_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted December 20, 2013 (edited) good idea, maybe I could place the rear on my sleepers and jack up the front. That way the car will be level and I could get underneath too. No new carpet, just thoroughly cleaned the old stuff. Is it even possible to find new carpet? All the stock underlay had a rubber over the top so i followed suit. Plus the LAST thing id want is for something to spill and soak into the foam. Feel kinda sad the the 525 is getting destroyed That's long gone, it was a heap. UK import, the whole chassis was riddled with rust. The engine wasn't any better Edited December 21, 2013 by _Matt_ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi535 538 Report post Posted December 21, 2013 good idea, maybe I could place the rear on my sleepers and jack up the front. That way the car will be level and I could get underneath too. No new carpet, just thoroughly cleaned the old stuff. Is it even possible to find new carpet? All the stock underlay had a rubber over the top so i followed suit. Plus the LAST thing id want is for something to spill and soak into the foam. That's long gone, it was a heap. UK import, the whole chassis was riddled with rust. The engine wasn't any better i feel better, the 525 LOOKED alright!.The carpets looked very good after the clean then! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1071 Report post Posted December 21, 2013 HEY! You have the same safety boots as I do! The work is looking awesome too 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybrid 1043 Report post Posted December 21, 2013 wtf ... how'd I miss this build. Love the detail in the photos. Good stuff for going for it. Cant wait too see it all in and loving the painting etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yng_750 247 Report post Posted December 21, 2013 having the rear higher would allow less angle on the engine but having the front low means the gearbox end is more likely to hit the floor. as with everything you need two good mates to help. one to be useful and the other to drink your beer 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tony2657 5 Report post Posted December 21, 2013 Thanks for reminding me to catch up with this project Matt. You have done an amazing job. (cue old man story) I have to say it does bring back some scary memories of when I and few mates changed a head gasket on a friend's Vauxhal VX490 back in 1975.... a reasonably straighforward job you'd think. The car ran for a few days after, before the engine blew. Maybe we should have saved the beers for after we finished? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted December 29, 2013 (edited) While my patience wears thin waiting for the latest pelican parts order I decided to finished the last of the interior. I got some kicker speakers for xmas with tweeters that protrude a heck of a lot less than the fusions that were in the car when I bought it. however some spacers are still needed so I can keep the factory grills. not to bad I thought, a jigsaw isn't the most precise tool in the world. Done. For all you know there are 1984 10watt Alpines behind these…then BAM! awesome sound quality emerges! Edited December 30, 2013 by _Matt_ 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted January 4, 2014 cleaned (water blasted), repaired and re-undersealed the body, well the jack points and stone chips anyway. the water blaster did wonders removing this oil and dirt Last crucial parts arrived. stock e28 shifter vs 1.9 Z3 shifter, i'm excited to feel the difference. all assembled and ready to slot in... I'm dropping in the engine tomorrow, wish me luck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaz 1060 Report post Posted January 4, 2014 Good luck bro! Its going to and feel like a brand new car. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted January 5, 2014 Todays progress, this was unexpected... this was quite literally 6 hours later, the engine was twisted and no one could figure out how to get it to rest on the mounts…had to get a mate over who's done a few engine swaps, he also supplied some 9 tone ratchets straps (stressful time, no photos) All in all it went well, no damage to the car getting it in and only a few tiny paint blemishers on the engine from rubbing etc. Now for all the fun stuff, hooking everything up... 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dubman 39 Report post Posted January 5, 2014 Awesome stuff, good on you for doing all that cleaning (something I kinda wished I did, but *yolo*) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted January 7, 2014 It's complete! What a stressful day. I started it thinking I would have to add coolant and oil and be on my way. However by mid afternoon the engine wouldn't start because of an electrical issue. After trouble shooting using the Bentley manual it seemed more and more like my loom was the problem (I started having visions of my car gathering dust and never seeing asphalt again) But after almost giving up I swapped out the master relay and boom started first pop. We created quite an entertaining video that I will post sometime It desperately needs a tune, a repaint and a clean. Ill have a good sleep tonight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil-540i 166 Report post Posted January 7, 2014 Primo!!!! You're getting there now on it ae, great stuff!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tony2657 5 Report post Posted January 8, 2014 Congratulations Matt. What a relief. Like you I was starting to worry that it might be a 'broken' loom. Wanna do mine next? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted January 8, 2014 I'm not working on another broken car. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
central3 31 Report post Posted January 9, 2014 I have been following this and very much enjoying - well done - looking forward to your first drive (as you are too of course) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_ethrty-Andy_ 2132 Report post Posted January 9, 2014 awesome work mate Dont know about those saftery shoes, or having an expencive ass camera in the garage! Also i had no idea BMWs were body colour underneath, its always hidden by road grime and oil etc. But on a serious note, where did you get your spark leads from? they dont look like genuine BMW? do they have the spark sensor on them for cylinder 6 like M20s do or not? and also the "BMW" holder for them. Any help you could give me on that i would appreciate! Keep up the good work, i cant wait to see this some day, and i promise i will make a point of it too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaz 1060 Report post Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) Great work dude, cant wait to see it rolling on the road. On a side note, do you now live near Clarence St? I've seen you in a e34 a few times around there. Edited January 10, 2014 by Gaz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) awesome work mate Dont know about those saftery shoes, or having an expencive ass camera in the garage! Also i had no idea BMWs were body colour underneath, its always hidden by road grime and oil etc. But on a serious note, where did you get your spark leads from? they dont look like genuine BMW? do they have the spark sensor on them for cylinder 6 like M20s do or not? and also the "BMW" holder for them. Any help you could give me on that i would appreciate! Keep up the good work, i cant wait to see this some day, and i promise i will make a point of it too. They were on the B34 from the beginning, they are made by Eagle and called the Eliminator series. They are all individual leads and are encased in a BMW leads holder which I assume you can only get second hand now, the one on my e34 is pretty much the same without the BMW logo. Great work dude, cant wait to see it rolling on the road. On a side note, do you now live near Clarence St? I've seen you in a e34 a few times around there. Yep, in the Riccarton area now, E34 is the daily. Never seen you, what car do you drive? Edited January 10, 2014 by _Matt_ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaz 1060 Report post Posted January 10, 2014 Yep, in the Riccarton area now, E34 is the daily. Never seen you, what car do you drive? Ive got a e46 330ci. I used to see you most mornings on my way to work but Im usually half asleep so by the time I realise its you Ive gone passed haha Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil-540i 166 Report post Posted January 10, 2014 Ya should be really proud of what you've done there Matt - much like Andy with his V12 conversion, its just awesome to see guys hooking into stuff & giving it a proper nudge, rather than a half a$$ed limp-wristed attempt......... Well done!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Matt_ 42 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 A few months since I got this up and running now, I had a few concerns like steam coming from the exhaust, overheating, coolant level dropping every time i drove it which only points to one thing right? well... - the steam was actually all the water I got in the exhaust pipes when i water blasted the engine bay. - it over heated because the system wasn't bled properly and the viscous clutch was only doing half a job, I replaced the clutch bled it about 3 times - the coolant level was dropping because it was escaping from the expansion tank because the cap wasn't sealing properly. Since I've fixed these things I haven't had any issues. Before and after Pic: please excuse the pod filter, I need to sand blast and paint the air box. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1662 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 Nice, the red and black combo looks sweet too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 Just proves that if you hear hoofbeats, sometimes you aren't looking for horses. Nice work dude! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slybma 38 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 Nice work on the engine man looks great! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
