It's been a few years since I finished my 90 M3 restoration so last fall I decided it was time for a new E30 project...which quickly became two.
I had been keeping my eyes open for a low mileage MTech2 cabrio for a while
when a stock 89 cabrio with 48k miles came up for sale 1 mile from home. I purchased it and immediately began considering what to do to it over winter to prepare the car for spring. Then I unexpectedly came upon a 160k mile 92 MTech2 appearance package Cabrio in need of a little TLC.
Thus began Project Double Vision.
While not my original plan, I have decided to swap the MTech2 body panels from the 92 to the 89 and use the 92 shell for the base of a future M3 Cabrio conversion.
Here's an in progress pic with the 92 in the air and the 89 on the ground with panels being test fit on the 89 before going to paint.
Here is the 89 before the Frankenstein maneuvers began
The front bumper is not that difficult to swap. It requires removal of the original tow hooks and some fiddling with the wiring, but it is mostly a bolt on affair. The side skirts and panels are also not that big of a project. They require additional holes be drilled in the front fender just behind the front wheel arch and some new holes along the rocker for the skirts. The biggest issue is determining how many of the mounting components can be reused and how many need to be replaced. I'm happy to report that as of 1Q 2011, all mounting bits for the entire MTech2 cabrio body panel package are still individually available from the dealers. The individual bits are not really that expensive, but there are a lot of them and the cost can add up quickly. If you were to buy all of the mounting components new I'm sure it would add up to more than $500 of miscellaneous mounting hardware. The rear bumper is where it gets a little interesting. Before embarking on this I researched the differences between the early and late model shells. I knew we were going to have to fabricate custom mounts for the rear valance because the lower body panel on the 92 extends closer to the ground than the 89, but we also discovered an unexpected difference. The recess in the rear fender that accepts the rear bumper on the 92 extends all the way to the opening of the wheel arch. On the 89, the recess terminates at about the flare surrounding the wheel arch. The length and contour of the bumpers match, but without the recess, the MTech2 bumper does not sit flush against the body behind the rear wheels. However, as long as you have no plans to reinstall the bumper on a late model car, you can carefully shave the back edge of the bumper to match the shape of the fender flare...problem solved.
Here is a shot of the rear fender recess on the 92 which extends all the way to the wheel opening.
Next up...Final fitment of the painted body panels and installation of the new top.
I had been keeping my eyes open for a low mileage MTech2 cabrio for a while
when a stock 89 cabrio with 48k miles came up for sale 1 mile from home. I purchased it and immediately began considering what to do to it over winter to prepare the car for spring. Then I unexpectedly came upon a 160k mile 92 MTech2 appearance package Cabrio in need of a little TLC.
Thus began Project Double Vision.
While not my original plan, I have decided to swap the MTech2 body panels from the 92 to the 89 and use the 92 shell for the base of a future M3 Cabrio conversion.
Here's an in progress pic with the 92 in the air and the 89 on the ground with panels being test fit on the 89 before going to paint.
Here is the 89 before the Frankenstein maneuvers began
The front bumper is not that difficult to swap. It requires removal of the original tow hooks and some fiddling with the wiring, but it is mostly a bolt on affair. The side skirts and panels are also not that big of a project. They require additional holes be drilled in the front fender just behind the front wheel arch and some new holes along the rocker for the skirts. The biggest issue is determining how many of the mounting components can be reused and how many need to be replaced. I'm happy to report that as of 1Q 2011, all mounting bits for the entire MTech2 cabrio body panel package are still individually available from the dealers. The individual bits are not really that expensive, but there are a lot of them and the cost can add up quickly. If you were to buy all of the mounting components new I'm sure it would add up to more than $500 of miscellaneous mounting hardware. The rear bumper is where it gets a little interesting. Before embarking on this I researched the differences between the early and late model shells. I knew we were going to have to fabricate custom mounts for the rear valance because the lower body panel on the 92 extends closer to the ground than the 89, but we also discovered an unexpected difference. The recess in the rear fender that accepts the rear bumper on the 92 extends all the way to the opening of the wheel arch. On the 89, the recess terminates at about the flare surrounding the wheel arch. The length and contour of the bumpers match, but without the recess, the MTech2 bumper does not sit flush against the body behind the rear wheels. However, as long as you have no plans to reinstall the bumper on a late model car, you can carefully shave the back edge of the bumper to match the shape of the fender flare...problem solved.
Here is a shot of the rear fender recess on the 92 which extends all the way to the wheel opening.
Next up...Final fitment of the painted body panels and installation of the new top.
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