Road trip story & Project thread: 2001 Titanium Silver e39 M5 [Archive] - Page 2 - BMW E46 330 ZHP For Sale Forum

Sreten

10-25-2018, 03:57 AM

Wanted to give an update on E31.

This is the car I spotted on Spanish listings around 3 months ago. At that time it was advertised with a high price tag but said that it's a project car and price was negotiable. Intrigued, I contacted the guy and started getting more info on the car.

Original Spanish car that spent all its life in the Madrid area. The car was purchased by sellers father back in 1995 and they were the 2nd owners.
They barely used it and between 1995 and 2009 the car covered around 17k miles.

Last inspection stamp (ITV) was in November 2009 which is around the time the car went off the road and into storage.

https://i.postimg.cc/3rF5ncP6/Untitled.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XXqzvQNc)

After some back and forth, I received dusty photos I posted above and the usual spiel that the car is perfect, everything working, started regularly... The price went down, but not low enough. I made him a low but realistic offer at which he responded as not being mad to sell at that price. In a nice way, I explained to him that he is indeed mad for wanting unfeasible money for the car. I wished him good luck and we stopped talking.

A few weeks ago I sent him a text asking if he sold the car, he didn't and he removed the ad since he was getting stupid offers from tire kickers. He wanted to get rid of it and asked what would I pay, I made him a bit better offer under the condition everything was as he described and that the car is running. He agreed and I decided to fly out and see this forgotten car.

The car was in the city of Salamanca, 2 hours from Madrid. I didn't have enough free time to make a proper road trip out of this and I flew alone with a return flight home the next day.

Beautiful scenery en route to Salamanca.

https://i.postimg.cc/wxXwsWMj/20181018-190154.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8sCR2mL2)

https://i.postimg.cc/dtJ4R8Zm/20181018-190826.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qgZs46Lz)

I met with the seller who lives 3 hours away from Salamanca and who actually didn't see the car for 5 years. :biggrin The car was taken out of the storage and into sellers friend mechanic shop around the corner. They washed it and the car was running 2 weeks ago, but idiots didn't drain the tank and started the car with old gas. The car is turning over but not starting.

Pictures of the car.

https://i.postimg.cc/7Lg1zd6P/20181019-112426.jpg (https://postimg.cc/f3R0nHm1)

https://i.postimg.cc/XJLwH5dT/20181019-112431.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Q9B9VH6b)

https://i.postimg.cc/ydsmyjgm/20181019-112436.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Mc3fWyYH)

https://i.postimg.cc/bJyntvWL/20181019-112458.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t1c709XV)

https://i.postimg.cc/q7XnqKbz/20181019-112508.jpg (https://postimg.cc/67qT18NX)

https://i.postimg.cc/Gp1GbKjW/20181019-112514.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cvXrmQ2h)

https://i.postimg.cc/FFnSYNZg/20181019-112535.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yWcx5q2k)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZKBd32sk/20181019-112548.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qzrqHbdQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/T3n5NmXC/20181019-112619.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LJ6snJ51)

https://i.postimg.cc/MKCjY5gn/20181019-113940.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xcPCfvfQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/9fVR6MmV/20181019-113949.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fV2RXMSg)

https://i.postimg.cc/9fpRCh09/20181019-113952.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bGZN94QY)

https://i.postimg.cc/4dxK3SHS/20181019-114008.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FfwFWGZy)

https://i.postimg.cc/Fzf7ykZb/20181019-114012.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gLWzdJ1r)

https://i.postimg.cc/Fz21DFWM/20181019-114021.jpg (https://postimg.cc/tnNXgbHk)

https://i.postimg.cc/9QHr9MqT/20181019-114030.jpg (https://postimg.cc/crTxydh4)

https://i.postimg.cc/wTm13J3g/20181019-114038.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CzwhQRjQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/25zyHKGS/20181019-114047.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5XRfypDh)

https://i.postimg.cc/Bn5tB0xz/20181019-114051.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZWRTJXsP)

https://i.postimg.cc/pdqT3JcY/20181019-122557.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SXYkMChJ)

