Buying Hella Lights Turned Into One Hell-of-a Adventure

[PeteD]

my suggestion:

tear it apart. its been sitting too long to have gaskets worth using in this time and era. this way you can know what is inside.

see the crank casting number
check the rods
check the pistons and bores
pull the head- send it to get tanked
new head gasket and upperbottom gaskets. check the rod bearings/mains, replace if needed

just because its been sitting forever does not mean you should just run it.

I admire your care for detail and desire to do things better than right the first time. Two big factors for that to happen are time and money - I think I'm patient enough to wait it out, I'll see if this is within my budget.

Great Story, seems like theres tons of these "Mikes" living out here in New England. Having had 6 e30s, I've had my share of experiences with friendly folks from all around here (I live closer to Boston, MA). As a matter of fact just yesterday night I happened to be picking up an IX Booster in an attempt to start bringing together some 24v parts, turns out the guy who was selling it lived in a similar dark and barren NH side road. The best part is, hes one of the few with a 1988 325ix and a functional s52 transplant sitting in his driveway. Ended up selling his original booster and went to manual brakes due to his intake manifold mayhem.
One of the best parts about these cars is the people you meet along the way, very cool.
Good luck with the engine findings! :up:

Did you buy the $40 booster from the person in Hampton? The community around here has been helpful and in large part encouraging - pleasant surprise.

[freeride53]

Cool read! More/thorough pictures would be nice.

[PeteD]

Cool read! More/thorough pictures would be nice.

Here you go.

I took these last night after my trip to Schneller. I talked to Mike Morris (owner of Schneller) at length yesterday. I wanted to learn more about this set-up from him since he used to work with Pete McHenry. He recalls that it will produce a lot of power and felt it would be happiest on the track. He suggested, like WanganStyle suggested, that I convert it to vanos. I've done a lot of research on this setup, (m50 stroker, because of the s50 block, with s50 exhaust cam and schrick intake cam) and it seems that with these cams the engine acts/feels like it has vanos. It allegedly dials in the power at 3,500 and pulls hard through 7,000. I would love a lopy, gurgling American Muscle sound under my e30 hood!

[PeteD]

I figured I'd resurrect this with a long overdue update. I hope some of you dudes are still lurking around here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE3HPN7o29c&list=UU3fiYOMvoM6kl6xLge9TCcw&index=1&feature=plcp

[roguetoaster]

Hadn't seen it before, but read through and enjoyed it. Glad you didn't end up locked in a cellar only to be eaten a la The Road. Thanks for taking the time more than a year ago.

[graveshaker]

Don't know how I missed this. Very entertaining read, you painted a very good picture of your evening I felt as if I was there. Keeps us updated!

[PeteD]

^ thanks guys. The dyno pull on post #64 is the update of the actual motor running strong. I suppose I'm skipping ahead in the story, but I'd figured I'd spare everybody of the story telling and fast forward to the end. It was quite the process and experience.

[Cletonius]

I figured I'd resurrect this with a long overdue update. I hope some of you dudes are still lurking around here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE3HP...1&feature=plcp

Cliffs for those of us who can't read the dyno screen?

Edit: post the curve?

[gtdragon980]

So the story about the engine was true! You got a really good deal with that man!

[timninja]

Scariest shit ive ever seen.

[reelizmpro]

Which Hella's did you buy? The rally lights or the ellipsoids?

[PeteD]

I'll try and find the print out tonight and post it. It put 200 to the wheels on 17lb injectors (maxed out) on an Autodyn dyno. I think with my bigger injectors it will go 220 to the wheels no problem.

Barry, I bought the ellipsoids from him.

[PeteD]

I went for a back road ride along the coast on Saturday and found myself in a familiar place – close to where I first uncovered the motor. I had Mike’s number saved, so I made a call to see if he was around. Per usual, he didn’t pick up the phone, so I left a message letting him know that I was in the area and wanted to stop by. Not long after he called back and said he was around.

As I approached Mike’s house, I pulled hard and loud past it. He was already out the door with a big grin on his face when I entered the driveway, dare I say, more shocked than last time (I also gave the car a facelift since he last saw it). His wife, not far behind, proclaimed: “The motor that was in my living room for two years is finally running!”

He looked it over, and I was just waiting for the criticism. But he didn’t have much to say. He noted the ugly exposed wiring harness (still a work in progress) and the untouched valve cover that he painted years ago. He talked to me about certain aspects of the swap until I interrupted him with “well, do you want to go for a ride or what?”

As Mike and my girlfriend got in the car, I said, now Mike just so you know, the diff is a 2.93. I fired it up, slowly pulled out of his bumpy rocky driveway and onto the road. I eased a few feet down the street and opened it up, first, second, third. He was just grinning, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe it. We cruised through some secondary roads and onto the highway. The entire time he was putting his hands all over the dash, the center console, in the corners of the floor; “nothing is vibrating” he said. “You are going 75mph and nothing is vibrating, I cannot believe how smooth it is.” I laughed as I recalled last time he was in the car he noted all sorts of shortcomings from subtle sounds and minor knocks.

When we got back, I asked if it was ok to take some pictures. The surrounding was much more agreeable in daylight. I didn’t get to take all of the angled shots I wanted, or of the inside of his shop with the magazine/newspaper cut outs of the old BMWs he actually worked on, but I did get a few decent pictures.

Building this car has been an amazing journey. I’m thrilled I finally got to show Mike a running and driving product. He genuinely appreciated it too.

[reelizmpro]

Haha, nice update. No pics of Mike??? damn. For a minute there I thought those were subwoofers in your front spoiler.

[PeteD]

Mike on the right of the picture. Yeah two six inch subs pointing out front. I'm a trend setter.