Caporegime
Looking great, however your next project should be fitting an E36 M3 engine to that touring.....
My Retro Resto - E30 325i Cab
- Thread starter InvaderGIR
- Start date
Day Ten point five - 16-21/06/2012
Ten point five as it isn't a real update or a large one, that comes this weekend, but I have done some work on the car/engine.
I had hoped to get the engine and gearbox in at the weekend (16th) but one of the two engine mounts I'd ordered was duff, in that the locating pin required to bolt it to the subframe was embedded in the mount. This meant I had to request a replacement part (online) which took a couple of days to do and arrive bringing me into the next week.
I did however get to do some work on the car, I cleaned and tidied up the subframe from all the muck that was on it (still need to do the wings and bay in general though) and fitted the new cambelt and tensioner to the engine.
The rear quarter windows came out at the weekend (although they didn't want to) so I could check the condition of the inner wings. If you remember (or go back to the first post) the rear arches look rather bubbly, a bit like a 15 year old McD worker's face. This usually means that the inner wings are shot. To view the inner wings on a convertible it isn't too easy. The rear quarter windows are in the way and they are between an outer wing and an inner cabin wing.
I unbolted them, man handled them out and checked on the inner wings which, have a slight rust colour tinge to them but don't look like they will collapse if I breath on them. I'll find out more when I have done the front end and shall tackle the rear with grinders etc.
I don't have many pics, I dropped the engine on my foot at one point and so was more interested in picking the damn thing up (surprisingly heavy...) and fannying around doing stuff.
I ordered some carpet dye, which is in fact just dye for various things (Autoglym Black Dye) and tested a section of carpet today (hidden under the HVAC unit) to see how it comes out. After a couple of blow overs of the test area I realised that a) the dye is more like a paint b) the nozzle has a wide spray and c) the wooden floor in the kitchen dyes quite easily.
Having let it dry for a little while, it would appear that it is pretty effective in changing my blue carpet to black. My only concern is that it has turned the soft feel of the carpet into a slightly rough feeling one. Having said that, I don't know about you but personally I don't tend to rub the carpet with my hands/face so this shouldn't be a problem.
I need to wait until the dye has fully taken to really see how well it works which means I'll leave it to dry over night and then if it has worked well I'll do the whole thing (in the garage though I think instead of turning the kitchen floor black).
Pictures.
Front dirty subframe.
Front clean subframe.
Front subframe, clean.
Steering knuckle and engine mount, clean.
Passenger side engine mount area, dry and dusty but clean of oil/grease.
Rear quarter window - driver side.
Rear driver side arch.
Rear driver side arch rust.
Rear quarter window - passenger side.
Rear passenger side arch.
Carpet, front section, pre-dye.
Carpet, front section, post-dye.
Ten point five as it isn't a real update or a large one, that comes this weekend, but I have done some work on the car/engine.
I had hoped to get the engine and gearbox in at the weekend (16th) but one of the two engine mounts I'd ordered was duff, in that the locating pin required to bolt it to the subframe was embedded in the mount. This meant I had to request a replacement part (online) which took a couple of days to do and arrive bringing me into the next week.
I did however get to do some work on the car, I cleaned and tidied up the subframe from all the muck that was on it (still need to do the wings and bay in general though) and fitted the new cambelt and tensioner to the engine.
The rear quarter windows came out at the weekend (although they didn't want to) so I could check the condition of the inner wings. If you remember (or go back to the first post) the rear arches look rather bubbly, a bit like a 15 year old McD worker's face. This usually means that the inner wings are shot. To view the inner wings on a convertible it isn't too easy. The rear quarter windows are in the way and they are between an outer wing and an inner cabin wing.
I unbolted them, man handled them out and checked on the inner wings which, have a slight rust colour tinge to them but don't look like they will collapse if I breath on them. I'll find out more when I have done the front end and shall tackle the rear with grinders etc.
I don't have many pics, I dropped the engine on my foot at one point and so was more interested in picking the damn thing up (surprisingly heavy...) and fannying around doing stuff.
I ordered some carpet dye, which is in fact just dye for various things (Autoglym Black Dye) and tested a section of carpet today (hidden under the HVAC unit) to see how it comes out. After a couple of blow overs of the test area I realised that a) the dye is more like a paint b) the nozzle has a wide spray and c) the wooden floor in the kitchen dyes quite easily.
Having let it dry for a little while, it would appear that it is pretty effective in changing my blue carpet to black. My only concern is that it has turned the soft feel of the carpet into a slightly rough feeling one. Having said that, I don't know about you but personally I don't tend to rub the carpet with my hands/face so this shouldn't be a problem.
I need to wait until the dye has fully taken to really see how well it works which means I'll leave it to dry over night and then if it has worked well I'll do the whole thing (in the garage though I think instead of turning the kitchen floor black).
Pictures.
Front dirty subframe.
Front clean subframe.
Front subframe, clean.
Steering knuckle and engine mount, clean.
Passenger side engine mount area, dry and dusty but clean of oil/grease.
Rear quarter window - driver side.
Rear driver side arch.
Rear driver side arch rust.
Rear quarter window - passenger side.
Rear passenger side arch.
Carpet, front section, pre-dye.
