noe30's 89 325i build

[noE30]

Nice work. Love projects like this.

Thanks alot! I only wish I could have as nice of project as yours is. I read through your thread the other day, it got me really motivated to get this done.

[noE30]

Little update:

Well this project has been taking way too long! (lack of funds/time) But the good news is that it will be back together and running again soon.

Last Monday I sent the head to a local machine shop/engine builder to get rebuilt, I was expecting it to take at least a week or so, but I found out that it was finished today. Tomorrow I plan to pick it up and start putting it back together. I should be getting a package of parts from pelican tomorrow which has new belts and misc. stuff that I need.

I still need to order a full exhaust setup and new spark plugs. I'm thinking about getting the SS ebay headers and a IE catback. Does anyone have any recommendations for a cat? or should I just run a resonator instead? Also does anyone know of better exhaust nuts to use instead of the oem "one time use ones", I have a brand new set of them but don't really want to use them because they are one time use.

I'll update this again after the weekend, hopefully I have the engine mostly back together by then. I'm soo excited to drive it again, I miss it haha.

[noE30]

Did some simple work today, the head is ready to be put on along with Intake mani, I will probably do that tomorrow. Then I have to sort through the mess of coolant hoses and vacuum lines, should be fun..
Ill get some pictures up tomorrow too so I can give a real update on this project.

[noE30]

As of tonight, the oil pan is back on and the engine will be lowered down so I can throw the head back on, new oil cooler installed, and also a power steering delete too. (it didnt have a belt on it when I bought and I decided to delete it since i preferred it) I gotta touch up some paint in the engine bay as its starting to chip/peel off.
Tomorrow the head, intake, and all pulleys/belts will be reinstalled.

[619E30]

You paid 5500 for that? i paid 150 dollars for my e30, interior and paint was perfect no rust, just needed a motor

[619E30]

But the car is nice, not for 5k though

[noE30]

You paid 5500 for that? i paid 150 dollars for my e30, interior and paint was perfect no rust, just needed a motor

The original sale price was 5500 but I got the seller down to 4k. Also this was the only rust free late model e30 for sale within 800 miles at the time. I searched everyday and finally found this in Colorado. Like I said in the Op I was perfectly fine paying 4k for this car.

Also the Southwest (cali) is a much different market for cars compared to the Midwest especially when it comes to rust free cars.

[pogiboy9]

No worries about the cost man it's getting harder and harder to find what you want... friend paid 3000 for something similar but needs a new set of grilles and kidney and headlights.

But beats adding 20k miles to his IS-F and replacing pads for that, 11QTs Tranny fluid, 8 Oil and the list goes one :P so 3K was worth it

[noE30]

update:

Tonight I reinstalled the head and the Intake mani. together as one piece, that was real fun. Tomorrow after class I will reinstall the pulleys and belts. Whats the best way to tesion the alt. belt and ac. belts since they have those adjusting brackets, I striped the ac one trying to take off the belt and I don't want to fuck up the brand new part I bought.
Also I ordered the chinese replica header off ebay(I know I know ebay=garbage but whatever) I broke one of the OE manifolds so it had to be replaced anyway.

Heres a shitty cell pic of the head/I.m. back in the bay. I'll get some better pics tomorrow.

[noE30]

So I've been sick for the last two weeks and haven't gotten shit done, but I'm better now and on spring break so I'm back to working on the e30. The last parts I need will be arriving this week, spark plugs, dist cap/ rotor, TB gasket, and some random shit.

A few days ago I realized that when I installed the intake manifold I didn't install the oil return tube too like a dumb ass. So today I pulled the intake mani. again (pretty quickly too, I'm getting better lol). The only issue I had was breaking the seal of the new gaskets. When I installed the gaskets I used this permatex sealant stuff and it like super glued the damn gaskets, we couldn't get the manifold to break free even while pulling on the manifold itself. Finally we broke the seal and pulled the manifold, then cleaned the gasket surface and ordered a new set at the local auto parts store.

