e30ftw

Bought my first E46 325i touring a few weeks ago. Previous owner had been chasing what he suspected was a "vacuum leak", causing a slight miss at cold start but otherwise drove well. I got under yesterday to do the fuel filter and trans mounts. Took the cover off the fuel filter and sre enough the vacuum line is perished at the regulator. Take the filter off, replace the fuel lines and vacuum line while I'm there and finish up. Had the old fuel filter on my bench with black fuel and sediment coming out of it and that's when I realized the date on it was the build date of the e46. 22 years / 160000kms later.. yikes!

They're just .. so.. ugly 🤨

Holy sh*t. I would not take that out of the house and be seen in it like that.

Well that explains the write off lol

Yeah it is spot welded in place. It's not simple for a home mechanic but for a panel shop who can drill out spot welds it is definitely easy.

Looks pretty minor in terms of damage for a frontal, that front radiator support is mostly sacrificial and will collapse and tear from the chassis. Quite an easy part to remove and replace. Looks like the bumper's and bumper shocks got missed or did their job and aren't affected, bumper and Mtech2 valance seem to be still sitting in the right space. Would be a shame to part that out, quite easily repairable with a new bonnet, valance, replace the radiator core support (still available new) and a few things crushed on the front of the motor like the radiator, distributor, waterpump etc. Even the fenders look unscathed only some minor damage to the right one.

Talk to Speedfactor, they will be able to assemble XYZ coilovers using E36 housings and E30 tops.

Definitely ping Andy, he take's his mufflers off his X5 until WOF time lol. Might be the perfect trade.

Not SMG, it's DCT. They are a blast to drive, even for the manual die hard.

😂😂😂 omg Please share details of said awards

I bought it for $7500 off I think who you had sold it too, on the weaves in 2012. Then yes, it was me who went to town on it but I should have kept it original tbh. I sold it mostly back to stock on the ACS wheels to a young fella in Auckland for $13.5k in 2017, who eventually wrote it off. I think someone brought it back from being wrecked and it's hiding in their shed. Wasn't a bad write off, front left was knocked in. Shame really.

^Brings back memories. An E30 Touring is more a novelty that eventually wears off.

The valve is open when you have it set to hot. That is when the valve is open and coolant is able to flow into the core and back to the engine so you are getting heat. Setting it to cold will close the valve and you won't be flowing coolant through the core so any air won't be bleeding out of that part of the system.

Yeah it's 12v. https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/index.php/Wiring_Diagrams Look at the A/C Temperature Control wiring if you want to do some wire tracing. I'm pretty sure the whole heater core loom connects via one big white connector to the chassis loom which you will see under the dash behind the brake booster somewhere.

There are also different temperature thermostats. Depends where you get it from, FCP has 71C and 80C. If you run a lower temp one, your temp gauge will only get to the first white mark, not the middle.

I thought I was the only who did this bleed procedure lol. I went through this recently, although m5x swapped but I replaced heater core and had to fill up from a completely dry coolant system. What worked for me and has worked in the past is jack the front left up and only that side. Seal your mouth on the expansion tank and blow down hard to force the coolant down. You'll hear bubbles when you release your mouth lol. Seems retarded but it works. Also give the upper hoses and squeezing to get any extra bubbles out. Do this all while it's not running by the way. Keep filling and then once full put the cap on and run the engine. You're supposed to have the heater on and fan at full. Having the heater on is enough though, just to make sure the valve is open and coolant can circulate the core. I kept the fan on so I knew once it was hot and hot air was blowing that it was bled properly.

Hartge Japan wheels are 3 piece welded

IMO Prefacelift M325i is less desireable. Even if it is rarer. A prefacelift shell is more prone to rust, and this one looking pretty neglected and having likely sat outside for some time is probably hiding some rust in the firewall and boot. I also notice the facelift headlights, wiring has been hacked to wire them up. If it was with its original bumpers, weaves and houdstooth interior but in this rough state, I could *maybe* see someone forking out near the $30k and spending $5 to $10k restoring it. As it stands you'd be sourcing Mtech1 kit (weitz had a kit 4k recently), chrome bumpers, weaves (2k plus), complete engine overhaul and likely suspension and everything else needing attention you be in the $15 to $20k territory getting it back to an original state, that's not even including finding houndstooth interior.

That kit wouldn't be the original it came with, being PreFL it would have Tech1 (like the skirts / spoiler). The rear bumper is either modified or a fiberglass rep to fit PreFL rear arches (Tech2 bumper is longer).

I bought a diamantschwarz m325i as a parts car about 10 years ago. Interior was in parts, body had a fair amount of rust. Probably would have been worth saving in hindsight considering the condition of e30s these days 😆

900mm

What's gone into the engine build? And what power are you expecting out of it?

Only if they have the 6 pin connector. I believe from 03+ had the 6 pin O2 sensors. If you have the round 4 pin plugs they won't work. That's the mistake I made when I bought them..

Bump, still got these..

Valeo Clutch kit for E46 M54 engine, with the Valeo single mass Flywheel. $400 shipped