Carpet, front section, post-dye.
Day Ten point seven five - 23/06/2012
Ten point seven five as it isn't a big update, as with ten point five.
First things first, that damn blue carpet looks so aweful in the car, so, this had to be rectified! I'd bought two cans of AutoGlym Black Dye spray stuff, as it was £5 a tin I didn't really mind if it was poor. Having tested it on the carpet at the front under where the heater matrix sits (ie, out of sight if it was rubbish) I decided to do the whole thing.
I've previously read others saying that they had dyed their carpet with one can (don't know what dye) so I figured that I'd be fine with two...I was wrong.
I made sure the whole carpet was clean and then started with can one, got half way, ran out, got can two and finished, just. There are still some blue bits (seat vent holes being one bit), but the colour is a huge improvement. I've ordered a few more cans as I think it will need a couple of coats to get it properly black and looking mint. I also need to dye the rear carpets (including the boot liners) because I want the car to look as good as possible, and black is better than blue for carpets.
The photos I've taken really don't do it justice unfortunately which is a shame, in person it does look black all over, in the pics it looks bluey grey. The dye seems to have taken well to the vinyl heel plate though which is good.
Blue carpet.
Black(mostly) carpet.
Black heel plate.
Next up I decided I needed some metal for the hole in my driver foot well...now, I *could* have gone and bought some from the local steal merchant...but I have a big lump of steal on wheels outside...
Hi wing!
Bye wing!
Wing.
Before this could be used I needed to clean up a large enough area to cut out and weld into the cab, so, grinder with wire attachment and...
External bare metal.
Inside bare metal.
Since those pictures I've actually cleaned up more down to bare metal and cut it out too. To some this is quite probably sacralige and I shouldn't have done it, but I bought the touring for parts and so this is what I am using it for.
The area I'm patching has now been cleaned up more both inside the car and underneath it too.
Blurry Footwell (awesome camera skills I have at times).
Underside clear.
I got all this sorted and ready for when my brother came round so he could lend a hand with welding, he came by, said I needed to grind more off and cut my plate too before I could weld...then left. Helpful of him, I'm not too sure on which welder to use and what settings to use etc. so need his help with it. Annoying really as I was aiming to get the floor done today and then the engine in tomorrow, floor is now delayed but I think I'll rock on with the engine tomorrow.
As my brother was not very helpful I figured I should apply the service parts I bought for the engine as it has been layed up for about 6 years (still started first turn of the key when I bought it a month ago mind) so belts etc. won't be that healthy.
Today I put on the new water pump, thermostat and rotor arm. I had done the cambelt and tensioner earlier in the week so didn't need to do them.
I also took the upper belt cover off and went over it with a wirebrush cleaning it up and bringing it back to life, I also cleaned up the thermostat outer housing. Now I've done this I realise I want to do it for the lower belt cover, rocker cover, head, block, sump... basically I want to clean up everything on the engine (I won't though, at least not yet). I will most certainly be doing the rocker cover and inlet at some point, but rather than clean up the ones on the car I'm going to use the spares from the other M20, clean them up and the high temp paint them which should freshen up the engine nicely. I think I'll also try to high temp paint the spare belt covers etc. too. The pulleys etc. also need a good clean up and painting/powdercoating too.
New parts.
Engine front.
Thermostat area.
With those minor jobs done I fitted the second engine mount which wasn't faulty and also changed the fuel filter. Surprisingly easy job that actually, I was expecting it to be loads and loads of hassle but in fact it took me about 20mins, half of which was fannying with a rusted jubilee clip, and about 5 was covering myself, the floor and loads of blue roll in fuel.
New fuel filter.
As there was a bit miffed about not getting the floor welded in I then decided to be destructive! I checked the state of the dash in the cab (well, in storage from the cab) and then checked the one in the touring. The cab's dash is cracked at the tray area above the glove box which is obviously not ideal btu I could have lived with if I had to, but, I don't! The touring's dash is pristine which I found surprising considering the state of the rest of the car, so, I pulled it out and have put it into my storage area next to the cab's dash ready for me to cut the small section out for the dash bar.
I don't have any pics of the process or it out from the touring but it was nice and simple to do now that I've done one already. This time I removed the A pillar trim (didn't when I took the cab's out) which made things even easier.
One thing I'm not sure on, is the dash leather, I know it looks like an elephant's ass but that doesn't mean much.
I also pilfered the throttle pedal as the one from the cab was a bit worn and the one in the touring was in fairly good condition.
This evening I decided to relax a bit so got the sterring wheel from the cab out and cleaned it up a bit with leather cleaner (same as I used on the seats previously). It has come up nice and black and looks a lot better, it does look used but that is to be expected and I don't think I'd want it looking brand new anyway.
Whole wheel before.
Top of wheel before
Whole wheel after.
Right horn after.
Lower horn / M stripe after.
That's all for today, tomorrow is hopefully going to be cleaning the engine bay a bit more then getting the M20 back in and start plumbing things in. I really want to get the floor welded asap though and the carpet finished so I can put all the dash etc. back in and fire the engine up (want to wait until the dash is back in really).
Ten point seven five as it isn't a big update, as with ten point five.
