Rebuilding Parker the Parts Car

[ZEKTI]

Hi fellow BFC E36 enthusiasts. Due to Covid and having more time for automotive projects I have decided to tackle another project. My friend purchased this 325is auto for its diff and misc parts then placed in storage. After sitting for a few years I decided to tackle and try to learn some new skills, mainly bodywork this time. It needs front fenders, nose panel, hood, bumper, drivers door, most gaskets and was poorly painted a black. I did some searching and found the car was originally in Cali for the first 7 years which explains the minimal rust. After looking at it in daylight most of it is still original at 180K miles. I've started to teardown the vehicle and so far not too bad. The car will not be a race car or drift car. Just something to learn on and being moderately comfortable. All bushings etc are being replaced with stock rubber and i'll post a more through build of it once that starts.

Exterior Plans - With it being in such a terrible paint situation I will need to do a fair amount of sanding, filling, sanding, fill some more etc. Depending on how straight the panels are, a metallic blue or grey is my preferred color. However if it doesn't warrant that, the idea of something odd like this splatter paint I like. Other than stock it'll have the following.
- M3 front bumper
- Ebay rear diffuser
- Low Rise LTW
- Style 18 in 17" staggered

Splatter idea
1ee8d8eafd363fe67de301dcf51b8ac3.jpg

Interior Plans - This is where i'll deviate from the standard black swap. The current is absolutely beat light gray. I've been researching a few forums and done some testing so the decklids etc, will be dyed black with standard Duplicolor. The carpet, while I would like a non black color, does hide dirt well and this has its fair share of stains, so AM Arnold black it is. Thanks MR E30 for the suggestions. The dash I would like either a 2 tone or mostly painted SEM Camel. The warm caramel color is what I desire and that will come close to it. I may leave the center console portion part black but ebrake etc will be changed appropriately. Any suggestions from the community I will take, as SEM, Duplicolor have a decent amount of color selections. The seats will most likely bye dyed, but I am undecided on color. I don't think a Camel on Camel color scheme would work too well. Below is the list of mods I've got so far.

Black gauge rings
White gauge face
Satin purple dials

Suspension plans - New stock rubber bushings when I rebuilt an E30 felt so much better than 30 yo rubber. Previously I went urethane on my 318Ti but realized that's not always desired and new stock can create the desired effect. Plus all the rubber bushings costs maybe 1 set of urethane ones. I do have an unsed of FK coilovers around, which will probably be set at their max height and won't last too long, but they're sitting on my shelf doing nothing. I will also be painting/welding the sub frames with everything out. I have access to a blasting cabinet and like using VHT Epoxy paint. The harsh stuff will get POR15. Also have access to presses for all the stubborn bushings. I picked up a Milwaukee impact for the heavy lifting and omg, worth it.

Drivetrain - For now I will leave the auto trans, but that may change throughout my work in it. As long term I won't want an old GM auto. There is a local yard that has everything for the swap which is nice. Anything worn out I'll be replacing. I don't plan to rebuild everything, but using stock products and shopping around I've been able to keep the costs down quite a bit already. Since my friend snagged the diff I grabbed a 3.23 locally, open and it'll stay open.

Engine - Being an auto car it hasn't been abused. I'll do a comp test but it sounds healthy and I'll do a basic reseal on it. Maybe some guides if worn and secure the oil pump nut. Nothing else fancy here. Just nice and degreased stock M50. I do have a Supersprint rear muffler I'll toss on it. Since the car is old, I'll drop fuel tank etc and replace all the rubber lines with Gates Barricade. Just to be safe.

Brakes - Thankfully the hard lines are in good condition so all the soft lines will be replaced with rubber ATE/Cortico. Some centric rotors, bosch/centric pads and reman rotors will complete that. Stock is the game here.

I look forward to posting updates and filling up the swear jar again on an E36.



Here Parker is being dropped off. Friends Cayenne diesel is a beast.




Yes she’s rough, but potential to learn!

[Sleepyhead97]

Hats off to you! At this point anything you do is an improvement so dont be shy

[ZEKTI]

^ Thanks! It was going to be crushed. But maybe it has some life yet.

Been working through it slowly. Subframe out, being cleaned up, painted and soon all new OE bushings/ball joints etc. I’ll rebuild axles while there. But those progress pics will come once done. I like a clean undercarriage. New hardware where applicable.

So far:
Rear deck lid dyed black duplicolor.
C Pillar dyed black duplicolor
Speaker grills and brake light cover painted semi-gloss black Rustoleum 2X

Carpet removed, washed extensively, and dyed black/charcoal with SM Arnold. Phone makes it lighter than is irl, also this stuff has some harsh solvents. Please use PPE. A simple fabric brush is all you need to make it come out well. Take your time and light coats, brush and repeat.

