Teaser pic to start the thread off :
This is a project I've been working on since Oct 2011. The car is an 85 325e, which I bought 12 years ago when I was 15 - it was my first car. I've had a few other cars in that time, but this is my baby. It's a part of me. Many people say they love their cars, I take it to another level of emotional attachment.
So over the years, I put 200k miles on the car. It had 100k on it when I got it. Coming up on 300k, and I found some serious rust. Very serious. So begins the restoration. I have a much more extensive thread here:
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=225093
But I'll try to summarize it a little bit in this thread, with mostly pictures.
I didn't even know how to use a welder when I started this project, and had no idea how to do metal work. I bought the tools and taught myself, and took the tips/advice of friends - thanks everyone!
About a month into the restoration, I decided to do an m60 swap. I had previously had an m50 in it, so I wasn't new to engine swaps, and figured I could tackle an m60 swap too. I'm currently in pretty far over my head, but it's coming along nicely, and I'm learning more then I ever thought I could know. I'm not scared of tackling anything anymore.
Keep in mind, you'll see some pretty amateur work in this thread. This is not meant to be a "Now, THIS is how you do it" thread. It's a "Watch along as I struggle to bring my baby back to life" thread.
The car in it's final glory, right before I tore it apart:
The rust that I initially found that caused me to park the car (I can't believe I thought this was all there was)...
Decided to cut the entire front wheel housing off. It's held on by spot welds. A few hundred of them.
And here is the strut tower housing, with about 80 spot welds drilled (I'd say there's another 10-15 very difficult to reach ones left before it's ready to be removed).
Last edited by JGood325; 02-16-2012 at 09:19 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
read the entire thread over at r3v, good stuff.
Chassis measurements, anyone?
Started filling in the huge hole I made in the firewall
Picked up a new wheel housing from BMW
Since the wire harness grommet hole and pedal mount are two areas that would be nearly impossible for me to replicate, I found a donor.
Donor:
Pedal joint replacement:
Making floorboard patches:
Well, if I can use a welder, I can do an m60 swap. So I went and bought this. m60b40 from a 94 740il, 134k miles, came with a bunch of new gaskets and stuff.
Drivers floorboard finished up:
Last edited by JGood325; 02-16-2012 at 09:20 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
New wheel housing plug welded and stitch welded into place.
Proof I didn't mess up to bad: strut tower bar fits (it did not fit before this, the tower had collapsed quite a bit)
On to the passenger side:
Cowl area fixed
Removed battery tray
Rewind time 5 years... I was t-boned by some idiot not paying attention. Totaled the car. I didn't want an r-title, so I let the guy give me all the money he had and didn't report it to insurance. A whopping $700. So I'm a teenager with a bashed in car, with no money. My uncle welded on a new quarter panel for me, but it was a cheap/rushed job, and it wasn't done correctly. Fast forward to current - the bondo is cracked, wavy, the panel is rusting at the seam. Might as well address is.
Mo rust!
Gone...
Front strut tower support welded back on
Passenger side patching
Welded up some more nastiness in the cowl area
Last edited by JGood325; 02-16-2012 at 09:31 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
For the first time in three months, she's standing on her own feet again
Made some brackets so that I can remove the core support. It was welded in from the factory, makes engine removal a bitch!
More rust! Yay!
Fixed:
Time for some custom work. The m60 leaves no room for a brake booster, I decided to try to fit the e34 remote booster linkage into my e30.
Last edited by JGood325; 02-16-2012 at 09:37 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
Back to the 1/4 panel:
Goodies for the engine arriving
More 1/4 panel work:
New shoes:
More 1/4 panel:
After a coat of fiberglass filler:
Had a friend make some subframe spacers:
Engine mounts:
Hell yeah!
It's close. Really close.
Check out all the room I have to make the headers fit!
Even more 1/4 panel:
Last edited by JGood325; 02-16-2012 at 09:42 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
good lord
killing the cancer one weld at a time
And this is where I am today, 2/16/12. Still a ways to go, but not bad for 4 months! I'll try to keep this thread updated as the car progresses.
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
Very Cool!
