I had no intention of another project car, then I drove an E30 and the hunt began. I lurked the forums, watched auctions, and scoured the web. After a couple of months of looking, weighing options, desired features, and my style I found a crazy clean, bone stock, Euro-spec, LHD 325i recently imported from Japan. Had it checked out, bought it sight unseen, and had it shipped home to CO. It’s got right at 93k on the clock. To be clear, couldn’t care less where it came from but the Euro features are cool and with a little higher comp ratio, the M20 has a little more potential before I fall down the rabbit hole there. I’ve also got a highly modified and well sorted 77 Datsun 280z but I wanted something a little less high strung. A well balanced chassis and the sonorous sounds of an uncorked straight 6 in a back canyon are hard to beat.
Stats:
1987 325i: as far as I can tell from the VIN search, its not a real “M-tech” but some real care was taken when by the PO when making the aesthetic changes, down to correct fasteners, brake ducts, etc. Near as I can tell, correct me if I’m wrong too please, it has real M-tech body work with M-tech 2 front and rear bumpers, M-tech 1 side skirts, and M-tech 1 steering wheel, sport front seats, & M-tech rear seat. Something was changed with the rear suspension (lowered) but I don’t think anything was done to the front. The shadow line trim may be stock, maybe not. Its also had some paint work done but to a pretty high level. Other than that its a bone stock, auto trans car with “sport” mode knob.
I picked it up last May and have been collecting parts all summer during my busy season with plans to start on it during the winter. I’ve been much busier than expected and, as a contractor, I’ve learned the value of a professional doing the work so I ended up farming out the first major changes to my friend and incredible fabricator Brandon, owner of @missileworks in Golden, CO. He did all the intercooler piping, exhaust, and numerous other bits on my 280z. He’s got an incredible eye for detail and it def helps that he’s also a huge E30 fan.
Mandatory from the start was the 5 speed swap. I picked up a complete swap kit with approx 90k on it from a guy on eBay parting out his car that had been hit.
Next was eyeing the holiday sales: Garagistic, Ireland Engineering, ECS Tuning, Apex Racing, and a few others got some healthy orders to start the stockpile.
While it was apart it got a slew of necessary bits along with the fun stuff including: timing belt, valve adjustment, rear main seal, rebuilt driveshaft & new carrier bearing, new 6-puck sprung clutch disc, Sachs pressure plate both balanced to a resurfaced flywheel, new oil cooler lines, brake flush, coolant flush, and oil change.
Stats:
1987 325i: as far as I can tell from the VIN search, its not a real “M-tech” but some real care was taken when by the PO when making the aesthetic changes, down to correct fasteners, brake ducts, etc. Near as I can tell, correct me if I’m wrong too please, it has real M-tech body work with M-tech 2 front and rear bumpers, M-tech 1 side skirts, and M-tech 1 steering wheel, sport front seats, & M-tech rear seat. Something was changed with the rear suspension (lowered) but I don’t think anything was done to the front. The shadow line trim may be stock, maybe not. Its also had some paint work done but to a pretty high level. Other than that its a bone stock, auto trans car with “sport” mode knob.
I picked it up last May and have been collecting parts all summer during my busy season with plans to start on it during the winter. I’ve been much busier than expected and, as a contractor, I’ve learned the value of a professional doing the work so I ended up farming out the first major changes to my friend and incredible fabricator Brandon, owner of @missileworks in Golden, CO. He did all the intercooler piping, exhaust, and numerous other bits on my 280z. He’s got an incredible eye for detail and it def helps that he’s also a huge E30 fan.
Mandatory from the start was the 5 speed swap. I picked up a complete swap kit with approx 90k on it from a guy on eBay parting out his car that had been hit.
Next was eyeing the holiday sales: Garagistic, Ireland Engineering, ECS Tuning, Apex Racing, and a few others got some healthy orders to start the stockpile.
While it was apart it got a slew of necessary bits along with the fun stuff including: timing belt, valve adjustment, rear main seal, rebuilt driveshaft & new carrier bearing, new 6-puck sprung clutch disc, Sachs pressure plate both balanced to a resurfaced flywheel, new oil cooler lines, brake flush, coolant flush, and oil change.
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