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Big Al's Revenge: an OEM+, MTech1 325e restoration

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    Dunlop Direzza ZIII's are worlds ahead of S.drives, at least from a performance perspective. The S.drive is a dated design and technology.

    RISING EDGE

    Let's drive fast and have fun.

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      Originally posted by Digitalwave View Post
      Dunlop Direzza ZIII's are worlds ahead of S.drives, at least from a performance perspective. The S.drive is a dated design and technology.
      Agreed. The Direzza ZIII's would be the clear choice, but these aren't available in 205/55R15. I believe Albie is referring to the Direzza DZ102s, which are at best on par with the S.drives.

      Comment


        Ahh yeah, the age old problem of nobody making 24" circumference tires anymore, lol.

        RISING EDGE

        Let's drive fast and have fun.

        Comment


          Melon when I first heard that noise, I about pooped ma pants. It's not nearly as bad now as what I was experiencing and definitely no worse than the 5-speed in my E46.




          Digitalwave, Mike hit it on the head. There's just not a lot of options in that size and the only two I typically see are the Direzza DZ102 and the S Drives. I've heard mixed reviews about the Direzza's but most seem to like to Yokohama's. I also don't want anything TOO track-minded as my car will mostly be a daily driver with some spirited weekend backroads here and there. Plus, if I ever want to smoke the tires with the Eta, I'm sure I'll have to sacrifice some grip
          '86 325e Zinnoberrot /// '02 325ci Schwarz II /// '18 M4 Azurite Black Metallic ///

          Albie325 Build Thread | Albie325 COTM Jan 2021

          Comment


            So I'm basically in a holding pattern until I have the funds to start Stage 3 of the project: MTech 1 and repaint. I have some nice euro goodies that will be going on the car but was initially planning to hold off so they don't get beat up prior to having the car looking 100%.

            Well I got a little bored and started working on some small upgrades that I can complete in the meantime beginning with some euro smileys:



            I bought these a couple years ago, they were refurbed by a member here on the forums. They're very nice and definitely serviceable, but they do have some wear. The lenses are pitted and the adjusters, while functional, are a little tired:






            I ended up sourcing a NOS set of lenses, and the adjusters are still available albeit pricey ($15 apeice pricey, and you need 8 long and 4 short adjusters):





            Anyway, those will go on when everything is all done. I plan to polish and refinish the old lenses, depending on how they come out I'll either list them for sale or keep them as a spare set. Today I got started breaking down the old ones:



            Not a tough job, just twist the adjusters so that they notches fit through the slots in the frame and push out, then pop out the black plastic cups from the lenses themselves:



            For the ellipsoids, to separate the projector from the lens there's 3 phillips head screws. Note that the rear projector aligns based on whether it is the right vs left lens:





            All apart:



            This set came with matte black painted trim rings which really weren't my style. I found some chrome rings however they needed a bit of modification to fit which I'll post later when I get them all put back together:



            I found that the bulb sockets for the city lights were brittle and starting to crack, so I had to order new ones from overseas today. Will hopefully be here in a few weeks. For anyone interested, the p/n for just the city light pigtail is 63121385603.

            I need to decide whether to get the euro bumpers installed now so that I can wire in the city lights, or just get the headlights installed without the bumpers or city lights until I'm ready for the MTech kit to go on. I have a euro valance but it's unpainted, and the US spec valance looks a little out of place with the euro bumpers and the fog lights won't fit. Thoughts?
            '86 325e Zinnoberrot /// '02 325ci Schwarz II /// '18 M4 Azurite Black Metallic ///

            Albie325 Build Thread | Albie325 COTM Jan 2021

            Comment


              Originally posted by Albie325 View Post
              I need to decide whether to get the euro bumpers installed now so that I can wire in the city lights, or just get the headlights installed without the bumpers or city lights until I'm ready for the MTech kit to go on. I have a euro valance but it's unpainted, and the US spec valance looks a little out of place with the euro bumpers and the fog lights won't fit. Thoughts?
              Get the euro bumpers and lights up while you get the paint done. Others might waiver and let these parts of the project go once on the car but we know you'll button it up perfectly when you have everything ready. Plus it'll make it easier to finish the job when the paint is correct and give you motivation to get it just right.

