The Bronzit Bomber: Rough 535i/5 Build Thread

**bmdubya1198** · 12-02-2020, 01:09 PM

Yeah, I've had a lot of cases of carpets WAY too dirty for the extractor to work well. Folex works wonders!

**danespann** · 12-20-2020, 04:36 PM

Well, I’ve been driving this thing. I’ve added around 1000 miles to the odometer in the past week. I’ve done some small things like putting in a nicer shift knob and boot (thanks Kent) and a wood surround.

Had my mirror sideswiped by somebody in a Veloster.

Threw a beat-up LSG door card in for now so I have a handle (I have black interior for this car but that’s for later once the window regulators are addressed). I did install the nice condition 1995 heated black comfort seats I bought. No more twist and fully working seat heater.

Danny had some time on the weekend, so we decided to see why the heater core was bypassed (we were hopeful it was maybe heater-valve related). The blower on the car hasn’t worked either, so I figured we’d swap it for a good used unit and clean out the back of the evap core.

I had a stock exhaust laying out back as well (I think it’s from a 525i based on smaller resonator). So that went on to quiet the thing down and go through emissions.

Everything is corroded on this thing because it’s had tap water in the cooling system for years. This is the third coolant change with liquid-moly flush treatment and still getting some rust out.

Heater valve crumbled when taking it out. Threw in a known good unit from a parts car.

Janky heater core bypass that kept coolant going through heater valve???

Always makes me happy throwing away URO stuff. This was the 3-way hose.

A used a plastic scraper and gloves to clean out the climate box. Couldn’t even see the evaporator fins when I started. Retrieved approximately a pound of gunk and dirt that was in the fins and bottom of the climate box against the sword. Definitely a fire hazard.

Old blower motor was actually fine and the completely wrong relay was installed in the blower relay location. Swapped the relay for one from Danny’s parts car and blower works on all speeds now. Installed a different known-working OEM blower anyways since we had it out.

A very clean engine bay:

I knew the belts squealed on start-up and weren’t great. But upon closer inspection, the main belt was original to the car.

Threw new belts on, started filling the cooling system and discovered water pouring out the climate box drains. That explains the bypass. Re-bypassed the heater core, but properly this time so the heater valves are bypassed entirely. Danny also replaced the vacuum hose to the FPR since someone had replaced it with fuel line. That was an honest mistake though since we discovered the regular had failed and was spewing fuel into the vacuum line. Probably why the car runs so rich. I had a good one somewhere, but couldn’t find it so figured it was at home.

The next day, I swapped the FPR for a known good Bosch 3.0 bar one I had replaced preventatively on the white 535. Everything rubber or plastic crumbles on this car. A true Arizona desert vehicle.

I’ll continue daily driving it for now as the heated seat makes it bearable in the chilly mornings. Now, to order a Behr heater core and the plastic pipes and repeat what I’ve done before on the other car. Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

**BleedsBlue** · 12-20-2020, 07:21 PM

Nice update!

Originally Posted by danespann

Every E34 needs the same things in the end.

This is so scary true I'm putting it in my sig

**danespann** · 12-20-2020, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by BleedsBlue

This is so scary true I'm putting it in my sig

Danny and I end up saying this a lot at the shop. The 10k dollar BAT cars and the 500 dollar cars are all gonna be needy at this point. You're paying for cosmetics mostly. Different price scale for M5's obviously

**bmdubya1198** · 12-20-2020, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by danespann

Danny and I end up saying this a lot at the shop. The 10k dollar BAT cars and the 500 dollar cars are all gonna be needy at this point. You're paying for cosmetics mostly. Different price scale for M5's obviously

Yup! This applies to most every car. It all depends on how much work you want to do to get it to your standards.

That FPR was shot... that's quite a lot of fuel coming out of there! No wonder the belt was squealing either, that's missing a just few teeth lol.

**danespann** · 01-02-2021, 04:08 PM

This thing sat under the orange trees at my house for a couple weeks and I didn’t even look at it. Worked a half day today, so it was emissions testing time. The car fired right up after sitting. To the surprise of the testing staff, the car passed with flying colors. (I had to explain to leave the door open or the car would lock when started and the sunroof panel is currently affixed with zip ties.)

1800 miles added since purchase! Checked the oil and coolant for the first time. Still full.

