ttrousdell's Project Thread (E30 M3 & S38 swap content)

[stanhayward]

Nice update, sounds like a really well-rounded car. I had the Miller MAF at one point and I really liked it too, definitely a noticeable improvement to throttle response and sound.

[ttrousdell]

The beautiful weather is back in PA so the M3 has been getting miles put on it. I have no plans for future mods. Very capable and always a blast to drive.



Over the last few months I have been putting time and money in the 88' 325is. Im happy to present the progress of hard work. A list of what has been done in the last 3 months..

• GC Coilovers kit 440/660 rates, adjustable camber plates. 1" removed from original struts.
• 80A poly bushings for everything, H&R upgraded sway bars, front and rear strut bars.
• Stoptech pads, stock size slotted rotors, stainless lines
• Miller Performance MAF for 173 dme, stock rev limit
• SuperSprint Catback
• New Blower motor and resistor
• New wiper switch
• New TPS to fix my high idle
• Stainless clutch line, Short shifter
• Garagistic odometer gears. 362,800 miles and climbing.

I am very satisfied with the Miller MAF. It has provided a noticeable increase in the performance out of this M20. Nothing mind blowing but its enough to say that Im quite happy with the purchase. The intake noise along with the supersprint exhaust provides a beautiful sound. Suspension mods make it a very stiff ride without sacrificing too much comfort. It handles like its on rails. Overall a fantastic driving experience.












Thanks for looking.

[ttrousdell]

Great thread, great cars, Love the S14 swapped E30, love it.
Would read again. Looking forward to meeting up with you sometime in the near future.

Was nice to meet you Jimmy. Hoping we can meet up again when it gets warmer.

It was going on 2 years I thought this thread was dead. Sorry to see the roundie go. Nice house.

There will always be an e30 in my life and this thread will never die. Thanks. Its been a great house and ive been enjoying country livin'

This thread delivers! I am building a m52b30 325iS as my "drive the hell out of car" and have a Zinno M3 that's slowly undergoing a classy resto- aka similar choice in vehicles.
I grew up just an hour south of you in Montgomery county, have a bunch of friends up your way (albeit I live in the midwest currently).
Great work, man, keep it up.

Ive been viewing your thread and Im a fan. Nice score on that M3. Montgomery PA is about 2 hours south. Im up in the northern corner

Just read through 26 pages. Great stuff! Too bad the 2002 didn't work out... I'm sure you'll have another one in your possession sooner than later!

Yea I would have loved to keep it and restore but it had rust issues and really needed to be stripped and put on a rotisserie to meet my standards. I also didn't have the time for it. I do love 2002s so its possible ill get one again later in life.

Just read this whole thing from front to back again. Can't believe you sold the black car. One of my earliest r3v memories was reading you changing M20 to M20 and then it just progressed further from there. Hopefully it went to a good home.

Over 8 years with that car and 5 different engines. I definitely had my fun with it. I sold it to an enthusiast in Chicago. He has an e30 M3 with an s52 so he is going to swap the S14 into his M3 and put the S52 in my old car and track it.

Always happy to find some more local e30 guys around this area- we are spread out too thin up here in NEPA! Next time your down and around Wilkes-Barre, hit me up!

Once it gets warmer we should plan a meet. Not so many vintage BMWs up here unfortunately.

Does this car have an Instagram
Love the s14 e30

ttrous789
Thanks man.

At about the time I sold my S14 325is I began to look for a good daily e30 since it would have been too much work to convert the S14 car to fit that role. I also missed having an engine that cost little to maintain. It had to have a M20B25 or M42, Be pretty original and decently clean, little rust, manual preferred and not cost 20k. I have to say the e30 market is nothing like it was 8 years ago when I went to buy my first e30. Good luck to anyone looking for an E30 in the northeast. They are all rusted or overpriced.
After seeing several cars in my area that didnt meet my standards I began to browse west coast Craigslists for something with a solid body. I quickly found a nice 88 325is and flew to LA. Well it had a shit Tijuana paint job and the bondo on the rear quarter was just starting to crack relieving evidence of a prior accident. Highly discouraged I flew back to NY
I gave up on the daily e30 search for a few months then this popped up on the R3v facebook. It checked all the boxes and I anxiously booked a flight to see it.


The first owner had the car for 29 years but after it broke a rocker the car sat neglected. The guy I bought it from, a mechanic, purchased the car and did the head job and now offered it for sale. The car had been an Alabama car its whole life so the body is very solid. The car has moon miles (350k+) but the drive train seems solid. Yes there are issues but with a little money and TLC it will fit the role of a nice daily.

