My Hoopte30 Project Attempt #6 - the painless way to earn cash back every day

[AWDBOB]

I'm in for m30 e30m. It would take some suspension tuning, but I expect it'll be the setup that you've been looking for.

Some day I'll live out my big 6 single cam dreams!


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I spent '24 mostly ignoring Hooptie after having the header built. I am hoping to start '25 off on the right foot, so I tried to tie up some loose ends tonight.

I bought new quarter window seals but the headliner started to disintegrate upon removal of the old seals, so they stayed in.

I bought that mini sub that goes behind the drivers rear door card and ran an RCA for it, but realized that the class d inside of my new head unit won't run the sub and thus I'll need an additional monoblock to run it in addition to it's own speaker lead. Ordered an NVC VADM1 compact amp that I can hopefully fit where the airbag module sits on 90+ cars to avoid pulling the interior apart again.


While visiting family over Christmas I retrieved the rear M3 seat I bought for hooptie. I need to figure out a center belt receptacle solution since the buckle clips are centered, but until then I can flex on internet people with my rear center arm rest.

I had seat assembly on my mind, so I finally pulled apart hoopties driver seat to replace the side hinges for a set with good tabs. So glad this is fixed.

The pop out latches exploded recently so I bought the billet latch repair kit. I exploded all of my 1/8" allen sockets trying to flare the pins, got some freshies today and added some grease on the pins and got them flared without casualty.

It's hilarious that hoopty has a billet door handle and billet pop out latches.

Things I still need to do for optimal hooptying:

-Convert to Jake's standalone
-A/B dyno with the header vs stock exhaust
-Redo the exhaust so it sits under the factory heat shields for more ground clearance
-Figure out why the fancy r134 A/C system stopped working last year
-Install updated curved blade aux fan and wire on high speed

I honestly wish I just had a stock motor and exhaust in the car at this point as I just want to drive it without the extra complications of the current setup, but alas.

Happy new year r3v!

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

[KI4UJO]

I'm in for m30 e30m. It would take some suspension tuning, but I expect it'll be the setup that you've been looking for.

[AWDBOB]

My goodness this was a lot of work for a transmission #nopartsleftbehind

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

[AWDBOB]

Its old school cool, but not top of the list. M30 is 15 more lbs than m50?

Might was well get an Audi and disconnect the FWD..

Agreed- m30 definitely scratches an old school german hot rod itch. Not sure weight wise, only basing that off of how the m30 car felt. The only 24v car I've driven that I liked was that early polaris S50 sedan I owned a few years ago which had a nice powerband and didn't feel nose heavy like the m30 car felt. I drove my buddies well done m52b28 car back to back with hoopties OG m20 and the m20 felt superior in all the ways

Id love to drive a big 6 car that felt more nimble. M30b35 with a bit more compression and a light flywheel, plus ITBs I bet would change the mood. Aka m88/s38.

M30b35 just felt heavy/numb and didn’t feel lively enough to justify the weight.

On my blk e30 m3 m88/3 is at 320hp. I have a lot fun with it in the curvy turns. I don’t regret doing the swap 26 years ago. I have had Alpina’s e21 and e30 B6 2.8 they were fun drive. The Alpina suspension was weak for turns. I’m doing a s38 turbo e30 m3. I trying to lighten it up in front with aluminum control arms, Mason x brace aluminum and carbon fiber hood that weighs 11lbs. Every thing on back of e30 is steel.

If we lived closer I would give a ride in the black m3 and probably let you drive it.

I'd love a ride in an m88 swapped car! I'm sure if done well it feels copacetic. The M30b35 swapped car I drove was nice, but was on an off the shelf Bilstein/H&R combo. Wonder how the car would've felt on GCs with some extra spring rate up front.

Have any brilliantrot side mirrors in that storage?

Unlikely- 97.6% of mirrors from parts cars need paint. I'm pretty sure I have a set of nice henna mirrors from an early m3, but nothing brilliantrot that wouldn't need to be resprayed

[Mike36]

Got a spot for engines, heater boxes, carpet etc etc, the ole barn is coming along!

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

Have any brilliantrot side mirrors in that storage?

[e30m3s54turbo]

Agreed- I have been looking for a long time. Any time I want to do anything M30/S38 related, finding a transmission always holds me back. The ones that pop up for sale the most are the 83-84 5/6 series g260/5 that are considered "weak". $500 for a g265 would be nice from your friend!




Heavyweight champ

I finally drove a well set up M30 swapped E30 last year and it killed my M30 dreams. The car felt so odd with that much weight over the nose- I was not a fan.

On my blk e30 m3 m88/3 is at 320hp. I have a lot fun with it in the curvy turns. I don’t regret doing the swap 26 years ago. I have had Alpina’s e21 and e30 B6 2.8 they were fun drive. The Alpina suspension was weak for turns. I’m doing a s38 turbo e30 m3. I trying to lighten it up in front with aluminum control arms, Mason x brace aluminum and carbon fiber hood that weighs 11lbs. Every thing on back of e30 is steel.

If we lived closer I would give a ride in the black m3 and probably let you drive it.

[moatilliatta]

Its old school cool, but not top of the list. M30 is 15 more lbs than m50?

Might was well get an Audi and disconnect the FWD..

[AWDBOB]

Lucky to find a e34 with 5 speed. I been searching for one or two five speeds for my projects. I might get lucky to find a $500 265-6 from a friend. I found two tranny’s for 2k each.

Agreed- I have been looking for a long time. Any time I want to do anything M30/S38 related, finding a transmission always holds me back. The ones that pop up for sale the most are the 83-84 5/6 series g260/5 that are considered "weak". $500 for a g265 would be nice from your friend!

M30 e30m?

Heavyweight champ

I finally drove a well set up M30 swapped E30 last year and it killed my M30 dreams. The car felt so odd with that much weight over the nose- I was not a fan.

[moatilliatta]

M30 e30m?

[e30m3s54turbo]

Lucky to find a e34 with 5 speed. I been searching for one or two five speeds for my projects. I might get lucky to find a $500 265-6 from a friend. I found two tranny’s for 2k each.

[AWDBOB]

Been quietly looking for ages for a cheap manual 535 e34 parts car and one finally popped up. Dude even delivered it!

It'll get parted but I'm keeping the transmission for the m30 swap i've been talking about doing for 10yrs that'll happen in another 10 if i'm lucky

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr

[e30austin]

Someone on r3v fb told me that the easiest way to get to the brake lines is via the top of the car, so i'm hoping there's enough metal left over for the truck bed

i mean, they aren't wrong. really easy way to change the rotted fuel hoses atop the fuel tank, too. winner winner, chicken dinner

[AWDBOB]

can you cut the back off and make it a pickup while you're there?

Someone on r3v fb told me that the easiest way to get to the brake lines is via the top of the car, so i'm hoping there's enough metal left over for the truck bed

[e30austin]

can you cut the back off and make it a pickup while you're there?

[AWDBOB]

nice job, brother. better go find a nice open lot to go christen your new beater in.

Stepping on the brakes resulted in a puddle- all of the hard lines above the rear subframe are rotten. Brake line stuff should be here this weekend, so the christening is not far off!!

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I've been scouring marketplace for a 1UP rack for hoopties hitch project and a pre rear ended black super duty two bike 1UP popped up for a solid $750 discount over new, so naturally, I obliged. Insurance covered a new rack for them, so they let this go cheap. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as what I expected. If ya know, ya know. 1UP stuff retains value well and they typically sell as soon as they're posted, so this was a great score.

Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr