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

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    #61
    Not much to update, car has been reliable except for a leaking, corroded thermostat housing and a worsening throttle heater leak that eventually left me stranded at a buddy's overnight. A couple miles on a borrowed bicycle and I was able to acquire parts and water to bypass it and get home...






    ... and a few days later I did a permanent bypass, replaced the housing, thermostat and fresh BMW coolant. Later on I will eliminate the hose barbs on the throttle heater cover plate to keep the smog people from asking questions. Fortunately I have been getting some part time hours wrenching at a small shop and was able to do the work there.







    Have been struggling with employment so barely putting any miles on it, and no money for fun stuff, as soon as I find steady work I will have to decide what my realistic plans for the car are. If I had my way I would have it glass-out repainted, fresh shadowline trim, and put an S50 or S52 in it, but I may have to accept that I do not have the resources to do what equates to almost a full resto and motor swap on my daily driver when I don't have any sort of workspace or storage. I may have to accept that it is in my best interest to pass it on and get an E36 M3, cheap Z3M or S2000 if I want something faster and shinier.

    Or maybe I should just try and do the bodywork myself (have no experience), get it wrapped cheap (Calypso still), and keep driving it while I try and put together a low buck cammed/headwork 2.7L (in my back yard). If such a motor would pass smog anyway, really not sure. Opinions welcome.
    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


      #62
      Just wanted to pop in and say that I've enjoyed your thread for a while now, and it is part of the reason I ditched my second car. Daily driven E30's are happy E30's! Not to mention it seems like your car has a pretty cool history behind it as well.

      That being said, I know the struggles of not having a workspace to achieve performance goals while simultaneously waiting for funds to come through. Jumping into another car is probably the easiest way to gain some extra power, but with a bit of planning/saving I think you can achieve some reasonable power goals.

      If you want to maintain reliability and avoid fiddling with tunes, a plug and play swap is probably the way to go. The M52 from an E46 as well as some other newer BMW engines can be had for a song at the local junkyards (at least here in Texas). They might not be as common as the S50/S52 swaps, but I think it could be done cheaply and would provide a serious boost in power over the M20.

      There are a lot of routes you can take, sometimes you just need to get a little creative :) MR E30 325is performed an entire S50 swap in a parking lot!

      Good luck with it, and hopefully you decide to keep her :up:
      Last edited by zwill23; 09-20-2017, 01:49 PM.

      Comment


        #63
        clean clean car man!
        Paynemw
        1986 Toyota 4Runner SR5 - Sold!
        the ebb and flow of 325is ownership - In RVA
        1988 BMW 535is - RIP but my dream BMW

        Comment


          #64
          Originally posted by zwill23 View Post
          Just wanted to pop in and say that I've enjoyed your thread for a while now, and it is part of the reason I ditched my second car. Daily driven E30's are happy E30's! Not to mention it seems like your car has a pretty cool history behind it as well.

          That being said, I know the struggles of not having a workspace to achieve performance goals while simultaneously waiting for funds to come through. Jumping into another car is probably the easiest way to gain some extra power, but with a bit of planning/saving I think you can achieve some reasonable power goals.

          If you want to maintain reliability and avoid fiddling with tunes, a plug and play swap is probably the way to go. The M52 from an E46 as well as some other newer BMW engines can be had for a song at the local junkyards (at least here in Texas). They might not be as common as the S50/S52 swaps, but I think it could be done cheaply and would provide a serious boost in power over the M20.

          There are a lot of routes you can take, sometimes you just need to get a little creative :) MR E30 325is performed an entire S50 swap in a parking lot!

          Good luck with it, and hopefully you decide to keep her :up:

          What is even more frustrating, is that for most of my adult life (I'm 40) I have had my own garage/shop space at home, always had project cars that didn't get daily driven, but then my entire life fell apart, and well, things have just not been good. My E30 and a couple of toolboxes is about all I have.

          I would try and do an outdoors swap if I could, I certainly have the weather for it here, but there is just no space. I have a driveway spot but the driveway is PACKED, no work area, not even enough room to open my doors where I park due to my landlords hoarding and multiple stalled projects. Here in California if I wanted to do a legal swap (too much financial risk otherwise), to be on the safe side you have to get the entire car and pull the motor out so you have the paperwork from it to help legalize it for smog, but I have nowhere to store another car, not even anywhere to park a runner, and I kinda question the reliability of any motor from an M3 shitty enough to be parted (and the nice wrecks all get snatched up quick by the performance shops and those with connections). I would try and build an M20 stroker or something in my backyard, but then I have no clue how I would even get it out of my backyard through the narrow gate on dirt, and again I have no place to put it in. Same goes for trying to learn to do my own bodywork and get it set up for paint or wrap, I can't disassemble anything because no place to put any of the parts, and then when it's done, it will be constantly parked inches away from other vehicles where it will immediate start collecting door dings and scratches from my shitload of roommates carelessly squeezing between the mass of cars as they come and go. Also, I have literally no one local to help me, I am 100% on my own with all of this.

