325ic Calypso Euro Conversion - Houndstooth & dbilas now, MT1 & MM 3.2 stroker coming

[jeenyus]

They are both beautiful. Tough call.

[bradnic]

Callie's doppelgänger on BaT right now

I've been looking off an on for a low mile Calypso vert just like Callie:
- preferably same year with diving boards, but sheet metal ready for electric top
- LSD and heated seats from the factory
- original top
- unmolested as much as possible, and of course no rust whatsoever.

The thinking was I would move my OEM+ goodies to this low mile car and prep Callie for sale to a worthy buyer (lol).

Well BaT just called me out with this 15k mile car.


I am absolutely stunned by this thing. Checks all the boxes except it's the 'more desirable' "world-spec" plastic bumper car, not a diving board that can be converted to euro spec.

Negatives:
... collector premium for ultra low mile is probably $10k - maybe more because of the color! I could just take a fraction of the $$$ and finish Callie exactly like I want it.
... the VERY real probability of damaging the car in my working 2 car garage (dents and scratches)
... you end up with a bone stock car
... (for me) can’t do euro bumpers, mtech1 or jimmy hill,
... you could do the shadowline trim, but at risk of damaging the existing trim when removing it
... stock m20 (it's a positive too as we all know)
... stock USDM headlights (which suck!)
... the cat back on the car isn’t quality enough
... bavauto springs on a car like that? Please.

Positives:
... Callie's rare enough as it is, but 15k miles??? it's just non-existent.
... it's a brand new drive train!
... very nice set of euroweaves
... you can’t do mtech1 but mtech2 is on the table (++). But that’s more time and investment, plus you’d have to risk the shadowline trim conversion (- -)
... I can store the basically new interior, preserving it's condition and keep my houndstooth+husco
... I could still do ‘light bolt on’ OEM+ mods like the euro-cluster, rear fog, hlcs
... after 7 years, based on my last 6 years of driving this car I’d still be around 30k miles, as long as I trailered the car to out of town events.

I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do. But in the end I think I will get priced out, which in the grand scheme of things I will probably be ok with. The probably too high collector premium and this side by side pic is why



Callie looks better to me by far. Removing trim to shadowline a 15k mile car just isn't something I'm probably willing to do.

[brutus]

yes bootlids fit the same,,

& yes I have some available,
with spoiler holes &without ,,
pls pm,
& yes seen side light / brake in the bmw logo roundel too !

[Staszek]

Wow Brad it looks amazing!!

[bradnic]

Car looks great....
You need Alpina B3 2.7 headers with those itb:D

Thanks Raúl. Yeah I haven't kicked off the 3.1 stroker project yet. That and having the synchos replaced in the tranny are the last major jobs to do. Also mounting the mtech1, the new slant top strömung and a windows+trim out respray. Not much at all really.

I have these RD long tubes sitting in storage.


I'm also still waiting for @fporro and Federico to deliver the 2nd batch of snake headers..
wrote this back in spring 2016

Still hoping the new RD group buy happens.. if so I'll move the [RD long tube headers] to the IX.

[e30m3s54turbo]

Car looks great....
You need Alpina B3 2.7 headers with those itb:D

[bradnic]

new pics

90 degrees, 90% humidity. AC needs a recharge to keep up. but she looks great!







Pups went riding too

[Staszek]

Looking good!

[bradnic]

Callie is still recovering from bitch tube (intake to block breather tube) oil leak repairs and is still waiting on a much needed valve adjustment. Couldn’t get to it without pulling the ITBs completely off... got everything back in after installing new o-rings, and of course the ITBs needed to be retuned again.

I’m the middle of retuning when I look down and ... oil leaking out of the bottom of the bitch tube. $&@$;&!

So.. pretty sure I can get the tube back out without removing the manifold. Will try some permatex around the oring and hope that finally seals it up.

Well took most of the day, but my breather tube oil leak is finally fixed. I did end up having to take the ITBs completely out again. It was unavoidable though - there was no other way to get the bitch tube out.

The culprit - destroyed a brand new OEM o-ring during install.


o-ring drops into the recess in the block.


After 2 installs I wasn't going to take any chances again. So I applied some Hylomar to the rings and seating surfaces. A couple of hours later she started right up. Quick ITB tune and... no oil leaks.

What a relief.

After that, ITB tune, valve adjustment, parking brake pad replacement and giubo replacement.

Doubt I’ll get much drive time rest of this season

Tune is set, but rest of it still pending. As she sits, with a trial fit of the new cover

[bradnic]

Lol Andre.. I remember you mentioning what the fix was but didn’t recall the details.. thanks for clarifying

Callie is still recovering from bitch tube (intake to block breather tube) oil leak repairs and is still waiting on a much needed valve adjustment. Couldn’t get to it without pulling the ITBs completely off... got everything back in after installing new o-rings, and of course the ITBS needed to be retuned again.

I’m the middle of retuning when I look down and ... oil leaking out of the bottom of the bitch tube. $&@$;&!

So.. pretty sure I can get the tube back out without removing the manifold. Will try some permatex around the oring and hope that finally seals it up.

After that, ITB tune, valve adjustment, parking brake pad replacement and giubo replacement.

Doubt I’ll get much drive time rest of this season

[e30rapidic]

I deleted my trunk mounted 3rd brake light years ago! My current trunk lid is off a 325es.

In order to keep your overhead check panel happy, you just need to put a jumper wire in to connect the two striped wires for the 3rd brake light. I did mine at the plug by the antenna.

[zwill23]

It does look terrific no? Ditto the euro bumpers and front valance.

Pretty much, though the wiring for the 3rd light needs to be dealt with so the check panel stays happy. I think adding a resistor is all you need.

Don’t like losing the 3rd light but I’ll figure out how to do a 3rd light as part of the trunk roundel

Absolutely!

I've also seen people around the forum really cranking up the lighting output from their rear tail lights. Installing brighter bulbs or LEDs of some sort might be sufficient to alert inattentive drivers.

[Das Delfin]

Losing the center light is my hang up as well. I don't want my car to be rear ended by some idiot! I wired my blank rear fog light slots to act alongside the regular taillight to increase visibility, but if I were to delete the 3rd tail light I may switch them over to act as brake lights so there would be 4 in total. However a center roundel light would be cooler and safer for those idiots expecting a center brake light stabbing them in the eyes

[bradnic]

Oh damn, I've never seen a vert without the trunk mounted brake light. That really does look great.

Is it as simple as swapping trunk lids from a non-vert? I have a sneaking feeling they wouldn't be interchangeable.

It does look terrific no? Ditto the euro bumpers and front valance.

Pretty much, though the wiring for the 3rd light needs to be dealt with so the check panel stays happy. I think adding a resistor is all you need.

Don’t like losing the 3rd light but I’ll figure out how to do a 3rd light as part of the trunk roundel

[zwill23]

Oh damn, I've never seen a vert without the trunk mounted brake light. That really does look great.

Is it as simple as swapping trunk lids from a non-vert? I have a sneaking feeling they wouldn't be interchangeable.