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Calypsorat 325is(orta), manual everything, Spain->AZ->SoCal

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    #16
    Nice work! Funny how these cars find their way back onto stands... Mine does too! Subb'd for more!
    -Christian

    '02 ///M3 CarbonSchwartz 6MT daily beast
    08/91 Mtechnic II 325IC alpine/lotus
    318iS, slow build/garage queen...
    '37 Chevy pickup, the über project
    Originally posted by roguetoaster
    Be sure to remind them that the M42 is one of the best engines ever made, but be sure to not mention where it actually falls on that list.

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      #17
      Looking forward to more. Man do I love calypso on e30s.

      Comment


        #18
        looks so good. Excited to see whats coming
        95 7.1L 16V E36 M3
        Motorsport Hardware ***Wheel studs and Spacers!!!--->FOR SALE 4/5 Lug Stud Conversion Kits available CLICK HERE
        LIKE my Facebook Page! CLICK HERE

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          #19
          So jealous..always loved that calypso color. Gl with your build.

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            #20
            Some little stuff.......


            I have had three shift knobs in the car, still do not have a shifter/knob setup I am happy with, probably have to modify a Z3 shifter to accept a threaded ball since the typical BMW options are so limited.

            The car came with a fake-carbon Momo knob, I debated stripping the fake carbon off and staining the wood underneath, but I sold it on Ebay instead:






            I tried a stocker but it felt like shit and would come off in my hand:






            My roommate had this thing laying around, it has a Momo collar on it, but I don't think its actually Momo. It feels a lot better than the others so its what I've stuck with:





            And a current-ish interior pic, I had to switch it to the early style column stalks since the airbag wheel is long gone (I still hit the wiper on accident all the time), and I eliminated the cruise stalk since the servo is gone:






            My power antenna didn't work, I don't listen to the radio anyway, and I'd like the car as light as possible, so I sold the Hirschmann setup on Ebay and replaced it with a $.75 delete plug I sourced from Lowes. It shows shitty tape lines from the respray, but the clearcoat is so fucked its the least of my worries:






            All the trunk tools were gone, but I was able to score some really clean ones out of a car I helped part out, I have since added the 8mm/10mm wrench and tow hook, but I still need a screwdriver:






            And from the same car I also got a faded Euro plate filler for really cheap, I wouldn't have bothered but it covered outward dents from when the trunk lacked carpet:






            A little SEM trim black and some 3M foam tape later:








            Fuck it, I'm not editing my plate out.

            Next post will be getting into the ugly stuff.......
            sigpic
            1991 325i Sport - Calypsorot Metallic - DAILY DRIVEN

            WTB in SoCal: 8"/10" Lukebox, leather Sport steering wheel, 60L MotoMeter fuel gauge, Thule/Yakima roof rack

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              #21
              The weather started getting cooler, the car started stalling occasionally when the engine was cold. Although it always felt weak to start, it was getting increasingly hard to get running, and eventually would barely start at all.

              "Lets see what kind of compression numbers it has...." my roommate says:





              Only one cylinder over 100, another nearly dead. Well that's no good. And on the trip down the street to warm it up for the compression test, something in the motor started making a lot of noise. Nothing visibly wrong in the valvetrain, maybe piston slap? Who knows, I don't think we ever got that motor running again.

              This was kind of my fear. I had to fix SO MUCH STUFF, more than I have posted photos of here, so much money, and the car consuming all of my time. But... but I can't have a project car. I was so annoyed with this car, regretting the decision, thinking about how I could have kept my Neon, redone the suspension, turboed it AND got new wheels for less than I had into this E30. The offer was extended to buy my Neon back, and I very seriously contemplated it. I was absolutely numb, my motor was toast and I wasn't even mad, I was pretty much expecting it. This was right before Thanksgiving, just in time for the holidays.




              Those of you paying close attention may remember my mention of a Del Sol in my household, fortunately for me its just an extra car that the neighbors complain about and its extended use was offered up. Can't beat an open-roof loaner in SoCal:




              Actually not a horrible car, in frustrating times with my E30 I was scanning Craigslist for clean examples.



