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first BMW, first E30 1985 318i

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  • skater4145
    replied
    Originally posted by lukeADE335i View Post
    Nice - the 1MZ would probably be my pick. The sound + torque would be worth it, and those engines can be had for peanuts.

    Sounds like good plans for the e30 - a 4 door might have been more practical with the kids on the way. I've found mine good with 2 kids, and used it as my daily until late last year. I daily an e92 now and they clamber in and out of the back of that just fine. Might be a bit annoying in the early years when they're in booster seats.

    When doing the school run in the e30 surrounded by SUVs, the kids used to say - your car might not be the biggest Dad, but it's definitely the loudest :)
    yes the 1mz is sooooo cheap. the only advantage of the 3vz is the fuel system is nearly identical to the stock motor (5fse) which makes getting it through california bar easier. the 1mz is returnless which is obviously harder to deal with. but the 1mz is my first choice, all will depend on what kind of deal i can find. whichever one i get cheaper will be the one i pick lol.
    hahaha i have to laugh at the "not the biggest but the loudest". kids are so honest lol!
    yah for sure the coupe will be a little rough when the kids are young and have their car seats but if i can hang on for a few years like you said, it should be fine when they are a bit older. fingers crossed!

    Originally posted by Jaxx_ View Post
    M10 ftw. Welcome! Love the SW20 too. It looks like you're well on your way already. Just a 325 sway bar in the rear will make the car nearly perfect, in my experience.

    If I recall correctly you actually need the trailing arms from a disc car to convert the drums in the rear. It's been years, so I could be wrong. The early cars also have skinnier front strut tubes, so if you plan to replace them I recommend getting the "beefer" 51mm ones. Check out the dollar bill trick to confirm size.
    sweet! thanks for the tips! im a super bmw noob so im trying to soak up as much information as i can. 325 rear sway is an upgrade... noted! also i have so much reading to do about suspension... im gonna revisit my options when the car runs a bit better and ive gotten a few of the other things on my list done.
    the PO gave me a set of 325i trailing arms so i got lucky there! but i think they might need new wheel bearings and a lot of sanding to get the surface rust off. which is actually a great Segway into my next update.


    so i haven't had a solid block of 2 hours in order to get the car in the air and bleed the brakes so that hasn't happened yet but it will very soon.
    also i should warn you all that i am addicted to craigslist and so every once in a while when a good deal pops up, i may spring for an upgrade i don't need, or that is a little out of order of my priorities... and so, cue the new seats!



    these were too good a deal to pass up and i am super picky about how seats feel, and i really disliked the comfort seats. even though these are so mis-matched with the rest of the interior... i had to put them in anyway. sorry guys! i know its ugly but a good seat that hugs you when your shredding the turns is priceless to me. and so it has begun.

    when i pulled up the stock seats i was greeted with some coffee stainage…




    not the end of the world but kind of not cool! i pity the fool that spills coffee this badly onto my interior carpet... i would hit them with the rick james…"what did the 5-fingers, say to the face?"

    the drivers side is a little better...


    so instead of dealing with the coffee stains i ignored them, because i had to get to work and i was not getting there in a comfort seat. i will pull them back out and deal with those stains on a day off.
    that being said, i cannot commend bmw enough for the great job they did on the sport seat, it feels like recaro designed it. so nice to have a factory seat option that is actually worth sitting in.
    they are a little dirty so i have to clean them still, but i am super pumped about how good these seats feel. looks are another story but that can always be fixed.




    i had to go to home depot for a couple 5 gallon buckets and used the opportunity to buy a few things for sanding and grinding...




    ive only been able to put about 20min into working on the 325i trailing arms but my intention is to clean all the surface rust off, put in new bushings and wheel bearings and get my disc setup going. so this is the start of that...



    you can tell im dragging my feet on the vac leaks...
    Last edited by skater4145; 06-07-2019, 02:18 AM.

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  • Jaxx_
    replied
    M10 ftw. Welcome! Love the SW20 too. It looks like you're well on your way already. Just a 325 sway bar in the rear will make the car nearly perfect, in my experience.

    If I recall correctly you actually need the trailing arms from a disc car to convert the drums in the rear. It's been years, so I could be wrong. The early cars also have skinnier front strut tubes, so if you plan to replace them I recommend getting the "beefer" 51mm ones. Check out the dollar bill trick to confirm size.

