Panici's long awaited E30

[e30vert]

Holy Fred Flintstone!

[LoneWolf]

Wow. That frame rail is toast.

Is that rust on the firewall too? Where was the leak, bottom of the windshield or something?

[Panici]

Wow. That frame rail is toast.

Is that rust on the firewall too? Where was the leak, bottom of the windshield or something?

Looks like most of the water is coming in from under the fusebox/brake booster area. I need to dig a little further.
There is definitely some water coming in through the heater cowl as well.

[KIRIEIW]

You should take a trip to Cali and buy a e30 down here with trashed interior and use the pieces from that car. Though if you do save it I'll have much respect cause I would be over my head with that thing! Good luck with whichever route you go

[Panici]

Went to see my E30's previous owner today, as he had promised I could pick over his parts car (for free!)

Unfortunately, the car was pretty much stripped. I was hoping to get a much needed driver's side subframe and floorpan, but they weren't in good enough shape to bother with them.

It was a 1.5 hour drive each way, and I spent a few hours with a friend pulling parts and poking around the car. I think I got my $35 spent in gas back though.

Some of the notable stuff I pulled:
-Two bottlecaps with tires (now I have an extra complete set of 4 wheels!)
-Door handle trim pieces
-Gas door
-Seatbelt covers
-Steering column clip
-Empty tool case
-Rear fusible link.
-Factory jack and chock
-Two rear bumper trim pieces
-Some rear sheetmetal (There's enough there to patch my E30's panel)



Taking the wheels home on my TJ's front-mounted hitch rack. I always get funny looks with this setup! :)


Full spare set of bottlecaps! Two of four have good tyres.









Also, got some used tails in the mail from a r3vlimited member. There's a crack in one from shipping, hoping I can plastic weld it back together.





Picture from a few weeks ago. Started on the driver's side floorpan with a grinder's cutting wheel. Quickly abandoned that, as it was slow, and it had just started raining. Going to be using a reciprocating saw when I get at it again.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

What kind of grinder are you using? Also are you using shitty cutting cutting wheels? I'ver never had a problem with mine taking to long.

[Kevinl]

that car is toast

[Panici]

As much as it pained me to do so, I've decided with r3vlimited's help, that the car has too much structural rust to rebuild.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=323670

I'm going to put the car back together and use it for parts.


Now I start the search for a new shell. :(

[Panici]

I've been searching for a new shell, but realistically I don't have room for it until I get the motor and tranny (M52 & ZF320) out of the e39 (and get rid of the shell). Going to tear into that next week.

For now, I decided to put the E30 together, rather then keep my interior torn apart all over the garage (and in bins). I figure it'll be easier to use it as a parts car if everything is back where it should be!
It's all back together now, except for the blower assembly and carpet, both of which I decided to leave out.

All the parts, including my spares, (except for spare set of bottlecaps, and the interior carpet) fit in the trunk.

Threw on a rear bumper strip (with a ziptie assist), one less thing to put in the trunk.

I made some blockoffs for the heater core hoses, so the car again runs and drives (at least enough to shuffle it around in our driveway)

Also shot a couple coats of rustoleum black paint on the spare gas door I got a few weeks ago (for free). Going to put that on this week. [Polishing a turd, I know, I know]



To top it all off, I (very anticlimactically) got my ~$800 of brakes and bushings today after my friend picked them up stateside. Luckily these won't go bad, and I'll eventually be able to put them on whatever E30 I end up with.



Now, some pictures.

[KIRIEIW]

Come import one from cali man!

[Panici]

Unfortunately this E30 is too far gone to save, and it will live on as my parts car.


In better news:

I've bought a new E30, a 1987 325is.
Please see my new build thread here:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=326798


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[Panici]

Epilogue

Epilogue

I still had this car at the end of March 2016.
It has given its transmission (and associated parts [pedal box etc]) and Drivers side strut assembly to my other car, along with lots of other small bits.


I have taken pretty much everything usable off and sold some of it. I've made back my initial investment with the parts I have sold.

I sold the remainder of the shell today (April 7) for $80 and a 6-pack. Buyer said his cousin wanted the rear end parts, so at least the last usable bits will be used rather then scrapped. :)

I also have a TON of parts sitting in my garage, including both complete doors, two sets of bottlecaps, and the roof with sunroof cartridge. I'll need to go through it all this summer. Chances are I'll be holding onto a fair bit of it.

Maybe you noticed the wheel change? I got a set of Civic steelies for free from some friends, and stretched their smaller centerbore over the E30's hubs. This allowed me to liberate the rear two bottlecaps.


Here are some pictures of the car as of mid-march. It makes me sad to see it in this state, but at least the parts from it will help keep other E30s on the road for years to come.

You can really see the extent of the rust and water damage here behind the fusebox and on the firewall.
It would have needed a new driver's side firewall along with a new driver's side frame rail and both front floorpans to even have a remote chance.




























Some reverse Lamborghini / scissor doors!





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EDIT1: We got a snowstorm. Oops!














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EDIT2: Shell is gone! Sold for $80 and a 6-pack. RIP little buddy!