actletpone

Last October I decided the uncertain future of this car had gone on long enough. So exactly one year after purchasing it I took a knife to the roof lining to find out the extent of the damage. And cut out the back half of the sunroof tray. Then I stripped the roof skin back to bare metal. Luckily it was not too far gone. Had the roof skin been beyond saving I do not know what I would of done. Luckily as the sunroof tray had disintegrated it had dropped away from it. I considered replacing the sunroof assembly, it sure is nice driving with it open on a hot day and they certainly make for good photos in that tilted position. However they are such a common rust trap and I did not want to give history a chance to repeat itself. So... I decided to convert it to a slick top.

So why the year gap between buying the car and creating this thread? I was excited to finally have a 325 and couldn’t wait to start working on it. One of the first things on the to-do list was sort out the oil in the coolant. Shortly after I got the car it rained and I found there was no gasket on the rear tail light which allowed water to pour in the boot all night. Easy fix. I also found drainage holes had been drilled into the rear floor. Why someone would do that instead of fixing the leak I do not know. Then I noticed some of the roof lining was wet, sunroof drain clearing and alignment added to the to-do list. Despite trying to shine a torch into the sunroof cavity during inspection and it all looking good, further exploration of the sunroof led to the discovery of this... The black tube on the right is one of the rear sunroof drains. Only a few days into ownership it was crossing my mind to sell it and keep my 320. The cons of this car were quickly outweighing the pros. However I had wanted a 325 for so long it seemed like now or never. Also what could I do with it anyway, if I sold it honestly I stood to lose some $$ and considering any buyer of the car would most likely be an enthusiast, flicking it on without mentioning what I found simply wasn’t an option. Still at uni and unsure of what I would do with the car I didn’t have the time or funds to get involved with fixing it. I knew as soon as I cut the roof lining out to see the full extent there would be no going back. It was not long since a completely rebuilt cylinder head had been put on the car, I did not know why the head had been replaced. So I said goodbye to my 320, flushed out the coolant taped up the sunroof, changed the oil + filter and did nothing but drive it for a while. More to come...

This car is my third E30 which I bought back in October 2013. I started with a tidy 320i auto which I sold to buy a mint NZ new 320i manual. I have always wanted a 325i and thought allot about building my mint 320 into one. After months of searching I eventually found an NZ new Alpine White 325i manual which is my current daily. Last I heard the 320i auto got rear ended and the 320i manual which I sold to a forum member was getting a b25 motor. The 325 certainly has some good points, however there has been and still is allot to do to get it to where I want it to be. Below is my old 320 next to the 325. Having two NZ new E30 SE’s in the drive sure was fun.

F*ck if I didn't have so many other priorities with my car I would buy it for the sounds. GLWS

Tidy job!

Not sure if allowed to post links to other sites here? However if you google 'turbo e30 faq' you will find a write up which is a good starting point for information.

m20 885 cylinder head?

Mate hired one from hire pool, was fairly large and sat on its own little trailer to tow behind the car. Think it cost about $50 for the day. Might be an option.

Just considering options

Might be able to use sunroof panel I have not sure yet. Definitely need a roof brace/bow though, can anyone help?

Car is facelift if it makes a difference. Putting a feeler out for a rust free sunroof panel and roof brace (the bit that runs between the 'B' pillars, welds need to be cut to remove).

Details on head? what is the condition of it and is it 885?

darn it, i need to start coming on here more often

In addition to above.. Cut the narrow end off the elephant trunk so it is harder for dirt to block it up. Sound like windscreen seal to me but If you have a sunroof the front drain tubes run inside the A pillar and can rust / become disconnected. If you have rust on the lip of the corner of your bonnet seal (near engine bay battery position) water could be dripping onto the Air con lines and then running into the car. I assume your battery is in engine bay being a 316i, pull it out and make sure there is no rust underneath as the battery tray is also a common rust spot

Wow. Reminds me of the e30 m3 bubble car http://www.bmwpugetsound.com/vbb/showthread.php?27262-E30-M3-Bubble-Car-Sold!&s=

facelift? how much

Don't know that much about this model, but looks good+reasonably priced? Surely of interest to someone on here. http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=734598486

Bump.

missing pixels or not depending on price

If you look inside it you will see 4 tabs holding it in you need to bend out with a screw driver. Then it pulls right out (with a bit of jiggling)

In-tank, sinlge pipe, for a face-lift

Sorted thanks

Interesting Hope it all goes well.

I am sure someone on here will be interested in this.. seems like a good deal? http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=688968674

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