84 euro gray market rebirth

[dahows]

I've had this car since 2000 and have kept it stock with the exception of a UUC shifter, smiley headlights, GC coilovers/bilsteins and a Lukebox. Original owner was a local engineer who brought the car over as new in late 84. I bought the car from the 3rd owner who reversed the DOT conversion and had the car repainted just a few months before I bought the car. I had been looking nationally for either a e21 euro or e30 euro and couldn't believe I stumbled on such a great example just across the river. The car had 70-some thousand miles and it has been a weekend/fun car with occasional bouts of doing daily duty. Here are a few pics from early in my ownership.







A few years ago it started running not exactly rough but not as smooth as it had. A compression test showed low dry compression in cylinder 2. I would drive it once in a while as it still ran ok, until the clutch went out. It's been sitting for the last couple years with the plan to build a m20 stroker. I started gathering parts, got a little impatient and bought a decent m20 to put in it so I could drive it again while I saved for and gathered parts for the stroker. But the replacement engine ended up going into a 91 vert I built for my daughter. When a s50 popped up locally last year, I decided to go that route instead. So the plans for the current project are:

Reinforce subframes
Update brakes
s50
mtech kit
borbet type b

Shooting to have this done for this summer and since I just got laid off I'll have a little more time than I've had previously.

I'm pretty involved with the local BMW CCA club and last fall we had a Vintage SIG garage tour where my garage was one of two on the tour which helped motivate me to organize the shop. Here's a few pics from that day.













I've been doing some prep work, reinforcing the subframes but the shop camera took a shit and I lost most of those pictures...







Pulled the m20 a few weeks ago and started cleaning.





I'm planning to freshen up the engine bay after removing the old coolant brackets, adding the new ones and figuring out new radiator mounts.

Stay tuned...

[dahows]

Did a test fit with the ebay headers installed on the s50. There isn't much clearance above the motor mount arm, like less than a millimeter.



How much room do I need here?

Engine looks good in there...wish it was at a point where it was staying.



No issues with the CAB or the sway bar...just wanted to make sure before I get the headers coated.

[reelizmpro]

Super clean car. I also have an 85 323i grey market car I plan on throwing an M tech 1 kit on. I really want to keep the M20B23 but may just swap it if it gives me trouble.

[BurakB]

Awesome find! Rather jealous of the condition :p your garage looks pretty neat also! Wouldn't mind seeing more photos of both :)

[Javier h]

Man, where are all these clean euros coming from? Super nice. Congrats.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

car is gorgeous

[the imitator]

Very clean representation here, glad to see another 323i within shouting distance as well!

[kronus]

323i's coming out of the woodwork! nice base. excited for the recaros up on your shelf.

[bostonvert]

Very cool find! Was it a 4 cylinder or a 6?

Funny to see a real euro car like we get them and seeing it made into a us car
(s50 swap and mtech ) we don't see a lot of builds like that over here.

Garage looks top notch, makes me realize I should invest in some proper shelving space

[TimeMachinE30]

Looks great. I like the wash down it got, looks naked and vulnerable.

[dahows]

Super clean car. I also have an 85 323i grey market car I plan on throwing an M tech 1 kit on. I really want to keep the M20B23 but may just swap it if it gives me trouble.

Thanks, I'm a little torn about not keeping it original but I was seduced by 24 valves. Good luck with your build...I subbed to your thread a few days ago and watching for any tips on the mtech install.

[dahows]

Awesome find! Rather jealous of the condition :p your garage looks pretty neat also! Wouldn't mind seeing more photos of both :)

Thanks, I definitely lucked out. The best thing about the shop is the size (30x45 feet), it's nice to have some room...needs a lift though, I'm getting too old to keep putting these things up on stands and working on my back.

Man, where are all these clean euros coming from? Super nice. Congrats.

I know what you mean, several have popped up lately.

car is gorgeous

Thank you sir.

Very clean representation here, glad to see another 323i within shouting distance as well!

Didn't I buy a steering rack from you a while back? How is the car coming along?

323i's coming out of the woodwork! nice base. excited for the recaros up on your shelf.

I doubt that I'll get to the interior this year but couldn't pass up these e30 recaros when they showed up locally.

Very cool find! Was it a 4 cylinder or a 6?

Funny to see a real euro car like we get them and seeing it made into a us car
(s50 swap and mtech ) we don't see a lot of builds like that over here.

Garage looks top notch, makes me realize I should invest in some proper shelving space

It had the m20b23 6 cylinder. US never got the mtech 1 cars so they definitely have a strong appeal for many of us on this side of the pond.

I put off getting the shelving for too long, it certainly helps at least give the impression of some organization and is great to have crap up off the floor.

Looks great. I like the wash down it got, looks naked and vulnerable.

Thanks, took a powerwasher to the bay and the underside in preparation for new paint in the bay and rubberized coating underneath.

[dahows]

Minor update from the weekend. Worked on the the ix booster and realized that I should have gone with a 944 booster so I could retain my early, non-abs master cylinder. I decided to go ahead and modify the ix booster and sell it.







Moving back to the engine bay and continuing to clean it up and prep it for the new coolant tank location and the Z3M radiator. The battery tray had a little bit of rust and I treated it with POR 15 a while back to stop the corrosion. The brown on the firewall and transmission tunnel is old sound insulation that has adhered to the body and is pulling off paint when I try and fully clean it off. I have a bit of work to do there yet.



After shot of bracket removal and hit with some primer.



The radiator mounts need to be relocated a bit to hold the shorter, wider 3 core radiator.







I need to work up a way to get the radiator in the right position. I saw where someone had made extensions but I'm not crazy about this idea.



The current location isn't idea laterally either, the mount nearer the passenger side pushes the radiator so far right that the lower hose bib is right up against the frame rail. I think I'm going just move these up and towards the driver's side a bit. More on this later.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I just put a 944 booster in my car yesterday. I got a brand new ATE one from blunt. I had to shorten the shaft about an inch and rethread it.

[bobaflesh]

very nice car, subscribed.