Minty-fresh Barn Find and Rebuild: 1986 325e Sedan

[blacktyevent]

Nice car! Schwarz body color with tan interior are one of my favorite combinations. ;)
BTW: I have the same cup holder. I did a brief write-up installing it near the e-brake. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=322748
Regards,

Excellent use of resources and modification. I would definitely do exactly that however i am waiting to pull an E36 armrest and center console and retrofit it. i bookmarked your writeup for IF i get desperate. Until then it fits in the door just fine:D.

Thanks for the love!

[blacktyevent]

Hope you keep updating - great little project.

Shame about the paint!

I'm in it until it's near-perfect.

BIG, BIG shame about the paint. The rear quarter panel also got sideswiped so ill have to figure out what to do with that. See the cringe-inducing pictures on the thread here.

[blacktyevent]

Also, I purchased a full-replacement sound system. Rockford Fosgate Speakers, Kenwood Exceleon deck, and Infinity Sub. See thread here for more info.

[blacktyevent]

Update! The Rabbit hole deepens....

A few major problems occurred. First, the Fuel pump went out (so we thought)...

The old pump sure was ugly and needed to be replaced no matter what...it had been whining loudly for the few days the car was running prior to breaking down:


After I installed a new pump, There was still no start. We ran some diagnostics and found that there was still no fuel delivery . We did some investigating found 1/2" of rust sediment in the bottom of the gas tank The PO claimed that it had been cleaned out, but cleaning out a tank like this would be IMPOSSIBLE. The inside was totally corroded. We had to order a new gas tank, fuel hoses, and inline fuel pump, and another fuel filter as the sediment had clogged & ruined the new one we just put in.

Installation shot showing new pump, fuel hoses, and gas tank:



Problem #2: Failed inspection for an exhaust leak on the cat converter & pipes. Ordered a new DEC one from BavAuto and installed it at our local DIY shop.

The old pipes & cat were completely rotten:








After spending around $450 on the exhaust ordeal alone, I realized i never even needed to pass an inspection for the historical plates i anticipate getting. :curse: Oh well, at least i have a proper exhaust now. (Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill?)


While on the lift, we installed brand new:
DEC direct-fit Downpipe/Catalytic Converter/Midpipe assembly from BavAuto
Bavauto Exhaust Gaskets & hardware
Bosch O2 sensor
Fuel Filter
14.4 gallon Gas Tank
Fuel Lines
Inline Fuel Pump
Replaced Transmission Fluid (old stuff came out black)
Replaced Differential Fluid
Rear Sway Bar Links

After all of this, clean & pure gas SHOOTS into the engine. It is back up and running! :up:

Rear sway bar links were a PITA to get on. I don't recommend changing these unless one breaks or you otherwise have steel fists, Goliath arm muscles, and a lot of free time. We lubed and lubed and lubed and lightly warmed the rubber fittings with a heat gun but they were too snug to get on. Finally the shop mechanic stepped in and forced them into place, albeit with lots of difficulty and cursing before achieving success. :D

[blacktyevent]

Got to make her look pretty after she came home in running condition. As you can see in the photos, the front and rear windshield lockstrips were in very weathered condition. I ordered the replacement kit from BavAuto for ~$85, and a Lisle lockstrip tool from Amazon ~$11.

I used watered down dish soap to lubricate the front, but I went out and bought some Silicone Lubricant before starting on the rear to make the task easier. Both are about equally effective but the dishsoap can be a bit messier and harsher on the car's finish. The soapy water also needed to be applied more often for the same effect. I ended up going back and forth between the two methods while installing the rear strip.

A lockstrip tool does not make this task easy. Youtube videos make it look like it will be a walk in the park, but if you are a first-timer it most certainly will not be. Having the right tool will save you maybe 50% of time and a good deal of frustration in the windshield corners, but you will still numb your fingers, cramp your hands, and will still need a screwdriver to work in the areas that did not properly install during the first pass.

After the job was done, it was well worth it.

Front BEFORE:


Front AFTER:




Rear BEFORE:




Rear AFTER:



Also, the driver's door lock was kaput, so i bought a rebuild kit and proceeded reconstruct with caution. The result, IT WORKS NOW!

[blacktyevent]

Picture update!

[crappycoco]

Really nice car! Hope you don't find any more surprises like the gas tank :/
Are you keeping the US bumpers?

[Old city bimmer]

great work. looking like it should be.

[blacktyevent]

Really nice car! Hope you don't find any more surprises like the gas tank :/
Are you keeping the US bumpers?

Well we found out that two wheel bearings started giving out last week, and the inside drivers door handle broke off. Just got replacement parts in today. other than that, she's running really awesome.

probably keeping the US bumpers, but would like to find a "s" lower valence for the front.

[ReSoP]

love this build,looks like you got a great car. Also nice to see another missouri e30

[blacktyevent]

love this build,looks like you got a great car. Also nice to see another missouri e30

Thanks mate! Whereabouts are you? I'd love to plan a small, but enthusiastic MO E30 gathering!


Off to change oil, oil filter, and put in new Bosch Spark Plugs Today!


Go UK tonight! BBN.

[blacktyevent]

Pictures still to come:

Fun:
New Soundsystem W/ Lukebox
Switched Radio Antenna
New HVAC Panel
Leatherique Re-Dye & repair

Maintenance:
New Driver's Interior Door handle
New Rear Wheel bearings (both)
Passenger side front wheel bearing
New Rear Brake Rotors
Magnetic Oil Drain Plug
New Idle control Valve
New Idle control Unit

[KrautnotRice]

Looks like you're off to a good start!
I'm doing many similar maintenance things to the ETA e28 I just picked up.
Tagging along.

[blacktyevent]

Welp, the new front wheel bearing broke into pieces when we attempted to install it. The vendor is sending a new one for free. Unfortunately this means no driving it whatsoever until parts come in. Until then it rests on jack stands...

New & Busted:


Install Shot:

[blacktyevent]

A present arrived today: