3MPowered's Euro S50 E30 - A New Journey

[overcast]

Cheers Dante! I was hoping to make it down to M Car Day this year but the E30 wasn't ready (and I think they still do a section of M-swapped cars). Do you guys still make it out for that gathering?

I'm actually living in North Carolina right now finishing up Air Force tech school. Eventually I'll be stationed in Japan. I sure miss the PNW and all the meets though.

[3MPowered]

I'm actually living in North Carolina right now finishing up Air Force tech school. Eventually I'll be stationed in Japan. I sure miss the PNW and all the meets though.

North Carolina eh? They have some pretty good drivng roads there, don't they? Did you bring your M3 with you?

I've always wanted to go to Japan. The car culture there is nothing like what we're used to here. And you can pick up some pretty sweet JDM cars while you're there!

[MParallel]

I didn't know that either, but I've never held one in my hands either.

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Cheers Dante! I was hoping to make it down to M Car Day this year but the E30 wasn't ready (and I think they still do a section of M-swapped cars). Do you guys still make it out for that gathering?



Having a welder makes everything less stressful. You've always got it in the back of your head that if you mess up, you can always cut things up and start fresh. Welding stainless though... that's quite a fight. If you have any intention of learning, I bet you'll love it.

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Just a couple quick shots because I can't help it:













Now that the E30 is done, the Golf is up for sale. I'll miss it, but I missed RWD more.



Besides, I've got this to play with now:

Pics not working. Wasn't aware photobucket was still used anno 2015.

[3MPowered]

Pics not working. Wasn't aware photobucket was still used anno 2015.

And what do people use nowadays?

[MParallel]

Own webspace or imgur.

[jinyujhin]

I have been waiting for this thread. Much excite!

[cghxgjh]

How did the E36 get destroyed?

[vbmj]

whats your plans for suspension/brakes an wheels?

[GG///M3]

Loving this thread, and the GTI as well.

[thedude60126]

Congratulations man. Always loved your e36 but your e30 is stunning. Well done

[3MPowered]

Cheers guys!

Not a lot of progress on the E30 lately. I recently discovered the alternator I imported from the UK doesn't actually work, even after replacing the voltage regulator.

An issue with the pusher fan not turning on seems to have resolved itself after the following was done:
- Replacing the fan switch with a normal 99 degree one (the original tested fine, but thought I should have a spare anyway)
- Replacing the aftermarket E36 radiator with the original M42 rad
- Replacing the coolant reservoir cap
- None of the above worked, so I put it all back the way it was... Now it works. Seriously?

The car still overcools on the highway after a T-stat replacement. I may have shifted the T-stat upon replacing the housing, this is the only explanation I can think of that fits the bill. Any thoughts?

I've been pacifying an intense belt squeal by spraying silicone on the belts. More of a band-aid than a fix, but the problem manifested itself after a new belt was fitted. It's possible that I missed replacing a bent pulley after the accident (sometimes I swear I can see the power steering pulley wobbling even though it was replaced).

Other than that, I've fitted my iS spoiler and have been enjoying the car on occasion when it's not too cold outside

[3MPowered]

Update: March 26, 2016

Just a quick update on the E30:

We recently moved house, which meant time for the E30 dropped off to zero. In light of this, I thought I'd take the car into to a local shop that knows this engine (and mine in particular since it was rebuilt there a few years ago) to have the remaining issues sorted out. Work performed included:

- Fixing the overcooling/overheating issue
- Replacing rear subframe and trailing arm bushings with poly-bushes
- Fix overfilling issue at all engine temps
- Run a fault code diagnostic

After all was said and done, the car runs beautifully. It pulls much harder throughout the rev range and has a rock solid idle that doesn't burp, splutter, or chortle. It's an absolute blast to drive and I can't wait for the first road trips of the year!

I've also got a new set of wheels coming that will require a bit of a refurb and will allow me to finally fit the BBK I've been sitting on since I started the engine swap.