First things first, that damn blue carpet looks so aweful in the car, so, this had to be rectified! I'd bought two cans of AutoGlym Black Dye spray stuff, as it was £5 a tin I didn't really mind if it was poor. Having tested it on the carpet at the front under where the heater matrix sits (ie, out of sight if it was rubbish) I decided to do the whole thing.
I've previously read others saying that they had dyed their carpet with one can (don't know what dye) so I figured that I'd be fine with two...I was wrong.
I made sure the whole carpet was clean and then started with can one, got half way, ran out, got can two and finished, just. There are still some blue bits (seat vent holes being one bit), but the colour is a huge improvement. I've ordered a few more cans as I think it will need a couple of coats to get it properly black and looking mint. I also need to dye the rear carpets (including the boot liners) because I want the car to look as good as possible, and black is better than blue for carpets.
The photos I've taken really don't do it justice unfortunately which is a shame, in person it does look black all over, in the pics it looks bluey grey. The dye seems to have taken well to the vinyl heel plate though which is good.
Blue carpet.
Black(mostly) carpet.
Black heel plate.
Next up I decided I needed some metal for the hole in my driver foot well...now, I *could* have gone and bought some from the local steal merchant...but I have a big lump of steal on wheels outside...
Hi wing!
Bye wing!
Wing.
Before this could be used I needed to clean up a large enough area to cut out and weld into the cab, so, grinder with wire attachment and...
External bare metal.
Inside bare metal.
Since those pictures I've actually cleaned up more down to bare metal and cut it out too. To some this is quite probably sacralige and I shouldn't have done it, but I bought the touring for parts and so this is what I am using it for.
The area I'm patching has now been cleaned up more both inside the car and underneath it too.
Blurry Footwell (awesome camera skills I have at times).
Underside clear.
I got all this sorted and ready for when my brother came round so he could lend a hand with welding, he came by, said I needed to grind more off and cut my plate too before I could weld...then left. Helpful of him, I'm not too sure on which welder to use and what settings to use etc. so need his help with it. Annoying really as I was aiming to get the floor done today and then the engine in tomorrow, floor is now delayed but I think I'll rock on with the engine tomorrow.
As my brother was not very helpful I figured I should apply the service parts I bought for the engine as it has been layed up for about 6 years (still started first turn of the key when I bought it a month ago mind) so belts etc. won't be that healthy.
Today I put on the new water pump, thermostat and rotor arm. I had done the cambelt and tensioner earlier in the week so didn't need to do them.
I also took the upper belt cover off and went over it with a wirebrush cleaning it up and bringing it back to life, I also cleaned up the thermostat outer housing. Now I've done this I realise I want to do it for the lower belt cover, rocker cover, head, block, sump... basically I want to clean up everything on the engine (I won't though, at least not yet). I will most certainly be doing the rocker cover and inlet at some point, but rather than clean up the ones on the car I'm going to use the spares from the other M20, clean them up and the high temp paint them which should freshen up the engine nicely. I think I'll also try to high temp paint the spare belt covers etc. too. The pulleys etc. also need a good clean up and painting/powdercoating too.
New parts.
Engine front.
Thermostat area.
With those minor jobs done I fitted the second engine mount which wasn't faulty and also changed the fuel filter. Surprisingly easy job that actually, I was expecting it to be loads and loads of hassle but in fact it took me about 20mins, half of which was fannying with a rusted jubilee clip, and about 5 was covering myself, the floor and loads of blue roll in fuel.
New fuel filter.
As there was a bit miffed about not getting the floor welded in I then decided to be destructive! I checked the state of the dash in the cab (well, in storage from the cab) and then checked the one in the touring. The cab's dash is cracked at the tray area above the glove box which is obviously not ideal btu I could have lived with if I had to, but, I don't! The touring's dash is pristine which I found surprising considering the state of the rest of the car, so, I pulled it out and have put it into my storage area next to the cab's dash ready for me to cut the small section out for the dash bar.
I don't have any pics of the process or it out from the touring but it was nice and simple to do now that I've done one already. This time I removed the A pillar trim (didn't when I took the cab's out) which made things even easier.
One thing I'm not sure on, is the dash leather, I know it looks like an elephant's ass but that doesn't mean much.
I also pilfered the throttle pedal as the one from the cab was a bit worn and the one in the touring was in fairly good condition.
This evening I decided to relax a bit so got the sterring wheel from the cab out and cleaned it up a bit with leather cleaner (same as I used on the seats previously). It has come up nice and black and looks a lot better, it does look used but that is to be expected and I don't think I'd want it looking brand new anyway.
Whole wheel before.
Top of wheel before
Whole wheel after.
Right horn after.
Lower horn / M stripe after.
That's all for today, tomorrow is hopefully going to be cleaning the engine bay a bit more then getting the M20 back in and start plumbing things in. I really want to get the floor welded asap though and the carpet finished so I can put all the dash etc. back in and fire the engine up (want to wait until the dash is back in really).
Day Eleven - 24/06/2012
Ok, so now I have my days and posts in order/alignment...
I had been hoping to get the engine in today but with the F1 being on and some other discoveries that has been pushed back a while now. Not a big deal really but a shame none the less, I did get some stuff done that I wanted doing though.
