Calypsorat 325is(orta), manual everything, Spain->AZ->SoCal

[Vincent Brick]

Random numbers:

~250k miles in 25 years
I am the 8th owner
It has had 2 engines
A total of 4 cylinder heads
3, maybe 4 differentials
At least 3 transmissions
At least 4 clutches
At least 4 drivers seats
At least 3 steering wheels
2 different interior colors
2 sets of Billys and a set of Konis

[2mAn]

updates?

[potatomash]

I have 3mm spacers up front for thr E21 Alpina wheels to clear the E30 calipers, so I thought some 10mm spacers would help flushen-up the rear. Not only are my fenders not quite rolled enough....


...the centers broke right out of them!



I still might need a spacer back there, but still trying to achieve close to 0 camber in rear, which is a whole other story we are about to get to.

Where did you buy those from I had a pair do the exact same

[Vincent Brick]

Where did you buy those from I had a pair do the exact same

Ebay from a local seller here near San Diego, but opposite side of the city so I still had them shipped. They took them back no questions asked. I still need to try another slightly smaller set, I still feel like my rears are a bit too sunk. I need some 3mm or some 5s.

updates?

I've just been driving it. Bad seal on the oil cap so I replaced it last week and cleaned the valve cover, but that's about it since the last update. It runs great, a buddy who has spent a lot of time around E30s/E28s rode in it recently and was shocked how strong it felt. I was driving it 400 miles a week, but now currently do not have regular employment so it is not even being driven every day. The chassis probably has almost 250k miles on it now, the engine just behind.

I still have an issue where the car doesn't want to run during extended driving in temps above 115F. Coolant stays chill, but the car sputters and dies, reeking of stale gas, 20 minutes then it will go a little wile further and die again. Its strange and impossible to duplicate without crazy high desert temps. I'm guessing AFM (IAT), some sort of vapor recovery issue like a collapsing line or failing purge solenoid, or maybe just a failing fuel pump since it is about the only major component on the car I have not changed or otherwise serviced.

I also may need to find a good lower drivers sport seat frame as mine rocks a little at the front pivot, and these seats only had the bolsters replaced and it's going to to probably need to have the still-factory centers and knee bolsters redone before too long. The redone bolsters are nice and recent, so it shouldn't be too big of a deal from a kit and forum DIYs. I hope....



Long term goals are BAR-legal S50/S52 swap and to do a full cosmetic glass-out resto in original calypso. Paint, bodywork, replace much of the trim, powdercoat shadowline, door handles and other trim, new window seals, weatherstrips, pop-out conversion. Nothing crazy like engine-out or probably not even door jambs, but I would really want to do my own disassembly and reassembly, not wanting much at all masked.

[Vincent Brick]

I just looked at the pics from when I first got the car and it made me sad. The hood actually had a gloss back then, now half of the horizontal surfaces are missing clearcoat. If I didn't think the paint would just immediately get destroyed I would consider selling my Alpinas for some cheap shit and trying to get it sprayed. I could have it wrapped for $1k if it didn't need so much bodywork.

[Dj Buttchug]

badass car dude. always loved lypso

[Vincent Brick]

Finally added some 5mm spacers to the rear since those 10s were too big. It has 3s in the front to clear the calipers so it kinda needed these to even it out. Its subtle but I can notice and it helps.




Yeah its dirty as fuck, between the dirt from the new neighborhood going in at the end of my street and how bad my paint has gotten I've kinda halfway given up on keeping the exterior clean.

[delatlanta1281]

good read love the car

[Vincent Brick]

Thanks, glad I'm not just stroking myself by posting this shit. :)

Next on the list is to repaint the black that is wearing off of the rear valance, and I may try to feather in the flaking clearcoat with some 2000-grit and wax it heavy, see if I can get some sort of gloss even if it looks funny from the missing clearcoat. Maybe it will keep it from getting worse.

[Vincent Brick]

Turns out I was getting a little rubbing still with the 5s, despite the lips already being rolled some. That just meant I got to learn how to use a fender roller tonight, which turns out to be super easy. Its really nice to have a buddy at a proper BMW repair/race shop with a chill owner who lets me use tools and lifts and things.

[Vincent Brick]

Now to ask a question if anyone out there knows.... When one really tries to flush out the rear of a late E30, how do they deal with those little humps up in the wells above the lip? That is actually where it seems a lot of my rubbing was coming from. I may have massaged those humps some while rolling, I wonder if you can really hit those with the roller too, but I didn't want to go too far so I was gentle.

When I have the paint done eventually I may try and have a body guy massage those humps out for more clearance.

[ak-]

I ground them down with a cutting wheel, which will create a hole, then put a piece of mesh over it followed by JB weld, that sticks to the mesh, to keep water out.

Long time ago I tried hammering one side in as careful as possible and created a minor outward dent, so I'd be careful if that's what you want to do.

[Vincent Brick]

Sweet, good heads up. I imagine cutting them out them a little seam sealer and paint would suffice too.

[litu]

Cool project, that e30 looks awesome...
That color is epic, keep those updates coming

[Vincent Brick]

Not much to update, I am hesitant to call the car my daily driver anymore as I only drive 2-3 times a week, but it's my only car so I suppose that is accurate enough. I forget the exact figure, but I have put very few miles on it over the last few months, compared to the 400 miles a week I did in it for a couple years.

It is now due for an oil change and valve adjustment after a successful 600 mile round trip across the desert to Lake Havasu City. It did give me a little bit of trouble immediately after this photo was taken on the trip home, would start and immediately die, but after a few tries and some throttle it got going and no more troubles. Started it back up after getting home no problem. I have been having a stuck injector issue at startup when sitting for a few days in cold weather, but it always clears right up in ~30 seconds, my last car (not an E30) would do the exact same thing, so haven't been shook. Not sure if this was related, instead of the stuck injector sputter it just kinda died. Didn't do it when I got home and tried it though, oh well.

Tell 'em Large Marge sent ya!