Project: Slicktop back from the dead.

[FSUJBP]

In May in bought a slicktop 318is with the intention of swapping in an S52B32. It suffered a head gasket failure. Second gear is blown. The driveshaft is missing as is the carpet.

Some of you may remember the sale thread: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=209933

Here was the car as it was advertised:



It wasn't in quite this condition when I got there to pick it up. The basket weaves were gone, replaced by bottle caps with dry rotted tires. Also, the clean rear bumper was gone, replaced by a cracked bumper sans black trim.

Here is car number 1 the day I bought it:



The car lingered for a while as I decided on its future.

About a month ago, I found another 318is for sale. It looked to be a good candidate for a parts car. All power options work. The sunroof works. A/C works, etc, etc. The car has no rust. I bought it but quickly decided that the condition of the car is too good to part it out.

Here is car number 2:


Yesterday I bought a complete car. The owner gave up on it once he realized that the upper oil pan gasket was shot and that it would require him to lift the engine to replace it.

This car has rear koni shocks, 17inch mille migla MT3s, coil on plug conversion, power steering delete, M20 flywheel conversion with new clutch, new a/c compressor, new alternator, new belts, new oil pan gaskets, new motor mounts, new transmission mounts, new //M gear shift knob, etc.

Here is car number 3:



Slicktop car number 1 in the carport, car number 3 in the center, the running and driving car number 2 third in line:



I'll get better pics as the build progresses. Here is the to do list:

1. Pull the head on car 1 to ascertain the condition. Depending on what is found the HG will be replaced and put back together or the motor from car number 3 will be swapped in.
2. Install transmission, drive shaft, carpet, etc from car number 3 into car number 1.
3. Sell car number 2 and what is left of number 3.
4. Complete build of car 1 to include things such as wheels/tires, coilovers, etc.

If anyone is wondering, car number three has a very solid body and would make a great project car. I'm swapping things ONLY because car number 1 is a slicktop and that's what I want for the one I am keeping.

Seats going into the E30:


Pics of my other two BMWs:

[durtyE30]

Sexy cars, love your E36's, and if the E30's come out as clean then I can't wait to see it.

So you found another slicktop? I'm jealous, I searched forever and couldn't find one, locally or within the state at all.

Subscribed.

e: Oh also, to anyone interested, I was the original owner of that first E30 slicktop, which he is saving. Blew the HG, broke a swaybar mounting tab, discovered some rust on the trunk lid and battery tray in the rear, and then decided to say fuck it, and sold it to my friend Carlos locally, who then sold it to Jay, whom OP bought it from.

It was a solid car till I killed it :x

[e30 gangsta]

I think Ive met you before, at a old meet. That red e36 vert is smg 1 correct? You used to work at AA way back when if I am not mistaken. If so welcome to the e30 forum and enjoy your stay.

[FSUJBP]

I think Ive met you before, at a old meet. That red e36 vert is smg 1 correct? You used to work at AA way back when if I am not mistaken. If so welcome to the e30 forum and enjoy your stay.

I bought it from Jerome, the guy you met.

Sexy cars, love your E36's, and if the E30's come out as clean then I can't wait to see it.

So you found another slicktop? I'm jealous, I searched forever and couldn't find one, locally or within the state at all.

Subscribed.

e: Oh also, to anyone interested, I was the original owner of that first E30 slicktop, which he is saving. Blew the HG, broke a swaybar mounting tab, discovered some rust on the trunk lid and battery tray in the rear, and then decided to say fuck it, and sold it to my friend Carlos locally, who then sold it to Jay, whom OP bought it from.

It was a solid car till I killed it :x

Cars 2 and 3 both have sunroofs, unfortunately which is why your old car is getting fixed. The rust is minimal and and in easy places to fix. The subframe I didn't know about and that presents issues if the engine runs tomorrow once the HG is done.

[F34R]

SOOO much win in this thread =)

[drutt23]

Dam you and all your room for that many BMW's.........i see this heading in a very good direction

[Jonny Cash]

The basket weaves were gone, replaced by bottle caps with dry rotted tires.

Those were our spare race tires used to just roll around on. That was temporary and i told you that. Those are worth 500 together by themselves.

Also, the clean rear bumper was gone, replaced by a cracked bumper sans black trim.

internet call out fail # 2- The bumper in that picture is exactly the bumper you bought the car with.
You showed up, and we both agreed on a price, and you took the car.
You saying the car was falsley advertised with my name on it isnt fair to me.
For rust free slicktop e30 for 800, honestly there shouldnt have to be a detailed description. Heres a nice car for a steal, come get it.
I thought we both were satisfied with the deal....

