M325i vs SR20DET.

[|ncary 0]

Oh nice! That'll work perfectly, thanks Mr experience.

I'm getting new control arms btw, hence the hammering. The little ball joint booties are split..

UPDATE.

Oh f**k me dead I'm taking out the sunroof. Already well into it this morning. Sunroof is out, headliner is mostly out (so I can cut out the sunroof cradle, I'll be putting the headliner back in, tight and stock looking I hope)

The cradle is one of the most rusty things I've ever owned. I'll get some pics of it when it's out. It looks as though I'm going to have to get the rear windscreen out to get the headliner out of the way, I just can't wedge the rubber seal around the rear window far enough to pull the headliner out. I feel I have almost gone too deep here, but the amount of rust around the rear drain openings makes it worth it.

[huff3r 347]

I had the exact same in my car, complete with silicon all over it to try and stop it leaking.. Although i cant give you any advice with the headliner sorry, as mine is a racecar i just tore/cut it all out haha

The sunroof cradle can be a bit of a mission to get out too, but if you just cut through it in the right spots it pretty much just all falls away

If you want to try doing it the proper way by drilling out the spot welds i would recommend being very careful to avoid denting your roof... they are very close to the surface

[|ncary 0]

Yeah I was going to do it that way, but I just went and bought a 115mm angle grinder and some cutting wheels I'll have it out very soon.

I got the headliner off by just cutting it sadly, around the top of the front windscreen. there is a cover there so when I glue it back to place it'll look 100% Stock. Which makes me happy. Some things on it need to be left untouched/stock

[|ncary 0]

Got it.

It was a rusty, heavy, crumbly, hardly attached piece of poos but got there in the end. I've left the front half (around the sunroof hole) in for now, not sure which direction I'll be going in regards to filling the gap (fi-glass/CF/5% tint moonroof)

Pics from the process. Only hit my hand against the cutting wheel once, mmmm blood.

Cover off and sunroof gear out.

Some guide bar for the back of the sunroof panel... Not looking good, was considering leaving the headliner on and the cradle in until I saw this

Lickable

It was a bit dark in where the panel was, so i stuck the camera in to see what it looked like...

Back left

Back right. Yep, the thing is coming out now.

Sadly had to cut this, otherwise I would have to drop the windscreen out. No other rips though, and will go back on sweet with no bumps.

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzooooorrrrrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzuuuuuoooroorrooooo

Easy part done.

So rusted it was hardly attached to the roof. I pretty much just bent it back and forth and the spot welds broke.

Done.

*oh and I know why it was rusty, I tried to blow (heh) down the drain tubes and they are completely blocked. It's just sad this happens.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Incary

[Mark 178]

Oh wow... I'm scared to think what mine might look like. Are you going to weld a brand new replacement panel back in or 2nd hand?

[|ncary 0]

Ha ha ha, I think you miss the point of removing all this weight from up high

I'll be putting, most likely, a fiberglass cap back where the sunroof was.

Did this same procedure (without cutting the cradle out though) to my last e30 and the body roll was cut in half. Amazing mod. Lose the ability to stick your head out of the roof while driving at 140 though.

[ED1RTY 2]

There is a keeper nut underneath that rubber boot.

You may need a pipe wrench to undo it though.

Ah yeah I found that nut some years ago But how is the shock actually secured in the strut housing? There's no bolt on the bottom.. Some kind of clip under the shock boot I guess.

Sorry dude, didn't make myself very clear haha I was meaning the Gland nut that holds the shock into the strut tube.

P.S holy crap thats some rust!!

[|ncary 0]

Ahh haha, makes a lot more sence.

Wasn't expecting this much at all. But I guess that's why my floor got damp sometimes, the water was just pooling up there and overflowing onto the floor. I'd recommend anyone who has wet floors to pour some BAM or Drain-o into the sunroof drains, that could unblock them.

[320guy 0]

The ball joints press out of the control arms and you can buy new ball joints and press them back in. - Thats if you were just replacing the control arms because of the split ball joint boots.

[|ncary 0]

Was thinking that if the dealership wanted too much for a new set. Although who knows how long they have been on there.. Could be bent, meh. I have a dealership to-buy list, will be heading in soon..

Have done a very rough weigh up of all that I pulled out today, if I get a fi-glass lid I could be close to 20kgs down from right up high.. Looking very good.

