E30 M3 Steel Bodywork Conversion

[bmwmech1]

Looks great... with the interior back in your are barely going to know there is a cage there.

Thanks man, that was the idea from the beginning. It's a functional compromise in some areas, but I didn't want a car full of tubes. My thought is to add just enough tubes to do the job and then stop. It would be easy to keep adding tubes and tie in everything, add diagonals everywhere and end up with an interior that looked like a jungle gym, but I'm not going there. I want to drive the shit out of this thing when it's done and I don't want to have to climb over tubes, bang my head on them or see them, when I look in the rear view mirror. It will never see track time and I'm not trying to build it to any regulations, so when I decide it's enough, then it's done, haha. :hitler:It's nice to be in that position... it can never be wrong or not enough, because I have the final word, not someone else or a regulation, Lol!

Garey

[bmwmech1]

The cage is in! I still have a few things to make, like the dash bar and finish my fuel cell hoop in the trunk, but the cage itself is finish welded and back in the car. I also got started on the finish sheetmetal on the door sill bars, but I have a long way to go to get all of the sectioning closed back in around the cage tubing. On to the pics...

Looking back into the rear seat/trunk


The front strut tower tubes


The door passenger door sill, plated in and fully welded


Close up of drivers rear area and sill bar plate in


Main hoop and windshield bar


I still need to get some better pics of everything, but at least it's a few...

Garey

[deutschman]

WOW! The work on this car is most excellent! Keep on keeping on. Saw the car in my Euro Tuner mag.

[bmwmech1]

WOW! The work on this car is most excellent! Keep on keeping on. Saw the car in my Euro Tuner mag.

What issue? Didn't know there had been anything in print about it yet??? LMK, thanks...

Garey

[2002maniac]

great work as always!

[bmwmech1]

great work as always!

Thanks man, I just ordered my primer from Eastwood last night... starting to see some re-assembly in my future, finally!

Garey

[SwiftE30]

subscribed!

[onaquest]

im amazed by the thoroughness. Great job!

[bmwmech1]

Thanks guys... just wait until I get all of the sectioning closed back in and the cage just kind of melts into the body... Should be cool, too bad it will all get covered up, Lol!

Garey

[airkhin]

wow, stunning work... i can only imagine all the hours going into that.... cant wait to see more!

[bmwmech1]

wow, stunning work... i can only imagine all the hours going into that.... cant wait to see more!

Yeah, I'm intentionally not keeping track of the time, Lol! I did start on the A-pillars yesterday. I have to widen the window rail area, since it will get a bonded windshield and I also have to close in the openings around the cage tubes. No pics, I should have some more tonight...

Garey

[drutt23]

That cage is lookin awesome man!! Love it! I agree with your comment about it kinda sucking to put all the interior in and cover it up for the most part, BUT it will still be unique and look great!! Mad props for all the work so far man!! :)

[bmwmech1]

Worked tonight for a couple of hours and I have the window lip widened all the way around except for the base of the opening, at the cowl, between the A-pillars. I also got the A-pillars tied into the cage at the windshield opening on both sides, but not at the door openings yet... that's next. Here are some shots to better explain the work...







You can see the welds which have not bee ground down flush in the window opening on the passenger side. I widened the lip by .5" with a 1" wide piece, flanged half the width, then welded every inch or so. Then I backfilled the gap between the cage and the A-pillar with a tapered, curved piece of 16gauge and welded that to the cage on one side and the A-pillar on the other. It will all be hidden by the interior, but it made the pillars hella stiff and effectively makes the cage part of the shell. I have to do this back-filling everywhere I opened the pillars to sink the cage in to get back the strength in the structure. Looks cool, but you'll never see it once it's all done:( Couple more days and I should have it stitched back up...

Garey

[bmwmech1]

That cage is lookin awesome man!! Love it! I agree with your comment about it kinda sucking to put all the interior in and cover it up for the most part, BUT it will still be unique and look great!! Mad props for all the work so far man!! :)

Thanks man... I was reading Justin B's thread earlier today and saw a post you put up on his. It's looking pretty sweet, too! Even though it'll all get covered up, I still have the pictures, right? It should be nice when it's done... I'm getting close to being done with the fabrication, which means it's on to primer soon... yea! I just might make it to Bimmerfest!

Garey

[airkhin]

i think the best part is that it will all be covered up... it will be the ultimate sleeper!!! sure it would be nice to show off, but its your car! your the only one who will ever know exactly how much went into it and what you did where... thats all that matters. ;)