              The hunt begins, fortunately it was brief.

              First I found a 325i part-out on Inland Empire Craigslist a little over an hour away. I was able to bring my own battery and AFM and get it running in the car, but the damn thing wouldn't stop smoking. The guy said it didn't do that before, blah blah, so I noped out of there and he gave me the tow hook out of the trunk for my troubles.

              I had posted a WTB M20B25 ad on here, and the next day after my trip to San Bernardino I got a PM that was basically "I got one but a guy from Craigslist is coming up tomorrow, but if you can make it up tonight money talks..." I hopped in the Del Sol and drove to what ended up being the Garagistic shop in Huntington Beach, the motor was still in the car, a silver '89 which they had used for parts development that was sadly hit and totaled on a run to the store. I got to lot drive it, it felt way stronger than I was used to, even cold. Just cranking it over it felt better than mine.






              Thaaaaat's more like it:






              The price was right, it came with a bunch of extra parts I could sell off, so we exchanged a little cash and agreed that they would remove the engine that Saturday morning for my pick up that afternoon. Saturday came and $60 in diesel later I had a second M20 riding down to SD in the back of my buddy's big F250:






              The fun begins....
              Last edited by Vincent Brick; 09-28-2016, 06:34 PM.
              sigpic
              1991 325i Sport - Calypsorot Metallic - DAILY DRIVEN

              WTB in SoCal: 8"/10" Lukebox, leather Sport steering wheel, 60L MotoMeter fuel gauge, Thule/Yakima roof rack

              Comment


                #22
                Excellent! Another local guy. Great color too.
                Si vis pacem, para bellum.

                New Hawtness: 1995 540i/6 Claptrap
                Defunct too: Cirrusblau m30 Project
                Defunct (sold): Alta Vista

                79 Bronco SHTF Build

                Comment


                  #23
                  Seems there is a few of us in Oside. I see TJ a lot with the black E30 on big style 5s, saw a lowered white E30 on Mission recently, and of course the red 4dr that's always sitting in front of Ecology.
                  sigpic
                  1991 325i Sport - Calypsorot Metallic - DAILY DRIVEN

                  WTB in SoCal: 8"/10" Lukebox, leather Sport steering wheel, 60L MotoMeter fuel gauge, Thule/Yakima roof rack

                  Comment


                    #24
                    The one at Ecology has a Delphin 4 door 318is. He is a good dude. I haven been in months. Mine hasn't moved under its own power in about 5 years.

                    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
                    Si vis pacem, para bellum.

                    New Hawtness: 1995 540i/6 Claptrap
                    Defunct too: Cirrusblau m30 Project
                    Defunct (sold): Alta Vista

                    79 Bronco SHTF Build

                    Comment


                      #25
                      Subscribed.
                      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


                        #26
                        I can do some work in my driveway at home but have no real workspace, though I work at a performance parts manufacturer and have access to our development shop, so I brought the motor down there:






                        I started pulling parts off the long block, I had a bunch of stuff to sell so I had big list of stuff posted here and on Craigslist. I guy from Craigslist hits me up like "how much for all of it?" He didn't actually take all of it, but he took a lot of it, and when he comes to pick the stuff up I'm explaining how I got the motor and suddenly he's like "So you got that motor out from under us!" Turns out he was the same guy from Craigslist who wanted the motor from Garagistic, that I ran up there to beat and put a deposit down. We laughed about it and looked at his '88 Super ETA project, and when he left I had a significant amount of what I spent on this motor back in my pocket.

                        On my lunch breaks and after work I degreased and resealed the new motor in preparation for installation:






                        Water pump, timing belt, valve adjustment... I used a lot of scotch-brite, trying to leave things natural, I wanted clean but not some cheesy rattle-can rebuild. I did spray some semi-flat black on the trigger wheel/alt pulley, however, and on the charcoal canister that had some surface rust, but that was all the spray paint used. No AC or PS so I left that pulley off.








