1993 530i V8 5 speed Manual M60b40 swap

[kiwi328i 118]

So I have an additional three minor projects, I call them minor because they are not as big as the M60b30 to M60b40 conversion.

Number 1, Big feet, everyone wants bigger feet. So I have bought (In stupidity I think sometimes) 4 of 17"x11" Arrows three piece wheels that once lived on a racing Commodore. This racing Commodore had more modifications than I have had hot dinners to make it work. Easier on the E34, but I will still need to do some major fettling with them to make them work. Thankfully arrows are not too far away, and they know I am coming. Still waiting for them to get from Taupo to Auckland. I have bought some cheap second tyres so I can at least get them fitted and to the rims to see what I have to do to make them fit.

Number 2, see the performance forum, on the DUDMD chip I have...let's just say another chip is coming, should be here within a week I think. This one better go, because I am going to end up wrecking my DME at this rate, open close, open close, open close.....

Number 3, ahhh another foolish stab here. I was always hoping to get 'better' seats than the normal 'comfort' ones that I have. Nothing wrong with them, they just don't inspire me or support me in any way. Beautiful leather, just uninspiring really. I bought some leather Z3 seats...then they went to the dump eventually. Too bloody difficult for me to even know where to start. Then I saw Matt's Sports seats in his E34...they instantly appealed. they have subtle differences, but on close inspection, heaps different. Three piece bottoms, much more extreme padding, made out of stronger stuff, different back enclosures. Ray got a hold of me, and I went to grab some electric ones, and then I did some googling. I had a look at the general consensus, and it was that electric is evil and manual is better. I looked for anyone who had converted the electric versions to manual. One guy did, and he has more of everything so he cant count. Bugger it I thought I have 2 sets of seats, it cant be THAT hard. Well I have started to change things over. it looks like it could be doable. I have to restore the leather as well, as it is history really, dry cracked, and one puncture, but I am feeling up to it. my garage is a mess. f'n leather everywhere.

Number 4, almost forgot, a bought a set of headlights to play with, I was wanting to see if I could recess the lights themselves back into the enclosures. Its hard this one, had a play, and yeah its hard, I want to be able to keep the adjustability AND have it recessed back an inch or so. Sounds simple, but in reality it's a bugger.

See this chip! Didn't work, another is coming.....arrgghh

Here is one of the new seats that will have a manual conversion and leather restore..

Here we are a steps ahead, I have attached the foam from the sports to the manual base. OK quite a few steps ahead.

I worked out why later why it was so easy to get into my DME....someone had been here before. And surprise a superchips chip is in there for the ole 3.0.

Here is the sports original base with the back unceremoniously pulled off

Here is the back of the original Sports seat. I will keep this intact and put it on the manual base. It looks almost impossible to gut the electric seats to get it to a manual version, but the backs are much closer, I gutted the electrics to the electric headrest and all of its mechanisms. I will secure the leather back together and press it in. You don't know these things until you do it, but if I found a DIY, that would have been easier I guess.

As the electric sports seats also have electric extended thigh...thingy, I had to do some grinding to get the pieces I wanted off and retro fit them to the manual base..so here are the differences.

This is the front of the normal manual seats

This is the grotty sports electric one. Notice the 2 runners. They are riveted from above, and thankfully the holes are there on the manual base as well. However underneath they are welded to the electric base. Stink, out comes the grinder, and they are off. I used 2 pot epoxy to 'weld' them on to the manual base. Should hold, needed 5mm rivets but had 3mm. Should be fine, I don't think there is going to be a lot of weight there anyway, can always spot weld it later if need be but I doubt it.

So it is coming along!

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

And surprise a superchips chip is in there for the ole 3.0.

im starting to think BMW NZ may have offered these at that time, have seen a few chipped DMEs recently on otherwise very boring cars

[kiwi328i 118]

im starting to think BMW NZ may have offered these at that time, have seen a few chipped DMEs recently on otherwise very boring cars

I think I may have the original paperwork on the work done to this one, but it wasn't directly from BMW as a new car as it's a UK import.

[kiwi328i 118]

I have done some more work on the seats.

All of them are stripped now. The sport seats are stripped, all of the rusty hog rings are out. So...

