m3anderings

[moatilliatta]

Ye!

Leveling up!

[2mAn]

Wow!

[AWDBOB]

It’s Christmas time which means I was home for the holidays and actually worked on the M3!

I had the interior redone by mr Greer back in 2017. The interior has since been sitting in boxes, so I deemed it time to reassemble it now that the car is coming out to me in the midwest soon. I hoped to transport the car back on thanksgiving, but that didn't end up happening, so here we are.

My dad is a highly detailed individual, so when I first bought the car and had it shipped back to PA for safe keeping I gave him the go ahead to do whatever he pleased to the interior. He was bored at the time and thought it'd be fun to spend my money on a car he doesn't have to own, and in turn I benefitted from his attention to detail and free labor.

Many, many things have been done but the highlights are:

-Jordan Greer german leather seat reupholstery
-Rebuilt all seat mechanics (refurb'd sliders, trim, etc. My brother was even kind enough to reinforce the hinge tabs for the seat back that commonly fail)
-Custom Color matched carpet parcel shelf recovering
-Custom Color matched vinyl paint to better match the pockets/pulls to the cards
-Nice pop out window latches
-Crack free dash
-Refurbished Cluster
-New (old style) heater valve and heater core
-Dash vent refurbishment, new foam, etc
-Refurbished 5908 with Aux added
-57k mile F&R center console and ash trays with the original M3 foam transferred over
-New sunroof motor cover
-New one piece genuine M3 shifter boot/knob/emblem
-New genuine under dash panel from when BMW still made them
-Refurb'd stock steering wheel
-My brother's map light mirror windshield bumper
-Various seals, bolts, trim etc to make it complete


This is the first car I have fully refurb'd seats on, and while expensive, it was worth every penny. The lighting in his garage is weird, the color looks great in person. The only interior item left on the docket is to have the sunroof headliner recovered, which will be done in PA before the car gets shipped.

Despite the magnitude of the project, I am very excited to finally get the car out here and begin the process of getting it running and driving!




Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

[AWDBOB]

Could a project like this turn cars off for you for good?

House always wins.

[moatilliatta]

Could a project like this turn cars off for you for good?

[AWDBOB]

All great suggestions.

Thank you Matt, I added those to the list!

Kronus, will do. I think with time I will be more okay with digging in a bit deeper and getting it all right the first time around

[kronus]

do a valve adjustment. big deviations will tell you if a valve seat is being burned, which likely corresponds to a leaking/cracked valve (even if leakdown looks okay)

[mjweimer]

Agree. Re-seal, maintenance, etc. and install.

The engine looks clean internally, which is promising...and I spy blue TB adjustment caps which indicates that someone could have recently gone through the adjustment procedure. I'd probably go through the rod bearings if condition is unknown...much easier when on the stand v. in the car and you don't want to hurt the crank.

Might want to add the oil pan non-return flap to your list of parts: 11 13 1 309 428

And I would add also that there are "paper" gaskets available for the upper and lower oil pans that will prove much easier to deal with over time v. the cork gaskets. MTC makes both the upper and lower pn:6552 and 6551 I believe.

[moatilliatta]

Nice score! Id run it and see what you really have, do another iteration later if needed.

[AWDBOB]

Congrats on the motor score!!

Assuming oem, its quick to tell from the exterior on S14s what crank/displacement it is. The 2.3s have a nut holding the front hub on, whereas the 2.5 is a giant bolt.

Oh yeah it for sure isn't a 2.5, I forgot to update that lol.

The motor was a bargain in the current market regardless of displacement, it just would've been a 42% bigger score if it was as suggested it "may" be!

[craz azn]

Congrats on the motor score!!

Assuming oem, its quick to tell from the exterior on S14s what crank/displacement it is. The 2.3s have a nut holding the front hub on, whereas the 2.5 is a giant bolt.

[AWDBOB]

Yesss!!

It has two cams but is missing two cylinders!! When the opportunity materialized to buy this dropout it swayed my decision away from 24v land in hopes to have the quickest time-to-drive possible when I get the car out here.

-----

I am a newb to the s14 world, and was pleasantly surprised to find that most stuff is available/affordable-ish, regarding vacuum/fuel/coolant refresh items (minus water pump). I'm going to use E28M5 intake gaskets to avoid that expense.

After a closer inspection of the motor I made my realOEM list and am just shy of $1300 into the "get this car running" purchase, but haven't gotten a WP yet in hopes to find a suitable bearing/seal and rebuild this one.

The question of the hour is...... do I pull the head and do a full reseal and risk opening the can of worms, or trust the leakdown numbers, reseal the easy stuff and send? The engine is bone dry outside of a front corner valve cover leak. The added cost is time/hassle and $1200 in timing chain parts. I have such little desire to pull the head, but now is the time, if any.

If anyone's curious, this is what I ended up with:

11-15-2-241-124 OIL SEPARATOR
11-15-1-310-814 HOSE LINE
11-15-1-310-811 HOSE LINE
11-15-1-311-839 HOSE
13-54-1-315-081 GASKET
11-53-1-309-667 HOSE
11-53-1-309-668 WATER HOSE
11-53-1-266-472 WATER HOSE
64-21-1-374-908 RETURN HOSE
64-21-1-370-807 HOSE, INL
11-53-1-309-669 WATER HOS
11-53-1-315-537 THERMOSTAT
11-53-1-309-670 WATER HOSE
13-41-1-311-655 HOSE
13-41-1-309-613 HOSE
13-53-1-726-960 HOSE
11-24-1-307-140 ROD BOLTS
11241310515 Glyco Rod Bearings
11121316992 Head Gasket Kit
11111316993 Lower Gasket Kit
21212226854 Sachs Clutch Kit
11317838675 S52 Chain Tensioner


Outside of engine stuff, I have:
GC Modified Housings w/ Konis
GC Touring Plates
Alloy Control Arms/Offset CAB's
Rebuilt Calipers (that I need to paint still)
Zimmerman Rotors/ATE Pads (pagid's weren't available at the time, but now are apparently, oh well)
New Brake Dust Shields
Spare Rear Hubs (one of mine is damaged)
TA's and F/R Subframes that are getting powdercoat before the car gets out here
Rebuilt Stock Steering Rack
Rebuilt A/C Compressor
Every Suspension Bushing/Hose/etc

If you can't tell, I'm trying to get all of my ducks in a row before the car gets here so I can make quick work of the refresh! I am assuming the exhaust will be in terrible shape, so that aspect of the car is up in the air until I get the car out here but other than that and odds and ends that will pop up, things are looking promising.

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

[mjweimer]

Yesss!!

[AWDBOB]

Great wheel choice! I have a formel in my car too!

Thank you!! I had a 370mm MT1 I was saving for this car for ages, but fell in love with the Formel and decided it had to be done.


------


I made an engine choice.......

Supposedly a 2.5, perfect leakdown, affordable enough to take a chance. I'm assuming it's not a 2.5 so I don't get my hopes up, but regardless, this will make my life so much easier getting the car back on the road.

Painful purchase, but a step in the right direction!

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

[craz azn]

Great wheel choice! I have a formel in my car too!