California Dreamin': E30 Vert Build Inspired by Katy Perry

[LorenzeTorres]

REPLACING CAP, ROTOR, AND BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH

COST
Cap:$18
Rotor: $58
Brake Switch:$19.25

LINK
Cap: http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1011711&parttype=7136
Rotor: http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1011711&parttype=7120
Brake Switch: http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...1-31-8-360-420

Nothing too crazy here, but very basic maintenance and old car be old car. Actually, I had the steering wheel and column fall on my lap while driving the other day. I guess the bolt that holds the column up loosened up and the wheel had slipped off the tracks. While trying to fix this issue (didn't take pics) I accidentally punched the brake light switch and broke a tab. Getting this part replaced was crucial as I was going on a 500 mile road trip the next day. Fortunately for me, Pelican Parts was en-route to San Diego. I also took the opportunity to pick up an OEM gas cap and replace my ghetto one that would let gas spill out while cornering.

Here's the culprit
IMG_3593 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

I would never recommend anyone doing this, but I had promised the GF a road trip and wouldn't be able to reschedule. Instead of drive down with no brake lights, I jimmy-rigged the switch using zip-ties tied to the steering column and switch bracket. The secret sauce was the piece of paper stuffed between trigger and the brake pedal that helped engage the switch.
IMG_3595 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Made it to Pelican Parts before they closed. PHEW! Shouts to them for their outstanding customer service. With little time, they pulled some strings in order for me to pick up the parts at will call. In this photo you can see the dried up gas under the gas door.
IMG_3600 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Back to the cap and rotor job...
The only thing that was PITA, was removing the cap. The previous owner had two 8mm nuts and the middle bolt was hex. It was a very tight fight, but my advice is use a deep socket and 1/4 driver. The caps are designed in a way that the bolts won't fall out, so no need to worry about that.

Other things to know, It might've been my car in particular but I found it easier when I pulled the plug wires out. It gave me a little wiggle room to shimmy the caps between the fan and the motor.
IMG_3583 by lorenze torres, on Flickr
In the pic below, you can see how worn down the rotor was.
IMG_3581 by lorenze torres, on Flickr
IMG_3580 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Here are the horrific wear on the points in the cap.
IMG_3582 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

In other news, I also dabble in motorcycles. Trying to finish up one project so I can put money into serious maintenance on the BMW. And if you live in the Bay Area and commute, owning a motorcycle will be one of the best decisions you'll make.
IMG_3564 by lorenze torres, on Flickr
IMG_3566 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

[LorenzeTorres]

That licence plate cover is pretty cool!

Thanks! I posted a link to where you can purchase them.

[Mike36]

That licence plate cover is pretty cool!

[LorenzeTorres]

DOESN'T START/ BAD FUEL PUMP

Just got a new job, decided to put my one week in which ended up being a 4 day notice thanks my fuel pump. Worked on my car (post above) brought it home, and tried to start it a few hours later and nada.

SYMPTOMSThe car was trying to turnover and it kept cranking and cranking. My first inclination was battery since the previous owner mentioned that the car had some parasitic drain, so I replaced it and nothing still. Checked spark and it was still good. Got some rest, decided to post on the Bay Area FB group for help, and decided to tackle it in the AM.

WHAT WORKED Somebody mentioned hitting the area near the fuel pump with a hammer, so the next morning that's exactly what I did and it did the trick... for a few times... till it died on me on the freeway en-route to work. Eventually it gave out and needed a complete replacement. Oreilly's sells the pump individually with the cradle for $200 and ECS sells the pump and cradle for $260. I got lucky and a local member happened to be in the area picking up a gas tank with a pump which he sold to me for $30. Below are the pick of how I removed it.

BONUS! Got around to putting on the Golden State lp stickers from DWA. 11/10 would recommend

COST:
Used Fuel Pump: $30 courtesy of Dylan Nguyen once again!
DWA Old School California License Plate Stickers: $25

LINKS:
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-vdo-part...141184022~vdo/

http://www.drivingwhileawesome.com/store/goldenstate

Thought the hammer trick would get me all the way to work, but I was very wrong. I had an hour to kill, so I broke out the camping chair and book and soaked up the CA sun.


