84 euro gray market rebirth

[Kershaw]

This is very thorough, I love it. Looks amazing.

[dahows]

Completed the battery cable relocation today. My car was built in August of 84 and it has a full size battery compartment unlike some of the other early cars.

Prep






cable routing










Pulling that cable and grommet through was a bitch; glad that is behind me.




I also got the hardlines, fuel hoses and tank back on the car.













It's nice to actually put something back on the car. Hoping to get some more time on it this week.

[dahows]

Very nice! I missed this build up until now, but it looks like fun! Hopefully we'll get to see it on the roads soon :)

Thanks and looking to have this wrapped up soon-ish so I can enjoy the car this summer.

You sure are making some good progress, David! Let me know if you need a hand with any of the big stuff. I now work about 5-8 minutes away from your house.

I've always loved saphireblau. One of the more uncommon colors to see over here, for sure.

Thanks Austin, I may take you up on that. Progress will slow next week as I'm starting a new job. You don't see many around in this color...there used to be the twin to my car in Tacoma but I think it sold ~10 years ago and dropped out of site.

nice build

Thanks man.

[efficient]

nice build

[e30austin]

You sure are making some good progress, David! Let me know if you need a hand with any of the big stuff. I now work about 5-8 minutes away from your house.

I've always loved saphireblau. One of the more uncommon colors to see over here, for sure.

[dahows]

more boring stuff...

I noticed that the car looks like it was in a fender bender on the driver at some point in its life. I have no record of this and it doesn't look like it was too drastic but good opportunity to prevent further rust.





I coated anything that showed any surface rust in the engine bay in preparation for rattle-canning the bay. I may have gone a little overboard.



I cutoff the driver-side tow-hook to get it ready for the mtech valance I've been holding on to for a few years now.



I removed the rear bumper so that I could test fit the mtech valance and check for anything out of sorts. I did find some bubbled/broken paint in the textured area behind/below the bumper. Luckily no rust has started there yet but I removed the bubbled/broken paint...ouch and put a coat of paint over it temporarily and will have this addressed when I get the mtech kit prepped and painted.







This was painful...I wasn't expecting any issues under the bumper. The car was repainted just before I bought it back in 2000 and I assumed all was good with the paint now.

I'm so ready to start putting new stuff on this car and be done with this boring stuff...but I know it will pay off later in peace of mind.

On to painting the engine bay.



I had a can of single-stage Saphire Blue Metallic mixed up at a local paint shop I've used in the past for a couple other cars. After hitting the engine bay, it looked a little dark. I let it cure for a bit and it definitely was off.



I headed back to the paint shop and got a new can mixed up and it is closer but still not dead on...old paint isn't the easiest thing to match. I think it is close enough that it won't chap my ass every time I open the hood.







Cleaning and more cleaning. I ordered new rubber fuel lines and even though I ordered based on vin, this one formed line doesn't match what is currently on the car.





Not sure if there as a change mid-year or what. I know that I replaced this hose about 7 years ago but now the part number comes up with this shorty version. I moved the absorber thing and made it work...looks a little better now all cleaned up.



Next up, battery cable relocation. Cheers.

[dahows]

I assume you are referring to the white plastic clip shown just behind the clutch softline in this picture, correct?



My car doesn't have those studs all the way to the front of the car. They are above the gas tank as shown here:



I'll just look for some kind a bracket that I can attach to the brake line and run the vacuum line that way.

[kronus]

I'm just looking for a better way to run the evap line. The current way has obviously worked but just doesn't look 'finished'. How are your lines run? Even if I don't change to a hardline I'd like to use something other than zip ties to hang the evap line.

my evap lines run along the brake lines. there are OEM clips that hold the evap hard line up.

[CorvallisBMW]

Very nice! I missed this build up until now, but it looks like fun! Hopefully we'll get to see it on the roads soon :)

[dahows]

Thanks guys...appreciate the comments.

you're rerunning all the brake hard lines? that's a fun job..

I don't think I will, I'm just looking for a better way to run the evap line. The current way has obviously worked but just doesn't look 'finished'. How are your lines run? Even if I don't change to a hardline I'd like to use something other than zip ties to hang the evap line.

[kronus]

you're rerunning all the brake hard lines? that's a fun job..

[2002jm]

nice work

This car will last a long time when you are done. Will be watching!
jm

[Court M3]

Beautiful car, subscribed.

[Rosecitykid]

Great work so far. Good examples of the early euro cars are getting harder to find! Even more so in the condition yours is in.

[iXguido]

I want your front valence...

Car is looking great! Nice work, imo early models look so much better than late models.