Dash removed, painted SEM Camel. Heat gun is a must. Kid of wanted olive green but no ColorCoat in green

Cluster gauges red with white overlay. Fingers crossed I didn’t break it cause pita. Also. Yes it’s mocked up and rings need glued.

Viilante Steering wheel, leather with M stiching. Nice wheel for the money but since I have a PS delete, I may go for a thicker one like Nardi, Momo, Sparco.

I’ll be putting in more time soon with cooler weather and prolly 2nd lockdown.

Some photos of the gross underside below. Ohhhh midwest cars




























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[ZEKTI]

Updates!

Rear suspension is done. Parts cleaned, Rustoleum Rust Reformed, then VHT Epoxy Black. So many bushings back there that I had a shop use the proper tools to press out/in.

Febi subrame bushings
ECS Poly Diff bushing
Febi Diff mount bushings
Lemforder trailing arm bushings
Lemforder control arms
Febi ball joints
Lemforder wheel hub bushings
SKF Wheel hub
Febi wheel bearing
Centric Wheel bearing
FK Streetline shocks, Rein E46 M3 Mount, AKG Plates

While I was back there I dropped the fuel tank for some new rubber lines. The hard brake lines are gross so trying to source used southern ones, as it'll get new soft brake lines.

Rust spots were wire wheeled with an angel grinder, etc and then POR15. I've had success with that and it's not a restoration. Fuel tank traps cleaned up, and hit with some VHT Epoxy. Should be all reassembly soon for those pieces.

Interior rear seats were dyed with Fiebings British Tan. Steps are using a deglazer on leather, dying multiple coats, then finishing with acrylic resolene. I learned a decent amount here, like dyes can go from light to dark, but not the other way. If you want black seats to be brown, they will need to be painted. The photos make is seem shinier than they are.

Rear door? cards were painted Duplicolor black, and inserts floral from Joann Fabrics. I learned upholstery work is a challenge. It is hard to get the fabric to not crease. Thankfully the fabric was cotton/spandex and worked well. 3M aerosol fabric was used as glue. I will need to do the front door cards soon. Dash is assembled, however I think I'll need to do some work on the sagging nasty glovebox. It already has some glue that needs trimmed. $9 Blaupunkt radio in and works like a charm. 0 customization but that is expected. Has proper RCA out's and Infinity 12" bumps pretty good. SSL 6x9 in the rear deck and HiFonics 5.25 front.

Front subframe is out and steering rack. Absolutely gross and will need a deep clean. Plan is to delete PS for now and see how I like it. I have an e34 solid u joint for it and will save the PS pump for a rebuild. All the other lines are trash. Next is to drop the pan, secure oil pump nut/replace chain. Hopefully it's mechanically done in April. Manual swap coming soon.

[ZEKTI]

Audio update time. I really enjoy some tunes but this car had no factory radio and all speaker had succumbed to the elements. This isn't what one would call audiophile. Better than nothing!

- Hifonics Zeus 5.25" for the front kickpanel. Nothing too fancy, get 1 way speakers if possible. They least came with some hardware. Stamped Steel

- SSL 6x9" for the rears with Amazon adapters. You'll lose factory rear tweeters with this setup. Stamped Steel

- Dual AMP, basic a/b class amp that puts out enough power bridged. Was $35, happy with how it performs.

- Boss 8GA amp wire kit, used on many and haven't found a better value.

- Blaupunkt Toronto HU. Made famous by BIG D WIZZZ on youtube. It was $9 and is the fastest connecting to BT ever. There are basic audio adjustments but no built in crossover (obvi). I would like to find a used Pioneer HU that can change color and has built in x-over. On the E30 it works amazing to filter out 80hz below to the little door speakers. Let the sub thump that.

- Scored an amazing deal on NIB Infinity Primus 12" sealed woofer. $60 shipped. Hit's hard and is small.

My mediocre photos below!





















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[ZEKTI]

Brake time!! While I am leaning on this car as a budget. I do like to stop, so brakes had to be done as well. Nothing fancy here either as even SS lines are $100+ Painted them either high temp black or some engine paint gray to contrast. Bare metal will rust too fast and regular enamel paint will flake too easy.

- Reman rear calipers from RockAuto. New rebuilt stamp on them and seem put together well enough.

- Reman front caliper from BimmerBum. Thanks Ed!

- ATE front soft hoses.

- Drivers side copper line bought from good ol Advance Auto

- Ebay front slotted/drilled rotors with Bosch Blue pads

- Centric rear blanks with centric pads

- OE parking brake line, what a pita. New hardware from Raybestos

































I dislike rust


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[ZEKTI]

It's TYE DYE TIME! Well not really but yes to some leather. After watching many videos on youtube I decided to have some fun. Rear seats were gross, I like tan and I like to learn. So Fiebings dyes it was.