              Comment


                Originally posted by Albie325 View Post
                Melon when I first heard that noise, I about pooped ma pants. It's not nearly as bad now as what I was experiencing and definitely no worse than the 5-speed in my E46.


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                Fuck it, I'm 24v swapping this bitch.
                I do things.

                Comment


                  Cars coming along great... whats the ETA on the mtech 1 kit going on?
                  Simon
                  Current Cars:
                  -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

                  Make R3V Great Again -2020

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by 2mAn
                    Cars coming along great... whats the ETA on the mtech 1 kit going on?
                    Funny you ask, was planning on posting about that here shortly. Awhile back I had toyed with the idea of painting the car myself, then I figured it might be too much to handle in a rented garage. I talked to the shop where I got my F82 repaired and they threw out $8-10k for a full, quality repaint using good products. A few other places I've talked to were all pretty much in that range.

                    The car honestly isn't worth spending that much coin on paint and I can't afford that much right now anyway. I've gone over the car a few times and there's honestly minimal body work that needs to be done. I've spent the last couple weeks re-researching how to tackle a paint job myself and have decided that I'm up for the challenge! Judging by how well a few of the others on this forum have done with not much more experience than I have also helped my decision.

                    I plan to start sanding down the MTech parts over the next couple weeks since I don't need to worry about priming them quite yet, and my goal is to have the whole thing painted and ready for The Vintage here in NC in May. Hope I'm not writing a check I can't quite cash...
                    '86 325e Zinnoberrot /// '02 325ci Schwarz II /// '18 M4 Azurite Black Metallic ///

                    Albie325 Build Thread | Albie325 COTM Jan 2021

                    Comment


                      Having watched closely your work on this car so far, I am happy to read about your decision and can't wait to see you tackle the paintjob. Your thread is going to become the next all around guide for DIY guys. Props to you
                      '85 Alpine Weiß 2-door with m20b30 ground up build

                      Comment


                        Originally posted by gnmzl View Post
                        Having watched closely your work on this car so far, I am happy to read about your decision and can't wait to see you tackle the paintjob. Your thread is going to become the next all around guide for DIY guys. Props to you
                        I second that! Very well put!

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by Albie325 View Post
                          The car honestly isn't worth spending that much coin on paint and I can't afford that much right now anyway. I've gone over the car a few times and there's honestly minimal body work that needs to be done. I've spent the last couple weeks re-researching how to tackle a paint job myself and have decided that I'm up for the challenge! Judging by how well a few of the others on this forum have done with not much more experience than I have also helped my decision.
                          That's exactly why I painted mine myself.

                          Two bits of advice:

                          Buy good spraying equipment.
                          Make friends with your local paint supply company, they can offer you much better priced paints than I went with.

                          I spent too much on paint, and not enough on equipment.

                          That being said, If you do go with a PPG system, I may have extra clear you can use.
                          I do things.

                          Comment


                            Originally posted by Melon
                            Buy good spraying equipment.
                            Make friends with your local paint supply company, they can offer you much better priced paints than I went with.
                            Melon, you're basically who I was referencing, one other member recently repainted his vert and did a really nice job as well. I've gone back and reread through your thread a bunch of times here lately to make sure I have an idea of what I'm getting myself into. Hoping that Zinno will be slightly cheaper than feurorange . Hoping to sand and bodywork the car here in the colder months and get ready for primer/paint once the weather starts getting warm, I only have a space heater in the garage so don't want to paint with the weather below 60-70F.

                            I have a DeVilbiss Finish Line system (separate base/clear and primer guns) with a 30-gal compressor and I've already invested in some of the necessary tools (DA sander, hammer and dolly set, Dura Blocks, etc). As for paint, I'm deciding between PPG and Dupont Cromax, will all depend on pricing. I planned on getting in touch with you about the process once I get some prices.


                            Thanks for the kind words, guys. It's definitely going to be a big undertaking and a learning process for sure. Over the last 2 years and especially over the last month or so since finally deciding to really do this myself, I've probably got a few hundred hours worth of autobody, dent repair, paint, and buffing DIY videos and blogs under my belt. I hope to have some good content and a pointer or two along the way, hope I don't disappoint!


                            '86 325e Zinnoberrot /// '02 325ci Schwarz II /// '18 M4 Azurite Black Metallic ///

                            Albie325 Build Thread | Albie325 COTM Jan 2021

                            Comment


                              Weather is everything, I painted my car in the worst heat of Louisiana summer. Didn't effect the paint, but it was torture for me. 70° and dry is about perfect.

