E30 from Ukraine - "Shadow of Intelligence"

[The_Glory]

[b]Build_05. Preparation of parts - rear calipers, head restraints, etc. [/ b]

I continue to prepare the details.
The starter was overhauled two years ago, it works fine, so it was just washed / cleaned and painted.



Painted with aluminum-zinc paint APP.



It turned out beautifully, but in fact, it's kind of like not paint, but primer. It says on it that it can be covered with any paints. What if you leave it like that? It's all the same type, like a zinc coating ... I really like the color and texture. I even thought of painting all the aluminum parts on the motor like this.
I also tried it on sound signals - it also looks great.





When I bought an additional fuel tank, at the same time in the same place, I bought a few more necessary parts:
- the thermostat housing, since the thread was broken on mine in one hole, so I put the nut.
- a whole plastic shield with a bracket in the rear right arch, since a corner was broken on mine and there was no bracket
- a whole (!!) metal shield for tank ventilation hoses in the rear right arch - this is generally an artifact!



And with these details, I noticed an interesting thing - according to the ETK, each of them has one number, but in fact the details have significant differences!
Thermostat housing for M20. Now I have three of them. All three bear the same number 1 265 055.



My one on the far left, with the stamp of 85-86 - without "extra" holes and plugs. But, as I said above, one thread on it is damaged, so I bought another case with whole threads a long time ago, but I never changed it. He is on the far right in the photo. I did not like the "plugs" in the form of bolts on the two additional holes. I don’t know why they were, maybe there were some kind of hoses for the “Jetronic”. Although it is stamped 90-91 years. But somehow not aesthetically pleasing) The third case with the same number, and the stigma of 81-82, but there are even more differences - the sensors are slightly shifted, and there is also a third sensor instead of one plug. The sensor is interesting - not just a temperature one, but also with some kind of "timer". Breaks into the "sharks" - I wonder what he is for?
In general, under one number, in fact three different parts.

Next is a metal shield in the arch. According to the ETC, it has only one number 16 13 1 179 011. Mine rotted into dust, but the remnants of its fasteners remained - 6 studs. I bought a slightly less rotten guard and it ended up being 4 studs. On my donor part from the touring there were also 4 studs, on the forum I also found information about four studs ... Well, I think it means that it seemed to me about 6 studs ... and 4 pieces were welded to me on this shield. And then I accidentally find this almost perfect whole shield, and it has 6 studs! Here they are both:



Judging by the photo, the front part with 4 studs is inserted into the tube, and with 6 studs it is pressed with two more nuts over the tube. Damn... and now I have 4 studs and a shield for 6 studs... and how to fix it now is not clear... cook the studs? It's fucked up with these numbers! ))

Next is a plastic shield in the arch. Since the metal one differs in width and in its rear part, the plastic shields under the same number 1 176 748 are also different! The difference is in the width of the cutout for the metal shield.



My old broken one was under the shield for 6 studs, and the new one for 4. Again, out of place! )
In general, these are trifles, but they add crap during assembly! Be careful, if so! ;)

Thanks to a friend, I now have such beautiful rear calipers:





Thanks again!
I will paint later, when my hands reach the front ones.

Another thanks to a friend for exchanging my "spare" headrests for his houndstooth headrests in excellent condition. Now I have four of them. Someday, I hope, I will collect the whole goose puzzle! )))



And now about the Chinese things)))
I also bought a cover for the car - my garage is very dusty, and the assembly will take a long time) ... I think it will not be superfluous. I took it with a soft cotton lining - it was so in the description) In fact - there is a lining, but they obviously greatly exaggerated about its softness and cottoniness))
Another occasion bought a new emblem with clips and a set of "blades" for clips. Logically, they should have been bought before disassembly, but better late than never)
Well, at the same time, a key strap is probably a handy thing in the summer, when there are not enough pockets in jeans))





P.S.
Today I almost finished the "repair" in the garage and put things in order there) At least some benefit from quarantine! )

[The_Glory]

