Hennarot '84 eta

[M-technik-3]

Henna is definitely my favorite red. Is it true that it was a California only color?

No not true it was available everywhere but was not popular. VW had three variants of red in the 80's as did Audi and Porsche.

Mars red is very much like Henna and then there was Inka and Toronado red and Imola.

Nice car hope she survives longer than the last one.

[TrentW]

What did you use for filler on the wheels?

[32.5i]

I love love love love love love henna !!!!!!!!!!!

Those weaves look amazing! love the alpina style centers !

[RainierHooker]

Well last night and this morning I worked the wheels over. A little bit of filler for the especially bad nicks and then a shot of silver wheel paint. I finished them off with semi-gloss black in the lug recess. For what I paid for them, $500 with not-quite-shot tires, I think they turned out exceptionally well.

I can't wait to get them on the car and throw some motorsport roundel center-bore caps on them...

[stevofthahill]

Henna is definitely my favorite red. Is it true that it was a California only color?

[TDE30]

Ah okay, RZ407's then I guess. I did some searching and I think these were a Volkswagen Corrado wheel. I've not seen a 15" RZ that is less than 7" in width.

I dig the blacked out lug area, I think it's a nice twist on a classic design (without going too overboard.) With those wheels and some euro bumpers, that car will be a stunner. I have some primered euro bumpers lying around if you are interested in going the non-chrome route.

Best of luck.

[RainierHooker]

Here's the Markngs cast into the centers: 61/2Jx15H2 407 ET33

[TDE30]

Interesting, I haven't seen 6.5" wide RZ's in a while. What is the full name of the wheel (e.g. the 15" x 7" RZ is the RZ378.) It should look beautiful.

Subscribed.

[RainierHooker]

Today I scored some BBS goodness for my Henna...



They are BBS RZ's in 15x6.5, I know they aren't anything super-huge or wide but they will certainly serve my aims for a daily-driven commuter-mobile. They have some small areas of curb-rash but nothing too bad. I'm going to fill the noticeable parts and then give them a clean coat of silver. While I'm at it I may spray the centers black (a la E21 Alpinas) to differentiate them from all of the other BBS-equiped E30's out there...

Through the miracle of photoshop this is what I'm thinking:



What do you guys think?

[RainierHooker]

Well today I got to do one of the most fun and most scary parts of any project. I ordered parts and goodies...

I scored a complete set of really nice looking black door cards and an analog clock off of ePay. I got the full timing-belt kit on the way from Elephant Motorsports. And the Creme-de-la-creme: I ordered Alpina Cloth and Black-Vinyl seat covers from Kevin at Creative Options.

I'll probably be ordering my suspension parts tomorrow including the H&R Springs but I'm waffeling over whether I should go with the Bilstien shocks, as originally planned, or go with Tokico or Koni adjustables.

I spent the weekend going over the car and fixing up a few things here and there. The Trany quieted down to normal levels after I drained and serviced it with Synthetic. (it looked like it hadn't been changed in a LONG time) She then got a Engine Oil Change and I pulled the stereo and found some really crappy install work which i tamed. I have the original cassette deck from my old Super-eta and I might throw it in there once I can find the missing speaker-plugs.

The only thing that is really wrong with the car mechanically at this point is there is a surge, with slight hesitation, when the car is accellerating between 2000 and 2500 RPM. I'm going to swap out new NGK plugs and a dist. cap this week end, hopefully rectifying this.

Next comes the search for bumpers and the 'right' wheels...

I'll post pictures as the parts come in and make it onto the car.

-RH

[TDE30]

Beautiful car, hennarot is one of the best factory E30 colors in my opinion. I've got a local friend (he's on the boards as well) with an '84 MT1 325e in that same color, it's stunning.

Hartge Design A's or BBS RA's with euro bumpers (as you discussed in the OP) would make all my fantasies come true.

Keep us updated.

[Il Duce]

I used to have that interior. I wish I still did! love the henna!

[Bimmerista]

Love that interior...very nice!

[JasonC]

Nice!

Too bad about the seats being brittle and all.

[RainierHooker]

Here's pictures of the progress to date (20FEB2010):





---------Original Post Below----------

An introduction of my self and my eta...
I have been an e30 fanatic since my first, a Zinnoberrot '88 4-door Super-eta that I got right after High School. It was love at first sight. Unfortunatly, I no longer have that car. Prior to embarking on an all-expenses-paid vacation compliments of the US Government, I did what I have regretted ever since... I sold my Zinno. Worse yet, the folks I sold it to (friends of my father) gave it to their kids who promptly totaled it. Happliy my father had the foresight to strip the car before it was turned into razor blades, she may yet live on in pieces.
Upon return from overseas I bought myself a shiny new-ish Calipsorot E36 but that car was far from able to satisfy my needs and after chasing an endless string of coolant problems it was traded in for a Mini Cooper S which my wife has since claimed as her daily driver.
After an incident which claimed the life of my wife's Nissan, I was finally given the opportunity to fill a void in my life.

I bought a 1984 325 eta with a build date of 8/84 last week. Best of all, she is HENNAROT! With 187K on the odo I wound up paying $1800 and driving her away. According to the VIN-report she lived in California from 1984 to 2007 when she came north to Washington State. While the paint was somewhat faded and oxidized, I could not find a single spot of rust and as far as the body is concerned she is flawless save a few door dings and rock chips. After a few hours of polishing and a thorough wax the paint came back to its original shine.

She will be my daily driver and as such will be getting a 'progressive' restoration on the weekends and will be driven and enjoyed during the week. Plans are for a subtle 'refined-stock' look.

She has some minor issues, as they all do, but I should have her mechanically healthy later this week. Aside from a little electrical gremlin most of the issues are cosmetic, mainly the fact that she needs new seat covers. Because of this I'm gonna use this as an excuse to swap the beige interior for black and possably spring for Alpina-cloth seats.

Budget permitting she will eventually get further refinements including:
-Euro Bumpers!
-H&R Sport Springs
-Bilstein Sport Shocks
-Eibach Sways
-Headlights (Smilies)
-Wheels (I'm thinkin Alpina Kopis, BBS RA's or Hartges)
-Scuff and Spray to freshen the Henna

Here she is as she sits now:






That last picture is somewhat deceptive, the seat's cover cloth is fairly brittle on the upper surfaces from sitting out in the Sun for 25 years and the bolsters are pretty thread-bare. But thats life, and she'll certainly be fun to tinker with...

-RainierHooker