1. Deglaze, watch out for it's harshness.
2. Dye. couple light coats
3. Many coats of resolene. You can aerosol on or wipe. I used the wipe method. Make sure it's dry inbetween coats!


Next up, door cards. So a quick trip to Joann Fabrics and I had a few patterns. What I found is that, the more elastic/spandex material the better. Thicker cloth will wrinkle as we don't have the tools/presses the factory does. My final product had some wrinkles but it looked better and I learned a lot. I think the car looks more complete this way, for now

Doorcards also painted black with Duplicolor vinyl.

Front seats E46 sport seats. Not perfect, but are the comfy













E46 seats wire in easy, not sure what color they will be.






VHT nightshade red the stock tails. Budget build, $11










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[spyderg0d]

Very nice

[Sleepyhead97]

Wow alot of work has been done. Be sure and kill that rust. Great job.

[ZEKTI]

Thanks for the kind words. I need to find a way to host images better. BFC doesn't resize so the original size off Tapatalk is too big, and medium is too small. Looks like imgur was disabled as well. blah.

Most of the rust has been POR15, which isn't ideal but all I can do given the circumstances. Other rust is at least hit with a convertor and then epoxy painted over.

I'll be dropping the pan, wire tie the oil pump and getting it ready for the manual swap. One thing nice with leaking so many fluids was the rack basically fell out.

[Gr33n36]

how did you get rid of srs light with those seats?

[Sleepyhead97]

Thanks for the kind words. I need to find a way to host images better. BFC doesn't resize so the original size off Tapatalk is too big, and medium is too small. Looks like imgur was disabled as well. blah.

Most of the rust has been POR15, which isn't ideal but all I can do given the circumstances. Other rust is at least hit with a convertor and then epoxy painted over.

I'll be dropping the pan, wire tie the oil pump and getting it ready for the manual swap. One thing nice with leaking so many fluids was the rack basically fell out.

What trans you going with. Apologies if you said already. I am interested in this manual swap.

[ZEKTI]

how did you get rid of srs light with those seats?

Cannot get rid of. Since the cluster is torn apart for gauge color and white face replacement I'll just remove the bulb. The car will not be sold and with an aftermarket steering wheel there are no airbags anyways. Please note on E46 seats some will have an airbag in the seat, you cannot get this to work. Don't mess with airbags.

What trans you going with. Apologies if you said already. I am interested in this manual swap.

I am using the Getrag 250. While it's not as strong as the ZF, it will suffice with my plans. FWIW I have a 400K miles Getrag behind my S52 with 0 issues. If I would spend $$ on ZF i'd bite the bullet and go 6speed Getrag. But that's just me.


Hopefully I can find an image hosting site as Tapatalk is tiny and imgur is banned. I got the core support painted this weekend, subframe primed. Next is taking off the auto trans and getting engine ready for a reseal. If the brake lines come in then the rear subframe and axle etc with a refreshed fuel system will be mounted next weekend. Solid progress thus far.

[Sleepyhead97]

Wow good to know. Ive been thinking zf or getrag. Looking to go around 1k max. Going to need a parts car

[ZEKTI]

Well progress has been slower than normal due to a busy schedule and me breaking parts. First issue were some rotted brake lines on the driver's side. I was able to borrow BlueBimma's professional hydraulic flairkit as the Bosch/OTC Stinger kit I have was ok, but a bit of a pita to use. That is what happens with $30 vs $600 tools though. Copper lines were ran from the front fenderwell and rear T. In the next few years I will redo the whole car with new hardlines or braided lines. Bluebimma's new project he did that and while being extremely easy to route, it also is user friendly.

The drivers side floor still needs replacing as I have been very busy just degreasing the parts and painting when applicable. Most likely I will be removing the engine for a quick reseal and it will be much easier to install the manual swap then.

Also saw Bluebimma and new chassis in the 318Ti which he is putting his 6.0 in.





So close to a bad day



Highly recommend this bolt finder.







Chasing every bolt with craftsmen kit then wire wheel clean/brake clean degrease.

[ZEKTI]

Progress is a little slower after life stuff, but have got the entire backend suspension done. Below is a list of refresh for the backend suspension

- Sutrack Axles (BE SURE TO ADD GREASE!!!)
- ECS poly front diff mount
- Febi/Lemforder OE Mix of all balljoints and bushings replaced. I think there were 17 total!
- Febi and Centric Bearings
- SKP Wheel Flange
- 323 Open Diff
- Chase bays rear hardline delete
- Refreshed calipers, Centric blanks, Centric pads
- URO Sensors







Engine ready to go back in as soon as I get the manual trans and d/s etc. Lots of degreasing and new sensors. Cover painted in Duplicolor Grey. Nothing fancy internal, nice/stock.