S850 Additional tank (part 2)

Recently, about 11 years ago)), I already wrote about this option on my machine.
An additional fuel tank was installed as an option on the E30 up to 87 years old with M20 engines, and on M3.
This is the option I have. On the dashboard there is a "display meter" with a scale for 2 tanks, not the same as everyone else - there is a two-part scale, and there is no graduation in liters:



The arrow shows for the most part of the scale a full main tank of 55 liters (in the photo, just almost full). And the second, smaller part of the scale is for an additional 15l tank. In total, the total volume is 70 liters. good stock)
The additional tank naturally has its own level sensor. I just had it in my trunk.



Wiring, of course, under this all also has its own. I didn't have a tank. Googling, I found his photo. It is placed behind the partition of the trunk.



I already have a ski bag there, a rear brace, so after weighing the pros and cons, I decided that I didn’t really need this tank. So I didn't really look for it. There were several options, but either far, or very expensive, or both together) And just the other day, I did buy this tank. Very close, and as it turned out, even a teammate. In new condition - the same as the main tank.
The set includes a tank, a double filler neck and its sealing gum, a level sensor with a connector.









The tank has a special shape for the slope of the trunk partition and its ribs.





Filler neck for two tanks, and, accordingly, with two ventilation outlets. Compared to stock:



Double neck with a metal check valve, unlike my usual one.



For this tank, all the trunk linings are different, except for the rear. Carpet included. This is the problem - I don’t have them, and I have never seen them for sale ... The price of new ones is not encouraging, and only the front is available ...





Maybe I’ll buy it, but the side panels and the carpet can be cut, as a last resort ... we’ll see ...
Here you can see how they look on the M3:



And now the main problem... This is the rare case when the original BMW factory option is installed not with a "bolt-on", but with an additional hemorrhoid! You can see it clearly in the next photo:



Firstly, in the body you need to drill a large hole for the filler neck, since I did not see the plugs there.
Secondly, four corners need to be welded to the floor of the trunk - two for attaching the tank, and two for attaching the skin.
Thirdly, two more brackets for attaching the tank and trim need to be welded onto the trunk bulkhead.
Considering that I will only have a car from painting, there is no particular desire to do all of the above ... therefore, I don’t know ... maybe this tank will remain in the garage, purely for a collection of rarities .... or maybe not .. .we will think .... we will see ...
But the valve in the neck should be! I will change mine to a stock neck with a valve. By the way, I found such a thing in the ETK - 16 11 1 180 157. Despite the mysterious name "Lead-free insert" - this is a plastic valve that is inserted into the neck.



Was put on cars with a catalyst. It turned out that he would not fit into the usual neck. There must be welded a special metal ring for this valve. Although according to the ETK numbers, these necks are the same.
Still on the topic of tanks - in the course of searching, I found a photo of a rare early E30 tank /#1176250_1]16 11 1 176 250[/url]) - were placed only until September 1983. It looks smaller (on the right), but according to the ETK it is 58 liters. On the left, normal for pre-restyled (55l)



P.S.
Taking advantage of the availability of free time, I bring at least some kind of "beauty" in the garage, otherwise I don’t want to put a beautifully painted car in such trash)))

[The_Glory]

Bucket and rag

Despite the name, the topic is not about a dead car with a fabric interior)
And even, not about washing the car)))

The topic is about quite rare things.
For a long time I have already seen a useful thing in the catalog of accessories for the E30 - a round niche in the spare wheel for any small things (82 12 9 413 175).







The spare wheel is turned "face" down, and a plastic "bucket" is installed inside the disk, which is pressed by the standard spare wheel mount, and, in fact, presses the spare wheel. This, of course, is not as cool as a canister in a spare wheel, but for that it is very practical - now you can use the empty volume of the spare wheel niche and put all small things there.
This is a universal accessory, so it was available for other models of those years - they are listed on the label in the first photo. In 1996, it was replaced by a similar niche, but without a partition (71 11 1 092 276) for E36, E46.
But the ETK gives a "blessing" for its installation and for older machines;)
Can be installed when replacing on an older vehicle
Old part 71 11 9 413 175

http://bmw-autocats.ru/parts-catalog/71111092276/

Therefore, when I saw this niche for sale, I looked at the ETK and bought it. It seems that it should be "correct" for the E30 too)









I tried it on, and then it turned out that it’s not so suitable for the E30 ... at least not on all wheels.
To begin with, we put on a stock spare tire with a metal disk 5Jx14 ET35 - it does not fit in diameter.