John
'95 Hellrot M3 w/Dove
AA Euro HFM Stage II (w/21# Injectors & Software) W/Gen III Exhaust - URI Crank Pully - FDM w/3 Row M Coupe Rad - 3.23 LSD - Vogtland Club Spec/Koni SA - UUC Red w/Enforcers - TMS Shims/Rear Camber Bars w/QA1 inners/Sways - VMC F/TMS R End Links - X-Brace - Perf Ultimate/SS Brake Lines - GC Tower Mounts/RTAB Shims - ZKW's w/5000K Hid - Fog Delete - Alpine 9847/Pioneer TS-C130R Kevlar Components/Pioneer PRS-X340/Stealth Box's/Wired Zune 120GB - OE LTW CF Sills/Glove Box Plate - Staggered Black M-Spoke II's w/235/40 (front), 255/40 (Rear) Nitto NT05's - Rolled Fenders!
***Got a '95 M3? (actually pretty common on all years! Even happened to Racer Seth Thomas! ) Check Your LSD! http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=390209
Wow! Extensive and excellent work.
WTB: E36 ZKW Headlights, ACS Rear Diffuser,E36 M mudflaps front + rear
Wow man.. awesome work. Keep it up!
2015 M235i 6MT
Looking good! I love restoration threads!
Wow, I mean, I've seen build threads before, but never have I seen one where someone essentially rebuilt every part of their car. Awesome work, can't wait to see more.
Great work man!
Serious question though: Driving this thing around, won't you always have that little voice in your head saying that your in a car that has practically been cut into a hundred different fairly structural pieces and then welded together?
Maybe I'm just over thinking it, but still. Curious to hear thoughts on this.
Goodjob
I've heard that E30 guys that are swapping M62B44 engines in there cars are using headers from a X5
Thanks guys!!
Good welds are stronger then the metal pieces they are connecting. The unibody is just a bunch of stamped steel panels spot welded together. I replaced a lot of that metal with thicker metal, and seam/stitch welded it. It should be much stronger then when it left the factory. One thing is for sure, it will be MUCH stronger then it was before I did this work, when every seam in the car was rusted and/or non-existant...
Yup, e53/e38 4.4 headers are about the same.
Already acquired But they still need heavily modified. It's basically just a good starting point.
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
nice work!
I don't care what anyone says, these are the things that threads are made of. Hats off to you man.
Benz forums have shown me that there really are stupid people AND stupid questions.
That is a shitload of work. Well done. I would have just bought a different car...
now.... THIS is a proper build thread!!!
love it!!
Great build, I love the M60 engines.
I have a couple of questions:
Are you keeping the ASC+T system or going to remove it and go with a non-ASC intake boot?
If you need a manual M60 chip that will run perfect in a 404 (non-EWS2) DME, send me a PM.
Performance Tuning and EWS Delete for MSS52/MSS54/MSS54HP/MS41/MS42/MS43/ME7.2/M5.2
Virgnize DME service available to unlock DME to sync to another vehicle on EWS3 vehicles 98+. M5.2.1, M7.2, MS42, MS43, MS45, ME9.2 and more.
Easiest way to contact me is to send me a message on my facebook page "DUDMD Tuning"
Nope, going to run non-ASC with the proper boot. FYI, it's possibly just to remove the ASC throttle plate and use the housing as-is, I did that on my m50 car until I bought a proper non-ASC boot. You can even leave the throttle plate in... but it looks like a restriction to me.
PM sent regarding chip.
Flaming river steering u-joints. 17mm 54 spline -> 3/4" shaft. You can see how much thinner it is, providing the necessary clearance for the exhaust manifold:
Also did some work to the firewall, since the master cylinder is shifted to the left, it can't use the same firewall hole. I welded in a plate with a hole cut out to fit the master cylinder grommet. Was a PITA, with how cramped that area is with the wheel housing in place. The hard line clears the brake linkage movement where it is.
Last edited by JGood325; 02-17-2012 at 04:17 PM.
85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i/5
e30 restoration and V8 swap
The finished product!
Im disgusted AND impressed
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