Another added to the stable

[Uber Soldat]

Picked up this '91 525i M20 a couple days ago. Got it for a steal in my opinion. R9000 (850 USD).

It has been sitting for quite some time. I was hoping it would have been an M50 but i think an M30 swap will be a good idea. Is this swap (M20 to M30) a fairly easy one? Does anyone have a list of what would be needed to accomplish this. I can get an M30 for around 620 USD.
I will be swapping the interior as well. Waiting to get one from the local scrapyard. Will aslo want to repaint it, as this colour (Chaminox - Spelling?) is not that great.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6236/img2947li1.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5535/img2949rj3.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5356/img2950ih8.jpg


http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/4692/img2965wt8.jpg

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/3521/img2969lf7.jpg

The others...
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/7905/img2953pg4.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7308/img2958lu1.jpg

[ShapeShifter]

Looks like you have an E34 farm!

[Dat Aus]

many potentials

[4500 RPM]

You sure that's Chamoinx? IIRC that's an old BMW color from the 2002 era. Looks like Alpine II to me.

I love the color of the car with the E39 540 wheels, what is it? I'd kill for that color. Damn you, trade my white for your blurple!

[zubbie]

M30 swap would have to include the transmission as M20 bell housing is different than M30. Not sure about drive shaft and differential. Ratios are close 3.73 vs 3.64 manual but input flanges and tranny lengths may dictate a change also.

[CleanE34]

isn't that a M5 front bumper?....

[pushpins]

isn't that a M5 front bumper?....

Looks like the car has a complete mtech exterior..

91' m20, thats weird.. But i guess some countries were slower..

Nice find anyways :)

[Binjammin]

Chamonix is an ancient color from way back, I'd like to see the color sticker on the passenger's side strut tower that says that. I love the color, don't get me wrong, but there's something odd about a car from the 90s having that color with an mtech kit on it.

[Uber Soldat]

PorscheDude - You are correct, good sir! :lol

4500 RPM - The colour of the burple car is Lazurblau. Both the cars in that picture are the same colour and i think Aindriu's car is as well. So...er...when can we swap :D

zubbie - Thanks for the info. Does any of the wiring have to be changed?

CleanE34 - It looks to be. Although the lower portion of the bumper differs from other M5 fronts that i have seen.

ingardj - It is odd that this '91 came with an M20. The other '91 we have has an M50.

Binjammin - My brother and i thought it was kind of weird too. Below is a picture of the strut tower.

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/2330/img2981ay7.jpg

[Binjammin]

Binjammin - My brother and i thought it was kind of weird too. Below is a picture of the strut tower.

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/2330/img2981ay7.jpg

Can you get some more pics of that area? It looks like the stickers may have been removed at some point, and it looks like that lower sticker may have been masked off for a respray. See the white areas on the lower sticker? That's what I want to see. Lots of pics of that area from different angles. I get the feeling that your car may have been resprayed at some point and someone put a reproduction paint sticker on your car. I really hope not, as chamonix is one of my favorite bmw colors, and it would make my day to find out it was available on an e34.

[Uber Soldat]

This is the only other picture i have of that area. It was also taken with a flash, so that might be a little distracting. I'll have to take some better ones tomorrow as it is raining and quite dark outside. The car definitely looks to have never been resprayed. It is consistent everywhere.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4262/img2977pl8.jpg

[BMWheadSpence]

This is the only other picture i have of that area. It was also taken with a flash, so that might be a little distracting. I'll have to take some better ones tomorrow as it is raining and quite dark outside. The car definitely looks to have never been resprayed. It is consistent everywhere.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4262/img2977pl8.jpg

that sticker doesnt look right at all. it doesnt look like any ive seen

[Uber Soldat]

Are you refering to they way it looks compared to stickers that appeared on U.S cars?
Below is the sticker for the blue car posted above.

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/8084/07022007206resizeif6.jpg

[Binjammin]

This is the only other picture i have of that area. It was also taken with a flash, so that might be a little distracting. I'll have to take some better ones tomorrow as it is raining and quite dark outside. The car definitely looks to have never been resprayed. It is consistent everywhere.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4262/img2977pl8.jpg

I'm actually referring to the yellow sticker, and the black one above it for starters. I don't like how it looks like it's been peeled up and put back down. You can see how there's about 1/2" of sticker missing at the left edge, where the roundel is cut in half. At the bottom of the sticker you can see where parts of something have been torn away. The yellow sticker looks like it's been removed and put back. The color sticker looks like the left side is seriously peeling away. Those are things that don't happen too often around here anyway. I'd like to see more pics of it if you can take more sometime for me. I'd really appreciate it. I'd also like to see more pics of the whole car :D

[Sam Son]

congrats


strange car tho...a 91 M20 with a full M-Tech kit...beats my car as far as weirdom goes

anyhoo congrats again and I cant wait to see where you go with this one

[94530inh]

interesting car, could it be a BMW individual, meaning that it was custom ordered with the m-tech kit and the paint color? Any history of ownership? Have a BMW dealer run the VIN. Also, please paint the bumper trim black again.

