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Sammo

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Posts posted by Sammo

  2. Posted · Edited by Sammo · Report reply

    So… I’ve become obsessed with making my seats as good as possible, structurally and mechanically before I go to the expense of making them pretty.

    Symptom I’m having (both sides) is a minor amount of play somewhere in the hinge / base / connection to rails which means they can be rocked forward like the (somewhat exaggerated) video.

    They feel good and solid when sitting in them as body weight takes up this play.

    Things I’ve found wrong with the drivers seat:

    • Seat back tab where it bolts to base was sheared (a common and the only real documented issue online) - fixed via welding.
    • Seat base rail on driver right side sheared- will need to be welded before upholstering.
    • Missing / 35 year old wave washers on rear connecting rod which connects the two hinges - I suspect this is the general area of play due to the rod cradle design - I just can't see how to improve it.
    • Completely shot seat shocks (not related to play, but nice to have and ordered and on the way)

    Everything that can be has been tightened.

    Frustratingly, none of these things appear to have helped the issue (passenger seat is same, despite not having any of the driver seat structural issues).

    I do have a pair of solid comfort sedan seats here that I’ve been butchering for parts (planning to do rear headrests) so next step is to try swapping the hinges themselves and then rails over to see if that helps…

     

    Seat base rod that connects the two hinges - this seems to be the area of movement

    38BAC317-F5AB-4D94-94C1-D7C4D63BBAE9.png

    Drivers seat frame is not supposed to look like this but does not seem related

    F571398D-F687-4400-B258-6031B34B4B1F.jpeg

    Video of play - might be relatively common, but I want to make it better

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Ticked off a couple of jobs today:

    Cleaned sunroof drains, draining nice and quickly now.

    Fixed my door hinge and fitted a new door stop - very nice having the door hold itself open now like a non shitbox.

    Also got halfway through changing my distributor cap / rotor / plug wires.

    Decided to remove my plugs and have a nosey - not pretty at all - these are only about 2000km old and had oil on the threads and were all fouled / gunky.

    They were changed at the same time as the valve cover gasket, but I could see a bit of oil in all the plug wells…

    Not sure if this is anything to really worry about, it is a high mileage car and the engine goes very well aside from blowing a touch of grey smoke the first time I redline it on a drive then is fine afterwards.

    Stroker rebuild in late 2023 maybe 🤔 

     

    AC1BF343-82A4-432D-AE6D-239905B88F6F.jpeg

    AF3831A6-E6DF-4279-95FD-EDF321D1FB7B.jpeg

    • Like 1

  5. Posted · Report reply

    3 minutes ago, leonf said:

    Yes,,,,,,,,,,the BUY NOW is set at $25k.   But look closer and the no reserve starting price is actually $15k.  So theoretically you could be the only bidder at $15k and the car would be yours.  That level seems a bit more attractive, yes?

    True, didn't realise it was no reserve.

    Just saw your sig - did you see that $150k RX2 for sale recently?

  8. Posted · Report reply

    52 minutes ago, Harper said:

    Yeah unfortunately BMW fabrics are ungodly expensive. Would ASC be significantly cheaper? Pretty sure they would be indistinguishable from the OE stuff tbh. 

    Probably smell nicer than stored 30 year old fabric too.

    I think M Fabrics was marginally cheaper, Relicate seemed expensive though and only Silver Uberkaro at ASC...

    • Like 1

  10. Posted · Report reply

    On 5/19/2022 at 10:33 AM, Sammo said:

    Yup - Anthrazit Uberkaro (0304/0379) - will do door cards as well.

    Just trying to get fabric samples at the moment - M-Fabrics hasn't been responsive and Lemans here in NZ is supposed to be coming back to me if they have any. Relicate have it, but don't have the bolster fabric. ASC don't list the darker fabric.

    All going to plan will be done sometime in August... who did your retrim?

    Looks like Lemans have 7m of Uberkaro and 2m.5m of bolster fabric in stock - $225 per metre plus GST but it is OEM BMW fabric - will try to get a sample to make sure it isn't silver Uberkaro, as a bit tricky to tell from photographs.