    Leave a comment:


  • lukeADE335i
    replied
    Originally posted by skater4145 View Post
    You've got my intentions with the toyota pegged. except because of California smog and carb, a 2gr-fse is nigh impossible. at least for my skills. my plans include one of two options, the 3vz-fe or the 1mz-fe, both are v-6 and both came in the camry in California(which is super important for a very stupid reason). neither make more than 200hp but it is a worthwhile swap because the torque curve is ridiculously flat from like 800rpm and above.
    Nice - the 1MZ would probably be my pick. The sound + torque would be worth it, and those engines can be had for peanuts.

    Sounds like good plans for the e30 - a 4 door might have been more practical with the kids on the way. I've found mine good with 2 kids, and used it as my daily until late last year. I daily an e92 now and they clamber in and out of the back of that just fine. Might be a bit annoying in the early years when they're in booster seats.

    When doing the school run in the e30 surrounded by SUVs, the kids used to say - your car might not be the biggest Dad, but it's definitely the loudest :)

    Leave a comment:


  • skater4145
    replied
    ok so thanks for all the motivation you guys! i hate to say it but sorry you will have to bear with me for a few months as my schedule is crazy and my time to wrench is super unpredictable atm. i will fully explain later but ive got a packed 8 weeks of work followed by a wedding and a 14 day honeymoon. i promise im not complaining!
    updates may be touch and go for a little while but i really really like this bmw so it is a great motivator for me to work on it.

    Originally posted by mike.bmw View Post
    Speaking from experience, two car seats fit easily. ;D
    this is great news because the kids are coming, we both want them so its only a matter of time, and my fiancé isn't getting any younger. neither of us want more than 2 the e30 is all I'll ever need! at least that's what i keep telling my fiancé

    Originally posted by 2mAn View Post
    Get a Miata battery, 325i battery cables and move that stuff to the trunk.
    PO already did it. ill post a pic tomorrow with another update

    Originally posted by benwalsh91 View Post
    Love it, and i don't get why everyone hates the DB bumpers. Maybe its because they are unheard of here.

    keep the diving boards!!
    Originally posted by e30RS View Post
    Nice car! I have an '88 "is" that came with everything for a bumper swap and the forum convinced me to keep the diving boards. . . .for now.
    I love the encouragement! thanks guys! i just don't know if i can keep them... they make great drink holders when your chillin outside the car, but they stick out really far. like almost too far... almost
    but i am definitely keeping them for now i have so many other things to get to first.
    full disclosure if this was an '88 car i'd have those plastic bumpers on so fast...


    Originally posted by packratbimmer View Post
    Keep it light, in tune and set your timing for 93 octane.

    #1 priority: ERADICATE VACUUM LEAKS!
    it passed smog but i need to get a timing light on it and see where its currently set at. i know the PO messed with it so it could be stock or who knows. also vac leaks are so gross and i know i have some and just ewwww
    ugh vac leaks are my nemesis. but they are a high priority for sure.

    Originally posted by cheffy30 View Post
    please change the timing belt soon
    Originally posted by lukeADE335i View Post
    The M10 doesn't have one (probably the one advantage the M10 has over the M20!)

    Nice project you've got there - the M10 cars are good daily drives. Sure, they're slow, but once sorted they're very reliable and still entertaining to drive like all e30s.

    What are your plans for the MR2? I've been toying with the idea of buying one for a while and throwing a 3.5L Camry V6 into it to make a cut price Lotus Evora :)
    thank you!!! the m10 has character for sure and the e30 handles great as light as it is. it is absolutely entertaining and that's exactly what i was hoping for. and it doesn't do too badly on gas mileage either which is kind of nice for a daily driver. its a great compliment to the mr2 because they handle so differently.
    you've got my intentions with the toyota pegged. except because of California smog and carb, a 2gr-fse is nigh impossible. at least for my skills. my plans include one of two options, the 3vz-fe or the 1mz-fe, both are v-6 and both came in the camry in California(which is super important for a very stupid reason). neither make more than 200hp but it is a worthwhile swap because the torque curve is ridiculously flat from like 800rpm and above.


    Originally posted by 2mAn View Post
    What are the plans for the M10? I have an old lower pulley for an M10 that has a 36-1 wheel on it. Pick up a Ford EDIS and you can start letting that thing run a bit better without the distributor. Ireland Engineering is a great place for M10 performance parts, and if you look there were performance headers for them a while ago. Combine the lightness of the 84/85 and get that thing slightly hot-rodded and it will be quite fun NA, then theres the whole Turbo option too... lots of possibilities
    i want to hot rod it!!! hahaha i would really like to keep it NA. i think it adds to the overall experience of what the car is about. i very much subscribe to the slow car fast type of driving so i don't need lots of power in this car. i would love for it to make cool noises and give the effect of going fast though!
    and i am definitely into that lower pulley, i would love to be able to upgrade the ignition system.

