My track project: 1990 325is

[profbooty]

I picked up a 325is in February 2007 but have been working on other cars/bike to get them road worthy. My goals for this project are to have a car that is still streetable, until such a time that my tow vehicle is working again. I'm going to be installing spec e30 legal parts in case I decide to go down that route. This car will be to replace my e46 M3 which I have been tracking as I feel I can learn a lot more with a lower powered car.

I have all the parts I need right now except for suspension and roll/harness bar, which I will pickup assuming I don't find anything horrible while doing maintenance/tuneup. I'm going to budget about $2500 for non maintenance parts.

What it needs:

engine:
timing belt
full tune up: all fluids replaced, all filters replaced, spark plugs, valve adjustment, PS checked

transmission:
redline fluid sitting in boxes for transmission and diff

suspension:
HR race springs with bilsteins, probably some IE camber plates, antiroll bars etc

brakes:
portersfield pads
new brake lines

interior:
gauges (oil temp, oil pressure, voltage)
new shift knob
keeping stock sport seats for now, keeping full interior for the moment,
roll/harness bar

exterior:
need to do some bodywork as shown in pictures, replace some parts for rear bumper so it will stay on properly at 110mph. the car is straight despite what the pictures look like.
remove pinstrip sticks and other external stickers
blackout tape for trim
remount front/rear bumper to make them straight

other:
lightweight battery, remove ac/cruise control, smaller washer fluid tank, remove sound deadening
replace hood latch cable
inspect exhaust system
clean/degrease engine bay
lightweight wheels plus some azenis

some pictures








update 3/19/08:
so I finally got around to the timing belt, new ignition/raditator hoses etc. next up is fluids. Also installed a gauge panel with Oil temp, Oil pressure and a voltmeter.

gotta stop by my friends house to borrow his vice while i drill out the impulse sensor in order to fit my magnecor wires. The wires in the car are ancient. Had to clean out a bunch of junk where the spark plugs go in. Old spark plugs were nasty, don't think they had been changed in a long time.

About to send out my injectors to get cleaned/flowmatched and blueprinted. I'm expecting the car to run pretty well once they come back.

Once the fluids are all done, then i will go clean out the engine bay to check for leaks. No new pictures for now, unless people want to see red wires, and random clean looking parts :D

update 6/18/08

Ok suspension done, motor all tuned up, brakes done except for 2 lines, gauges installed, new tyres, transmission/fluids all done.

Taking it to the track this weekend.

update 7/2/08

http://www.europrints.us/08summit06/HPDE%202/36/index.htm

the above has some pictures of me at the track




well i need to sort out some braking issues. Probably one of my lines isn't on tightly enough as I was getting air in the lines and the fluid level dropped. I degreased the engine bay and pressurewashed it last weekend which should help for spotting leaks in the future.

Anyways, I ordered a chip, sent off my 17# injectors to be cleaned and my swaybars came in. Coupled with doing a bunch of bodywork, replacing some lines, rebuilding the shifter, puting some teflon tape on my oil filter sandwich, I think I will be busy for a while when the other parts come in.

Next up is swaybars once the endlinks show up, removing the tar, cleaning the injectors, chip, banging out the dents and a good polish.

update 7/6/08

past weekend didn't have a ton of time,but I put on some velcro tape to keep my volt/oil temp/pressure gauge cluster from shifting around and have a more tapered look

also installed my IS lip since my IS had an I lip on it.

before


After


Now this only accentuates the need for some fresh paint and or polish. any suggestion on how to get a good polish on the area above the lip?

[profbooty]

7/22/08 a small update:

today i took a little bit of time to adjust the drivers side front quarter panel along with the grill. Also put some more touch up paint. ill have to buff it off later to even everything out.







I also tried the claybar for the first time and did a very very quick polish on the hood before I ran out of zaino. You can see half and half. It looks way better in the photos than in person. Paint is pretty badly oxidized.

[profbooty]

update 8/11/08:


anyways some things to come.....

[VAPORBLADE]

Straight - did you have it on a table?

[profbooty]

10/13/08 update:


Old injectors were super dirty. At first I thought they were all plugged up, but it turns out thats just residue that got stuck on there as I pulled them out.




M50 injectors, much cleaner. They were cleaned by Witchhunter and flow more or less all the same.


Since i need a valve adjustment, it seemed like a good excuse to paint the valve cover. After sanding, and applying acetone, purchased some Harley Davidson texture paint and put the valve cover on the grill at low heat for about 2 hours.





closeup of the texture.


Placed in enginebay. Everything else looks super dirty despite being powerwashed,



I primed, sanded and out the first few coats on the decklid. This is a photo showing all the cracks and sun damage of 18 years. I will polish and clean the trunklid first then reinstall.