Now that the car is legal, I will be dropping the car with Danny at some point, and we are going to make it nice. That means mechanically perfect with everything working and a nice interior. I will compile a spreadsheet or something that shows all money invested to make this thing drive and feel nicer than most bring-a-trailer flipper cars, including price of the car and labor. No, I will not be painting the car. I don’t care.

**danespann** · 01-08-2021, 09:43 PM

With Danny parting out his beige ’95 525i, I decided to grab some things from him.
List:

-Front Bumper installed with my plate delete and trims from the junkyard (my bumper trims turned to dust upon removal). Old bumper support was pretty bent and even punctured. Did its job well as nothing else is bent.

-Side Skirts + Door Bottom Trims (Not Yet Installed)

-Installed my other nice black seat, also from a junkyard 530i.

-Poly Thrust Arms
Heavily Used. This will be the 3^rd car they live on. Probably over 100k on them. They seem fine. No Pics.
I have E31 LCA’s to go with these. Also picked up a set of eibach springs and new mounts for the Bilsteins already on the car.

I’ve just continued daily driving the car. 100 or so miles a day.

**bmdubya1198** · 01-08-2021, 10:04 PM

Coming along nicely! The bumper is a big improvement!

**danespann** · 01-17-2021, 01:10 PM

Well, another update. Just putting on parts that have been around. Took care of the front end and brakes. Installed some eibach springs on the front as well.

I should look at cars more closely before driving them… Leaky caliper and twisted/kinked brake line on passenger side. Driver side had zero slide pins holding the caliper to the carrier.

Threw on some low mileage 540i calipers and brackets. New Bosch rotors and Jurid pads.

Control arms were original and awful at 225k miles. Bushings fully separated and every ball joint had play. Threw in E31 LCA’s and some used thrust arms with powerflex poly bushings. No play in the ball joints on them.

Rusty used Eibach springs:

Height:

Car drives infinitely better now and isn’t such a safety hazard.

**sbeckman7** · 01-17-2021, 02:31 PM

Dude that brake situation

I just replaced my front Vogtland springs with Eibachs as well and couldn't believe how much they transformed the handling. It actually rides like a BMW again! Mine are the sportline springs though (red coils) so about as low as the Vogtlands but much higher spring rate and no longer bottoming out 90% of the time

Notice anything different in terms of feel/performance with the 540 front brakes? I'm thinking about putting some on but might just wait to find a set of 4 piston Brembo's off an E31.

**danespann** · 01-17-2021, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by sbeckman7

Dude that brake situation

I just replaced my front Vogtland springs with Eibachs as well and couldn't believe how much they transformed the handling. It actually rides like a BMW again! Mine are the sportline springs though (red coils) so about as low as the Vogtlands but much higher spring rate and no longer bottoming out 90% of the time

Notice anything different in terms of feel/performance with the 540 front brakes? I'm thinking about putting some on but might just wait to find a set of 4 piston Brembo's off an E31.

540 brakes don't stop the car much better on their own, but the extra rotor thickness helps a ton with heat management if you do track things or spirited driving. Best nearly free brake upgrade if you can grab them from a junkyard car. This car may eventually get the F40 brembos from my other car when i put my AP's on it.

**bmdubya1198** · 01-17-2021, 08:26 PM

Wow, I'm surprised you didn't feel there was something up with those brakes! Then again, I discovered a twisted brake line on my brother's Volvo S60 a while back, and neither of us noticed any lack of braking power. Well, beyond the fact that the old brakes were shot anyway lol.

**danespann** · 01-18-2021, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by bmdubya1198

Wow, I'm surprised you didn't feel there was something up with those brakes!

Oh, I knew something was wrong in the front end. It shook pretty violently under braking, but I figured most of it was thrust arms and warped rotors. Little did I know the actual danger. Small wheels is all that held the driver's caliper in.

**bmdubya1198** · 01-18-2021, 07:52 PM

Good thing the wheel held it in there!

**BleedsBlue** · 01-19-2021, 05:13 PM

Nice save on that one! Those small Forgelines look so good.

Originally Posted by sbeckman7

I'm thinking about putting some on but might just wait to find a set of 4 piston Brembo's off an E31.

Are you tied to 16" wheels?

**sbeckman7** · 01-20-2021, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by BleedsBlue

Are you tied to 16" wheels?