Here's the robot that went out on me. Where the hammer is sitting is where I would give the tank a tap to fire up the pump. In order to get to this all I had to do is pull the rear seats up and remove the black cover on the left side.


Unplug the two wires, and bust out the 8mm socket to remove the fuel gauge sensor.




Next, you'll need a flat head or punch and a hammer. This is how you can remove the cradle and pump.


It'll need a little wiggling to get the whole unit out. I don't have the pic, but the solders closer to the top were fraying. Aside from that I was told that driving with less than a quarter consistently will kill the pump too.

[LorenzeTorres]

Shifter issue with the front being wider is because of the Gearshift Rod Joint. I think everybody who makes the DSSR makes them for the late model shifter. It looks like whoever did the 5spd used an earlier trans. Here's a picture for comparison:



There is a roll pin and retainer ring that holds it in place. They're not too hard to replace, you'll have to pull the front of the driveshaft down. I just did that job to fix the rest of my slop, bought everything from pelicanparts.com and fcpeuro.com, it's not too expensive. Alternatively I guess you could cut it, but there's a bushing in there and since you'd have to take it out to do so anyways...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=25_0027

As far as the sway bar bushing goes, make sure that what you've bought is the right size bushing. The convertibles have larger sway bars so they're specific. Other than that you can try to open it a little or pre-load the sway bar and it might make the job a little easier.

Thanks for the insight! I'm gonna tackle this again, this time with the right part. This is still high on my DIY list.

Regarding sway bar bushing, I might've bought bushings for a coupe. We'll keep everybody posted.

[E30CCARob]

Shifter issue with the front being wider is because of the Gearshift Rod Joint. I think everybody who makes the DSSR makes them for the late model shifter. It looks like whoever did the 5spd used an earlier trans. Here's a picture for comparison:



There is a roll pin and retainer ring that holds it in place. They're not too hard to replace, you'll have to pull the front of the driveshaft down. I just did that job to fix the rest of my slop, bought everything from pelicanparts.com and fcpeuro.com, it's not too expensive. Alternatively I guess you could cut it, but there's a bushing in there and since you'd have to take it out to do so anyways...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=25_0027

As far as the sway bar bushing goes, make sure that what you've bought is the right size bushing. The convertibles have larger sway bars so they're specific. Other than that you can try to open it a little or pre-load the sway bar and it might make the job a little easier.

[LorenzeTorres]

Z3 SHIFTER and MOOG FRONT END LINKS

This was a bit bitter sweet. I had set out to throw on a bunch of parts but didn't get very far. Since day one of owning the car, I've wanted to clean up the shift feel. Totally different car, but I got my Focus ST to feel like a bolt-action rifle when shifting gears and wanted to replicate that in the E30. Also, my friends would complain about a "crunchy" feel when shifting to 2 and 4. This will all come to light in a picture below. Additionally, I wanted to swap sway bar parts for the front is so that I can decrease some of the suspension clunking up front.

Long story short, I got Dylan Nguyen to lend more than a helping hand with this job. Thanks DYLAN! Due to some parts not fitting and hours of wrestling, we were able to get the shifter and end links in. One end of the UUC DSSR didn't fit on the transmission, the shifter bushings were a PITA to get to and looked like the exhaust needed to come down, and the sway bar bushings were super fat and didn't want to squeeze in. Still thankful we got a lot done and the car feels a lot better!