A sane person would walk away and never look back, but I was a man in love. The interior albeit filthy and full with years of dust is just mint - leather without wear, headliner still intact and even the pixels in the center console were still there. The doors open in a perfectly smooth manner, shifter slots into gears perfectly with no slop - everything feels like a low mileage car. 3 keys, original service book, manual and other documents, no rust, no signs of accidents and apart from fake E63 M6 wheels, totally original. Paint has various scratches most likely from it being pushed around and I'll judge the condition once properly washed, but should clean up.

Here I am, 1200 miles away from home, in an industrial area on the outskirts of Salamanca, middle of nowhere in Spain with a car that doesn't start. Naturally, I start low balling the seller and after some shrewd negotiation with my limited Spanish skills, we settle on the price. Left the car and went to sort out the paperwork. All done in timely fashion and I headed home. No time to explore Madrid but I'm going back there for vacation in December. :)

At the moment I'm trying to organize transport back to Germany. Dealing with shipping carriers is the part I hate the most.

Buying a car that doesn't run is the biggest risk I took so far and hopefully doesn't bite me in the ass. Should be one fun ride though. :biggrin More updates when the car arrives.

Sreten

10-25-2018, 03:59 AM

I ordered one of those on eBay and had to send it back. It was maybe half the weight of the OEM knob and Chinese quality finish. Good for $15 though!

I actually googled Chinese ZHP knob and stumbled upon your post on e46f, lol. Fit and finish reflects the price but got the job done!

ZHPizza

10-25-2018, 08:35 AM

A sane person would walk away and never look back, but I was a man in love.

Hell. Yes.

This thing is awesome. I have such a hard-on for 80's/retro/synthwave shit. Gimme them flippy headlights and knight rider interior all day.

Pumped to see this thing cleaned up with some M-Parallels

http://www.spannerhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BMW_E31.jpg

fredo

10-25-2018, 08:44 AM

Good story. At least you made efforts to see the car in person and got a good vibe from it.

Edit : I just noticed the buttons have Spanish words.

Sockethead

10-25-2018, 09:17 AM

Newjack

10-25-2018, 10:48 AM

ZHPizza

10-25-2018, 12:57 PM

Such a cool looking car. I cant totally appreciate why you picked it up. Really miss the old button layouts for the hazard lights and AC with everything being right in the center console. One part about the E46 I really miss that the E82 doesn't have. I loved having the hazard light button right below the shifter, right where it should be!

Gimme that old BMW engineering

True that. The placement makes it easy to toggle them for a flash or two as a "thank you" when someone lets me in. Tryna bring that Japanese road culture to the dirty south.

Newjack

10-25-2018, 01:14 PM

True that. The placement makes it easy to toggle them for a flash or two as a "thank you" when someone lets me in. Tryna bring that Japanese road culture to the dirty south.I used to do the double blink all the time in the ZHP when someone let me in. I still find myself reaching below the shifter for it in the E82.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Sreten

10-26-2018, 12:48 AM

Hell. Yes.

This thing is awesome. I have such a hard-on for 80's/retro/synthwave shit. Gimme them flippy headlights and knight rider interior all day.

Pumped to see this thing cleaned up with some M-Parallels

http://www.spannerhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BMW_E31.jpg

I feel the same way. Pop-up headlights are the coolest thing in the world. (though the right one doesn't feel like popping up anymore :biggrin)

You'll be disappointed, but it will be getting original 16" cross spoke style 8 wheels for now. I'd have a tough time choosing between M Pars and CSi throwing stars but both sets are hard to find for E31 and would set me back good money. Doesn't make sense to spend big â‚¬â‚¬â‚¬ on wheels until the car is up and running. Also, for TUV it's better to have original sofa wheels since '91 E31 didn't come with 18" wheels and they will make a fuss about it cause Germany.

