318is Slicktop M52 SWAP

[MaxBell]

Ew..that guibo is gross. It looks almost pink in this light.

[cormier]

Interested to hear how that flex disc works out!

Also that firewall panel looks nice! It's usually the worst looking part of an e30 bay lol

[mtlbloodshot]

Originally Posted by MaxBell

Ew..that guibo is gross. It looks almost pink in this light.

The more shit talkin you do the more expensive your bags will be

Originally Posted by cormier

Interested to hear how that flex disc works out!

Also that firewall panel looks nice! It's usually the worst looking part of an e30 bay lol

Thanks bud, I hope to see your car one day either at Eurokracy here in Montreal, H20i or even bimmer cruise in Ontario

[mtlbloodshot]

Friday, November 2, 2012 --

More welding was done in the bay.. Plates were cut and fitted.

[mtlbloodshot]

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 --

Well since cars don't like being winter driven, my 318is showed signs of it. The driver frame rail was rotted and so was the floor. Passenger side was "alright" but still needed work to be perfect. My body guy cut out what was rusted and welded thick metal to repair the floor/frame rail. Also the jack points were crap so those too were done. Here are some before and after pics.




Look what the UPS guy brought me today
Air House 2 bags for the rear. This way I can modify the trailing arms before sending them to out sandblast / powder coat.



Wednesday, November 7, 2012 --

After opening a thread asking about Crossmember Reinforcement, I got some comments saying that M42 crossmembers are more likely to crack. I wire wheeled around the mount points and found that one side was already starting to crack. Had to do something about it. Instead of purchasing a made kit, I took the thickest piece of sheet metal I could find at the shop,cardboard paper and got to work. Made an outline quick quick and modified it on the fly. They came out alright.Hopefully they do the job. Had them welded and also freshened up some spots. Next up have to make the holes.

[mtlbloodshot]

Monday, November 12, 2012 --

The weekend is when the magic happens at the shop. Body work gets done! The bay was smoothed down and sealed Friday. Saturday plastic was spread and Sunday sanding began. These pics are from this morning. One side is almost done.








Last year I purchased a front bumper from a member here. Thankfully it came from somewhere that never saw snow, so it was clean without rust. Gave it a fast cleaning, scotch bright and paint. The usual routine.




Can someone please help and tell me what this box is for? There are only two wires coming from the fuse box into it. I was thinking maybe it was a SRS diagnostic plug.

[mtlbloodshot]

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 --

I wasn't very surprised when I saw my wheel wells with the wheels/subframe off. Apparently they really are one of the e30 weak spots. Being driven in the snow for who knows how long, they really took a beating. The driver side can be saved according to my friend but the passenger needs to be replaced completely. It's rotten to the point of no return all the way up to the gas cap. Driver side has already begun.

At this point of the build, I am well over my intended budget but hey, do it once, do it right. Enjoy the rust.

[mtlbloodshot]

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 --

Great day! Went to pick up the rear subframe, trailing arms and crossmember from sand blasting. They look great. Obviously they aren't perfect as they are 20 years old but once they are painted, they'll be much better looking than rusty and old.
Just waiting for my friend to finish painting a car in the paint booth, then they'll get painted black with a tough clear.





My Z3M Diff gasket was placed with silicone. Brand new copper washers on the bolts and drain plugs. AKG bushing pressed in. I searched around online and saw that 45NM is a good number for the torque on the bolts/plugs. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[mtlbloodshot]

Saturday, November 17, 2012 --

I ordered a OEM outer wheel well from BMW West Island in Montreal. I was told that it would take 2-3 business to arrive but some how got it the next day. This part is usually changed once the quarter panel is removed so we had to make it work somehow. Decided to take the part and cut it into sections to make it fit. It's a shame to take a brand new part and chop it into pieces to make it work but hey, it saves time and makes every ones job easier. Next up, is the battery tray in the trunk.
Wheel Well

Passenger Side Cut



Drive Side Repaired


Passenger Side Repaired

[mtlbloodshot]

Monday, November 19, 2012 --

After excessive reading and questioning, I found out clearly that I'll need 6 cylinder differential output flanges for my Z3M DIFF. Luckily a good friend of mine has a parts car with a medium case off. Went to see the car yesterday, differential was sitting there inside the car. Removed the flanges and took them with me. Got to the shop this afternoon and started removing all the crap that was on them. First picture shows the difference between clean and dirty. Once they were cleaned, I sprayed them with high heat flat black paint.






Tuesday, November 20, 2012 --

Got the new half shafts I ordered Monday afternoon. I painted them just incase they try to rust. Next thing to be done is drop down the gas tank. It might have to be sent out to clean up and make sure there isn't any rust inside or cracks. Have to bring it down before I reinstall the rear subframe. Planning on ordering my rear wheel bearings and the front control arms soon.

[solarian]

Amazing work! How did you make your shifter tall like that if you don't mind me asking? Is it just a knob, or did you change the lever?

[mtlbloodshot]

Originally Posted by solarian

Amazing work! How did you make your shifter tall like that if you don't mind me asking? Is it just a knob, or did you change the lever?

Its a TRM shift knob. If you go on their website you can actually get custom heights made.

[egye30]

Glad to see you're making some good progress man, hope to see the car finished by this upcoming season. I'm just curious as to why you decided to go with air ride suspension?

[mtlbloodshot]

Thursday, November 22, 2012 --

Planning on starting the rebuild of the rear subframe so I had to clean the wheel hubs. Pretty simple. Degrease, wire brush,cleaning pad and paint. Routine. Also reinforced the front crossmember sway bar tabs but sadly I didn't take any pics of this. I couldn't find something solid laying around the shop so I just grabbed two full metal rods, welded them together and then welded to the trailing arms to make the "A" style reinforcement like the Z3Ms. I'll have more updates later tonight as the trailing arms, subframe and crossmember are currently drying from paint.

[mtlbloodshot]

Friday, November 23, 2012 --

A lot of updates coming today! Lets start with these