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My Forever Car: '89 325i Touring

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    #61
    Originally posted by pipeuy View Post
    Do you think that KW V1 would be a good choice for a street driven car?
    Thanks!

    I can't say for sure because I haven't driven on them, but the V1's appear to be the fixed-damping version of what I've got. If the core damping curves are the same (digressive) I'd say the V1's should ride just as well as the V3's. I held out for the V3's because no one makes a Touring-specific damper set and I knew I'd have to go the adjustable route to get the ride right.

    The V1's height adjustment range also appears to be the same as the V3's, and I can say first hand that it's plenty. Being able to properly corner-weight the car is a huge advantage over most other entry level kits.
    -----I drink and I know car things-----
    1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
    ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

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      #62
      It's been a long-ass winter full of work travel and a distinct lack of garage time, but I managed to do something this past week:

      Last edited by -J-; 04-06-2019, 08:30 AM. Reason: Resizing YUGE picture.
      -----I drink and I know car things-----
      1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
      ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

      Comment


        #63
        pic is YUGE, but exciting
        1984 Delphin 318i 2 door

        Comment


          #64
          Originally posted by wworm View Post
          pic is YUGE, but exciting
          Whoops, I don't know why that pic ended up massive. What I do know is that the Photobucket app sucks for image manipulation. Are all the cool kids using Flickr nowadays?
          -----I drink and I know car things-----
          1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
          ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

          Comment


            #65
            While I build up funds for the S54 swap, I'm focused on the chassis upgrades. The Elcoy/Nasieg kit calls for E46 M3 fronts and E39 5'er rears. I pulled the M3 calipers off my donor car and ordered some used rears from Classic Daily. Then I got to work:


            Old and busted



            Blown apart for rebuild



            After some time with the wire wheel, it became clear that the left and right E46 M3 calipers were different. The darker one had the factory M logo and the bright one didn't. That one was clearly a new casting re-man part, and I have trust issues. So, a quick internet search and 60 bucks later a genuine caliper was on its way.

            Once the proper caliper came in I wire wheeled the hell out of everything in preparation for paint.


            Many wire wheels were harmed in the making of this photo. Also, my respirator filters



            As for paint, I went with G2 caliper epoxy. I used it for my Spec Miata's calipers years back and it's still holding despite constant heat cycles. And as for color, well...


            I guess I'm just a boy racer at heart



            The calipers were rebuilt using new ATE seal kits and, ATE TYP200 fluid, and Permatex Ceramic Extreme brake lube. It's the combo I use for the Spec Miata and it's worked well. The pistons and pins were in good shape so I gave them a polish and reused them.




            I'm pumped to get these on the car


            While I waited for the new caliper to arrive I started cleaning up the diff. I sourced a relatively clean 3.73 S a few years ago and used that as a base.




            Still rocking the factory S

            I wire wheeled it to hell but still couldn't get the stubborn rust off, so I went with Evapo-rust rust remover. It did a decent job but still wasn't perfect, so I sprayed rust converter. That did the trick.


            Piss off, oxidation


            Ahh, that's better. Primed and painted with VHT Engine enamel in GM Black

            The cover was pretty well oxidized as well, so some more wire wheel time was in order.






            The diff bushing was pretty spent as well. It'll be replaced by a Revshift 80a poly bushing


            Primed and painted with VHT Engine enamel. I really wish I had access to a vapor blaster, but this'll have to do for now

            For the important spinny bits, I opted for the MFactory clutch-style LSD. It's a hell of a value considering the adjustability it offers, and it's backed up with a warranty. Fingers crossed that it delivers.


            MFactory on the left, stock LSD on the right


            The E30 version of the MFactory clutch type features 20 plates (10 per side)

            It appears to be a well built diff with good machine work and tolerances. I anticipate adjusting it a few times so I'll be able to check wear as it ages.


            Considering I have a stock M20, I chose to deactivate some plates and run low preload. It'll be configured as a 1.5 way with 6 plates engaged, 4 preload springs installed, and the thinnest preload washers. Further iterations are expected after break-in


            Ready for assembly


            And... POOF. Fresh, clean, and ready to lock



            I forgot how much of a pain in the ass it is to clean all of these parts by hand, wash, paint, assemble, etc... But damn is it worth it. My OCD is pleased.
            -----I drink and I know car things-----
            1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
            ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

            Comment


              #66
              Love the updates but I must ask about the banana colored MG in the background.
              Simon
              Current Cars:
              -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

              Make R3V Great Again -2020

              Comment


                #67
                Originally posted by 2mAn View Post
                Love the updates but I must ask about the banana colored MG in the background.
                That'd be my dad's '71 MGB (and most likely the reason I'm into cars in the first place). He's had it since he was 19, so it's basically a family heirloom now. Unfortunately barn rot has set in pretty badly and it's in desperate need of restoration. He gave it to me so I could work on it. I have grand plans involving Miata suspension and a V8, but that's a whole different thread...
                -----I drink and I know car things-----
                1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
                ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

                Comment


                  #68
                  Originally posted by -J- View Post
                  That'd be my dad's '71 MGB (and most likely the reason I'm into cars in the first place). He's had it since he was 19, so it's basically a family heirloom now. Unfortunately barn rot has set in pretty badly and it's in desperate need of restoration. He gave it to me so I could work on it. I have grand plans involving Miata suspension and a V8, but that's a whole different thread...
                  Attach said thread hyperlink please.
                  How to remove, install or convert to pop out windows
                  http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=297611


                  Could be better, could be worse.