COST:
Z3 shifter: $50
Garagistic aluminum shifter bushings + rear derlin bushing: $40
UUC DSSR: $90 used
MOOG front endlinks: $16 (x2)
MOOG front swaybar bushings: $10

LINKS:
Z3 shifter: https://store.garagistic.com/z3-shor...scription=true
Garagistic aluminum shifter bushings + rear derlin bushing: https://store.garagistic.com/E30-alu...scription=true
MOOG front endlinks: http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1011711&parttype=7580
MOOG front swaybar bushings: http://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=1011711&parttype=7624

Talk about suspension droop!
IMG_3532 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

The shifter goodies that were supposed to go in. Don't let the garagistic install write-up fool ya. The easiest way to get to this job is probably to drop exhaust. Also DSSR didn't fit because the end that goes to the transmission is TOO SKINNY.
IMG_3533 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

It's ok though because we still kept pushing on! BITCH BE GONE! I was scared of this so-called "Bitch Clip" but thanks to garagistic and that write-up (maybe it was kinda useful), I was able to use a pick and pulled that sucker out in 2mins. I ended up replacing it with an easier clip to remove for future jobs.
IMG_3534 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

After removing the two clips that are attached to the OEM DSSR under the car, it was time to remove shifter itself.
IMG_3536 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Remember the "crunching" I mentioned earlier? Off with the dust boot and SURPRISE! Some interior screws made a cozy home in the shifter cup area.
IMG_3537 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

In order to get the shifter out, we had to use two flat heads and use a "cross" method. This allowed us to move the edges of the cup past the retaining ring of the shifter carrier. IMG_3538 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Here's the wider end, and as you can see the bar that goes across is many MM wider than the UUC unit. UGH. Does anyone have any insight on this?
IMG_3541 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

On a positive note, we threw in the new Z3 shifter and it feels good! No more rowing. Here's a comparison pic between old and new. The secret sauce is at the length at the bottom.
IMG_3540 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

This was a straight forward install. The old end link was beat to dust and I've always used MOOG on my S13 and was impressed by price and quality. Here's an old vs. new pic. Not sure if these come pre-filled with grease but I didn't see a nipple to put grease in so I slapped them in.
IMG_3544 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

I'll just leave this pic here. This is as far as we got putting the sway bar bushings in and tossed the towel in after 1.5 hours. IF ANYONE HAS ANY TIPS, PLEASE SHARE. I'd love to throw some fresh ones on.
IMG_3545 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

[LorenzeTorres]

IMG_3502 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

[LorenzeTorres]

REPLACING CENTER WINDOW SEALS ON CONVERTIBLE TOP

COST: $109 each (x2)
LINK: http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/..._pg2.htm#item6
TOOLS: Hammer and Punch
BONUS TIP: Throw these suckers in the freezer to allow shrinkage (lol). It will make the seals sliding through the rails hell of a lot easier.

Before we dive, here's a pic of the old seal vs. new seal. I'm not sure when the previous owner last swapped them, but they were beat to shit.
IMG_3495 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Here's what the old seal looked like on the car. It was very brittle and upon removal, found that it was split in half. Removing it was as easy as pulling it off.
IMG_3494 by lorenze torres, on Flickr
IMG_3501 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

DO NOT DRILLS THESE RIVETS OUT! They can be saved. I used a punch on the underside and lightly tapped it out.
IMG_3496 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

The proof is in the pudding.
IMG_3497 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Once again, I can't get over how bent up these were.
IMG_3498 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

With the top folded up at 90 degrees, I was able to slide in the new seal. It was very difficult be
IMG_3499 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

IMG_3500 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

[LorenzeTorres]

SHEARED FRONT TOP HAT/ STRUT TOWER STUD

Christmas came early and I gave myself the present of a sheared bolt. Heard some suspension clunking on the right side front, decided to tighten the strut tower bolt more, set the torque wrench for 15ftlbs, and SNAPPED IT! Through the amazing E30 Bay Area community, I was able to get some help from Iziah Cuddeford in Aptos, CA.

