Starting from scratch.... '89 325is Build.

[freeski27]

Looking good. Don't forget to weld in some reinforcement tabs for the rear swaybar links on the trailing arm. Also the body mount nuts sheer off. A cheap solution is to drill out the factory nuts, weld a bigger nut on to a steel plate and slide it in behind the factory mounting point. This will evenly distribute the load and prevent the bolt from pulling through the sheet metal. I discovered this too late and ended up having to buy a $138 reinforcement bracket cause the ST swaybar brackets went flying down the road when my body mounts sheared off. I still have to use the plates though. I can post pictures if my description does not make sense.

Yeah, if you could PM me a few pictures that would be very helpful.
Thanks for the info!

[einstein57]

Looking good. Don't forget to weld in some reinforcement tabs for the rear swaybar links on the trailing arm. Also the body mount nuts sheer off. A cheap solution is to drill out the factory nuts, weld a bigger nut on to a steel plate and slide it in behind the factory mounting point. This will evenly distribute the load and prevent the bolt from pulling through the sheet metal. I discovered this too late and ended up having to buy a $138 reinforcement bracket cause the ST swaybar brackets went flying down the road when my body mounts sheared off. I still have to use the plates though. I can post pictures if my description does not make sense.

[downernsp]

Congrats! look looking sweet.

[freeski27]

this is a very nice build i will definitely be keeping an eye on this. where did you get your black carpet from? also can i please stop by your shop and see this car when the weather gets warms?? i will pm you soon.

Always glad to show someone what I'm working on!

[freeski27]

Dude, digging this thread. If only you could help me out with my e30s in WA.

haha, you buy, I'll fly!

[freeski27]

The Interior 3...

Alright then… The most overdue post in the world. Ha, sorry guys, I’ve been on vacation but I’m back! So here is a quick update on the interior to get us started again. We left off with the moulded rear seat in rough fiberglass form still. So to begin I did a bit of straight edge work, and used a die grinder to cut all the edges straight.
Here are a few photos:







With the edges straightened out I gave it yet another test fit. The left side looks a bit funny because it is not bent down correctly (not usually so straight).
Here is a picture of the test fit:

From there it was time to finally give it it’s suede cover. But before that I gave it a quick sanding and painted the back; because for some reason I thought that would make it look better :/.
Here are a few pictures of that process:



With that done, it was time to move on to foam. I used the same headliner that I used on the side panels and applied it with a 3M supper duty spray adhesive. It had to be cut in the middle to suit the curve in the piece.
Here are some pictures:






Finally! We are ready for some suede. Once again, because of the curvature of the piece, I had two options. Either cut the piece like the foam and stitch it together, or let it crease and then cover it. I decided on the second for two reasons. 1- I’m no good at sewing 2- I think a 2″ piece of aluminum stock running across the base would look pretty cool.
Here are the pictures of the covering:









Not too bad! Obviously, the piece of aluminum will run across the base where you can see those two creases.
Here are some pictures of the next test fit:






Clearly this fit is not final considering you can see some of the wheel wells around the edges. But much better than before! I think I can say that I am relatively satisfied with the nearly final product, definitely better than a sheet of plywood… Anyways, On another note, I finally got my M50 so thats coming up next! Ill make sure to update you guys soon!
Thanks,
Noble

[FREE30]

its real effective...my friends 5.0 has to have his heater on at all times...or else it will over heat. with the heater on blast...it stays at normal temp...turn it off...its well into red.

I had to do that on my '92 5.0....taking 30 minutes to change out a thermostat worked every time...;-)

[e30allday]

this is a very nice build i will definitely be keeping an eye on this. where did you get your black carpet from? also can i please stop by your shop and see this car when the weather gets warms?? i will pm you soon.

[WhiteVertRedES]

Dude, digging this thread. If only you could help me out with my e30s in WA.

[freeski27]

Wow--you're in Connecticut and you won't have any heat? Is it because you're just trying to save weight or what?

Well here is the thing. First off, the car is not going to be driven in the winter, it's going to be a summer car. I have a completely different car that I DD.

Second, the reason that I took out the system was because it was not functional in its current state. I had two choices: spend the time and money to fix it, and then never use it; or, just take it out all together, and save space and weight as a bonus.

Considering what I will be using the car for... I went with the later.


As for using the heater as means to cool the engine? I would rather not drive at all, then drive around with the heat on full blast every day... particularly in the summer. Your friend should look into a better cooling setup...

[E30QC]

connecticut is cold? lol, its' snowing already in quebec, and i'm going to tub the car by jan.
post pics! now! -joking, but seriously, not

[TrentW]

Wow--you're in Connecticut and you won't have any heat? Is it because you're just trying to save weight or what?

[88SuperETABD]

yeah I am leaving it out.

I've never heard of that? Turn on your heater to cool down your engine? I guess I understand how that would help a little, but is it really very effective. In all honesty, if i run into any over heating problems... I'll be pulling over to source the problem. I don't think I would be turning on my heater to attempt to get it back to my shop.

its real effective...my friends 5.0 has to have his heater on at all times...or else it will over heat. with the heater on blast...it stays at normal temp...turn it off...its well into red.

[freeski27]

Half tempted to take my HVAC box out now. How long did that take you w/ taking the dash off and all that

Well. My dash was pretty "not together" already, so that sped that up quite a bit. Once you get the dash out, it is pretty much smooth sailing. I actually followed my Bentley manual for this; it was quite helpful, but not critical. I'm not exactly sure how long it took me, but it was nothing ridiculous. Couple hours all together (while kinda doing other things at the some time)?

Just give it a shot. Feel free to ask me any specific questions if you've got them.

Note: The only thing that was really tough (minus dash removal and whatnot) was removing the blower motor housing (the one with the flaps on it). I ended up breaking a plastic tab or two. Doesn't really matter though because I don't plan on using the heater equipment.

[freeski27]

Are you keeping the heater out? Wouldn't it be nice to have...incase you get any overheating problems...you can toss the heater on...dunno if you can do so otherwise...

yeah I am leaving it out.

I've never heard of that? Turn on your heater to cool down your engine? I guess I understand how that would help a little, but is it really very effective. In all honesty, if i run into any over heating problems... I'll be pulling over to source the problem. I don't think I would be turning on my heater to attempt to get it back to my shop.