Stock metric TRX 365x150TD ET35 - also does not fit in diameter.



O.Z. KING (ALPINA look) 7Jx15 ET13 - slightly out of reach.



BORBET A 7.5Jx16 ET20 - almost fits in... a bit lacking depth of departure...



BORBET A 9Jx16 ET15 - fit! )



It will be necessary to try it on in the car - maybe it will fit with 15 ", the main thing is that it doesn’t rest against the trunk carpet. I just have this wheel for a spare tire. Or look for a spare tire 9 ") We'll see ...
I also saw somewhere that later versions of such a niche from E46 are installed - it completely covers the spare wheel.





But maybe, you also need to measure ...

With the "bucket" clarified - now a rag! )
All models from E12 to E38 could be equipped with a polishing cloth (71 11 1 115 810).

http://bmw-autocats.ru/parts-catalog/71111115810/

It is a soft square napkin in pale blue with the BMW logo in the lower left corner.





The last years of production, its color was more bright blue, and the BMW logo is drawn a little differently - with a fill in a circle.



This napkin was not expensive, but has long been discontinued, and is not available for order. When used for its intended purpose, it wore out and was thrown away like a regular rag. Therefore, now, original napkins are extremely rare, and even in the state of "rags" they cost a lot of money. I met on Ibee for 100 euros or bucks, I don’t remember exactly. Overkill, in my opinion)
In general, I bought a "replica")) I am not very good at different fakes, but if the "replica" is not inferior in all properties and qualities, and corresponds to the original - and is absolutely 100% copy - then this is quite acceptable. I think so ... In this case, it is - a great cloth! ;)







Now I will have two "replicas" on my car - black headlights "hella black" made by hand, similar to the original, and this rag! :)

P.S.
Next time I will write about another very rare rarity - the original one;)

[The_Glory]

Body repair_26. Development

I can't stand Kirkorov and his songs, but today my mood color is blue! )))
The fact is that today suddenly) the painter called and said - come see the color! I dropped everything and ran! ))
She's already blue! )



The inside is also blue.







The beauty! Walked around her for 20 minutes with an idiotic smile! ))





nice under the hood







The long-suffering roof is even and beautiful)



The bottom is also now with a light blue))



In general, the result of the preparation is excellent - the development did not show any jambs. Literally a couple of small points need to be corrected under the hood and on the thresholds. The painter and I are happy! ) It will "settle" for a few days, and next week it is planned to finish painting.
It's just blue developing acrylic. I finally saw the final color today live on such a "sample"))



The sun is the bomb! Beautiful color - I'm happy with my choice! ;) But let's wait for the final result, then I'll post it in all its beauty, so to speak! )

[The_Glory]

Build_04. Adsorber

Slowly I continue to prepare the parts for assembly. Today we will talk about a very important detail. Very important for the environment!
To comply with the environmental standards of the 80s of the last century "Euro 2", in addition to the exhaust gas catalyst, an adsorber was also installed in the tank ventilation system. What it is, and how it works in theory and in practice, is described very well and in detail on the Internet.
And in short - this is an activated carbon filter that prevented gasoline vapors from entering the atmosphere. These vapors were collected in the expansion tank, and with the help of a special valve, they entered the intake manifold and were burned. The adsorber is installed (only on E30 with a catalyst) under the hood, near the fuel filter on the left side member. Although, it is considered "eternal", and cannot be replaced according to the regulations, but for 35 years, it certainly got tired) Therefore, I decided to restore it. Ecology is our everything! )
I stripped off the remnants of paint, cleaned it of rust, treated it with a rust converter



At the bottom there was once foam rubber, but it turned into dust. The grid is fixed with core notches in four places. Besides, it's still rusty. Therefore, I had to savagely, but carefully, pick out the grille with a thin screwdriver.



