Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: My 1992 325i Convertible

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    925
    My Cars
    Daily 94 E36 and 92 E30

    My 1992 325i Convertible

    Hey guys some might have seen me on the e36 section some may not, I also have not been present on the forums for quite sometime. I own a 94 325is and earlier this year I did something I have been dying to do ever since I owned an e30 back in 2010. I purchased another e30. Now this is going to be my "fun/weekend" car so I will have time to get involved with it a lot more since I won't rely on it. I also posted on another forum so this car may not be new to some of you guys. Here's the story so far.





    This is when I first brought it home. Next I took it to a car wash where I used the power washer and car wash brush to get rid of all the dust on the car.

    Some background on the car. It was bought by a shop I used to work at to be flipped but the owner really liked the car and kept it in his storage. Fast forward 5 years to today and he is selling his vehicles to move to Florida and remembered how I admired the car. I currently drive a 94 325is that I take to him for repairs when it needs it or I can't handle it (I don't own a lift or time consuming jobs I pay them to do since I rely on the car.) knowing that I take good care of my car he asked me about the possibility of me purchasing it. I took advantage of the winter months saved up and today I picked it up. Put a battery in it and it started right up. I added 92 fuel with some injector cleaner just to burn off what ever little gas it had sitting in it. Also to my surprise the tittle shows I will be the second owner of the car which is pretty awesome to me.

    After the car wash I snapped a few pictures of the interior before digging into it.







    Then I began scrubbing





    The interior was so bad at this point I just kept going and didn't take any more photos. Sun was going down and I was determined to finish the interior that day.



    Here's a photo of both my cars. X5 is the neighbors

    Paint looked ok but nothing a good buff wouldn't fix. Body is very very straight and no rust. I'm happy to say dash is also crack free! Rear window needed to be replaced. Power top is crippled. One of the gear casing for the top motor broke. The motor was good however trying to piece just the gear casing was becoming impossible. The motor for the latch however works well.

    It has an oil leak and tune up was needed at this time. In between progress I did the tune up (spark plugs wires air filter gas filter) Later I saw that the oil leak is from the intake breather tube going to the block and also the oil pan gasket which is waisted. Take a left turn a bit hard and car looks like a steam train going down the tracks.

    So the next day for working on the exterior I borrowed a buddies buffer as I could no longer wait to tackle the paint after staring at it for a half hour in the morning . He dropped it off on his way to work and I got to working on it.

























    By the way guys, this is the compound I used. It's very liquidy and easy to remove from any surface by wiping it down. Worked great with paint and the wax also helped give it a deeper shine.



    That was all in a days work. Sun came out at the end of the day which made the progress show even better. I don't know what gave me a warm fuzzy feeling, the sun or how happy I was with the way the paint came out.

    Soon after it was time to repair the odometer gears that e30 owners know all too well



    New gears arrived. This was a before picture of the cluster.





    The teeth missing from the old gears



    Old gears before removal. Easy to do only hassle was the gear with the metal sleeve but nothing too hard to tackle.

    Next I took a sharpie to needles. Something I had done on a previous e36 of mine and thought would look great with the red exterior color.



    Here is a before and after for comparison.



    Also replaced all the bulbs that were burnt out in the cluster and dash. Also took a photo of the dash lit with red needles in case someone wondered how it'd look.



    The next day came in the plastic zip in window I ordered off of eBay. $170 shipped with two year warranty. So far the window is great. I have no complaints whatsoever.









    Took me about 30 mins but install was easy and straight forward.

    Then I gave the car a wash and couldn't believe how much of a difference the rear window made.



    Next I grabbed a set of hella projectors and an IS lip shortly after.



    Used a set of HIDs that I had. Left side with HID right side was halogen light. Difference was day and night while driving at night.



    Then the lip was installed. Now call me old fashioned but I wanted to keep the car radio stock however I had the common belt issues that impeded the tape from playing. I went online and ordered a set of belts for VCRs and Tape decks and replaced the belts and got the radio working.





    You can see here the belt was literally melted into the grove. After replacing the belts I could play tapes again! Until the radio quit on me on my way to bimmerfest in Englishtown . I am now leaning towards an aftermarket unit with Bluetooth since I have installed one in my e36 and love the handsfree and the USB connector that I can use to charge my phone instead of the risky car lighter chargers.