                  Comment


                    #69
                    Originally posted by rzerob View Post
                    Attach said thread hyperlink please.
                    I'll be sure to do that in a few years when I start said thread, haha.


                    The chassis upgrades have begun.




                    I have a sneaking suspicion that the lift will be occupied for a while...

                    On the list:
                    - Nasieg/Elcoy Speedshop BBK + 5-lug kit
                    - Rebuilt E46 M3 front calipers with StopTech rotors
                    - StopTech Sport front pads
                    - Rebuilt E39 540i rear calipers with StopTech E46 325i rear rotors
                    - StopTech Sport rear pads
                    - Garagistic stainless steel soft lines
                    - Stainless steel hard lines with stainless steel fittings
                    - MRT front roll center correction kit
                    - Apex ARC-8 wheels, 17x9 front, 17x10 rear
                    - Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires, 255/40R17 front, 275/40R17 rear
                    - Kamotors standard flares (possibly Ultrawides... I bought a lot of tire.)
                    - Rebuilt 3.73 ratio diff with MFactory adjustable LSD
                    - Garagistic rear subframe eccentric kit (for sweep angle and roll center adjustment)
                    - IRP trailing arm adjustment kit (for camber and toe adjustment)
                    - Revshift 80a polyurethane rear subframe, trailing arm, and differential bushings

                    Should be a solid weekend, right? Time management has never been my strong suit.


                    2.5 degrees of camber with mostly highway is a bitch. But it's beyond worth it while cornering



                    The brakes came apart easily enough


                    Score, new park brake hardware!

                    I started with the front axle, thinking it'd be the easy part. My naivety is palpable now...



                    Problem #1: The hardware

                    The hardware supplied in the kit was grade 8.8, which is equivalent to US Grade 5. Stock BMW hardware is 10.9 (US grade 8 equivalent). I'm not looking to downgrade on fastener strength, so this wouldn't do. Also, the bolts supplied were not long enough for proper thread engagement. Also also, the nuts supplied were Nylocks; plastic parts intent on retaining saftey-critical hardware near 500C brake parts does not sit well with me. That's a really long way of saying I sourced ARP hardware for the kit.

                    (This is in no way intended to shit on the Nasieg/Elcoy kit; the machine work and finish of the the parts is phenomenal. I should have looked at the hardware before starting.)


                    There we go, proper thread engagement and mechanical locking nuts

                    For anyone interested in what I used, the front bracket bolts are M12x1.5 (ARP PN 664-1006) combined with E46 M3 driveshaft nuts. Front caliper-to-bracket bolts are OEM E46 M3 front caliper bolts. The rears are M10x1.5 (ARP PN 662-1002) which thread directly into the bracket. The rear caliper-to-bracket bolts are OEM E30 caliper bolts.

                    With the brackets sorted, the new shield and hub could be installed.


                    The kit installed flawlessly into the new Timken hub

                    Problem #2: rotors.

                    When I went to install the rotor and caliper bracket, the pads hung off the rotor by about 10mm. FUUUUUUUUU

                    A lot of head scratching followed, combined with a lot of Google work. The rotor part numbers were definitely E46 M3. The caliper markings definitely matched E46 M3 parts; hell, they came off of an actual M3 I owned! After hour 2 it dawned on me that there were two E46 brake packages: standard and competition (or CSL, depending on who you talk to). Standard rotors are 325mm, comp rotors are 345mm. 20mm diameter difference means 10mm radius difference... The exact amount the pad was hanging off. But since the caliper part numbers matched, where was the difference?

                    I had ordered a used genuine caliper to rebuild after finding an aftermarket recasting, and it came with the carrier bracket. Some quick measurements confirmed that the carrier brackets I had cleaned and repainted were 10mm taller than the bracket supplied with the genuine caliper.

                    TLDR; COMPETITION/CSL E46 M3 BRAKES HAVE A DIFFERENT CARRIER THAN STANDARD. This wasn't mentioned in the kit instructions and it could have saved me several hours.

