Rontgen's 1990 325iS Build Thread

[Rontgen]

Glass out, time for ceramic window tint and headliner replacement. Decided to splurge a little and went with the CA Tuned black headliner kit. Should look much better than the torn original. But why did we wait until the hottest week of the year to do this?

Also ordered new interior lights and support pieces. The original plastic support pieces had cracked and crumbled over time, leaving nowhere to snap the interior lights into. For the first time in the 3+ years we’ve owned the car, we should be able to see inside the car at night! [emoji38]

[e30RS]

And meant to say that MTECH II steering wheel is Mega.

[Jokester]

Buy my 3.46 LSD. Should be best of both works for you.

[e30RS]

Fantastic job! Just superb your built it with your son. Quite a journey.

[Rontgen]

Thanks!

To be honest, we don’t really like the 4.10 gear ratio with the G260. First gear is really, really short and the effective top speed is <100mph, although that may not be such a bad thing for a 17 y/o and my insurance rates! [emoji38]

It’ll actually do more than 100mph, but the M20 is really screaming by that point. ~80mph is about 3700rpm, if I remember right.

Speaking of the M20, it’s run great since the rebuild. As I mentioned a couple pages back, I hit each cylinder with a drill-mounted ball hone and assembled it with new rings and bearings. Nothing went to a professional machine shop aside from the rebuilt head. Not that I’d recommend doing it this way to anyone else but oil pressure is good, compression is 170+ across the board, and it only uses (super slow leak from the rear main) about 0.5L per 5K miles. I’m going to wager the block, bores, and rotating assembly has approaching 300K miles on it since new. Well done BMW!

[ButtJuice]

Awesome build! I commend your patient work ethic.

How does your son like the S4.10 differential paired with the Getrag 260?

[laidback93]

Amazing resto.

Sorry to see the parking lot damage.

[Rontgen]

It’s been great! The e30 has been my sons daily driver for almost exactly a year with very few issues. In that time he’s put about 12K miles on the rebuilt driveline/chassis and it’s performed beautifully.

We did have an ignition tumbler lock up, so it was replaced with a new one from BMW. Front wheel bearings, rotors, pads, and sensor were replaced recently

Next big project is headliner, carpet, and new leather. Also window tint while we have the glass out

Also, he was backed into at the school parking lot, so we have this nasty dent to contend with. [emoji35]

[gheemer]

Lucky son - follow up!

Very nice build! A little over a year on... how's the car? Is you son having a blast both driving, and doing additional projects?

[Pootis]

Looks really good!

[ttrousdell]

Glad to see this e30 getting the love it deserves. Good thread.

[oekundar]

Agreed with others...great thread, hopefully your son is enjoying the process and progress.

[Poorhouse]

Great project with your son.

[She loved E]

Awesome build man! You got a lucky kid!!

[Rontgen]

fantastic thread and great looking car. Leatherique has never made any of my leather softer, in fact, they say "For “cardboard hard” leather, several applications will be necessary." so, pretty much the opposite. But it does great things to dry leather and really seems to help.

Just read through the whole thing! Awesome thread!

Thank you!