E30 from Ukraine - "Shadow of Intelligence"

[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❤️👍👍👍

[The_Glory]

Build_02. Polishing the taillights.

In general, not quite according to plan, but somehow the taillights came under my arm, and I decided to do even with them ... (I think that there will be quite a few deviations from the plan, depending on finances, time and mood ;) )
Moreover, in the light of the latest prices for "startec", it seems, they do not "shine" for me, either literally or figuratively))
So, back to our (my) taillights. Once, even before me, they were painted over with red varnish, and then the left one changed, and it was either initially blown out with more red varnish, or simply with better varnish - since the difference became more noticeable every year - the right one noticeably faded, and the left one still remained red) Since, I immediately, in a collective farm way, filled them with silicone from the inside (I confess))), so that the water would not flow into the trunk, it was too lazy to remove them - I drove the last couple of years with multi-colored taillights) They looked like this:



From the inside, everything was not bad, but a little dirty. But the sealing gum was already on silicone, and looked very deplorable ...



Started with plastic caps. By the way, I have them with a "bonus" illumination of the trunk - behind the parking lights there is a "window" through which, when the parking lights are on, the trunk is also illuminated - a handy thing.
Even after buying the car, before pouring everything with silicone))), I noticed that the rear fog lights are only in the left headlight, and there is a place for them on the right, but there is no wire - I thought that he "interfered with someone "and they threw it away, and made a homemade contact and wire. It was later that I realized that this was how it should have been in stock, and that two rear fog lights were an option, or some kind of "feature", depending on the configuration. Taking this opportunity, I replaced this contact and wire with the original one from the donor left lamp - now everything is "according to Feng Shui"))
Everything is disassembled very simply - turn the latches, remove the cover, carefully pull out the latches, remove the bar with the lamps, pry and remove the connector housing, then press and pull out the contacts with a thin screwdriver from the outside of the cover, and also pull the contacts out of the connector housing with a screwdriver.



Assemble in reverse order. Before assembly, I painted the bar of the lamps, for beauty, and simply cleaned the covers with fine sandpaper and washed them with chemistry. I did not want to paint - I left it as it was in the factory. Of course, I also cleaned the contacts, although they were already normal.
On the connector body, all the wires are signed by color, and on the cover the type of lamps - therefore, it is difficult to confuse during assembly.





Although it is possible - to my surprise I found that I had 21W lamps in the parking lights, instead of 10W it was too much) Either I forgot about it, or I scored - I don’t remember ..... but now I put the correct lamps.



Lids are ready.
Somewhere I had stickers that were inside the lids - they even fell away from life .... If I find it, I'll stick it)



Let's move on to the lights.
I read on the Internet that the varnish from the lights is easily removed with brake fluid. In principle, there is logic in this - since the brake fluid and paint "undermines". I decided to try it ... But apparently there are different varnishes - after a day of "lotions" from the brake fluid, I did not achieve any effect. None at all. Therefore, I bought more effective materials.



The varnish was removed with sandpaper 240 and 320. On the right, it was easily removed on a dry one, and on the left, the varnish was still more "severe" - there with some water. Then with water circles 400, 600, and manually 400 and 600, and manually 1000. There was no finer sandpaper, so after 1000 I switched to headlight polishing paste in three approaches - one circle and two manually.
I liked the result.



And in the sun, I was so impressed at all - the headlights looked like new! )





But there is also a "minus" - I had to sacrifice the original numbers and logo on the glasses - they were erased to zero ... but it was worth it.

Since I don’t have orange “turns” on my car, I had an idea to tint the lights with a red or black film, but now looking at them I’m thinking .... they seem so beautiful))) ... we’ll see ...

The plastic case was also cleaned and washed.
The fixing nuts and pressure plate have already appeared in the electroplating entry - they are also like new.
It remains to buy original gaskets or cut them yourself on laser cutting - the difference in price is very decent;) I'm still thinking about it...

P.S.
Prepared the second batch of pieces of iron for electroplating. There will also be a third...

P.P.S.
The ghostly plan to paint the body before the New Year failed miserably - but I didn’t really believe in it ...) If only to paint in January ....

[The_Glory]

Club calendar 2020 and color choice...

Annual club calendar entry)

This year, "at the numerous requests of the workers" I had to choose twice, because, as usual - "didn't know / didn't see / didn't hear / stuck / was late")) Despite this, they managed to print the calendar even a few weeks before the New Year.

4 cars from the TOP12 of our festival competition OLD SCHOOL E30 got into the calendar, and the remaining 8 cars by the general vote.