          Basically living in California is preventing me from doing every single thing I want to do except live in California.

          I really don't want a car as big/modern/complex/luxurious as an E36, and M Roadsters are out of my range unless I get a really shitty one, but I just don't see any way to ever make my car nice as long as I am living in CA, it's not like things are getting any better for me. Eventually I will have to do something though, because I'm not sure how much life this 250k mile M20 has left in it. I'm trying to just be happy that I own a beat up E30 that runs at all.
          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


            #65
            Originally posted by paynemw View Post
            clean clean car man!
            Thanks, but you wouldn't say that if you saw it! It looks pretty sorry these days, I just try to make the pics flattering.
            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


              #66
              Haven't updated in quite a while, because really there has been very little to update. The car has been very reliable (knock on wood), and I don't think I have done anything else beyond oil changes and a wheel bearing in the last several months.


              I burnt through this set of tires quick since I have so much negative camber (still trying to come up with money for another rear subframe and camber plates), and my Alpina wheels were so bent and in need of refinishing, that I ordered a set of 8" Tire Rack wheels to go with another set of the same Hankook Ventus I had before.

              My RF tire was slightly starting to come apart, and I've been doing an 80-mile daily commute, so fortunately a guy I work for was nice enough to lend me some Enkeis with bald tires off the leased Fiat 500 he just returned. Step-Van fitment, even with 10mm spacers:





              Which was good, because the shop I ordered my wheels through (got a wholesale discount) accidentally ordered me the 7" version, which they ended up keeping for one of their E30 track cars:





              At some point through all this I test fit some 225/45 Kumhos on 15x8+15 Avid1 wheels off the 325i Touring I have been building. I may have to try 225s next:





              A week later the correct wheels showed up (interesting how the 7" has a boss for second schrader valve, but not the 8"):





              Because I'm a brokedick with no access to a truck:





              Seeing how nice those gold Avid1 wheels looked on my car (a shame they have been discontinued), and not wanting to look like every other E30 on Black C1s, I decided to try some gold Plasti-Dip. I had never used Plasti-Dip before and wasn't sure what to expect, not completely satisfied with the result but sufficient for a daily driver and good experience:









              The next day I tossed some damaged lugnuts, replaced them with matching spares from the stash, painted those and finally got everything on, then immediately went on a 700-mile trip through the desert:













              For the first time in literally 15 years I own a car that doesn't have a steering wheel shake at highway speeds! I hadn't realized just how badly my Alpinas were bent, between that and the soft new-tire feel it was like floating, as much as one can with poly bushes and what-have-you. This week I wrapping up the Touring project I have been working on, but it looks like I got some part time work lined up which is also 40 miles away, so the 80-mile/day commute will continue for the time being (can't find any local work, but can't afford to move to where the work is).



              As for my Alpinas, I am not sure what to do. I would like to have them straightened and professionally refinished, but they are so valuable I am not sure I can justify keeping them. It would probably be more wise to sell them and put that money into fixing my camber, but I do really prefer their look over the C1s, more period-correct which is somewhat important to me. I scored a free set of these badass BMW tire storage bags, so for now this is where they will live until I can make a decision:





              Onward to 300k miles!


              Follow my automotive misadventures on Instagram:
              466 Followers, 464 Following, 796 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from (@thevincenthrd)
              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


                #67
                I was very close to picking up a set of those C1s myself before a buddy put some euroweaves under my nose. For the price point, I really don't think you can beat the C1s for their performance / looks / fitment.

                Keep those miles comin'!

                Comment


                  #68
                  Is this becoming a yearly update? Currently at about 270k miles, made some recent changes....

                  The leather started to come apart on my Sport steering wheel, so I got a 360mm Nardi mahogany. It was a two month ordeal to get the steering wheel and correct/non-damaged hub only to not end up liking it, now trying to find a nice Sport wheel again, or maybe something else aftermarket in 380mm with a thicker rim. This Nardi will look better in my buddy's vert that already has a Nardi mahogany shift knob, OEM wood dash kit, not to mention power steering and he doesn't have arthritis lol.






                  Right at the same time I found a trans mount was blown out, and saw some fine cracks in my steering guibo, so picked up some urethane pieces from Condor and IE. Sharp eyes will notice this steering wheel hub is for an E21. :)






                  I also repaired a broken solder joint in the check panel, I no longer get a false indicator that a license plate bulb is out.






