Bronzit E30 - OBDII S52 shaved bay - weekend/autox toy - Journey

**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-01-2016, 10:36 AM

Some progress occurred over the weekend. I spent Friday night and Saturday morning finishing audio install in the e36 and then attended the Dockweiler meet at Playa Del Rey. It was a really nice time. And then it was crazy stormy and raining on Sunday so that slowed my progress. I spent a lot of time reorganizing the garage as I do before any bigger project.

Made some brackets from scrap steel for a shelf to hold all the exhaust tubign and steel I have on hand. I got tired of that stuff just sitting on the floor.

Picked up a set of calipers at the Dockweiler meet. They need to be rebuilt but I got them for a good price. Trying to decide whether or not to have them powdercoated, or just use some caliper spray paint. Also can't decide on color though I think they would look great in white behind the bronze/black wheels. It would be a nice contrast.

New headlights arrived

Cleaned up the new front subframe and started welding in the reinforcements. Comments/criticism on the welding are always welcome since I am still very very new at it. The hobart 140 is fantastic though. So much easier than using that harbor freight inverter stick welder it's not even funny.

**Toodaloo** · 02-01-2016, 10:53 AM

Bronzit E30 - OBDII S52 rebuild + goodies swap - DD / autox Journey

Edit: my bad. Totally thought I was posting in the Nor-cal General chat...

**jpod999** · 02-01-2016, 10:55 AM

Originally posted by Sh3rpak!ng

Cleaned up the new front subframe and started welding in the reinforcements. Comments/criticism on the welding are always welcome since I am still very very new at it. The hobart 140 is fantastic though. So much easier than using that harbor freight inverter stick welder it's not even funny.

So with the reinforcement plates, they just get welded over the top of the stock locations?

**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-01-2016, 11:07 AM

Originally posted by Toodaloo

If anyone has a contact to a clean set of grey/black houndstooth sport seats, please send me their way. Can be both passenger, and not mechanically in good shape as long as there aren't any big tears in the fabric or major stains. I need to finish my interior already!!!

Originally posted by jpod999

So with the reinforcement plates, they just get welded over the top of the stock locations?

Damn you two have really nice alpines. I'm starting to really want either an alpine e30 or an alpine e36.

Yes, the reinforcement plates get welded over the stock locations for the motor mount reinforcements, but it's a little different for the others. THere are planty of pictures floating around. I think you could also weld the motor mount reinforcements on the top side to space the motor up like 1/8"

**Toodaloo** · 02-01-2016, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by Sh3rpak!ng

Damn you two have really nice alpines. I'm starting to really want either an alpine e30 or an alpine e36.

Yes, the reinforcement plates get welded over the stock locations for the motor mount reinforcements, but it's a little different for the others. THere are planty of pictures floating around. I think you could also weld the motor mount reinforcements on the top side to space the motor up like 1/8"

My bad dude, totally thought I was posting to the Nor-Cal general chat...

getting used to this new phone

I'm stoked to see you bringing this back after the accident!!!

**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-01-2016, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by Toodaloo

My bad dude, totally thought I was posting to the Nor-Cal general chat...

getting used to this new phone

I'm stoked to see you bringing this back after the accident!!!

Hahaha no worries, that's what I figured.

Thanks! Me too. It hurts my heart to see the car in this shape considering what it used to look like.

**jpod999** · 02-01-2016, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by Sh3rpak!ng

Damn you two have really nice alpines. I'm starting to really want either an alpine e30 or an alpine e36.

Yes, the reinforcement plates get welded over the stock locations for the motor mount reinforcements, but it's a little different for the others. THere are planty of pictures floating around. I think you could also weld the motor mount reinforcements on the top side to space the motor up like 1/8"

Hah yeah the norcal Alpine game is pretty strong. I remember going to a meet back in 06 or 07 where we had 8-9 alpines that showed up.

Thanks for the info, I figured that's how it worked but hadn't ever seen anyone actually say so.

**2mAn** · 02-01-2016, 11:32 AM

Originally posted by Sh3rpak!ng

Some progress occurred over the weekend. I spent Friday night and Saturday morning finishing audio install in the e36 and then attended the Dockweiler meet at Playa Del Rey. It was a really nice time. And then it was crazy stormy and raining on Sunday so that slowed my progress. I spent a lot of time reorganizing the garage as I do before any bigger project.

