When 'restoring' your E30...order process..

[BeirBrennerE30]

I can go into pages and pages of detail if you want.

ok... go... no seriously...

[Van Westervelt]

the 24v motors look like they belong in our cars. feel like it too. :)

[2Big4a3Series]

First determine whether you want to do a full restoration or if you just want to clean it up and make it look good and run good. After that I think you ought to put most of your effort into the powertrain. That way if you run into a situation where your engine and/or trans is giving you more trouble than its worth, you won't have the heartache of having invested a fortune in the bodywork.

[Eviltwin]

i disagree with the engine choice. reliability, power wise you cannot go wrong with a basic unmodded m50. and for the price you would pay for a properly built m20 you could have one serious m50. theres a member on here with a s50 swap and has logged 30000 miles in the last year with not one issue yet.

but if youre speaking of car shows etc and originality, keeping the m20 obviously would work better.

agree with you 100%...if I was going to start up with M50/M52, I'd go straight to an' M52 due to lower mileage, obd2 etc etc...

but like i've mentionned before, trying to keep it "stockish" looking.

I'm not out to win any dorifto race wars.

[Eviltwin]

Hey Klunt its KENIKA.

aren't you the fellow who rattlecans engines and calls it 'fully built'?




I like the idea of a 20% buffer over assumed cost- I'll keep that in thought

[TDE30]

You need to be banned from threads with "Restore" in the title.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

[smonkbmw]

I was clever with the fonts.

i disagree with the engine choice. reliability, power wise you cannot go wrong with a basic unmodded m50. and for the price you would pay for a properly built m20 you could have one serious m50. theres a member on here with a s50 swap and has logged 30000 miles in the last year with not one issue yet.

but if youre speaking of car shows etc and originality, keeping the m20 obviously would work better.

[blunttech]

Hey Klunt its KENIKA.

i dont care enough to get it right. eat a warm can of blunt cum

[Farbin Kaiber]

Just add 20% to begining budget. And whatever is left over out of that chunk in the end is what you pay yourself for labor. I'd bet you'll be left with 5-7% at the end. Nuts and bolts add up.

On the cars I "restored" at my old shop, I'd budget in 20% and inform the customer as such. At the end of the project, the customer would be happy to either write me a smaller check, or get one back from me at the end.

[Jon325i]

In addition to James' points, I would say to keep a flexible budget. Chances are that along the way something will be discovered or a process may be more involved than you originally thought. Come to think of it, chuck the whole budget idea out the window. This is a labor of love, not a money making venture.

Jon

[Turf1600]

Hey Klunt its KENIKA.

You need to be banned from threads with "Restore" in the title.

[kenika65]

you may want to consult kenrika for paint tips before starting

Hey Klunt its KENIKA.

[StereoInstaller1]

1. Swap parts until happy with drivetrain and suspension.

2. Remove said drivetrain, paint under hood, pretty up wiring (as possible) etc.

3. Now, the big question: Lots of shops won't do body/paint if the car won't move under its own power...so, drop drivetrain back in (if necessary) and do exterior.

4. New glass

5. New interior.

[Eviltwin]

I was clever with the fonts.

Step 1: Locate large amounts of money, don't be a cheapass. These cars are not inexpensive to restore, never (at any point) think they are!

I'm on that allready- took me over 2 yrs to find the 'right' E30 to tackle...I've owned 2 allready...this one is the champ'een candidate.
I've got a little more than $4000 just for body alone..I'm not putting any gawdy body kits or add ons...apart from mtech 1 valance/rear apron.
Otherwise I want a quality OEM 'look'. even going with the same color.

My current roadblock is to find the RIGHT shop to do it...

Step 2: Do it right, or don't do it at all! Going to remove the engine? Look at EVERY seal, rubber hose, clip, belt, etc that is going to be in front of you and replace them.

Doing it right is the challenge I'm up to- I'm being absolutely anal about everything...I'm generally not a patient person, but i'll learn to be with this one...I owe it to myself.

Step 3: Make a part list, follow it, and LIVE in realoem.. Make a list and determine order from there.

This is where the 2.7 stroker has more of an appeal over the m30/m50...whereas it doesn't produce as much power as either of these powerplants, I think it'd be the most "workable" engines for me, in terms of reliability and stability.

Step 4: It will take longer then you have planned, deal with it.

My goal isn't this summer...it's the Summer of 2009 for complettion.
Not looking for any shortcuts, i'm looking to do this right, and as best as I can.

my father in law does a few carshows a year with his '71 454 Cutlass...theres always a couple euro-guys in the show with some nice 2002's and a few 635 CSI's...I think it'd be nice to have a nice example of a 24 year old fresh E30 in the lineup;)



I can go into pages and pages of detail if you want.

[Lurker27]

If the car is in driving condition, I'd do the small things first. That way you start to bring out the pride/modding bug, and it makes it more special when you do the swap...Or something.