328ti Rally

[adz 50]

Hey,

So its been a pretty painful couple months for me. Working around the E30 rally build, it all started to get a bit tough, suspension, rust, lack of information on rally builds etc the finish line just kept getting pushed out further and further. So after doing a bit of research into what the rally boys in the UK are doing, I've stored the E30 and got my hands on a 318ti to start a new build which will be alot easier. The E30 will be resurrected one day in one form or another.

I picked up the compact from Mad-Max on Saturday and started stripping all the interior out. The engine & gearbox had already been removed which made life a bit easier

The good news, is all the parts that I've bought apart from the M3 front guard and boot with spoiler can transfer straight across, and fit alot easier. The same engine gearbox, M52b28 with the ZF box out of the donar car will be dropped in. Need to swap my sump back over. If anyone wants a sump to convert their E30 hit me up, I've also got some 24v Revshift engine mounts I don't need anymore.

Partslist:

• Group 4 Escort Bilstein coilovers
• R33 GTST 4 pot fronts & 2 pot rears, with standard 328i rear caliper for the hydro handrake. Will use 328 discs
• M52b28 with ZF gearbox
• Single mass flywheel & clutch (to source)
• Alloy Radiator & Oil cooler
• 188mm LSD with 4:27 gearset with double ear cover
• Homemade-special shortshifter, based on the CAE shifter (need to finish)
• Hydro Handrake (to source)
• Msport front & rear bumbers (to source)
• Multi point roll cage, seats, belts etc etc

The plan is to have the car running minus the cage for a autocross in Feb, could be an uphill battle but I'm hoping I can make it. I'll be running a version of the old Benson & Hedges liveries, converted to Fences & Hedges.

Cheers,

 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Fences & Hedges -brilliant!! So apt for rallying.

plus I really love that B&H livery from the M3s. 

Good luck with the build I hope it goes smoothly.

[adz 50]

Some of the parts I've sourced that will go into this car.

[zero 1162]

Can you give more info on the brakes? do you need adapters to run the nissan calipers?

[adz 50]

10 hours ago, zero said:

Can you give more info on the brakes? do you need adapters to run the nissan calipers?

Yeah will make adapters to bolt them on, once I have it all sorted I'll take some photos. I work with CAD so will draw them up if anyone else goes down that route.

[WYZEUP 283]

get in touch with ethrty on here.....he had some e36 msport kits he was supplying for cheap. he may have exactly what your after. Good luck with the build!

[eliongater 718]

@_ethrty-Andy_ msport bumpers

[Mad_Max 231]

Not sure what diffs you've got laying around, I should have a medium case 4.10:1 coming out of the black sedan sometime soon if that's close enough for you? Anything else, just ask man, will be good to see this thing going.

[adz 50]

I've got a 4.27:1 med case, but could be keen to keep a spare ratio.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

Thanks for the name drop guys, i dont come on here all that much anymore! Yes can do if still needed tho i imagine freight to Invercargill would be somewhat prohibitive. its yours for $100 just let me know where i am dropping it, also have some M Twist side skirts as well if they are of interest, and a sedan/coupe rear etc.

[adz 50]

Small win last night, got the engine and gear box in. So much easier with no front on the car!!

now to tackle what I’ve been putting off, wiring. I’ve got the full 328i loom I’m going to drop in, I just want to strip it down to the basics, then remake a fuse panel for in the cockpit so we can see any fuses that have popped from in the car, will look at running circuit breakers. 

[adz 50]

Finally got the balls to start work on stripping the loom back. Laid it out on the floor and worked my way from the back forward removing wires back to plugs that I don’t need. sh*t of a job when your not overly confident in your electrical abilities haha. I’m going to have to remove the fuse box from the standard location as the roll cage is going forward to meet the strut towers, so will do a switch panel with circuit breakers in the dash. Anyone else that’s done this got any tips?

[turbolizard 38]

I'm not an expert on wiring but have experience making and modifying looms on race boats and cars.  Putting in some effort is well worthwhile to obtain reliability as bad wiring will kill your enjoyment very quickly.

I would advise investing in proper loom tape, good crimp tools and terminals, as well as a terminal release set.  Do plenty of labeling, even if it seems obvious, and try to stick with the basic concepts used by the manufacturer.  If you can get hold of another sacrificial wiring loom then that can be a good source of the right colour wires for any extensions etc.

Strain relief is critical for reliability in a race car or boat.  Manufacturers are generally very good at this aspect, so take note of what they do.  You might need more if you thin the loom right out, as multiple wires help support each other.  Proper loom tape is very helpful with this.

Its not that hard to do, but is very time consuming.  Did I mention labels?  Lots of labels.  I use a label maker with flexible tape and put clear heat shrink over it to protect it.