As I had been planning on putting the engine back in today I figured I should freshen up the engine mount arms as they were a bit covered in gunk. It is amazing what a wirebrush and some effort can do to grimey old looking items.
Clean top.
Clean bottom.
As the engine is out I decided it'd be easiest to change the ARB bushes now rather than later as there is loads of access should I have needed it. When removing the ARB I noticed that the drop links were well past it and so went to remove them...one nut was rather stuck which meant I had to remove the ARB with them on. Removed the two small bolts in the drop link and then went on to the ARB bush bolts, passenger side was fine, driver side...oh that was fun. Doing it by hand was more than a little annoying. Didn't manage to move it very far, so cracked out the air powered impact gun...and even that struggled but it did undo the bolt.
With the ARB off I could inspect the bushes and the drop links properly.
ARB Bushes
A little egg shaped holing there, certainly past it's best, the bush carriers took a lot of force to come off.
Bush carrier.
Bush carrier.
Rusty bushes.
I think I'll polybush the ARB and the rest of the car as/when I replace bushes as I understand the cab is a bit wallowy as standard and I'd like to dial out as much wallowyness as possible.
I had a spare E36 328i ARB with drop links which appear to be the same and are pretty fresh, so I did the logical thing, removed them and put them onto the E30's ARB. Whilst I *should* replace them for brand spangly new items, I do have these and they may as well be used.
E30 325i ARB vs E36 328i ARB
As my brother was round again today he helped with the welding of the driver footwell. Unfortuantely by helped I mean he did it and I waited with the fire extinguisher. I was hoping I'd get to actually do the welding myself because I need to learn and would like to have done all the work on my car. Plus side to him doing it...the welding is actually pretty good and there are no burns through the metal which I suspect I would have ended up doing.
With this now done I can start to put the interior back in the front of the car which is great as I'm really not liking the fact the car is empty...I want to sit in it and go "brrrummmmmm" and then put the engine in and have it go "waaadadadadada" down the lanes.
Plate welded into place.
Seam of welds run the seam of the hole and beyond.
When I was doing the ARB my brother pointed out something which greatly annoyed me...my brake line on the driver side is corroding right by the hub, and I do not mean the flexi pipe. This is a ball ache as it means either replacing the whole line from the hub through to the ABS unit on the passenger wing by the head lamp, or alternatively, patching in a small section to replace the corroded line. Both options are doable myself and obviously replacing the whole line is the best way to do it, but patching in ~6inches is a whole load less hassle.
I guess I have to work out which I'd rather do, either should last a long, long while anyway as it is only bend in the wheel arch that get the elements really.
Corroded brake line.
I'm thinking I'll also replace all of the flexi lines to the calipers with braded metal pipes so as I plan on upgrading those I suppose it is best to just replace the whole line across the engine bay.
That's it for today, not a lot done but when my brother is round he is often a pain so I just dislike working on the car so get less done.
Ok, so now I have my days and posts in order/alignment...
I had been hoping to get the engine in today but with the F1 being on and some other discoveries that has been pushed back a while now. Not a big deal really but a shame none the less, I did get some stuff done that I wanted doing though.
As I had been planning on putting the engine back in today I figured I should freshen up the engine mount arms as they were a bit covered in gunk. It is amazing what a wirebrush and some effort can do to grimey old looking items.
Clean top.
Clean bottom.
As the engine is out I decided it'd be easiest to change the ARB bushes now rather than later as there is loads of access should I have needed it. When removing the ARB I noticed that the drop links were well past it and so went to remove them...one nut was rather stuck which meant I had to remove the ARB with them on. Removed the two small bolts in the drop link and then went on to the ARB bush bolts, passenger side was fine, driver side...oh that was fun. Doing it by hand was more than a little annoying. Didn't manage to move it very far, so cracked out the air powered impact gun...and even that struggled but it did undo the bolt.
With the ARB off I could inspect the bushes and the drop links properly.
ARB Bushes
A little egg shaped holing there, certainly past it's best, the bush carriers took a lot of force to come off.
Bush carrier.
Bush carrier.
Rusty bushes.
I think I'll polybush the ARB and the rest of the car as/when I replace bushes as I understand the cab is a bit wallowy as standard and I'd like to dial out as much wallowyness as possible.
I had a spare E36 328i ARB with drop links which appear to be the same and are pretty fresh, so I did the logical thing, removed them and put them onto the E30's ARB. Whilst I *should* replace them for brand spangly new items, I do have these and they may as well be used.
E30 325i ARB vs E36 328i ARB
As my brother was round again today he helped with the welding of the driver footwell. Unfortuantely by helped I mean he did it and I waited with the fire extinguisher. I was hoping I'd get to actually do the welding myself because I need to learn and would like to have done all the work on my car. Plus side to him doing it...the welding is actually pretty good and there are no burns through the metal which I suspect I would have ended up doing.
With this now done I can start to put the interior back in the front of the car which is great as I'm really not liking the fact the car is empty...I want to sit in it and go "brrrummmmmm" and then put the engine in and have it go "waaadadadadada" down the lanes.
Plate welded into place.
Seam of welds run the seam of the hole and beyond.