You should also pick up a turbo kit off e-bay 600 bucks + tuning, and I'd have the welds on the manifold re-done, then a new interior, some wheels and a drop and you will have another real head turner.

[zubbie]

According to realoem E34 M20's were produced up to 09/90 which theoretically could correspond to a 91 model year I suppose.

[Mutinus]

congrats


strange car tho...a 91 M20 with a full M-Tech kit...beats my car as far as weirdom goes

anyhoo congrats again and I cant wait to see where you go with this one

Your car's not weird. It's just the narrow grill that makes it seem that way. :D

[Sam Son]

Your car's not weird. It's just the narrow grill that makes it seem that way. :D
before i even clicked on this thread I knew what you were gonna say.......:stickoutt:finger22

[Dark Schnitzer]

Thats an interesting E ! The front valance is somewhat different..like maybe an M-technic and not M-tech ??:confusedNot sure myself.....maybe the M guru's can pitch in on the correct info ?

Nice find all the same.....and I think maybe your gunning for the title of the ranch as E3Farm is about right Antony,lol:stickoutt
Cheers,Vinny

[jetavdk]

It's a ZA production car. Who knows chamonix may have been available. Now get out there and find me a ZA E30 333i. :)

[Sam Son]

the front lip is not the M5 its the 540 Msport....which is very very close but it is a little bit more "pronounced"


It's a ZA production car.
explain...

[Uber Soldat]

Time for an update :D


When we bought this car, it was not running. Burnt out fuel pump etc.
Replaced the tank. Car had been sitting for 2 years prior. Old fuel smell was gut wrenching.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_2972.jpg

Hideous interior:
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_2969.jpg

Didn't take us long to get it running. First turn of the key it fired right up. About a week later, thought it was a good idea to replace the "awesome" timing belt.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_2996.jpg

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_3000.jpg

The painted mouldings looked liked ass, so those were changed, 16 inch wheels were added and the car dropped on some H&R springs.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_8195.jpg

Decided that the interior needed to go. Swapped to black, with a black material headliner.

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_0258.jpg

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_0296.jpg

The clutch was pretty pathetic and slipping quite badly. So changed that:

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_1130.jpg

Cleaned up the gearbox:

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_1121.jpg

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_1122.jpg

And installed E60 545i Shifter:

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_1125.jpg

Swapped on some throwing stars:

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_0664.jpg

Found some original racing dynamics wheels. put those on instead:

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/IMG_2428.jpg

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Uber_Soldat1/20121003_062906.jpg

Bumper caught a very rare disease though, don'tletmotherdrive-itis. So that still needs to be repaired.

Hope to respray eventually and put in a set of sport seats.

[Binjammin]

Man, I miss Mutinus. That dude was alright, had a good sense of humor. Just up and vanished one day, no goodbye or anything, hasn't logged in in like 4 years or more. I hope he's ok. :(


Soldat, keep the updates coming. Once every five years isn't enough. lol.

[Layne]

Nice! Chamonix is a single stage paint, so you could polish it up like a diamond. I see no reason to repaint that car.

Were E34's actually made in SA, CKD kits, or made in Germany? Could be they had colors Germany didn't offer. I know they made some strange things, like the E12's with E28 dashboards.

[Uber Soldat]

Apologies for bumping an older thread.

What the pictures don't show is the bad repair job on the passenger rear door area etc. Will definitely need a repaint.

As far as I know they were CKD kits.

Back in '83 my father owned an E12 528 auto with an E28 dashboard. Still wish he'd kept that car.

[janders211]

That color definitely looks like chamonix...the trim (and maybe bumpers) would make me consider it a respray, although with the tag I think that makes it highly unlikely - regardless I do like that color.

[Uber Soldat]

Agreed, it definitely is an interesting colour. Have not seen any others here with it.

Regarding a previous repaint, when we stripped the interior etc, the colour is definitely uniform. As said to Ben awhile ago, definitely left the factory with this.