A couple of recent shots to prove the car still exists:













The Rabbit has also been providing some daily enjoyment. It's amazing what 30HP can feel like when hustled:



Cheeky shot next to this behemoth:

[CblockM3]

Car looks great man, that thing must scoot!

[3MPowered]

Car looks great man, that thing must scoot!

Thanks! It moves well enough. I can't imagine needing more power in this small of a car.... but we'll see.

[allmotorguy]

Amazing car mate! ) Very inspirational.
If you need more power by the way, than put a bit more agressive cams, carbon airbox and remap it
All the best to you mate. I can't wait for the video so badly.

[DanMateX]

[cdmbmw]

Looking good Matt! Ever consider de-badging it?

[3MPowered]

Update: April 29, 2016

Chassis Mileage- 287,000 km

I had the opportunity to take the E30 to our local track the other week (my first time). It didn't skip a beat and I learned a lot about the limits of this particular car. I also discovered the suspension is set a touch too stiff in the rear. These are the only shots I have prepared at the moment:





I also took it for a cruise along Chuckanut and picked up a proper set of wheels for the Rabbit during the same trip.



I've got a set of 16" wheels in the works that will allow me to fit my BBK (that I really could've used at the track!)

Amazing car mate! ) Very inspirational.
If you need more power by the way, than put a bit more agressive cams, carbon airbox and remap it
All the best to you mate. I can't wait for the video so badly.

Cheers!
It's long overdue I think:

Looking good Matt! Ever consider de-badging it?

I probably will this summer, but for now it tickles me

[adamnur]

Sounds perfect! Glad to see you're at the stage where you can just enjoy the car without too much worry (hopefully) and it looks so sleeper and clean.

What track were you at? Were they actively checking noise levels? I want to get out for my first time here in the M3 but worried about how loud the stupid thing is...somehow I've driven 8 laps of the 'ring but no other tracks lol

[3MPowered]

That was Mission Raceway. My understanding is that not many track are like Mission. They don't have much in the way of straights so having tons of power doesn't necessarily equate to a significantly faster lap. It's an excellent training ground if you hope to see other tracks in the future.

They weren't bothered by how loud my car was, and it was easily the louder car there, so I think you'll be ok

[3MPowered]

Update: September 29th, 2016

Mileage: I forget...

Yes, I've let this journal fall by the wayside. Here's to fixing that:

The E30 had a small electrical fire sometime around mid-summer. Long story short, the O2 pre-heating circuit experienced a fault that caused a portion of the wiring loom to go up in smoke, melting all adjacent wires in the wiring harness and causing all kinds of nasty smells. The closest approximation I have for an explanation is that, because my exhaust hangs so low, the O2 sensors have been scraping the ground over bumps, causing the wires to eventually be exposed and short-out. Blame it on my novice exhaust design, I guess.

So, with the girlfriend in town from school for the summer, time to work on the E30 was somewhere between scant and nil. Once she left, however, it was all of 2 weekends before I'd repaired the damage to the harness and fixed the myriad electrical gremlins that had surfaced. I did make a poor judgement call in taking the E30 to the annual picnic (because I so desperately wanted to squeeze in at least one road trip this summer). Well, imagine my embarrassment when I pulled up to the show with a wildly bouncing idle and an uber-rich smelling exhaust. Live and yearn.

In any case, it's been roughly 3 months since I've driven the car, and I'm itching to put some miles beneath the still fresh semi-slicks, so I'm going to hit the road right now.

I'll part with a few pictures taken before the car sat idle for 2 months:







The Bunny also gets special mention here, because a 40 year old car should not be as good a daily as this car has proven to be. I've since source some coilovers and a fresh set of E21 basket weaves for it, and the positive attention it receives went up four fold. Not shown is the OEM small duckbill front lip that I also installed. It'll be a sad day when I sell it:

[allmotorguy]

Awesome like always!
Whats new here mate?