3.1 Build Project Resurrection.

[SPAGHETTO]

Hello All,

Id like to introduce my 1987 325 project that sadly I have left abandoned for about 5 years now.

Unfortunately, I don't have as many photos as I would like, but I'll share what I do have and tell the story of the project progress and eventual halt until now when I am resurrecting it.


I bought the car in June 2018 and promptly pulled the engine.

E30 progress 1

I was quite quick to disassemble and clean to start the 3.1 build

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

sourced and cleaned up an 885 head from craigslist (is that the right number? i cant remember now.) actually had to source 2 heads as i let the first one bake too long in the ultrasonic cleaner with the wrong detergent. Life Lesson.

E30 progress 1

Prepped everything for assembly

E30 progress 1

+1 size valves

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

Got the engine put together

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

Cerakoted all of the bare metal pieces on the engine along with the valve cover.

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 Progress 1

Engine Assembly finished up on March of 2019. This is where I will stop for now. Hopefully I will find some time in the coming days to expand on the story.

[MrBurgundy]

yes

[2mAn]

yes

Yes

(also, moving this to the projects thread)

[MrBurgundy]

Yes

(also, moving this to the projects thread)

[Simple_Smith]

very nice

[Panici]

Can't wait to see more!

Is that yelllow 1098 yours?

[SPAGHETTO]

Can't wait to see more!

Is that yelllow 1098 yours?

Hopefully I can get some good momentum. Dug up my struts off the shelf to get welded yesterday, and hope to have the car back on four wheels this weekend.

I sold all of my ducks already. The 1098 is the last remnant of me and my old man going on a ducati craze when I was 17. Do you want to buy it?

Fun fact...the 2.7 in my 325 claimed somewhere around130hp when new while the 1.1 liter 1098 claimed about 160hp.

[2mAn]

Fun fact...the 2.7 in my 325 claimed somewhere around130hp when new while the 1.1 liter 1098 claimed about 160hp.

also 4500 redline, VS .... what 12000 redline?

[litu]

Uuuu, M20 stroker project

[Panici]

I sold all of my ducks already. The 1098 is the last remnant of me and my old man going on a ducati craze when I was 17. Do you want to buy it?

Fun fact...the 2.7 in my 325 claimed somewhere around130hp when new while the 1.1 liter 1098 claimed about 160hp.

You should keep it.

Sold my 2000 Monster 900ie after I did a partial refresh on it. Wish I had just stuck it in the shed instead.

[SPAGHETTO]

Time for part 2.

I think that most of you would probably want to kick me when I tell you that i probably have 99% of the parts required to put this car together.
I even purchased some interior and exterior parts that are NLA.
So what happened?

Well, as I said in my previous post, the engine was finished up in March 2019.
In April, 2019, I moved the chassis from my home to my shop.

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

I continued disassembling. I had the complete front and rear end off of the car. Including the interior and gas tank. It was almost a bare chassis...excluding the doors and trunk lid.

I got all of the chassis members stripped and reinforced.

E30 progress 1

E30 progress

E30 progress

Dyed...and then "fabric painted" the capret. (Unfortunately, one of the local raccoons nibbled off one corner of the carpet while it was left outside to dry)

E30 progress 1

Ordered and rebuilt a z3 3.15 torsen diff...

Cerakote on the flanges, new bearings, and a paint job.

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

I Pulled out, tore apart, repainted, and for some reason ordered a 318 fuel pump carrier...maybe someone here can remind me why I ordered a 318 pump carrier. lol

E30 progress

E30 progress

Lots of time spent on cleaning the underside.

E 30 Progress

and eventually got to reassembling the rear end.

E30 Progress

I even tore apart and recreated (printed) the flaps in the HVAC system.

E30 progress 1

E30 progress 1

This brings me about to where I left off. Rear end...rebuilt. HVAC...pending. Engine...Built. Front Suspension...Pending.

E30 progress 1

So, why did I stop?
Sometime in 2020, most of the world stopped working, and parts stopped shipping.

I really got burnt out on the E30 and most of the parts started trickling in for my 997 LS swap, so I decided to get that project buttoned up.

E30 Progress

I put the E30 up on the shelf and that's where it stayed...until now.

E30 Progress

I am happy to let you know, that after this last weekend, progress has been made!

I got the new steering rack installed, got the coil over tubes tacked on to the strut tubes, and after about 5 years, the car is back on four wheels!

E30 Progress

E30 Progress

E30 Progress

E30 Progress

I still have a long way to go, but I am very happy that this car is now going back together. (I did lose my favorite flashlight while working on it last night though, and I'm a little sad about that)