I am hoping to make the car an OEM+ build. No cutting, welding, major fabricating this time.

Parts ordered or to be installed in the near future

• H&R springs and shocks, cup suspension
• H&R Sway bars
• New sway bar links
• Soft Poly 80A Bushings all around
• New Brake Rotors, Hawk Pads, Stainless lines
• Little interior and exterior bits to clean her up

Future Plans

• Miller MAF conversion
• Supersprint Exhaust
• JB Lightweight Flywheel.
• Body work, Paint

I still have the 15x8 BBS RS wheels from the old build so those will be the summer shoes. She will be a looker again.

[iwantspeed]

Does this car have an Instagram
Love the s14 e30

[Klug]

Always happy to find some more local e30 guys around this area- we are spread out too thin up here in NEPA! Next time your down and around Wilkes-Barre, hit me up!

[e30austin]

Just read this whole thing from front to back again. Can't believe you sold the black car. One of my earliest r3v memories was reading you changing M20 to M20 and then it just progressed further from there. Hopefully it went to a good home.

[AC_Schnitzel]

Just read through 26 pages. Great stuff! Too bad the 2002 didn't work out... I'm sure you'll have another one in your possession sooner than later!

[jeenyus]

wow, what a whilrwind of ideas, swaps, cars, etc. this has been a very diverse build to read through. Thank you for sharing.

[AWDBOB]

This thread delivers! I am building a m52b30 325iS as my "drive the hell out of car" and have a Zinno M3 that's slowly undergoing a classy resto- aka similar choice in vehicles.

I grew up just an hour south of you in Montgomery county, have a bunch of friends up your way (albeit I live in the midwest currently).

Great work, man, keep it up.

[rzerob]

It was going on 2 years I thought this thread was dead. Sorry to see the roundie go. Nice house.

[JimmyP]

Great thread, great cars, Love the S14 swapped E30, love it.
Would read again.

Looking forward to meeting up with you sometime in the near future.

[ttrousdell]

I wanna be cool like you when I grow up!

;D thank you Darrel

Looking great Tom! How's that shifter feel in comparison?

Thanks Joe. I personally love the shifter. Very well made and tight. I like that its closer to the steering wheel so my hand doesn't have to travel as far and I can shift faster.

Few more good photos.










Thanks for viewing.

[Bejoe16]

Looking great Tom! How's that shifter feel in comparison?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[poopin04]

I wanna be cool like you when I grow up!

[ttrousdell]

Its been a while since an update and alot has happened with life. I moved off Long Island to Northeastern Pennsylvania. I took a little break from the car projects for a while to get the house in order. Over the last few months I have been back at it.


Im sad to say but I sold the tii. I replaced the gas tank, fuel lines, and filters. The car was back up and running but far from reliable. It had rust, needed at the very least a regasket of the engine and basically everything rubber was shot. I fought myself on the idea of selling it but eventually I did. It was more of a project then I wanted at this point in life. It went to a BMW CCA member in MD where it should be restored.


I then focused on my 325is. Hood pins and lifting the hood off the car was getting old quick and I wanted to convert the car back to a functioning hood. I found a local guy selling an OEM rad support and threw it in.



Other than that I have just been driving the hell out of it. My buddies 71' 2002.






get out and drive

Z3 M that used to be red.



I live in an area with a ton of dirt roads. After watching some old group B rally videos I thought why not buy a beater to throw around on these roads. I started browsing Craigslist and this Gem poped up. He said it had low compression in cylinder #2. I took a chance and we agreed on $500.




Beat the balls out of it with little power for a week before I got the new HG Kit.

F**kin Mint


Cleaned up the block and getting ready to put the head back on.


Still feels down on power. I messed with the distributor position so needs some fine adjustment but still enough to have fun again. Just before I cracked the exhaust in half and sent the rear shock into the trunk.


Also been giving the M3 some love in preparation for TedFest Toronto. Will be a 800 mile road trip and some maintenance was definitely in order.

• Oil and filter change
• Mishimoto radiator, coolant lines, Fan shroud
• Stainless Clutch Line
• AKG Shifter
• Revshift Motor and tranny mounts
• Supersprint exhaust

Progress. Everything takes more time than you think.



Shifter In


Took a weekend to get that stuff done but man do I like the sound and feel of this car much more.





Some mics pics of the car in the last month




Car show yesterday near Honesdale, PA. Owner of the red Mercedes has been a euro car enthusiast for 40 years. Always nice to meet interesting people thought this hobby.