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JackBenny's 1991 318is Project

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    Barn Update Dos

    So the second trip to the barn was the past weekend. Unfortunately, for those that want to see progress, you will be disappointed as all the pictures I took look suspiciously like the ones I took from the 1st trip. That's right there was more primer, sanding, primer, sanding, primer...you get the idea.

    The good news is that the car received it's final sealing and looks pretty darn good. This means that when I go back on labor day, all the doors, the hood, the trunk and the sunroof will get blown off. We will prime and paint the engine bay, jambs and the trunk. And hopefully we will get all the final sanding finished so that the final trip in October will be final color and clear. No one is more anxious than I as the motor is getting closer to being finished and I really want to drop it in to see the stance of this car. But first, the pictures.

    The car was exactly as we left it except for the introduction of a few cobwebs. We got up early on saturday...well dad did, I didn't get up until 8:00.









    I sat and looked at my front wheel for quite a while trying to figure out what to do. As it is right now, i am running M3 aluminum control arms with treehouse CAB's and vorshlag camber caster plates. The wheel is awfully far forward but with a great deal of caster. The only problem is that I'm hitting the front when turning the wheel. For now I have removed the air duct plastic pieces that attach to the inner liner and the problem seems to have disappeared. I am open to suggestions short of getting smaller tires.



    Of course lower would help the situation as well...

    I have been focusing the majority of my attention on that stupid rear valance. There was a ridiculous amount of bondo on it from its previous accident and I have tried straightening the panel as best I could. I'm never going to get there but that hasn't stopped me from trying.





    I wonder where that cart was made?





    I hated laying on the ground and eventually I would force the reigns into someone elses hands.



    Elsewhere on the car, the minor dents and dings were being addressed.





    At this point, I had so much dust in my lungs I wonder why I even bothered with the respirator.



    The hood was a source of much frustration.





    As was the front fender.



    But the rear of the car was the worst.











    INTERLUDE

    You no doubt remember my uncle's AMX. This weekend he elected to drive the "other" vehicle as he had to pick up some wood from my grandfather. This Jeep J10 has been in the family for 30+ years and has undergone 2 restorations. He's thinking about a third repaint but I think it's just fine the way it is. For Jeep-o-philes it has the 258ci 6 with clifford intake, header and cams. It sounds pretty tough for a jeep six.







    BACK TO THE SHOW

    The sanding continued until about 7:00 where beer was introduced and motivation subsided. Early the next morning we cleaned the car and started masking.



    We also elected to remove the front valance so we could do a better job of working on it.













    Masking completed...





    And the same procedure as before, primer and sealer. You'll recall we had some issues with the K36 sealer last time. This time it went on nicely for the most part, just one issue on the hood that we were able to fix.





















    For the most part, the car is pretty darn straight. We missed a couple of spots but we will get them on the next trip.







    I worked a little on the engine but nothing really important to post. The engine will be completed and transported to the barn for the next trip so I've got a little over a month to finish that.

    And that was it for this past weekend. Enjoy!
    -Josh

    Check out my build thread...
    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131055

    Need parts? Support the community!


    http://www.gutenparts.com

    http://www.blunttech.com

    Comment


      Great progress Josh! Me and my friend that does bodywork are in the middle of doing the same thing to member Alecs MacDonalds '87 325. We have some pretty major previous accident damage to repair on the left rear quarter panel, but as soon as that is done we will be ready to spray a few coats of Evercoat Fiberfill G2 polyester primer-hopefully that will happen this weekend.

      I was wondering-any reason why you haven't removed the front and rear windshields? They are very easy to remove and reinstall and you would have less chance of a tape line when you painted the car.

      I know exactly how time consuming and tiring this work is, so my hat's off to you. Can't wait to see the next update!
      Eric Giles
      '20 M2 CS
      '04 M3
      '11 X5 35D
      '87 325is
      '91 325i Sport

      There are few things more expensive than a cheap BMW...

      Comment


        Originally posted by Eric Giles View Post
        Great progress Josh! Me and my friend that does bodywork are in the middle of doing the same thing to member Alecs MacDonalds '87 325. We have some pretty major previous accident damage to repair on the left rear quarter panel, but as soon as that is done we will be ready to spray a few coats of Evercoat Fiberfill G2 polyester primer-hopefully that will happen this weekend.

        I was wondering-any reason why you haven't removed the front and rear windshields? They are very easy to remove and reinstall and you would have less chance of a tape line when you painted the car.

        I know exactly how time consuming and tiring this work is, so my hat's off to you. Can't wait to see the next update!
        You're absolutely right Eric about the glass. Fortunately we have at least one more coat of DP50 primer to put on. So in addition to the removal of doors, hood, etc, all the glass will get removed as well. you'll note that the lower rocker panels haven't been primed either. That will all be done this next trip.

        I'm pretty pleased with PPG's products so far. The DP50 and K36 sand awfully nice and go down pretty well. Nice and level. We've been using Evercoats filler products and I would have to say I'm pleased with them as well, especially the light filler. Sadly, I am dreading the next visit to the paint store as I will be buying the paint.

        My uncle told me how much he spent to have the bodywork and paint done on his jeep back in the mid nineties. I think I've spent that much in materials alone so far! I guess you can't go back.
        -Josh

        Check out my build thread...
        http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131055

        Need parts? Support the community!


        http://www.gutenparts.com

        http://www.blunttech.com

        Comment


          Lookin great! Keep up the good work.

          I just picked up a project car ('91 318i) that I'll be taking on this same endeavor soon enough. I'm trying to convince myself that it's as easy and effortless as pictures make it look for the time being. :D
          sigpic

          1991 318i Sedan Project

          Comment


            Josh, it looks great. I know exactly how you feel as I have gone through the same process. I had to repair damage from an accident which involved replacing a fender, the hood and the front valence. I also had to do a tiny bit of straightening to the core support. The primer, sanding, body work, sanding, primer, sanding, sanding, sanding shit gets old as hell. But you should start to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

            Keep it up, you're almost there!

            Comment


              How is this project coming?

              Any updates?

              Comment


                Originally posted by constructor View Post
                How is this project coming?

                Any updates?
                Motor work was done this weekend. Installed the flywheel, clutch and put the transmission back on the engine after taking it off the stand. The wife and I will build a cradle so we can transport it to the barn on Labor Day weekend. I'll get some pictures up later this week.

                Paint still needs to be purchased. My bank account is dreading it.

                Can't wait to get the engine in the car though. I'm dying to see what it looks like with weight on the front.
                -Josh

                Check out my build thread...
                http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131055

                Need parts? Support the community!


                http://www.gutenparts.com

                http://www.blunttech.com

                Comment


                  Just read through this thread -- great job, Josh! My track car project has been running on for about 3 years as well, so I totally sympathize with you wanting to finally drive the car.

                  Not to stir the hornet's nest, but here is a pic of my friend Jenny Morgan's car (of Roundel fame), in Inka Orange. It may not be what you want, but I think it looks really nice, unique, and not at all out of place on an E30.

                  Keep up the good work! :up:

                  Alex
                  Attached Files

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by flipper325es View Post
                    Just read through this thread -- great job, Josh! My track car project has been running on for about 3 years as well, so I totally sympathize with you wanting to finally drive the car.

                    Not to stir the hornet's nest, but here is a pic of my friend Jenny Morgan's car (of Roundel fame), in Inka Orange. It may not be what you want, but I think it looks really nice, unique, and not at all out of place on an E30.

                    Keep up the good work! :up:

                    Alex
                    Truth be told, I may have found a way to satisfy the craving for orange. There's an E21 down in the town south of me that I have passed for the past six weeks on my way to church. It's a 1983 320i resprayed in what it claims is inca orange though I thought all e21's of that year were phoenix orange. It's in pretty decent shape but the seller has flaked on me so much that I'm beginning to lose interest. I swear if he would stop making excuses and allow me to look in the car and test drive it, I'd probably buy it assuming no issues. It'd make a nice daily and there wouldn't be many mods to get it to a state the wife and I would like. Strangely, she was the one who urged me to go and look at it.

                    Of course, building up that M42 sitting in the garage might be fun to stuff in it. ;)

                    I'll give him this weekend and then I'll walk.

                    With regards to this project, I know I've been talking about posting the engine pictures so I am going to try and get those uploaded this weekend and give another update before the labor day festivities.
                    -Josh

                    Check out my build thread...
                    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131055

                    Need parts? Support the community!


                    http://www.gutenparts.com

                    http://www.blunttech.com

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by flipper325es View Post
                      Just read through this thread -- great job, Josh! My track car project has been running on for about 3 years as well, so I totally sympathize with you wanting to finally drive the car.

                      Not to stir the hornet's nest, but here is a pic of my friend Jenny Morgan's car (of Roundel fame), in Inka Orange. It may not be what you want, but I think it looks really nice, unique, and not at all out of place on an E30.

                      Keep up the good work! :up:

                      Alex
                      Inkabeast! I have some old 4x6's of that car from gateway tech in '00 or so that I need to send to her.

                      Comment


                        So this will be the last update before the next trip to the barn this labor day. That's going to be a busy weekend what with all the parts I'll be bringing. The biggest thing that has occurred is that the engine is finally off the stand and has been reunited with its zf transmission.