[FSUJBP]

Those were our spare race tires used to just roll around on. That was temporary and i told you that. Those are worth 500 together by themselves.



internet call out fail # 2- The bumper in that picture is exactly the bumper you bought the car with.
You showed up, and we both agreed on a price, and you took the car.
You saying the car was falsley advertised with my name on it isnt fair to me.
For rust free slicktop e30 for 800, honestly there shouldnt have to be a detailed description. Heres a nice car for a steal, come get it.
I thought we both were satisfied with the deal....

I'm not sure where the semihostile response is coming from. If I didn't feel the price was okay, I would have left without buying it. I merely pointed out that the car was not as pictured. Nothing I said earlier in this thread was inaccurate. I do take issue with the statement that the bumper was the same. You can see what is pictured in your sale thread vs the bumper pictured on the flatbed as it left your shop. The one in your sale thread is clean and had black trim. The one I got is a poorly sprayed(over white) cracked bumper with horrible fitment. As far was bottlecaps being worth $500.00... That's nuts man. We all know that. Again, I'm not dissatisfied and you are a nice enough guy. I'd buy from you again.

[durtyE30]

The swaybar mounts are not that big of a deal, just a bit of understeer....lol

Drove around for like 1000 miles with that broken.

Otherwise I think there's an E30 parts car at Jay's shop now that you can probably score a subframe from? Unless that's where the 2002's E30 subframe came from.

[nickflic3]

Do want valance from car #2 :)

Nice zino lot; love the color. Can't wait to see what greatness comes out of car #1!

[FSUJBP]

Do want valance from car #2 :)

Nice zino lot; love the color. Can't wait to see what greatness comes out of car #1!

That valance is for sale :D

[AbsorbantNut]

My bottlecaps!

[freeride53]

Wow, you have a lot of nice cars.

[Jonny Cash]

I'm not sure where the semihostile response is coming from. If I didn't feel the price was okay, I would have left without buying it. I merely pointed out that the car was not as pictured. Nothing I said earlier in this thread was inaccurate. I do take issue with the statement that the bumper was the same. You can see what is pictured in your sale thread vs the bumper pictured on the flatbed as it left your shop. The one in your sale thread is clean and had black trim. The one I got is a poorly sprayed(over white) cracked bumper with horrible fitment. As far was bottlecaps being worth $500.00... That's nuts man. We all know that. Again, I'm not dissatisfied and you are a nice enough guy. I'd buy from you again.

I dont want to beat a dead horse now, but it comes off as i falsley advertised the car. For someone who buys/sells alot of stuff here i dont want to be portrayed as a dishonest seller.

So number one: good basketweaves + good race tires easily equals 500 which would be more than half the price of the whole car.

And number 2: read the ad again. I stated clearly in the ad before you contacted me that the bumper was cracked. The trim was cracked also, it only came off so i could get a peak at the previous rear damage. Then it went back on. The thought of me sticking on a cracked bumper after the fact then spraying it red is absurd. You can ask durty (rockne). He sold me
the car with that same bumper.
I hope we can put this bump behind us keep in touch.

-jay

[FSUJBP]

I dont want to beat a dead horse now, but it comes off as i falsley advertised the car. For someone who buys/sells alot of stuff here i dont want to be portrayed as a dishonest seller.

So number one: good basketweaves + good race tires easily equals 500 which would be more than half the price of the whole car.

And number 2: read the ad again. I stated clearly in the ad before you contacted me that the bumper was cracked. The trim was cracked also, it only came off so i could get a peak at the previous rear damage. Then it went back on. The thought of me sticking on a cracked bumper after the fact then spraying it red is absurd. You can ask durty (rockne). He sold me
the car with that same bumper.
I hope we can put this bump behind us keep in touch.

-jay

I didn't have an issue in the first place. I was adding that info just as a point of reference for the build of the car. I was saying that the car was a bit different than the sale thread pics. So from my perspective there never was any beef with you.

I'll edit this post in a few with pics of the progress today.

The runner, car number 2:


Head nearly off:


New headgasket going on after the block was cleaned:


Carpet coming out of car number 3. It's filthy. The car is infested with roaches and black widows. The especially nice part of that is the car is sitting about five feet from my front door. I've seen and killed three black widows so far. I stopped at the gas pedal. I'm having trouble getting it loose.


Black widow last night:


So far all of the gaskets have looked good. The headbolts were torqued very differently. Also, there was buildup from where someone used regular tap water in the coolant. At this point, I'm not sure what caused the coolant to get into the oil, unless it was just the headbolts being torqued incorrectly. I forgot to buy a thermostat so that is holding up progress.