The schwarzes loch build - supercharged e36 convertible

[Da Infammus 1]

Really impressed by the work you're doing and the way the car is coming along! Lets get some sound clips of the new exhaust setup!

[cpalella]

Really impressed by the work you're doing and the way the car is coming along! Lets get some sound clips of the new exhaust setup!

Thanks! I'll get a clip eventually... not sure how any cellphone mic will handle the sound, but we will see I will change again soon though... it draws too much negative attention

[cpalella]

Finally decided to install S52 cams I have had sitting around for forever







I also too the opportunity to transfer the vanos from the original motor that I have done the beisan systems vanos repair to. Also mixed and matched between the two motors to find the better looking parts.... funny how my original motor with 116k at failure looks SOOOO much better (parts are less worn, cleaner, the threads were dry, as in never disassembled, on the chain guides, camshafts were never previously removed) and the advertised 50k motor I bought looks like crap with worn parts and clear disassembly... I want my original motor back



Awesome Cali doesn't sell 93 gas... forces me to do crazy things.....



I got some more stuff





GRRRRRRRR no wonder the oil filter housing was leaking... it was missing bolts!!!! WTFFFF?!?





Look at that leakage. Boy am I glad to get rid of it.



I was planning to do a full cooling system overhaul (overheated AGAIN coming up the mountain). Relocated euro reservoir, spal pusher fan, all new hoses, so I decided to do the front timing chain cover gaskets too, and the front crank seal. In hindsight I wish I didn't. It didn't need to be done, I though they were leaking a while back, and then it was kinda like stopping a moving freight train... I didn't want to listen to my own reasoning, I had the parts, I was going to do it.





Dropped subframe to do the oil pan gasket again....



Again, another photo of the motor that makes me upset. That's behind the water pump.



Detailing supplies getting ready for bimmerfest



Gratuitous shot of my next project car



Everything back together!!



Washed for bimmerfest



Polished, before wax... I forgot how good that black paint looks when it is done right!!



It's like a mirror



That's all for now. More soon.

[iceman13]

amazing thread you've got there sir .... love the pictures and the wonderful journey ...wished i had such garage here myself...

[cpalella]

amazing thread you've got there sir .... love the pictures and the wonderful journey ...wished i had such garage here myself...

Thank you! it has been quite a fun ride, and I am sure it will only get bigger and better. I am almost as proud of the garage and all the tools and parts as I am the cars... it has taken me as long as I have had the e36 to accumulate all that stuff! its really fun now to work on stuff having everything on hand!

[cpalella]

More pictures night before bimmerfest. And I won the "rising star" award for best car with an owner 25 years or younger. That was a great day. Also sorry for the 6 month delay. I have been extremely busy since then with work and 2 cars now. I'll try to get this back up to date. There has been plenty of work done on the car in the last 6 months.

[stealthbeam]

Very nice cabbie, well put together sir

[BimmerBreaker]

Congrats on the award! The car looks great IMO!

Looks like ya knocked a piece of the splitter off, is that right? Those things always drag lol

[acbx]

Good job! Still love how that rieger lip looks on the vert. As always an inspirational convertible.

[cpalella]

Don't know how I missed the responses. I've been sidelining the e36 for quite some time as it's developed some issues and really needs some serious TLC. Leaking oil from literally everywhere, found some cracks in the exhaust (not my welding - the corsa exhaust cracked in a few joints), it needs to be detailed again, O2 sensors are bad, CCV needs revision, needs new tires (I want to go to a 245/40 from a 225/45 michelin pilot sport and stickier rubber), the tune needs serious revision since I added the headers and full exhaust plus s52 cams, I need a new reiger splitter (I like the look too much to forgo it yet), the convertible top doesn't operate without help (one of the motors+gear is stripped - I need to figure out a solution - already replaced the motor/gear once) and there are probably a couple other small issues

The biggest setback was hitting a racoon the same night that I finished another revision of the exhaust. I got everything perfected. The car was in it's most finished/complete stage of the last several years. Everything worked. Then I hit a big racoon HARD and basically destroyed the front end. Shattered the bumper, splitter, the bumper trim, the lux slats, a fog light, the wheel well liners, a brake duct, dented the intercooler, ruined the CAI. I think the only thing that saved more critical parts behind the bumper was the motion motorsport undertray. So I slowly replaced everything and it looked brand new and fresh again and I was so happy I decided to drive it to work.... bucket fell off a truck and got tossed in front of my car without any warning. I hit it. Cracked the new bumper, new lux slats, and new front trim. The combination of issues and bad luck really demotivated me, so I turned my attention to my e30 instead....

