ROOOD's BMW E30 335I
Discussion
Hello everybody!
It's about time I joined PH, I've been meaning to for ages!
I can't believe the size of this site! There's more here than I could ever read in a lifetime!
Anyway, I thought my first post on here should be introducing my old car.
E30 Zone members can move along now as you're all probably bored of seeing it!
Firstly I bought a 1989 BMW 535i manual on Ebay for £234.
As soon as it the strip down began: Engine & gearbox, radiator, engine loom and ecu, downpipes, propshaft etc.
Once the engine was in the garage I completely stripped it and gave it a good freshen up with new crank bearings, piston rings, timing chain and sprocket, water pump, gaskets oil seals, plus a Schrick camshaft, ported head and manifolds and an E28 BMW M535I flywheel and clutch.
During the engine rebuild I purchased a fairly tatty 1988 BMW 325Ise in diamond black metallic.
This was immediately taken off the road and stripped of engine & gearbox, suspension, brakes, some unnecessary bits of trim such as the glovebox, rear head-rests, fog lamps, mud flaps, electric aerial, horrid rear spoiler and all soundproofing - under bonnet, all the stuck on stuff on the floors and inside doors and rear quarters.
Electric windows and mirriors were converted to manual and excess wiring removed.
This all saved a reasonable amount of weight.
The front seats were replaced with a pair of Corbeau recliners and an O.M.P. six point roll cage fitted.
The brakes were upgraded with drilled and grooved, but standard size discs and EBC Greenstuff pads and Goodridge braided hoses.
The engine eventually went in and the exhaust made up, the front half of the 535I prop mated to the rear half of the E30 prop, then measured and the front section shortened and an electric blow-through fan installed.
A limited slip differential with a BMW Z3M mounting bush was fitted at this point also.
The 535I engine loom was slightly modified where it plugs into the E30 body loom to get everything to fit where I wanted it and to make the 'econometer' and heater to work.
After the car became road legal the work continued.
I removed the rear axle, fitted new anti roll bar drop links, Powerflex bushes everywhere, BMW E46 rear damper top mounts with BMW Z3 reinforcement plates and new metal brake lines.
Later on I fitted new front wishbones, brake lines, roll bar drop links, strut top mounts and Powerflex bushes.
Along with front and rear G-Max dampers, H&R springs and H&R adjustable anti roll bars.
Attention then turned to the bodywork.
I'd already fitted a smaller, subtler boot lip spoiler, tinted the rear lights, front and side indicators and headlamps (in a cunning, legal way!), fitted a BMW 318IS front lip spoiler and a set of BBS 15" deep dished alloy wheels.
Then I had a mate help me tidy up the metal work including a few small rusty patches and one new rear wheel arch.
I spent about three whole days prepairing the car then my mate also repainted it - original colour. The grey bumpers were clour coded too.
Whilst refitting everything I renewed bumper inserts, number plates, scuttle grilles and boot and bonnet badges.
Progress hasn't stopped there though!
After a year or so I had a bigger plan for the engine.
The rebuilt engine was removed and replaced with another 535I engine, off Ebay for £150.
Just in time to drive to the 2007 LeMans 24 Hours with a group from the E30 Zone and White Rabbit Racing.
Just recently I've satisfied my strange fetish for suede in cars with a BMW E30 M3 steering wheel, gear knob, handbrake grip and gaiters.
That's where I'm up to at the moment, it took two years to get there!
The next stage to come very soon is a set of huuuuge front brakes to replace the weedy 260mm front discs.
I have a set of E32 BMW 740I/750I front calipers, pads and master cylinder and a pair of re-drilled Audi TT 312mm front discs.
There is also a pair of inverted Bilstein dampers in the picture, just need some rears now!
The wheels will need to be replaced by a set of 17" wheels, of which I have required two sets to choose from.
Then there is going to be a BIG and very exciting (for me) development under the bonnet, but that's a secret at the moment!
I also co-own a 1987 Maserari Biturbo which was recently featured in Practical Performance Magazine's article on their £999 Challenge.
The idea being to race down a quarter mile strip and a slalom course in the fastest car possible and spending under a grand on it!
The 'Maserusty' owes us about £900 so a qurter mile time of 15.6 seconds isn't too bad I suppose!
The best thing about it is telling people loudly in the pub that I drive a BMW and a Maserati, don't you know!!!
...But the less said about that car the better really!
We didn't win the challenge but we did have the best keyring!
And it was a great day out, loads of fun.
I hope that wasn't too much for you!
Bye for now!