A preview of the entire calendar of the Ukrainian Club BMW E30 for 2020 can be viewed here

My car hit it again, albeit the last of 8 places...



By the way, it is likely that this is her last photo in the calendar in an "interesting color" - it will be a keepsake;)



P.S.
The calendar is no longer available. Who did not have time - he was late! )




P.P.S.
The torment of choosing a color continues ...) I laid out all the color options against the background of an "interesting color" .... and thought - maybe we can leave it ...? )) My children really do not want to change the color of thirty ))



The choice is not easy...



Although there are only original BMW colors from the 90s



Spread beautiful blue...



Which to choose? Blue? Or is it blue?... or is it blue?? No, blue is better...







... but in the sun they are different .... but by car it can turn out even different ....
I'm lost...)

[The_Glory]

Body repair_23. Bottom processing. (part 2)

Yesterday I was at the painter's - things are going on, albeit slowly, but still) I expected to see the finished bottom, but it turned out that the readiness was not yet complete ... It remains to process the two left arches, finish some joints, and then go through the second layer . But even now the bottom looks pretty good, as for me:









As for the bodywork, the thresholds, rear fenders with roof racks and the roof are almost completely prepared.









Well, the preparation of the engine compartment and interior began.



I was given a plan to paint the body itself before the New Year - then, after the holidays, hinged body elements. Let's see... Hour "H" of the final choice of color is getting closer, and the torment of choice is more and more...)))



P.S.
While I continue to prepare for assembly - I rake all the boxes, remember where it is, clean / wash all the plastic, prepare / sort fasteners and pieces of iron for electroplating, sandblasting, and painting, make lists of what to buy. But more on that later.

[The_Glory]

Build_01. Plan. Fastener preparation.

I think it's time to start a new "series" - "Assembly")

In short, the build plan would be:
1. Put on wheels - suspension and steering.
2. Treatment of all hidden cavities.
3. Vibration isolation (without fanaticism, as it was at the factory)
4. Everything on the bottom - brake pipes, brakes, fuel pipes, tank, shields, protection, etc.
5. Body wiring.
6. Assembling the back.
7. Luke, ceiling.
8. Heater, torpedo with noise insulation and wiring.
9. Doors, door wiring, cards.
10. Noise isolation, carpet, interior parts, seats.
11. Glasses.
12. Transmission - gearbox, cardan, differential, axle shafts.
13. Motor, motor wiring.
14. Exhaust system.
15. Radiator, attachments.
16. Assembly of the front.
17. Body kit and bumpers.
18. Wheels.

Here is such a plan ... with pleasure I will listen to advice and recommendations for assembling. I’m not sure about the 12th point - it’s probably better to put the differential and axle shafts right away with the rear suspension, and the gearbox along with the motor ...

I don’t even want to plan on terms ... how will it go ...)
I will collect very slowly, carefully and accurately. I even came up with an entertainment for myself - assembling as close as possible to the ETK;) I don’t promise full compliance with the ETK, due to the unavailability or inadequacy of the price for some parts)), but I will strive for this! )
Naturally, everything old, down to the nuts and screws, will be washed, cleaned, painted, galvanized, or changed to a new and beautiful one. To paraphrase the classic - Everything should be fine in the car: the body, the engine, the suspension, and the interior! ))

Well, perhaps, let's start - with fasteners.
First of all, I assembled all the fasteners of hinged body elements, and suspensions with a transmission. I soaked each nut and screw in a paint remover, then in a rust converter, and manually cleaned with a soft wire brush, but the effect was not sufficient. Therefore, I decided to go with the "folk method" - citric acid at a concentration of 100 g per 1 liter of water - this is the topic! Cheap, reliable and practical! (c) )) All fasteners were perfectly cleaned of rust after a day of soaking. Some parts soaked for 2-3 days. Then washing in a soda solution, and degreasing with white spirit. This is all very long and troublesome, but beauty requires sacrifice! )
After that, I put everything in bags, signed it, and gave it to a friend for electroplating, or rather, yellow galvanizing.







By the way, Seryoga - thank you again! Nothing was lost and the result is super!
Well, actually, here it is, the result:









This, of course, is not all the fasteners - there will be one more, or even two batches. But this is a little later.