Very nice cabbie, well put together sir

Thank you!

Congrats on the award! The car looks great IMO!

Looks like ya knocked a piece of the splitter off, is that right? Those things always drag lol

Thanks, yea it felt pretty cool to win that. And yes, I broke the splitter ages back and finally decided to get a new one and then broke it 4 hours after I installed it

Good job! Still love how that rieger lip looks on the vert. As always an inspirational convertible.

Thanks!!

- - - Updated - - -

Here is a small taste of the e30 project. Build thread: here

[doubleu8]

How did you accomplish the white lettering on the tires?

[cpalella]

How did you accomplish the white lettering on the tires?

White sharpie paint pen from home depot. The trick was to get the tire PERFECTLY clean. I wiped it with brake cleaner until the rag came up clean. Also tested it on one tire for 2 months to judge longevity. It saw autox, dirt, rain, a few washes, mud etc. and held up very well considering I put ~500 miles on the car per week.

[doubleu8]

White sharpie paint pen from home depot. The trick was to get the tire PERFECTLY clean. I wiped it with brake cleaner until the rag came up clean. Also tested it on one tire for 2 months to judge longevity. It saw autox, dirt, rain, a few washes, mud etc. and held up very well considering I put ~500 miles on the car per week.

Has it yellowed or peeled?

[cpalella]

Has it yellowed or peeled?

Not over the 2 months so far. It didn't peel at all, some got a little scratched off (and I mean minimal) while driving over some gravel and during autox.

EDIT: it's also easily removed with a wipe of brake cleaner.

[doubleu8]

Good to know.
Thanks.

[SirDrippington]

You should contact UUC about the exhaust. It's less than 2 years old and was pretty expensive. It shouldn't fail this soon..

[Compactive]

Loving the E30 on black wheels, really digging it

[EuroHB]

Hmm.. Glendora huh? Best buy? LOL I live down the street from there. Great builds so far.

[jingbing]

Clean tasteful mods, good job. Not a huge e36 fan, but I like yours.

[cpalella]

Loving the E30 on black wheels, really digging it

Thanks! The wheels totally made the car IMO. They made me like bronzit!! And they aren't totally black. The lips are gloss black, the centers are bronze.

Hmm.. Glendora huh? Best buy? LOL I live down the street from there. Great builds so far.

Yup! I work around the corner. Come say hi. Looks like a clean ti!!

Clean tasteful mods, good job. Not a huge e36 fan, but I like yours.

Thanks that means a lot

[CblockM3]

Both of your cars awesome! You've put in some serious work on both.

[ryanc528]

I want an e30...White lettering on the tires looks sweet, fitment looks good as well.

[cpalella]

Both of your cars awesome! You've put in some serious work on both.

Thanks!! You're not kidding... I'm sure it's into the thousands of hours at this point between the two of them, but it's what I love.

I want an e30...White lettering on the tires looks sweet, fitment looks good as well.

Thanks man! Definitely a fun car to own. It compliments the e36 nicely.

[cpalella]

So, some brief updates.



Started making another midsection because the previous one was way too loud.





The vibrant ultra quiet resonators were too big so I returned them and reused the vibrant resonators from the old midsection.





Inside the pipe bend made with pie cuts





Finished





Wrapped headers





Fits quite well









Hit a raccoon 1 hour after I finished the exhaust. That was the most "finished" the car has been in the last 2 years. My soul took a beating that weekend.







Broke a fog light, lost the trim strip, shattered the lux slats, shattered the bumper, broke both fender liners, lost a brake duct, shattered the reiger lip, dented the intercooler. I think the only reason there wasn't more damage was because I had the MM underpanel installed which adds significant strength to the entire bumper. After I unbolted the MM underpanel, the whole bumper literally fell to pieces.





Shot from a san diego car show. This was pre bumper destruction and pre 2nd exhaust rebuild. Damn the car looked good. I miss that.

[CblockM3]

Man it seems like you have had some bad luck with this car, props for not giving up on it.