Project TougE30

[paynemw]

Stock rebuilt engines are most economical decision you'll make... in the long run.

[Tougerunner01]

Stock rebuilt engines are most economical decision you'll make... in the long run.

I agree. The m52 was a good choice to replace the m20 since its more modern and can take some abuse.

[Tougerunner01]

A small break then back to work.

I had to wait a few days for my ecu to return from kassel performance and my buddy will being welding my exhaust on Wednesday. I decided to get out of town for the day. Right before leaving, I did my valve cover gasket and those gaskets were rock hard. I'm glad the valvetrain looked great. Also, here is a picture of the other caps I pulled.

[Tougerunner01]

Finally have the E30 sorted out. I finished the exhaust, but the original v-bands broke on a dip. Replaced them with vibrant v-bands. Kassel retuned my dme. Kevin from flim flam speed got me back on his dyno. We made 186hp/176tq which I think is pretty good for a basic m52 with an m50 manifold. Anyone have any alignment specs that work well for the E30? I have rear adjusters as well.

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[Tougerunner01]

End of a chapter

Well r3v friends, this might be the end of this e30. I found rust in a tough spot after ripping up my soaking carpet after driving in a moderate downpour. The chassis has seen it's fair share of abuse and it might be time to retire. I'd love to shell swap the e30,but I don't know if I'm motivated enough to do it.

[e30RS]

Absolutely horrible. Is it doable with a weld?

[Tougerunner01]

Absolutely horrible. Is it doable with a weld?

Unfortunately, I highly doubt its fixable. I'm sure an experienced welder could make it happen for a pretty penny. I might get a quote.

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[Sonny]

Unfortunately, I highly doubt its fixable. I'm sure an experienced welder could make it happen for a pretty penny. I might get a quote.

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So what exactly happens if you daily drive with rust like this and never plan to autox? I'm looking at an e30 m20 the same condition

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[Tougerunner01]

So what exactly happens if you daily drive with rust like this and never plan to autox? I'm looking at an e30 m20 the same condition

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The rust is there. I'm just aware of it. When it's raining, I know i have to check for water inside the car even though I put a bandaid on it. Aside from that, I daily drive like normal and beat on the car. I drove with a hole under my accelerator pedal for 2-3 months before fixing it. I was always weary of something flying up and hitting my foot. Luckily, that never happened.

[rturbo 930]

You wanna scrap the chassis for that tiny little rust hole? You could probably tidy it up and fix it with a small patch held in with automotive adhesive and be fine if you can't manage to find a welder.

[Sonny]

You wanna scrap the chassis for that tiny little rust hole? You could probably tidy it up and fix it with a small patch held in with automotive adhesive and be fine if you can't manage to find a welder.

That would hold up well? My trunk is starting to rust

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[Tougerunner01]

I'm actually getting an estimate soon to see what it cost to fix and assess from there. We have a reputable welder in town and I forgot he fixed a few e30s for friends, so we'll see.

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[gnmzl]

You showed me yours, I'll show you mine...




Both the footwells in my car were same as yours, if not worse.
If you find a really good welder willing to do the proper work for you, they can weld'em up for you so good, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference!
It totally doable without taking the whole car apart, just move all the wiring to a safe location (banjo ropes are your friend) and protect glass and upholstery/dash while cutting and welding. Seal it up good and it will last you more than a decade.
Bottom line is, don't scrap it - repair and enjoy it. Please.

[Tougerunner01]

You showed me yours, I'll show you mine...




Both the footwells in my car were same as yours, if not worse.
If you find a really good welder willing to do the proper work for you, they can weld'em up for you so good, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference!
It totally doable without taking the whole car apart, just move all the wiring to a safe location (banjo ropes are your friend) and protect glass and upholstery/dash while cutting and welding. Seal it up good and it will last you more than a decade.
Bottom line is, don't scrap it - repair and enjoy it. Please.

Thank you for this reply. This is good to see.

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[econti]

scrapping shells is for cowards