Felt pad under the grate. We take it out and see the same activated carbon.



We pour it out - it stinks, of course, strongly!



Moreover, the one above is darker and even more smelly. Small granules, different shades of black and gray - apparently from the degree of contamination ...



Inside we see a cap with a mesh and another felt pad. We take out the cap, then the rubber ring, then the gasket.



What to do with coal? Change, of course! Gas mask filters are very suitable for this. Buying them is not a problem, although, for example, mine turned out to be already produced in 1967 - apparently, they were well stocked in case of a nuclear war! )



We cut the body in a circle, take out the filter cloth, make an incision in the grid and pour out the coal.



One large filter was not enough. We cut a small one - it turned out to have a different design, and coal fell immediately from the cut.



By the way, based on the design, the filtration quality of a large filter will be better. Granules of Soviet coal are smaller than German)



The case was cleaned from the inside, primed and painted, the felt pads were washed, the mesh cap was washed.



Assemble in reverse order. I blew the body and mesh, put a felt pad, put on a rubber ring with a cap. We check that the cap is held and does not fall out.



Throw in new charcoal. Just enough coal from one large and one small filter. If you take large, then you need two, if small, then five pieces.



We insert the lower felt pad and the grate into place, crimp along the edge with pliers, and re-kern at the same four points. The paint was a little damaged, so I had to tint the bottom.



We insert a new foam rubber and press it with the legs.



As a result, we get a practically new adsorber, again ready to fight for the environment within the framework of Euro 2! )
How do you like that, Greta Thunberg!? ))))))



Well, all the other components of this ecosystem are also ready for installation - an expansion tank, a valve and an adsorber.



I will buy new hoses and pipes along with fuel ones. I will write about this separately later.

P.S.
I bought a few more rarities, about them next time! ;)

[The_Glory]

[B] Double vacuum brake booster E30 (325ix) [/ B]

Literally before I dismantled the car, some problems began with the vacuum booster - I don’t remember exactly, but it seemed that the engine speed started to jump when braking. I then did not begin to understand, and postponed it until the moment of assembly. And now, this moment is already kind of close) Therefore, I decided to just change the vacuum brake booster, since I always didn’t really like its “racing” red color) And in general, he is already very tired. After reading laudatory reviews about the installation of a double vacuum brake booster, I decided, since I have to change, why not put a double one. Although, they usually put it when replacing motors with more modern and powerful ones, but for me it's just such a small "upgrade". Usually they put a vacuum brake booster from newer bodies of the 5th or 7th series. To do this, you need to shorten the stem and cut the thread on it, as well as drill the mounting holes in the body. After painting, I absolutely did not want to drill the body. Therefore, I decided to look for a double vacuum brake booster specifically for the E30. According to the ETK, it was installed only on restyled (after 87) all-wheel drive models 325ix - 34 33 1 161 486. By applicability, the same vacuum brake booster was installed on the E34 M30B30, M5 S38B36, E32 M30B30, and E32 M30B35:

http://bmw-autocats.ru/parts-catalog/34331161486/

This expands the search circle a little, since there are not so many E30 Xs, even restyled ones, and even more so during disassembly. But I was lucky - I found a vacuum brake booster from the E30 325ix. Without thinking twice, I decided to take. There were difficulties with delivery, but thanks to a long-time clubmate E30 YarikM3, everything was resolved - Yarik, thank you! )
Well, actually, I have it.



E30 325ix - and there would be no doubt! )



The manufacturer is not ATE, like my stock one, but Girling.



The sticker is torn off, but there are some marks with red paint, maybe factory ones ...



Brake master cylinder, of course, for ABS, with two outlets.



