Motors I'm building my own car... UPDATE - Stoneliegh 2013

buy this now

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bmw-e36-m3-3-...599554311QQcategoryZ10374QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Frost do loads of paint for ally & cast iron under-bonnet parts.

It might be worth stripping a 2nd beemer if you've got room, looking at the list of parts you need from it £100 sounds a good deal for an extra set of parts so you can choose the best bits.

I built an engine a while ago - having spares off the old lump, mainly basic stuff like nuts, bolts and hoseclips was dead handy because there was always something I forgot to order/couldn't find for love nor money/hit too hard with a hammer.

 

Quick update:

The Beemer is looking less and less like a beemer. I've been progressively stripping out engine ancillaries and other stuff from under the bonnet (which itself has been removed) ready for lifting the engine. I've managed to get the intake plenum off, and things look good - there's decidedly little **** around the injectors, and the intake valves look clean when you peer through the ports the plenum bolted to.

It's taken a while to get this far, mainly due to the vagaries of the manuals... The Haynes manual doesn't really go into enough detail, and has few photos of what you're supposed to be doing, whereas the Bentley manual (being American) has plenty of detail, but some of it is misleading due to differences in the cars for the American market. That and the fact that the steering wheel is on the wrong side in most of the pics! That threw me at one point, as I'd thought I'd located the ECU, but the loom of wires around it looked nothing like those pictured in the Bentley manual. It turns out that what I had found and removed was the similar looking, similar sized ABS unit - due to the fact that the manual states that the ECU is under the glove box. Which it is, if it's LHD. If it's RHD, it's just above the steering column...

I've also been busy stripping out interior fittings, like the dash to get to components I need under there - such as the elusive ECU, column loom and clutch master cylinder. I've also stripped out the windows, power winders, switches, instruments, steering column stalks and ignition. I've refitted the Steering wheel as I'm going to roll it out of the garage in the next few weeks and turn the car round ready for the next face of dismemberment (engine lift and running gear removal) - so being able to steer may be a "GoodThing" (tm)

I'll try and remember to post some pictures tonight.

BTW - does anybody need any E30 bits? I've got a workbench overflowing with 'em!

 

what state are the seats in? only want one to be a cool chair

 

The drivers side is shot. There's a large wear hole / tear in the base of the seat. The Passenger side one is OK. But they're both cloth, not leather (see prev. pics). All of the adjustments to the seats are manual, but they all work - including a nice 'extending' seat base to support your legs.

If I was making a cool chair out of one, I'd at least be thinking of re-covering them. The foam is ok, but the fabric is meh.

 

where are you based again mate?

 

Just up the A43 from you - Northampton.

 

hmm 4 hour round trip for a seat and to check the beast.... sounds tempting

 

Pics, as promised:

The front of the car is looking a little lighter now - In this pic from last week you can see I've gotten all the lights, bumper, grills and front metal work off. Makes access to the engine easier



Like I mentioned, the engine bay is looking a little empty now that I've got things like the ABS, Brake servo & fluid resevoirs out. The air intake plenum has been removed, and you can see the intake valves



The interior is looking a little denuded as well



Where have all the bits gone? Here



and here



Not forgeting the engine wiring loom, labelled up so I can put it back right



or the intake plenum and starter motor



Of course, unbolting stuff is so much easier when you've got some decent tunes to listen to on the "In Garage Entertainment" unit!

 

just won this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8031485103

for me westfield project

 

^ Nice!

Great job on the beemer so far! Just don't get distracted half way through the project!

 

Nice find, fev. Not a bad price either.

Thing is, where are you going to store it - You're at Uni, right? I suppose you could use it as a bed side table, if you can sneak it into halls...

 

well it's staying at home till i move into my house in september.... my mate alex has found 6 of us a house... double garage with a pit!! scoooore

 

Bloody hell - what a day...

Started work at sparrow-fart-o'clock this morning. We managed to get the engine out today, after getting the beemer spun round yesterday and removing the prop shaft by a cunning combination of bolt removal, cursing and judicial use of the angle grinder!

