Labor of love from Australia - Malachtgrun convertible running restoration

[burkey001]

Looking good. So clean👌

[Tzantushka]

Looking good. So clean👌

Thanks Burkey.
Coming from the man that epitomises 'a clean E30' - it means a lot.

Speaking of clean...
In breaking news - sneak preview on taking paint correction to the next level:







More details to come!

New gear box mounts tomorrow and we are ready for a few day trips over the Easter holidays

[burkey001]

👌👌👌

[gnmzl]

So beautiful! Could have been used in a commercial video

[Tzantushka]

So beautiful! Could have been used in a commercial video

Thank you.
I think white and red are the typical convertible 'promo colors' but the more I look at Malachite Green - in the flesh and in these photos - the more I like it.

SPEAKING of photos...

Here’s the backstory on the above pics.
The E30 bodywork & paint was in very good condition for its age (had been repainted a few times earlier in its life).
The paint correction & DIY ceramic coating from 2020 held-up reasonably well, but had light scratches & marring in a number of places – especially around the front fenders when the head was getting fixed.

Rather than get in trouble from the family for spending a weekend ‘cleaning the car’ – I went to one of the best guys in Melbourne who I’ve used before (Dans Garage).
Dan spends 2-3 days working on each car like it was his own. The attention to detail and workmanship is amazing. One of the reasons why there is a ‘wait list’ months long for correction & coatings.

Next to having a brand-new paintjob – the results were absolutely fantastic and much more than I wanted.
That is, bring back the shine to the old girl, while providing longer-term protection from the elements & weekend use through the year.
The car has a few dings and rather than try and correct them with PDR I’m happy to celebrate the minor flaws and not stress about having everything concours perfect.

The pics speak for themselves, enjoy.












And some of the before and after photos that Dan documents along the way.

[burkey001]

oh man, so good. Those chrome bumpers...

[Tzantushka]

oh man, so good. Those chrome bumpers...

Easily distracted by bright shiny objects - right?!?!

...

Speaking of being distracted by shiny objects...
The overhead check panel was giving me the shits.
Some days the brake check light would randomly come on (bulbs are fine).
Other days the rear lights and license plate light would come on (even if it was switched off & bulbs are fine)

It was working fine for a few years and only recently started playing up.
Checked all the bulb holders + bulb holder connectors and they were tight & corrosion free.
So likely it's a module or earth issue.


With the convertible you can reach the earth point on the LHS under the rear seat.





Cleaned up the ground eyelet with the pencil rubber trick & applied some electrical conductive grease - clean & tight.

I had to adjust the LH rear window to stop it binding on the door glass.
Good opportunity to remove the LH rear trim card and have a look at the check module - this fella...

.

Carefully opened-up the cover and checked all the reed switch coils.
All good, no cracked solder joints, tests OK.

Put it back together, lo and behold - no random check lights.
Thankfully that was a quick & easy fix.
Working fine for a week!

[e30davie]

That paint work looks brilliant. very nice.

I need to do check panel fix also, maybe this weekend..

[Albie325]

Paint came out great, one of the most unique colors I've seen and really suits the car well. Glad the dash swap went well, really completes the car. I did the same with all the windshield washer components and hoses, but I haven't had the heart to use the sprayers yet! I'd rather just wait and wash the windshield by hand when I get home. OCD fo sho

[Tzantushka]

Paint came out great, one of the most unique colors I've seen and really suits the car well. Glad the dash swap went well, really completes the car. I did the same with all the windshield washer components and hoses, but I haven't had the heart to use the sprayers yet! I'd rather just wait and wash the windshield by hand when I get home. OCD fo sho

Cheaper than aa paint job...
And nothing wrong with OCD!


In the meantime, it's winter in here (July) so not much E30 action.
Small fiddly tasks are the only highlights.

The washer reservoir cap was original and was starting to break apart.
Have seen the replacement BMW part which is a black one, also seen blue versions as well.

Rather than have the cap become the focus of the engine bay...
Came across this Mercedes item.



Part number A1638690508
(W163 M-Class)

It's a similar colour & shape to the 34 y.o. original, cheap, widely available and fits perfectly.





Good to share these small finds!

[moatilliatta]

This is excellence! I hate the new black caps! Good find, always enjoy the updates! :)

[DEV0 E30]

Beautiful car. Malachite Green is honestly one of my faves but it's so rare to see.

Really dig that Mercedes find too. Usually oem ones on Arizona cars are long gone and broken.

[Tzantushka]

Nothing major to report with the car - have been driving it weekly while waiting for spring and summer to finally arrive.
It's been wet, really wet, so not great vert weather

Finally saved enough pennies to upgrade the radio.
From this:



To this:



Works a treat but a little bit of screwing around to make it work.

Firstly, I have a (half) premium sound system, no amplifier, the fader in the dash, so tweeters in the doors with the head unit powering the speakers directly.
Many of the wiring diagrams and how-to on the web didn't apply.
So had to run a new ground to the LH & RH front speakers and re-purpose the existing LH and RH common ground for the left & right rear speakers.
Ditched the fader, followed the Blaupunkt wiring diagrams and everything was fine.

We have digital radio here, so ended up using an active aerial splitter (12V powered) to avoid using the DAB stick-on antenna.
Works ok, but not as good as a dedicated multidirectional antenna.

Our son loves the remote from the back seat and the convenience of Bluetooth streaming is great.
Having a head unit with more power and dedicated 4x channels is fantastic.

[Tzantushka]

This weekend was pretty kind and was able to sneak in some top down errands before thunderstorms...

[Tzantushka]

And finally a decent summer weekend arrived.
Blue sky with a few fluffy clouds, 86F // 30C - perfect time to take the family up a 3hr drive into regional Victoria and back.

Just great when you can turn the key & go.
Although did have a pesky bulb out check light come on - with no bulb out...



Had to put the roof up and A/C on as it was actually getting a bit warm in the sun coming home on the freeway.
(must be getting soft & appreciate the create comforts of working A/C)