                    So I had two options: buy another carrier (most likely mated to another caliper), clean them up, paint them with another batch of G2 one-time-use paint, and reinstall, or order E46 M3 competition front rotors. Lizard brain took over and screamed BIGGER BETTER, so I searched for new rotors. I'm not a fan of drilled rotors because of the stress cracking associated with them, so I only considered slotted. And you know what I found? PFC are the ONLY reputable manufacturers of slotted E46 M3 competition package front rotors. PFC's have served me well on the Spec Miata and Bimmerworld was having a Memorial day sale, so fuck it...


                    My bank account is still smoking, but lizard brain is pleased

                    Time to check wheel fitment.


                    Alright, that's a bit tight


                    Oh boy, I may have fucked up a bit here

                    Problem #3: SO. MUCH. TIRE.

                    Much cutting to follow.
                    -----I drink and I know car things-----
                    1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
                    ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

                    Comment


                      #70
                      Im thoroughly enjoying this thread
                      Simon
                      Current Cars:
                      -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

                      Make R3V Great Again -2020

                      Comment


                        #71
                        lol holy shit. this is sick
                        1984 Delphin 318i 2 door

                        Comment


                          #72
                          Originally posted by 2mAn View Post
                          Im thoroughly enjoying this thread
                          Hell yes.

                          Comment


                            #73
                            you are surly a boy racer at heart you are enjoying this i am sure

                            Comment


                              #74
                              While I contemplate how big of a hole I need to carve into my fenders, I decided to move onto the rear.

                              As an E30 right of passage, the Touring's rear subframe has been removed. After much sweating and swearing, I beat this thing out of the chassis.


                              I now feel the pain of every E30 owner before me


                              Because it can never be easy, I immediately stripped the subframe bracket bolts and had to drill them




                              Resorted to the tried-and-true 5/8ths lag bolt method


                              To say my subframe bushings were shot is a bit of an understatement

                              With the beast out and into the shop, disassembly could begin. It all went surprisingly smoothly, until the right hub removal...


                              Words cannot express the frustration of trying to remove this hub. I burned a whole day on this motherfucker

                              Turns out that when I initially tried to tap out the hub from the back I didn't hit it square, and the result was a hardened lip on the end of the hub. The tight tolerance on the bearing meant extreme resistance when they met. The assembly wouldn't fit in my press, so I spent a few hours trying different fixtures and going medieval with a hammer. Lesson extremely learned.


                              Finally blown apart

                              This weekend I'll be back in restoration mode. The goal is to drive this thing by June 15th.
                              -----I drink and I know car things-----
                              1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
                              ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

                              Comment


                                #75
                                I completely blew the June 15th goal, namely because of this:


                                Well fuck


                                Kids, do your pre-purchase inspections carefully

                                I found these after peeling back the factory undercoating. The fender lip was already going (which helped make the flare/no-flare decision) but I had no idea it was this bad. It had to be dealt with while the rear suspension was out.


                                Also found a bunch of failed under coating causing rust. Corrosion is a bitch


                                Out came the shears and welding gear






                                I spent the better part of a day wire wheeling every rust spot I could find


                                To seal the metal I opted for KBS coatings RustSeal. It's very similar to POR-15 and is offered in several colors




                                Far from perfect, but I plan on a full glass-out respray where all rust will be dealt with properly

                                In parallel with the rust repair I was able to make good progress on the rear suspension modifications. The subframe and arms were a lot grosser than expected, so many an hour was burned wire wheeling the shit out of them. I didn't get any pictures but they certainly weren't show pieces after the wire wheel. Besides, they were getting paint anyway. I did get a few welding pictures though.



                                I'm no pro but I can occasionally lay a decent bead


                                I used the Garagistic reinforcement and eccentric kits




                                Unfortunately the ARB tab reinforcements were nowhere near fitting. Time to get creative


                                The Bimmerworld ARB kits come with tab reinforcements as well, but they don't have the vertical component that significantly increases stiffness. This is giving me flashbacks to formula SAE...


                                Welding finished. The direction of slots isn't standard, so don't copy this if you're just looking to do camber and toe correction

                                Since I'll be using the DTM-style camber and toe adjusters I opted to use the eccentrics for sweep angle and roll center adjustment. I did a fair amount of research and settled on a sweep angle range of 15deg to 13deg and a 0deg to 2deg arm angle as viewed from the rear. Fully adjusted this should yield a rear roll center height of 2.44in and reduced camber and toe change with travel. If anyone is interested in a more detailed explanation I'd be happy to share. Otherwise I'll keep my nerdiness to myself, haha.


                                The KBS coating requires a chemical etching of the surface in order to adhere


                                It also looks pretty gnarly


                                I hand brushed them and it sucked. I would highly recommend spraying this stuff


                                Fresh and clean at last

                                I opted for grey because it makes cracks a bit easier to spot, and we all know how much BMWs love to crack subframes.

                                Next up I'll be assembling the rear suspension, forming all the hard brake lines out of stainless, and putting everything back together. It's been a long ass month without my E30...
                                -----I drink and I know car things-----
                                1989 325i Touring - Daily W.I.P.
                                ->https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=398457

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