Back in 2010, when I started this build, I knew nothing about cars, other than that I really liked them. I've come to realize that, given enough time, I can do anything.
I have learned to rebuild engines, sew interiors, wire electronics, do bodywork, weld exhausts and body panels and the list goes on.
It all started with this 1987 BMW 325i. I had been looking for something sporty, RWD and good aftermarket support, and I was rewarded with Clint Eastwood.
White on the outside, black and leathery on the inside.
I got the car, and drove it stock for a while. I started to browse this site, and a few others and the list of things I wanted to do with Clint grew daily.
First things first was to fix some of the rust on the front fenders, with a new fender and some art to justify the color difference. I quickly addressed the ride height with some H&R Sports and Bilstein Sport shocks.
I continued driving like this, with only a stereo install for a few months.
Then...disaster. The release bearing went. At this point I still knew nothing about car mechanics and figured this was out of my league. Luckily the previous owner has offered to fix any problems as long as I dropped parts with him. At the time, it seemed like a godsend.
Unfortunately, after 4.5 months of calling and calling, I finally drove to pick it up.
It was in terrible shape, worse then when I dropped it off.
The huge clutch kit I got wasn't even opened, only the release bearing was replaced. The centre support bearing was welded in, there were broken bolts, the exhaust was welded on, with holes on the top of the downpipe. Even the starter was shimmed weird and made a horrible racket. To top it all off, they had dropped my transmission and there was a large (3" across) hole in the bellhousing.
Needless to say, I was heartbroken. I drove the car back to Guelph for the summer and managed to find a family friend with a garage.
This was the biggest blessing, and here I would start to learn to do it myself, and right the first time.
Under the watchful eye of the resident Porsche fan boys, I redid the clutch job and learned to weld my exhaust. I got wheels for it, and swapped the diving boards to the nicer plastic bumpers.
Suddenly, more disaster.
At 130 km/h on the highway, my tire decided by itself that life wasn't worth living. Here the car's rust became apparent, and the weakening affect it had on the chassis.
Unfortunately, this car now did not line up with the goals I had for it and myself. The hunt began for another car.
Fairly quickly I found a car. I'm the 3rd owner, and this car has quite the history. It was originally owned by a couple in Florida. It was imported by them to Canada in 2001, but they never drove it. It sat there until they traded it in to a BMW dealer.
BMW Canada then traded it, with several other cars, for a 1970s 2002tii they wanted for the collection. It sat with a wholesaler for quite a few years, then was sold to a guy in Ottawa who tried to resurrect it (with no luck), after which it was sold to a body shop who moth balled it until I found it.
A week away from going to the junkyard, I rescued it and dragged it home, broken motor and seized brakes.
The first motor I found in Montreal, with a 1995 M3 steering rack for $500. The engine had 160,000kms on it, but it was pretty worse for wear.
The second motor was from a 1992 525i, which I needed for the oil pan. (it's required to clear the front subframe)
I promptly ripped it down to the block and started rebuilding. Some of the internals were cleaned up by a local machine shop here in Ottawa and all new gaskets, rings, covers and seals were used. I would consider it as comprehensive a rebuild as you can get! (I just don't have any photos of it!
)
I had been dreading it, but it was time to start wiring. I have never liked electricity, but it was time to learn. After pouring through 1980s factory electrical schematics for the car, I found myself here.
In the mean time, I managed to pick up my favourite steering wheel, the Nardi Torino. It came out of an old Triumph in Japan.
Here is where I dismantled Clint. Even typing this out makes me sad, that car was just fantastic. I really did bond with it.
With the help of a friend, I chopped it up and stuffed it in the back of his pick up truck. Most of his parts were boxed up, but we waved goodbye to the shell and sent it off to be recycled.
Here lies Clint Eastwood.
1987-2012
Friend, lover, car.
I have learned to rebuild engines, sew interiors, wire electronics, do bodywork, weld exhausts and body panels and the list goes on.
It all started with this 1987 BMW 325i. I had been looking for something sporty, RWD and good aftermarket support, and I was rewarded with Clint Eastwood.
White on the outside, black and leathery on the inside.
First things first was to fix some of the rust on the front fenders, with a new fender and some art to justify the color difference. I quickly addressed the ride height with some H&R Sports and Bilstein Sport shocks.
I continued driving like this, with only a stereo install for a few months.
Then...disaster. The release bearing went. At this point I still knew nothing about car mechanics and figured this was out of my league. Luckily the previous owner has offered to fix any problems as long as I dropped parts with him. At the time, it seemed like a godsend.
Unfortunately, after 4.5 months of calling and calling, I finally drove to pick it up.
It was in terrible shape, worse then when I dropped it off.
The huge clutch kit I got wasn't even opened, only the release bearing was replaced. The centre support bearing was welded in, there were broken bolts, the exhaust was welded on, with holes on the top of the downpipe. Even the starter was shimmed weird and made a horrible racket. To top it all off, they had dropped my transmission and there was a large (3" across) hole in the bellhousing.
Needless to say, I was heartbroken. I drove the car back to Guelph for the summer and managed to find a family friend with a garage.
This was the biggest blessing, and here I would start to learn to do it myself, and right the first time.
Under the watchful eye of the resident Porsche fan boys, I redid the clutch job and learned to weld my exhaust. I got wheels for it, and swapped the diving boards to the nicer plastic bumpers.
Suddenly, more disaster.
At 130 km/h on the highway, my tire decided by itself that life wasn't worth living. Here the car's rust became apparent, and the weakening affect it had on the chassis.
Unfortunately, this car now did not line up with the goals I had for it and myself. The hunt began for another car.
Fairly quickly I found a car. I'm the 3rd owner, and this car has quite the history. It was originally owned by a couple in Florida. It was imported by them to Canada in 2001, but they never drove it. It sat there until they traded it in to a BMW dealer.
BMW Canada then traded it, with several other cars, for a 1970s 2002tii they wanted for the collection. It sat with a wholesaler for quite a few years, then was sold to a guy in Ottawa who tried to resurrect it (with no luck), after which it was sold to a body shop who moth balled it until I found it.
A week away from going to the junkyard, I rescued it and dragged it home, broken motor and seized brakes.
TIME FOR SOME SWAPS.
NOT LIKE THAT!! More like...M50TUB25. (two of them)
NOT LIKE THAT!! More like...M50TUB25. (two of them)
The first motor I found in Montreal, with a 1995 M3 steering rack for $500. The engine had 160,000kms on it, but it was pretty worse for wear.
The second motor was from a 1992 525i, which I needed for the oil pan. (it's required to clear the front subframe)
I promptly ripped it down to the block and started rebuilding. Some of the internals were cleaned up by a local machine shop here in Ottawa and all new gaskets, rings, covers and seals were used. I would consider it as comprehensive a rebuild as you can get! (I just don't have any photos of it!
)I had been dreading it, but it was time to start wiring. I have never liked electricity, but it was time to learn. After pouring through 1980s factory electrical schematics for the car, I found myself here.
In the mean time, I managed to pick up my favourite steering wheel, the Nardi Torino. It came out of an old Triumph in Japan.
Here is where I dismantled Clint. Even typing this out makes me sad, that car was just fantastic. I really did bond with it.
With the help of a friend, I chopped it up and stuffed it in the back of his pick up truck. Most of his parts were boxed up, but we waved goodbye to the shell and sent it off to be recycled.
Here lies Clint Eastwood.
1987-2012
Friend, lover, car.
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