Grey Thunder - 1990 e30 316i

[Olaf 3341]

Date: 11 Mar 2022

Distance: 263504 kms

1. Knobbing

Gift time.  I’ve scored an m-tech gear knob and shift badge, to match the wheel and provide a nicer tactile experience.  FWIW, the ///M badge was nearly 20% cheaper so I bought it.

Feels great, looks good too.  Now for some Elephant Leather Preservative.

 

 

2.  Driving, errands.

Took it for another drive, remembered to run the heater hot, and exercise the heater tap while warm.  Counter-intuitive on a hot autumn day, but essential to keep coolant flowing in a car that's had very light use for the last year.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Olaf
added heater exercise

[freaknout 47]

Who stole your clock!!!

[E28E30 335]

1 hour ago, freaknout said:

Who stole your clock!!!

That’s the base set up eg for some 316i models.  No clock, centralised stereo etc.  looks nice and clean.   In some models the dash had no rev counter so had a big clock instead.  So made sense to have only one clock or as per this late model example, no clock.  IIRC the first LCI 316i models had the no rev counter look then the later ones got a rev counter?

[Olaf 3341]

I put in a tacho cluster [last year] EDIT:  in sept 2020 (!) .  Need to install the clock centre console.  It's on the list of things to do.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Olaf
was it really that long ago?!

[Olaf 3341]

13 minutes ago, E28E30 said:

That’s the base set up eg for some 316i models.  No clock, centralised stereo etc.  looks nice and clean.   In some models the dash had no rev counter so had a big clock instead.  So made sense to have only one clock or as per this late model example, no clock.  IIRC the first LCI 316i models had the no rev counter look then the later ones got a rev counter?

Mine had the large clock where the tacho now is.  I don't think any 316i was equipped with a tach (unless it was an option list item).

How it was in Aug 2020

Edited March 11, 2022 by Olaf
added old pic with dat beeg clock

[freaknout 47]

4 minutes ago, Olaf said:

I put in a tacho cluster last year.  Need to install the clock centre console.  It's on the list of things to do.

Buttonage looks very smart and tidy.

[E28E30 335]

It is a great looking example with those upgrades.

[Olaf 3341]

Date: 25 Mar 2022

Distance: n/a

1. Nice Rack!

Along with @autoglym and @jonmechaniker, we executed as planned, like an episode of the A-Team (only without BA).  A late-model e46 LCI 318i ///msport was prepped for surgery, and together we made light work of a rack-ectomy in-situ.  

I got it back to the lock-up, steam-cleaned it (thanks Dan!), dried it, gloved the ends of the hoses, and stowed it. 

Now another key part to my upgrade plans is secured, providing a future source of "nice rack!" comments.  We left the e46 inners in place, and I already have new e36 rack-ends, and new boots.

My sincere thanks to @Autoglym and @Jon Mechaniker.  We had a fun time in the rain in unfavourable conditions.  It's a reminder that an important part of these cars is the camaraderie, spending time together shooting the sh*t, taking the piss, and thinking through challenges together.

2. Next steps

Now back to research on the right way to connect it (steering shaft), and secure spacers, and a little more research on the pipes/hoses.

 @Southerner's approach to the steering universal is the one that's made the most sense to me.  I need to find an appropriate Astra steering shaft, and get the e46 shaft end.  Also consulting the LVVTA manual (with thanks to Jon).  And then on to a driveshaft specialist.
 

Quote

 

 

To close, what's a @Olaf project update without images?!

Fig 1. Nice Rack, this afternoon.

 

Fig 2. I fear this is in fact a Magenta rack.  My car is turning Goth!

 

Fig 3.  Flipside.

[Cement 892]

Wow, that clock !! No wonder Germans have a reputation for being on time

[Olaf 3341]

Make me an (e30 market) offer, you too can be timely.  It's the next big thing in e30 accessorising - rarer than a cluster with a tacho...

[Olaf 3341]

On 3/11/2022 at 1:22 PM, Olaf said:

 

 

 

Update.  I've driven it a few times since installing the new gear knob, a little over 100kms.  It occurred to me today how much nicer the tactile experience is.  It's better matched with the steering wheel.  

Let's face it, with just over one hundred neddies beneath the hood, one changes gear often!  This is a much more pleasant place to be.

 

I also installed - at last - the CTEK quick connect/battery monitor adaptor. Should have done it 16 months ago!

Edited May 2, 2022 by Olaf
Battymon

[Olaf 3341]

It's been a pretty quiet time lately.  Winter, and recently Covid, have slowed me down.

A sunny day yesterday in Welly, I thought I'd take Grey Thunder to run a couple of errands (recovering from Covid is taking some time), and I'm glad I did.  I grabbed a phone shot of it parked in the sun, sporting the recently-acquired 15's.  I think it's looking pretty spiffy!

The extra half-inch of track is useful too, my initial impression is that the 15J7 setup better suits/matches the 14.5mm rear bar.

Happy days.  Now, to keep on with Covid recovery.  Nasty business.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Olaf
image

[balancerider 777]

THAT is a lovely car @Olaf.

[freaknout 47]

Looking great Rich!

[E28E30 335]

Looks really awesome 🚙 

[Olaf 3341]

Thanks team!  @E28E30, @freaknout, @balancerider.  Plenty more work to do on it.  Tacho was misbehaving on startup yesterday, working like a switch (1500 --- 2000 ----1400...) until the car had warmed up.  Time to get the cluster out, go through and re-flow all the joints, replace the cluster batteries.

Next month it's time to go through my parts inventory, and get through some M42 planning.  The things rattling around in my head (in no particular order):

• Order new exhaust in preparation.  
• I have 3M caulk for replacing internal plastic weathershielding behind the door panels, and get the plastic.  
• Still need to make my mind up about the M42-purple tag conversion hose/pipe setup from UK.  
• Maybe paint the 4.10 diff and get new seals for it.  
• Get the exhaust manifold blasted and coated, clean up and paint a valve cover - Silver or black?  And get a bit more prep for Coil-On-Plug setup.  I rather like the idea of a valance and extended bolts to retain the BMW valley cover with Coil-On-Plug, so there's a bit of research to do there.  
• And I still need to get a Barina/Corsa linkage, and get a local driveshaft shop sorted for doing the work to make the purple-tag to Corsa linkage.
• I also have sound deadening to do in the rear, and install the late-model parcel shelf & hi-stop brake light, and the premium rear speakers.
• Put the FL RF door trim on, in place of the PFL one that's there at the moment.
• Source fabric for upholstery refresh - it'd be good to get rid of the ugly seat covers.
• Finally put a BMW Car Club sticker or two on it.
• Figure out when the right time to put the iS sticker on.

PS:  driving a 32 year old car with a silky-light clutch, very good brakes and handling, zero rattles or clunks, is very satisfying.

Edited November 21 by Olaf
spelling

[freaknout 47]

Looking forward to having another drive over the holidays if you're around...

[Palazzo 478]

Nice work. I was looking at your photo thinking that looks so nice, but the drivers door trim looks funny, oh well, must be the light.

[Olaf 3341]

Well spotted!  It's wearing a PFL door trim painted black, it was on it when I bought it.  I have new clips and a good trim, waiting to go on. 🙂

[Olaf 3341]

test post

 

[freaknout 47]

On 3/11/2022 at 3:28 PM, Olaf said:

Mine had the large clock where the tacho now is.  I don't think any 316i was equipped with a tach (unless it was an option list item).

How it was in Aug 2020

 

I miss that clock....

[Olaf 3341]

So Grey Thunder has been languishing in the garage for a couple of years... I've pulled it out infrequently to run it up to temp, give it a splash of sunshine, a gentle wipe-over with detailing mist when the dustcover comes off.   It's dry and undercover, just waiting for it's time for the project to re-commence.  

I've been picking away at the parts list.  Bits sourced and added to the stash:  

• Brand new Mahle/Behr heater matrix to replace the used one we put in back in 2019.  Luckily I took a pic of the part number at the time!
• Internal plastic weathershielding for behind the door panels.
• Sourced all the seals & bearings, (pinion and output), to rebuild the 4.10 small case diff for the M42 swap.  I already have a diff housing gasket, drain and fill plugs,  and a Coreteco diff mount (my last - they're no longer made - I think the only aftermarket one that's sold now that's similar to OEM is the Moog item).
• Sourced all cooling system hoses for the M42B18 (not just the big ones, all the ancilliaries too)
• Spare e30 window winder (can't believe they've nearly doubled in price since I last bought one) - now USD61.99
• New DME and Fuel Pump relays
• Got a Barina/Corsa steering linkage - still needs to visit a driveshaft specialist.
• New e46 rack inners, to replace the used ones and go with the new e36 outers on the Purple Tag rack.  Antother rack bellows kit to replace the ones I used on my e46.
• I finally put a BMW Car Club sticker on it.

Next steps... it's time to get out the Right Hand Drive 318iS loom and clean it, perhaps replace the tessa tape. Certainly clean all of the contacts. And I'll clean off the 4.10 diff and take it up to Begley Motor Works for a rebuild in a month or so.

Blue Thunder on Ori Bay - winter 2023?

Edited November 21 by Olaf
added pics