Delta's e46 Buy and Build

[DeltaDConstruct]

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME

Come one; Come all!

Feast your eyes on the greatest trainwreck you or anyone you know is bound to see in their lifetime.

Prepare to be mystified by the complete and absolute ineptitude and ignorance of your new forum member Delta. It's sure to be a disaster for the ages.

So once again, Welcome! To my build thread.


So now that we've gotten the theatrics out of the way, I'm Delta DeConstruct, you can find me on instagram under DeltaDeConstruct and on facebook under Delta_DeConstruct. As one or two of you may know from my prior thread I bought a 1999 328i for $700. Basically stole the thing though it does have it's problems. So upon first inspection, which really was just a formality since I decided that the moment I found a BMW under 1k I was going to buy it regardless of the drivability, all I thought was wrong was that the automatic transmission was not engaging and as a result we were getting no movement. Upon further inspection there's oil seeping from the back half of the head, the coolant reservoir is completely empty, and the ATF in the expansion tank is kinda dark brown. So I decided this would be a fun place to talk about the progress of my build since it is such a giant pile of shit that I plan on turning into my sunny day sleeper. I'm going to format this initial post out into the stages that I plan to do to make this car what it could be and feel free to toss out suggestions along the way.

Stage 1 - Fix/Delete:
First project will be to get the head gasket fixed, probably going to just go ahead and do a thin MLS and be done with it for later parts of the build. I plan on keeping OEM head studs since I don't particularly look forward to having to work with APR studs and do all of the shit required with that setup. Initially I'll also be deleting the secondary air pump and windshield sprayer fluid tank and lines. I need to get the transmission working again, which may jump me straight into Stage 2 of my build if I can't make the automatic do its thing.

Stage 2 - Auto to Manual Conversion:
Going to start with a 5 speed conversion from the stock auto for reliability and control.

Stage 3 - Turbo:
Planning on going with a small turbo for focus on tq; not looking for anything huge in terms of numbers but 400hp would be a nice goal to hit. More focused on acceleration than top speed.

Stage 4 - 5 speed to 6 speed swap:
Because more gears is better.

And there we go, the doors to this shit-show have swung wide open. More to come soon.

_____

Edit:

In the fix-up stage I'll be rebuilding the Vanos and upgrading to an aluminum thermostat housing and getting as much of the plastic off the engine itself as possible.

[DeltaDConstruct]

Today the work started on the 328i. Just got some preliminary stuff out of the way and started prepping for the necessary repairs and build as it comes up. I'll most likely be getting the turbo in before I get the trans swap started so I'll be getting on the road with some great power before even knowing what the NA i6 is supposed to feel like.

Today I checked off:
Clutch Fan and Fan Shroud Delete
OEM Washer Fluid Res Delete
Secondary Air Pump and Pump Mount Delete

Found out that the head gasket appears to be in great condition as there's no leaking whatsoever there, but the valve cover has warped so I'll be pulling one from a junk yard and doing a new gasket here soon. I'm on the lookout for a manual trans be it a 5 or 6, but I'll likely go for a 5 speed.

Another little project I've got going is fixing the door lock and getting the key fob back into a decent shape with a new button cover.

[tice23]

Love the ambition. Hope to see some pics of the beast though. I also bought a cheap neglected e46 that I am working on with tonnes of work still ahead.

[DeltaDConstruct]

Love the ambition. Hope to see some pics of the beast though. I also bought a cheap neglected e46 that I am working on with tonnes of work still ahead.

Keep at it man, when stuff starts going in I'll start taking pics and doing a few little videos here and there. Pulled the auto shifter today, pulled the center console stuff including the shitty JVC head unit in the janky off centered universal single din install kit and mount. Pulling the trans and driveshaft from a 97 next weekend but I'll probably try to get the Climate Control repositioning kit ordered next weekend and installed at some point after that. I'm going to be repainting the wood trim a matching black to the rest of the center console. I want it to look, kinda right, but not totally custom.

When I get to the turbo build I'll be starting with the fueling stuff so I'll be upgrading to a new HPFP and 68lb injectors and moving on from there.

[DeltaDConstruct]

Update as of the weekend of 2/8/20:

I've pulled the auto pedal box and will start converting it to a manual setup in the coming weeks, most likely on my next paycheck. I repositioned the climate control and am working on plans for a custom single din sized gauge enclosure to sit under the Kenwood head unit I'll be ordering eventually. Right now I'm stuck working on smaller projects until I get a few more commissions in the system, hopefully by the end of the month I'll be able to get my manual trans pulled and start the process of saving for a 450ft/lb rated clutch setup.

I've got a pic of the climate control setup that I'll be posting a little later.

[DeltaDConstruct]

Update Pics:

So far I've done very little aside from working on the interior and making things work and look "right" in the console. Looks like I'll be deleting the armrest in favor of cleaning up the overall look and figuring out how to make a hidden hydraulic fit in the mix.

Here's where we are so far:

[DeltaDConstruct]

Bump:

Over the quarantine I've been putting a lot of time into the build, so far I've got the valve cover gasket replaced, pulled the old transmission/flex plate, installed the new single mass flywheel for my stage 4 clutch, pulled a 5 speed manual trans from a 528, installed the new clutch and brake pedal box, installed a chasis mount short shifter, ordered a new clutch master cylinder, ordered and adjusted (currently awaiting installation) a set of adjustable sway bar end links, new NRG steering wheel, have a horn button emblem on the way, got my 3 guage mounting bracket installed, got the top half of the engine cleaned up, ordered and received the front half of the manual driveshaft needed to make this all work, and have made myself very tired in the process. This obviously isn't counting all the prep work, research, spraying, planning, twisting, turning, generally contorting, and trips to Harbor Freight that it took me to get to this point. I've decided that while I may do a basic 8psi turbo build on the engine that is in the car right now, I'll be buying a second m52 to do the build right on for a dual stage turbo with 12 and 18psi.

Once the car is running, stage two will be the suspension which I should be pretty much golden on after this part of the project.

[DeltaDConstruct]

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