[adz 50]

So bit of an update, managed to get the loom back in the car and fire it up for the first time, once I found an earth I had missed. I've removed the heater core to swap out for a small motorsport one, but in the mean time I want to run the car. I've read heaps of conflicting information about what to do with the heater hoses. Some say block them off out of the head, others say route them into each other. Anyone done this?

[HaNs 226]

I looped mine, will blank them off when i do my next engine 

[adz 50]

Been working through the todo list on this, knocking a few more items off each night all going well.

Also fitted a spoiler off an Altezza, a cheap option and doesn't look too bad to me, and motorsport from and rear bars

Just need to bleed the brakes and clutch, finish off the throttle pedal I'm making, tidy up the exhaust and weld the diff, then it'll be ready for the Autocross i'm entering on the 9th of March. After that, I'll strip the car down, get the roll cage built, change the suspension over for my rally setup, LSD, paint & stickers etc. Will also do a M50 intake change around that time.

Edited February 19, 2019 by adz

[adz 50]

Managed to get this out for a quick run up the road in the weekend. Really impressed with the engine in the compact, seems pretty quick, it still has the 4:45 diff in it, so its quick through the gears. Given i've never driven a 328 before it was nice to see why people like them. Will do the M50 manifold etc as well, but in standard trim in a stripped out compact shell, it moves.

Now to weld the diff and throw together a quick muffler at the back, its a tad deafening without anything.

[adz 50]

Finally managed to get out and do some skids in the 328Ti in the weekend.

Was the last round of the Eastern Southland Car Clubs Autocross championship. Went there just hoping to get the car running and have a laugh, but managed to win my class. Was a heap of fun, had issues with the car swapping ends a couple of times but once I managed a clean run I was able to shave a heap of time off. Grip was pretty much non existent until the track ripped up a bit. I do have a miss above 5,500rpm which could be a vacuum leak maybe. And the 4:44 diff is no good, so will get the 4:27 into it asap.

Next stop roll cage.

[adz 50]

A big part of the next step arrived. My OMP HTE-R 400 seat arriving down. Luckily my arse fits.

Went for this seat, as it has the head restraint, but it is also narrow across the top of the seat, making it possible to pass helmets between the two seats at stage ends etc.

Now putting $$ away to get the cage steel down, and start tearing into that.

[qube 3570]

On 2/20/2019 at 7:45 AM, adz said:

Been working through the todo list on this, knocking a few more items off each night all going well.

Also fitted a spoiler off an Altezza, a cheap option and doesn't look too bad to me, and motorsport from and rear bars

Just need to bleed the brakes and clutch, finish off the throttle pedal I'm making, tidy up the exhaust and weld the diff, then it'll be ready for the Autocross i'm entering on the 9th of March. After that, I'll strip the car down, get the roll cage built, change the suspension over for my rally setup, LSD, paint & stickers etc. Will also do a M50 intake change around that time.

@KwS altezza spoiler

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

On 3/20/2019 at 12:05 PM, adz said:

A big part of the next step arrived. My OMP HTE-R 400 seat arriving down. Luckily my arse fits.

Went for this seat, as it has the head restraint, but it is also narrow across the top of the seat, making it possible to pass helmets between the two seats at stage ends etc.

Nice seat! I would suggest it’s a good thing that it’s a snug fit, especially for rallying.

Im looking for something similar for endurance circuit racing, as it’s hard(er) work when you’re being thrown around in the car.

[adz 50]

As I mentioned above somewhere, I'm going to be running r33 skyline 4 pot front & 2 pot rear brakes. Looking at options for rotors, I can reuse the r33 front rotors with some modification, or stick with the 328i rotors, which are slimmer. But for the rears, I want to retain the handbrake, I will be running a hydro setup as well, but for getting on the trailer, parking etc I want to keep the original handbrake. Looking into it, it looks like z4 3.0 rear rotors are a similar size to the r33's ones, and it also looks like the original hand braking shoes etc will work with them, might need a little work, but should be close enough. Anyone else looked into this option? 

[nick496 268]

Whilst I haven't done it, it looks like it can be done with the z4 disks. https://srs-concept.com/product/e36-318ti-big-brake-adapter-kit/

[adz 50]

Epic, that's what I was hoping would be the case. Cheers for the info. 

[RedRocketTi 131]

This sounds like a fantastic project!  I do know that there is a Benson & Hedges E30 M3 group A car that I have seen tucked away in a workshop in Invercargill a few times!  Some awesome cars tucked away in sheds down there!  

Are they a true coil-over for the rear?  Are you going to reinforce the rear strut towers?  I'm just running the separate coil & spring in the back but went with the option of adding in 5mm SS strut top reinforcement plates to prevent the strut from ripping the top of the tower apart.

Build looks awesome, if I ever get my 328Ti back down that way it would be good to see them side by side!