Good story. At least you made efforts to see the car in person and got a good vibe from it.

Edit : I just noticed the buttons have Spanish words.

Thanks! It's was sketchy but I got a good feeling about it and I learned not to buy a car sight unseen. Best deals are made in person next to the car.

I noticed that later as well, I think it's pretty interesting. 😊

Precisely why I loved my "88 Prelude si so much

Looking forward to see you work your magic on it

Thanks, Rob. Older cars are just better. Period.

Such a cool looking car. I cant totally appreciate why you picked it up. Really miss the old button layouts for the hazard lights and AC with everything being right in the center console. One part about the E46 I really miss that the E82 doesn't have. I loved having the hazard light button right below the shifter, right where it should be!

Gimme that old BMW engineering

True that. The placement makes it easy to toggle them for a flash or two as a "thank you" when someone lets me in. Tryna bring that Japanese road culture to the dirty south.

Totally agree, the button layout is just spot on, designed for the driver. I use the hazard lights in the same manner.

E31 cockpit is a powerful place to sit. Surrounded by quality materials with a glorious driving position - it really is an ultimate driving machine. The whip has amazing options - heated front seats, EDC suspension, electric steering column adjustment, auto dip mirror, sunroof, cassette holder, power rear sunblind that works!

Sreten

11-12-2018, 05:59 AM

Update time.

With 2 cars in the garage, the pile of parts kept getting bigger. :roundel

https://i.postimg.cc/Y9KtyWzT/20181102-185832.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5HgcXjGm)

With the arrival of cold weather, it was time to address the cooling system on the M5. The thermostat was stuck open and in need of replacing but while in there, I decided to address other components as part of preventive maintenance.

New parts laid out.

https://i.postimg.cc/gknSTBtL/20181103-110411.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xcV3kg29)

Lots of stuff in the way of getting to the water pump so the disassembly begins.

MAFs and radiator shroud removed.

https://i.postimg.cc/3rgmJjyf/20181103-085740.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K48R0MDt)

https://i.postimg.cc/pLgLF74f/20181103-092604.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TKJx8kR1)

One of the bolts of the water pump is obstructed by the vibration damper hence the removal of it is required.

Locked the vibration damper with 8 mm drill bit and removed the crank pulley which revealed 4 bolts that secure vibration damper in place.

https://i.postimg.cc/RhFTHNJb/20181103-094846.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WFBrRpnM)

https://i.postimg.cc/8c0mBNhk/20181103-095830.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Cnb8wyP9)

https://i.postimg.cc/4Nj1Y4fB/20181103-095834.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mtN9qsFH)

Vibration damper removed.

https://i.postimg.cc/mZtpXgry/20181103-103441.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fkQvkZmV)

Coming back to the top and preparing to the pull the thermostat housing out. Quick tip - spray a dab of WD-40 on the tstat pipe O-rings, it will make the removal that much easier.

https://i.postimg.cc/j20f4c59/20181103-100530.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6sDnxWF)

https://i.postimg.cc/tCbP1B8n/20181103-102438.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dDWDpjsJ)

Pipe connection.

https://i.postimg.cc/zXkhTn1t/20181103-102447.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XppXbBqd)

The water pump was next. Before removing the tstat and wp, I drained the coolant from the block.

https://i.postimg.cc/44HkK5pG/20181103-105454.jpg (https://postimg.cc/F1vn80PC)

https://i.postimg.cc/CKMpzpsr/20181103-105431.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75RWWccS)

https://i.postimg.cc/xCbxd6hF/20181103-105652.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FdNgWV9j)

Cleaned up the gunk as best as I could and mounted new wp gasket.

https://i.postimg.cc/3xt0yYHd/20181103-113246.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CRfxXy5g)

New wp installed and bolts torqued to 10 Nm. The gasket likes to pop out from its seating position so installing a couple of bolts before pushing the water pump in place will stop that from happening.

https://i.postimg.cc/fyyrNwZm/20181103-132538.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1VxH0183)

