Granitsilber Coupe: x-country warrior kicking it in SoCal

[325ix]

Really enjoying this build. The wheels look fantastic on it.

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[thatphysicsguy]

glad its fixed alex

Thanks for all your help, man!

Make sure you zip tie the CPS wires tight to the engine so it doesn't fray again. Glad you got it fixed.

I routed the wire over the timing cover and through the zip tie that holds that coolant hose back away from the fan. Hopefully that'll hold it.

Already missing my car. But looking at the roads turned white from all the salt they put down up here, I'm glad my car is staying clean. Thread will be quiet for a while until I move back to CA once the semester is up.

[thatphysicsguy]

Really enjoying this build. The wheels look fantastic on it.

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Glad you like it. Not a crazy "build" by any means, but this thread has become a useful catalogue of all the maintenance/service/other stuff I've done so far.

If I knew you were in Las Cruces, I could've stopped by for some troubleshooting help when my road trip mess was happening lol.

[325ix]

Lambo is down here as well. If you happen to come through here between now and May well have to plan a meet or something.

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[2mAn]

Alex, what are the plans once you're a graduate?? Car, not professional. We dont care about that stuff here :p

[thatphysicsguy]

Alex, what are the plans once you're a graduate?? Car, not professional. We dont care about that stuff here :p

Well the two are invariably tied. But "plan A" is to get a lab job somewhere in socal and just keep the status quo for a year.

In terms of mods: I want to stiffen up the front and dial out the last bits of understeer. Going to get a cabrio sway bar and new bushings down there as well as a strut brace.

I still need to address my steering rack issues too. Other than that, I don't have any major plans. I'm going to keep the m20 maybe just chip it.

Long term if my money situation greatly improves, I might do an m20 turbo build, but it'll likely be at least a couple years before I consider that.

I'll be a grad student for a while eventually and the pay isn't stellar let's just say. But I might be able to work a side gig that get's me some spending $ we'll see.

Before I turbo the e30, I'm gonna get another car to daily too.

[Swanny]

My car will back on the road shortly. You'll have to check it out (2.7i, chipped w/ 19lbs injectors and m30 maf, headers, and cat delete). Give you some e30 fulfillment while you're upstate.

[thatphysicsguy]

Graduated last saturday (same day as bimmerfest) and flew back home.
Had to get a new battery and put in a new alternator, but the E30 is running fine.

Getting to the lower bolt on that alt was a PITA. Who the hell designs a bolt/nut to need a reaction tool, then leaves NO ROOM for a reaction tool? I had to jam a pair of vise-grips in there to hold the nut while I wrenched the bolt out the other side. Also had a little snafu when switching the pulley over to the new alt. I left one of the spacers on the old alt without knowing it and realized only after everything had been put back together. Luckily I was able to get the pulley back off and put the spacer in without having to take the whole assembly out again.

Car is currently at ~1452xx.

It looks like I have some pretty heavy camber wear on my front tires from the lower suspension setup. The insides are almost treadless while the outside shoulders still have plenty of meat. Unless I get camber plates, I'll just have to live with it for now. But the next big purchase will probably include new tires.

I'm also looking to put on a vert front swaybar with new endlinks and bushings. I also want to put a strut brace on the front.

I've seen some good strut braces (properly reinforced and attached at strong points) and some bad ones (attached only at the weak-ass strut studs with no extra reinforcement). So does anyone have recommendations for good strut bars?

[thatphysicsguy]

Well Car was driving great and I took it up north to the bay area, but my alt belt snapped in Paso Robles. Luckily I pulled over immediately so the car didn't over-heat, but it was a close call considering it was 95 out that day. I was caravanning with my parents so I had to leave the car behind then get it on the way back. so much for my plans to drive the 1 home...

I had a spare belt in the car and the GMC guys did a good job for a decent price so things could've been worse, but still that's the second time in a few months that the car has failed on a road trip... :x

Car made it home fine. Now at 145900 on the dot.

[Dj Buttchug]

sell me the SSRs

[2mAn]

Congrats on graduating! I have an Ireland Engineering bar on my car and it fits nicely. I also have the vert swaybar with IE poly bushings.

You need to make some time to come out to my garage so I can give you the cracked SSR if you want it. Im sure it can be fixed, Im going to get my bent one repaired and keep it as a spare. I know the offset is slightly different than yours, but a full size spare would be good IMO

edit: Buttchug if my car sells I might have 5 16x7 et35s for sale

[thatphysicsguy]

Congrats on graduating! I have an Ireland Engineering bar on my car and it fits nicely. I also have the vert swaybar with IE poly bushings.

You need to make some time to come out to my garage so I can give you the cracked SSR if you want it. Im sure it can be fixed, Im going to get my bent one repaired and keep it as a spare. I know the offset is slightly different than yours, but a full size spare would be good IMO

edit: Buttchug if my car sells I might have 5 16x7 et35s for sale

Did we ever find out for sure that our wheels had different offsets? But yeah I'd be down to have a full-size spare. My current spare is just a bottlecap.

[2mAn]

Did we ever find out for sure that our wheels had different offsets? But yeah I'd be down to have a full-size spare. My current spare is just a bottlecap.

should be stamped right on the wheels

[2mAn]

Here are the pics I took with your car in them!

The "advanced" group haha


and your solo shot


Looks like its time for an IS lip! haha

[thatphysicsguy]

yeah, that I lip help up great until just a couple weeks ago. I just dread having to replace is lips all the time.

Thanks for posting the photos!