    Leave a comment:


  • 2mAn
    replied
    What are the plans for the M10? I have an old lower pulley for an M10 that has a 36-1 wheel on it. Pick up a Ford EDIS and you can start letting that thing run a bit better without the distributor. Ireland Engineering is a great place for M10 performance parts, and if you look there were performance headers for them a while ago. Combine the lightness of the 84/85 and get that thing slightly hot-rodded and it will be quite fun NA, then theres the whole Turbo option too... lots of possibilities

    Leave a comment:


  • lukeADE335i
    replied
    The M10 doesn't have one (probably the one advantage the M10 has over the M20!)

    Nice project you've got there - the M10 cars are good daily drives. Sure, they're slow, but once sorted they're very reliable and still entertaining to drive like all e30s.

    What are your plans for the MR2? I've been toying with the idea of buying one for a while and throwing a 3.5L Camry V6 into it to make a cut price Lotus Evora :)

    Leave a comment:


  • cheffy30
    replied
    please change the timing belt soon

    Leave a comment:


  • packratbimmer
    replied
    Keep it light, in tune and set your timing for 93 octane.

    #1 priority: ERADICATE VACUUM LEAKS!

    Leave a comment:


  • e30RS
    replied
    Nice car! I have an '88 "is" that came with everything for a bumper swap and the forum convinced me to keep the diving boards. . . .for now.

    Leave a comment:


  • benwalsh91
    replied
    Love it, and i don't get why everyone hates the DB bumpers. Maybe its because they are unheard of here.

    keep the diving boards!!

    Leave a comment:


  • 2mAn
    replied
    Get a Miata battery, 325i battery cables and move that stuff to the trunk.

    Leave a comment:


  • mike.bmw
    replied
    Originally posted by skater4145 View Post
    maybe it was more weather than car but hey the more she likes the car the better my chances of keeping it when the kids come along
    Speaking from experience, two car seats fit easily. ;D

    Leave a comment:


  • 2mAn
    replied
    M10 powa~!!!!!

    Leave a comment:


  • skater4145
    replied
    ok most of the time i do like to work on my own cars, i have rebuilt a bottom end of a motor and it ran for a while afterword, but i have never rebuilt a diff or transmission so that is about the limit of my mechanical knowledge. and i suck at wiring.

    since my last and only german car was a mercedes 190e, i figured my first purchase should be a bentley.
    i was trying to download a copy and i came across a version that was available and the person hosting the file had said something like, "this is available assuming this is your 2nd or 3rd copy... pay bentley the money they deserve."

    that resonated with me... and thus my first bmw purchases have arrived.
    i had been lurking here for a few weeks and read a few threads about tuner motorsport and pelican and mergers and things...

    so as much as my purchasing as possible will come from blunttech. i help run a small business and am always voicing my opinion to shop local and small, and so i make an effort most of the time to put my money where my mouth is.

    and here fresh of the truck from blunttech...


    i figured start with the small things first. and that shifter slop is driving me crazy.

    so now for lots of reading.

    took the car out for a mild shakedown on one of my favorite little roads and somehow convinced the lady to go with me. thats rare and suprise... she really enjoyed the car. now she wants to drive it lol!!



    maybe it was more weather than car but hey the more she likes the car the better my chances of keeping it when the kids come along, i'll take it!

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  • skater4145
    replied
    so about that maintenance...
    here are the things id like to start with:

    1. intermittent start
    a. sometimes it doesn't start. everything comes on. turn the switch, nothing happens not even a click. last time it happened I left it alone for 3 hours then it started right up... its only happened once so far in about a week.

    2. brakes are mushy and a light scraping sounds comes from the drums when you get hard on the brakes. brakes still work though pretty ok though.
    a. need to bleed the brakes.
    b. need to get into those drums and see what the noise is.
    c. I got some disc rears in the deal. need to get some rotors and wheel bearings and convert the rear end to disc

    3. wont hold an idle from a cold start. the cold start injector is unplugged. has the penny trick done already. has cold start issues.
    a. I want a legit running iacv and cold start injector setup

    4. leak. not sure if oil or p/s, just noticed it beneath the car after work last night. gonna go check it out
    a. well got myself a project car




    P.S. the battery tray is rusted out... so there's that

    Last edited by skater4145; 06-01-2019, 11:30 PM.

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