Im getting pretty damn excited to drive this thing again. There are a few parts that are coming in on Thursday, so I am hoping to be able to have it running Thursday night or Friday for sure. But based on how this project has went so far it probably won't be done for a few more weeks...

[noE30]

Worked on the car some more today.
Today I officially installed the VC/ pulleys/ spark plug wires. Tomorrow I need to run to the auto parts store to pick up the IM gasket set and a A/C belt and Alt. belt. No longer need a Ps belt as I deleted the whole assembly with one of the block offs for sale on the forum. I also sorted through the mess of coolant hoses, vacuum lines and, misc. connectors. When I get the final parts in the car will be ready to go at that time.

The only thing holding me back from driving it this week is my exhaust. A few weeks ago I decided to order one of the ebay ss headers. I read all the threads on r3v and decided it was the best bang for the buck, even though there were known issues. Well I received my set a few days ago and tried to install them... They were no were near use able, the fitment was Way off. The vendor told me that I would basically have to force them on the exhaust studs because "that's how they were designed." I emailed him and decided to send them back and get a refund. So tonight I ordered a set of the IE Shorty SS headers, hopefully these work as exhaust is my only issue at this time. :curse:
Heres a pic, showing how far the spacing of the exhaust runners were off. I tried pulling them together so they would slip over the studs and it wasn't working at all.



Finally I had a chance to set the car back down on it's own wheels and clean the garage, the e30 has been on jack stands for months.


Ghetto rigged oil cooler will be properly mounted soon. Also please ignore my fucked up radiator support, that will be cut out and fixed this summer.

It's looking pretty good, seeing it on the ground today really got me excited to drive it. Hopefully IE ships fast so I can drive it soon haha. I think I will just leave the car on the ground for now, I think I can still install the header while it's on the wheels. At that point I will have to drive it open header to the exhaust shop to get the new exhaust fab'd up. Maybe I'll make a little open header exhaust video haha.

[noE30]

I made lots of progress today.

I replaced my leaky heater core finally (no pics of that). I'm just glad to have my interior back together finally.
Engine wise I basically have the entire engine back together except for the dist. cap/ rotor (will be here tomorrow) and my IE headers (early next week.) Tomorrow I will install the cap and rotor and fill the car with oil and coolant. Here's a few pics of how it looks now as I just got back from working on it, I was determined to get it back together tonight. I think tomorrow I will put the hood, bumper, and valence back on as well and wash it too. I cannot wait to drive it again, last time I drove it was November in a snow storm. I know the car is mostly stock, slow, and boring but for some odd reason just thinking about driving it puts the biggest fucking smile on my face haha. There's just something about driving an e30..




And here's a pic of the e30s home for the last few months. Not the greatest but it does the job.

[noE30]

Well the car ran yesterday for the first time four months! We just mocked up the old exhaust (mani to cat section) and started it up. It took 3 tries but on the third it started up and stayed running, it was loud as hell haha. I still can't drive it yet though, still waiting on my IE header. Tracking says it will be here the 23rd. Today I'm going to install a new fuel filter, paint my new front valence, hope fully get the bumpers/ hood back on. I'll get some new pics to show it all back together.

[noE30]

Well it runs and drives again! My new IE header came in today so I installed that as soon as I could, which really wasn't all that soon. Finally had the header installed at about 930pm and me and some friends decided it was time to start it up for a bit. Currently I only have the headers installed so it was loud as hell with an open header, I hope I didn't upset too many neighbors haha.
Heres a few pics off the engine bay with the new headers in. I'm hoping to go to the exhaust shop tomorrow, I'm making a short exhaust video as well.

I need to get some good exterior pics as well now that it's all back together.

[noE30]

This is gonna seem like kinda a useless bump to most people but I just wanted to keep track of the progress.

Well I just picked up an 1995 m50tub25 for 116$ ( $66 for gas and $50 for the engine). The plan is to tear into the engine and rebuild it over the winter and hopefully swap it next spring/summer. I will post picks later tonight once I get it on the stand hopefully. Also I've got some good news in general, I've finally landed a new job which I start this coming monday, more money= more progress!