    Next to tackle was my alternator voltage regulator which starting acting up. Unfortunately I did not document this with photos. But getting the correct one was an adventure in itself but after two voltage regulators I got it running. (The wrong one actually went in my buddies e24)

    Along with my regular washes I began to tackle a few things that needed cleaning. One being...







    Disregard the 2x4. I needed something to help me prop the cover while I worked in there.



    Since I was moving along pretty well I decided to tackle the rear defroster. It would not blow any air.





    Took it all apart and got it to work. Connectors just had some corrosion. Started blowing warm air right away.



    Also went ahead and cleaned these bits since they needed some attention as well.







    Started from one side and worked my way over a few times since when moist the it looked clean but when it dried it showed spots that needed more attention. Here's everything back together.



    Next wash I gave attention to the door jambs. Before photos..







    And now the after..







    So far that's the progress. Oil leaks will be taken care of soon and today I received the top motor next ill need to source the lid motor to get the power top working. Was thinking of doing a manual conversion but power top is more appealing to me. Plus keeps the car a bit rare since everyone is changing to manual top. Here's a few pics I took along the way.







    Let me know what you guys think!
    Last edited by DBShiznit; 09-19-2017 at 11:27 AM.

    2008 135i FBO Pure600 Turbos

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    that car is coming along beautifully!!!!!! man, its a head turner. so original looking and clean
    No e30s again.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    925
    My Cars
    Daily 94 E36 and 92 E30
    Thank you! I'm trying to keep it as stock as possible for now. At some point I'll want to do the usual drop and wheels but would like to keep it as stock looking as possible with everything else. Maybe enter it in a few shows


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    2008 135i FBO Pure600 Turbos

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    I always liked the stock rims. especially, basket weaves. but, a drop definitely improves the look
    No e30s again.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Canton, GA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    1989 325ic
    Awesome.
    Can I ask what you have in the car?

    I have an opportunity to purchase a 1989 year E30 convertible in Bronzit that has been sitting inside for about 10 years. Car has 55k on the odometer said to be original mileage. Guy wants $3K. Car needs a complete interior and top. Systems will also need to be gone thru.: PS, brakes, fuel, etc.... Thinking of it as a winter project. Car is super dirty as it has been sitting. At a $3k purchase and another $3-$4k in parts. At $7k total cost, not including my time, I could have a weekend car. What is everyone's thoughts?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    925
    My Cars
    Daily 94 E36 and 92 E30
    Quote Originally Posted by CosmoUrs4 View Post
    Awesome.
    Can I ask what you have in the car?

    I have an opportunity to purchase a 1989 year E30 convertible in Bronzit that has been sitting inside for about 10 years. Car has 55k on the odometer said to be original mileage. Guy wants $3K. Car needs a complete interior and top. Systems will also need to be gone thru.: PS, brakes, fuel, etc.... Thinking of it as a winter project. Car is super dirty as it has been sitting. At a $3k purchase and another $3-$4k in parts. At $7k total cost, not including my time, I could have a weekend car. What is everyone's thoughts?
    I scooped mine up for 3k with 133xxx miles. Honestly I have maybe another $800 into the car and that’s counting the $170 for the back window ~$100 for wires $70 for the headlights and then full tune up except for cap, rotor and coil. I also just recently bought a motor for the top at $300 which is kind of hard to come by. Usually they’re $400-$600. And that’s factored into the $800. Now as far as your car top would have to be replaced with brand new unit. How bad is the interior? Is it dirty or does it need replaced?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    2008 135i FBO Pure600 Turbos

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    3k for one that has sat for 10 years is not good, at all. check Atlanta or some of the larger towns around you and you should easily find one that is running an driving for 3k or less. all four of my current ones were 600 bucks or less (only one was running when I got it, though)
    No e30s again.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Canton, GA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    1989 325ic
    Car has been sitting inside a shop, so has not been outside.
    No, seats would need replacement which I know are not cheap to recover.
    Car is a cabrio. Just didn't know if at $7k of costs, the car would likely bring $7k or more. It is always nice to turn a profit, but is not the primary reason for the possible purchase. I am thinking $2500 would be more appropriate.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    925
    My Cars
    Daily 94 E36 and 92 E30
    I’d say $2000 since the car has been sitting plus what you need to put in it. I paid 3k for a car that needed a battery and a good cleaning. I understand the car has a lot less miles but those odometer gears break so who’s to say the mileage is correct? It’s a very tricky situation. Plus a lot less miles means more maintenance to do more seals to replace and what not. Depends on how much work you want to put into it. Where is the car located? What region in the US? Oh and by the way my car is brilliant rot which is a single stage paint. (Easier to bring back to life) Bronzit is metallic which means it has clear. The clear coat could be shot due to sitting