It's about time I joined PH, I've been meaning to for ages!
I can't believe the size of this site! There's more here than I could ever read in a lifetime!
Anyway, I thought my first post on here should be introducing my old car.
E30 Zone members can move along now as you're all probably bored of seeing it!
Firstly I bought a 1989 BMW 535i manual on Ebay for £234.
As soon as it the strip down began: Engine & gearbox, radiator, engine loom and ecu, downpipes, propshaft etc.
Once the engine was in the garage I completely stripped it and gave it a good freshen up with new crank bearings, piston rings, timing chain and sprocket, water pump, gaskets oil seals, plus a Schrick camshaft, ported head and manifolds and an E28 BMW M535I flywheel and clutch.
During the engine rebuild I purchased a fairly tatty 1988 BMW 325Ise in diamond black metallic.
This was immediately taken off the road and stripped of engine & gearbox, suspension, brakes, some unnecessary bits of trim such as the glovebox, rear head-rests, fog lamps, mud flaps, electric aerial, horrid rear spoiler and all soundproofing - under bonnet, all the stuck on stuff on the floors and inside doors and rear quarters.
Electric windows and mirriors were converted to manual and excess wiring removed.
This all saved a reasonable amount of weight.
The front seats were replaced with a pair of Corbeau recliners and an O.M.P. six point roll cage fitted.
The brakes were upgraded with drilled and grooved, but standard size discs and EBC Greenstuff pads and Goodridge braided hoses.
The engine eventually went in and the exhaust made up, the front half of the 535I prop mated to the rear half of the E30 prop, then measured and the front section shortened and an electric blow-through fan installed.
A limited slip differential with a BMW Z3M mounting bush was fitted at this point also.
The 535I engine loom was slightly modified where it plugs into the E30 body loom to get everything to fit where I wanted it and to make the 'econometer' and heater to work.
After the car became road legal the work continued.
I removed the rear axle, fitted new anti roll bar drop links, Powerflex bushes everywhere, BMW E46 rear damper top mounts with BMW Z3 reinforcement plates and new metal brake lines.
Later on I fitted new front wishbones, brake lines, roll bar drop links, strut top mounts and Powerflex bushes.
Along with front and rear G-Max dampers, H&R springs and H&R adjustable anti roll bars.
Attention then turned to the bodywork.
I'd already fitted a smaller, subtler boot lip spoiler, tinted the rear lights, front and side indicators and headlamps (in a cunning, legal way!), fitted a BMW 318IS front lip spoiler and a set of BBS 15" deep dished alloy wheels.
Then I had a mate help me tidy up the metal work including a few small rusty patches and one new rear wheel arch.
I spent about three whole days prepairing the car then my mate also repainted it - original colour. The grey bumpers were clour coded too.
Whilst refitting everything I renewed bumper inserts, number plates, scuttle grilles and boot and bonnet badges.
Progress hasn't stopped there though!
After a year or so I had a bigger plan for the engine.
The rebuilt engine was removed and replaced with another 535I engine, off Ebay for £150.
Just in time to drive to the 2007 LeMans 24 Hours with a group from the E30 Zone and White Rabbit Racing.
Just recently I've satisfied my strange fetish for suede in cars with a BMW E30 M3 steering wheel, gear knob, handbrake grip and gaiters.
That's where I'm up to at the moment, it took two years to get there!
The next stage to come very soon is a set of huuuuge front brakes to replace the weedy 260mm front discs.
I have a set of E32 BMW 740I/750I front calipers, pads and master cylinder and a pair of re-drilled Audi TT 312mm front discs.
There is also a pair of inverted Bilstein dampers in the picture, just need some rears now!
The wheels will need to be replaced by a set of 17" wheels, of which I have required two sets to choose from.
Then there is going to be a BIG and very exciting (for me) development under the bonnet, but that's a secret at the moment!
I also co-own a 1987 Maserari Biturbo which was recently featured in Practical Performance Magazine's article on their £999 Challenge.
The idea being to race down a quarter mile strip and a slalom course in the fastest car possible and spending under a grand on it!
The 'Maserusty' owes us about £900 so a qurter mile time of 15.6 seconds isn't too bad I suppose!
The best thing about it is telling people loudly in the pub that I drive a BMW and a Maserati, don't you know!!!
...But the less said about that car the better really!
We didn't win the challenge but we did have the best keyring!
And it was a great day out, loads of fun.
I hope that wasn't too much for you!
Bye for now!
