The Bavarian Falcon - 84 325e Project

[BimrFett]

The backstory:
This is my 2nd (err...3rd) BMW, but first E30 (that's driveable). I grew up with E9s and E24s in my pops' garage, and have dreamed of owning a classic BMW since before I could drive. Since earlier this year I had been kicking around the idea of a project car, like an E30, that would be good to hone my skills on and to enjoy as an alternative to my daily (an E60). My other E30 just had too much rust for my skills or budget, so I decided to move on to something reasonable.

I purchased her off of Craigslist on 8/13/17 in Maryland. The car was listed as a project with some mechanical and cosmetic issues, but no deal-breakers.



The Good:
- She has an M20B25 motor that runs quite strongly (made a 200mi trip home at 70+)
- Has a 5-speed, and a 3.73 LSD.
- She sits on coil-overs (a little stiff for my comfort)

The Bad:
- Has E36 seats (not bad, but could be better)
- Cracked dash (I have a decent replacement)
- Dead Odom (came with new gears)
- Loud modified exhaust
- Fuel tank leak at top of tank (fuel pump, maybe?)
- A/C doesn't work (not a priority)
- Minor cosmetic flaws (dings, scratches, 2 surface rust spots)
- Has a late-model facelift front bumper that wasn't painted very well and needs a re-paint (looks good from far away)
- Lacks power-steering (did somebody say E36/46 rack swap?)
- The stupid windshield sticker seen below (yes, I took it off the day after I brought her home)



I've only had the car a week and I'm already more smitten with E30s.

I will be using this thread to document my progress with the car, including fixing any known and unknown issues, regular maintenance, and my general thoughts on the car. I will also use it to describe my learning experiences as I progress with my wrenching skills. I will certainly be using this forum as a primary resource when working on the car!

[TheWipprSnappr]

Looking forward to the progress

[paynemw]

When you replace your dash, I'd suggest taking tons of pictures of the wire harness placement. Also, it can be painful removing the dash and installing a new one with the windshield in. If you remove the windshield, be VERY careful to apply even pressure when pressing it out of the gasket. Lastly, the part that holds the VIN in literally pops out, so you can pull the vin plate out and swap it. Embrace the paint as it stands now, focus on getting the car mechanically sound. And if you track it or autoX it, PLEASE put in a baffled oil pan and keep it below 6500RPM

[BimrFett]

When you replace your dash, I'd suggest taking tons of pictures of the wire harness placement. Also, it can be painful removing the dash and installing a new one with the windshield in. If you remove the windshield, be VERY careful to apply even pressure when pressing it out of the gasket. Lastly, the part that holds the VIN in literally pops out, so you can pull the vin plate out and swap it. Embrace the paint as it stands now, focus on getting the car mechanically sound. And if you track it or autoX it, PLEASE put in a baffled oil pan and keep it below 6500RPM

Thank you for all the wonderful tips! I can see keeping all the wiring harnesses straight will be quite the task.

I am thinking of replacing the windshield due to wear in the future; should I consider having that done at the time of the dash replacement (I'm in no rush to do either jobs)?

I definitely embrace the paint; I dig scars, not rust.

Maybe one day she willed be tracked/autoX'd, but for now she's just my project/antique toy.

[oekundar]

Congrats and welcome! I'm on my 2nd e30 as well, but looking forward to your build.

[BimrFett]

Update:
On Friday she went in to the local indie shop for a once over check-up. Unfortunately she did not pass with a clean bill of health, however nothing is beyond repair. The following are the tasks set for the immediate or near future.

Priority #1 - fix leaky water pump that has her grounded until I do the full T-Belt/Water Pump/etc job, including a VCG and cam seals to fix the oil drip. I also plan on replacing the old expansion tank.

Priority #2 - brake job; pads, rotors, lines, fluid change (already on the to-do list)

Priority #3 - replace bushings (already on the to-do list) as well as control arm/suspension refresh.

