Hey guys, thought I might share a few photos of my first car. It's looking a bit forlorn at the moment, but I can definitely see the potential and the reason why 30 years later, the car is still such a favourite of enthusiasts the world over. The plan right now is to get it running at its peak, and my college student budget means I'll be looking to repair rather than replace. Thankfully, labour is quite cheap where I live, and the SR20DE swapped motor means drivetrain parts are quite easy to come by.
Without further ado, here's a link to the pics (still getting to grips with this forum thing, if anyone knows how to embed photos from imgur I'll do that next time)
Having an engine swapped car wasn't my first option (was so close to getting an M42 318is coupe but it was sold by the time I got back), but this one of the cheapest coupes on the market, and a lengthy chat with owner convinced me that I was getting a well cared for car that is worthy of restoration.
This car looked like it was well cared for most of its life, but was unfortunately a victim of heavy flooding that covered most of the country a few years back. The previous owner then stripped out most of the car to repair the damage, including installing a drivetrain from an S13 Silvia. Luckily, there seems to be minimal rust in the body - though there is a small hole under the battery tray.
The plan right now is to address the mechanicals, refreshing all the suspension bushings and components, replacing or upgrading to better than OEM parts where I can. The aesthetics will be addressed later when I have deeper pockets to throw at a paint job. I'd like to eventually take this car to the track, but I want to make sure its mechanically sound before I flog it and risk breaking something important and expensive.
I've tried to unearth the history of the car, but the serial number's not providing me any information, which makes me believe it was one of the completely built up models imported by BMW back in the 80's and assembled by Yontrakit. That probably explains how the paint is literally peeling from the car. This link here goes into more detail for those of you that are interested:
I'm a complete novice when it comes to mechanics but I'm hoping to learn as a go along. Any tips or tricks to make the car slightly more presentable will be greatly appreciated - I've seen the entire spectrum of reactions from people so far, ranging from humour, disgust and surprise that this thing still runs. I'm hoping to address the minor faults and quick fixes that I can do with my (limited) experience. I'd love to hear any comments, advice or information about the car from any of you.
Without further ado, here's a link to the pics (still getting to grips with this forum thing, if anyone knows how to embed photos from imgur I'll do that next time)
Having an engine swapped car wasn't my first option (was so close to getting an M42 318is coupe but it was sold by the time I got back), but this one of the cheapest coupes on the market, and a lengthy chat with owner convinced me that I was getting a well cared for car that is worthy of restoration.
This car looked like it was well cared for most of its life, but was unfortunately a victim of heavy flooding that covered most of the country a few years back. The previous owner then stripped out most of the car to repair the damage, including installing a drivetrain from an S13 Silvia. Luckily, there seems to be minimal rust in the body - though there is a small hole under the battery tray.
The plan right now is to address the mechanicals, refreshing all the suspension bushings and components, replacing or upgrading to better than OEM parts where I can. The aesthetics will be addressed later when I have deeper pockets to throw at a paint job. I'd like to eventually take this car to the track, but I want to make sure its mechanically sound before I flog it and risk breaking something important and expensive.
I've tried to unearth the history of the car, but the serial number's not providing me any information, which makes me believe it was one of the completely built up models imported by BMW back in the 80's and assembled by Yontrakit. That probably explains how the paint is literally peeling from the car. This link here goes into more detail for those of you that are interested:
I'm a complete novice when it comes to mechanics but I'm hoping to learn as a go along. Any tips or tricks to make the car slightly more presentable will be greatly appreciated - I've seen the entire spectrum of reactions from people so far, ranging from humour, disgust and surprise that this thing still runs. I'm hoping to address the minor faults and quick fixes that I can do with my (limited) experience. I'd love to hear any comments, advice or information about the car from any of you.