Edited by ROOODBOY on Thursday 31st January 00:51
Edited by ROOODBOY on Wednesday 13th May 00:22
Edited by ROOODBOY on Wednesday 13th May 00:23
Thanks guys! 
The BMW hasn't been easy going at all, it took a long time, blood, sweat, almost tears!, broken tools, an angry girlfriend and a credit card account in melt-down to get it shiny and reliable!
And it replaced this...
... I was gutted to sell my RX7 after owning it for a year but single figure fuel consumption cut into my beer money too much!
The BMW hasn't been easy going at all, it took a long time, blood, sweat, almost tears!, broken tools, an angry girlfriend and a credit card account in melt-down to get it shiny and reliable!
And it replaced this...
... I was gutted to sell my RX7 after owning it for a year but single figure fuel consumption cut into my beer money too much!
Edited by ROOODBOY on Thursday 31st January 01:01
Thanks dudes!
As far as engine swaps go the M30 (as long as it's the later E32/E34 type) is a comparitively straight forward conversion.
I bought specific engine mounting brackets from Germany to do this conversion, had the propshaft shortened and the exhaust was home fabricated. They were the trickiest parts.
It is all tight for space, the distributor cap is VERY close to the radiator and I chopped the air con belt part of the crank pulley off as under heavy braking that contacted the radiator! I also bashed a small part of the bulkhead in with a big hammer to give a little room at the back of the cylinder head.
As far as the weight goes, the M20 (320/325) engine isn't a lot lighter, and with the battery and washer bottle in the boot and a few other excess parts removed it's not a lot different.
Ok, a four cylinder E30 might feel a little better, understeer slightly less etc. but the M30 makes up for it in torque and power and I love the straight six noise!
The torque is great for controlling the rear end when it breaks loose!
As far as engine swaps go the M30 (as long as it's the later E32/E34 type) is a comparitively straight forward conversion.
I bought specific engine mounting brackets from Germany to do this conversion, had the propshaft shortened and the exhaust was home fabricated. They were the trickiest parts.
It is all tight for space, the distributor cap is VERY close to the radiator and I chopped the air con belt part of the crank pulley off as under heavy braking that contacted the radiator! I also bashed a small part of the bulkhead in with a big hammer to give a little room at the back of the cylinder head.
As far as the weight goes, the M20 (320/325) engine isn't a lot lighter, and with the battery and washer bottle in the boot and a few other excess parts removed it's not a lot different.
Ok, a four cylinder E30 might feel a little better, understeer slightly less etc. but the M30 makes up for it in torque and power and I love the straight six noise!
The torque is great for controlling the rear end when it breaks loose!
Love the E30 E30zone is a great site too. With the only fly in the ointment being that every other word in the threads there is always "mate" but no matter 
I also read PPC and saw your Masser exploits. Was quite a bizarre feature really!
Did I say I love the E30!? Really is fab, well done
P,
E30zone is a great site too. With the only fly in the ointment being that every other word in the threads there is always "mate" but no matter I also read PPC and saw your Masser exploits. Was quite a bizarre feature really!
Did I say I love the E30!? Really is fab, well done
P,
Yeah, we kind of knew the Maserusty wouldn't win the event but it was a great laugh, and a day to remember!
A standard E34 535i engine should put out about 215bhp and about 230 lb/ft torque.
Despite my exhaust and ecu chip a doubt the clunky old engine in mine at the moment is putting out that much...
... I've got plans to remedy that quite soon though, and in a big way!
A standard E34 535i engine should put out about 215bhp and about 230 lb/ft torque.
Despite my exhaust and ecu chip a doubt the clunky old engine in mine at the moment is putting out that much...
... I've got plans to remedy that quite soon though, and in a big way!
I did manage to lose a sizeable amount of stuff from the car but I never weighed it. The soundproofing that is stuck all over the floors and on the inside of the doors and rear quarters is surprisingly heavy!
With the roll cage and the bigger engine I'd guess it to be about the same as a standard 325i, which I think is about 1180kg or so.??
My plan, which work has already started on, is a big ol' turbo!
I'm hoping to have the original engine back in the car and turbocharged sometime this spring / summer and I'm aiming for somewhere around 350bhp.
Much more is certainly possible, but not with my budget.
With the roll cage and the bigger engine I'd guess it to be about the same as a standard 325i, which I think is about 1180kg or so.??
My plan, which work has already started on, is a big ol' turbo!
I'm hoping to have the original engine back in the car and turbocharged sometime this spring / summer and I'm aiming for somewhere around 350bhp.
Much more is certainly possible, but not with my budget.
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