Started building my slider.

[Mylch]

I have been lurking for a couple months now, trying to gather what info I could so I can have a nice entry level machine. My plans are to reduce weight, stiffen everything up with new bushings here, new mounts there, ball joints, increased steering angle and hopefully 180-200hp by turbo-ing the eta. I have started wrenching this past weekend and figured I would share my progress and gain any input I can.
First off the car:

Photos 6 184
87 325e Picked it end of last year for $500 with a bad starter and cut springs .
I fixed the starter and cautiously took it out on the road. I say cautiously but was not cautious enough. When I threw my RS's to see fitment it was just too low and of course I smacked the pan.
So I pulled the engine fixed the pan and oil pump (ripped it out when I smacked the pan) and figured its a better time than ever to just start with the build. While I had the pan off I set it up with a oil return line. I also removed all the black foamish material on the firewall.
The next thing on the list was suspension, bushings, and inner/outer ball joints. Doubtful any of that has been done. Let me just say the inner joints where a pain in the sas to press out. This past weekend I took a brake from actual work on the car and decided to to some fabbing and started taking pics:

New engine mounts control arm bushings, and the MC for the handbrake.





I have it ziptied there for now because I am waiting until finish pulling the interior and install the recaro's.

In this photo it is just sitting there just to give me a idea. After this pic I started gutting the car. If I get a chance to get out in the garage this week I am going to remove all the sound detonating stuff.


Oh, and the Recaro's

[drift30]

Very cool! Keep up the good work!

[Mylch]

Got my rack spacers today.






If anybody is looking for a set, $10 let me know.
(cheap plug.. I know)

[GTRSv]

more info on those recaro's? they look sick

[slitz]

looks good but sucks it wont stay as low

skid plate it up

[mnboarder]

Those recaros are amazing

[topnotch]

Great looking e30 man, nice hydro ebrake, i'd love to build an e30 for drifting someday. In for more updates, and i think i'll take a set of those spacers from ya, PM me.

[Mylch]

more info on those recaro's? they look sick

Thanks! I bought them off a guy who has had them sitting in the parts collection for about 12 years. He could not remember what he pulled them from but knows it was not a e30.

looks good but sucks it wont stay as low

skid plate it up

It did look great low but the car still had wheel gap in the front and I feel it didn't look right so I traded the rs's(15's) seen in the pictures for a set of 16's. So I hope going with the 16's the car will sit nicely.

I ordered a skid plate today, some camber plates for up front, and a aluminum differential bushing.

[topnotch]

Thanks! I bought them off a guy who has had them sitting in the parts collection for about 12 years. He could not remember what he pulled them from but knows it was not a e30.

I think those Recaros likely came off an older wolfsburg edition VW.

[lllMoupe]

Nice Mitutoyo digical. Ballah status.

[Mylch]

I think those Recaros likely came off an older wolfsburg edition VW.

I tinkered with vw for 10 or so years and never have seen a set like this. I can not remember what the guy thought he pulled them from but I have done some research and the seem to mount the same as an e21 seat.

[rpm620]

loose those IE motor mounts.. trust me.. those studs are only held into that poly by a thin plate on either side and WILL rip out... go with AKG or Vorshlag for mounts.. or just stright solid.

[GTRSv]

Thanks! I bought them off a guy who has had them sitting in the parts collection for about 12 years. He could not remember what he pulled them from but knows it was not a e30.

I think those Recaros likely came off an older wolfsburg edition VW.

I tinkered with vw for 10 or so years and never have seen a set like this. I can not remember what the guy thought he pulled them from but I have done some research and the seem to mount the same as an e21 seat.

Could they be after-market? or did they definitely come out of a 'stock' car?

[Mylch]

loose those IE motor mounts.. trust me.. those studs are only held into that poly by a thin plate on either side and WILL rip out... go with AKG or Vorshlag for mounts.. or just stright solid.

Thanks for the heads up, I already spent the money on these so I am going to still try to use these. Thinking I could take the washer ends off pull out the stud in there drill a through hole, replace the washers and then just use a long bolt. Should would fine right?> I originally was going to to that with hockey pucks but then I found those mounts thinking they would be alright.

Could they be after-market? or did they definitely come out of a 'stock' car?

Spoke with the guy I bought them off today, Says he defiantly pulled them from a e21

[rpm620]

ya if you where to do that what you should do is cut the studs off either side leave the metal plate there and grind the stud flat then drill each plate and then threw the center and run 2 big washers on either side and you will be good to go.

[Mylch]

So I finished my front suspension set up, and started removing all the sound detonating crap under the carpet. As soon as my poly trans mounts come in I will be dropping the engine in. I want to try to find a manual window set up also.

[rpm620]

good luck finding a crank window setup.... from what i recall they only came in 83/84 318's.. also you need the glass to you cant get just the mech reg and what not.. the glass mounting points are abit diff. i compared mine when i get it.

[Dominic49]

you can get the proper late model crank stuff from the dealer for around ~100 per side

[rpm620]

Thats good somthing i did not know..

[Mylch]

Do you guys run p/s or no? All my past cars have had manual racks but they have been all front wheel drive. Also first drift car so any suggestions would be cool.

[Mylch]

I have been doing some work this week removing the rest of the sound detonating tar, drilled out the engine mounts and my poly trani mounts came in this week. I plan on dropping in the the engine tomorrow. Once the engine is all bolted in I am dropping the rear end and pressing in the aluminum rear end mount that also came in this week.

[TheM3nsah]

im still running my powersteering, but it leaks often.

[Mylch]

Man I forgot all about this thread. A lot of time has passed since I started it & I figured I would share some recent mods with those who are interested. Since that first post I changed out the wilwood i tried to use for a CNC, and caged the car.

I used the m20 for a while but then wanted so more power. I considered the idea of m5X, SR, or 1j. The looking at the cost of each I thought about my roots and a VW geek and decided to to a vw/audi 1.8t 20v. I have done this swap into older vw's several times so I knew I could get good reliable power & cost was going to be cheaper than the other swaps I considered. I mated the 20v with a w58. Custom mounts, shifter extension & adapter plate made everything work out.

I had a couple bugs to work out once I did get it driving but all in all it does pretty well.

[ame]http://youtu.be/j2UIMpQbpRw[/ame]

Currently I am still on stock management waiting for some funds to get the ecu flashed.

Some pics from the build. I didn't take many but..
Shifter extension box


Radiator and Intercooler bits:




I really wanted to keep both of the high beams.




Drive shaft


first few test fits went well




powder


engine refreshed


Rolled it out to clean garage and snap some pics:

[Rustyfriend]

Dude!!

[bennyfizzle]

so sick