Lazurblau 325i project thread

[TheWipprSnappr]

New rubber came in this week, Yoko S-drives, nothing crazy. Hopefully will be able to cruise again soon.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Been driving it to work for 2 days now, definitely makes for a less boring commute. Ill probably go back to driving the iX after this week.

Here it is in the parking garage, in need of a bath.


Figured now that it's done I would post some pictures of the x5 shifter.
Here is a look at the throw (1st, N, 2nd)



Some may think the length is a bit extreme, but I really like it so far. Also it is angled back a bit, which I also like. You can see from the transmission assembly pic earlier in this thread that there is still some bend in the lever. I bent it forward about 1/2 of what it originally is. It doesn't get in the way of my e-brake(which is only about 4 clicks), and I like that I don't have to reach way forward for the knob, especially in 5th.

Next item on the agenda is to install an e36 steering rack I bought on ebay.

Not in a big hurry though, going to continue to enjoy it while its on the road for a bit.

[wworm]

highly recommend the e36 rack..just dont forget to put the spacers on the top! I made this mistake and on the test drive the car drove like the front wheels were on casters..all wobbling all over the place.

are those 15" or 16" wheels?

[TheWipprSnappr]

highly recommend the e36 rack..just dont forget to put the spacers on the top! I made this mistake and on the test drive the car drove like the front wheels were on casters..all wobbling all over the place.

are those 15" or 16" wheels?

Thanks for the heads up. Wheels are 15x7 D-force ltw5.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Before I install the new e36 rack, I think the next area of concern is the cooling system.
At the moment I'm still running the stock auto trans radiator and while it isn't noticeable just putting around, I took the car out on some back roads a couple weeks ago and got into some more spirited driving and I could notice the lack of cooling ability.
Ive got a Z3M rad on the way from FCP Euro to solve the problem.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-radiator-z3-behr-17112227281

[TheWipprSnappr]

Okay, okay I said cooling system was next but I ordered a Stromung exhaust in the r3v group buy and its been taking up valuable space in the garage so I installed it this weekend.




The quality and craftsmanship of this product is amazing, and the sound it produces is perfect imo. Its not too loud but has a nice throaty sound at idle and low r3vs and sounds badass at high r3vs. 10/10 would recommend.

Also visited family this weekend and did some fishing. Snagged some pics with my potato camera.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Unrelated to this project but I got the passenger side inner CV boot replaced on my iX last night. Replaced the drivers side last winter so it wasn't so bad this time around.




This is the first big task I've been able to accomplish in my new garage since I moved in with my wife in May. Its taken awhile to acquire my own
tools but it feels good to finally tackle some jobs at the new place! Definitely gonna need a workbench soon, working on the floor sucks ass.

[Rontgen]

Great job on the car!

How do you like the 3.73 diff as compared to the 4.10? I also have a manual swapped car with a 4.10 lsd and highway driving is pretty intense. It revs to about 4k rpm at 90 mph. Also, 1st gear is kind of useless. I'm thinking 3.73 or 3.46 - curious to hear your thoughts.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Thanks! The 3.73 is a big improvement for me over the 4.10. It runs about 2250 rpm at 55mph in 5th idk how much that helps. But for me i really feel the difference during spirited driving, gears are long enough to not be constantly shifting, short enough for decent acceleration.

[AudioNToxication]

Really enjoying this thread.
I have a ix and am considering picking up a RWD E30.
This is all good progress without being wildly out of control. good work.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Thank you! I like having both, especially during the winter.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Finished upgrading the cooling system.
Replaced thermostat and fan clutch as well as upgraded to IE silicone hoses and z3m radiator.

Before:


Rad and hoses out


You vs the guy she tells you not to worry about:

The old radiator was still working as it should. It's just a rad for auto trans and it wasn't getting the job done cooling the car well during spirited driving.

Thermostat replaced with Mahle 80c and clutch replaced with Behr.



The rad mounted up just fine with the 325i mounts but i wanted to make absolutely sure the rad wouldn't move and get sheared by the fan. I cut some slots in the rad and the core support with a dremel, to slide a zip tie through.
It probably wasn't necessary and isn't the prettiest but it gives me peace of mind and thats what i care about most.


Threw some black spray paint on the slots i cut in the support, kind of ugly but you'll never see it and its better than bare metal showing.





Next i cut a hole in the inner headlight cover to make room for the new switch position.


Here is the final clearance, about 1/4 inch


This hose also came in the IE set. Anyone know where it goes?


After everything replaced



Also converted to studs and installed 5mm spacers up front and 12.5mm in rear.



Obligatory no hood test drive



Hit some back roads and had some fun and the car ran like a top. Not bad for roughly 250k. So in love with this car!

[TheWipprSnappr]

My parents visited me in KC today so my dad could help me build my workbench. This should make working on things 10x more enjoyable now. Not to mention free up a bunch of space my parts were taking up.





Still need to put the finishing touches on it and a few other things but its finally in there!

[alistairolsen]

It's amazing how much difference a decent solid bench and some storage makes!

[TheWipprSnappr]

This week I swapped out my x5 shifter for the Ireland Engineering ssk. Wanted to try out something with a bit shorter throw to see how I like it. Pretty nice quality kit, and it is a bit shorter than the x5 as far as throw.


Only thing I didnt like about it was that it didnt have as much of an angle as i liked, so I ended up bending it back using the same technique I had with the x5 lever. Here is neutral out of the box:

Here is neutral after about 10 degrees of bend:

Here is a comparison of the ie ssk(after adding the bend), z3 1.9, and x5. Also posted in FAQ shifter thread.


Also I had been noticing a small leak coming from my exhaust and I remembered when installing the stromung that the flange gaskets were in bad shape.


Fired the car up after replacing and sure enough, exhaust leak was gone.

Lastly I removed the washer fluid reservoir since I don't ever use them and it was kind of an eye sore in the engine bay. Now all the bay needs is a thorough cleaning.