                        Word to the wise: Don't use the hoist with the intake manifold in place. Now I'm sure you can in reality but the chain put a lot of pressure on the fuel rail for me. Nothing was damaged but that doesn't mean I would do it that way again.

                        I elected to go with a lightweight flywheel and clutch combination from UUC. Yes, I know JB Racing makes a similar setup and I have a JB flywheel on the old M42. I had a nice chat with Rob and he promptly shipped out his flywheel and M5 clutch set up. I was pleased with what I received.







                        Installation was pretty straight-forward although my Bentley is falling apart at the seams now. Either that means I'm using it the right amount or the binding is exceptionally cheap. I'll probably put it in a 3-ring binder at some point.

                        Flywheel on the engine:







                        And now the clutch...





                        The wife was kind enough to help me by holding the clutch alignment tool while I positioned the pressure plate. I torqued down the bolts except for the last one...because I managed to strip the socket head. Angered and annoyed, I took a deep breath, grabbed my phone and keys and we both headed to the home improvement store to see if we could find a replacement. Luckily, I did and I replaced all the pressure plate bolts with new shiny pieces.







                        Rotated the engine to make sure everything wasn't hitting anything and then proceeded to install the transmission.

                        Now, I'm not going to bore you with the details of the transmission installation. I will say that the wife assisted me and it took 2 hours. Why we struggled, I couldn't tell you. The important thing is that we didn't kill each other because it got a little heated out there. If someone is helping you by installing the bolts while you hold the transmission, I urge you to talk about a coherent system of instructions to speak while aligning the transmission. "Turn it" is not sufficient. ;)





                        I elected to clean up the 318is transmission brace and give it a new coat of paint. Given its grimy condition, this is a vast improvement.





                        I'm going to try the UUC Red Mounts and see how they do...



                        The next step was to make a dolly to allow the engine to roll around and more importantly, fit in the truck. The engine is just the right length to fit in the truck sideways. This will leave enough room to add the engine hoist when I bring it to the barn. That created some unique design challenges as the engine had to be high enough to clear the wheel-wells in the bed. We also spaced out the casters so they will fit right into the grooves of the bed liner in the truck. It's not pretty, but it's sufficient and should be strong enough.

                        Under construction....



                        And finished:





                        The large plastic tub is now filled to the brim with all the parts required for installation so that will come with us to the barn.

                        Earlier, I mentioned that I looked at an E21 just south of me. Sadly, the seller was a complete flake and pissed me off to no end. He was unwilling to schedule a test drive and after a week of waiting for him to call back for his availability, he kindly informed us after my wife started putting pressure on him that there was someone else interested and if they backed out he would call us. Had he been up front I would have been less annoyed. The wife though fell in love with the car so this has been difficult for her. I did take some pictures though.



                        Fresh repaint but it was done cheaply. The car was masked but you can see overspray on the trim and parts where the paint didn't quite make it. There was some spiderwebbing on the passenger door which leads me to think there was some excess filler applied improperly. Regardless, it would make a nice daily.







                        Undeterred we both decided we would keep our eyes out for another E21 and if it came around, we would consider it. Of course she wants orange or black or blue or yellow or light green, off the wall colors. Myself, I want to build up the M42 in my garage and stuff that under the hood. Yes, I know it's an E21 but there is something about the styling we both like. So if you know of one that might work, feel free to point us in its direction. We might be interested.

                        That's it for now. The M42 is on the engine stand after a long afternoon. For now, I think I'm going to relax and watch some tv.

                        Til next time...
                        -Josh

                        Check out my build thread...
                        http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131055

                        Need parts? Support the community!


                        http://www.gutenparts.com

                        http://www.blunttech.com

                        Comment


                          Any chance you're selling that JB flywheel for the M42 motor?? :D

                          Looking forward to the pictures after your next barn visit!
                          sigpic

                          1991 318i Sedan Project

                          Comment


                            Originally posted by s_ribs View Post
                            Any chance you're selling that JB flywheel for the M42 motor?? :D

                            Looking forward to the pictures after your next barn visit!
                            Depends on how the search for an E21 goes. ;)
                            -Josh

                            Check out my build thread...
                            http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131055

                            Need parts? Support the community!


                            http://www.gutenparts.com

                            http://www.blunttech.com

                            Comment


                              I hope you do find one! I hear E21's with an M42 are quite fun and quick.

                              If you sell the flywheel later on shoot me a message.
                              sigpic

                              1991 318i Sedan Project

                              Comment


                                I have a solution for that rear valence...


                                *ahem*mtech2kit*ahem*


                                Awesome work,
                                Julien
                                Build Threads:
                                Pamela/Bella/Betty/325ix/5-Lug Seta/S60R/Miata ITB/Miata Turbo/Miata VVT/951/325xi-6

                                Comment

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