Next was reinstalling the vibration damper. It's important to use new bolts as these are stretch bolts torqued to 60 Nm and then 2 times 50Â° torque angle.

https://i.postimg.cc/KYqZr89g/20181103-132908.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DWGk7n32)

I bought this cheap and flimsy torque angle gauge but it served the purpose perfectly. Before doing the bolts, I practiced on my old trolley jack. 😄

https://i.postimg.cc/9Mm7z0DR/20181103-144357.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kVH4pnFq)

https://i.postimg.cc/tgHPQ2yz/20181103-143609.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TKChnjKy)

Crank pulley, belts and new water pump pulley installed.

https://i.postimg.cc/htCjMsvj/20181103-155145.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RWH4Zcc5)

New thermostat and new O-rings installed all lubed up with trusty technisches vaselin. I bought Behr 79Â°C and Gates 82Â°C thermostat. Gates is I think the same as Stant in the US and I was thinking it would be better if the car runs a little hotter in winter days but I went with Behr at the end.
The rubber O-ring on Gates is inferior to one on Behr and I'm pretty sure it would leak unless sealant is used. Maybe next time I'll give Gates a shot.

https://i.postimg.cc/YCqgp8sN/20181103-110353.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2VM3Gdm3)

https://i.postimg.cc/TYQLHg3K/20181103-110400.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VdrkJSMw)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZRkCyLVM/20181103-153733.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hJrSkVFL)

https://i.postimg.cc/P52FVp1K/20181103-155922.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yD3PkNQS)

All buttoned up along with new hoses and temp sensors.

https://i.postimg.cc/KcprR6tq/20181103-161620.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WtrJyfWg)

Started the beast, checked for leaks and there weren't any. Followed up with a test drive and got perfect readings.

https://i.postimg.cc/FzZq8cDS/20181108-194248.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gLxN6w9c)

Job well done. Overall not a terrible job just tedious.

Didn't stop there though. Replaced diff fluid - the fluid that came out was nice and clean so it was replaced not long ago by the PO.
New tranny fluid - I originally put OE BMW MTF LT-2 fluid which was fine but kinda crunchy compared to what I had on the previous M5.
I went for a new Liqui Moly product - Top Tec MTF 5200 75W-80 which is BMW MTF LT-2 approved. The 2nd gear is still notchy when cold but once warmed up the shifting is much smoother.
I'll leave it in for now but I might go back to Motul DCTF which had the best cold start performance. I know Royal Purple Synchromax is amongst popular for M5 but it's quite pricey in Europe.

https://i.postimg.cc/wjbyXGcK/20181028-160351.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NKmjYbzb)

Early oil change. I probably said too many times that I love Liqui Moly products but one thing that bothers me about their 10w60 is that it's slow to get up to temperature, just seems a bit thick in cold weather. I tried BMW branded 10w60 in previous M5 and oil was much quicker to warm up. I pulled the spec sheet for BMW 10w60 and Shell 10w60 and they are identical so I found a good deal on Shell 10w60 and picked that up.

https://i.postimg.cc/QNkRFGhM/20181108-202034.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7bhBRRCv)

The cold start seems quieter and it is a bit quicker to get up to temperature with Shell, other than that it's the same. So far I'm happy.

New fuel filter which was a waste of time and money. The previous owner replaced it last year judging by the production date. Still, it's a relatively cheap piece of mind.

https://i.postimg.cc/8zPfrr30/20181110-140731.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hf6tkhKL)

https://i.postimg.cc/mrKPqprv/20181110-140734.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7CMPJV09)

https://i.postimg.cc/2yDVjqhT/20181110-141906.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzmb8gdF)

Got a good deal on OE Bosch MAFs so chucked them on quickly. Not sure if mine were ever replaced hence the decision to refresh them.

https://i.postimg.cc/j5JM014P/20181111-092824.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzBY78qg)

That's it as far as the M5 goes. I'm getting ready to rebuild the alternator since bearings are shot and replace shifter bushings, the gear knob has too much slop for my taste.