One exit at an angle, but it will not be difficult to bend the tube. The thread is the same as mine. The connector on the reservoir lid is different, but also not critical - either I will put my own lid on, or I will replace the connector on the wiring if the ATE lid does not fit.
Another difference is in the location of the vacuum hose, it is from different sides, but this is also not at all important - you still need to replace it.



Double is smaller in diameter, but more voluminous, and lighter in weight.



And now, the most important thing.
The distance from the mounting plane to the hole on the rod is the same - i.e. no need to cut the stem and cut the thread on it!





And the best part is that the distance between all four studs is also the same (I measured it with a caliper both along the perimeter and along the diagonals) - that is, a “bolt-on” is placed, without picking the engine shield!





I hope this "upgrade" will have a noticeable effect. Let's see. But we still need to bring beauty, clean / paint.


P.S.
By the way, while I am thoroughly preparing to restore beauty in everything - with my brother they made it from improvised means and materials, sandblasting.



And almost finished making a camera for him.



But the power of my co///Mpressor turned out to be clearly not enough for sandblasting, even despite the fact that I covered it with BMW emblems and M-stripes)))



Therefore, we had to go further - we bought a more powerful compressor.



And again, improvised tools found in the basement came in handy - an old 200-liter hydraulic accumulator and a 3-phase electric motor.



It remains to assemble - I think it should be the norm and sandblast and paint. But more on that when it all works... I hope... )

P.P.S.
As for painting the car, in connection with this global global ass and quarantine, I don’t even know what to expect in terms of timing and in general .... ((

[The_Glory]

Documentation folder

It often happens that rarities are found and bought absolutely spontaneously and by chance) So this time - the other day somewhere in the comments there was a conversation about regular folders for documentation. I never had it in the E30, just as there was no factory documentation - all the instructions and manuals were lost somewhere in the years .... I have long wanted to assemble such a kit, but somehow put it off for later. Well, taking this opportunity, it was useful to study this issue - according to ETK 2009, two folders were available for European E30 (except M3) - leatherette (01 40 0 031 561) and fabric (01 40 0 031 560). They make their way to the E32. In the more recent ETK, for the E30, another version of the folder breaks through - a newer one. Therefore, apparently, all the same, the folders were not tied to a specific model or body, but simply updated after a certain period of time, went to all models, and could still differ, depending on the market. I think so... Therefore, photos of different versions of these folders are googled by the same number. In general, according to some kind of logic, I found a photo of the oldest options, of those that were - and miraculously, the same folder was found for sale at a flea market at a low price)) Although, it looked so-so, but I bought it, certainly! )
I washed it, treated it with a leather cleaner / conditioner - and it turned out like new;)







As far as I understand, the "ribbed" bend was on the older versions. So, we can say that this folder is ideologically correct for the E30! )) Although on it, except for the BMW logo, there is no original ETK number. For that, there is such an interesting inscription:
BRITISH PATENT 2312185



I don’t know what exactly Britain patented there, but photos of similar folders for other car brands are googled by this number)
Bonus, along with the folder, got a card for the head unit code. Very handy, since I recently received an instruction manual for the radio.



Moreover, it turned out so well - the card turned out to be from the same radio as my instruction - BUSINESS RDS. And no one put a code on it - I'll write my own code, and there will be feng shui! ))





There is a start, now you need to collect the entire set of documentation and put it in a folder - for order! )



P.S.
The same seller had a whole "mass" battery cable in stock, which no one wanted to sell to me separately from the kit - in general, I was lucky! )
And soon I will have another rarity for the E30;)

[The_Glory]

[b] Body repair_25. Preparing the body for painting - putty, primer [/ b]

So, a month has passed, but it has not yet come to painting ...
But the body is already ready for it - it is finally one color, and it already looks beautiful! )





Seam sealant is laid everywhere, everything is puttied, and blown on top with soil, or rather "liquid putty", which will be rubbed to obtain perfectly flat surfaces, and covered with soil.











After that, the control "development", and if everything is smooth and beautiful - finally painting. Soon.... I hope...)

