My turbo 24v alpine coupe

[mitchlevy7]

Powdercoating is done.

Here is the diff cover with the condor bushing sitting on top.



Ordered all the stuff to reseal the diff, parking brake cables, axle nuts, DSSR, and my PNP VEMS is in production. Going to try and get the rear end together without axles and diff by the end of the weekend to make the car a roller.

Barrels for the ozs are also out of powder and look awesome.
Finally decided on smoke clear centers, clear on lips, and gold bolts.

[mitchlevy7]

Used the snow storm last weekend to do some polishing



Didn't wetsand the compressor housing at all but it turned out good. Right now I have 3 lips done and 2 faces but I am not happy with the faces so I may take them back down to wetsand.

Also, tried welding aluminum so I can do my charge pipes. I have only welded aluminum once before and that was like 4 years ago.



I am happy with it. Much more sensitive to dirtyness than stainless and heats up the whole pipe really quick.

Inlet and outlet of FMIC and throttle inlet are all 3". Should I adapt to 3" from the 2.5" turbo outlet right at the turbo or at the FMIC or somewhere in between?

Keep trying to order the VEMS but every time I have enough money,something comes up.

[mitchlevy7]

Kinda broke and waiting for powdercoating.



sad.

Took the diff cover off and its getting coated too.

Looking at the AEM 320LPH ethanol capable in tank pump. I can store e85 at work. I can do 116 but even at my price its expensive.

[mitchlevy7]

Thanks Efficient.

Waiting for powdercoating. I dont really want to roll the chassis around the shop as it sits really sketchily on some dollys. I can't ask the powdercoater to rush it because they are doing it for only the cost of materials.

Last night I welded an o2 bung into the downpipe.



I burned through the pipe in that one spot originally. Gotta grind it down.

And I finish welded the midpipe.



The pipes on both sides of the muffer don't go in straight so there were some big gaps. Big gaps make some ugly welds.

Muffler is a 3" custom one we use at work for our exhausts.

Should be getting funds to order my VEMS standalone today. I promise. Last ECU i will use.

[efficient]

Cool thread

[Sh3rpak!ng]

the exhaust I built was stupid and it hung super low and it was 409 SS and the tip was stupid and the muffler was stupid and it was all stupid.

This made me laugh. I know that feeling.

Glad to see good progress!

[mitchlevy7]

Did so much work with little to no updates.

Most of it was really boring, switching drivetrains.

The white e30 is on the red e30's subframes and is out of here. Sold the chassis and the m20.

bought an intercooler and catch can and a bunch of little goodies here and there.

The rear subframe I planned on using was cracked at the rear diff mounting holes.

So last night, after my order came from garagetastic, I did this...



I am going to finish stripping the paint from it and then its off to powder.

[mitchlevy7]

Update from Yesterday.

Finished the new downpipe.





Getting my welding better.



I also got some of the "midpipe" done. Did a big flex section too which was terrible to weld. We usually MIG them here but I went for TIG and got no color and had to use tons of filler.

No pic for that yet... pretty much got to a little past the CSB.

I also made a dumptube. Sorry this pic is complete garbage but it gets the idea accross.



I need to finish the catback today as I won't have access to the exhaust shop after today. Then the car will come over here and get disassembled. I am still waiting on my last V-Band so I might just do a 2 bolt flange or a slip fit.

Anybody have any suggestions for FMIC? Not trying to cut up this whole car.

Also my Condor Heretic Kit came yesterday. Happy with it.

[mitchlevy7]

So glad to see updates on this! Ive wanted to get one of those AKG shifters too, they are so badass

edit: Side note. Is that Ford the Fiesta? How do you like it? Does it at least get good mpg for being such a small motor? I always liked the Abarth, but it still got just decent mpg so its like "why bother with this little 1.6l?"

Yea. Its the Fiesta ST. If you floor it every chance you get you will get like 17 mpg. If you drive like a grandma you can get 40 on the highway. Driving like.... me you get 30 plus or minus 2 depending on how throttle happy I get and how much city and highway driving happens.

Not bad for 25psi of boost and over 300 ft lbs. Very fun car and economical to daily.

[Northern]

Hopefully you're starting to hit some luck with this car. It seems like it's been a rough time up until this past update.

[2mAn]

UPDATES. FINALLY.

I finally just bought it. I have wanted it forever. AKG stage 2 DTM shifter.

