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

[phenryiv1]

I also picked up a replacement HVAC panel to replace my broken one.



On my way to NY for work I stopped by Guten Parts to pick up replacement (new) OE convertible lower body trim and some switch blanks. Somehow no pictures of those (or the trip to Guten) but hopefully they will finish off the look of the bottom of the body (where the white clips are on the driver's side in the pics).

[phenryiv1]

Snagged a clutch stop, just for fun:

[95maxrider]

I'm loving the two tone!

[phenryiv1]

With no access to photobucket at work I don't tend to do updates as often.

I got tired of the old halogen bulbs and installed my HIDs. My halogens seemed to do an especially bad job at illuminating the road. When I removed the bulbs and saw that they were SilverStars it all made sense. Interestingly enough, those bulbs lased almost 2 years...that is a LONG time for SilverStars. Expensive, short-lived, and poor output pretty much sums them up.

Anyway, I installed the HID kit that is sold on here (I'll update with the link later). They installed fairly easily but are a cheap kit. Not bargain-basement, but to have a non-integrated ignitor/ballast configuration was a shock.

Anyway, I hastily stashed them behind the lights and wired them up:









There was an extra loop of wiring that was unnecessary (for other applications, I suppose) and when it was in place, one of the lights woudl not fire. I swapped in another ballast that I had around and the side that had not fired now worked, then I swapped in the one from this set and it worked the second time around. I removed the extraneous loop of wire and they have fired on the first try ever since. Weird.

Anyway, they look pretty good and do a much better job at illuminating the road. So far no flashes from oncoming drivers.





I was out of work sick last week and did feel good enough one day to state the install of the black armrests and door pockets, plus a new door handle and replacement trim.



Did a little test fit:



And finished:



I really like the look. Now I just have to get motivated to do the other door.

[95maxrider]

Damn that's some fine stitching!

[phenryiv1]

My refinished Stitched Wheels Upholstery 3-spoke Sport wheel and tricolor shift/ebrake boots arrived:

[95maxrider]

You're like some sort of seat wizard now! Post up the E36 seats!

[phenryiv1]

Passenger seat was re-installed:



On to the driver's seat...

So after thinking it over, looking at the parts pile that I have around, and considering the PITA it would be to go back out to the shop to have the threads re-tapped, I ended up just finding a good set of hinges off of another sport seat that I had and swapping them over. Had I thought about how easy that was to begin with I'd have saved myself the $20 and ~ hour of running around and just swapped them in the first place but it seemed like more of a big deal when I first took the seat apart. Oh well, live and learn.





After swapping the end pieces I was able to get the seat 95% functional (all movement works but one of the struts to assist the movement of the seat during adjustment is failing).





Still, quite happy to have a non-roached seat back in the car.

[95maxrider]

I bought this Gear Wrench tap and die set a while ago and have used it countless times. Worth every penny!

LINK

[phenryiv1]

Well, the passenger carpet was filthy...



Also, my new ground strap kit from Bavarian Restoration came in:



Driver's side seat tab is back in place:



HOWEVER some welding slag got in the threads and I don't have a taper set or thread chaser. Need to remedy that...

I fixed the knee bolster with hardware from one of the spare seats.

[phenryiv1]

Were you able to get the seat tab welded?

The broken tab from the driver's side was welded and I pick it up today. The seat above is the passenger side. I thought that the tab was broken on it (the back was loose and moved laterally) but once I removed the back cover the only thing wrong was that the screw that goes into that tab had come out. I found it and re-installed it, then I put a knee in the lower corner of the seat, grabbed the opposite corner, and pulled as hard as possible to bend the back frame to where it was square. Between those 2 actions the seat is now looking (and feeling) good.

[spanish pants]

Were you able to get the seat tab welded?

[phenryiv1]

Passenger seat (mostly) fixed!!!



Loose top to bottom connection repaired and 90% of the function is restored. It is also no longer racked to one side.

[phenryiv1]

I did wash and wax the car as well. For a few days she was clean.

[phenryiv1]

Wow, I had no idea that it had been so long since a thread update.

First off, I apologize for this being posted in parts. I changed jobs and the IT policies are different at the new organization, blocking file sharing sites (including photobucket) so I can post my text but I have to go back later and post the photos.

That said, I have made some progress, but have had some setbacks as well. I have been renovating my bathroom all summer (~300 square feet, full to-the-studs renovation with moving plumbing and fixtures) so progress on the car has been slow. On a positive note, I have driven it nearly every day for the last 6 weeks and have only closed the top 2x in that time period.

I'll call that a win in my book.

So I picked up a few oddball parts for the convertible. I have a tan interior but I always liked the black-and-tan theme. Since I have black OEM mats (the only ones available) I wanted to expand on that so I found black kick panels, black armrests, and black map pockets. All of them are in and ready to be installed.



I also sent off a spare 3-spoke sport steering wheel to StitchedWheels to have it re-covered in black leather with tri-color stitching. I am getting black shift/e-brake boots with matching stitching as well. Not 100% sure I will use the boots but I ordered them all together to get the matching leather.

I have been fighting some odd issues with the car- some resolved and some still a mystery.

After the swap I have been fighting an intermittent hard-start condition. It eventually starts, but sometimes I have to sweet talk her into firing up. I THINK it is fuel related. I will change the FPR first, then look at IAVC/ICV, then look to fuel pump. The fuel filter and lines are new and the injectors were recently rebuilt.

My OBC seems to have a mind of its own. For a couple weeks I had an intermittent coolant light (with coolant at the proper level) but I swapped out coolant level sensors and fixed that. The "new" one looks worse than the one I removed but it works. Oil level light was doing the same but has stopped.

I also have a CEL that is on nearly all the time. Oddly enough, the car will (VEY occasionally) stumble under moderate load and the CEL will go off...then 2-10 minutes later it pops back on without warning and with no symptoms. I have another DME to try but I doubt it is the DME, as that same DME ran the 2.5L M20B25 just fine before the motor swap.

After a year of driving around with a roached out passenger side sport seat as my driver's side seat, I finally started to fix my original driver's seat. I had been really nervous about the process but it was easy to take apart the original seat to figure out why I was having issues.





Should look like this:



The seat had been racked to one side for a while and the adjustment/flop for the back was not working. Turns out that the outer "rope" was broken (took one from the parts seat) and I was able to bend the seat to re-square it. If not, I have this spare frame but I would rather not have to swap the leather.



Some more pictures of the process:







I will be getting that broken tab welded tonight. if that fails I have a spare base but just like with the back, I'd rather not have to swap the leather and foam.

I also have been chasing a set of the lower rocker trim. It is specific to a convertible and mine was broken (long story) after I had it painted with the car. I finally found a set and bought it last week. it arrived like this:



I am sure that I am forgetting things but I will update the thread with pictures when I can get to my PB account.