phenryiv1's 1989 325iC Project - SETA 2.7i Swap Complete and Running!

[phenryiv1]

Related, while I was working on the assembly my daughter decided to take one of the old Roundels and do this:

[phenryiv1]

So some good news and some bad news- I got the car back from paint but it still is not right. What was to be a 10-day job to fix a documented list of 10 items took 24 days and 3 were still not done. I checked the car Monday and it was down to 4 items. I called Thursday and it was (supposedly) down to 2 items. I called Friday (I was out of town) and I was told that it was finished. I had my wife drop me off Saturday and 2 items were still undone. I am so tired of NOT being able to drive the car (and I had no other ride) so I took the car and will speak to the owner upon his return from vacation. I did not sign anything saying it was done so I have some element of protection.

The good news side of things is that I got to do some reassembly. Overall the car is looking good but still has some work to be done.

Parts ready for install:



Rear trim installed:









And with Roundel:



Front trim installed:



Side "waist" trim installed:





RyanG Splitter alignment:





DO NOT install the clips this way. it is BACKWARDS!



Now turned around and with the "is" lip and RyanG splitter installed:





A few other shots:



















I installed the cupholder from a few pages back. It required a little bending but it did fit. I still have the console cupholders as well but this is a nice one for easy reach.



A little more bad news: The Drag DR-20 do NOT fit on the e30. The 10mm offset puts it at the reasonable limit of what will fit with 205-55-15 tires and without fender work (at least when lowered on H&R Sport). I was so pissed/dismayed I forgot to even take pictures. They looked great but if they don't fit then it is all wasted.

First off, I had issues fitting the Motorsport Hardware lugnuts on the wheels because of the small lug valleys. I have some Gorilla tuner lugs "came with the wheels" but I like the wheel studs.



I finally found a very thin-walled 17mm socket but then...the wheel spokes rub on the calipers in the front so it looks like I am back to the drawing board for wheels.

I ordered a set of 15x8 ET20 last week (they arrive this Friday) but I don't know how to handle the wheel fit issue, particularly since I had planned on the Drags with A/S Kumhos being my "winter" setup (I also have the WRX and a Jeep) and the other set of wheels with the Yokohama S.Drive as my summer setup. With the Kumhos being so cheap ($65 for all 4) it is hard to not keep them (the Yokohamas were ~$400) and return the Yokohamas and the Drags but since the Kumhos are already mounted I need to call Discount Tire Direct to see how they want to handle it.

[phenryiv1]

Parts car!

I am looking for a nice condition trunk carpet set and the taillight back covers. For sale?

Oh, and forgot.. I learned recently there are two sizes of third brake lamps for the vert.

Somr pieces are NLA. Some are very worn.

I need the smaller size one red lens. It cracked.

I have not opened the trunk but will do it this weekend. I need to compare these parts amd what I pulled out of my trunk to see what I need amd what is duplicate. Anything that I don't need will be offered for sale with priority to other people who have posted here, provided parts/advice, or whose builds I follow.

[phenryiv1]

BTW knowing the about the old hood would have driven me nuts as well, despite the fact most would have never known.

Same here. It drove me nuts.

I need to get a parts car like this for the 5spd swap.

G240 or G260?

[TimeMachinE30]

Oh, and forgot.. I learned recently there are two sizes of third brake lamps for the vert.

Somr pieces are NLA. Some are very worn.

I need the smaller size one red lens. It cracked.

[rcsoundn1]

BTW knowing the about the old hood would have driven me nuts as well, despite the fact most would have never known.

[TimeMachinE30]

Parts car!

I am looking for a nice condition trunk carpet set and the taillight back covers. For sale?

[rcsoundn1]

I need to get a parts car like this for the 5spd swap.

[phenryiv1]

Damn, how many speakers are you putting in this thing? Please tell me all 8.

No, total of 10 but not all of those. Dayton tweeters and 2 mids in front, e34 tweeters and 2 mids rear, plus subs.

[95maxrider]

Damn, how many speakers are you putting in this thing? Please tell me all 8.

[phenryiv1]

The rest of my e34 midrange speakers arrived:

[phenryiv1]

Parts car arrived!

















Trunk is also full of other parts, which I have not yet searched. He arrived late last night and I had to get my kids to bed so I tarped it and will look through it later this week/weekend.

[phenryiv1]

Stopped by the body shop (day 20) and checked progress. Still a few things to do but the new hood is on and painted:

[bradnic]

Pull the wiring harness and keep it intact.

[phenryiv1]

If all goes well I will be getting this parts car tomorrow. Sadly, I think it is in better starting shape than the current project but I don't want/need to take on another project at this time.









Not sure what I will do with it. The short list of parts to pull/save for the current project or as spares are:

• Any interior parts
• Rear window assembly/regulators
• Both front doors
• Both front fenders (one bent)
• Rear subframe
• Front strut tubes
• Wheels, tires, spare
• Top frame/cover
• Cluster
• Axles
• Fender liners
• Brake lights
• Trunk liner parts
• Battery
• Antenna cable
• Seat belts
• Door panels
• Blower motor
• CAB brackets, control arms

Other parts that I don't want to send to the scrapper:

• Brakes
• Pedal Set
• Bumper brackets/sliders
• DME
• Mirrors
• Exterior trim
• 3rd brake light

Tentatively trading the driveline, motor, trans to irish44j for some parts he has for me.

What else is worth keeping?