Another IX, this time in France

[ludovic]

Hey guys, my name is Ludovic I am 35 and living in the west coast in France.

I've been lurking for the better part of a year on the forum, and learned here a lot to improve my car.

A big thanx to all and specially a big S/O to member Audiquattrot: your IX is the dope and a transatlantic legend now!

My car is '89 IX in Brillantrot, coupé5 speed Manual trans.

The car was registered in Madrid, Spain and from what I know spent it's career in the sun rather than the snow.

I went all the way to the south of France to inspect and buy it as I was looking for a red one with sport interior.

Actually, on site, I was probably blinded by its incredible noise and all this red paint because my initial inspection was cleary a major faillure.

Upon closer look(after I came back and paid the price of a lung for it of course) The car was less than flawless inside & out:

Sports seats and center console broken, paint peeling at car wash, rough idle, poor response etc...

So much that my initial toughts were what did I do !!

At least the car was not rusted to death like most in France.

Better yet the car have 3.91 diff, factory catalyzer delete, M sport springs...and the infamous rearview mirror lights!

This is what she looked like the day after I bought it:




And inside:





Lots to do to make it a little better...

[ludovic]

Exept for an inspection 2 at my mechanic and going back to stock size, the car sat like this mechanicly for the first months or so.

In the meantime, I tried to refresh a bit the interior: removed all the years old melted chocolate, chewing gum, toys, from under the rear seats, cleaned everything, replaced the gas springs, filed leather holes and scratches and redyed the sport seats.

I also replaced to the front and rear center console and added a new M leather shifter and handbrake boot.

I was pleased with how it turned out as it was my first time removing a seat from a car.

This is how the car looked by december '13

[ludovic]

After that the car went for a mandatory mecanical overhal for a while as it is my DD:

First the water pump failed...while I was away from home for Xmas.

Then the rough idle/poor response/ignition faillures went from bad to worse leading to replace sparks, cap and rotor, TPS, ICV etc...

While my mecanic was at it, he replaced the the front CV boots, wheel bearing, sway bars, guibos and various bushings and installed Billy shocks and H&R springs.

Loads of cash later, unfortunatly, I retrieved the car just in time for the summer, a bit lower but still a reverse rake to be corrected (10mm or so).

She now runs pretty good, still a bit of stuttering around 2000rpm, need to tweak a bit the AFM, I guess.



Outside, I just installed smoked turn signals and replaced the stock wheels for lenso's bsx 15x7 et38 (+5mm eibach spacer front +8mm back): my appologies to all the purists because of my bbs center caps on it. I hope one day being able to change for 16" BBS or maybe alpinas.





Inside I installed a Parrot asteroid classic with new Focal speakers, the lume is not orange but the bezel is matt black and the white text on the button blend it quite well on the E30, at least during the day, I think.




Oh and added grey floor mats, it really finishes the interior!






Next week she goes for a paint job to correct the spanish butcher she received a few years back + new Is lip and rear spoiler delete.

Also, received yesterday a nardi classic steering (36mm) can't wait to install it!



This is how the car stands today, far from perfect I believe compared to most of your cars here, but I am happy each time I work or drive it!

[RustyRuss]

That's an utterly beautiful looking IX, very nice indeed - hope you have many a happy mile in her :-)

[audiquattrot]

Thanks for the shoutout man!! Appreciate that a ton.....I love where u are going/gone with ur Ix, and look forward to more updates! Double up on those rear spring pads if the reverse rake bugs u. I put 15mm x5 ones, and it evened out perfectly. Love the wheels

[ludovic]

That's an utterly beautiful looking IX, very nice indeed - hope you have many a happy mile in her :-)

Thanks! I hope so too, I will try to maintain it the best I can.

Yours is just new: must feel incredible to drive one like this!

Thanks for the shoutout man!! Appreciate that a ton.....I love where u are going/gone with ur Ix, and look forward to more updates! Double up on those rear spring pads if the reverse rake bugs u. I put 15mm x5 ones, and it evened out perfectly. Love the wheels

Thanks man, trying my best to follow your steps in the preservation of Ix's.

So few of them that BMW shoud grant-aid us!

Yes I must go with the 15mm spring pads in the back. For now I have only one (5mm), not enough! But did you stack 5 of them??

Did I say I love your Alpinas too ? Hope to be able to cope a set one day!

[bradnic]

Wonderful car, obviously in good hands!

[litu]

Uuuh that color in 2-door ix...Epic e30 to me :)

[Habla]

Interested in a night pic of that parrot unit, if you have one!
Clean awd!

[RustyRuss]

Thanks! I hope so too, I will try to maintain it the best I can.

Yours is just new: must feel incredible to drive one like this!


!

Thanks mate much appreciated indeed :-) Its very light and nimble to drive I love it :-) Yours must feel awesome to drive too with a tad more grunt under the bonnet than mine!! :-)

[ludovic]

Uuuh that color in 2-door ix...Epic e30 to me :)

Yeah, it was red or bust for me, the paint look nice in picture but the car was poorly prep'd it is a massacre...Can't wait for next week.

Henna would have been nicer:

Interested in a night pic of that parrot unit, if you have one!
Clean awd!

Thanx!
I will try to snap one asap.

Here's one with the radio on.

Thanks mate much appreciated indeed :-) Its very light and nimble to drive I love it :-) Yours must feel awesome to drive too with a tad more grunt under the bonnet than mine!! :-)

Never came across a carb 316 around here, must be quite rare now, spec. in phase 2. Perfect for summer trips, I'd say!

The 2.5 is perfect to me as I really only use the car for long distance travel most of the time (200-500km day trips) with a lot of motorway.
Anyway I was specifically looking for an AWD, so no engine choice for me except mine has a factory catalyser delete, so it should be a true 170hp engine, not 150ich that word here says the cat. ones produce.

More than power it is the precision of the car with the billy + H&R that changed it. Before that it was equiped with some vintage spanish shocks so soft they made me sea sick!

[peter321]

install the wheel yet?

[animal]

Awesome - your interior refresh looks super well done. Hats off to you!

[HarteB]

Amazing car Sir .. great look .. great ideas

[Aguedae30]

Really nice ix! Greetings from hendaye! ;)