Project Lessmeister: 91 318iS Restomod w/ MTech2 and modern drivetrain

[Kevinl]

This car is gonna be a lot better than new

[0-60 freak]

Looks great

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[monty23psk]

Oh me lucky charms! Someone found the pot at the end of the rainbow.

Funny when looking at your first page of posting by mistake, looking at your vin, your chassis is only the 222th built after mines.

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[Jordan]

The parts look amazing, they turned out better than I had hoped. Truly a beautiful sight to see an assortment of hardware like this wearing fresh yellow zinc chromate. Almost a shame how much of it will be seldom or never seen once installed in their final locations. None the less worth every penny of the $60 it cost to have it all plated.

[Jordan]

The plater called, all my parts are ready!!!!1111one.

I can't wait to get them this afternoon and see how they came out.

[Overlord475]

Can you please not quote giant long series of photos. Just quote the one photo.

This +1000

[TriniBoy]

Sorry to have you drinking so much coffee :rofl

Jordan @ Stitchedwheels could probably take care of your needs under $2k for the cover kit. $2.5-3k wouldn't be crazy for all labor covered, but $5k is silly.

Looking forward to the next update.

Thanks for the advice, I'll give Jordan @ Stitchedwheels a nudge on and see if we can work something out.

[Miked6187]

Sorry to have you drinking so much coffee :rofl

Jordan @ Stitchedwheels could probably take care of your needs under $2k for the cover kit. $2.5-3k wouldn't be crazy for all labor covered, but $5k is silly.

I imagine he has patterns established off good used pieces. That is how anyone is going to start.

Oh I thought u cut them. Sorry

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[Jordan]

I've dragged out reading this thread as long as I possibly could.

2 or 3 pages a day with my morning cup of coffee turned into a routine for the last few weeks.

What you have done, and continue to do, is literally unbelievable, well at least to me. Well done man!



I'm no expert, but your interior looks bloody fantastic, especially based on fresh completion.

Question. I'm curious to know your thoughts, or anyone else for that matter, on what I should expect to pay to have my seats redone to a similar standard? I've had 4 quotes from a few spots within my area (SW FL) and I've gotten quotes ranging from $2.5k to $5k.

Quotes were based on doing both front and rear seats, using 3 - 4 hides of BMW's cardinal red leather, ( I think it's BM638 )

I appreciate cost doesn't necessarily guarantee great work, but any guidance/advice would be appreciated.

Sorry to have you drinking so much coffee :rofl

Jordan @ Stitchedwheels could probably take care of your needs under $2k for the cover kit. $2.5-3k wouldn't be crazy for all labor covered, but $5k is silly.

Did u use the old leathers as patterns or how did u cut them?

I imagine he has patterns established off good used pieces. That is how anyone is going to start.

[ST1G]

Did u use the old leathers as patterns or how did u cut them?

Can you please not quote giant long series of photos. Just quote the one photo.

[Miked6187]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen, the encouragement has helped a ton in getting be back out there when I still feel less than my best.

Rust proofing is simply a non-concern down here in Texas. We rarely see freezing conditions, let alone snow, and if so sand only is put on the road, no salt. If the car happens to find a new owner up north I would hope they would not drive it in the salted winter snow, but if they choose to so supplemental rust proofing is on them.

I can honestly say I have never cared for the M3's centrally located roof mounted antenna. It looks like such an afterthought. It would have looked better at the trailing edge of the roof in my opinion, but regardless this car is staying more true to its nature. A tall mast antenna is easily threaded on in place of the stubby one if a future owner so pleased.

I've been sitting on an update for Ehrlich Wheel Works for a bit, but I wanted to go ahead and post it up now. As I'd mentioned earlier Paul is building me some custom RS wheels. To make them the sizes I wanted it meant a fill and drill of some RS211 faces. Paul is an expert in bolt pattern conversions, one of few outfits that do the process with such precision.

First Paul machines pressure fit billet aluminum plugs, which are then hydraulically pressed into the existing lug pattern effectively filling the center of the wheel and making it solid. Some vendors would stop at this point, redrill the new bolt pattern and call it a day.



Once the wheel is filled he goes one step further, expertly tig welding the plugs to the wheel permanently fusing them to the forged centers. This is done with finite control of the TIG arc to minimize the heat propagation into the wheel faces. On wheel temperature readings fluctuate around 200F while welding, much cooler than you can expect under hard driving from vented brake heat.



The finish welded face can be picked up on the edges by hand immediately after welding.



The finish welded hubs are now ready to be mounted on a lathe and milled down flat.



Paul was kind enough to assemble my 2" slant lips, his custom made 1/3 height hex caps, and a black/gold 3D BBS logo onto an identical painted face to mine to give a preview of the wheel to be.




Much anticipated progress has been made on the interior as well. I'm excited to say I'm working with Jordan @ StitchedWheels to recover the interior. By the VIN code this vehicle was originally "SCHWARZ KUNSTLEDER (0166)" AKA Black Leatherette. While black vinyl seats appropriate to a 318iS aren't hard to find in good condition I really felt this car and the quality being put into the build deserved more.

I decided on keeping the interior black, but stepping up to leather. I worked with Jordan to source and purchase 3 hides of OE BMW Schwarz leather to recover the interior with. The hides came in a few days ago and he has been hard at working cutting out the complex array of pieces to make up the front seats. It takes one hide per front seat, and one for the rear seat with enough extra material for some small parts like a matching shifter boot, ebrake boot, and retrimmed M-Technic II steering wheel.





If Jordan keeps on schedule he is planning on making the drive down from Mississippi to Houston to help recover the seats in person!

Did u use the old leathers as patterns or how did u cut them?

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[JeLani]

Kinda late but im impressed on how you handled the e55 amg bumpers with the mtech apron


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[TriniBoy]

I've dragged out reading this thread as long as I possibly could.

2 or 3 pages a day with my morning cup of coffee turned into a routine for the last few weeks.

What you have done, and continue to do, is literally unbelievable, well at least to me. Well done man!

Go back 2 pages (23) and there are pictures of the seats, although everyone seems to think they can do better.

They were completely redone with 3 OE BMW hydes of leather by Jordan @ StitchedWheels. He drove down from Mississippi to install them last weekend.

There is no one worth a shit in Houston where as upholstery is concerned. Not that I have found.

I'm no expert, but your interior looks bloody fantastic, especially based on fresh completion.

Question. I'm curious to know your thoughts, or anyone else for that matter, on what I should expect to pay to have my seats redone to a similar standard? I've had 4 quotes from a few spots within my area (SW FL) and I've gotten quotes ranging from $2.5k to $5k.

Quotes were based on doing both front and rear seats, using 3 - 4 hides of BMW's cardinal red leather, ( I think it's BM638 )

I appreciate cost doesn't necessarily guarantee great work, but any guidance/advice would be appreciated.

[2mAn]

Im just trying to give a 12 year vet a hard time...

[rzerob]

Page 21?!?

I only have 11 pages so far ;)

Try post 315.