Canadian turbo vert project

[82eye]

I installed my euro bumper the night before this happened.

it kills me to see any nice old car get hit. something that has survived as longs as these e30's have deserve a better retirement.

[Northern]

jeeeeesus that's awful. Are you ok?

Also picked up a Z3 short shifter with a new shifter cup from someone who crashed their own E30 in Nova Scotia :(

I genuinely have no idea who this would've been, I only know of ~4 people who have r3v'd their e30 here

I stumbled upon a deal for a used TCD bottom mount manifold and downpipe, Rotomaster T4 turbo, Tial Wastegate, and custom turbo back exhaust. It was all located in California so I had my good friend Pete try the car first before the turbo parts came off, and he was kind enough to help ship it all to me.

Nigel's car? einstein57 here on r3v

[Cairn]

I genuinely have no idea who this would've been, I only know of ~4 people who have r3v'd their e30 here

His name's Adam, and he's on the R3V facebook group! This was his car

Nigel's car? einstein57 here on r3v

Yea, Nigel!

[Cairn]

I installed my euro bumper the night before this happened.

That's awful and I feel for you :(
Hope you're okay and didn't suffer much, if any injury.
Highly grateful my car was never that damaged

[Cairn]

Alright so 2021 comes around and before the snow and salt melts, I wanted to get started with some progress. Given the fact that I wanted to turbo this car but keep all stock accessories, I bought an extra washer fluid tank on eBay with the intention of cutting it and gluing it back together thinner to make space for hot side charge pipes. Here you can see the the size difference.


By the way, JBWeld isn't ideal because it's not flexible enough. After cracking the seams once, I then tried Permatex Plastic Welder, and it seems good now. I then painted it black and put it back in the car after removing a little surface rust that was hiding on the car underneath it. I have a temporary aliexpress air filter on an aluminum pipe with the IAT sensor.


I then tapped the throttle body PCV nipple to plug with a bolt, since being boosted would pressurize the valve cover if I didn’t reroute the PCV hose. I will soon connect the PCV hose to a catch can.



I decided H&R Race weren't stiff enough after still bottoming out over some speed bumps, so I bought some Turner J-Stock springs, which apparently sit similarly to H&R Race but are twice as stiff. I took this opportunity to replace the rest of the suspension bushings too.
I replaced my front strut mounts since the clunk when turning sharply in parking lots never went away from doing the tie rods previously. Lemforder brand.
Since new strut mounts would mean an additional bit of ride height added due to no sagging in the rubber, I got E90 front upper spring perches to lower the car back down.
Mercury Villager front sway bar end links (MOOG K8643) are shorter and accommodate the lower ride height better so I decided I’d try those out. I ordered a bunch of soft 80A poly Revshift bushings, two of them being offset front control arm bushings for some added caster for high speed stability.

Then came time for the rear end. Removing the rear subframe from the car was probably the most challenging thing I've ever done on the car. I disconnected the diff from the unibody, undid the rear brake lines, brake pad sensor, ABS sensor, diff speed sensor, exhaust, driveshaft from the diff, rear end links, subframe mount nuts, hammered the subframe mount bolt up into the car from the bottom (on convertibles it gets knocked into the rear window area behind the rear cards. It was time to break the subframe away from the unibody, as I've read most of these are bonded together through galvanic corrosion. I tapped the center of the subframe bushing to thread in a thick threaded steel rod. Since it's a convertible and I can't hammer that down from the top, I got steel square tube, cut a slit to fit over the threaded rod, and two big nuts to hold the square tube in place. Intention would be to hammer down on the square tube and hopefully pull the subframe down with it.


I whacked away with all my might down onto the square tube and had a friend stand on it as well at the same time, but no success. Nothing would budge. :(
Next idea was to destroy the subframe bushing rubber by pulling the subframe away from the body even if the center of the bushing stays seized to the body. This would be done by using a jack to push up on the rod threaded in the center of the subframe bushing, but with a chain wrapped around the top of the subframe and around the bottom of the jack with the bottom of the jack suspended mid-air by the chain, so pumping the jack would force the bottom of the jack downward and therefore pull the chain around the subframe downward.

