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June 2018 Car of the Month: Habla

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    June 2018 Car of the Month: Habla

    *** Editors Note: I remember Peters car from my years in Seattle. Its come a long way over the years, and this is exactly what I love to feature here. A car that has evolved and has eventually become exactly what the owner wanted for themselves. I think we can all agree that this is an E30 we would all love to have. The summer should be a little brighter as I move to shift us away from 3 Black E30s that are all very different from each other. Congrats Peter, your car is our June 2018 Car of the Month!***


    Factory options:
    Prod. Date 1986-02-24
    Type 325E (USA)
    Series E30 (3 Series)
    Body Type LIM
    Steering LHD
    Engine M20
    Displacement 2.70
    Power 125kw / 170hp
    Drive HECK
    Transmission Manual
    Colour SCHWARZ (086)
    Upholstery (0166) (black vinyl comforts)
    S210A Dynamic Stability Control
    S286A BMW LA Wheel BMW Styling
    S300A Central Locking With Antitheft System
    S410A Window Lifts Electric Front
    S530A Air Conditioning
    S556A Outdoor Temperature Indicator

    Color:
    Schwarz I ;)

    Interior color:
    Anthrazit houndstooth sport

    Engine modifications:
    OBD2 3.2L S52 swap: Markert Motorworks harness, Kassel Motorsports dme
    M50 intake manifold w/ Turner Motorsport Billet adapter
    E36 M3 radiator with 16" Spal pusher fan with auto temp switch & late model expansion tank
    Walbro 255lph single in-tank fuel pump

    Exhaust:
    OBD2 stainless manifolds & front O2 sensors
    Single 2.5" tubing to Vibrant resonator & Vibrant dual tip rear muffler.

    Transmission:
    ZF320 with new detents
    E36 M3 clutch & flywheel
    Z3 1.9 shift lever
    Garagistic DSSR
    Condor delrin shift bushings
    E36 M3 4 bolt driveshaft w/e30 CSB

    Differential:
    S2.93 limited slip

    Suspension:
    Koni Yellow SA shocks
    H&R sport springs
    1 rear spring pad
    E36 325i steering rack
    E36 m3 centered CABs

    Wheels:
    Azev Type A, 4x100:
    F 16x7.5, 10mm spacer, 225/50 Toyo T1R
    R 16x9, 245/45 Toyo T1R
    Custom Azev emblems
    Rolled Fenders

    Exterior modifications:
    OEM european bumpers, 86/87 "772" front valance with foglights & "Jimmy Hill" front lip
    Hella "Smiley Headlights
    Euro Grilles
    ZKW Smoked Turn Signals
    IS rear deck spoiler


    Interior modifications:
    Nardi Classic 360mm polished steering wheel
    Condor shorty shift knob
    Tri stitch leather boots
    Euro clock
    OEM premium sound addition
    E36 window switches

    Story behind the car:
    I have had this car for about 6 years now, and it is still the only e30 I have owned. It has now been through 3 phases of motors, interiors and front ends. I bought it when I still lived in PDX, as a black on black base model 325, complete with diving boards, bottlecaps, a crunched fender and vinyl comfort seats. It's far from those beginnings, and now my perfect e30...

    Sensibly, I first addressed the blown ball joints and brake master cylinder to ensure I would stay alive long enough to keep driving the thing. Shortly after that, I bought the bumpers at a swap meet in Portland and started improving her looks! After driving it for about a year and cutting my teeth with diy projects, I suspected that the old eta motor was about to blow its gasket, so I tore into it and fixed it in my apartment parking lot, somehow evading any dirty looks from management until the day I finished!

    All was well when I moved back to Seattle, I found a set of black checker sport seats to install, lowered the car on bilsteins and H&R sport springs, installed an lsd, and had some fun. Until one fateful night when I was sliding around my neighborhood and just kissed the 5.5K mark on the eta tach for a mere second, when a valve decided to drop onto cylinder #4, grenading the engine immediately. Luckily I was a few blocks from home, and knowing the engine was fubar'd anyway, I started it back up and made it back to the garage.