The engine popped out really sweetly earlier today. Straight out with the gearbox. We dropped this (My mates Iain and Nathan and I) on the garage floor, and then thought "lets get the box off, so we can get the engine on the engine stand". Great idea - except that we didnt have any Torx sockets. So - firs mercy dash of the day... Down to Halfords.

We get back, get the 'box off, and start getting the engine ready to go on the stand. Ah, the torx bolts are different lengths depending on where they came out of the bell housing. Crapola.

No probs- Second mercy dash to B & Q to get some M12 (1.75 screw pitch) bolts to attach the engine to the stand. Ball-cocks! one of the bolts is to long, as whilst it passes through the bell housing, it starts to interfere with an oil union on the block. Not an issue, says GOO - I'll just hacksaw off the extra thread from the offending bolt. Except the bolt has other ideas - GOO gets almost through, and suddenly cuts all the way - on a down stroke with all his weight behind it. ****!!!!!!! GOO gashes two finger on the sharp end of the bolt as the end falls away and the momentum of the stroke carries his hand into the work area. Owww!! that HURT!!!!

After a quick clean-up and some first aid, we then tried to get the diff and the rear suspension off. That'll be easy...

Wrong. How very, very wrong. Bolts seemed to have been turned into plastacine. Could we get the sway bar out? No, except for a serious amount of brute force and ignorance and the intervention of "Mister Angle Grinder".

Then we had the whole main mount issue - a metal encase rubber bushing, held in by a plate and a bolt. The bolt and plate - piece of piss. The rubber bushing? Hah - it was more like trying to part the immovable object from... well, another, equally immovable ****ing object. After hours of buggering about, we finally managed to cut through the metal cuff that surrounded the bush, and pry the cuff out enough so it would drop away. We got the last one done just as the light was failing - and got it into the garage just as the rain started.

We braved the weather to go back outside to get the rear end of the beemer off the axle stands we had it on. It was a good idea, just executed in a piss-poor manner. We managed to get the car on the deck in one swift movement, by letting the trolly jack down on one side at a great rate of knots, kicking the other side's axle stands out. Needless to say, the weight of the car folded that axle stand up (permanently) for easy storage.

Anyhoo, I'm going to be taking the final pieces off the donor tomorrow, as the carcass is being taking away on Monday. For know, I'm off to bed, in the hope that I'll be able to get up in the morning without too many joints and muscles grumbling over mis-use!

Pics to follow.

 

Well it would be boring if everything went smoothly wouldn't it Will be good to see the pics.

 

super thread, can't wait for more updates, and the half/near finished then finished project posts

 

Looking forwards to ALL of the progress pics (including the nasty ouchie)

 

You actually got the kit yet? Be prepared for much modification to parts provided and lots of errors (and missing bits) in the manual

Might post some pics of how my project's going, if they're wanted

 

i'm going to la factory later in may to organise it all and meet the build team, they're really cool guys who said they'd help out via la email or phone.

Friends just bought a similar engine to mine to go into a mk1 fiesta... crazy fool

 

OK, got some pics of progress on the Westfield, for those who care

After getting engine and cooling in, and all aluminium panels on. Suspension, steering, etc all on. Got no pics earlier than this
Pic

Rear, with diff, fuel tank, rear suspension and driveshafts.
Pic

Closeup on rear suspension buildup
pic

Just after getting main body shell on
pic

Scuttle and roll bar on.
Pic

Test fitting nosecone and bonnet
pic

Test fitting exhaust, it's very shiny, we're still debating whether we're going to put the heatshield on it or not
Pic

Closeup on exhaust
Pic
It needs some polishing.

There's still quite a lot to do, and those aren't the latest pics. The scuttle is now off for heater, windscreen and mirror fitment, which is mostly finished.
Nosecone is off again for wiring. The wiring is taking ages, as all the connectors on lights etc are different for the ones on the loom. Plus the wiring diagram is a hand-drawn POS.
As you can see, it's still on the stands. We're getting it down off them soon, but it's more convenient to work up high atm. Many people have built them completely on the stands and then just lowered them down with engine hoists and a bunch of big men.

(I made pics in links so as not to clutter up the thread with pics not related to GOO's build