Blew the seals on a 2 ton jack. Switched to a 3 ton jack, and the subframe bushing rubber finally broke free.

[Cairn]

I broke the subframe bushing centers that were stuck in the car free by hammering them sideways lightly.



For rear bushings, I got 80A for the diff, trailing arms, and subframe riser bushings to undo some negative camber and toe in due to lowering the car. A diff studs and spacers kit would help me mount the diff in the correct location considering the subframe was to be closer to the body of the car.
My friend welded on my subframe reinforcements, trailing arm reinforcements, and Ireland Engineering serrated camber and toe adjustment plates.


I burned out the bushings, used a hacksaw to cut a slit into the outer metal sleeves of the diff and subframe bushings, and knocked them out with a punch and sledge hammer.
I painted everything with Tremclad Rust paint (oil-based to prevent future rust).
My axle boots were starting to show wear with some miniature tears starting. I didn’t have new axles in the budget and wanted to be time-effective, so since the axles are working fine and haven’t been leaking any grease, I just put a thin layer of black RTV over the cracking areas of the boots.

When mounting the rear end back up, I realized the riser bushings don’t work with camber and toe adjustment brackets as they get pushed into the floor of the car (too much height).


So realizing this, I got another subframe, ground off all the rust, painted it, and decided to just use the riser bushings with no adjustment plates.

I shortly after found a 3.25:1 LSD from an E28 535is semi-locally that had a car port collapse onto it and destroy the roof, so it was being parted out.


I sanded the rust off, painted it, swapped its rear cover and axle flanges for my E30's 3.73:1 open diff's, filled it with Redline 75W90, and everything went back into the car like a breeze. I learned to bleed the brakes for the first time after this using an old Gatorade bottle since the rear lines had to be disconnected. I did a transmission fluid flush with Royal Purple 75W90 just so I'd know when it was last changed, and I was ready to finally do some driving!

I was so relieved to finally get this all done.

[Cairn]

My local friend Tony printed me out some centre gauge vents to mount my oil psi and vacuum/boost gauge.
I traded intake manifold vacuum blocks with someone locally who had a 1988 M20b25, which for some reason has two nipples instead of one, the rear nipple capped off. This would look cleaner for my setup. I teed off the vacuum line to my ECU for my vacuum/boost gauge.



For my oil psi gauge, I got a stainless M12x1.5 to 3AN adapter, ran a PTFE stainless braided hose with stainless fittings to a stainless tee with a 1/4 NPT female side for the oil pressure sender mounted in a Home Depot pipe hanger to connect, the pipe hanger connected to where the stock headlight cover mounts to. The tee is capped and eventually will feed oil to the turbo.


Then wired it all up behind the passenger shock tower into the glovebox to behind the dash through the air vents which I drilled holes at the bottom of.


The Clarion M508 head unit is great, by the way. If I could do one thing, it would be to have the LEDs changed for amber to match the rest of the interior.

I mounted an Evil Energy catch can to where the AFM usually bolts up in front of my power steering fluid reservoir. The easiest way to route the PCV hose to it was to cut the 90 degree end off where it usually connects to the throttle body, use a universal brass garden hose extension, and route 5/8” fuel line under the ICV straight to the catch can.

[Cairn]

By June 2021 I was driving the car around again with body damage and just a cheap slightly bent center chrome piece of the rear bumper. Unfortunately, the body shop I was going to go to that was giving me a good price didn’t have availability until I’d be on tour in the US, away from home.


By the way, check your fuel vent line covers in the passenger rear wheel well. I learned that they often rust from the inside out. I ground the rust away and used Tremclad rust paint (oil based) to hold it over until I found a cleaner one.


I installed an UltraRacing front H-brace I found on ebay, since verts can really benefit from the extra rigidity.


I got straight replacement rear euro bumpers chrome pieces just on time before I flew out to the US for a few months. I gave my close friend Jacob the keys to my car so he could drive it to the body shop and back home while I was on tour. He owns this beautiful E36 318is that is completely modded except for the engine, (about to be supercharged soon).

[Cairn]

September 2021 I get back from the US, and my car has been to the body shop. The tail panel has been pulled out, but the bottom is not up to par. I probably won't be going back to that body shop when I am ready to pay to get it done right. I'll probably be looking for a scrap car to cut out the bottom of the tail panel from and weld it in. Way too much bondo used for my liking.


