've had to settle for one with a few holes in the bodywork due to the appreciating value of these lovely cars. Just show it some dinitrol to keep the rust at bay and you'll be reet!

P.S You don't by chance have a spare 325i exhaust you want to sell?

[B7]

F*ck me Steve, you kept that french turd quiet you mug!!!!!!! Nice to see you ended it's days in true francophile haterz fashion!

I can feel your pain mate. but with winter coming up, christmas and all the shite that brings, I'd be tempted to flog the chrome car for good money and wait till your back on your feet. Buy a nice safe sensible car with a years ticket and few issues. (I'm sounding like your f*cking dad now!). Has the missus still got the vauxhall as well?

I did always think it was a crime to molest the current 325i as it is truly timewarp mat

[SteSE]

I know mate decisions to decisions. Zoe's got a red puma but I'm not allowed near it.

I don't have an exhaust for sale.

[clarko74]

I know mate decisions to decisions. Zoe's got a red puma but I'm not allowed near it.

I'm not surprised she won't let you near it, you do seem to get through cars at quite a rate, last time a saw you, you'd just written off your van!

I say keep the chromie, good ones are getting hard to find.

[James90]

but a chromie is a chromie....nothing compares

Quote of the day! I want this in my sig lol

[SteSE]

It's been a while but there has been progress. The car is in the capable hands of Barry and Pete who are tenderly stripping the underside, fitting the M3 running gear and giving her belly and armpits a good seeing too.







A small amount of rust has been found and the front wings really need replacing.

The car is also getting a manual conversion and the motronic upgraded to 1.3

Lightened flywheel - thanks si





More to come...

[capri_rob]

Nice work

[tonybtonyb]

Looks grand!

[Giggz]

Strong work going on there. Steer clear of the RD's! Council or what?!?

[SteSE]

Don't listen to the haterz man. RD's rule. As do white subframes and beams and most things white...

[Jim320i]

Just read through all this... Looks slick mate. I would get some standard bbs on it though and your onto a winner me thinks.

[SteSE]

Yes some M3 16" BBS would look rude bwoy

but alas i need some front wings and arch lip action first.

Does anyone know what other BMW wheels fit E30 M3's.

This website is pretty cool for BMW wheels http://felgenkatalog.auto-treff.com/

M system 1 with some white wall tyres

[alexdejonghe]

Plese dont tell me you putting those council dynamics on the chromie?!

+1

....she looks in spanking order.

[sweep]

My pre facelift car had racing dynamics on but now it has ronal ls's

[SteSE]

She's back and its a lovely sunny day too. Been out driving just for the hell of it and loving the new handling. Rides so nice in the corners and you can really push it - she just hangs on in there. Not had an E30 with decent suspension before or brakes for that matter.

She's been stripped of the front and rear subframes and also the gearbox. The guys did find some rust which i was a little upset about as it seems it's my lack of maintainence that has caused it. Usual front wings need replacing, front jacking pads and the rear arch lips need some attention. All these areas have been treated and the cars been wax oiled - looks spanking.

In terms of whats been done shes had the M3 front and rear axles and brakes, bilstein B8's with eibachs (B12 kit), all new bushes, Motronic 1.3, and a lightened flywheel. I'll get some better pictures tonight if i stop driving it long enough.

[bss325i]

Glad you're happy Steve.

Underneath, nearly every single Nut and bolt was replaced along with every bit of rubber all genuine BMW. Suspension's been powder coated (not white thankfully!), goodridge braided brake hoses.

All new gear linkage parts including a Z3 short shift, 6.5kg lightened flywheel, new sachs clutch, master and slave cylinders.

All the arches have been cleaned out, any surface rust ground back rust treated, painted then waxoiled.

Just needs an LSD, 16" BBS, sports seats and the Z3 rack fitted!

Very very solid E30, this one. No bulkhead holes like people have discovered recently!

[Rav335uk]

Very , was this the one Barry and Pete sorted?

[Simon13]

whats it go like now with a manual conversion? peppy?!

[Duke137]

Very very solid E30, this one. No bulkhead holes like people have discovered recently!

Don't remind me!

Nice looking car this one!

[SteSE]

Cheers dudes!

Yes barry and pete did the work. It really is a different car to drive now. Awesome, addictive and proper raw feeling.

Si, it goes really well and of course i'm say that but it really does. Considering she's 25 and as far as i know the engines never been open it is surprising. You dont need to rag it to make good progress. When i see you next you should take it out. Much quicker even with the auto than the red one. With a manual box and slimfast flywheel its good fun.

Interior is likely to be staying or last thing to change, its pretty mint. I'm leaning towards keeping it manual steering too but i would like some 16" wheels like falken's M3 and a 6 branch and a refurb for my steering wheel and a chip and a..........

I'll call you about tomorrow barry.

[SteSE]

The car was 25 years old on the 16th of this month (june) and has now done 5k miles since the work was carried out.

In this time it has needed a radiator which pete very kindly sourced and also an engine mount which Barry showed me how to change. I think there is still a coolant leak somewhere I’m sure as the level has dropped.

The rear diff mount recently made a bid for freedom so will need replacing.

The B8’s seem to have relaxed slightly which makes normal driving on our crap roads more comfortable. I’m still very happy with the car and haven’t looked at the classifieds for ages!

