Discussion
scottos said:
Awesome, Mark. I'm glad you went for the black powdercoating, im really not keen on bare alloy rads (especially on 2002's) they look out of place. Your bay is going to look perfect when done.
Well it's coming along nicely. 
I've got the billet brake fluid reservoir coming early next week and then it's nigh on finished.
Mapping done. Well initial mapping done anyway, as there's the exhaust and manifold to be done by which time I imagine the engine will have loosened up a little? Anyway, final figure was just over 240 bhp which I'm pretty happy with. I've only done a few miles, bringing the car home, but it feels very different to last time which is odd given that the spec' remained the same. It's a bit louder too, which is odd. I initially thought it was just placebo or something but I went up a local hill I know well and it was definitely quicker.
There are still a few jobs I want to do, such as lowering my seat position and having a door bar made. I want one that drops down to run along the sill, as my leg weakness makes a stock bar hard to use safely. Right now though, I just want to drive it.
There are still a few jobs I want to do, such as lowering my seat position and having a door bar made. I want one that drops down to run along the sill, as my leg weakness makes a stock bar hard to use safely. Right now though, I just want to drive it.
So far, so good. Engine is still pulling strongly and definitely sounds a bit more throaty than it did. Stack display is helping me keep an obsessive eye on things too!
New rad is also in now and things are nicely cooled.
Just waiting on some sunshine so can put some more miles on it.
New rad is also in now and things are nicely cooled.
Just waiting on some sunshine so can put some more miles on it.
Just a few small jobs being done while I'm away. A new AFR gauge and (at last!) a fuel gauge! I just need to work out the resistance values used by the OE sender and recalibrate to suit. The gauge comes calibrated for 0 - 90 ohm sensors but I seem to recall the E30 sender is 0 - 60 ohm, with 0 being full? Hopefully the recalibration process will be straightforward? The AFR gauge connects straight to the ECU so couldn't be simpler.Just to neaten things up and fill the final spot in the gauge cluster, I opted to fit an analogue clock, also from Stack Ltd. The final electrical job will be fitting the speed sensor for the dash display.
I also noticed the output from the alternator was on the low side so it wasn't too much of a surprise when the engine started cranking over more slowly than it should. Ideally I'd like to fit a more compact and lighter replacement for the Bosch but it'll have to wait for now. I'll just get a new Bosch unit instead.
I'm also after some advice re spring rates as I think my current springs are just a bit too hard for road use. They feel great on track but with UK roads being so poor it just feels way too skittish to inspire confidence. Ideally I'd like something along the lines of the Manx cars as the roads around here are very similar.
I also noticed the output from the alternator was on the low side so it wasn't too much of a surprise when the engine started cranking over more slowly than it should. Ideally I'd like to fit a more compact and lighter replacement for the Bosch but it'll have to wait for now. I'll just get a new Bosch unit instead.
I'm also after some advice re spring rates as I think my current springs are just a bit too hard for road use. They feel great on track but with UK roads being so poor it just feels way too skittish to inspire confidence. Ideally I'd like something along the lines of the Manx cars as the roads around here are very similar.
Thanks. It has turned out pretty well. I was looking at some photos from 4 years ago, when I first brought the car home from Ireland (like an excited child) and it's gone through quite a transformation. Admittedly it hasn't been cheap but it's finally as I'd always hoped it would be. I've even started putting it away in the garage when it rains! Actually it's the tyres and the fact they don't like the cold that's caused that, so am currently looking for a set of alloys to use in the winter months, along with some better suited tyres.
I've been sitting in the sun for past couple of weeks but didn't let that stop me from picking up some cheap alloys and tyres. I'm really happy with the Nankang AR-1 but want them to last. These are some decent UK made rims, although they're 18's and bigger than I'd usually opt for. They're perfect M3 offset though and were just too cheap to pass by. They do need to be silver instead of gold though.
The 4 branch manifold is fitted now and freed up a few more bhp, which was a bonus. It's a little louder too, but nothing to worry about. There's also a digital AFR gauge to help me keep an eye on things. Finally fitted the billet brake reservoir and changed the oil etc. I'm just really looking forward to enjoying it this spring.