Oh well, no time to deal with it. Road tripped to Wasaga Beach again with my friends for the second year in a row.



During this trip, my econometer stopped working, and 2 lights on the gauge cluster SI board stayed illuminated. I tried resetting it, but nothing changed. After a bit of research, I figured out that my SI board needed to be replaced. I remembered that the previous owner had the gauge cluster taken out during his ownership, so this wouldn't be the first time. I ordered a new SI board from Programa.

[2mAn]

Nigel's car? einstein57 here on r3v

Yup that’s his!

[Northern]

His name's Adam, and he's on the R3V facebook group! This was his car

I know Adam, I bought a few things he had stashed away for that car (but the only one I immediately remember are the floor mats.)
Sad story about that car, it was easily the cleanest e30 around here.
Another guy and I were hounding him to buy it back from insurance auction, but somehow this wasn't communicated. The dealer who was supposed to bid for him at the auction failed to do so, and the car sold at auction for next to nothing.


Nigel hasn't been on r3v in forever, not sure if he's active on the FB groups because I don't check FB much and it seemingly filters all interesting content.
He's active on Instagram though, and seems hard committed to bikes/track days now.

[Northern]

I don't know how you feel about going all the way to DeltaParkAuto in Brampton but they(or a subcontracted third party?) knocked it out of the park with Panici 's car.

[Cairn]

I know Adam, I bought a few things he had stashed away for that car (but the only one I immediately remember are the floor mats.)
Sad story about that car, it was easily the cleanest e30 around here.
Another guy and I were hounding him to buy it back from insurance auction, but somehow this wasn't communicated. The dealer who was supposed to bid for him at the auction failed to do so, and the car sold at auction for next to nothing.

That's a shame to hear. I just messaged him recently as typing this made me think of him, and I had forgotten to update him on my build.

Nigel hasn't been on r3v in forever, not sure if he's active on the FB groups because I don't check FB much and it seemingly filters all interesting content.
He's active on Instagram though, and seems hard committed to bikes/track days now.

Mostly in the E30 Forced Induction Crew facebook group from what I've seen!

I don't know how you feel about going all the way to DeltaParkAuto in Brampton but they(or a subcontracted third party?) knocked it out of the park with Panici 's car.

I would highly consider either this or finding some place in the Southwest USA. Thanks for the suggestion. I've heard great things about DeltaParkAuto. I'm currently in Flagstaff, Arizona after some life changes, so we'll see what works out best.

[Cairn]

While in the states, I met a special lady in Arizona so I went back to Flagstaff for the end of the 2021. I spent New Years back at home in Montreal and made it a little project to do my gauge cluster. I figured while it was out, I might as well correct the gas needle pointing too far to the left, polish the clear lens, colour the gauge needles red, change the odometer gears (which were still in good shape), and add black gauge rings to more closely match my VDO Vision Black gauges.






For the rest of winter, I went back to Arizona, but made plans for a new set of wheels, which I’ll reveal in a future post.

Getting back to Montreal in late April 2022, I put the Programa SI board into the gauge cluster, reinstalled it into the car, and voilà, no more unintended SI board lights, and a functioning econometer.

[Cairn]

I checked the valve clearances, made sure the ARP head studs were still properly torqued, and resealed the valve cover gasket because it would seep slightly.

Knowing that my driveshaft would clunk a little immediately at the start of any acceleration, I suspected a worn U joint, so I bought a new Febi giubo to replace the original cracking one as well as a new Febi centre shaft bearing while I was in there and got the driveshaft serviced locally.


Also while I was in there, my diff input shaft seal was leaking fluid, so I removed it and brought it to Jonathan Paquette (BavarianDiffs) to change the seal. He ended up discovering that my diff was on the verge of grenading, so he rebuilt it fresh for me.



While the driveshaft was off, I replaced the soft oily transmission mounts, the transmission output shaft seal, the selector shaft seal, the front sway bar bushings, and the exhaust manifold gaskets. The “bitch clip” was fun… This was the point where I had to decide to either keep delaying the big steps of turboing my car, or going through with it now while things are apart.