My 1984 318i Project

[sacbmwdriver]

Hey, I'm new to e30's but not to bmw's I had two e34s before, and now ive got an e30.

So after months of searching for an e30 I found one I liked enough to buy and was in my budget range. I was originally trying to find either a 325i/e/s or 318is, but I finally ended up with this 1984 318i. its body is pretty much straight except for a little dent/scratch/chip on the hood from the PO hitting something or getting backed into. The interior is pretty rough and mismatched and the dash is cracked. it starts up and runs and drives but the shifter linkage/mechanism is loose, but i plan on fixing that soon. the PO lost the key to the trunk and it was locked but i drilled the lock and got it open to find a bunch of crap that looked like it was 26 years old.

I plan to swap the diving board bumpers to plastic, which me and the girlfriend already went to the local pick n pull and grabbed the front/rear bumper and valence, and a un-cracked dash, and front door panels in black. I also plan to swap the interior to black, lower it, put on some nice wheels, and do a m50 swap.

here's a picture



PS. if you are in the bay area - norcal and have some black sport seats for sale let me know.

[J3M93]

pics of shit in trunk?

[sacbmwdriver]

pics of shit in trunk?

i cleaned it out already, it was not pic worthy, and smelled like death. haha

[sacbmwdriver]

so last week me and the girlfriend sanded down the front plastic bumper and valence and painted it and fitted it to the car. i tried to find parts that were already alpine but all i got was the rear bumper so i wont have to be painting that. i am just painting with a spray can because i just want it to match the color of the car, and i plan to respray the whole car later.

[Roysneon]

In for pics of the rear bumper. Are you planning to swap the valence under the bumper as well or just leave it floating looking haha. I'm planning to do the same swap to my Alpine 84 318i.

[AbsorbantNut]

You will have to repaint the rear bumper. You have to shorten each side to account for the higher arches on early model cars. Not a direct swap. Im completing my swap this weekend, so I know how its going down;)

[Jean]

I sense this will be an epic thread.

[J3M93]

in for pics of gf!

[sacbmwdriver]

You will have to repaint the rear bumper. You have to shorten each side to account for the higher arches on early model cars. Not a direct swap. Im completing my swap this weekend, so I know how its going down;)

I got white rear bumper so I don't think I have to repaint it, but yeah I am aware I have to shorten each side, as I have researched the bumper swap and prepared myself for it lol. The funny thing is on the write-ups it says I'd need to cut the front tow hooks, but the valence fit just fine over them.

In for pics of the rear bumper. Are you planning to swap the valence under the bumper as well or just leave it floating looking haha. I'm planning to do the same swap to my Alpine 84 318i.

Um I don't know what you mean as leaving the valence floating? And I did swap it to the 88+ valence, I still need to adjust the front bumper, and still need to wire up the turns/sidemarkers and get some bumper trim.

[sacbmwdriver]

I sense this will be an epic thread.

I am hopin to make this an epic thread, a good epic, aha how's that m60 swap going ?

[AbsorbantNut]

I got white rear bumper so I don't think I have to repaint it, but yeah I am aware I have to shorten each side, as I have researched the bumper swap and prepared myself for it lol. The funny thing is on the write-ups it says I'd need to cut the front tow hooks, but the valence fit just fine over them.

Well, the ends at least because youll have filler and stuff, but then the rest wont match so.....Yeah, I had to cut my towhooks, i tried to put it on with the tow hooks still there, but the valence hit them and wouldnt go all the way back. Guess you're one of the lucky ones.

Um I don't know what you mean as leaving the valence floating? And I did swap it to the 88+ valence, I still need to adjust the front bumper, and still need to wire up the turns/sidemarkers and get some bumper trim.

Leave it floating as in leaving the factory rear valence as is. If you havent noticed, you wont have the lower rear valance as the late model cars do, so it will look a little strange. But I like it, thats how Im doing mine.

[Roysneon]

Yeah, I should have said rear bumper, not valence. I'm wondering if I can just cut out the early model and weld in the late model rear with the valence.

[sacbmwdriver]

yeah ima just leave it with the early rear arches, i dont mind, i just really want to rid it of the ugly DB bumpers.

[crazyrabbittown]

Any EPIC updates ?

[zxert]

He sold me this car. I have a thread in this section. Thanks again for the car bro.