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

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Coming from someone who actually had a supercharged S52 E30 (way back in 2009 no less), put that modification towards the end of your current list. Work on getting the car completely up to snuff before you tack on that massive upgrade. Your build is great quality, but a supercharger magnifies even the smallest of weak links. Spend the time and effort on the supporting modifications first.

Mechanically speaking I think I've already prepped very well for it. That's been the whole point of my obsessive focus on drivetrain, suspension and brakes. Supercharger actually came off my e36 so I'm no stranger to the new headaches.



Anyway, I've been working on ticking off two items on my list. The blacked out window trim and the sideskirts. Decided to work on these two for no reason other than it tickled my fancy and both shouldn't take long nor would I run the risk of making the car undriveable for any period of time. Sideskirts - did some CAD and then picked various steel bits to make a frame and black abs sheet to cover it. Working on it today. Window trim - completely removed all of it to prep for paint. Attempted to disassemble the pop out window trim and then figured out it's basically impossible to remove, so I'll mask and paint it in place. Results will be coming soon!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Mazdayasna]

Sherpa king, more like sharpie king amirite?

No matter how many sharpies I purchase/acquire, I can never seem to find them when I actually need one

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Sherpa king, more like sharpie king amirite? No matter how many sharpies I purchase/acquire, I can never seem to find them when I actually need one

Lol totally. I always buy a box of them. No idea where they dissapear to so quickly and really irritating when I can't find one.



Progress from the weekend. All the trim was prepped and painted. Took like 10x more time to remove it and prep it than it did to actually paint it.... but it looks damn good now. Painted the faded mirrors too.

Made almost all the brackets for the sideskirts and picked up the strips of ABS I had cut to size. Looking good in my opinion and starting to take shape. Started making the brackets with aluminum but that turned out to be too brittle with the sharp bends. Switched to thin 1/8 steel much better. This also makes it easy for me to weld a thin frame and tabs around it for stiffness since the ABS isn't that rigid across such length. Repeating brackets like this is a bit tricky and time consuming with only a vise and hand tools but some time, patience, careful measuring and a few prototypes made it work out well. Fit is good except where the bottom of my front fender is a bit botched lol. Rivnut tool had its moment of heroism again installing threaded inserts along the body for the brackets to bolt into. Love that tool. Black rivets delivered today from McMaster so I can proceed with the install of the ABS to the bracket.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[jeenyus]

Uh, well... This is fuckin cool. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Uh, well... This is fuckin cool. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Really starting to have fun with this car again, modification-wise, now that my E36 is pretty much out of the way.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Progress from the weekend... not as much as I hoped but solid none the less. For anyone who's watched project binky and seen them run the timer while they fabricate brackets etc. it's 100% accurate. Most of my time again went to measuring, marking, cutting, drilling and bending more brackets. I also finished fully installing the blacked trim with all new clips - it looks awesome. I also lost a good 3 hours on saturday picking up a floor model drill press and giving it a little tlc. Needed new belts, alignment, new chord, and everything greased. Now it runs smooth. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Digitalwave]

The side skirts are cool as all hell!

I need to paint my window trim as well. It's been on my list since I bought this car!

[jeenyus]

I guess next step would be to vent wheel air out behind the fender. Almost looks ready for it. This is so cool to me. Some real originality in here. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Sh3rpak!ng]

The side skirts are cool as all hell! I need to paint my window trim as well. It's been on my list since I bought this car!

Thanks! Really hoping they turn out as well in real life as they did in my head! Biting my nails... Man I can't believe how long I waited to paint the trim. It was easy and really "finishes" off the car. Yours will look so good done Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Sh3rpak!ng]

I guess next step would be to vent wheel air out behind the fender. Almost looks ready for it. This is so cool to me. Some real originality in here. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Yes that will be done too. Not 100% sure on execution but I popped the bottom few bolts off the flare to see how it would look pulled out to the sideskirt.. kinda liking it but will have to finish the main box of the skirt first to feel it out properly. May also section the fender and bend it inwards... or a bit of both? The idea still hasn't fully congealed in my head yet Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[jeenyus]

Yes that will be done too. Not 100% sure on execution but I popped the bottom few bolts off the flare to see how it would look pulled out to the sideskirt.. kinda liking it but will have to finish the main box of the skirt first to feel it out properly. May also section the fender and bend it inwards... or a bit of both? The idea still hasn't fully congealed in my head yet Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

You could just cut it out and weld in a straight piece. You would then have to cut the foam for the dead pedal, but I think you could make it work. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[2mAn]

brackets need more holes... look at all that weight you're adding!! SHAME!! haha

[Albie325]

Not sure how I missed this thread until now, but WOW the car is a beast. Also really jealous of your fabrication skills, fantastic work

[pandaboo911]

How did you set up the AKG CABs? i've had them on for about a year, just set them to maximum caster (screwed in as far as they will go)

Getting some slight tire rub on the front of the inner fender though. I'm curious how you chose to adjust them.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

You could just cut it out and weld in a straight piece. You would then have to cut the foam for the dead pedal, but I think you could make it work. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

That's also an idea. I'm getting closer to actually having to do something since the frame is finished now. Funny you mention cutting the foam for the dead pedal... I have no carpet and I also already bashed that section in with a BFH ages ago for tire clearance. I've been planning to properly cut it and section it back in ever since

brackets need more holes... look at all that weight you're adding!! SHAME!! haha

Yes we all know your fetish for weight reduction and speed holes... the whole steel skeleton really doesn't weight much more than 1-2 lbs believe it or not. The ABS weighs more. I'm already thinking of how I'd do a v2. Maybe fiberglass.

Not sure how I missed this thread until now, but WOW the car is a beast. Also really jealous of your fabrication skills, fantastic work

Ha, thank you! And as far as fabrication skills... I'm just a monkey with hammers, vice, drill press and welder taking pointers from some slightly more sophisticated chaps in England doing the same to their mini

How did you set up the AKG CABs? i've had them on for about a year, just set them to maximum caster (screwed in as far as they will go)

Getting some slight tire rub on the front of the inner fender though. I'm curious how you chose to adjust them.

I set mine as close as I could to stock. I measured the old ones and made these match as close as possible. My motivation to use them was because the garagistic bushings were already wearing out and squeaking horribly, I wanted more clearance to rebuild a new exhaust on the passenger side, and they weren't that much more expensive than the "treehouse" style but offered adjustability. Somewhere down the line I'll start playing with caster adjustments. I used to have a set of offset bushings but had to ditch them because it was too much once I went to the slightly larger/wider r888 which was rubbing/dragging on the front splashguard