I bought a new (additional) daily driver

I was just watching an old home video from 1991 when I was 3 years old and one shot showed me walking in front of my dad's old car parked in the driveway, a blue 1989 325iX. He must have sold it 15 years ago though. Great looking car man!

Well, I finally had a chance to get back to this car. The wagon is finished, the paint and bodywork and re-assembly is all complete. I swapped the engine/trans/SCs between the two E46s. This placed the original eng/trans and SC (stage 2+) back in the sedan and placed the completely built stage 3 eng/trans and SC in the wagon.

So, on to the E30:

I thought I had the new rotors for the rear and realized the vendor sent me two sets of the fronts...been sitting on them since December...ugh!!








And installed the Euro trim:







I will tackle the front of the car tomorrow:




The other vehicles:

full of win Stu.

done righter than right

rust prevention w1n.

it's the little things

yea, I have delayed working on the E30 hoping for perfect drying weather for the POR

your driveway is filled with soooo much win.

Success!

todays update - I ended up only working on the front lighting, the splitter and the bumper trim:




I finally have both fogs - although the new left unit is SO MUCH clearer - so I ordered a right side to match

I had to order H1 bulbs - didnt realize the damn $$$$ lights didnt come with bulbs

Originally Posted by iconike46

Your driveway is filled with soooo much win.

+5000

I finished the front lighting, I will get back to the front suspension and brakes tomorrow (and install the euro side indicators)

Originally Posted by 330i ZHP

I finished the front lighting, I will get back to the front suspension and brakes tomorrow (and install the euro side indicators)

Modding pretty quick Stu. looking good

i have had all this stuff sitting here waiting - the other cars came first

I installed new sway links and mounts in the rear...the old ones were completely dry rotted and crumbling

I need to inspect the control arms and bushing - I am guessing they are screwed as well - might explain why its like riding in a boat through the turns

Originally Posted by 330i ZHP

I installed new sway links and mounts in the rear...the old ones were completely dry rotted and crumbling

I need to inspect the control arms and bushing - I am guessing they are screwed as well - might explain why its like riding in a boat through the turns

When I replace my sways. They help out a good bit. But yes I would change all bushings.

When I grow up, I want to be like OP.

todays update - not much but I still spent HOURS working on the little sh1t

I installed the right side euro indicator, painted where the fresh metal was exposed, cleaned inside the front right fender, inner wheel well, and inside the fender towards the passenger door (found some rust where the one bolt for the mud flap connects to the body (or did)

I cut away the rust to good metal and filled the inner area with cavity foam (but cut it back to allow for welding in new section of metal)

welded in a small section of sheet metal, primed and painted with POR - then painted the entire right front inner fender and inner wheel well with POR allowed to dry and then applied undercoating...

All the while FIGHTING with the strut assembly....that locking nut that holds the strut in the carrier is a rusty little pita (23 years and never changed)

the strut was completely blown, there was more oil in the strut carrier than in the strut

cleaned everything and applied some POR to the strut carrier/housing and various parts

allowed everything to dry (used some heat to speed the process)

reassembled the new Bilstein HD strut and H&R assembly and reinstalled

I could be done with the right side front but I decided to get new calipers for the front, new control arms, new bushings and new tie-rods

I did manage to get the new front sway links and new sway bushings installed


lighting is just about complete (only need to install the drivers side indicator), I rcvd and installed the new right fog (to match the new drivers) and the new H1 bulbs for the high beams

new rear calipers came in - but I am still waiting on the rotors (since I rcvd two sets of the front rotors...IRK!)

anyway, enough diary entry for today

Hey Stu, you realize when you are done with this car it will be too nice to drive in winter so you will need another beater, right?
Great work by the way.

Originally Posted by lab rat

Hey Stu, you realize when you are done with this car it will be too nice to drive in winter so you will need another beater, right?
Great work by the way.

That is how I feel. Stop working on e30 unless I have too hehe.