When I was doing the ARB my brother pointed out something which greatly annoyed me...my brake line on the driver side is corroding right by the hub, and I do not mean the flexi pipe. This is a ball ache as it means either replacing the whole line from the hub through to the ABS unit on the passenger wing by the head lamp, or alternatively, patching in a small section to replace the corroded line. Both options are doable myself and obviously replacing the whole line is the best way to do it, but patching in ~6inches is a whole load less hassle.
I guess I have to work out which I'd rather do, either should last a long, long while anyway as it is only bend in the wheel arch that get the elements really.
Corroded brake line.
I'm thinking I'll also replace all of the flexi lines to the calipers with braded metal pipes so as I plan on upgrading those I suppose it is best to just replace the whole line across the engine bay.
That's it for today, not a lot done but when my brother is round he is often a pain so I just dislike working on the car so get less done.
Soldato
I had a E36 325 Sport you could have had for anything over scrap value (I span it into the crash barrier on the motorway
) , shame I didn't see this thread as I presume that's the engine you were on about before?
Oh well!
You're making good progress
) , shame I didn't see this thread as I presume that's the engine you were on about before?Oh well!
You're making good progress
Caporegime
I had a E36 325 Sport you could have had for anything over scrap value (I span it into the crash barrier on the motorway
Oh well!
You're making good progress
That would have possibly been the engine we were on about before. The E36 325i came with either the M50B25 or the M50B25TU (single VANOS) depending on year of manufacture.
Didn't see the fact my thread was back on page 1.
Nothing major just yet, I've had other commitments in the evenings and at weekends that have paused work on the car. Really itching to get back to working on it, should have more updates in a couple of weeks.
Small update I suppose is that I've dyed the carpet black (much better than the blue it was), refitted it...but that's about it. I need to strip off the front offside brake line and fit a fresh one, fit the new ARB bushes and refit the ARB, then it'll be engine back in. I also need to refit various interior parts (dash etc.).
My E30 is now scrapped. :-/
Got a nice blue leather interior for sale tho, should fit a cab.
I was up your way a few weeks ago, but for a funeral and so wasn't free so couldn't have picked apart bits from yours even if I'd wanted to.
I had a E36 325 Sport you could have had for anything over scrap value (I span it into the crash barrier on the motorway
Oh well!
You're making good progress
The E36 325's engine is the one I was initially after, until I fully read up on how involved the conversion is. I want to get this car back on the road and running well as a standard car really, it's not the sort of car I'd want to put a different engine in. If I were to do an engine change on a car I'd want to do it to a solid roof car (more strength in the chassis) and also with a fun engine rather than a side-step, if you're going to do something, do it properly.
When I get time to work on the car I make progress as best I can. I should have my evenings and weekends freeing up again soon so will be able to crack on with the car.
It'd better! I'm hoping to have it MOTable before the winter comes in and have it replace the Mondeo a short time after that. I'd be much further along to getting it on the road by now if I'd had the spare time, but things keep coming up that take priority (unfortunately).
As I say, my evenings and weekends should be freeing up over the coming weeks so will be able to get on with working on the car.
Day Twelve - 08/09/2012
It's been a while since I've done an update on this, mostly as I just haven't had the time. Got time this weekend though so here we go.
I decided before I started any work this weekend that I needed to have a plan on what I was going to do. Usually my plans would be a big long list and I'd never get even half way. The plan was simple, get the dash etc. back in, fit the ARB and replace the brake line.
I got the dash in over the course of the day, lots of faffing around involved locating trim etc. all sorted in the end. ARB was next, lined it up, about to put it back on and...can't find the bolts. I recall they were knackered or close to it when I removed the ARB so I'll need to order in some new bolts for it. Not a bit deal really, doesn't delay any other work. Brake line is for tomorrow (and watching the F1).
I'm not sure I took any pictures/did an update when I refitted the (now black) carpet but I did that a good few weeks ago.
To fit it (as I had not cut it to remove, best to remove as one piece) I had to end up removing the heater blower unit which was not a nice job, but I'm glad the dash wasn't in as that would have been even worse.
Fitting the carpet was a pain, it didn't want to sit properly no matter how I moved it about. I think in hindsight it'd have been better to dye it in the car with everything masked off. Still, the carpet looks a huge amount better now (aside from some disty foot prints due to a dusty garage...I'll hover it before I refit the interior).
Some photos:
It looks grey there but it looks black in person.
About then is when I realised I needed to remove the heater blower unit.
On to today's work!
The car started somewhat like this...
I ******* love wires me!
B'reet.
Getting there.
Relocated the buttons for maximum driver enjoyment/use.
Who said digital clocks were good? Not me! (I hate the clock, I want something else there!)
Ooooh seeeedeeeee
Glovebox? Getin!
Still looks wrong.
Centre in place.
All done!
That'll do.
The keen-eyed of you will have noticed I've not refitted the instrument cluster. The reason for this is that a/some bulb(s) have gone and so I'm waiting for some replacements to arrive, once they do the IC will go back in and it really will be complete.
You'll also have spotted that the ashtray, the cassette storage device, gear gaitor (and stick...not engine or box duhh) and handbrake gators are missing.
