Cloudbase's E30 - '89 325i, BBS RGRs, E21 Recaros

[Cloudbase]

I've been bringing my E30 back to life for the past 10 months, figured it's time to share it with the community. Rather than post a big build thread I thought I would finally post some pics of my E30 as it stands now with a list of what's been done and what's not. I'll update my Fixed and Not Fixed lists as I go.

There is an abbreviated build w/ 100+ pics on my blog HERE. Plus two previous threads showing my rear end body work HERE and front end body work HERE.

My plan for this car is a clean DD w/ a few light mods. I already have an M Coupe for the track, higher performance, etc. I have to say I love the E30 just as much as the M Coupe. It brings a smile to my face every time I get to drive it.

Condition When Purchased:

The Good:
1989 325i
Alpine White / Tan Interior
195,000 Miles
Manual
Rebuild Head
Motorman Injectors
Bav Autosport Ignition Wires & Coil
New Thermostat
New Drive Belts
New Water Pump
New Cooling Rubber

The Bad:
Erratic Idle / Random Stalling / Hesitation
Soft Brake Pedal
Missing Front Lip
Black Marks on Front Bumper
Crack Fog Light
Foggy High Beam Lens
Peeling Clear Coat on the Roof
Faded Roundels
Faded Black Trim and Mirrors
Cracked Rear Bumper Trim
Whinny Diff
Excessive Drive Line Vibration
Bad Wheel Bearing
A/C Doesn't Work
Multiple Lights in Overhead Check Panel
Check Engine Light
Brake Lining Light
Blown Stereo Speakers
Tape Deck Does Not Work
Cracked Driver's Seat
Bad CV Axle
Dry Rotted and Cracked Bushings and Rubber throughout the Car
Leaky Transmission
Coolant Leak
Power Steering Hose Seepage
Sagging Jammed Sunroof















Fixed:

Engine:
New Fuel Filter and Rubber Lines
All New Vacuum Lines
New Throttle Body Gaskets
New Throttle Position Switch
Repositioned AFM Wiper Arm
Replaced ECU
New Ground Strap
New ECU Coolant Temp Sensor / Cluster Temp Sensor and Connectors - Erratic idle / hesitation finally fixed!
Replaced Crank Position Sensor - drive belt sawed through the old wire
Cleaned Oil Level Sensor
Replaced Coolant Level Sensor
Replaced Washer Fluid Level Sensor - finally a dark check panel

Transmission and Driveline:
All New Shifter Bushings - shifter felt like a spoon in a bowl of spagettie
Z3 1.9 Short Shifter
New Transmission Output Shaft Seal
New Shift Selector Seal
Rebuilt Drive Shaft
New Flex Disc
New Center Bearing Carrier
New Centering Sleeve
Replaced Whinny 3:73 Open Diff w/ Quiet 3:73 LSD
New CV Axles
4 New Wheel Bearings (see brakes)

Brakes:
Multiple Pressure and Manual Bleedings before and after ABS activation
SS Brake Lines
2 Used Known Working Replacement Master Cylinders
New Pads and Rotors
Rebuilt Calipers
4 New Wheel Bearings
BRAKE PEDAL IS STILL SOFT - SLOWLY GOES TO FLOOR WITH LIGHT APPLICATION. NO FLUID LEAKS. WTF!?

Suspension and Steering:
H&R Sport Springs
New Spring Pads
15mm Drop Hats
Bilstein Sport Shocks
New Front and Rear Shock Mounts
New Control Arms (first FCP then Lemfoerder)
M3 Offset Control Arm Bushings
New Front and Rear Sway Bar Links
New Front and Rear Sway Bar Bushings
New Subframe Bushings
New Trailing Arm Bushings
Z3 2.7 Lock to Lock Rack
New E36 Tie Rod Ends

Wheels and Tires:
17" BBS RGR Diamond Black Finish
New Dunlop SP 2000 Tires - bought from sketchy dude behind Safeway for $300

Exterior:
Repainted Front Valence, Bumper, and Bumper Trim
New IS Lip
Ryan G Splitter
Euro Washer Smiley Projectors (just need a control unit and the kit will be complete)
Repainted Euro Grills
Replaced Cracked Fog Light
Yellow Laminx High Beams and Fogs
New Roundels
Replaced Cracked Rear Bumper Trim
Repainted Black IS Trunk Spoiler
Blacked Out Kidneys
Color Matched Tinted Side Mirrors
"I'm the stig" sticker - my wife got if for me

Interior:
Cloth E21 Recaros (driver's side is being recovered, using passenger for now)
Suede Dash Cover
M Tech I Steering Wheel
M Coupe Lighted Shift Knob
///M Stitched Suede Shift and E-Brake Boots
Leather E-Brake Handle
Naturel Ski Pass Rear Seat
Map Light Mirror
Home Made Cup Holder - made from PVC pipe couplings
Escort 9500i Radar Detector
iPhone Holder





























Not Fixed / Future Plans:

Soft Brake Pedal
Jammed Sunroof
Glazed Windshield
No A/C
Cracked Dash
Blown Speakers
Poor Stereo
Peeling Clear Coat on Roof

Alpine iDA-305 Stereo
New Speakers
Light Tint
Black Door Pulls and Map Pocket
Finish Headlight Washer System
Bike Rack w/ Red Rocky Mount Trays
Winter Wheels and Tires

[Simon S]

I love what you've done with the place.

[leegf]

looks great. nice job!

[Ramgoat]

Love, Love....LOVE IT!

try you brake booster for "soft" fix.


send directions on pvc pipe cup holder mod. ......please?

[Cloudbase]

Thanks Guys.

The brake booster along with a brand new master cylinder is the next step on the soft pedal problem.

The cup holder is pretty ghetto. It's the Walmart one that has a long fin on the bottom to squeeze between the seat and the console. I cut the bottom of it off so it's flush and screwed it to my console (my console was pretty beat up so I didn't care about screwing into it). Then I used the PVC pipe couplings as cup extenders. They fit really well.

[brutus87]

Lookin good!

[gverelli]

Good work! I like the Stig sticker lol

[1mz]

diggin the cup holder made of PVC couplers - do you have pictures of assembly?

[CHIF8008]

lookin fresh. Mmmmmmm its so clean haha

[AE_m20]

Cars like yours make me consider color matching my lip. Well done sir

[cabin]

Car looks great! Only thing I would change is getting rid of either the yellow fogs/highs or the amber turn signals. Both the yellow and amber make the front end too busy IMO.

[Cloudbase]

My plan is to do smoked indicators, euro trim, and smoked low beams, but that's a ways off.

I'll do a mini write up of the cup holder here in a bit.