[drifty325i 0]

Nice work mate well done! That rust is a little scary though! Im re checking mine this weekend lol. When i had the car painted it was perfect but ill check again just to be sure

[|ncary 0]

Yeah it's all gone now eh, there's no rust in the floor (at least where I checked) and none in the boot wells, and none under the windscreen, so it should be rust free now! And with a lower center of gravity Always a bonus.

[Boost Junky 1]

Good effort henry! Looks like we both had fun with a grinder today

[Apex Effects 3]

food for though when building my new e30. wonder how hard it would be to make a fiberglass sunroof instead of just capping it off. but 20kg is a saving. loving that red subframe dude. may have to paint mine up in a bright colour too

Edited May 17, 2009 by GASTKR

[|ncary 0]

I was thinking of doing the fibre glass cap myself, with help from a friend who knows a wee bit about it. I'll just wax up the old sunroof and lay sheets on it, and wrap the sheets over the sides to make it a nice snug fit when it gets glued back in, bit of filler and a sand and it'll look like it's not even there, almost haha. I'll get some extra paint made up when I get my front kit resprayed and paint it the same colour at least. It'll be semi rough, but it will keep the water out and the handling awesome we'll see.

I wouldn't use the paint I used, it's actually not as hard as I thought it would be I can scrape it off with a knife and it doesn't like concrete. But oh well, it'll still look amazing. Go orange that was the 2nd choice haha

[|ncary 0]

Wish there was an update, but the GC stuff is still yet to come and it's been raining solid for days now, filled up a whole 15litre bucket over the last few days, as you can see in this totally artistic shot I took this morning.

Planning to get the sub/arms in and my old front spring perches ground off at some stage. Also reading lots about fibreglassing over panels. Also have to do some watertightening around the tail lights and boot. Also I start too many sentences with also.

[oscar90 0]

cars coming along good!!, should go nuts around the summit!

damn tail light leaks lol i was gonna use some clear sealant or something at this stage!

[|ncary 0]

Spent yesterday afternoon in a car workshop where my friend works. Took my struts and another friends e30 and did the ol' switcharoo. He has a 1990 325i SA spec car, leather, full electrics, no ABS, all the bolts on the car had paint on them to show if they had been loosening, coolant tank in weird place, the bigger Mtech 1 steering wheel (there are 2 sizes FYI), and a few other things different from my german built car. Was very interesting to get it up on the lift and have a gannnder.

Anyway we took out his struts, compressed out the springs, removed the shock inserts, swapped over to my shocks and springs (standard motorsport bilstein shocks) and bolted all back together. Did the rear springs and shocks too of course. And he had just bought some 17 inch non-ricer wheels and we fitted those. Car was looking hot, massive guard rub which we fixed with a jack handle. Oh my f**king god facelift e30s have the ugliest rear wheel arches, they must be almost 10cm lower than the front arches!

So the moral of the story is I have my struts ready for the perch to be ground off and have the GC perch and height adjuster attached.

I'll get pics of his car, forgot to take the camera, durr.

[|ncary 0]

This page only has 3 pics! Lets make it 4.

2 times LSD. Rear covers will be swapped as shown. Left is what came out, right is what is going in. Right has 1/2 the kays on it. Left will be either rebuilt and take rights place, or sold at some stage. Right has thiner output flanges for some reason. Left looks to be in nicer condition. Right has be sealed with goo. Left laughs at right. Right will do a better drift after 5-7 kilometres of hard touge driving though, so wins. Left senses a diff cooler if it gets rebuilt, Left gets one back on right.

Edited May 27, 2009 by Incary

[Jamez 2147483647]

i envy you, its just not fair you having two

[|ncary 0]

Well, it's a good excuse really! I bought the other one 2 years ago, wanting to put it on my 323i, but as it was coming down the country on Mainfreight my car got slammed in the ass, hard. Lady driver... FACT! not sexism haha.

[|ncary 0]

Biggest update so far:

GC haven't sent the coilovers yet. Might put subframe back in.

biggest update so far? I lied.

[drifty325i 0]

When are they sending the goodies? I cant wait lol

[|ncary 0]

I asked in the same email when I was confirming they were sending your stuff with mine, but they brushed it off. I feel it's something to do with my special order longer springs. I would have liked to get this stuff before final exam time for Uni, but it'll come right in the middle of the exams I bet! Gah.

[Sick Puppy 1]

Hey Henry, I've just read all nine pages of this- awesome work! It's certainly given me heaps of ideas and pointers for my forthcoming project, although I think my bdget is now far far too small... Keep us posted!