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

[AWDBOB]

This hoopte is best hoopte. Vintage Ready?

this hoopte is best hoopte indeed!!!

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Man, what a whirlwind the past few weeks have been. By some miracle, hooptie v2 made it to vintage in its newly refined state.
The big mechanical changes were:

-New rubber subframe and trailing arm bushings
-14.5mm E30M3/iX Rear Sway
-GC Street Front Camber Plates
-Suspension Techniques Front Swaybar
-9.4:1 2.7L Stroker M20
-Big bore throttle body using m30 throttle plate
-Rebuilt green top m50 injectors
-full sanden r134 conversion
-S3.46 diff
-Ansa Sport catback
-My old filled/drilled E38 style 5s with 615k+ tires for proper canyon adhesion

The big interior changes were:
-kilmat in almost the whole car
-Nice dash install, snuck some nice a pillar trims in there too
-Houndstooth cards
-Low mile premium sound
-put odometer gears in the cluster finally

Man the car feels like a million bucks. Such an improvement over before. The new 2.7 feels like the engine that all of these cars should've gotten. It just feels like a beefy m20b25, runs perfectly smooth, pulls very strong. My butt dyno guess is 168whp, but my calibration is off from the diff change. The 3.46 is too long of a ratio for canyon driving (3.73 would be perfect), but since the car is a daily now that it's done, i'll leave the 3.46 in so i can stack the miles on it.

The change in camber plates and rubber bushings softened the car up perfectly without losing anything I am concerned about. I kept the front of the car raised up a bit for cruise-ability. Looks goofy in photos but drives incredibly well and I can still get a jack under the front of it.

I had 10 miles on the new engine when I had to leave for NC. My last FCP order showed up the night before I had to leave. Somehow, the car didn't miss a beat. I changed the second round of break in oil out in a parking lot in hot springs. The car got 26-27mpgs almost the whole trip with a mix of highway and canyon driving, with the worst fill up being 23mpgs after some hefty canyon runs.

I stayed with a hell of a crew, and we had nothing short of a blast. Was so great to see everyone. Jake took down bluepty, his turbo'd '89 325i, and Simple_Smith took his beautiful jap MT2 320i that he's not afraid to drive. Corey is also a killer canyon run planner, and led us on some incredible drives.

I took my camera down and got a few shots of the hootpies and the MT2 at the "Devils Courthouse".

This shot was taken a day before I had to leave for the Vintage. With hooptie still unfinished, I had to drive up to Michigan to pick up a parts car from Tyler, who purchased Linda, as it had the rear two E38 wheels on it that I needed to drive Hooptie down to NC. Was good to catch up with him! On my way back, the E30 parts car accidentally started a pop up car meet at a gas station. An E36M3 rolled up, an Evo, a TDI and two sport bikes stopped to chat.


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The caravan down was interesting, as we hit over 2hrs of traffic on 75S. Great way to break in a new engine. Only a few of us ended up in the caravan down.

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Discussing all things hoopty

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[moatilliatta]

This hoopte is best hoopte. Vintage Ready?

[AWDBOB]

I am detecting increased levels of send it

good stuff!

levels of send are way up, levels of concern are way down

i will undoubtedly be humbled by the above combination in short order

[kronus]

I am detecting increased levels of send it

good stuff!

[AWDBOB]

making great progress! motivation is on point !

the difference between each dash is amazing lol

keep it up bob , almost there !

Thanks man, trying to push to the finish line that will be enjoying the car.

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Unfortunately, I missed the dyno session at Jake's on Friday. I got the car road worthy just before midnight the night before, and on the midnight test drive with no interior I had some crazy suspension noises, on top of other "new engine problems", so I called it there and committed to finishing the car as intended before vintage.

I pulled some 90+ HVAC hoses from a parts car for under the dash while the dash was out so that I could count on the hoses being r134 rated and got them installed, as well as the new to me heater valve and heater core (expansion valve and orings were already r134 pieces).

I was no longer rushing to get to the dyno, so I decided to pull the trigger and install the sound deadening I had for the car and install the interior to a higher level than I previously thought I'd have time for. Granted, I did this quick because the car is a shitbox so I didn't take the time to cut everything neatly. Just got it done.

I heard on the internet that rust doesn't exist if it's covered in kilmat.

Not to get sentimental (but to get sentimental), I've learned something very important through this hoopty journey that I've been on. Everything is dying as soon as its born. I have to be okay with things being okay, not perfect. That is the lesson of the hoopty journey. To be able to call it where it is, at a point where the car wont fold in an accident, and enjoy/maintain these mechanical things as they are. Everything I've ever made great I sell, and don't enjoy the process. It kills me to have a quarter panel that's smashed in, and a carfax with more accidents than someone with 12 kids, but I have enjoyed this car more than any fancy car I've ever owned...... because I'm not scared to use it.

I chose this car because it forces my hand to keep things reasonable and ultimately, to enjoy the car and experience above all else, vs spending all of my energy trying to chase the destination of perfection, which really doesn't bring me fulfillment.

The outside of the car looks terrible, but I've realized that I really like a nice cockpit, so getting the sound system and sound deadening on point I think will add quite a bit to the driving experience.