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    2008 135i FBO Pure600 Turbos

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    I would say 1k, maybe. It has to be very clean for me to say 1k so hopefully its clean.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Needs an interior and a top so for sure 1k or less. And very just don't sell as well as hard tops so 7k as a resale could be something you might not see for 10 more years

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Canton, GA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    1989 325ic
    So, hardtops sell more quickly and are in higher demand? I would have thought the opposite.

    I had a 88 535is silver/salmon red that I sold about 20yrs ago. Moved on to my audi s4 and other brands, but would like to get back into the older beemer.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Mooresville, NC
    Posts
    160
    My Cars
    2017 X5, 1992 325iC
    Awesome job! Your E30 just appreciated by a few $ thousand!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    yes sir, hardtops sell better.

    that 535is would be killer now. I want one of those as a play car
    No e30s again.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    925
    My Cars
    Daily 94 E36 and 92 E30
    I’d love me an e34 v8 lol


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    2008 135i FBO Pure600 Turbos

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Wadsworth, Ohio
    Posts
    11,482
    My Cars
    BMW
    Wow! She's polishing up beautiful! Congrats on the late model vert, I'm jealous!

    -James

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    925
    My Cars
    Daily 94 E36 and 92 E30
    Quote Originally Posted by ECSTuning View Post
    Wow! She's polishing up beautiful! Congrats on the late model vert, I'm jealous!

    -James
    Thanks James!

    This weekend a buddy sold me smoked depo lenses for the front parking/turn signals. I also bought LED bulbs from amazon so that the lights would still come on in amber. I then had the typical hyper flash but went on superbrightleds.com and bought a flasher relay for LED bulbs that would stop the hyper flash.

    Saturday I installed the lenses.



    Right side with LED Bulb smoked lens, left side with original bulb and amber lens. (Sides mentioned as looking at picture)





    I’m happy with the way it blends in the trim when the lights are off but is still amber at night.

    I was really happy yesterday when I came home and the relay was in my mailbox. It was a bit late but I couldn’t wait to try it to see if the hyper flash went away. Well I was a bit disappointed to find out the steering wheel had to be removed to take off the steering column covers to be able to get to the flasher relay. Today I had sometime and installed the relay and works great. Same size as stock same clicking sound and no hyper flash.

    By the way for whoever does this, DISCONNECT YOUR BATTERY IF YOU HAVE AN AIRBAG AND WAIT 30 MINS BEFORE DISCONNECTING/REMOVING AIRBAG. Safety first! You don’t need to back out the steering all the way and remove the steering wheel. Just back it out 85% and pull on the wheel. You should have enough space to loosen the screws and drop the cover. I know it can be a pain to replace the steering wheel and keep everything aligned. By just backing it out a bit you’ll avoid taking the wheel off and then putting it back to the same spot. After waiting 30 mins from disconnecting the battery it only took me 15 mins to replace the relay.

    This Friday I will be tackling the massive oil pan gasket leak. I also bought an O-ring for the oil level indicator. I have all my tools gathered and have been researching doing the job without removing the cross member or oil pump inside the pan. I’ll use my engine hoist instead and crops my fingers everything will go well.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    2008 135i FBO Pure600 Turbos

Similar Threads

  1. what is a realistic price for my 1992 325i?
    By BADASS_R6 in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 08-27-2004, 04:45 PM
  2. Finally some decent shots of my 1992 325i.
    By Nimble in forum BMW Rides & Events
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 04-27-2004, 02:21 PM
  3. Help needed for my 1986 325i convertible
    By 92Wahoo in forum General BMW Mechanical Help sponsored by RM European Auto Parts
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 08-09-2003, 08:29 PM
  4. Help needed for my 1986 325i convertible
    By 92Wahoo in forum 1983 - 1991 (E30)
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 08-09-2003, 02:45 PM
  5. Will 1996 328is suspension fit my 1992 325i
    By BimmerXTC in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 03-11-2001, 04:10 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •