The 535 that Could

[a777fan]

I like the chunky-ness of that wheel. Hope you can figure out the placement issues.


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[BleedsBlue]

Early tails for the win! Thanks for updating, it reminds me my thread has been lagging as well. I should have some good stuff soon and we'll all build the thread momentum up for this year.

[moroza]

Huh, never noticed a difference with taillights before. I like that steering wheel, wish they made one for the later columns. It goes with the (road) wheels well, celebrating tasteful Euro import tuning c. 1992.

[ZenitramNaes]

So jealous, those AP racing brakes look nice. How are they holding up?

[danespann]

When I installed my E39 sport wheel, I had little clearance between the wheel and cruise stalk. I discovered that the cruise stalk from my 93 parts car had a much different bend to it, which gave me plenty of room. You might see if you can find one that has a different bend that would solve your issue.Attachment 688616

Oh, good info, I may look into it but I'll probably just end up putting another aftermarket wheel back in (in 370 or 380mm instead of 350) so I can run the momo hub and spacer I had on the car before.

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I like the chunky-ness of that wheel. Hope you can figure out the placement issues.

Thanks I quite like it, just wish it didn't sit so far from me. It will probably end up in my e28 at some point instead.

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Huh, never noticed a difference with taillights before. I like that steering wheel, wish they made one for the later columns. It goes with the (road) wheels well, celebrating tasteful Euro import tuning c. 1992.

I originally didn't notice when I swapped out my original melted ones one at a time. Now, I look back at old pictures and realize my tail light signals were different colors for some time (some on page 1 of this thread).

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So jealous, those AP racing brakes look nice. How are they holding up?

Still in boxes in my garage because I've been a lazy (and slightly busy) pos. The Brembo's are holding up very well and I've only managed to boil my ate typ 200 a couple times. Hoping I don't regret the AP's once they're on.

[circuit.heart]

Still in boxes in my garage because I've been a lazy (and slightly busy) pos. The Brembo's are holding up very well and I've only managed to boil my ate typ 200 a couple times. Hoping I don't regret the AP's once they're on.

If you manage to make enough heat to hurt the AP's, you are a bad mofo. Although make sure the seals and (if they exist) dust boots are fresh. AP's are racing calipers, the original seals IIRC are supposed to be replaced at regular intervals.

[danespann]

Wow, 2 months with no updates.

The car has pretty much been sitting in my garage while I daily drive my e28 for my work commute (30 mpg). I’ve been slightly distracted with a ZHP and an e39 540i/6 I purchased recently and this thing hasn’t seen much attention.

1622830672551_filtered by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

It’s getting too hot out for even the E28’s modified AC system, so I pulled out the e34 to trade MPG’s for being comfortable.

Of course, day one of driving the car after sitting a while, the left rear window motor decides to seize. And it was really seized. Wouldn’t even go back up directly hitting the motor after I had the door panel off. Just clicked. Luckily, my friend had a left rear regulator/motor assembly sitting on the shop shelf that wasn’t going to be put in his car very soon. So, I ordered him another and threw the one that was “in stock” in my car.

IMG_4315 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

IMG_4317 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

IMG_4318 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

Never upset when an original part dies after 260k / 32 years. I’m sure the new one will only last a few years.

I left the panel off for now since I need to pick up a new lock actuator for this door anyways. I’ll buy some Angry Ass foam pads and finally put in the 9.5/10 condition 95 door cards I picked up last year as well. I’ll swap the early handles (different leather that doesn’t shrink) and early upper black pieces (don’t peel) over to the 95 gathered panels.

IMG_4316 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

[danespann]

More maintenance!!!

Everyone loves power steering lines. Well, at 265k miles, it was time to replace the last of the power steering lines on this trusty steed.

I went ahead and bought all of the lines because I totally forgot I replaced the high pressure a couple years back with a continental one.

IMG_5426 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

So, I left that one and did the rest along with the reservoir:

IMG_5423 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

Drained the nasty stuff. Done this a few times before as the fluid gets cooked from autocross or track driving.

IMG_5422 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

Seeping original lines:

IMG_5424 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

New ZF reservoir in. I wonder if the little orange “ATF ONLY” sticker is still available.

IMG_5494 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

New lines with fresh crush washers:

IMG_5495 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

IMG_5496 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr


Car is pretty ready to take the trip to the bay area for Radwood in a couple weeks. Hope to see some more e34 folks there.

[dannyzabolotny]

Time to power wash that engine bay! Can hardly even tell it's a white car there, lol.

[MauiM3Mania]

Time to power wash that engine bay! Can hardly even tell it's a white car there, lol.

Thats rust protection!

[BleedsBlue]

Good stuff - work like this (and the fact that you have flushed your PS system multiple times) is why that car will keep running eternally - knocks on wood.

I'll have to peep the Radwood Bay Area dates, I may be in the area at that time (sans M5, unfortunately).

[a777fan]

The CHF ONLY (green) sticker was still available last I checked…. But mighty expensive. ~$18!


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[danespann]

The CHF ONLY (green) sticker was still available last I checked…. But mighty expensive. ~$18!

Sounds like those systems are an orange sticker away from throwing ATF in them haha. Quite dislike CHF

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Good stuff - work like this (and the fact that you have flushed your PS system multiple times) is why that car will keep running eternally - knocks on wood.

I'll have to peep the Radwood Bay Area dates, I may be in the area at that time (sans M5, unfortunately).

Would be cool to have more e34 peeps there, even if it's without the e34.

[a777fan]

Sounds like those systems are an orange sticker away from throwing ATF in them haha. Quite dislike CHF

[moroza]

Quite dislike CHF

Any reason other than cost?

[danespann]

Any reason other than cost?

Yeah mostly cost... On a system that doesn't leak it doesn't matter at all.
However, it seems dumb to design a system that takes it when ATF works so well and is available everywhere.

[moroza]

I tend to agree, though CHF is supposed to be a better-performing oil particularly at temperature extremes. I've anecdotally noticed quieter PS pumps with the green stuff than the red, and for my SLS retrofit, I didn't take chances with the fluid and coughed up for a gallon+ of Pentosin.

[danespann]

Pulled this thing out to go to Radwood Norcal (and visit Brian) with Danny and Kurtis. Unfortunately, Kurtis’ Bronzit car (my old car) wasn’t quite ready in time, but the pair of alpine white cars made the journey anyways.

2021-07-10 Radwood 6d_3 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

My expired Kodak film was much more expired than I planned for, so these came out awful:

2021-07-10 Radwood Film ruined kodak 2_14 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

2021-07-10 Radwood Film ruined kodak 2_22 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr


Radwood was a lovely event. By far the worst part of the event was the fact that we had to go back into the real world afterwards. New cars are truly awful and so ugly it hurts. Wish I never had to see cars post-2000 ever again but here we are.

2021-07-10 Radwood 6d_6 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

Continued to daily drive the car a bit after getting back.
Still need to get a new AFM for this thing as it keeps giving issues and throwing codes. I've cleaned and serviced this one plenty enough that I'm over it. Time for replacement. An e32 735i showed up at a local yard so I’ll try to grab that next week.
Also need to put M Systems back on with new non-warped spacers

IMG_6448 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

Good cars enable you to go drive places and make memories. Going to try to keep doing that. Here’s a couple of touristy photos from the bay area:

2021-07-10 Radwood Film_45 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

2021-07-10 Radwood Film_41 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

Passenger window motor seized because they do that in Arizona. So time for a new motor/regulator assembly probably. They lasted 30 years in California, but 3 years garage kept in Arizona has done them in.

[BleedsBlue]

What an awesome trip. And I totally feel you on leaving Radwood, it's such a wonderful time capsule! That's all it is, though. You have to leave the capsule eventually

I was bummed to miss it, but I was in Napa for a friend's bachelor party. I forgave him.

Is your garage insulated/climate controlled at all? Just curious.

[circuit.heart]

https://splitsec.com/bmw-e34-535i-spiked

hehe. Spennnnnnnnnnnnnd

[danespann]

I was bummed to miss it, but I was in Napa for a friend's bachelor party. I forgave him.

Is your garage insulated/climate controlled at all? Just curious.

Garage is insulated, but not climate controlled unless I kick on the swamp cooler to work on something. Still gets pretty hot in there and swamp cooler does more swamp than cool when it's over 110.

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https://splitsec.com/bmw-e34-535i-spiked

hehe. Spennnnnnnnnnnnnd

Very interesting. If that's even available, I wonder how much it costs. I had a Miller MAF setup at one point, but the WAR chip arrived with broken pins, so I never had a chance to use it.

[danespann]

Well, M systems are back. One would think that all is right with the world again. Nope….

IMG_7076 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

I took off the center caps from the OZ’s for the first time in months, and laying in the right rear wheel was one loose broken wheel stud. Another stud snapped while torquing the remaining 4 to put the M system on. Here’s the first one with nut already removed:

IMG_7077 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

I should say that according to MS hardware’s site, studs are wear items and should be replaced every 1-2 seasons. These are 3 full years old with over 60k miles and wayyyy too many wheel swaps. The fronts have even been transferred between multiple sets of wheel bearings. Seeing that both studs that snapped are on the right rear, that makes sense as that corner has taken a couple more impacts than the rest. Either way, I ordered a fresh, new stud kit and I’ll have to drill and extract that pair of broken ones, if not more. Guess I’ll take the e28 to autocross instead.

Inner wheelwell rub marks from 265s and 275s way back. My coilover height adjust collar was knocked loose when I accidentally jumped the car in Northern California. Oops:

IMG_7078 by Dane Spannaus, on Flickr

[BleedsBlue]

Naked M Systems just fuvk.

I'm glad you caught the studs like this, because I've certainly seen some scary failures! It's tough to convince folks how much of a wear item they are, but it's a fact of life. I still prefer them for service.

Accidental yumps are the best yumps.

[circuit.heart]

Inner wheelwell rub marks from 265s and 275s way back. My coilover height adjust collar was knocked loose when I accidentally jumped the car in Northern California. Oops:

You're welcome

Also, if you're regularly using thin cross-section spacers like your last image, the studs will lose torque more easily, and that can actually contribute to studs breaking. Counterintuitively, if you have full torque on the stud nothing should be moving and the wheel should turn 100% straight; if the spacer squishes and you lose nut torque, the wheel won't be 100% straight anymore (loading the studs in tension) and a hard enough knock can try to shift the wheel (loading the studs in shear), bad in two ways.

[danespann]

You're welcome

Also, if you're regularly using thin cross-section spacers like your last image, the studs will lose torque more easily, and that can actually contribute to studs breaking. Counterintuitively, if you have full torque on the stud nothing should be moving and the wheel should turn 100% straight; if the spacer squishes and you lose nut torque, the wheel won't be 100% straight anymore (loading the studs in tension) and a hard enough knock can try to shift the wheel (loading the studs in shear), bad in two ways.

This makes a lot of sense. I've had these 3mm spacers on the car for all 3 years of the studs being on. Wheel hub sticks out so far it's even needed with 15mm spacers to allow them to sit flat against the mating surface.