88 SE30 - It Has Begun

[phreshkid]

I will have liked this.

[2002maniac]

What are you doing with HPS pads?

Good luck with the build up!

[priapism]

I'm interested in the total cost, difficulty and time involved in this project. I can't decide if I want to turn mine into a spec or paint it and do a full restoration, but damn I wanna go racing.

[e30_luv_]

You are a huge reason why I got into E30s. I remember watching your videos for exhaust clips of your old red E30, and your buddy yelling double clutch, double clutch! while you were driving, cracked me up. Do you still have V.3, the 1991 318is? Throw some pictures up of that if you still have it. Great job on the new E30, and good luck on SpecE30!

[backroadswest]

What paint shop did you go to, and how much did it cost? My car is in DIRE need of paint.

1-Day Paint & Body (Oxnard, CA) $399 special + $150 for misc bodywork.
Car now named, "Orange-Peel Express."

[Butler]

Haha ^


Congrats spiff, it looks like it cleaned up very well. It's gonna be a sweet se30!!!

[Wh33lhop]

So pumped. Going to have an epic E30 + BBQ + BEER extravaganza most likely next weekend with the GF and a few friends. We'll crank this gear out in a day I'm hoping, otherwise it'll have to be 2 days of drinking an E30's.

*cough*

[Spiff325iS]

What are you doing with HPS pads?

Good luck with the build up!

Install them. They wont be my main race pads, I wanted to do a few HPDE's and perhaps the Competition School with some less expensive pads.

I'm interested in the total cost, difficulty and time involved in this project. I can't decide if I want to turn mine into a spec or paint it and do a full restoration, but damn I wanna go racing.

When this Dragon is ready to go, I'll lay out a basic cost so you can get an idea.

If one searches properly, you could build an SE30 for under 7k including driver safety gear. I'm at about 4k right now with the car + all the parts I have on order. I still have to get:

driver safety gear - helmet, suit, underwear, gloves, socks
cage - still need to figure out if i'm going to do a kirk 4pt, or get a 4pt welded
fire extinguisher - simple
kill switch - simple
decals - awaiting these from the series sponsors
tow straps - simple
wheels/tires - will wait a bit longer before i purchase these

You are a huge reason why I got into E30s. I remember watching your videos for exhaust clips of your old red E30, and your buddy yelling double clutch, double clutch! while you were driving, cracked me up. Do you still have V.3, the 1991 318is? Throw some pictures up of that if you still have it. Great job on the new E30, and good luck on SpecE30!

Dude, thanks. Alway feels great when people mention that old E30. It's funny, because it always pops up in conversations on various forums, and my friends always hassle me for selling it (but for an 00 M Coupe was my justification haha).

I don't still have V.3, she was sold a few months after I got her for financial reasons. It helped recuperate some savings loss.

Thanks again for the comps on V.2, her and V.3 are always missed!

Haha ^


Congrats spiff, it looks like it cleaned up very well. It's gonna be a sweet se30!!!

Thanks man!

1-Day Paint & Body (Oxnard, CA) $399 special + $150 for misc bodywork.
Car now named, "Orange-Peel Express."

I can't wait to see it this weekend!

*cough*

Duh you're invited. We'll do burgers, hot dogs, and a couple costco pizza's- and I'll throw in a big case of Blue Moon's Variety Pack.

Do it.

[efreak]

Dude, thanks. Alway feels great when people mention that old E30. It's funny, because it always pops up in conversations on various forums, and my friends always hassle me for selling it.

+1

Nice to see you're back in an e30, GL in spece30!

-Matt

[Spiff325iS]

Get ready for a massive update tonight. An epic Saturday ensued.

[Wh33lhop]

I'll start it off





It was an epic Saturday indeed.

[Spiff325iS]

Update #1

I've been waiting for this moment since 2003 when I got my first E30 and found a website that sold aftermarket BMW parts. After reading through epic project threads seeing those sweet piles of car parts, has been an experience I've sought after for what seems like the LONGEST TIME EVER.

When I had my first E30 I was in HS and too broke to mod it, my second E30 already had EVERYTHING done to it, my 3rd was the same- and this one... BONE STOCK AWESOMENESS was the perfect candidate to put $ into.

Here she is prepping for the jack stands:



That one picture I've always been craving! There will be many more of these down the line.



So pumped!



The crew:



Ready to get it from all angles:








Now, I have done some wrenching before, but never really had the opportunity to do anything as serious as this. With the HUGE help from Nate(Wh33lhop) and 2 other good friends, Scott and Kegan, I was able to learn and work on my car.

Nate was massive help doing the front end work, and it let me get the busy-body work done (brakes).







Kegan helping out making sure I'm doing things properly.







Doing my first brake job, woot!





Control arm nut is a bitch, and even more of a pain on the passenger side with the headers still on.







The audience. My lady, schatzi, on the left. She'll have an E30 in her hands pretty soon too.





I love clean springs, and even more pumped to see this thing down on the HR Races.





SS Brake lines ready for deployment.





I treated everyone to some Rusty's Pizza. It was the pwn.



If it wasn't for the help of Scott, and the mere fact that he stopped by, there is no way we would have gotten the control arm bushings pressed into the lollipops. Luckily, he was stopping by his shop mid-day and was able to use a press at work. PHEW.

"Naw, I cant press this in with my hands" - Me



This has to be the picture of the day. Scott doing the middle SS brake lines with a flash light in his mouth, which most likely has brake fluid on it. What a f*cking champion.



Yup, workin'.









Assembling the strut with new parts.





Huge props to Nate for the help, he was a big asset to this project. He took the time to show me how he was doing things, so I could do them in the future (or on the other side).



IS EVERYTHING DONE????



Oh... it is... time to lower this thing on the ground.



What's left. I didn't wanna do the rear sway bar that day because I knew it would be a PITA to drill the trunk, and it was already like 40 degrees out with rain and everyone was tired as hell. I'll do it later.



Getting the last of the Bimmerworld Race Studs in.



Getting the car up, for the prime-time settling back on the ground to see how low it will be.



IT'S DONE. I'm so damn proud of this thing.



The team.



Uhhhh.




Full photo shoot coming soon ;). It'll need a good cleaning this coming weekend, then better pictures shall be delivered.

What was installed:

- Bimmerworld Front Sway Bar
- HR Race Springs
- Bilstein Sport Shocks
- OEM Rotors
- HPS Pads
- SS Lines
- Race Studs
- Black Wheel Nuts
- Tie Rods / Boots / Clamps
- Control Arms
- Control Arm Bushings
- Brake Fluid

What I forgot to take pictures of:

- Tie rod spinning in place because it was so loose and NOT good.
- Control arm bushing completely blown and spinning around the control arm.

I wonder why my steering was so bad............................................

Next will be an oil change, coolant flush, and rear sway bar. I may stop by Ary @ DTM in Woodland Hills and have him finish the car off.

Thanks for your time, it was a freaking BLAST. It drives so amazing now. No massive wheel/steering shudder on braking, and the car actually responds when using the steering wheel- good thing, huh?

- Dan
#315 SE30 (soon to be).

[Wh33lhop]

Yuh DONE.

Yuh WELCOME.

:p

[stevofthahill]

Awesome! You certainly love your red cars and I have nothing wrong with that. Is the 318 still kicking around?

[backroadswest]

This Dad wishes he could have been there. I guess mine's next, but a little milder...