- Bosch Knock sensors
- Hella Crankshaft sensor
- Bosch Camshaft sensor
- VR Oilpan and VCG sealed with Corteco Green
- Corteco RMS
- Racegerman Exhaust studs and oil pump nut
- Facet and VNE coolant sensors sealed with Permatex thread sealer







I'll finalize some of the front refresh soon and go over the auto to manual swap. Tons of little things being fixed and upgraded. No old lines/bushings etc will be left on this car. Shiny Ebay shorty headers will go on the car, might be a pain to weld up but meh.

[dfyoung10]

Astonishing work. I might observe that copper brake lines (or fuel lines) tend to work harden and brake with vibration. Steel is the only way.

[ZEKTI]

^ I would like full PTFE lines for brakes as copper feels almost too soft. Maybe I'll try aluminum as the longterm plans for this chassis are up in the air. M73 swap,etc??

Motors in! Putting the rest together and going well.

- Ebay shorties. You will need to grind slightly and bend the firewall flange. It sits extremely close to the bock. Thankfully the flange side was flat and I used their gasket. The stock ones were slightly too small and are a different material all together. Used the new style hardware and able to actually torque properly. So nice! Thanks RaceGerman.com!

- All the firewall hoses replaced with a mix of Febi and Meyle hoses. Seemed to be the correct hose type and fit well. The plastic flange I got new from Vaico but did not replace. If it's an issue I shall.

- Picked up a junkyard Getrag that had the hardware/selectors. New Meyle Shifter arm bushing, OE rear rubber bushing. New selector rod joint from MTC and seal from Corteco. Oil drained meh and filled with good ol Pennzoil Synchromesh. Guibo is German made Febi. Shifter is the ebay short shift kit with a DDM Tuning weighted knob. Oh ya the OG's know that brand.

- I am going to loop the heater hoses so no coolant in TB or intake box. Not needed here. '

- New Bosch 3.5 bar (stock) FPR. As you can see the old one is internally rusted. I am not sure how it would have performed but I had this laying around and why not. Gave the rail a quick paint in some VHT Epoxy satin black.

- 6 New coils from Specta. The cost of Bosch is ridiculous imo and it'll be nice to have 6 new ones all in their own spec. Ofc I'll toss a few good old ones in the trunk just in case.

I'm behind on this project but other life things got in the way. Should be on the road soon. I wish I could take better photos.




















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[Eric93se]

Did you sand the new thermostat housing flat or apply a little rtv silicone?

Awesome work so far, make a video when you get running.

[ZEKTI]

Did you sand the new thermostat housing flat or apply a little rtv silicone?

Awesome work so far, make a video when you get running.

I did sand with an abrasive wheel on a slow speed on the head side. The housing was true. I did use the Elring gasket and not the URO gasket. As another thread shows there the Uro gasket is extremely thick and can cause a leak. I used a little Permatex cooling system RTV it. (the little blue tube)

I'll update once it's running, which is hopefully soon!! I am excited about the jackson pollock esq paintjob it'll get. Theme is 80s art car "inspired" The body is in no way that straight, and I don't have the skillset to make the dents unnoticeable. So an unconventional solution it is.

[Eric93se]

What!? Who's doing the paint? Take pics or video, or time laps.

[ZEKTI]

What!? Who's doing the paint? Take pics or video, or time laps.

I’ll be doing the paint and body work. I’ve been testing on some junkyard panels. Here is a cover I did to test different splatter techniques. No clear coat so little gloss.

Not the Jackson Pollock design, this was just me testing reactions of different paints and adhesion on plastic.





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[Eric93se]

For plastics they have a product called "adhesion promoter".

That looks pretty cool though!

[Veleno]

Nice build so far!

[ZEKTI]

Thanks all! Progress has been slower due to other obligations but it’s about ready to start!

Got some driveshaft parts pieced together and repainted. U joint slop within tolerance and if it vibrates, will replace with Texas DSS.

Febi Lockring
URO CSB ( Thanks URO for updated info. They changed rubber durometer around bearing (INA) so it should be on par with others.
Corteco centering bearing. (What a pain to replace but it's done)
Febi Guibo






Rebuilt some pink tops. Thanks to RACEGERMAN for the rebuild kit and the clips. Nice to have new hardware. Yes one of them is different. I am curious if it'll change anything.








E36 Cooling solution on this is as follows.

Mahle/Behr Cap
Nissens E36 Radiator
Bimmerworld 16" SPAL fan kit
Rein Tank
TurtleLabs Radiator Mount











More Rustoleum Nardo Gray




Tune is handled by RacingPros






Getting "finished"

Bosch Euro Lights
35W HIDs @ 6500K
6500K Nokya highbeams








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