[The_Glory]

Body repair_22. Bottom processing. (Part 1)

I haven’t written for a long time .... there isn’t a lot of news, but there is still ...
Apparently, even my karma is not right, in terms of body repairs ... maybe the chakras need to be cleared))) Well, it doesn’t work out for me in any way - neither with welding, nor with painting ...) It was planned to finish painting in a maximum of two months, but now three have passed, and the car has not yet been painted ... Partly due to all sorts of force majeure at the painter, and partly all because of the same welding - it was necessary to weld the little things after the sand, but take the car back from -I didn’t want to, and the local welder turned out to be very busy ... As a result, almost two months of downtime ...
And now - I can not fully believe it, but the welding is still completed! ))) I never found a living manhole cover. Therefore, from two rusty covers they made one normal one - they welded mine, parts from a donor one. Since in fact mine turned out to be livelier than the one that I bought. We welded one rear door, as they missed the jamb - a hole in the window mount.





Well, small kosyachki were brewed, and imperfections that surfaced after the sand.
All welding seams are treated with seam sealant. All mounting studs, mounting points for the beams and the gearbox crosshead, and threaded holes are covered with masking tape and temporary bolts. After that there was a "pen test" with several sealants and guns.







We settled on APP polyurethane sealant in two layers.
Normal photos of the finished result on the bottom will be a little later ... Well, maybe this year, I'll paint ...)
In the meantime, quietly, I begin to prepare for a thorough assembly;)

[The_Glory]

So much work, most here would have scrapped that chassis. Good job bringing it back so far, excited to see more.

By the way, I know at least three people who profitably sold their restored E30 to Germany. And one in general, put it on the "stream" - he makes to order replicas of ring M3 DTM and sells them to Europe.
My friend from Belarus sold his red E30 Touring to the USA a few years ago.

There are such "paradoxes" ;)

[The_Glory]

I think this is reality for any non-restored E30 in Europe no matter of the country. Roads are salted during winters and it shows. I really respect the amount of work you've done in challenging conditions!

However, cars are in better condition in Europe.

Thank you.

[hasa]

I think this is reality for any non-restored E30 in Europe no matter of the country. Roads are salted during winters and it shows. I really respect the amount of work you've done in challenging conditions!

[The_Glory]

So much work, most here would have scrapped that chassis. Good job bringing it back so far, excited to see more.

Thank you.

Regarding the condition of the chassis - in our reality, it is not a very bad condition - it is a typical condition of most local E30 :)
This is due to the fact that these cars arrived in Ukraine back in the 90s, when there was no qualified service for them here, as well as due to bad roads and winter operation on roads sprinkled with salt. They were often broken in road accidents, then manually repaired. That's why they are all rusty.
E30 with live bodies, which are brought to us now from Europe - only for spare parts. Because legally it is no longer possible to clear them through customs and issue documents for them. Whole bodies are cut into parts in order to extend the life of rusty ones with their help... That's what I did - above were photos of car body parts from Europe that I bought at a local junkyard.
There are cars in much worse condition, but they still drive. Among them there is another category, which we call - "collective farm" - these are machines that have been repaired for a long time using cheap spare parts from the Soviet VAZ (Lada), GAZ (Volga) or simply improvised means and materials. This is a real horror that can cause psychological trauma to the American owner of a classic BMW! ))

But don't think that we only have junk :) There are also preserved original (although not many) or restored cars. Now there will be another ;)

[E30SPDFRK]

So much work, most here would have scrapped that chassis. Good job bringing it back so far, excited to see more.

[The_Glory]

Body repair_21. Body primer.

Immediately after sandblasting, on the same evening, or almost night, the body was primed with acid primer, and then with acrylic, or polymer or polyurethane, I don’t remember exactly. By the way, I completely trust the painter in the choice of materials. He painted this car in 99 or 2000 in this "interesting" color, and until 2012 there was no rust on the paintwork - I think this is a very worthy guarantee for painting.
Well, actually, how it looks - it already looks like a whole and beautiful body! ;)



But still not quite whole - I wrote in the previous entry about the holes that were opened by sandblasting.
There is a small hole near the right support on the edge of the battery platform.



On the bottom everything is fine.











But the next problematic place is the holes in the brackets of the rear seat belts and in the transverse beam on which they are welded, and a suspicious place near the left spring plate. As well as small holes at the top of the right rear arch:



Everything in the back is fine.



But on the left on the motor shield there are holes along the welds, although they are not particularly visible:



All is well under the hood around the supports.





With the timing of welding, I somehow didn’t work out initially) ... therefore, all this has not yet been completed ... And the welder still has one door and a hatch cover ... This welding is already finishing me off ....
For that, with the rest of the hinged body parts there is progress - small scratches are puttied, and all this is being prepared.





The roof and part of the rear are already prepared as a first approximation.
On this, while a pause - the painter goes on vacation for two weeks.
During this time, it is necessary to prepare for processing the bottom with a sealant, as well as buy the missing and prepare the one that is, fasteners for attachments of the body.