                        ...and on my days off I got the old motor stripped down in the driveway:






                        Finally right after Xmas we decided it was time to get this knocked out. Originally I was going to get the car to my work and do the swap there, but some stuff was going to be in the way of the lift so the decision was made to do the work closer to home at the independent BMW shop where my roommate works. This meant a trip to get the engine, but only a 5 mile ride on the trailer instead of 35. This was the first time the car moved in over a month:

                        Last edited by Vincent Brick; 01-18-2015, 01:12 AM.
                        sigpic
                        1991 325i Sport - Calypsorot Metallic - DAILY DRIVEN

                        WTB in SoCal: 8"/10" Lukebox, leather Sport steering wheel, 60L MotoMeter fuel gauge, Thule/Yakima roof rack

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Updates?
                          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


                            #28
                            A year later I am back with some updates. For a while I was really frustrated with the car, and there are so many killer builds going on here I didn't feel it was worthy of a thread such as this. I also got a little sketched after I became aware of some E30 thefts near me. Well.... I had a few spare minutes so decided to start updating a little, like there isn't 15 more important things I could be doing right now... :)

                            I'll be putting the caption below each photo from here on.










                            It was just after Christmas 2014, the car unloaded off the tralier.





                            The car and it's new engine together for the first time.









                            Old long block going... going... gone.
                            Last edited by Vincent Brick; 09-28-2016, 06:40 PM.
                            sigpic
                            1991 325i Sport - Calypsorot Metallic - DAILY DRIVEN

                            WTB in SoCal: 8"/10" Lukebox, leather Sport steering wheel, 60L MotoMeter fuel gauge, Thule/Yakima roof rack

                            Comment


                              #29

                              A view of my Euro manual steering rack.





                              New engine and existing good trans going in.





                              New home.





                              Manifolds, ignition, freebie oversize aluminum radiator, fluids. That coolant machine was badass, fills and pressure tests the system in just a few minutes using vacuum, note the collapsed upper hose.





                              All day into the night we got it done, but we lacked an oil filter and nothing was open that late on a Sunday, so out for burritos we went, unfulfilled from not hearing it roar to life.





                              The goal was to get it out of there before the shop's next work day, but fortunately the owner loves Calypso and is a super nice guy anyway so no one minded it sitting there for the day.





                              After putting oil in it that night it fired right up essentially without a hitch and I triumphantly drove it home. The next day was NYE and it felt great to be able to go outside and drive away in my own car after more than a month of not doing so. I could not have done it without Spencer and Neil at Oceanside Motorsports and a few other friends and coworkers.
                              sigpic
                              1991 325i Sport - Calypsorot Metallic - DAILY DRIVEN

                              WTB in SoCal: 8"/10" Lukebox, leather Sport steering wheel, 60L MotoMeter fuel gauge, Thule/Yakima roof rack

                              Comment


                                #30
                                From then on there was nothing too exciting, shortly after the engine swap I put a quieter 3.73 LSD in it and the LR wheel bearing, and after that i was finally able to really just drive the car. As I type this it is a year of 75-mile daily commutes later and I have done nothing else to the engine or driveline beyond standard maintenance.






                                In the spring of 2015 I bought a set of cleanish black vinyl sport seats and matching later rear seat with headrests. The sport seats ended up needing some love, and now again today need further love, but they really made the interior look proper and they are very supportive. Rear seat is late foam style for a sedan and still in the car for now, but its not as nice as my early coupe seat that fits correctly, so I will likely switch the headrests to the early horsehair coupe seat in the coming weeks. I didn't like the headrests at first, but they have really grown on me, partially because they block out the view of the non-period-correct 6x9s installed by a PO and the overwhelming extra sound they create. They also look kinda cool, though they do go against the car's stripped-down theme.





                                I'll post more eventually, I need to upload the pics of my recent suspension upgrade and some randoms. Thanks for looking.
                                sigpic
                                1991 325i Sport - Calypsorot Metallic - DAILY DRIVEN

                                WTB in SoCal: 8"/10" Lukebox, leather Sport steering wheel, 60L MotoMeter fuel gauge, Thule/Yakima roof rack

                                Comment

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