I’ve finally made some progress, so I figured it was time to make a build thread for my $450 84 318i’s transformation.
For the record, my plan of attack is interior, suspension, engine, then paint.
It started life as an abused 1984 318i two door, Baltic Blau with tan comfort interior sporting roll up windows, no check panel, and an almighty m10 backed by a 5 speed and ?3.64? LSD differential.
Upon my receipt of it, 29 years had taken its toll. It was only $450, so I couldn’t expect too much, but it ran and drove with a blown headgasket; but much love was needed.
Not even 24hrs after taking ownership, the head was off, cleaned up, and slapped back on with a new gasket in hopes it would last long enough until the engine swap. Amazingly, it started up after my two hour head gasket job (first time messing with an m10), and has been reliably running since, though not yet tagged.
Since then, she’s been in waiting, starting and idling mostly. Suspension is in a bad state as was the interior…but…slowly but surely…eventually leaving me with an m60 swapped e30. Don’t try and talk me out of it, a v8 e30 is my dream. It will happen come Hell or high water, which is bound to happen, but still this car will be completed-ish.
That being said; onto the progress…mostly stemming from junkyard parts. I am a college kid after all making all the dough working part time at Auto Zone. So bear with me on this build.
Any who, not even a week into owning the car I made a pretty large score at the junkyard. Something that brought a tear to my eye but was a great donor was a Bronzit 1982 323i. Having been long since swapped of its original 2.3L, the drive train left nothing special, but all the euro parts came home with me.
Euro Bumpers/Valance
ONE Euro Grille :/
Federalized Euro Cluster
German Check Panel (Mine doesn’t have one but I’m keeping it anyway)
BMW Radar Detector
Rear Headrests
Fog/Rear Fog Switch
Taillight Circuit Panels
Larger ?Euro Toolkit
Black Door Pulls (my tan ones were yellow)
I think that’s all I raped off of it. But all of that (minus the check panel) came home and went right on my 318i allowing me to ditch the diving boards. Total Cost - $115.
About two weeks later, I scored a set of Ground Control Coilovers and a Racing Dynamics adjustable front sway bar. Total Cost - $40.
The suspension stuff has been in waiting for me to collect additional components. I picked up a set of Bilstein Sport struts for a good price in very good shape. I know they’re not optimal, but they’ll work for now. Suspension should be going on not long after the New Year.
Then, just two weeks ago I scored a lighted mirror and US Ellipsoids from another junkyard. Total Cost there - $65.
As far as the interior goes, I’ve picked up a very nice dash out of a vert in the junkyard, a nice set of sport seats off Craigslist, and a RHD radio panel from here. Also she is now sporting an Mtech1 Wheel thanks to tonerrr here on r3v.
During the dash install, I had to install a steering column for reasons relating directly to my stupidity. But mine bolts in with standard bolts now, so, I suppose that’s an upgrade. With the dash install, once again, thank you tonerrr for the huge help!
Anyhow, that about leaves me where I’ve left off for now. Pics of all the above stated progress will be posted below. Hope I didn’t bore anyone too badly.
Keep checking back occasionally for random little updates. Soon as the suspension is revamped and the coilovers are on (stock bottle caps for now), I will finally be tagging it since it qualifies for historic in 2014 and I’ll be driving it until all the swap parts are collected…so random pictures will ensue.
Anyway…I’m done for now…onto the pictures. I apologize in advance for some of them being taken with what looks like what must have been a prehistoric toaster.
When I was looking at it.
Interior needs some serious love. The comfort seats were leaving hair in the carpet.
The powerhouse.
Home.
Euro Bumper install.
Much better.
For the record, my plan of attack is interior, suspension, engine, then paint.
It started life as an abused 1984 318i two door, Baltic Blau with tan comfort interior sporting roll up windows, no check panel, and an almighty m10 backed by a 5 speed and ?3.64? LSD differential.
Upon my receipt of it, 29 years had taken its toll. It was only $450, so I couldn’t expect too much, but it ran and drove with a blown headgasket; but much love was needed.
Not even 24hrs after taking ownership, the head was off, cleaned up, and slapped back on with a new gasket in hopes it would last long enough until the engine swap. Amazingly, it started up after my two hour head gasket job (first time messing with an m10), and has been reliably running since, though not yet tagged.
Since then, she’s been in waiting, starting and idling mostly. Suspension is in a bad state as was the interior…but…slowly but surely…eventually leaving me with an m60 swapped e30. Don’t try and talk me out of it, a v8 e30 is my dream. It will happen come Hell or high water, which is bound to happen, but still this car will be completed-ish.
That being said; onto the progress…mostly stemming from junkyard parts. I am a college kid after all making all the dough working part time at Auto Zone. So bear with me on this build.
Any who, not even a week into owning the car I made a pretty large score at the junkyard. Something that brought a tear to my eye but was a great donor was a Bronzit 1982 323i. Having been long since swapped of its original 2.3L, the drive train left nothing special, but all the euro parts came home with me.
Euro Bumpers/Valance
ONE Euro Grille :/
Federalized Euro Cluster
German Check Panel (Mine doesn’t have one but I’m keeping it anyway)
BMW Radar Detector
Rear Headrests
Fog/Rear Fog Switch
Taillight Circuit Panels
Larger ?Euro Toolkit
Black Door Pulls (my tan ones were yellow)
I think that’s all I raped off of it. But all of that (minus the check panel) came home and went right on my 318i allowing me to ditch the diving boards. Total Cost - $115.
About two weeks later, I scored a set of Ground Control Coilovers and a Racing Dynamics adjustable front sway bar. Total Cost - $40.
The suspension stuff has been in waiting for me to collect additional components. I picked up a set of Bilstein Sport struts for a good price in very good shape. I know they’re not optimal, but they’ll work for now. Suspension should be going on not long after the New Year.
Then, just two weeks ago I scored a lighted mirror and US Ellipsoids from another junkyard. Total Cost there - $65.
As far as the interior goes, I’ve picked up a very nice dash out of a vert in the junkyard, a nice set of sport seats off Craigslist, and a RHD radio panel from here. Also she is now sporting an Mtech1 Wheel thanks to tonerrr here on r3v.
During the dash install, I had to install a steering column for reasons relating directly to my stupidity. But mine bolts in with standard bolts now, so, I suppose that’s an upgrade. With the dash install, once again, thank you tonerrr for the huge help!
Anyhow, that about leaves me where I’ve left off for now. Pics of all the above stated progress will be posted below. Hope I didn’t bore anyone too badly.
Keep checking back occasionally for random little updates. Soon as the suspension is revamped and the coilovers are on (stock bottle caps for now), I will finally be tagging it since it qualifies for historic in 2014 and I’ll be driving it until all the swap parts are collected…so random pictures will ensue.
Anyway…I’m done for now…onto the pictures. I apologize in advance for some of them being taken with what looks like what must have been a prehistoric toaster.
When I was looking at it.
Interior needs some serious love. The comfort seats were leaving hair in the carpet.
The powerhouse.
Home.
Euro Bumper install.
Much better.
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