Promise to take some more pics soon. Just need a proper camera

[Simon13]

if the diff mount is shagged thats your vibration steve.

[SteSE]

So whats been gwanin with Charlie...

Well a 328i sport was purchased off an interesting chap round Essex Way



This was then stripped



Oui! M52



Engine loaded ready to go to Henrys cave



E36 Removed



M20 donk removed ready to go in Joe's beast



M52 donk in



Some laptop wizardery



Some final tweaking needed such as new thermostat, exhaust and a fan but she’s ready to roll and indeed rolling. Have had a little drive round the yard in it and can’t wait to open the tap on her!

All credit goes Barry for this. Thanks also to those who supplied parts and esp to Henry for all his input, putting up with the turd in his cave and very kindly donating his sump. Thanks a lot dude

So the current spec

M52 Steel liner block
M50 Inlet
M20 Flywheel
M40 Gearbox
3.91 LSD
E30 M3 5 Stud kit
Clio Brake Servo
New'ish bushes, linkages and suspension

Next up trackdays and some bodywork

[oomz1975]

This chromie has come along nicely. Good work

[Barx325i]

e36 bottletops are very light & very cheap, but no idea on offset etc. just a thought

[SpookyBandwagon]

Exact same spec as mine by the sounds of it, but mine's red

[B7]

Have witnessed this conversion taking place. It's a nice one this.

[jonb]

You really should have left the car as it was though.

[SteSE]

Cheers lads.

Yep jonb i agree there are many things i shoulda left alone...

[SteSE]

Time for yearly update

Where are we then? Well the car sat in my garage for about a year and as I hadn’t driven it in ages and had other stuff going on I decided I was going to sell it. I have a good E36 M3 to quench my thirst for rwd performance and it made sense to let her go. Put a for sale ad up and drove it to get MOT’d which it passed straight away with just a single advisory that the rear brakes are getting low.

Anyway, having driven it to the MOT station I realised I couldn’t sell it. A kind of epiphany triggered by the metallic clink when the well-thumbed key is removed from the ignition accompanied by the whip clap the door makes when you close it jump started doubts in my mind. Chatting to fellow zoners sealed its fate and I decided that she wasn’t going to go ”“ I’m usually a cars last owner anyway.

E30’s are such a pure car to drive that well like I said I just couldn’t detached myself from it which is totally unlike me but there you go. So I removed it from sale and these last couple of weeks have been spent doing a little work to her here and there and generally driving the wheels off it.

First up we dropped the old 55ltr fuel tank out and replaced it with a facelift 63ltr jobby with the in tank pump setup. This wasn’t entirely straight forward but Barry got it in.



Sadly this didn’t fix what we thought was a fueling issue as even with this new setup the car would still hold back higher up the rev range. In the end the DME went back to dan who removed a road speed signal requirement from it and sent it back in double quick time.

Hooked it up during my lunch break, went for a drive and...nearly didn’t go back to work. The car is pulling better than before and you get a lovely pop / bang from the scorpion centre when gun shifting 2nd through to 3rd ”“ juvenile thuggery but what can I say.

Rear light seals have been changed ”“ still getting a minute amount of water on top of the battery plastic cover thing so boot seal next. Also gave her a good clean on the inside, found my passport which had been missing for a year (strange that) and also my soul assassin chapter one cd ”“ result!

It really is a beautiful car to pilot. Exiting corners ”ajust”a on part throttle has her ever so slightly crossed up its addictive. My buddy said it doesn’t feel right for such as old car to go so well . Also as she looks like a bit of a banger all dirty with an offensive exhaust it’s even more fun getting challenged than in my de badged e36 saloon.

Driving at around 5/10 and just threading the car is enjoyable and it is happy to pootle (and pop and bang) around town. No kangaroo coasting in traffic with an m52.

The £30 bargain gearbox is now starting to become vocal in its new home so that may well need addressing soon. I don’t know whether to be preventive with it or see how long she lasts. We do have another m40 gearbox which we can put in there or look for an alternative solution. 6 speed??? Though for the main I’m happy to stick with the light weight m40.

Did 350 mile round trip on Tuesday which was good, car keeps you alert anyway but with arrow speed tyres, no abs and wet roads I was knackered at the end of it.

Anyway pictures or rather lack of, its amazing that people take the time to get really good photos whilst in the middle of big jobsI should really sort that out. Here are some from today’s lunchtime hoon:













Things to do

[/b]find some blue sports hounds tooth - if you know of any, any condition please let me know

Fit new radio / speaker setup
Source an offside M3 E30 strut housing
Strip the car of all interior and send off for bodywork. The car to be mint needs outer aches, two front wings, front valance and repairs to the original jacking pads.
Whilst this is being done the car will have a non sunroof skin grafted on and then treated to a respray in the much desired doom blue.
The interior will be re done and I will sounded deaden the car better. Seats, we are in discussions with a chap in American about hound tooth fabric
Wheels / tyres
And The list goes on....

At least all the mechanicals are done and the car is driving well and I can drive it whenever I want. The m3 hasn't had a look in lately

[B7]

I'm gonna slap your arse Steve. That looks fucking disgusting!!!!

Good car mind. I was shocked when I saw the for sale ad. Good to see it pulled and the saga continue.