                              When I paint again, I'll invest in a quality turbine system. I was really impressed with the ease of use, and I have no use for a proper compressor, since all my tools are electric. Since you have one, roll with it.

                              Dent puller is an excellent idea. I still have a few small dents on my car I wish I had seen before I painted it. Sanding and prepwork isn't bad honestly, just time consuming. I did about 95% of mine with a Ridgid orbital sander. I only blocked and wetsanded the filler primer.

                              Just don't be too hard on yourself. I was almost in tears when I finished mine. The paint is meh up close, and if/when the time comes to sell it, I'll repaint it, at least shoot more clear on it for the best possible finish. But, I was sitting outside, rather forlorn, with my girlfriend for about two hours before I started removing the paper and all that stuff.

                              ​​​​​​Orange peel is fixable, but I have crap in the clear, sweat drips, it's too thin in areas. Jordan probably lays awake at night wondering what's wrong with me. But, the car looks good, and I learned a lot from my mistakes.

                              Fuereorange isn't expensive, just don't go waterbased PPG. Yowza, that shit ain't cheap.

                              I probably spent about $5,000 on paint and supplies. That includes SprayMax for smaller items (Suspension, engine bay, etc.) If I were to do it again, I could knock about $2,000 off of that, and that's with buying a $1,200 Turbine spraying system.
                              I do things.

                              Comment


                                Alright, I've finally got the Euro Smiley's installed and buttoned up. I made some plug and play adapters à la Jordan, and also wired the lows to come on with the highs internally within the fuse box, details below.

                                Started by installing all new adjusters and mounting cups:



                                And all new bulbs using the Osram Night Breaker Lasers:



                                In order to get the chrome trim rings to mount properly, I had to cut a small slit in them in order for them to fit into the little mounting tab on the light housing:







                                Finished with some Lamin-X covers to protect my investment:



                                All done and ready to mount:







                                Next I moved onto the wiring. I made some plug and play adapters so I wouldn't have to cut any of the original wires, was very easy and all worked nice and neat:





                                As has been documented countless places, the old sealed beam highs have only 2 wires leading into the connector (Power and ground, actually there are 3 wires, however 2 power wires are connected to the same pin), while the low-beams have 3 (Low beam power, high beam power, and ground).

                                High beams (Pins in the left and right positions, empty middle position):
                                • White/blue and white/violet = power
                                • Brown = ground



                                Low beams (Pins in all 3 positions):
                                • Yellow = low beam power
                                • White/Violet (Driver) and White/Blue (Passenger) = High beam power. Notice these wires are the same color as the high-beam power wires, since they all originate together from the high-beam relay output. This will be important later
                                • Brown = ground



                                The sealed beams are dual-filament, the euro ellipsoids are single filament. Having a low beam power and a high beam power to the lows is what allows the lows to remain on with the high beams on despite the unloader circuit within the fuse box relays (more on that later). The new high beam pigtails are self-explanatory, however you'll have to test the lows to see which power wire is the low power and which is the high power, you'll only need to make a pin for the low-power. Mine were both in the horizontal position, leave the others spot blank as you'll no longer use the high-power.



                                For the city lights, I wired them into the front side marker wires as I wont be using them anymore once I put the euro bumpers on. Instead of cutting the wires and splicing, I found these pin connectors that plug in perfectly with the existing connector. I bought these and all the other crimp terminals through TE Connectivity, I highly recommended, they have literally any kind of connector housing or spade/pin connector you can think of and all are OE quality.







                                All done:





                                All smiles here :



                                Now for the high/low wiring. A lot of people will just stop here, however with the stock US spec fuse box setup, installing the euros will cause the low beams to turn off when the high beams are activated, which isn't how it was before. The highs and lows should both go on with the high beams activated. This is due to the unloader circuit within the fuse box and is due to the dual filament bulbs in the old sealed beams.:



                                The keys here are K3 (high beam relay) and K4 (low beam relay). The pins based on the ETM diagram are as follows:

                                K3:
                                • Pin 30 = Power input, from C100 (Constant power in On or Run)
                                • Pin 85/86: Switched power, activates the relay power when the high beam switch is flipped on
                                • Pin 87: Power output (to the high beam bulbs)
                                • **Pin 87a**: A power gated switch with output to either Pin 30 on the low beam relay (K4) OR Pin 87. With the low beam switch on and high beams off, we see that pin 87a allows power from C101 and pin 30 on K3 to be transmitted to Pin 30 on K4 (the low beam relay). When the high beam switch is flipped on, 87a flips power from pin 30 on K4 to power pin 87, allowing the power to be transmitted to the high beam bulb. The lows STILL STAY ON however due to that extra third wire (White/blue or white/violet on the low beam plug) for the dual filament bulb which originates from the output of K3. With the new single filament euro bulbs, we have no connector for the white/(blue/violet) wires (the problem).
                                K4 (essentially the same layout as K3 and nearly all the other relays in the fuse box):
                                • Pin 30 = power, originates from pin 87a of K3
                                • Pin 85/86: switched power, activates the relay power when the low beam switch is flipped on
                                • Pin 87: Power output (to the low beam bulbs)
                                So the issue we have is that now when we flip the high beams on, the high-beam relay K3 pin 87a turns power OFF to the low beam relay K4 pin 30, and we no longer have the high-beam power wires (white/(blue/violet)) to the dual filament low beam. Therefore, our low beam lights turn off when the highs turn on. One way to fix this is to connect pin 30 on K4 to pin 30 on K3, allowing K4 to have constant power, it looks like this:



                                While this will work I don't like having exposed wiring within the fuse box, I think it's asking for trouble.

                                I did some investigating and found that Pin 87a of K3 is connected to Pin 30 of K4 using a simple dual quick connect splice wire within the fuse box itself. Before starting, disconnect the battery.





                                EDIT: The above pic has a typo. The green lettering should read C100.


                                In order to remove the unloader circuit from the K3->K4 connection from 87a to 30, remove the short section of wire connecting the two pins by sliding a paperclip or small pin along the side of the spade terminal and pull the wire out. There's a little tab that holds the spade connector into the fuse box.



                                Note that the allen head screw in the above pics mounts to to several different connectors which receive constant power with the key in On or Run, this includes C100:



                                Now make a new wire with one female spade terminal and one ring terminal:



                                Now unscrew the allen head screw (3mm allen) and put the ringed end on the screw along with C100 and the other constant power connectors and tighten the screw back up:



                                And connect the spade connector into the slot for K4 Pin 30:



                                This effectively connects C100 to Pin 30 of K4, giving constant power to K4 and allowing the lows to stay on full time independent of the K3 relay.

                                Put the fuse box back together, reconnect the battery, and let's see if it works:

                                City lights:



                                Lows:



                                And Highs:



                                Alright! All good, and nice and neat wiring. A couple things to note: yes, the city lights remain on throughout the park/low/high positions since they are wired into the front marker lights. I was initially concerned about this so naturally I checked with our resident expert Jordan since the euro wiring diagrams seem to be unavailable. The euro cars don't have side markers BUT have the same wires in their place. The front wires on the euro cars are wired into the city lights and connected in to the parking light circuit as I have done here. The rears are connected to (I believe) the rear fogs on the euro cars, but I may be mistaken about this. Therefore, the city lights are SUPPOSED to remain on at all times, even with the lows and highs on. Many people don't seem to like this and wire the city lights into separate switches within cabin to have control of the city lights to act as daytime running lights independent of the parking light switch, I decided against this although it wouldn't be that hard to do. Also, you'll notice that my fog lights remain on when the highs are on, they are supposed to turn off when the highs are on as apparently it is against the law to have fogs on with lows and highs both illuminated.

                                Here is a very detailed DIY on how to overcome this: http://users.rcn.com/nifftylion/head...=greatinternet

                                This document goes into WAY more detail as to why I had to wire things up the way I did. As for the fog light issue, fixing it involves wiring in an extra relay into the K9 position in the fuse box (intended for rear fog lights in euro cars, however left blank on US cars). It's not that hard to do, but I honestly don't care about having the fogs turn off with the high beams activated so I didn't bother.
                                Last edited by Albie325; 05-08-2020, 08:20 AM.
                                '86 325e Zinnoberrot /// '02 325ci Schwarz II /// '18 M4 Azurite Black Metallic ///

                                Albie325 Build Thread | Albie325 COTM Jan 2021

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