Dirty Baja E30

[epiphy]

For anyone thinking about reinforcing the trailing arms, specifically the shock mount, I have some design ideas for the rear shock mount I've been mulling over.

Currently, my reinforcement only supports one side of the bolt (#1), which just seems silly considering the overkillingness of the rest of this project. If I had planned ahead better, I would have much rather chosen #4 below for its simplicity, and it would be plenty strong since it's already supported on the other side by the trailing arm. #3 would have been good too, and like #4, only requires one tube to be welded to the trailing arm. Since I didn't plan ahead, I will need to do #2, or combine #4 with #1, both which require two tubes be welded to the trailing arms.

[epiphy]

Soon

Lots of cool stuff coming up soon!

[epiphy]

So the original owner said the 4.27 diff that is on the car was full spool...



Turns out it was just welded. What a letdown!

Also, he used way way too much gasket maker. Sorry for the small pic, but there was gasket chunks just flopping around inside the diff!




Yeesh.... well anyway, we got the smaller reluctor ring, speed sensor and double ear cover from an e36 in a junkyard. I painted it blue because.... well I had blue paint sitting around!



Turns out the harbor freight bearing pusher had a size that fit in the reluctor ring perfectly. Made it real easy to push on...

[epiphy]

Didn't get a whole lot done today, because we were too busy making popcorn with a heat gun and a shock tower...

[foundation982]

So weird, I just bought some steelies for my e28 and I plan on putting BF goodrich all terrains on it. I thought I was the only one crazy enough for something like that. Turns out you're 10 times crazier than I am holy balls!!

[epiphy]

Well everyone, looks like my project is going to be on hiatus until I can take the car somewhere else. The HOA has decided that working on cars in your own garage is against the rules. F#@K

[JGee]

^sucks

[phenryiv1]

Well everyone, looks like my project is going to be on hiatus until I can take the car somewhere else. The HOA has decided that working on cars in your own garage is against the rules. F#@K

What does the Covenant say that they are interpreting to mean that private work done within your garage is a violation?

I have seen rules stating that the car must be in the garage and/or the garage door must be down (based on a partially-built car being unsightly or not pleasing to the eye) and that the noise from certain tools is too loud, but never an outright prohibition on automotive service within the garage.

[IronFreak]

Give the HOA some flat tires.........when they're out there changing them politely ask what they are going working on their cars....on their own property.

[epiphy]

What does the Covenant say that they are interpreting to mean that private work done within your garage is a violation?

I have seen rules stating that the car must be in the garage and/or the garage door must be down (based on a partially-built car being unsightly or not pleasing to the eye) and that the noise from certain tools is too loud, but never an outright prohibition on automotive service within the garage.

Unfortunately they made it pretty clear that ANY overhaul work on a vehicle is completely prohibited, inside or outside. They cited fire, noise, and other safety concerns as the reason. Of course they wouldn't be able to prove I was working on it if the garage door was closed anyway, but they will hear the sawing and welding.

They clearly just don't like the car "with the face on it". My new goal is to get it done somewhere else ASAP so I can park it outside (it's still street legal after all). That'll piss em off!

[epiphy]

Too bad I had already ordered these before the HOA determined I was a menace to society:

[phenryiv1]

Unfortunately they made it pretty clear that ANY overhaul work on a vehicle is completely prohibited, inside or outside. They cited fire, noise, and other safety concerns as the reason. Of course they wouldn't be able to prove I was working on it if the garage door was closed anyway, but they will hear the sawing and welding.

They clearly just don't like the car "with the face on it". My new goal is to get it done somewhere else ASAP so I can park it outside (it's still street legal after all). That'll piss em off!

Just because thay tell you it is unsafe/loud/fire-prone, they must show you in the HOA Covenant that you agreed that such behaviors are prohibited. If they don't expressly fooorbid it, they are permitting it.

I just stepped off of my HOA board after 3 years and have read many such documents in various property/business/contract law classes. If it isn't written, it isn't enforcable.

[epiphy]

Just because thay tell you it is unsafe/loud/fire-prone, they must show you in the HOA Covenant that you agreed that such behaviors are prohibited. If they don't expressly fooorbid it, they are permitting it.

I just stepped off of my HOA board after 3 years and have read many such documents in various property/business/contract law classes. If it isn't written, it isn't enforcable.

"Section E. REPAIRS TO VEHICLES

Repairs or overhaul work on any type of vehicle is not permitted at (complex name). The washing, polishing, waxing, or similar minor maintenance of a resident's personal vehicles that are normally stored in the residents garage is permitted."

Hmm. The 'normally stored in a residents garage' part is oddly worded. Are they implying you can wash and wax your car outside? If so that would imply you could work on them inside, but it also goes against the first sentence.

Guess I'll have to have them clarify.

[phenryiv1]

"Section E. REPAIRS TO VEHICLES

Repairs or overhaul work on any type of vehicle is not permitted at (complex name). The washing, polishing, waxing, or similar minor maintenance of a resident's personal vehicles that are normally stored in the residents garage is permitted."

Hmm. The 'normally stored in a residents garage' part is oddly worded. Are they implying you can wash and wax your car outside? If so that would imply you could work on them inside, but it also goes against the first sentence.

Guess I'll have to have them clarify.

"Normally Garaged" is legal-speak for "normally parked" or "normally stored." It is to say that you can't do maintenance on someone ELSE'S car at your residence- only cars that belong to the resident and are parked there on a nearly-daily basis. They can't specify cars "owned" by the resident due to leases, rentals, company cars, etc.

It does not have to be a car that is parked in your actual/physical garage, per se (though some HOAs actually require that ALL vehicles are garaged every night). It also does not mean that the maintenance is to be performed in the garage space.

That language in the document is actually fairly tight and better-written than many that I have read. The only room for wiggling into being allowed to do work on a car is "similar minor maintenance" as that is somewhat subject to interpretation. I would try to use the BMW owner's manual to help your case, as it lays out what constitutes required/scheduled maintenance- belts, brakes, bushings, fluids, tires, shocks/struts, etc. You'd be hard-pressed to do any welding or fabrication or a true suspension overhaul under the HOA language, but you may be able to squeak by with some of that stuff under the guise of "maintenance."

[willworkfore30s]

If you decide to use #4 in your diagram above you need a solid slug in the tube or something of that nature. You don't want to have the hollow tube with the bolt going through it. It could allow the tube to collapse. If you wanted to use it I would do it like the flattened bar in #2