Sports seats stripped. Backs are gutted of their electrics that control the headrest, but otherwise left alone. I put some more lumber support in the passenger seat (which will be the new drivers seat as there is less wear in the supports, smart aye?). On that note, I will be using the seat section from the original sports seat for the drivers as well, for the same reason.

I have had to repair slightly the most worn side seat support (drivers obviously) as years of foam against the metal chassis has weakened it. I cut some foam off the original seats and did a cut and paste job literally with silicone so it will hold up better than original. I will put a strip of leather from the old seats on the fronts of the side supports of the drivers seats to make it slightly more robust again.

Note: The leather on these sports seats is tough, much much tougher than the comfort seats, which looks lovely, but is thinner and I can tear it off with pliers. No can do with these sports seats that's for sure, after all of this I can imagine the seats outlasting me easy.

The electric seats are heavy, the bases especially, I can see why everyone advises against using them if possible. So with me going to cable ties and a few other mods they should be lighter than stock again. it's not like an E34 needs to gain more weight!!! Manual seats seem to go lower too, and must be more reliable, because there isn't much going on down there to go wrong.

I have bought the leather restore stuff, so that will be in transit soon, hopefully for the weekend. Just need a good dry weekend, because like all of my other projects, it will be up the bro's driveway. Compressor and guns will be at the ready.

Here are some pics:

Here is the drivers seat, both sports electric and comfort manual in front

Car interior looking pretty gutted

Rip all of this crap out

By unscrewing these 2 Phillips screws on the side, I didn't do it this way the first time...second time was a lot quicker in all regards.

Here is the sports back passenger (back view) I have put some more padding in the very bottom of it that will be better for my build I think. Seats are much better designed these days and in this area in particular. So just cut out some hard foam from the originals to fit and wallah.

So here is an after shot of the repair I did to the inside of the damaged side bolster from the sports seat drivers side RHS. It obviously gets the most wear due to hopping in and out of your car. The foam deteriorates under compression. My silicone fix creates a buffer between the foam and the metal chassis as well as gluing the pieces I put in there. I don't want to go to overboard as I...probably have already to be fair.ha. Might as well fix it whilst I am there scenario and foam crumble under your seat is not a good look either. It was the only one that needed repair of the four.

[MattA 162]

Good stuff mate, hopefully all in for the next meet?

[kiwi328i 118]

When is the next meet? It's taking a lot longer than I had hoped. When you start sanding and start getting fussy...it's like...endless.

Just did the 2 front seats today, and I got heaps more to do, but the front seats, well with all of the electric to manual conversion going on, it was always going to be more involved than restoring the rest of it.

But yeah, I guess the 'meets' serve in a few ways. It gives you ideas or inspiration, it empties the bank account, it puts more pressure on yourself to improve your car. blah blah. It could be worse!

First time leather fixer upper for me, so it's also a challenge. A lot of elbow grease. It is quite rewarding. A lot less swearing than the engine conversion that's for sure!

[francoisv 466]

When is the next meet? It's taking a lot longer than I had hoped. When you start sanding and start getting fussy...it's like...endless.

Just did the 2 front seats today, and I got heaps more to do, but the front seats, well with all of the electric to manual conversion going on, it was always going to be more involved than restoring the rest of it.

But yeah, I guess the 'meets' serve in a few ways. It gives you ideas or inspiration, it empties the bank account, it puts more pressure on yourself to improve your car. blah blah. It could be worse!

First time leather fixer upper for me, so it's also a challenge. A lot of elbow grease. It is quite rewarding. A lot less swearing than the engine conversion that's for sure!

I feel your pain man, took me 4 days solid to retro fit the Race Seats to the standard rails and internal skeleton of the BMW seats. But yours are looking good.

[BM WORLD 1282]

nice work there...

looks like my old blue sport seats that where in my hartge's but came from a e32 originally

[kiwi328i 118]

nice work there...

looks like my old blue sport seats that where in my hartge's but came from a e32 originally

I think because they did come from your old Hartge Brent. True story. E32 aye? It gets even more interesting. Best wearing leather I have come across in a beemer.

The old blue is the new black...

[kiwi328i 118]

So, as I thought might happen, I have a cross over of minor projects and no more real room to do it in.

So I collected my Rims from Arrow Wheels. They are light, bloody light compared to the Harman's, and as for the m-pars 9.5", flippin heck! The bloke from Taupo drove them there, which was lovely. Lance from Arrows drilled one of the rims out to 72.6 (yes I know, I know, we had that discussion) and the guys from Bridgestone back out in the real west mounted it with some difficulty I must say. It's not really stretched, it's just a big f'n wide thing.