Made some brackets from scrap steel for a shelf to hold all the exhaust tubign and steel I have on hand. I got tired of that stuff just sitting on the floor.

I was going to go to the Dockweiler also, but with the Grand National Roadster Show on the same day and no nice E30, or even a BMW for that matter, I opted to go to Pomona instead.

Sir, is that a PLASMA CUTTER?!?! Im going to need to use that one of these days

**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-01-2016, 11:44 AM

Originally posted by jpod999

Hah yeah the norcal Alpine game is pretty strong. I remember going to a meet back in 06 or 07 where we had 8-9 alpines that showed up.

Thanks for the info, I figured that's how it worked but hadn't ever seen anyone actually say so.

Wow that's quite a crew of alpines. Around here it seems red is the color.

Yea, the reinforcements are pretty self explanatory once you have it in front of you.

Originally posted by 2mAn

I was going to go to the Dockweiler also, but with the Grand National Roadster Show on the same day and no nice E30, or even a BMW for that matter, I opted to go to Pomona instead.

Sir, is that a PLASMA CUTTER?!?! Im going to need to use that one of these days

Damn, had no idea about that show. Just googled it, looks pretty cool. I drove my e36 - I was too ashamed to show the e30 in its current state.

Unfortunately that's not a plasma cutter. I wish it was, because if I could afford one I'm sure I could afford a bigger garage to go with it :P

It's just a hobart 140 :)

**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-03-2016, 09:53 AM

Interior LEDs, HID bulbs, and new 55w ballasts arrived from dinanm3atl

morimoto mini 7.0s for the new retrofit (retrofit brackets on order). These are definitely an improvement and upgrade from the 6.0s. They look and feel very solid, noticeably more so than the 6.0

Welded the other inside motor mount pocket and one of the swaybar tabs

**ST1G** · 02-03-2016, 09:58 AM

Man, I kinda want to upgrade a set of smilies. Is it worth it? Is there really that much more light output?

**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-03-2016, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by ST1G

Man, I kinda want to upgrade a set of smilies. Is it worth it? Is there really that much more light output?

Yes, definitely worth it all around. It's a big cosmetic upgrade, the output is a big improvement even without a retrofit. And with a retrofit, the output is on another level.

From TRS regarding the mini 7.0:

With the most modern optics, an optically clear lens, and their curved cutoff shield; The 7.0 will outshine almost every OEM HID projector on the market and go head to head with the legendary S2000 projectors! (which cost 3x as much, are much harder to retrofit, and don't even have a high beam) Their wide, uniformly lit low beam stays intense all the way to the outer limits. Their bi-xenon high beam provides an insane amount of additonal light on demand.

This is more or less what the morimoto mini 7.0s will look like with the 50w ballast :D:D:D

**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-04-2016, 09:25 AM

Installed the new interior LEDs and stabbed a hole in my headliner like a noob. To be fair it is really brittle in some places.

Finished welding all of the reinforcements in the subframe

I am also thinking of doing some modification to the subframe while it's on the bench to give more clearance for easier header removal, and space for euro/longtube headers in the future.

**pandaboo911** · 02-04-2016, 12:47 PM

Bronzit E30 - OBDII S52 rebuild + goodies swap - DD / autox Journey

Good opportunity to do the headliner in a more interesting fabric :D I've thought about using some replica Mtech fabric and just gluing a layer over that nasty brown white stuff, it's a lot of work to do it right though

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**Sh3rpak!ng** · 02-04-2016, 12:54 PM

Originally posted by pandaboo911

Good opportunity to do the headliner in a more interesting fabric :D I've thought about using some replica Mtech fabric and just gluing a layer over that nasty brown white stuff, it's a lot of work to do it right though

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Yes that's been on my mind since day 1 of ownership. I just don't know what to do about it. I really like the look of a black alcantara/suede, but I don't think I have the patience or interest to DIY the install. I've also considered just gluing some other fabric over it, I wonder if anyone has done that? Or masking the interior off and spraying the whole thing black.

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