E30Rossi's Full Build - Overhaul - 5 Lug - Bay Shave - M54 Swap (Pic Heavy)

[moatilliatta]

I’d keep the ABS, E30 abs is actually pretty good. I don’t get why people delete it…

[hozzziii]

This is one thorough build!
Respect to you my man.

[E30Rossi]

Good call.
When you get there the wiring diagrams make things easy: https://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e30/

I am not a big fan of wiring, but it's one of those things that just has to be done!

Thanks for the link, I had a version of an early model so not sure if it was all the same

[Panici]

PO added a car starter / alarm and there's so many extra wires that I want to get rid of but they're spliced into wires under the dash and I don't want to remove something and add problems further on so I might delay that until another year when I remove the dash and go through every wire

Good call.
When you get there the wiring diagrams make things easy: https://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e30/

[E30Rossi]

That would be fun. I just made it out to the Delta Park season closer last year, missed the first half of the show.
Hoping to have my car on the road a lot earlier in the season this year.

Thanks for the read! There is certainly a lot of content now at 30+ pages. It's been slow and steady for most of it. Coming up on 9 years of progress now. Glad there was some good tips in there for you.


ABS computer is under the dash kickpanel. It's got that big white connector (left in my picture) connected to it.

Definitely cool to see all the progress from the beginning, you don't realize it when you're actually doing it, which is why I made this build thread to see how far I've come from when I got it. I almost forgot how bad it was 5 years ago.

Thanks for the tip, I will remove those now useless wires for sure and free up some more space. PO added a car starter / alarm and there's so many extra wires that I want to get rid of but they're spliced into wires under the dash and I don't want to remove something and add problems further on so I might delay that until another year when I remove the dash and go through every wire

[Panici]

Thanks so much man! I see you're a fellow canadian too! I'm planning a trip down to Toronto this summer with the e30 if delta park auto hosts another e30 meet! Maybe I can get a chance to see yours in person!

I actually spent the last 2 days reading your entire thread beginning to end 😂 wrote down a few notes from it, so thanks for that! Anybody I know that does A to Z build all at once never gets it done so i try to draw the line somewhere and enjoy it the most i can!

ill have to locate the ABS computer because I didn't even know that was a thing! Under the dash wiring is a complete rats nest and i'm so tempted to remove the dash and go through everything but that will add way too much time and maybe add more problems since wiring is not my forté!

That would be fun. I just made it out to the Delta Park season closer last year, missed the first half of the show.
Hoping to have my car on the road a lot earlier in the season this year.

Thanks for the read! There is certainly a lot of content now at 30+ pages. It's been slow and steady for most of it. Coming up on 9 years of progress now. Glad there was some good tips in there for you.


ABS computer is under the dash kickpanel. It's got that big white connector (left in my picture) connected to it.

[E30Rossi]

Great work with the engine bay shave. I've seen folks go down that rabbit hole and spend a LOT of time doing a full shave and tuck. I opted for a semi-shaved look for my car. Enough that you can tell it's been breathed on, but without filling every hole and plating things up.

Your idea is good to swap the engine and get everything sorted first before built motor/boost. If you make the scope too big not only is the car down for a long time but also you risk losing motivation.


I cut the ABS computer connector off from inside the car and pulled some of the wires out (that have a straight path) through the fusebox. Others that connect internally to the fusebox I just chopped off near the box and coated the ends with multiple layers of liquid electrical tape.

It's a big job once you start tearing the fusebox apart, and for me it would quickly lead to a custom chassis harness and fusebox relocate. 😅

Thanks so much man! I see you're a fellow canadian too! I'm planning a trip down to Toronto this summer with the e30 if delta park auto hosts another e30 meet! Maybe I can get a chance to see yours in person!

I actually spent the last 2 days reading your entire thread beginning to end 😂 wrote down a few notes from it, so thanks for that! Anybody I know that does A to Z build all at once never gets it done so i try to draw the line somewhere and enjoy it the most i can!

ill have to locate the ABS computer because I didn't even know that was a thing! Under the dash wiring is a complete rats nest and i'm so tempted to remove the dash and go through everything but that will add way too much time and maybe add more problems since wiring is not my forté!