Far be.

P.S.
When I was on vacation in Odessa in the summer, a friend gave me such a small gift - a cigarette lighter with an unworn "cigarette". Thanks, Tolyan! ;)
Well, you need to buy options, despite all these repairs! And then "break" begins! ))) I bought an original heated mirror just in case. In the winter I will no longer ride, but let it be for the collection! )

[The_Glory]

Body repair_20. Bottom cleaning. (part 4)

So, after a short rest, we will continue from the beginning! ))

I decided to get rid of the self-tapping screws for attaching the body kit, although in the original BBS it is attached in this way. I put riveting nuts in a circle, they are also threaded rivets - M4 stainless steel. Now the body kit will be screwed with M4 screws, also made of stainless steel - I hope there will be no "bugs" around such fasteners, like around self-tapping screws.



Then I decided to change the concept - and put in a very evil crumpled drift suspension! Super stiff, no springs or shocks, 360 degree turn front and rear, very hard rubber with a minimal profile. Then it turned out that with the clearance too much and the car does not pass the height of the garage door! )) I had to drop it, according to the classics) The front track was further expanded, the rear track was shifted back for better handling. Here's what happened:





But seriously, today was, I hope, the final part of cleaning the bottom - sandblasting. But it was necessary to get there somehow, and there is no more suspension on the car. Fortunately, a colleague in the E30 body repair just got these carts free, which he kindly provided me. Igor - thanks!
It’s not very convenient to drag and remove onto a trailer, but it’s better than carrying a body on your hands! ) We loaded in the evening and left early in the morning.







First, to the painter - they removed all external hinged parts, they will be prepared by hand, so as not to spoil the front planes with sandblasting. Then sandblast. They put it on tippers. They removed the "drift" suspension, and the process began!









The result of the process impressed me very much!













... and in some places upset ... (

Put the "suspension" in place, dragged to the trailer, and back to the painter. Today he will cover everything with acidic soil, then with some other soil. And then, do you think there will be painting?... you didn't guess!! )) Then there will be WELDING again!!!! ))) This is fucked up... you can't just take it like that and finish it! )) In addition to those holes that I found myself, after sandblasting, there were more of them! ... The hand does not rise to leave them ...

[The_Glory]

Body repair_19. Bottom cleaning. (part 3)

Yesterday there was welding again ....)
As I wrote in previous entries, after the bottom was completely cleaned of bitumen and factory sealant, "jambs" and imperfections were discovered that were not visible before. I agreed with a familiar welder, brought welding to my garage and began to eliminate it all. It seems that everything is trifles, but such trifles turned out to be quite a few - they killed for it all day.
So what has been done:
1) Welded holes in the bracket of the right front seat and closed it completely tightly. (collective farm, but less dirt will be collected there)
2) Welded a hole in the floor on the right
3) Welded holes in the rear arch near the filler bracket
4) We moved the lower ear for attaching the rear right arch shield, so it was welded in the wrong place.
5) Instead of a homemade upper ear for the tank, we welded a factory upper bracket in the rear right arch
6) Turned over and welded the muffler bracket correctly
7) Welded in the right place the front studs of the brake pipes, as they were on the wrong side of the spar
8) Welded the rear studs of the brake pipes, which were not
9) Welded a homemade bracket for the tee of the rear brake pipes, which was not
10) Welded the thermal protection studs of the spar and motor shield, which were not
11) Welded a crack on the gearbox tunnel
12) Welded to the bottom with plates tubes of handbrake cables
13) Welded the lower studs of the front fender liner, which were not there, and drilled holes for their front fastening
14) Welded a stud for attaching the battery tray in the rear right niche
15) Welded all the holes from the screws in all the arches
16) We went through all the "suspicious" seams and cleaned them
17) They knocked out the factory plugs for draining condensate from the air conditioner (one, and the other two will need to be drilled after the fact, since there are no plugs in the body, although there are thermal protection), for repeaters in the wings, for wiring the front ABS sensors (and for rear, it is necessary to drill - there are also no plugs)











It seems that everything .... I really don’t want to forget something ... and then drill / weld after painting ...
By the way, I also gave the welder my two rusty hatches in different places - he promised that he would try to make one normal out of them)





The bottom was checked and searched for holes in the light in the twilight)) - like this



In some places, the seams were like constellations in the starry sky))) But now only factory holes are visible - there are no more unauthorized holes in the bottom! )
Although ... after sandblasting they may reappear ... we'll see ...

In the meantime, a week and a half time out - I'm tired even ... I'll go to the sea)