Ashtray isn't there because, well, I couldn't find it easily and it isn't important.
Cassette storage device...this I have a cunning plan for...you'll find out when I complete it.
Gear gator is not in place as a) the gearbox isn't on the car and b) the old one was worn. I'll buy a new one at some point.
Handbrake gator isn't there because I detest the concertina thing so will find a decent leather one...same with the handbrake handle too.
That's it for today folks. Another update tomorrow hopefully.
It's been a while since I've done an update on this, mostly as I just haven't had the time. Got time this weekend though so here we go.
I decided before I started any work this weekend that I needed to have a plan on what I was going to do. Usually my plans would be a big long list and I'd never get even half way. The plan was simple, get the dash etc. back in, fit the ARB and replace the brake line.
I got the dash in over the course of the day, lots of faffing around involved locating trim etc. all sorted in the end. ARB was next, lined it up, about to put it back on and...can't find the bolts. I recall they were knackered or close to it when I removed the ARB so I'll need to order in some new bolts for it. Not a bit deal really, doesn't delay any other work. Brake line is for tomorrow (and watching the F1).
I'm not sure I took any pictures/did an update when I refitted the (now black) carpet but I did that a good few weeks ago.
To fit it (as I had not cut it to remove, best to remove as one piece) I had to end up removing the heater blower unit which was not a nice job, but I'm glad the dash wasn't in as that would have been even worse.
Fitting the carpet was a pain, it didn't want to sit properly no matter how I moved it about. I think in hindsight it'd have been better to dye it in the car with everything masked off. Still, the carpet looks a huge amount better now (aside from some disty foot prints due to a dusty garage...I'll hover it before I refit the interior).
Some photos:
It looks grey there but it looks black in person.
About then is when I realised I needed to remove the heater blower unit.
On to today's work!
The car started somewhat like this...
I ******* love wires me!
B'reet.
Getting there.
Relocated the buttons for maximum driver enjoyment/use.
Who said digital clocks were good? Not me! (I hate the clock, I want something else there!)
Ooooh seeeedeeeee
Glovebox? Getin!
Still looks wrong.
Centre in place.
All done!
That'll do.
The keen-eyed of you will have noticed I've not refitted the instrument cluster. The reason for this is that a/some bulb(s) have gone and so I'm waiting for some replacements to arrive, once they do the IC will go back in and it really will be complete.
You'll also have spotted that the ashtray, the cassette storage device, gear gaitor (and stick...not engine or box duhh) and handbrake gators are missing.
Ashtray isn't there because, well, I couldn't find it easily and it isn't important.
Cassette storage device...this I have a cunning plan for...you'll find out when I complete it.
Gear gator is not in place as a) the gearbox isn't on the car and b) the old one was worn. I'll buy a new one at some point.
Handbrake gator isn't there because I detest the concertina thing so will find a decent leather one...same with the handbrake handle too.
That's it for today folks. Another update tomorrow hopefully.
Day Thirteen - 16/09/2012
Nothing to see here, no work done...
So last weekend I thought I'd get the brake line and ARB done at least once I'd done the interior...that didn't happen. So this weekend I was determined to get the brake line run and the ARB installed. Sat I didn't get much done in the end, only got the brake line done and couldn't get the ARB to fit. Gave up for the day.
Sunday being a nice fresh day I got working on the car, couldn't get the ARB on initially but then after posting a question on E30Zone I had an answer as to how I could tackle the problem. Sorted that in a matter of mins then, typical. I then proceeded to get a bit more work done...
Sat: The day started off late for work on the car but that wasn't an issue, until I broke the pipe cutter and had to drive for ~2hrs to go get a new one. Oops.
Once back with the new cutter I was able to start work on the new brake line. I didn't do this the most logical of ways but it worked so that's all that matters. I ran the new line and then put the connections on once I'd got the pipe at the right length and in place. This made the task a little difficult when doing the wheel end of the line as there was a suspension strut in the way when flaring the line.
Cutting off spare (should have measured this up so I didn't waste any really).
Flaring the end.
New line run.
Perfect bends...
Into the ABS unit.
That was all for sat basically, very simple job actually. I'd expected it to be a pain to do but it really wasn't bad at all. One thing I must say though is that without the engine it is easy, with the engine I imagine it would be a very painful task to complete.
Sun: Started the day much earlier than sat and had the aim not to break tools this time...I succeeded, which is nice.
The first problem was the ARB mounting, this is something I thought would have been simple but it turned out to be a right pain to do. I wasn't sure of the best way to get the bolts to reach the nuts as the bush appeared to be too big. This made me think I'd got the wrong parts from BMW. I posted up on E30Zone asking for any ideas why I had this issue and daimlerman was helpful and told me how he fits them.
Rather than using swearing (which I'd tried and it didn't work), he said that he puts a bolt that is too long into the mount, does it up so that the mount is close to the subframe and then uses mole grips to keep it in place, removes the long bolt and puts the correct bolt in place. Such a simple idea that completely escaped me. I tried this and had then fitted the ARB in a matter of mins. With it all fitted I then spotted that the wishbone lollipop bushes are knackered, more spending!
Y U NO FIT?!
Long bolt brining the mount closer to the subframe.