COST: 2 Cases of Lagunitas Lil' Sumpin'
LINK:Couldn't find the link or the part number to the stud itself and was fortunate to have Iziah (fellow member) give me one from a parts car.
TOOLS: 13MM Socket and box wrench, Hammer, Hole Punch, Jack, and Patience

IMG_3477 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Aside from pushing the old stud out, we had to pull a replacement out from a parts car. Iziah, was kind enough to pull a stud from his car since it wasn't running. We soon found that the studs were locked into some bracket for his Ground Controls.
IMG_3488 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

In this pic, we had just bolted everything back together with the new stud.
Prior to taking it, we had to run to his other house to knock some studs out of his parts car.

In order for us to complete the job, the car had to be jacked up, unbolted all the nuts at the top hat, drop the suspension, place stud back in, HOLD IT IN BETWEEN FINGERS, rotate shock, push everything back into place once the studs line up with the holes.
IMG_3489 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Here's a pic before we sailed off.
IMG_3491 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

If you're in the Bay Area looking for some reasonable help, hit up Iziah Cuddeford on Facebook

[LorenzeTorres]

WATER PROOFING TOP

Aside from ordering new weatherstripping for the windows, I did some research and ordered this RaggTopp kit. I noticed that the water wasn't beading off the top and it would just pool up and sneak its way in the car.

COST: $48.50 (Brush, Cleaning Solution, Water Repellant Spray, 2 Microfibers)
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/RaggTopp-Fabr...e+Top+Care+Kit

Here's my pic thread for the process.

1) Show off the goods


2) Rinse the top first before applying the cleaning solution


3) I sprayed the top with the cleaning solution twice over and let it sit for about 15mins. After, I scrubbed the grime away


4) After letting it sit, I rinsed the top off and it revealed how much dirt was packed on it!


5) I don't have a pic of me spraying the water repellent, however I drove the car around and let it sit in the sun to dry. I applied two coats on the first past with 15 minute intervals between each. For extra pre-caution, I sprayed the top once more.

I hope this will help a little against this issue. I know that verts will always leak, but it would be nice to minimize the leaking as much as possible. I don't enjoy arriving to my destination looking like I was driving the backroads with am

[LorenzeTorres]

TRUNK STRUT INSTALL

Not the hardest, but very satisfying install. Instant gratification within 10 minutes!
Also bought an OEM BMW key that needs to be cut.

Cost: $48.53 (2)
Link: http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...-8-103-118-M24

But onto the install
Tools: Flat head and something to prop up the trunk


IMG_3435 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

IMG_3437 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Where the strut connects to trunk, you'll want use your flat head to pry this little guy out. Be sure to catch it because this is very crucial to securing the strut down.

IMG_3438 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Repeat on bottom of strut, and repeat the whole process on the other side.

IMG_3439 by lorenze torres, on Flickr

Goodbye broken struts and random prop!

Only issue is that the struts are TOO strong and might need put rubber stops on the hinges to cushion the trunk opening up.

[LorenzeTorres]

Really liking your build! It definitely has an 80's/90's look to it with the Gotti wheels. What color are you planning for them?

I suggest a 195/45 up front and a 205/45 rear. It'd fill the fenders out better but still stretch.

Nice to see some Miami Horror love, it's a shame they never seem to tour the US!!

Keep the updates coming

Thank you very much! I'm trying to give it a "period correct" look and I've been adding accents that are not necessarily BMW purist approved but pieces that are reminiscent of style, music, and life in general in the 90's.

Regarding the color, I'm gonna take the time to wipe off wood hydrographic. Found that acetone works.

Currently I'm running 205/40, and Im definitely considering going 205/45 to do just that.

Also, saw Miami Horror in 2010 in SF. One of the best shows I've seen and I hope they make it back again!

[LorenzeTorres]

If it's your first time try to get a local to help you and bribe them with money booze drugs hookers etc haha

This is very excellent advice ahaha

[BoostinEuros]

Really liking your build! It definitely has an 80's/90's look to it with the Gotti wheels. What color are you planning for them?

I suggest a 195/45 up front and a 205/45 rear. It'd fill the fenders out better but still stretch.

Nice to see some Miami Horror love, it's a shame they never seem to tour the US.

Keep the updates coming