Priority #4 - fix rear camber issue - can anyone recommend a rear camber kit?

Question: The issue I am running into before proceeding with the T-belt/H20 Pump job is that I am unsure of my motor's manufactured year; the body of the car is an 84 "e" however it has an m20b25 motor of an unknown year. When I go to order a replacement kit, I am unsure what kit to order because of this. My question(s): is there a difference in m20b25's built prior to 9/87 and those after and is the best way to determine my motor's vintage done by removing the intake manifold and reading the code on the block?

TL/DR - can I determine my motor's age and does its manufactured date make a difference when ordering a T-belt/H20 Kit?

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[TheWipprSnappr]

For correcting rear camber you have a couple options.
You can go with correction kits like these: https://store.garagistic.com/bmw-per...orrection-Kits
Or, subframe riser bushings. Some people even install both but is not absolutely required.

Also, yes the water pumps for late and early models are different. You should just be able to look at the water pump on there and buy the one that looks like it (early pumps have two hose connections, late pumps have one).

[BimrFett]

For correcting rear camber you have a couple options.
You can go with correction kits like these: https://store.garagistic.com/bmw-per...orrection-Kits
Or, subframe riser bushings. Some people even install both but is not absolutely required.

Also, yes the water pumps for late and early models are different. You should just be able to look at the water pump on there and buy the one that looks like it (early pumps have two hose connections, late pumps have one).

Thank you!!!

I went and checked out the water pump and it's a 2-outlet / early model one; needless to say a new T-belt/H20 Pump kit was ordered. I am aiming to tackle this job next weekend. I am now searching for an upgraded (clear) reservoir to replace the OG one.

[BimrFett]

Update time:

So I haven't quite made the time to perform the surgery yet; she has been sitting for a bit (this bothers me).

In the meantime I've been doing my pre-op research on the full T-Belt/H20 Pump / cam seals / VCG job and making notes for myself in preparation. I also inventoried the tools I need vs. what I had. I used this thread as my primary source for what I should need:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/BOARD/showthread.php?t=158446&highlight=timing+belt+diy&t=158446&highlight=timing+belt+diy

However I'm going to use a 22mm socket rather than a wrench for the crankshaft.

I'm hoping to do surgery this/next weekend (however a woman may preclude this...) so I can have her back on the road and be on my way to the next project.

Any tips and feedback are much appreciated!

[BimrFett]

While I have yet to devote the necessary time for the T-Belt/H20 Pump surgery (soon, I promise), I have however found myself rescuing another E30.

I know, I know, every one says I don't need another (I have 2 including a parts car), well I found a happy medium - rescuing E30s. Let me explain; my brother has been looking for a new project car / something to track for some time and an E30 was on his short-list. I found one (87 325i Sedan) located about an hour away from me on Craigslist and contacted the seller. After speaking with the seller we agreed for me to look at the car and advise my brother further.

She was found in a garage surrounded by mountains of stuff; it reportedly had been in the garage since the seller bought it.

We were able to roll the car out:




I did check thoroughly in the usual places for rust; I found 1 quarter sized spot on the passenger side rocker as well as surface rust on rear driver's side door due to a dent/paint chipping. Otherwise I was quite surprised at the overall condition.

The seller reported that the car ran roughly when it last ran about a year ago and hasn't run since. This isn't much of an issue as my brother intends to motor swap it (S52, at this point). The car includes a hefty amount of records from the previous-previous owner who kept good care of the car; this is especially evident when you look at the (working) odometer:



We're both interested to research and see if the motor is the original one - I wouldn't he surprised.

The interior of the car was quite remarkable with light wear on front and rear seats, 3 cracks on the dash, a working glove box, and a relatively clean appearance given its age and current state/location.

After speaking with my brother a deal was agreed upon and the car was purchased for a small sum. It will be brought back to my place where it will stay until he returns in a month or so.
TL/DR - another E30 rescued