[Panici]

Great work with the engine bay shave. I've seen folks go down that rabbit hole and spend a LOT of time doing a full shave and tuck. I opted for a semi-shaved look for my car. Enough that you can tell it's been breathed on, but without filling every hole and plating things up.

Your idea is good to swap the engine and get everything sorted first before built motor/boost. If you make the scope too big not only is the car down for a long time but also you risk losing motivation.

Labelled every wire coming out of the fuse box, cut off the ABS wires and brake pad sensors but debating if I remove them from the fusebox completely
Any advice on this would be appreciated too!

I cut the ABS computer connector off from inside the car and pulled some of the wires out (that have a straight path) through the fusebox. Others that connect internally to the fusebox I just chopped off near the box and coated the ends with multiple layers of liquid electrical tape.

It's a big job once you start tearing the fusebox apart, and for me it would quickly lead to a custom chassis harness and fusebox relocate. 😅

Post 401 of my build thread has more details for you.

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/general-forums/members-rides/the-project-forum/296561-panici-s-87-325is-e30-boosted-in-bronze/page27#post10058447

[E30Rossi]

Well this is as she sits at the moment
We are officially up to date
Time to get to work on putty this coming weekend
Hopefully I can get progress done quickly
Lots of parts stacked up, but winter is going fast

[E30Rossi]

Grinded down any rust underneath, cleaned up welds and hit it all with Self-Etch Primer and then Filler Primer
Ready to undercoat the wheel wells and get to the next step of putty in the engine bay!



Driver side


Griding down welds, never ends


This part honestly lasts forever


Driver Side ready to be coated as well now

[E30Rossi]

Scored a great deal on an M50 intake manifold!
This is going to look so good once it's all together


Needs some cleaning for sure
and still don't know what to do with the crank pulley


Both plates welded in and blocked off, ready to move on!
PROGRESS


Looking good!


Primed fender well, ready for undercoating

[E30Rossi]

Getting somewhere! this is wayyy more work than I anticipated
but when is it not?


RockAuto goodies

Clutch Master Cylinder
Knock Sensor
6 New Coilpacks

I want this car to be as reliable as possible, everything is being replaced


305$ Bolt order at BMW
Was missing a lot of bolts with the swap, motor to tranny bolts, oil pan bolts, intake manifold bolts, exhaust manifold studs, bolts for all the pulleys and accessories
Spent hoursssss on realoem and ecs to look up part numbers but I can't stand a fresh build with rusty bolts so everything that isn't ridiculously expensive is getting changed for NEW



Rest of RockAuto order arrived

Clutch Slave Cylinder
Thermostat Housing
Water Pipe on Motor
MAF Sensor (ordered wrong one)
Oil Pressure Switch
E30 Cluster Temp Sensor
M54 Temp Sensor
Intake Manifold Gaskets - m50 manifold
Throttle body gasket - m50 manifold
Throttle body gasket M54 throttle body
Oil filter housing gasket
Oil pan gasket
Idler Pulley
Air Intake Temp Sensor (m54)
Cam position sensor - exhaust side
Cam position sensor - intake side
Gates 21900 Rad hose
Valve cover gasket set
Crankshaft seal gasket
Rear main seal
Front main seal
Oil filter cap gasket
crank position sensor
Hydraulic belt tensioner + pulley and hardware

Missing anything?
I have a few more parts on order!

Forgot about Vanos seals... Debating on doing them now, any thoughts? should I wait until I tear down the motor in a few years?

[E30Rossi]

On to the next side! Rust converted applied and Ready to be coated


Driver side cut down to size


Plated off


Test fit rad support again



Reshaping inner fender

[E30Rossi]

Planning on what to do with the edge, don't want to leave it open to road debris


Fully welded in

[E30Rossi]

This will be so worth it at the end!


Cut out all the rust and start reshaping the edges to prepare for the plates to be welded in


Same thing on passenger side


Weld-through primer and first plate tacked in
Will cut the edge off with after it's welded in