So glad to see updates on this! Ive wanted to get one of those AKG shifters too, they are so badass

edit: Side note. Is that Ford the Fiesta? How do you like it? Does it at least get good mpg for being such a small motor? I always liked the Abarth, but it still got just decent mpg so its like "why bother with this little 1.6l?"

[mitchlevy7]

UPDATES. FINALLY.

Brought my alpine coupe to work and got started. It has been sitting in my driveway for 1.5 years now.



Theres a wheel from a mini cooper on there because I got a flat in the racing dynamics on my red car and I didn't want the car sitting on a flat.

Stockpile of parts in my office



Barrel from the OZ's which are taken apart. That box has garagetastic floor mounts and side mount adapters. All that wiring is from the MS3x. ST front sway bar. rear strut bar.

Also in that box is this



I finally just bought it. I have wanted it forever. AKG stage 2 DTM shifter.

thursday I went back and looked at the current turboback exhaust on the car.....

Now its in the recycling.

The wastegate merge looked like it was welded by a child and the V-band on the downpipe at the turbo was....far from flat.

the exhaust I built was stupid and it hung super low and it was 409 SS and the tip was stupid and the muffler was stupid and it was all stupid.

The car is in the other shop right now but ill get pics later. Doing an open dump for the downtube. Car will basically be straight piped with a resonator and a special suprise...waiting on V-bands to get shipped here...


Also on the way is the heretic kit from condor speed shop. Replacing ALL the bushings. This car is going to be worth the wait....

and its gotta be done by Jan 3. Wheels will most likley wait until after the car is running.

Yesterday me and my buddy did this....



I needed to put the subframe back on to make it a roller but both cars are switching subframes completely. The turbo car has reinforced motor mount holes and the rear has hangers welded to it... oops

[mitchlevy7]

Updates

Finally sold e36. It was taking too much of my time to make it dailyable.

Bought this



Right now I am making over 300ft-lbs at 2500rpm from 1.6L ....and then it dies from there. Let my company use it for R&D an get all parts free. Best sounding exhaust I have heard in a while. Sounds like a loud abarth.

Made a big purchase for this build



16x10 rear and 16x9 front. Going to try 245/45/16 in the rear and 225 in the front. They are 4x100 with the right center bore. I would have run my old RS' but didn't want to bother with adapters or more than 10mm of spacer.

I am rethinking the turbo. Honestly I dont know what the hell kind of turbo is on there, just some words from the guy who sold it to me... thats my ignorance.

Might try a GTX2871R with a bigger tial housing or a 3076 so that I have room to grow. I want the quick spool. Been driving too many Speed 3's with 30's and 35's and theres way too much lag for me. I also want to try a borg warner EFR turbo. They spool really quick.

Also have the UUC BBK on the way. Love not using adapters. Must be the engineer in me. I hate the idea of adding failure points to the brakes.

Also doing a different intercooler. Right now I have a CX racing POS on there. Few months back we put one on a mustang EB and it really didn't do anything over the stock intercooler which is tiny. I have a few FMIC's laying around I want to try. Only problem is limited room on the e30.

[CorvallisBMW]

.... on the way home the wheel completley comes off. The lug bolts broke, most likley from being heat cycles from a really bad bearing. Got it towed and did both wheel bearings last week. Luckily no other damage except a warped rotor!

That must have been a butthole-puckering moment!

[mitchlevy7]

UPDATE

Bought a daily so I can reliably get to work while i dive back in on the project. Boss said I can leave 1 car in the shop.



220k 328i hardtop 5 speed vert for a steal. Authentic M bumpers. Clean body, no rust.

I bought it fully knowing it had a bad wheel bearing so I bought both rears and hubs and the tools to do it. Drove it to work last week on tuesday but didnt have time to do it after work.... on the way home the wheel completley comes off. The lug bolts broke, most likley from being heat cycles from a really bad bearing. Got it towed and did both wheel bearings last week. Luckily no other damage except a warped rotor!

This thing is going to be a distraction from my e30's for a while so I can get it 100% reliable and up to par for daily duty. Ordered most of everything today-

clutch, O2 sensors, VC gasket, oil and filter, MAF, intake tube, sway end links, WP, thermostat and I have an extra m50 manifold for it. Anybody know a good place for the m50 manifold conversion parts?

I also had some time after work and I started the harness. Got halfway through wiring the BIP373s and making sure they fit in the dummy adapter board. No pics right now. My tuner friend said it might be easier to just make a engine harness straight for the MS3 because the pins on the motronic are soo close together. That will be plan B for now.