Project | Type1 318is - a '91 318is build/resto w/ modern features

[dcig]

Project | Type1 318is

Build/Journal/Record/Inspire- The story and process behind a car that will be a base for custom parts and design.
Synopsis/Challenge: Build an E30 with modern touches that allow the driver modern conveniences and provide the driver with real-time feedback on essential engine/car functions.

This is going to be my repository if you will, for the build of this hopefully truly unique car.

After getting a surprising diagnosis of Type1 Diabetes 6 months ago, I had to close down my business, switch careers and find a job in a real short amount of time because 4 months ago I turned 26. I was an industrial designer, and started my furniture design business after my kickstarter my senior year at design school.

Now i'm developing websites for (coincidentally) car dealerships and was fortunate enough to be able to stumble upon a relatively decent base for a project build.

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=423482 (New member thread with some pics of the day I brought it home)

SO what exactly am I talking about?

Restore and slightly build the car enough to where I feel comfortable daily driving it. (Actually just about there, should be good by this Sunday 6/24/18)

Starting now and through the colder months I plan to completely strip the car down and restore/build it to my specs.

At minimum

• Rebuild engine for turbo (plan to run minimal boost <12lbs)
• Reupholster front/rear seats
• New clutch and lightweight flywheel
• New carpet/headliner/door cards (making not buying)
• Refreshed dash with Tablet controls to replace heat/air, radio etc
• Sensors for diagnostics/data tracking (list is wip)
• Proximity sensors
• Wire tucked/painted engine bay
• Full suspension upgrade
• Chassis reinforcement
• Design/Develop personal widebody kit (Painted Carbonfiber)

I'm sure some things may change or be modified but for the most part that's what's going to happen. If I didn't have to sell my woodworking equipment I would have used the cnc I built to make a majority of the parts I need.


My old manual mill is in the background.


Above is my first parts order.

This should be enough for the first post of the build thread. I am technically playing catch up as I've worked on the car for about 2 weeks already. I will updated with another post or two as the day goes on.

Last photo for the morning! Nice shot of my timing chain and cam gear!

[jdt10768]

Looks good, welcome

[dcig]

Looks good, welcome

Thanks man, looking forward to this build and seeing what other people think of it.

[ForcedFirebird]

Man, I need some help fixing my CNC machine. Little different than yours, though lol...

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=375488

[dcig]

Posting some photos of previous work to catch up real quick.

Ripped the interior out, doge for scale and what it looked like initially. I was going for something quick. The second time I plan on doing a new carpet but right now funds wise doesn't make sense. Used carpet spray, happy with it for what my purpose was, especially because you don't see much of the carpet anyways. Rear deck too, seats will be upholstered later on.

Drivers side needs some works, but small patches need to be re-welded. About 6"x4". I did notice these connectors, aybody know what they are for? (last pic)

[dcig]

Another catch up post.




Forgot to post that in the previous post.

Looks good and I still have to put the floormats back in. Refreshed the plastic and I also spray the back of the carpeting with bleach and let it dry with a fan for a about a week.

Also, put a helicoil in every valve cover thread just because and helicoils are actually really easy to do and they are so much stronger than the aluminum threads anyways.

Next up was shifter linkage and bushings, really straight forward except you have to remove quite a bit to get up to the rear mount nut for the shifter. From looking at it and the parts, that is something I plan on remaking myself.

I think a machined aluminum shifter arm would work well. And then thread on a 'rod' instead of the factory circular part (of the rear of the shifter) which would be made of either UHMW with Derlin or an IGUS dry teflon. Something that can handle debris with repetitive motion. + of cnc background I guess.

Shifter feels great but haven't been able to drive the car yet...Next post.

[dcig]

This last post is this past weekend and I'm a bit confused about the latter half. Some input would be appreciated.

NOTE the car ran and drove decent home, sounded normal given the age. I put seafoam in the gas and oil, and a brand new intake boot and then last weekend was the valve cover gasket along with oil and filter (I put 10w-40 mobil1 synthetic in there and the other vacuum lines are good). Along with the valve cover gasket, I made new; 2 and 4 gauge ground wires for the engine to frame, alternator to frame and a new strap for the hood. As well as NGK plugs and fuel filter.
NOTE I also checked the coolant A week prior and decided to wait, and it was a bad idea (I was having some low blood sugar moments that day) because I did not properly bleed it so now I know there's an air bubble in there somwhere.

Obviously flush and re-bleed the system properly. Anyways, I started the car and didn't start...

Oh right, changed the fuel filter. So I checked the fuel pump relay and bypassed it to get fuel running through the lines again. Then I tried starting it with it jumped to my brothers car (I was just bypassing the relay) and it started right up nice and strong! Sounded strong and held rpm like new, but I noticed now there was a slight ticking noise all of a sudden. And I figured because I used a different oil and seafoam, they could have cleaned up parts of the engine too well and cause gunky build up to loosen up now there was a lifting noise. But the noise also sounded like it came from the corner near the intake cam gear...so i figured the car has a lot of miles might as well replace the tensioner. Not to mention I saw the temp gauge starting to climb so I stopped it.

The next day, yesterday. I installed the tensioner and when i started the car (tensioner installed uncompressed) It at first started fine and slightly quieter actually, but then got really loud and really rough. Like piston slapping a valve or worse, idk. I stopped the engine and waited a minute. Tried starting one more time and the same rough noise was immediately apparent. Turned it off and now I'm going down the list of items to check.




Old tensioner compared to new, which makes me believe the car was pretty reliable for the most part if that was the original tensioner. I took off the oil pan and there were very few tiny shavings present, and none were brass colored. I'll post a pic of the ones I picked out tomorrow.

Also the upper oil pan bolts are all intact, one was a little loose it needed 1 turn and the one directly behind the sump was backed OUT about an 1". So I tightened her back up. Which leads me to think it's the relief valve, the o-ring from the oil filter got clogged somewhere. An oil passage way is blocked somewhere or last....I skipped a tooth somehow but that doesn't make sense to me.

[mike.bmw]

Could the noise be from something left under the valve cover after heli-coiling the bolt holes?

[dcig]

Could the noise be from something left under the valve cover after heli-coiling the bolt holes?

Possibly, definitely can't rule it out, but I did do a good job of masking the area off. But I doubt it, everything I've researched so far leads me to an oil pressure issue then timing.

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