Project finished - 'MY22' 318is - bare metal, nut and bolt restoration

[Pootis]

Love getting updates on this build

[wworm]

that interiors gonna be fantastic. Where are you ordering your fabric from? I've been looking at samples from maharam but they're mostly for interiors so I'm concerned with durability...

[burkey001]

that interiors gonna be fantastic. Where are you ordering your fabric from? I've been looking at samples from maharam but they're mostly for interiors so I'm concerned with durability...

Hey dude,

You're correct, the main limitation of residential upholstery is that MOST of it is not colourfast. The fabric I am going to use falls into exactly this category and I am rolling the dice a little bit. It WILL fade, and probably unevenly, but this car isn't a daily and wont be parked outside so I'm going to live with it.

Durability is not your worry, really, its lightfastness. Amazingly companies like Sumbrella (yes the outdoor furniture company) have some seriously nice looking fabric that IS lightfast as its indoor/outdoor rated. Just got to search and get samples galore...

You could reduce the impact by having UV tinted glass and using a sun shade when parked.

Re vendors, Maharam and Kvradat (sp?) have some great stuff. I have a few hundred samples from around the world, after everything I came across a remnant of this fabric in a shop. Out of production for a few years and I kind of don't really have enough, but I think we can make it work... just use more leather.

Speaking of leather, has been an educating process. SO many different grades and qualities of leather. Have picked Copenhagen from Spinneybeck. This is a full aniline, untreated, uncorrected hide, so again, it's going to change and mark and darken over time. Bit of a gamble, but given the intended usage I think it's a managed risk. The way this leather feels, compared to other SPinneybeck products, let alone something from say Relicate or even OEM BMW leather.... no comparison. So luxury :)

[wworm]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips.

Oh man your car really is going to be a joy to sit in, let alone drive lol.

[TeXJ]

so clean!

[burkey001]

Hi,

Have begun with wiring, specifically remarking it and making it a little nicer.

The factory wiring is OK, guess it works and such. You can’t buy a new loom. SO, when doing a car like you begin to pull the OEM harness apart and take a look at what you’ve got.

And what you’ve got is basically 30 year old brittle copper and even brittler PVC. Stuff is not flexible, when you try and straighten it the insulation can crack. Around the plugs the insulation is cracked and the copper is starting to (already quite) oxidised. And the plugs crumble like a crumbly thing…
Lucky, you can get new plugs.

But, the rest, well you kinda have to take it back to the fuse box and redo it.
This needs HEAPS of documentation cos you don’t really want to cock it up…
I am using Raychem spec 44 wiring here, and it’s all white, even more need for excellent documentation…

First on paper


Then a few double checks and into excel and vision






I think I’ve shown these before, but I am using these little Tyton Hellerman cable standoffs, secured by4mm rivut into the OEM Christmas tree hole.
Heaps tidier and keep the cabling off the body, so no rubbing. And no Christmas tree clips to rub either
Here is a sample, as I’m checking how its all working

Same in the front, as we carry the light and AC loom over the driver side
Little rivnuts… love them


And, it’s not a cable tie unless its Thomas and Betts



So, onto the wiring itself. Once all cables are known and verified, time to cut them the board and redo them… bit of fiddling about needed…

Always helps to have something like this handy… sanity checker


I also stick a little bit of the original colour onto the end of the cable too, so I can cross reference the OEM colours during assembling & adding new plugs



Yes, I am not concentric winding this… yet….probably an oversight and I should just man up and do it. None of this is in the end state, it’s just to get it semi assembled so I can sanity check a few things and then move on.



I should go do that HPA wiring course on motorsport wiring.

cya

[burkey001]

Have been able to spend a bit more time on car today. Happy days. Had some new parts arrive from uncle schmiedmann.

Finally got a parallel flow condenser, so set to get that installed with all new matching bits



I trawl realoem and basically ‘add all to cart’ I’d never seen this bit before on an E30. Directs flow through the rad (novel idea…) and includes some little rubber flaps to guide airflow. Nice



Radiator ‘air flow seals’


Also got a new rad and matching bits.





New water valve for heater box came in too… backorder


Air guide fits in pretty neat


New rad and shroud


Am I the only one who ‘flames’ plastic with a blowtorch is the finish isn’t quite right? Some of these ‘new’ bits come out of very OLD injection moulds. Marks galore on occasion. Sand that stuff out, hit it with the torch… all shiny again ��





Aaaand back onto the wiring harness. Steady progress figuring out my branch points, earth runs, groupings and such.. coming together OK.

It’s a bummer you cant buy the plug, you need to buy these pre-termed leads. Works OK I guess. But means I need an extra step to terminate and shrink the fly leads… as you cant slide tube over the plugs,… ways and means to overcome have been made




Bit of a play with placement





Had to phone a friend to get some pics of their standard e30 in this area.. wanted to recall what the aircon line looks like. Thanks crew ��




Starting to pull a few things through and see where it lands


And pairing the earths with the powers to the plug ends.



Starting to look like something


This is not the final shrink, consider this a dry run




And this was the end of the day


Cya
burkey

[Tzantushka]

Great progress.

Question on the OE connector housings...
- where did you get them from?

As when I just look at mine they crumble.
Our climate is not ideal for decades old Euro plastics

[Melon]

Really learn a lot from guys like yourself and Jordan. thanks for taking the time to post pics.

[lukeADE335i]

Great work there Burkey! Good to follow the progress on it.

I've never seen an e30 with the proper seals to direct air through the condenser like that either! The modern BMWs all have some sort of seals around the AC condenser to force the air through to the radiator.

On real OEM did that part seem to be unique to the 318iS?

[burkey001]

Great work there Burkey! Good to follow the progress on it.

I've never seen an e30 with the proper seals to direct air through the condenser like that either! The modern BMWs all have some sort of seals around the AC condenser to force the air through to the radiator.

On real OEM did that part seem to be unique to the 318iS?

Hey, thats a real good question Luke. TBH I dont know. I've had a few E30, even ones that looked really original, and I've never seen it. Maybe it's a euro thing for the AF92 chassis code.

Really learn a lot from guys like yourself and Jordan. thanks for taking the time to post pics.

Most welcome, hopefully mine runs like yours soon

Great progress.

Question on the OE connector housings...
- where did you get them from?

As when I just look at mine they crumble.
Our climate is not ideal for decades old Euro plastics

You know you can order the plugs from anywhere that sells / can order BMW bits. the part number is actually on the back of the plug. The "1 378 402" for example. Just add "61 13" to the front and you have the full part number for an engine bay plug.


i.e 61-13-1-378-410


tada - https://www.schmiedmann.com/en/catn-...1-13-1-378-410



love me some uncle schmiedmann. I reckon I will make their Christmas card list this year ;)

[MR E30 325is]

I have to thank Melon for posting your thread in another thread.

This is fantastic. I've only seen this level of detail on two other occasions. I am speechless.

[Tzantushka]

You know you can order the plugs from anywhere that sells / can order BMW bits. the part number is actually on the back of the plug. The "1 378 402" for example. Just add "61 13" to the front and you have the full part number for an engine bay plug.

Awesome.
And thanks for sharing. There are hours of work photographing and posting - let alone doing the actual work.
The community says 'thanks'.

[burkey001]

random piece of news, the shop that painted the car took out Grandmaster at motorex this year. Kinda cool

The guy who's going to trim the car did the interior in the above car too.

So, hoping for a nice trim job! :)

[burkey001]

Awesome.
And thanks for sharing. There are hours of work photographing and posting - let alone doing the actual work.
The community says 'thanks'.

I have to thank Melon for posting your thread in another thread.

This is fantastic. I've only seen this level of detail on two other occasions. I am speechless.

You're more than welcome. Everyone loves taking pics of their stuff when it's shiny and new. The build thread is as much for my memories as everyone else :)


Car is not even close to being done, so rest assured much more to come.