I am, and I know what you're thinking

had a gander at your F30 BBK but I love the Style 8's too much to go back to 17's... Excited to see what you guys end up doing with that M30 intake manifold though!

**BleedsBlue** · 01-20-2021, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by sbeckman7

I am, and I know what you're thinking

had a gander at your F30 BBK but I love the Style 8's too much to go back to 17's... Excited to see what you guys end up doing with that M30 intake manifold though!

Haha, I am probably predictable, BUT we have also identified a growing need for a 16" optimized BBK option. We've never been impressed with the E31 setup, either technically nor empirically, and now those parts are actually getting hard to find.

Between E28/32/34 guys I think a nice and affordable AP Racing front BBK would be the ticket. We may test the components first on an E30, but would build a custom hat and bracket for the combined 5/7 series noted. The 4 piston AP caliper and likely rotor size (I believe 298mm) are both around $300 (each), making them competitive with any other BBK price wise. Except AP Racing wipes the floor with the others from a technical standpoint, and offers advantages such as super thick brake pads in a variety of compounds.

No intent to derail the thread here, Dane, but your small Forgelines made me think of this anyway! Carry on.

**a777fan** · 01-21-2021, 07:26 PM

Nice! Glad to see you're slowly chipping away here. The bones seem quite nice, and should all come together well.

Very interested in what else you'll find mechanically as you start to work your way through!

**danespann** · 01-22-2021, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by BleedsBlue

No intent to derail the thread here, Dane, but your small Forgelines made me think of this anyway! Carry on.

I don't mind a good derail, especially when it's about brakes as I'm gearing up to put the AP's on my white car.

Being reverse mount, the forgelines barely clear 540 calipers and have the brake clearance of a 15" wheel while being 16". I'll probably just keep this car 540 brakes but swap to a better compound later.
I'll probably be tempted to throw the M Systems and Brembos on though.

**danespann** · 02-14-2021, 04:42 PM

Shortly after the last post, the 90’s aftermarket anti-theft system in this car decided to brick itself. (Jan 23^rd)

The alarm would go off the instant the battery was reconnected and the locks would cycle constantly. The immobilizer had cut ignition as well.

The car was dead in the water, so I pushed it into the RV storage area of my yard where I didn’t have to look at it(along with the low mileage E36 325i that is awaiting time to complete its manual swap).

Today (Feb 14), I pulled the lower dash apart and started chasing wiring. Everything for the aftermarket system just used cheap wire taps, so I was able to pull the garbage out pretty easily. Ignition re-connected and the factory power locks work with no more lock cycles now.

That’s all for now. Back to daily driving this while I take care of the timing belt and subframe refresh on the E28, then I’ll wrap up the last few things on this car and probably post it for sale.

**bmdubya1198** · 02-14-2021, 09:32 PM

I hate that aftermarket alarm/immobilizer crap. I've bought so many cars with that, and fortunately it's usually just installed with vampire clips or even just twisted and electrical taped. Completely the wrong way to do it, but easy to uninstall!

**fo3** · 02-15-2021, 08:38 AM

It's even worse in Western Australia where it was compulsory to at least install an immobiliser since the late 90s when a car was ever sold (titles transferred), if it didn't already have a factory system from new.
But I suppose that meant at least that an industry of decent products and installers grew, and it's nice to have remote locking and cheap remotes and other parts available.

Even though my system is a 20 year old cyclops system it still worked and seems to have been installed OK - I went through it and got new remotes but I reconnected the starter to bypass the cut out relays as I don't want to be stranded one day. E: And of course I can't rip it out as it has to be there whenever I sell the car!

**danespann** · 04-04-2021, 03:13 PM

No big update here, but the car is on loan to a friend while his M-Sport gets a mechanical overhaul, so this peeling Bronzit pile is actively devaluing properties all over Scottsdale for a while.

When that M-Sport comes off the lift, this car will take its place and receive a good list of stuff before Kurtis (50 shades of glacier blue) takes ownership.

**danespann** · 06-19-2021, 10:53 AM

Well, I sold this car to Kurtis a while back and it has not left the lift since. I'll let him take over from here with future updates as this car will soon be fully sorted.

For now, here's a teaser of the car on some of my favorite wheels that he's borrowing:

https://flic.kr/p/2m6pJmj]

Untitled[/url] by https://www.flickr.com/photos/183265261@N07/]Dane Spannaus[/url], on Flickr