Hopefully I'll get to some tracks in Europe this year and Goodwood in May. Castle Combe might also be on the cards although I've never found my groove there.
The 4 branch manifold is fitted now and freed up a few more bhp, which was a bonus. It's a little louder too, but nothing to worry about. There's also a digital AFR gauge to help me keep an eye on things. Finally fitted the billet brake reservoir and changed the oil etc. I'm just really looking forward to enjoying it this spring.
Hopefully I'll get to some tracks in Europe this year and Goodwood in May. Castle Combe might also be on the cards although I've never found my groove there.
So nice to have a fuel gauge once more! It's a right royal pain in the arse having to constantly watch / listen for the tank getting low, whilst keeping a fivers worth of super unleaded in a can in the boot. The Stack gauge can be calibrated for any sender but it doesn't like the fact the E30 has 2 of them, so it's not super accurate in the midway point. It's only empty that I really worry about though. The analogue clock was just to fill the space left by the old VDO gauge and I would have liked a Stack digital AFR gauge, but couldn't justify the cost. There was actually a used one on eBay but in the time it took to check my bank balance some blighter nabbed it. You snooze, you lose! 
The brake fluid reservoir came from Seven9 Design, who also made the washer fluid reservoir for me. I know some people are a bit anti when it comes to fitting non OE parts but the original plastic one looked awful. It was also the last remaining OE plastic part and stood out as such. Overall I just think the whole engine bay looks way better than it ever did.
The Becker manifold is finally on and was an absolute pig to fit. How these were ever sold as an 'off the shelf' E30 M3 part I have no idea? It took some major love and persuasion before it would go on. Had I foreseen the grief it would be to fit, I wouldn't have bothered. I'd have paid the extra and gone with the Zero item as they fit like a glove. Anyway, it's on now and combined with the Supersprint system, it does sound pretty fruity without being over the top loud.
I'm actually starting to run out of things I want to do now. I think the only job left wanting to be done soon, is to lower my seat as much as I can so as to get my driving position exactly as I want it. It's not terrible as it is though, so hardly urgent and I just want to drive the thing for a while now.
The brake fluid reservoir came from Seven9 Design, who also made the washer fluid reservoir for me. I know some people are a bit anti when it comes to fitting non OE parts but the original plastic one looked awful. It was also the last remaining OE plastic part and stood out as such. Overall I just think the whole engine bay looks way better than it ever did.
The Becker manifold is finally on and was an absolute pig to fit. How these were ever sold as an 'off the shelf' E30 M3 part I have no idea? It took some major love and persuasion before it would go on. Had I foreseen the grief it would be to fit, I wouldn't have bothered. I'd have paid the extra and gone with the Zero item as they fit like a glove. Anyway, it's on now and combined with the Supersprint system, it does sound pretty fruity without being over the top loud.
I'm actually starting to run out of things I want to do now. I think the only job left wanting to be done soon, is to lower my seat as much as I can so as to get my driving position exactly as I want it. It's not terrible as it is though, so hardly urgent and I just want to drive the thing for a while now.
Edited by e30m3Mark on Wednesday 14th March 09:34
Engine bay is pretty much finished now and I'm really happy with how it's turned out.
I hadn't expected much of a difference with the new exhaust manifold but it actually sounds very different. It's got a really deep rasp as you pass 3k revs. Anyone who says 4 pots can't sound great needs to hear a sorted s14!
Just looking forward to putting some miles on the car this spring / summer.
I hadn't expected much of a difference with the new exhaust manifold but it actually sounds very different. It's got a really deep rasp as you pass 3k revs. Anyone who says 4 pots can't sound great needs to hear a sorted s14!
Just looking forward to putting some miles on the car this spring / summer.
Edited by e30m3Mark on Sunday 18th March 11:03
Veeayt said:
e30m3Mark said:
Anyone who says 4 pots can't sound great needs to hear a sorted s14!
Video proof, pleaseInstagram - mark_e30m3 You might find a short video / audio but rubbish quality.
Edited by e30m3Mark on Sunday 18th March 12:15
Veeayt said:
e30m3Mark said:
Anyone who says 4 pots can't sound great needs to hear a sorted s14!
Video proof, pleasehttps://youtu.be/fW7Rp5eWbtE
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