So here is a couple of pics. As my leather restore/electric to manual has gone viral in the garage I have spread out into the lounge, like a few of you I am guessing. Just as well the Missus is out, cause she would have flippin kittens. Note to self, put all the sh*t back in the garage somewhere before her highness returns.

Here is the mounted one and the other three lined up waiting for...me to get those flippin front seats back in for a start!

I think it fits well, I don't have much choice to be honest, the only other relatively similar OD in a 17" is a 315/35-17, which would be lovely on this 11" but I haven't heard of anyone managing to fit anything near that size on an E34 in googleland at least. A super rare 295/35-17 could be doable, but sh*t the $$$ must be eye watering. 315/35 possible due to brand variances it could be done, maybe a Nitto or something, but heck, I think this looks sweet as. It's going to be tight. These secondhand dunlops are BIG for a 275 I think.

So this is a 275/40-17 on a 17x11" chicane made in good ole NZ by Arrows Wheels. The et is reputedly +20, which in my mind will be bloody close. So close whether it fits or not, it will be worth a few giggles I am sure. The rear of the face of the wheel, the part which mounts to the hub is totally flat, I hope like hell the calipers are less than flush with the brake rotors. I had them converted to 540i calipers and rotors some time ago, I cant remember if they are or not, effit if I have to modify anything or heaven forbid go back to 525i spec calipers and rotors. Cant be much in it. The slight stretch should help also, I could have gone 255/40 a-la S5 or 265/40, but I like some others feel that the std E34 OD is a bit on the small side. But overseas seem to go smaller OD more than anything on E34's, and I don't dig the look to be honest, some I see have piddly 215/40-17's on the fronts! It doesn't have to be the stretched, slammed, flush, hella flush, or the meat look. 'Stretched meat' that's what I am going for. Isn't that what every bloke wants? lol.

Fingers crossed the rears might have a very slim chance of fitting. Then again it could hit the inner fender, outer fender, caliper and trailing arm all at the same time.ha.

The fronts, well they have no chance, they will at the very least require an inner barrel change.

Well the test fitting will have to wait till I finish the seats, in which time the DUDMD chip should have bloody arrived!!! arrgghhh.

[kingkarl 136]

those are so tuff.

The tyres remind me of speedway sprint car tyres

[duvey 245]

hehe - those are awesome. Can't wait to see them fitted. Love your car. Keep it up.

[kiwi328i 118]

Thanks guys, yeah it wouldn't look out of place on a wee midget looking thing. You don't get simple directional patterns like this anymore, they are all flash now, with 3D chamfered slopes and stuff. I have to buy some front tyres, so I am weighing up a few ideas there. Some semi track tyres would make sense in a way, because the stagger is going to be quite savage, so I can only close the margin by getting much grippier tyres for the front. In theory that will make up for the lack of grip relative to the rear. Well that's my theory anyway.

Hope to be spraying the leather tomorrow if it's fine enough and not too windy. Then I can re-assemble the seats and put them in, everything that is also leather can wait for a bit.

[kiwi328i 118]

Its been awhile. So I bought these massive ex-commodore arrows three piece wheels late last year. I got Arrows to bore the hub out to 72.6, so that's sorted. I got the 275/40 17 mounted. As far as my investigations on googleland showed me...there were not bigger widths on any size rim that could actually fit without a wide-body kit or similar, so I played it safe. The yanks throw 305 and 315 widths on 11's but as far as I could tell it wont really work on an E34.

So..I was told they were ET20. I did some calculations and there are actually 22.5. Not the best way to go, so I try to fit them, and bang, trailing arm. Out comes the grinder, then the whole fit, grind, fit, grind, fit, grind, fit...anyway quite a bit of grinding later it still doesn't fit. Bang...Shock absorber, and I think the original thinner shocks would have been better, but hey. So I put some spacers in there,and yeah like a very long triangle, a 10mm extension at the bottom, might give you a couple of mm or so. Doesn't help that when you drop your car the camber is positive till you drive a few metres then the tops roll in naturally and bam, hits the shock absorber, so after making some horrible grating noises with the rim trying to carve into the side of the shock...I buy some hub-centric 10mm spacers with extended lugs. Better this time, I will still weld the plate into the rear trailing arm but even with the spacer its close everywhere, it did hit my mildly rolled lips, but with some more rolling, it might get there...next week.