    Looking like I'll be in for $1500-2000 on fabric alone haha

  13. Posted · Report reply

    On 5/16/2022 at 5:59 PM, Karter16 said:

    Competing tonight for the most trivial of complaints…

    bought a pack of digestive biscuits. Seeming unassailed pack, but the individual biscuits, which appear whole when you look at them, disintegrate as soon as you touch them. The entire pack is like this.

    end result still the same, just messier getting there.

    BBB00A7A-7FD5-44DC-9263-D9FA37CB6ED2.jpeg

    bought a pack of digestive digested biscuits

    • Haha 6

  14. Posted · Report reply

    8 minutes ago, Harper said:

    Have you decided what route you are going to go with the retrim? What fabric did you decide on?

    Yup - Anthrazit Uberkaro (0304/0379) - will do door cards as well.

    Just trying to get fabric samples at the moment - M-Fabrics hasn't been responsive and Lemans here in NZ is supposed to be coming back to me if they have any. Relicate have it, but don't have the bolster fabric. ASC don't list the darker fabric.

    All going to plan will be done sometime in August... who did your retrim?

  15. Posted · Report reply

    Changed my Tierods in the weekend (the locking plates are a bloody stupid design - nightmare to hammer on with no space to swing a hammer??) and my leaky power steering hose and fluid flush.

    Couldn't get to my alignment booking as I'm in isolation now (wife positive, I'm negative) so will use this free weekend to catch up on a bunch of other jobs on the car:

    • New plug wires / distributor cap and rotor
    • Coolant temp sensor and level sensor
    • Drive door hinge repair (busted bushing causes excess play)
    • New driver door 'stop' and will clean / lube / tighten / dampen window mechanisms while I'm in there
    • New Pedal rubbers
    • Clean sunroof drains with wire and air compressor

    Frustratingly I have a clunk over speed bumps after installing my new control arms and end links despite torquing everything 3 times now (yes, I did tighten bolts with jack under the ball joints) will need to get my mechanic to check them out when I do my WOF recheck.

    Seats are still wobbly (small play in hinge itself / rails?) , but are better and fully secured - will give them another going over when I'm installing the new seat shocks and perhaps my upholsterer will make further improvements when I get seats retrimmed.

    Hard to know when to say 'when' on an old car! 

    Sounds like a doom and gloom post, so here's a pretty picture.

    M325i Dec 21-29.jpg

    • Like 2

  17. Posted · Report reply

    10 minutes ago, Kees said:

    Love optional extra ciggies on the floor, and the light weight "missing interior trim" option. Also appreciate the BMW "Individual" ruined front bumper, and very classy munted seat bolster too. 

    Poor car. 

    Saw it come up on Facebook a while ago. It's not even a factory manual. 

    Realistically I wonder what its worth? 20-25K? Most thrashed example I've seen in a long time. 

    There are a few durries left in those packs, plus it has half a tank of 91 in it - hence the higher than market asking price

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1

  19. Posted · Edited by Sammo · Report reply

    13 hours ago, gjm said:

    Serious question: of all of the advertisements for E30s with asking of $20k, $25k, $30k and more, how many are selling (at all) and how many get close to the asking price?

    Demand has dropped off, but there is also a glut of nice E30's for sale now, possibly seeing the market being so hot 6-12 months ago but being slow to move.

    I believe that supply is compounding the situation.

    While I got lucky with my Tech2 6 months ago, I could have only dreamed of the variety of desirable models on the market at that time - it just shifted to being a buyers market now and has been for at least 4-5 months.

    There is also a lot of overpriced cars currently on the market, although I'm genuinely surprised the Silver Tech 2 / Dark Blue 2 door with ITBs and the stunning red sedan are still unsold.

    The Cirrus Blue 2 door 325i was a low kms NZ New factory manual that has been on the market over 6 months - appears to have finally moved on - lovely car but possibly a little marmite spec (Blue on blue) to attract the masses. I was considering it in October.

    • Like 1

  23. Posted · Report reply

    Welded the broken seat hinge L bracket and also removed some play in the base by adding some washers (worn out or missing?). Still not perfectly solid like the F31 but at least an 80% improvement.

    Tiniest play in one rail left and a few mm in the hinge mechanism itself, but seat is *far* more solid an most importantly, safe and secure.

    Hoping once I add new seat shocks they will minimise the little play left by holding it firmly in position (current ones were easily compressible by hand and are supposed to be 400nm or so)

    • Like 1
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