P.S.
Today I bought a new trunk seal, and new front brake lines. Fuel and brake rear, probably, I will make to order. The price of new original ones, as for me, is too much - they seem to be golden ... I also thought about a vacuum brake booster ... can I put a double one from E32? ... since mine still needs to be replaced ...

[The_Glory]

Build_03. Preparation of parts under the bottom

Slowly buying missing parts, and parts that need replacement. According to my plan, first of all I prepare everything that is placed under the bottom - suspension, tank, pipes, all protective shields and soundproofing. But I didn’t start from point 1, but from 4 - it just so happened - since I already sold my old coilovers, and I haven’t quite decided what to put in replacements .... most likely, there will be Eibach Pro-Kit springs, but I still don’t know about the front shock absorbers ... it would be logical to put the same B6 as in the back, but their price is not encouraging .... we’ll see ... Tips and comments on this matter are welcome;)
But back to point 4 - everything that is whole and beautiful is cleaned and washed. I was looking for the rest in the best possible condition, and I have already bought almost everything:





- a tank before restyling of 55 liters, in a state of almost new. There is a question - are there tank fillers with a "valve" inside on the E30? I just have a pipe, but I heard that there is also a valve ...
- muffler thermal shield, absolutely no corrosion
- battery tray - finally, my battery will be properly fixed (by the way, I’ll buy another mounting pin with a bar, and a plastic shield on the arch)
- whole front wheel arch liners (I also bought the front fenders of the arches, it is possible without air ducts)
- noise insulation of the motor shield. For a long time I was looking for her in a normal state .... and to no avail. The price of a new one is too high. And today I was lucky - I bought it, moreover, in Kyiv, in excellent condition, and the left and right parts are generally new!





Taking this opportunity, I also bought excellent sound insulation for a torpedo.



Mine is all torn, and although it is not visible, I don’t want to put this). And this, for contrast, is my old engine shield soundproofing)))



I also bought a whole rear ABS sensor and an internal door handle at the same time (I need to make a list of small things, otherwise I always forget to buy something during disassembly)

I also accidentally found an interesting thing, the existence of which many do not suspect! ) Rubber inserts in the front apron, on the towing loops. I had this only on the back loop, and now there will be a whole set. Although they will be closed by BBS, but let them be for feng shui;)



I also ordered a small list of any new small things, but then a fiasco - everything from my list turned out to be no longer available for order, except for one detail - the wheel key mounting clip - well, at least it pleases))



That's all for now. You also need to buy brake and fuel pipes on the bottom, a shield for tank ventilation hoses in the right rear arch, a rear beam - on mine it turned out that one ear was boiled, although this is not critical, but not aesthetically pleasing)).
The front bumper, or its middle part, is also urgently needed, the state of the chrome is not important, the main thing is that it should be smooth, without dents.

All iron pre-prepared for sandblasting.



Well, I'm getting ready to paint it - now I have such a co /// Mpressor )), and today I bought myself a gift )



Pneumatic tool kit - now it will be easier to wash / clean everything. Well, I'll paint everything myself.



To do this, I began to rake up the trash in the second half of the basement - I will finally make a workshop there separate from the garage. And even sawing, welding, cutting, cleaning, painting near a freshly painted car is not a hunt)
But I will blog about it later.

P.S.
Tomorrow I'm going to the painter, I hope there will be some news.... ;)

[The_Glory]

BMW BAVARIA C Electronic

Recently I wrote about buying another original radio - BMW BAVARIA C BUSINESS. And now, after just a couple of weeks, the same seller made me an offer that I could not refuse! ) Namely, he offered to buy at a good price a rather rare original radio tape recorder, in excellent condition, and also from the top line for the E30 line - BMW BAVARIA C Electronic.
Well, I bought it! )



This is also a German BECKER



What does it come with an adapter for older connectors, so that you can connect all my radios without interfering with the wiring.



The adapter is homemade, but made by analogy with the original such adapter. Here is the original ETK number - 65128350189.



