ducatiss

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Yes, even added the dreaded M badge - think after all that work she deserved it lol

After quite a few hours work including: Sorting out the engine tuning (though I have a doner 2.5 motor still to go in!!) Total Interior refittd with leather (also repaired all the water leaks coming in when it rained) Replaced the standard clock/date/temp with a full spec OBC Replaced all speakers and added some door tweeters and an Amp in the boot Lowered 40mm all round with B+G springs (Bilstein Sports to go in real soon) Full Shadowline (lots of work but imo well worth it), I will do a write up of how I did it later Replaced 14" wheels with 15" Replaced original headlights with the later facelift ones Added small boot spoiler It now looks like this:

interior was tidy but pretty standard

From the front - she went and handled like a pig

The Original pre facelift e30 320i as I got it

No it wont work in that you definately will not get anywhere 45hp gain - you might get perhaps a few hp under the right conditions but imo we are talking low single digits here. The knock sensor (if you have one) will retard the timing if detonation is experienced anyway. The sad thing is, is that he will probably sell quite a few and there will also be a few dickheads that will swear by it etc etc. Lets hope he had public liability insurance if one of them manages to wreck someones computer. My advice - stay well away!!

Tip in some flushing compound into your cooling system and drive around for half an hour or so. make sure you turn your heater up to full to open the valve before turning off the engine. Wait till untill your engine cools a little then undo the bottom hose to your radiator and let it drain. There should also be a drain screw on the block (underneath the exhaust manifold if I remember correctly) thats a complete arse to get at but if you can undo that as well (you may need a new sealing washer). Disconnect your top radiator hose and run a garden hose through it until all the water running out is clear. The do all your hoses up again (being careful not to over tighten the clamps here) Mix up a 50/50 brew of antifreeze and water and fill up the expansion tank. Then you can open up your bleed screw (on top of the thermostat housing where all the hoses joing the at the front of the engine) a few turns. It takes an 8mm spanner. Put some more or your brew in and keep filling until it starts coming out the bleed screw. You may have to give the top hose a bit of a sqeeze to get the water through the system. Close the bleed screw and start the engine and allow it to get up to operating temp. Open the bleed screw again and (keeping the expansion tank at at least the min mark, bleed the system until no more air bubbles come out) Check for leaks round the hoses etc and go for a drive. Once back allow the car to cool then check the collant level and adjust if necessary. - Thats what I did anyway and it worked for me. Hope this helps.

Well in that case I would be taking off your door trim and having a look - only a 10 min job to remove it all. You are still able to lock the car from the outside with the key?

Take off the interior door trim, carefully pry back the plastic covering over the door frame, then get some lubrication such as CRC or maybe some of that aerisol lithium grease and give it a spray while slowly and carefully working your door handle. I take it that the door actually unlocks. Fairly common problem given that the rear doors arent used due to the fact that once open you cant actually fit anyone in there!! Failing that you will have to disassemble it.

Appealing as smothering my dash with a butter substitute may have been I have gone out and bout a dash with no cracks and will fit over the summer break. Cheers

Has anyone either got an E30 Owners Manual (not a workshop manual) that they either want to sell or perhaps scan to PDF and post up here? Alternatively does anyone know if one can be downloaded off the web? I have looked everywhere and cant locate one.

If NZ320i doesnt take the shocks give me an email - bmgilmour at paradise dot net dot nz Many thanks

So does that mixture actually dry out or what? Sounds interesting. Will replace my dash eventually but being a cheap arse at the moment

Thanks for that info - yes I am considering black silicon as probably my only option. I know that you can buy dash caps in the States that give excellent results but have yet to find one for right hand drive.

I have quite a few cracks in the dash of my e30, and while I have another dash with only one minor crack in it, I was wondering whether anyone had fixed, or at least made it look better. If so what did you do? I will eventually replace mine but would like members opinions first. Also, does anyone know where I can get a dash cap or mat? - Most of the ones I have seen on the net are for left hand drive only.

Thanks for that. I didnt realise they were copper leads so, you will be right in saying that they dont need replacing. I was going to replace as part of normal maintenance - nothing more really.

I see you like photography as much as the car - some nice shots, and a tidy 318. Some 15 inch plus wheels would add to the look.

Can anyone tell me where to get hold of a set of new spark leads for an L-Jet 320i, and the aprox cost. The BMW dealer told me they only sell them as individual parts that have to be made up as the leads shouldnt ever need replacing (which I find difficult to believe) Also anyone bought a dash mat/cover before? Where and How much? All help appreciated.

Haha - yeah its a time consuming job. It has to be removed from the car, or at least the wet section does. You can cut the wet section out as no-one will see the cut once its recovered by the carpet again anyway. Then squeeze the water out. I first waited until my wife was away, then put it in the washing machine and spun it through some spin cycles. You may have to throw in some wet towels to balance the load. Dont be tempted to put it in the dryer as you will totally wreck the underlay, and probably the dryer as well!! Then simply hang out to dry or leave in the sun somewhere. This will take a few days so bring it in at night. I got mine about 95% dry this way. Good luck.

Yes to all of the previous but I have just had the same problem. Turns out it was the rear boot seal. What happened was when the car was parked facing down hill (only a slight incline) the rain would fill the channel around the boot and with nowhere to go would come in under the seal then run down via various spaces and fill up the footwell behind the drivers seat. Took me ages to dry out the under felt stuff, and Im not sure I have fixed the problem yet but hope that helps you. Just experiment with a hose for a while and you will soon see where its coming in - suggest you remove the rear seats and lift the carper and under felt so you can clearly see the water coming in.

Having read this very long post on the topic of M badges - pros and cons, I think that if having spent $$$ and much time building something special, why not add that finishing touch by adding an M badge - yes, we all know its not an M3 - but who cares, I intend badging mine with an M when I have finished. My thoughts anyway.

Never heard of the 325i throttle body Mod - what sort of results from this are to be expected? Would be interested to find out - Cheers