Enough for today, too warm and I got to get to The Eagles.

Heres a pic, what ya reckon?

[kiwi535 538]

Seems absurd BMW would build a 3 liter V8 when they'd already done pretty well producing 3.5 liter sixes... I'll assume there's a valid reason google will throw up at me when I go look.

Incredible to see what the liter of displacement does in basically the same container when comparing power stats though. You'll be well prepped when you get bored of it and an S62B50 turns up..

There was a 3.5 litre V8 as well there for a bit.early E39s had a 3.5 litre v8

[kiwi535 538]

one nice thing about the electric seats is you get almost infinite adjustement.You dont have to think that 1 click forward is slightly to far forward but the next click back is too far......

Nice work

Edited March 14, 2015 by kiwi535

[MattA 162]

Mate, its coming along nicely.

11"s looking tits ;-)

[duvey 245]

They certainly fill the guards out nicely!

It will all be worth it in the end.

[kiwi328i 118]

O.k.

So I have been grinding and welding and grinding and priming and painting. So I made enough clearance for the rims. I also put washers over the sleeve that is in the bottom shock mount bush (that's a mouthful, but I think accurate enough) Probably 4x2.5mm 22mm (internal) washers. I also have the 10mm spacers. So it all works most of the time. I got the hammer and heat gun out and did my best impression of someone who looks like they know what they are doing. It still scrapes slightly now and again in the back, much like how it did with the last set of wheels, so I can live with that. I will do some more fine hammering of the inner guard lip and I think it will be more than fine.

So the back 2 for me at least are sorted. The fronts are going to be mega expensive when I change the inner barrels, so those have to wait!

I haven't driven on it yet, so it hasn't settled in this pic, because this is a bit higher than normal.

Not the best shot to show, but hey. They are on there!

Rear specs:

Wheels; Arrows 3 piece 17x11 ET22.5, with 10mm spacer effective ET 12.5.

Tyres; 275/40-17.

[kiwi328i 118]

This is how the rear of the tyres sit now.

It still sits too close to the guards. I have a few options:

1; Raise the car - I don't think so, I love the stance on my car, so will avoid this option!

2; Change the tyre size - mmmI like the OD on these, and I do not want the stretched look

2; Pull the guards - From what I have seen online, this looks terrible, and is usually followed by a more professional resolve

3; Flares - This brings up more issues but it seems like the only way to go.

4; Change the wheels - I want the 11's!, not only that, I could change the inners and outers, but the idea of having a set of wheels and tyres more expensive

than the car does not appeal to me at all. I could have done that from the beginning.

5; Increase camber - Not really an option, I like the way it sits now, and the $$$$ will just get out of hand.

I have seen some flares on E34's online and None of them appealed. I need some wheel travel so even if I squeezed the inner lip and outer guard together like paper, I think I would still be in trouble. This looks like the go.

IN this shot I am trying to squeeze my pinky between tyre and guard. No chance. It's not showing off, it's showing why you DONT try putting 11" (total 12") wide rims on the ass of your E34.

[Gaz 1056]

6. Get some really stiff springs?

[Boowhup 26]

If you can be bothered remove the rear springs then move the wheels through their arc of motion. Will give you a better idea of how far you need to move the guards/how big your flares need to be.

[kiwi328i 118]

I don't think I need to remove anything to show me what needs to happen. The photo shows exactly what needs to happen. Either the wheel goes in 3mm, which is possible, without hitting anything, which I can shave the wheels spaces a tad, but other than that I think I will be doing some cutting and welding.

[Boowhup 26]

I don't think I need to remove anything to show me what needs to happen. The photo shows exactly what needs to happen. Either the wheel goes in 3mm, which is possible, without hitting anything, which I can shave the wheels spaces a tad, but other than that I think I will be doing some cutting and welding.

Sounds like you have it under control I just found being able to check clearance while in the garage I could make changes quickly and see their effect straight away.

[kiwi328i 118]

I wish I did have it under control!!!

I think I am going to cut a sliver above the curve of the flare and put in a strip, so it will be subtle and hopefully not to different to stock, its only a few mm out, so if I can avoid a full flare option I am going to take it!!!