                  I got a Z3 shifter, IE DSSR, shifter small parts, a white ball shift knob with questionable adapter, and some trans/diff lube to install in my near future, hopefully reduce the slop in my current shitty shifter. I might hold off on the diff lube though since I think I'm going to pull my old S3.73 out of storage and rebuild it for a learning project.






                  10 years and 4 owners ago my car was lightly tapped in the ass, the owner at the time taking the insurance money and not fixing the cracked bumper and trim somewhat visible in this older photo. (I sure wish my paint still shined like that! *sigh*)






                  This morning I finally ripped that thing off...






                  And installed a bumper I picked up this week off a Calypso '92 vert that was being parted out next to a prison down by the Mexican border. Anyone know a trick to bring back a little of the sheen in that center bumper molding? I have a brand new one tucked away, but that won't really match either.






                  And last, a pic I took on Xmas.






                  I am starting to get the urge to sell this thing for something newer, faster and shinier that doesn't need the constant attention it requires to keep all the little stuff (kinda) working. Specifically wanting a C5 or C6 Corvette, but I know registration and insurance will be a bitch, as will premium fuel. I would prefer to put a S5x in this and have it painted, but I just don't have the space, time or help to do any projects that big, can't own a 2nd car. Sell it for an E30 that is already swapped and has nicer paint? Either way I probably can't have a nicer car until I move out of my house due to my disrespectful roommates, the parking situation at my house is shit. We'll see how this year goes, things may be looking up. They have to eventually, right?
                  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


                    #69
                    Originally posted by Vincent Brick View Post
                    Basically living in California is preventing me from doing every single thing I want to do except live in California.
                    I feel you on this one brother.

                    I think it looks good enough to not worry about bodywork too much, especially since this is a DD. I also think it'd be easier to do a smog legal m20 stroker than worry about the headaches of a 24v swap getting BARed...especially since you'd need a donor car to do it cheaply.
                    Last edited by wworm; 01-14-2019, 10:53 AM.
                    1984 Delphin 318i 2 door

                    Comment


                      #70
                      Originally posted by Vincent Brick View Post
                      Anyone know a trick to bring back a little of the sheen in that center bumper molding? I have a brand new one tucked away, but that won't really match either.


                      Get a can of SEM trim paint and spray all of the bumper trim, and any of the faded black trim/ door handles/ etc that has gone gray. Its the best stuff out there. $25ish for a can thats totally worth it.
                      Simon
                      Current Cars:
                      -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

                      Make R3V Great Again -2020

                      Comment


                        #71
                        Originally posted by 2mAn View Post
                        Get a can of SEM trim paint and spray all of the bumper trim, and any of the faded black trim/ door handles/ etc that has gone gray. Its the best stuff out there. $25ish for a can thats totally worth it.

                        I already have a can that I used when I got my euro plate filler, I liked it on the grainy plastic like that, but a bit iffy about trying it on the smooth stuff like bumper moldings, I struggle to ever get a consistent finish when doing gloss or fine satins like that. I have a door molding faded worse than the others, and I need to redo the bottom of my rear valence, and my grill pretty rough too now that I think about it, so maybe I'll do all of it at the same time once winter is over and we have some daylight.
                        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


                          #72
                          Originally posted by wworm View Post
                          I feel you on this one brother.

                          I think it looks good enough to not worry about bodywork too much, especially since this is a DD. I also think it'd be easier to do a smog legal m20 stroker than worry about the headaches of a 24v swap getting BARed...especially since you'd need a donor car to do it cheaply.



                          I just want a car that shines so bad, never had a car with actual nice paint, but I'm tired of driving shit that looks ragged, last few cars had terrible paint. Same goes for slow shit, an M20 build is just not at all worth the effort to me. I'm 40 now and have been longing for even just 200whp for literally decades. I might be able to achieve my dream of moving into a commercial shop space this year, which will allow me to actually do some work and have a second car, but if that doesn't pan out the E30 is going to have to go in favor of a Corvette or similar. If I can't get a space its just going to be a drag trying to keep being an E30 owner through that, I've already done 5 years and an M20 swap working on this thing outside and random places with half my tools and not even a workbench.


                          I don't even think you can do a S5x swap without a donor car in SoCal, in 5 years I have seen those motors come up for sale around here exactly twice. I'm pretty sure shops horde them for their own customer swaps or something, they just don't seem to change hands openly ever.
                          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


                            #73
                            Originally posted by Vincent Brick View Post
                            I already have a can that I used when I got my euro plate filler, I liked it on the grainy plastic like that, but a bit iffy about trying it on the smooth stuff like bumper moldings, I struggle to ever get a consistent finish when doing gloss or fine satins like that. I have a door molding faded worse than the others, and I need to redo the bottom of my rear valence, and my grill pretty rough too now that I think about it, so maybe I'll do all of it at the same time once winter is over and we have some daylight.
                            Ive used it on my brand new euro trim, my faded door handles, euro grilles, everything. I just make sure its not dirty and spray away. two coats is more than enough.