Mine looks almost the same as the original, but it will need to be "ennobled" a little and made in the form of a "beam";)



But back to the radio - outwardly the condition is excellent, connected - everything works, everything glows, the radio catches, the cassette plays, rewinds and even the search for songs by pause works. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful E30 regular radio - an excellent balance of rigor and beauty of design, excellent functionality, and it just looks gorgeous in E30! I'm absolutely delighted! ) But not everything turned out to be perfect - the cassette did not want to be removed ... I was even a little upset, and at first I even wanted to return the radio. By the way, the seller immediately agreed to return the money without any problems, although it was not his fault - apparently it’s already very unlikely to find a working cassette mechanics in a 30-year-old radio tape recorder ... But then I thought, talked to my friend, he promised to look at the mechanics and do . I decided to leave it, since this radio tape recorder has another very big "plus" - the output connector for a standard amplifier, into which you can connect an adapter to a "minijack" and get a factory working aux without any intervention in the radio itself! I have already found information on the Internet and a video of how this is done - I will do it, even if nothing happens with the cassette, then there will be AUKS - which is also not bad at all. Or I will collect the wiring for the amplifier, which I also bought a long time ago. We'll see...

And a couple of days later I received from a friend in the E30 club the original instructions for my previous radio BMW BAVARIA C BUSINESS RDS



Serega ConcordDnepr, thank you for the gift!







In general, now I have a wide choice of radio tape recorders for installation - almost the entire top line for the E30. I don’t even know what to put .... or we can change it according to the mood)

[The_Glory]

Body repair_24. Bottom processing. (part 3)

Today I visited my thirty. A month and a half has passed since my last visit, but the work has not progressed much .... since the holidays and all that ... The painting plan before the New Year failed miserably, although I didn’t really believe in it) But still, there is progress . One more layer and now the bottom is completely finished, although today I found a couple of small nuances, but they will be eliminated. In the cabin, too, all the seams are treated with sealant - everything seems to be fine there. The hood is almost ready for the sealant - it remains to bring beauty to the visible seams. Only the trunk remained. Then the primer, developing, well, the long-awaited painting. Another month .... well, we'll see ...

[The_Glory]

New Year's gift, or a tree under the Christmas tree!

Happy New Year everyone! )

Last time I wrote about my New Year's gift, and I promised to write about another one, which was just miraculously found right before the New Year! )

I’ll start from the very beginning - when buying a car, it was equipped with a momo wooden steering wheel, an original wooden gear knob, and a very rare (as it turned out later) part from a factory wood trim kit - a glove compartment pad.



Since then, for more than 10 years, I have been trying to find the rest of the parts from this kit ... They have long been discontinued, and the tree in the E30 was ordered very rarely, so even in the photo on the Internet, they are rare. For all the time, I only once saw it for sale on eBay, almost at the price of a car)) In a car, it looks like this:





The second time, I saw it in Kyiv at a disassembly, but not the original, but an aftermarket, - on some foreign forum I read that this kit was from the catalog of the tuning company D&W.



This is also natural wood on an aluminum base, like the factory overlays.



Such kits are often found on the E30 from ALPINA.





The difference is in the one-piece lining for the instrument panel and the light switch (probably not very convenient to remove the dashboard with it), the central lining is only on the upper part, and not on the whole, and the side linings are not on the fabric insert, but on the upper part of the door trim for the whole its length.

Now you can buy cheap Chinese kits - vinyl stickers for the entire salon "wood" or any other texture and color.



I had them glued on the ashtray covers and under the air ducts of the torpedo - they look cheap and collective farm, so I immediately took them off. This is not our method! )

So, - flipping through the forum flea market, I can’t believe my eyes - there is an overlay for the light switch and under the dashboard for sale. I call the seller — confirms that this is the original and that they are! My joy knew no bounds! )))



True, then it turned out that the pad for the dashboard had already been bought separately ... ((Who needs it separately - it's not clear ... Suddenly he reads, the one who bought it - I would buy it! ;) In general, I took what was left - a trifle, but Nice! ))







During the search, I found the original EVA instructions for installing interior decor, which says that the glove compartment lining is screwed with two pins - I have it, and all other linings are simply glued with "superglue" to standard interior details. Cheap and cheerful! ))
100% original - visible glued natural wood veneer based on:



The switch pad itself, judging by its number, is ordinary.