    Needing a new engine, I decided to pick up a wrecked e36 325i as a swap donor / partout vehicle. It supplied the m50tu, trans, shifter, driveshaft, and steering rack to my car and was sent away. After getting it running and solving some fuel cut issues, it became the daily driver for a year or so, until a certain e34 touring came around...

    With the e30 off daily duty, I happened upon the current S52 engine for sale, which had been removed and partially disassembled, but it was a great price. I then did what any sane person would do, I dismantled my own running vehicle and sold the entire m50 drivetrain as a package deal, leaving me with an S52 short block and a black shell, essentially. It was nice doing a second swap from a clean slate, learning from mistakes from the first one and improving. Luckily the motor came with the computer sorted, and the m50 manifold conversion, but I did want to shell out for a clean, sorted harness this time.

    Once I had the 2nd motor project under control, I found the pair of houndstooth sport seats just miles away (with good centers, luckily), and began the scavenger hunt for the complete interior swap. Once all was said and done, I sourced the interior from 6 different sellers, including 3 bolster pieces from england, and had to strip down the two front seats, swap a frame or two, and reinstall every piece of fabric.

    The icing on the cake for this car was recently finding the 4x100 staggered Azev wheels for sale in the classifieds here. I can now finally say that I have worked hard to turn this car into the e30 I always wanted since I started lurking here in 2004, and I now I can flog it and stop spending time & money on it

    Peter















    just your basic S52 swap haha





    hate to see you leave, but love to watch you walk away...





    Simon
    Current Cars:
    -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

    Make R3V Great Again -2020

    #2
    I like it. Some good old-fashioned bavarian hotrodding
    '89 325i OBD2 S52 BUILD THREAD
    Shadetree30

    Comment


      #3
      God I love that Jimmy Hill chin spoiler
      Hank Ahrens
      1984 Alpine Coupe
      1978 911sc

      Comment


        #4
        Absolutely Stellar!
        FEEDBACK:
        http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=316212

        BMWCCA #398608
        IG @yagayo38

        "The Best E30's were built with two camshafts four cylinders and sixteen valves!".

        Comment


          #5
          Nice early model. Reminds me of my friend's 325.
          "I'd probably take the E30 M3 in this case just because I love that little car, and how tanky that inline 6 is." - thecj

          85 323i M TECH 1 S52 - ALPINEWEISS/SCHWARZE
          88 M3 - LACHSSILBER/SCHWARZE
          89 M3 - ALPINEWEISS II/M TECH CLOTH-ALCANTARA
          91 M TECHNIC CABRIO TURBO - MACAOBLAU/M TECH CLOTH-LEATHER

          Comment


            #6
            Great looking E30! Sounds like quite a journey so far, but those pics make it seem like it was worth it! :)

            Comment


              #7
              Awesome build man!

              Comment


                #8
                jimmy hill is a good man
                1984 Delphin 318i 2 door

                Comment


                  #9
                  Digging it
                  sigpic

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Beauty! Well earned, Peter!
                    Jon (OO=[][]=OO)
                    1992 325ic white, stock with a 5-speed swap
                    Palm Beach County

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Thanks y'all!
                      -Peter
                      '86 S52 coupe | Cotm: 6/18
                      '91 318is slicktop project
                      '14 F15 X5 35d M Sport
                      '00 Tundra

                      Comment


                        #12
                        This is the ideal e30 stance IMO. Great car!
                        1990 325iX - sterlingsilber metallic
                        1991 325i - lazurblau metallic



                        Originally posted by delamaize
                        E30 = Lego for men.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Very well earned, Peter! Your car is gorgeous and hits all the right notes.
                          1988 325 Lachs Sedan SOLD

                          1989 325i Bronzit Beige 2 Door
                          SOLD

                          2018 Volkswagen Alltrack SE DSG
                          Past:1988 325iS Lachs 5 Speed

                          Comment


                            #14
                            super clean.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Beefy. I love it.

                              Comment

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