HUZZAHHH
As this didn't take too long I then thought about the next little thing that needed doing...
Oh herro.
I've been wanting to get the engine in for ages but due to the brake line and the ARB I didn't really want to put it back in just yet. Now they were sorted I could put it back in and so that is what I have been doing for most of the day. There aren't many pics, in fact, there are no pics of the progress of getting the engine from the floor into the bay as, well, it was a complete farse. Initially I didn't have the arm out far enough so that the engine was never going to get far enough into the bay. I then set the load leveller up badly so I couldn't change the angle of the engine properly. Both of these I realised once I had the engine halfway into the engine bay. Fun times.
I got it sorted in the end though, connected up the prop, all mounts, aux units and their belts, ignition system and some wiring. I didn't get to put it all back today as there is a lot to put back. I also need to rob some more parts from the touring as I'm not sure I trust the state of some of the oil filled nonoil way parts from the cab.
I had a slight issue with one of the HT leads, well, not the lead itself but the sensor connected to it. When removing the HT leads from the old distributor cap and putting them onto the new one I managed to snap the timing (?) sensor on lead No.6. This was quite gutting as the sensor is manufactured onto the lead, which you can't buy individually, a set of leads is at around £100. I remembered though, I have a spares car. Went over to the touring, took lead No.6 and the sensor and put it into the one for the cab. Problem solved.
Something else I noticed when doing the HT leads is that they don't seem to clip onto the spark plugs? I'm used to providing a bit of force and them clipping onto the end of the plug but these ones don't seem to. I don't know if it is the spark plugs are slightly wrong (ordered the correct ones) or if the leads are meant to basically sit on them, they certainly don't seem secure. I'll have to look into this more.
Pics!
It's in! (that's what I said!)
Bugger.
Resolved.
PAS, Alt., belts and starter on.
Various wires.
Belts, woooo.
Not sure if that black wire wants to join the red one or not...
And that's all for today. Not sure when I'll get to next make proper progress on the car really. I'll try to get more engine stuff in over the next few evenings as I'm eager to fire it up.
Nothing to see here, no work done...
So last weekend I thought I'd get the brake line and ARB done at least once I'd done the interior...that didn't happen. So this weekend I was determined to get the brake line run and the ARB installed. Sat I didn't get much done in the end, only got the brake line done and couldn't get the ARB to fit. Gave up for the day.
Sunday being a nice fresh day I got working on the car, couldn't get the ARB on initially but then after posting a question on E30Zone I had an answer as to how I could tackle the problem. Sorted that in a matter of mins then, typical. I then proceeded to get a bit more work done...
Sat: The day started off late for work on the car but that wasn't an issue, until I broke the pipe cutter and had to drive for ~2hrs to go get a new one. Oops.
Once back with the new cutter I was able to start work on the new brake line. I didn't do this the most logical of ways but it worked so that's all that matters. I ran the new line and then put the connections on once I'd got the pipe at the right length and in place. This made the task a little difficult when doing the wheel end of the line as there was a suspension strut in the way when flaring the line.
Cutting off spare (should have measured this up so I didn't waste any really).
Flaring the end.
New line run.
Perfect bends...
Into the ABS unit.
That was all for sat basically, very simple job actually. I'd expected it to be a pain to do but it really wasn't bad at all. One thing I must say though is that without the engine it is easy, with the engine I imagine it would be a very painful task to complete.
Sun: Started the day much earlier than sat and had the aim not to break tools this time...I succeeded, which is nice.
The first problem was the ARB mounting, this is something I thought would have been simple but it turned out to be a right pain to do. I wasn't sure of the best way to get the bolts to reach the nuts as the bush appeared to be too big. This made me think I'd got the wrong parts from BMW. I posted up on E30Zone asking for any ideas why I had this issue and daimlerman was helpful and told me how he fits them.
Rather than using swearing (which I'd tried and it didn't work), he said that he puts a bolt that is too long into the mount, does it up so that the mount is close to the subframe and then uses mole grips to keep it in place, removes the long bolt and puts the correct bolt in place. Such a simple idea that completely escaped me. I tried this and had then fitted the ARB in a matter of mins. With it all fitted I then spotted that the wishbone lollipop bushes are knackered, more spending!
Y U NO FIT?!
Long bolt brining the mount closer to the subframe.
HUZZAHHH
As this didn't take too long I then thought about the next little thing that needed doing...
Oh herro.
I've been wanting to get the engine in for ages but due to the brake line and the ARB I didn't really want to put it back in just yet. Now they were sorted I could put it back in and so that is what I have been doing for most of the day. There aren't many pics, in fact, there are no pics of the progress of getting the engine from the floor into the bay as, well, it was a complete farse. Initially I didn't have the arm out far enough so that the engine was never going to get far enough into the bay. I then set the load leveller up badly so I couldn't change the angle of the engine properly. Both of these I realised once I had the engine halfway into the engine bay. Fun times.
I got it sorted in the end though, connected up the prop, all mounts, aux units and their belts, ignition system and some wiring. I didn't get to put it all back today as there is a lot to put back. I also need to rob some more parts from the touring as I'm not sure I trust the state of some of the oil filled nonoil way parts from the cab.