It’s also pleasing that only one finish color was available - this somehow simplifies the search for individual elements. They all match in color.



It remains to find the lining under the dashboard and on the door. I don’t really like the central pad and the gearshift lever pad ... But if I find it, I’ll buy it too!

I’ve already thought about hydrographic printing… but haven’t made up my mind yet — we’ll look for it!

[The_Glory]

Just a business

For a long time I did not buy good rarities ... and now, before the New Year, I decided to treat myself to a gift! )) I bought myself another business! )) Namely - BMW BAVARIA C BUSINESS - the top-end cassette recorder for the E30 of the last years of production.



In this case, this is the German BECKER, as indicated by the stamp and sticker on the case:







There is an output for antenna diversity, but no output for an amplifier and CD changer.



And here is my previous business) - BMW BAVARIA C BUSINESS RDS - also a top-end cassette recorder for the E30 of the last years of production.



But this is already a Japanese PIONEER







There is also an output for antenna diversity, and besides this, there is also an output for an amplifier



Two businesses for comparison:



Pioneer's design is quite strict and fits perfectly into the interior of the E30.
But I always wanted a BECKER - its design is even stricter and more severe - the Germans after all!



Although, it would be even cooler to put BECKER MEXICO - it was the top one for the E30 before the restyling, but for it you need to redo the connectors on the wiring, and finding it in good condition for sane money is not easy. So I bought this one.

Well, for the sake of interest, I connected a couple of speakers to check and compare them.





Normally, it will be possible to compare the sound, of course, only in a car, but for now, just a superficial comparison in terms of functionality.
Of course, PIONEER has wider functionality - as its name suggests, it already has RDS, so the screen is larger, there is an amplifier output, Dolby B, Dolby C noise reduction. An interesting button backlighting algorithm - only buttons available in this mode are highlighted — i.e. or cassette control or radio control. All buttons are touch-sensitive, the cassette is lifted, its work is softer. Installation without "mine". In addition to the code, there is also some kind of security system diode, but I did not understand how it works. In general - the Japanese! )
But in some ways he is inferior to the German - fewer memory cells for the radio - 6 instead of 10, and, accordingly, not direct code entry. In principle, this is of course trifles.

Why is BECKER better? ... I don’t even know ...) Most likely, only with a more strict design and a rarer arrangement of the cassette receiver - film forward. Well, as I said above - it has 10 "number" buttons, so there is more memory for the radio, and direct code entry. Well, it's German! )
Otherwise, it loses to the Japanese - there is no RDS, a smaller screen, no output to an amplifier, noise reduction is simpler - only Dolby B, mechanical buttons, respectively, more rigid operation of the cassette. I have not yet understood how it is installed, but probably in the "mine" (it's good that I have it, the main thing is that it would fit).

Both radios were available for the E30 in its later years. Which one will I put? .. I haven’t decided yet ... There are still “nuances” for my specific specimens.
For example, a leaky screen on a PIONEER, which I sealed with a black film around the edges, and not at all confident operation of the cassette. I already wrote earlier that I broke it like a fool with a Chinese mp3 adapter cassette.
The BECKER cassette works well, but there is no output to the amplifier, which I bought a long time ago, and the functionality is more modest ...
In general, we will think, we will see ...

P.S.
As you know, miracles happen on New Year's Eve)) I also had a small miracle - I found a small, but sooooo rare thing that I had been looking for for many years! )) About her next time! ;)

[The_Glory]

Great project. You have love for the e30❤️👍👍👍

Thank you.
That's right, I love her! )

[e30m3s54turbo]

Great project. You have love for the e30❤️👍👍👍