88 5spd Ix Touring help

[sam3]

We're restoring an 88 IxT and I can't figure out how the driveshaft gets reduced for removal, there's a coupling in front of the rear u-joint with a collar and some flats but it's pretty rusty and doesn't give any indication of how it might work. Car is euro-spec and definitely has a different DS than the 2 and 4 door Ix's.
It seems unlikely you'd have to remove the rear end to remove the shaft.
Thanks

[nando]

all ix driveshafts are the same - including your touring.

in the rear of the shaft is a large collar nut. you have to turn it so it moves towards the rear of the car (can't remember which direction, but try to clean up the threads so you can see them). with it loose you can push the shaft back towards the rear of the car and remove it.

[sam3]

Thank you. Figured it out today, we had to remove the diff to get the shaft out, apparently the collapsible coupling had failed (or they cut it) at some point and a shop had sleeved and welded it.
I'm not the owner, just tinkering at a buddy's shop, the owner has 25+ old bimmers, his favorites are the e30 Ix's with 8 or 9 examples. We've done ground ups on 3 of the ix's, but this is the first touring. Among other things, this car is getting power windows from manual, adding heated seats, and he wants Euro chrome bumpers in place of the plastics. I've been taking some pictures, should be an interesting project.

[Kvasi]

Chrome bumpers? Why make it look older than it is?

[sam3]

Chrome bumpers? Why make it look older than it is?

because that's what the owner likes, and he's writing the checks :)

[nando]

post pics of the ix collection :D

that thing must have been rusty as hell! never heard of a rear DS failure before. :(

[Kvasi]

post pics of the ix collection :D

Yeah, please do :)

Got an IX touring myself btw :)

[sam3]

some IX's and others

We did the white one first, the red one on the lift (behind the E2), then the black IS, the Nogaro I, and a beige E. The e28 M5 and an Alpine M3 are up after the (rusty) touring, there's an M6 around somewhere that's on the back burner. There's a Jet Black Ix I don't have a picture of.
Some of the IX's are parts cars, the DS one is going to be restored plus 2 e30 cabbys. Lotsa work.

[Kvasi]

That made me wanna hop on a plane..
E28 M5 is a seiously cool car. I want it :)

[sam3]

one less Ix

Parts car #1- gone.

[M-technik-3]

Was that the over priced touring that was for sale recently on Craigslist? Or was this the one from Nova Scotia that was for sale in Maine last year?

There was a metal bumper version of a touring for a brief time.

[sam3]

It came from Canada, the new owner brought it over and had it Federalized, I thought it came from western Canada, but I could be wrong.

[sam3]

Can someone point me toward whoever did the rear chrome bumper conversion (Nando?) on the IxT, I'd like some info on the mods and parts required.
Update: new fuel tank, all new lines, Ebrake cables, heated seat and PW harnesses in, I'll post some more pics soon.
Thanks

[sam3]

some progress

Tackling the worst of the rust first:




Car has new driveline,gas tank, fuel and brake lines, suspension, etc, time to start on the body work, fixing this gaping rocker hole tomorrow:



We have a relatively solid donor car that was front-ended.

[nando]

I'm pretty sure there was never a chrome bumper ix touring produced by BMW