                            Originally posted by Vincent Brick View Post
                            I just want a car that shines so bad, never had a car with actual nice paint, but I'm tired of driving shit that looks ragged, last few cars had terrible paint. Same goes for slow shit, an M20 build is just not at all worth the effort to me. I'm 40 now and have been longing for even just 200whp for literally decades. I might be able to achieve my dream of moving into a commercial shop space this year, which will allow me to actually do some work and have a second car, but if that doesn't pan out the E30 is going to have to go in favor of a Corvette or similar. If I can't get a space its just going to be a drag trying to keep being an E30 owner through that, I've already done 5 years and an M20 swap working on this thing outside and random places with half my tools and not even a workbench.


                            I don't even think you can do a S5x swap without a donor car in SoCal, in 5 years I have seen those motors come up for sale around here exactly twice. I'm pretty sure shops horde them for their own customer swaps or something, they just don't seem to change hands openly ever.
                            The motors are out here, and truly I would go for a ride in other E30s that have turbos, 24v swaps, etc but if I remember right you want to keep it BAR legal right? This means either having everything and making it pass BAR, or doing like a mild-ish M20. a proper 2.8L M20 will make 200whp but its going to likely cost more with the offset of that being that you will have a fresh motor too, whereas a 24v will probably be a used 150k+ mile motor.

                            As far as the cosmetics go, I 100% agree and justified having an ugly car by saying I wasnt worried about it getting dinged up, but when my Aluminum Monster got freshly painted bumpers, mint OEM fenders, and hood... I was in love, so I get it. I think the hood and trunk lid are the worst on your car, no? Calypso, like Laguna, Brilliantrot, Cirrusblau and others all suffered from clearcoat issues, so it puts you in a tough spot, repaint or source as many mint panels, but then you lose VIN matching status, if it even is. My aluminum monster had zero VIN matching panels, but looked great.

                            Lots to chew on, just have to keep your eyes out and swoop on deals
                            Simon
                            Current Cars:
                            -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

                            Make R3V Great Again -2020

                            Comment


                              #74
                              Thanks for the heads up about the SEM, I'll give it a shot. I have an extra piece of trim I'll do it on first maybe. I was really happy with how it turned out on my euro filler, but the texture is so different.

                              I've rode in a 325whp turbo M20 E30 and it was way more power than I need. I built a 300whp E30 touring last year, and it made decent power, but the amount of hassle to get it running and the Megasquirt working, just no. Still fighting with it trying to get it to run right, the 2nd MS doesn't operate the tech for some reason, the people who made the ECU don't want to help, the tuners suck and its just not any fun. I have literally never ridden in another E30 aside from a stock ix and stock M42 both many years ago. I am less worried about BAR-legal than daily driver reliability, but I don't have friends into cars or anything, nor work in that industry anymore, so consistently being able to locate a smog guy is a concern.

                              My car was already resprayed once 10 years ago, like Maaco quality runs and all, it is that clearcoat that has failed on all horizontal surfaces, and the vertical surfaces aren't a whole lot better. Tons of scratches and dents throughout, both fenders have bacon lips. It doesn't just need a respray, it needs a full exterior resto, all the trim around the windows, glass-out, the works. I could do the prep myself if I had a space and another car, it would be fun, but it might be years still before I can have either. And it seems pointless to do all that to a car thats just going to sit outside.

                              I'd rather have my E30 repainted with an S52 and its endless small problems fixed than a Vette, but I just do not know how to achieve that without a garage or friends to assist. With an M20 my car just isn't fun enough to make up for it taking over my life, spending all my free time in the street repeatedly trying to fix the same dumb shit over and over to keep the car from turning into a complete pile. I need something that can be a better daily driver with more performance that requires less attention, not a project car, perhaps something a little less molested that hasn't already been taken apart 15 times by the time I get my hands on it. I feel like me E30 deserves to not be a daily driver. I dunno, I'm rambling, I don't have people to talk about this shit with irl.....
                              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


                                #75
                                I’m pretty sure there’s a GTG that happens in San Diego somewhere, should probably start venturing out. I believe you’re into cars, not just BMW so cars and coffees are also a good place to meet like-minded people too.

                                It sounds like you need a 24v. Make it BAR legal with the correct smog equipment and you won’t need a smog guy every other year. Also, 200whp can be achieved with a S52 cammed M52, bringing the cost down versus buying a S52 instead. I was aiming for 200whp with mine and it made 225whp and was perfect
                                Last edited by 2mAn; 01-15-2019, 10:27 AM.
                                Simon
                                Current Cars:
                                -1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle

                                Make R3V Great Again -2020

                                Comment

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