Smackley's Alpine vert grocery getter

[smackley]

Nice work with the cup holder. Are you planning to add a cover to prevent spills on the carpet?

Thanks. Probably just going to leave it as is. I have a second console I'm putting together with a tape storage insert and armrest, so this may not stay.


On another note, I put a chrome grill back on. I also swapped the mirrors out for a matte black set'm not sure how I feel about those.

[M-technik-3]

Nice work with the cup holder. Are you planning to add a cover to prevent spills on the carpet?

[smackley]

Update for June:

Car has been running great with the new suspension, though I'm getting tired of not having power steering. I'll have to sort a new steering rack and clean up my old PS pump assembly soon.

I also got a little nostalgic and picked up an old OEM tape deck for the car. I even go to go grab some classic 80's cassettes to listen to. Oddly enough, the OEM tape deck sounds better than that craptastic Jensen stereo the previous owner hacked into the old wiring. I think the OEM amp is actually working, and I'm not picking up random buzzing/pops any longer.




I also decided to build a cupholder center console. This car seriously needed a place to put my morning coffee!

[smackley]

Do you have a link for the emblem? I'm tryng to decide if I want to buy one or try to make one myself. Thanks.

It was an ebay special. I ended up removing it as it didn't conform to the trunk's curves very well. I'm sure it could have been heat molded, but the OE emblem just looked more flush.

It was something like the link below, but I removed the adhesive and drilled two holes for emblem studs to fit through. I then wired it to the left brake light, so it lit up when the other brake lights were on.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-LED-Badge-Emblem-DECAL-LOGO-Background-Light-Luxury-Sticker-Lamp-For-BMW-/321950350681?hash=item4af5bc7d59:g:APQAAOSwZ1lWcBm~&vxp=mtr

[mrpenny]

backlit emblem

Also made my first eBay cheapy mod (if you neglect the JOMs)...NC requires a 3rd brake light for all cars, so with the deck lid exchange I picked up one of those LED backlit emblem things...

Looks pretty clean and not too cheapy. I'm not entirely sure this will pass inspection but I have 9 months to worry about that. I painted my own rear decklid, however, and it turned out pretty nice. Single stage Alpine II paint and a bunch of wet sanding/polishing. Matches well.

Do you have a link for the emblem? I'm tryng to decide if I want to buy one or try to make one myself. Thanks.

[smackley]

Tanks

Can't believe I haven't seen your thread until now - really nice work! You've covered a lot of the mods I've been considering on my vert.

Looking forward to seeing more!

Many thanks mrpenny! I see you are in Raleigh too. If you run into any e30 issues, let me know. I've torn apart 3 of these things at this point, and have a parts bin that is growing if you ever need help.

[mrpenny]

Can't believe I haven't seen your thread until now - really nice work! You've covered a lot of the mods I've been considering on my vert.

Looking forward to seeing more!

[smackley]

Well, after 4 years it's finally my 100th post on the R3v. That's pretty weak contribution for a site I utilize so often. I'll have to make the next 100 more effective. That said, lots of updates for this thread today.

I rebuilt the axles. Boot kits are nearly expensive enough to make me believe buying a whole rebuilt axle could be worth it. Either way, I think they were certainly in good enough shape to just repack the bearings and add some new boots.


Wheels finally went on after bleeding the brakes and torquing down the rebuilt axle nuts.



I also added some rear mud flaps that I picked up from an early model coupe. They don't line up perfectly, but they at least have the OE look.



Then, finally put her on the ground on all fours for the first time in months!!




Ride height looked great. Wheel caster looked right. Tire width looked spot on. Only one issue popped up...steering rack still leaking...

F@CK!

I've spent way too much time on this to still have this happening. I'm sure I screwed up one of the bajillion little gaskets or seals in the rebuild, but I am NOT taking it apart again. I think I'll just do a power steering delete. It turns great without the power steering pump ruining the fun.

Anyways, that's the update for today.

[smackley]

Tanks

I had no idea a 5 lug swap was that easy. Your car looks great on those wheels btw!

Thanks! I like the DS2's on the e30. I think they almost look original to the era...almost.

The install is pretty easy. If someone is competent enough to press out/in a wheel bearing, they can do this whole job in a weekend. The hard part was finding all the parts needed for the rear end. It seems that z3 6cyl rear hubs are getting harder to come by, let alone pay the price for new ones.

I could also have shaved a bunch of time if my OCD didn't sidetrack me into cleaning every part, and dunking every bolt/hardware into a vat of rust remover.



Brakes are now mounted, with new ebrake hardware. The e30 stuff would have worked fine. I had a spare set of e36 ebrake shoes lying around, and they appear to be identical. The only difference was those little springs that retract the shoes; I reused my e30 springs there.

The rotors were OE type z3 2.8 rotors, OE caliper bracket and calipers, and a spare set of e36 M3 pads I had lying around. The pads appear to be the same part number as the z3 stuff. I guess the only advantage the m3 had was the caliper piston size and the vented rotors.





I found the rotors for $9 a pop from Prime Choice Auto (included shipping). I was afraid for that price they'd be horrible junk. They look just like a centric rotor, so I was pleasantly surprised. Now driving on them for a while will be the real test.

[Das Delfin]

I had no idea a 5 lug swap was that easy. Your car looks great on those wheels btw!

[smackley]

There is a lot going on here. Well done.

Yep, always a lot going on. More than I really have time for. Thanks!

Now on to some small updates:

With the back end finally in the air, I began the rear 5 lug swap. I snagged a couple trailing arms from a 2.8l Z3, which were complete with brakes, cables, axles, etc...just in case I needed any of that. I pressed out the hubs, and cleaned up the calipers to go on the vert.


I have a bunch of pics of this process, but I'll just link a few. I ended up using the threaded rod from a spring compressor, linked with some dies/piping, to "press" out the hubs and wheel bearings. It saved me the headache of removed the whole trailing arms, again.




New FAG bearings pressed in. I used the old bearing to get it recessed into the hub.


I also noticed that the new hub seemed a bit wobbly after pressing it into the bearing. I had read some posts where people feared they had ruined their new bearings when pressing in the hub with a slide hammer, or brute force. On closer look, it was just that the inside inner bearing race was not pressed all the way onto the wheel hub. I added a rear bearing die of the same diameter of the inner race to the back of my "jig" and torqued down on it a bit. That really helped press both inner races together and tightened up the new bearing. In the end, I think the cv axle and outer cv nut would have had the same effect. Short story, don't freak out if you think your brand new wheel bearing and hubs seem wobbly.

[TimeMachinE30]

There is a lot going on here. Well done.

[smackley]

Thanks to MrSlacker for the suspension sale, and quick shipping! I picked up a set of H&R cabrio sport springs.


I added e90 drop hats in hopes to find just the right ride height for this combo. Everything seems centered (caster) in the wheel well.


Brakes and hardware installed.


DS2's installed, and dropped it on the ground for the first time in months!

[smackley]

I also discovered that my front ABS sensor connectors have crumbled to pieces. The connector inside the car is that orange 2 pin barrel connector type, and since I'll have to splice in the e36 wheel speed sensors, I may as well cut these out.


I'm going to try to crimp on a Delphi 2 pin weatherproof connector and see if that works.

[smackley]

Subframe and rack installed:


New tie rods and boots:


...and another new box of parts arrived!