I kicked the quarter panel hard enough to pop the dent out enough to get the quarter trim installed lol. I bought 3 sets of premium sound speakers before getting a set that was fully good. Installed them in the parcel shelf with a seat belt clip that wasn't broken.

Also got some good factory tweeters and premium woofers in nice shape for the footwell. It's so hard to beat factory premium sound that ultimately I decided to run quality premium sound units instead of trying to make stuff that wasn't intended to be there sound better than stuff that was.

I also spent a lot of time on the doors and quarters with the sound deadening trying to get everything as quiet as possible in the noise prone areas.

Found a JVC head unit in a box that is ugly but will work for now. I thought the quality of the blaupunkt was crap so I returned it. Felt so cheap and chinsey for $450. Buttons were made poorly, etc. Was really let down by the quality.

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[QuiqueUy]

making great progress! motivation is on point !

the difference between each dash is amazing lol

keep it up bob , almost there !

[AWDBOB]

Vintage prep continues..... the 2.7L lives! This thing feels great so far. Mystery cam, 9.4:1 2.7L stroker with i pistons and e crank/rods with the block shaved 2mm. Dealer HG with ARP studs. I am headed up to Jake's on Friday to convert the car to his new Standalone kit (https://www.classicdaily.net/collect...g-and-play-ecu) and throw the caaaar on the dyno for some before and after data! Will probably charge the A/C while i'm up there.

In full vintage fashion, I had to install my last good heater valve, so I pulled the dash to swap in a freshie I got from a buddy on the cheap "while yer in there". I fixed my DIY dash vent HVAC box seal with a proper factory piece this time around. Been saving a heater valve and core from a parts car that were just replaced before the car was condemned. Hooptie getting all the goods!

I also found/repaired some unnecessary BMW turn signal wiring. Hoping to be nearing the end of my wiring adventures.

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New engine startup video- click the image to view

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[AWDBOB]

2.7L is in its final resting place! Started buttoning up the hundreds of small things that need to be done. Dyno and standalone at Jakes this weekend so I have to keep hustlin'

New Cohline hoses for power steering. Ordered the rack to pump hose but it never showed so we've gotta run with what we've got.

Also feels great to start putting together this modern AC!!!

I have smilies for it, but they're so far down the list I'll do 'em later.

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[AWDBOB]

The 2.7L strokey is coming together! Hoping to drop it in tomorrow or Saturday. I performed surgery on the head studs... it was painful but it's done. I dropped stuff off for powdercoat over a week ago and he hadn't even started on it, so I just picked all my stuff up and assembled the motor with what I had on hand. It can look pretty later, just has to make vroom noises for now. Found a big bore throttle body i forgot I had, so that's pretty nifty

Fitted a Suspension Techniques front bar. Since I am running a good bit of spring rate in the rear I opted to keep the E30M3 14.5mm rear bar. I'll see how it feels. I feel like E30s don't really like a stiff rear bar, but time will tell, and I'll install the ST rear bar if I feel it needs it.

Finally got the camber plates I've been after to work after relentlessly bugging GC to sell me the spring hats to work with my 2.5" coilover springs.

I've never been stoked on the Koni thread engagement with camber plates, so I opted to run without a lock washer and added blue loctite to get an extra couple threads.

Oh, and I had the insert from my og mt1 wing from linda painted lachs and threw it on.

I am headed up to Jakes next weekend to convert the car to his new standalone and dyno it. I have a long list yet.

-install engine/trans
-swap in s3.46
-swap dash to a nice one a buddy gave me
-finish sanden a/c conversion
-install new power steering lines
-pull carpet and kilmat the floors and trunk
-wire up stereo/speakers/install lukebox
-garagistic x brace install and other chassis stiffening
-exhaust?

It's gonna be a mad dash but i think we'll get there.

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Untitled by Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
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[AWDBOB]

Check the thread now

we're not so different, you and i

[2mAn]

I haven’t seen any updates! Also I looked for Brandons coverage on YT but never found it, so linky link me

Check the thread now

[AWDBOB]

haha you are a twisted boi... in totally unrelated news, check my Z3 update.

im now a reformed twisted boi. I’m just nervous for what the next stage of this looks like. if I ever make real money I will have the shittiest collection of fancy cars known to man

I haven’t seen any updates! Also I looked for Brandons coverage on YT but never found it, so linky link me

[2mAn]

i sold my 02 that I never even took in

haha you are a twisted boi... in totally unrelated news, check my Z3 update.

[AWDBOB]

I ran into that problem with the ARP studs and ended up hammering divots into the baffle. you can also double up VCGs for a bit of extra room, but jury's out on whether that's more or less jank.

congrats on freeing yourself of a lot of simultaneous projects!

I think I may end up having to machine a valve cover for this setup- the block was decked 2mm, in addition to the "tall boy" ARPs of old I'm in need of 4-5mm of clearance.

Maybe I'll just run no valve cover. A shirtless m20

And thanks man. Apparently it takes owning 20 e30s to realize you only need 2. I haven't even been on FB marketplace looking since! (lies)

[kronus]

I ran into that problem with the ARP studs and ended up hammering divots into the baffle. you can also double up VCGs for a bit of extra room, but jury's out on whether that's more or less jank.

congrats on freeing yourself of a lot of simultaneous projects!