So it finally happened:

Tuesday after picking up Isaac from daycare I got on craigslist to fart around looking at motorcycles and scooters to see what all is out there. Of course I can’t go on craigslist for long without looking for a possible cheap e30. Just so happens one had been posted that morning. I showed the link to Cody who said if the guy would go down just 50 bucks on the price he would drive up to Cedar Park to go get it for me.

Well, the guy agreed.

I finally have my e30. After 4 years and about 7 attempts there is finally one in my driveway. There are some major differences in this model vs the one I had back in high school. The biggest is probably the fact my old one was a coupe and this one is a sedan which is super cool. This is also an “eta”, which means the engine is modified to conserve fuel and give good gas mileage from the inline 6 in the engine bay. I seem to recall my old 325is getting hysterically horrible mileage driving just from the house to school. Cody got this from Cedar Park to San Marcos on about a quarter tank.

So yes, the engine runs great, no stalling, no sudden death while driving down the road like the 325is did so many times. Most of the power devices work including the windows, sunroof, and cd player.  It has tinted windows as well as 3 near perfect tires, the one that gets power is pretty bald though.

And here you see why it was 600 dollars. The car had run into something quite recently as the inspection stickers are from 09. Possibly a pole or something but interestingly enough only the outer portion of the bumper is harmed.  Of course the hood is dented as well as that fender but I’m not too worried about those because I can easily replace them on my own. Since the bumper is busted I want to do a full plastic bumper conversion on the front and rear. However, I will be taking it to a local body shop for installation because I can’t stand body-kits flapping in the wind. Also I need the entire car primed. While it’s getting updated and primed for paint I’ll have them fix the massive dent in the hood. Cody thought it had been rolled, but there is no damage to the doors and all the glass is factory. My guess is a tree branch fell on it or something.

Great news, this car has about HALF the miles my old one did! The engine starts quickly every time with no trouble. There are a few other problems I’ll need to get fixed during my painting process. As of now the power steering is totally shot. I filled up the reservoir this morning and took it for a little drive around the neighborhood to no effect. However, fluid remained at the same level so at least that means there is not a massive leak, but possibly a busted pump. Whatever it is it will be fixed at some point during painting. The brakes work but not well enough for stop and go traffic so that too will be assessed before painting is done. It will be a very long process and by the time I am done with painting, brakes, steering and suspension the engine may be toast.

So basically here is a rundown/timeline of work that will go into the car:

1. Body prep – Purchase bumpers and rear window moldings, send to shop for bodywork and priming. During this time the car will be started every day and let run 10 minutes to keep parts lubricated, it will be driven around the block average twice a week.

2. Painting – Once body is complete and primed I will be hand painting the entirety of the vehicle with a most awesome design that I have not yet come up with but totally will here shortly. Basically my own BMW Art Car.

3. Functionality – Because I can still paint the thing with a blown engine it only needs to stay running/operating long enough for me to get it to the local shop for the bodywork, brakes, and power steering. So at some point during painting or afterwards (Depends on how long it takes and how much money I have) I will assess the aging mechanics of the car to get it street legal in the sense of passing inspection.

4. Engine Swap – Because its inevitable that the engine will probably eat itself at some point during this process I am not even thinking about updating the exhaust, intake, etc until a clean rebuilt engine is installed. I also do not yet know what kind of engine I want to use for the swap. It could be anything from a stock m20b25 to a rb20det. So until then no changes will be made to anything that would potentially be attached to such engine.

Let the fun begin!

The Subie is now and forever in daily driver mode. This means no Perrin swaybars, no BBS wheels, no Tein suspension, etc. What it does mean is that I’m back on the e30 train, and this time I have a plan! A delicious, long, tedious, and slightly expensive plan ( I have the excel sheet if you would like to see it). ^_^ Right now all extraneous car money goes to Cody’s 240sx RB swap and epic-long KAdet build. Cody’s car should be done by the end of the year. My e30 project will take at least five years to make it to “running” stage. But, it will be done correctly, with nothing rushed, and no large chunks of income will be used on the parts (until the engine is ordered).

Currently I am in stage 1 of

Das Plan:

Stage 1
Aquire e30 chassis around 500 dollars. Prep and clean.

Stage 2
Replace all bent, rusted, broken body panels and install new valence and lip spoiler w/foglight housing.

Stage 3
Replace all electrical components, dash, rotten bits, and carpet.

Stage 4
Paint. Reupholster seats. Install Smiley headlights and a new set of brake lights.

Stage 5
Prep engine bay and electrical system. Replace ALL bushings and bearings. (fail rubber fails)

Stage 6
New brakes, coilovers, wheels, exhaust. <$$$$

Stage 7
Order m50 engine, trans, harness and components < $$$$$x5

Stage 8
Install engine, trans, etc. New battery. PRAY

Stage 9
Drive it. O_O

Subie will be paid off in 2 years, Cody’s 240 running in at least one year, but by the time the e30 is running the New Yorker may even be restored. The project name is subject to change I’m still fiddling around with the cars final color, etc. But I have plenty of time to map all of that out. To explain a little what the swap is all about (and why I’m doing it) I’ll first point out the fact that most original m20 engines are over 20 years old and (if running) are doing so on a 20 year old head gasket, with 20 years of crud and wear in an engine that is prone to blowing its top. The m50 engines came from the e36 and can be as new as 1995, a massive difference from an engine from 1988. Other upgrades include 20 extra hp over the m20 as well as DOHC and double the valves. Both engines are inline 6 and have the same bore and spacing. The fun part is the engine was made for the much heavier e36 so you get a better response from the engine at takeoff, as well as improved gas mileage. Some people with the swap claim to get over 35+mpg. The only drawback is you must run premium for this engine. The extra twenty cents is worth it IMO.

For more information on the swap, and to see just how common it is visit r3vlimited.