[profbooty]

Straight - did you have it on a table?

Previous owner did but didnt do any cosmetic bodywork. He drove it that way for a year or two, replaced the rear shocks as well (which I pulled and replaced with my bilstein/HR combo.

I wouldn't take the guy for his word, fortunately I have all his receipts for parts and labour for the entire time the PO had the car.

[VAPORBLADE]

Previous owner did but didnt do any cosmetic bodywork. He drove it that way for a year or two, replaced the rear shocks as well (which I pulled and replaced with my bilstein/HR combo.

I wouldn't take the guy for his word, fortunately I have all his receipts for parts and labour for the entire time the PO had the car.

Wow!

[profbooty]

update 10/19/2008

Here is what the interior looked like a couple months back, notice the issue of GRM with a red e30!



Replaced the airbag wheel with an Mtech 2. I have an e46 m3 and this wheel feels similiar but isn't wrapped in leather. I really liked the thumb bumps so it was worth it for this wheel. Also put in a new shift boot. There is also an //M shift knob on there that lights up, the old one was worn out anyways.




Put the rear decklid back on temporarily. I need to polish the trunk to match the paint. It looks good in the photo but is really faded in real life.



before


After



For a pretty quick respray and sand it looks decent. This is a track car not a show car/full restoration so it doesnt need to be super pretty.

Also cleaned the ICV, replaced the ground that goes to the hood and fabbed up and installed a ground wire from the valve cover to chassis. On and older ground like this I figured that the ground points are probably corroded to begin with. Took some of the play out of the throttle cable as well.

Next up, I will install my brake ducting and swaybars and do a valve adjustment.

[profbooty]

Update 10/23/08

Completed the valve adjustment, replaced the little rubber seals as well and put in a fresh gasket. The fan only works on 4, so I popped open the heater pulled the resistor pack, cleaned it, sanded all the contacts and it still wouldnt work. Went to the dealer grabbed the last one in stock and now have a working fan.

I can't start the car. All of the dash lights are on when i turn the car into the on position (check engine, emergency brake, battery, oil pressure). I can turn the car over, but it doesnt start, and dies after a few seconds because the battery needs to be replaced (won't hold a charge for more than a week). I let it charge all night on the trickle charger and it displayed 100% charge and tried again.

I tried the stomp trick and get 1444 (no error code), and I can hear a capactive whine/vibration from near the ICV. At this point I figure I will just jump the car and let it build up fuel pressure since I can't crank it for more than 3 seconds. Hopefully will know for sure by tonight.

[BrewCity11]

Nice work man. I like the finish of the Harley Texture. I think i'll go with that stuff instead of of normal part-store texture paint.

[profbooty]

Wow, I just took the car out and all i can say is awesome. Way more power than before.

I assume the combination of having clean injectors, having software tuned for larger injectors, and a valve adjustment added some signifigant power increases, particularly after 5000 rpm. I have MarkD 93 octaine tuned for the 17.5lbs injectors and an m30AFM, but my M30 afm is no good (missing parts). I am getting CEL with an 1222 error code which I assume may be due to not having the AFM and or more time needed for adaptation. The CEL turns off when I give it gas though, but when I stop the car and do the stomp test it does give the code.

Idles a lot better too after cleaning the ICV.

[einstein57]

Does the battery light come on when you turn the key but not start it? If not your alternator could be bad. Also the light bulb itself for the battery indicator is part of your charging circuit. If the bulb burns out your battery won't charge.

[profbooty]

Does the battery light come on when you turn the key but not start it? If not your alternator could be bad. Also the light bulb itself for the battery indicator is part of your charging circuit. If the bulb burns out your battery won't charge.

Yes it comes on when i turn thekey but dont start it. Everything else seems ok at the moment. Too bad my garage isnt heated otherwise I wouldnt mind ding more bodywork/paint over the winter.

[profbooty]

Update:


10/30/08 installed a battery intended for a honda civic, weighs about 24 lbs. Nice to not have to leave my car on the trickle charger all the time and the 20lbs weight savings isn't so bad either.

On 11/11/08 I made a trip to the local junkyard and picked up two new rear tail lights, an M30 AFM, impulse sensor wire, battery tray and rubber boot for the ebrake. Also my K&N cone filter, and heat shield off ebay showed up.

11/13/08 installed M30 AFM, cone filter and heat shield. Car runs pretty good, idling around 650RPM so a bit lower, I will check again for leaks and make sure that all the fittings on are tight. Making slightly more power in the upper power band. Ill post up some pictures later.

On the downside I think I need to replace the coolant overflow line. Stretched it a bit too far around the heatshield, its old and cracked anyways so not a big deal.

[Dave]

crusty looking e30 + solid mechanicals = bliss