I had a slight issue with one of the HT leads, well, not the lead itself but the sensor connected to it. When removing the HT leads from the old distributor cap and putting them onto the new one I managed to snap the timing (?) sensor on lead No.6. This was quite gutting as the sensor is manufactured onto the lead, which you can't buy individually, a set of leads is at around £100. I remembered though, I have a spares car. Went over to the touring, took lead No.6 and the sensor and put it into the one for the cab. Problem solved.
Something else I noticed when doing the HT leads is that they don't seem to clip onto the spark plugs? I'm used to providing a bit of force and them clipping onto the end of the plug but these ones don't seem to. I don't know if it is the spark plugs are slightly wrong (ordered the correct ones) or if the leads are meant to basically sit on them, they certainly don't seem secure. I'll have to look into this more.
Pics!
It's in! (that's what I said!)
Bugger.
Resolved.
PAS, Alt., belts and starter on.
Various wires.
Belts, woooo.
Not sure if that black wire wants to join the red one or not...
And that's all for today. Not sure when I'll get to next make proper progress on the car really. I'll try to get more engine stuff in over the next few evenings as I'm eager to fire it up.
Ahem...nothing to see here.
Soldato
nice one
Depends what you think it is.
Have a proper video:
Once fuel got through the system by cranking it (I previously drained the fuel system), it fired up first time, not bad really and the noise....ohhh the noise.
I filmed the exhaust too with my phone but the noise over powered the mic on my phone so I haven't bothered uploading that one.
Runs fine though, initially it revved a little odd but it settled down to an idle and then I gave it a blip of throttle and then turned it off.
Currently it doesn't have any coolant so I didn't want to run it for longer than needed to circulate oil, fuel and fire it up. What surprised me though is that the previous video I uploaded of the engine when it was in the touring and only half an exhaust, it was about the same volume when running. This has the full exhaust system on and is such an awesome level of noise. Part of the noise level might be something to do with the fact the cab is in the garage and the touring was outside.
Have a proper video:
Once fuel got through the system by cranking it (I previously drained the fuel system), it fired up first time, not bad really and the noise....ohhh the noise.
I filmed the exhaust too with my phone but the noise over powered the mic on my phone so I haven't bothered uploading that one.
Runs fine though, initially it revved a little odd but it settled down to an idle and then I gave it a blip of throttle and then turned it off.
Currently it doesn't have any coolant so I didn't want to run it for longer than needed to circulate oil, fuel and fire it up. What surprised me though is that the previous video I uploaded of the engine when it was in the touring and only half an exhaust, it was about the same volume when running. This has the full exhaust system on and is such an awesome level of noise. Part of the noise level might be something to do with the fact the cab is in the garage and the touring was outside.
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Could have cleaned that engine up a little bit!
Nahhh, no point. I have a complete spare engine and I'll be cleaning up the rocker cover from that one and then the inlet too then I'll swap them over to this engine. The block it self is tidy enough, would be a huge amount of hassle for no real gain.
Just chucking in an update to say this is still being worked on. I've had a month or so of doing nothing on the car as I had various things on that have kept me away. I also got a bit 'meh' about it. With some potential changes in circumstances I now need to get this done asap or bin it. Given the amount of effort and time I've put in already I didn't fancy the latter but was still a bit 'meh' about it, thought 'get it moted, sell it'.
Until earlier this week when I checked over the engine and proceeded to flick the key, fired up on the first turn and....
DAT NOISE!!
So with that in mind, this past week after work I've been taking the brakes apart, ordering various new bits and generally going 'I need to get this done in a few weeks'.
So, I ordered:
Along with some other bits it needs...but it still needs loads more and shall be ordering new bits as and when I need them. I'm also discovering (as with all old car projects really) parts that need replacing when I go to replace one I've already ordered. For example, I'm in the process of sorting out the brake lines and have discovered that all of the bushes at the rear are just too far gone to ignore, so need to order those.
I doubt I'll be doing proper progress and work updates from now on really due to the fact I just need to get on and get the car road legal. Doing it like this does mean I'm going to be avoiding some bits of work until later (some areas of bodywork are going to have to wait).
I'll certainly provide an update once it passes an MOT and shall aim to attend a few meets next year if all goes well and I do keep it for some time.
Until earlier this week when I checked over the engine and proceeded to flick the key, fired up on the first turn and....
DAT NOISE!!
So with that in mind, this past week after work I've been taking the brakes apart, ordering various new bits and generally going 'I need to get this done in a few weeks'.
So, I ordered:
Along with some other bits it needs...but it still needs loads more and shall be ordering new bits as and when I need them. I'm also discovering (as with all old car projects really) parts that need replacing when I go to replace one I've already ordered. For example, I'm in the process of sorting out the brake lines and have discovered that all of the bushes at the rear are just too far gone to ignore, so need to order those.
I doubt I'll be doing proper progress and work updates from now on really due to the fact I just need to get on and get the car road legal. Doing it like this does mean I'm going to be avoiding some bits of work until later (some areas of bodywork are going to have to wait).
I'll certainly provide an update once it passes an MOT and shall aim to attend a few meets next year if all goes well and I do keep it for some time.