The project E31 850 revival is underway.

The 8er arrived a week and a half ago. A polish guy picked up the car in Spain on Monday 5pm and delivered it in Frankfurt on Wednesday 4pm. Express delivery considering it's a 1.150 miles long journey!

https://i.postimg.cc/DZH4nGT3/20181031-165129.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2bdSxVy0)

https://i.postimg.cc/tC0ncFkh/20181031-165738.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bdTvDDKJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/WbMqctYx/20181031-165806.jpg (https://postimg.cc/svggpfrJ)

I ended up renting another parking spot in the garage where my M5 sleeps. Not ideal for this type of a project but couldn't find anything better at the time so I pushed it into the spot there.

I was anxious to hear the engine run but first I did a series of checking and replacing stuff.
First, I got 12V on both fuel pumps and they were activating and buzzing.

https://i.postimg.cc/gkHp84hT/20181104-093138.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nCrNt404)

Replaced fuel filters and surrounding lines which were rock hard. Fuel was on reserve and it didn't feel right opening the fuel tank at this point so I added 20 L of fresh fuel to mix it up.

https://i.postimg.cc/wTv2QjRY/20181104-102715.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WtB02j75)

https://i.postimg.cc/g2LK1tKM/20181104-103028.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DSFsXgHs)

Old filter indeed.

https://i.postimg.cc/gkTDSb3X/20181104-103427.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sv57x86s)

https://i.postimg.cc/KYX5b7qm/20181104-111942.jpg (https://postimg.cc/pmZjYjMS)

Replaced distributor caps & rotors. They had a date stamp from '91 so likey original.

https://i.postimg.cc/wxZKNZ32/20181104-134041.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dD2SPW2Z)

https://i.postimg.cc/dtybj6yY/20181104-174304.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6yBb9dcj)

Replaced skanky spark plugs. At the recommendation from E31 guys I went NGK BKR6EK plugs at the end.

https://i.postimg.cc/v8JYyc7G/20181104-174157.jpg (https://postimg.cc/z3kZSDPQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/13Pyg2YT/20181104-174201.jpg (https://postimg.cc/svnkq6z9)

https://i.postimg.cc/JnpD477k/20181111-095234.jpg (https://postimg.cc/S2zNghMS)

Nasty air filters from '94.

https://i.postimg.cc/8zCnnbFc/20181104-155125.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D8tgSLP3)

https://i.postimg.cc/1t0Hzggb/20181104-155248.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zbBWtGFk)

Fresh oil. The oil that came out was actually looking fresh and nice color. They told me it was replaced recently so that might be true.

https://i.postimg.cc/yd6JFWQM/20181104-181010.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VSTLwscg)

Hooked up new batteries and drained a bit of old coolant out.

https://i.postimg.cc/C5XzT7h0/20181104-203747.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fS7wYxSq)

https://i.postimg.cc/sDbZtjxW/20181104-095021.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bsHJnjQY)

https://i.postimg.cc/GpCTmXkh/20181104-095231.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FYTHPgW2)

Then I decided to try and start it. Took some effort but the old girl fired up! After a few seconds, a whining noise appeared so I shut it off. I overlooked to check the PS fluid canister and surely morons filled it with ATF instead of Pentosin and mesh filter wasn't secured.

https://i.postimg.cc/5NwSqKfL/20181105-194846.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YhCFt3GC)

Brake booster and power steering share the same fluid. I pumped the brake pedal like 30 times which pushed the fluid from the brake pressure accumulator to the reservoir and I sucked out as much as I could from the canister and then removed the drain plug on the PS pump and filled with correct CHF 7.1 fluid. I plan to repeat this every time before starting the car until it's entirely green. Also, the brake booster is leaking heavily so that's on the list as well.

https://i.postimg.cc/0NNGv8D0/20181105-202019.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5XZQqWPX)

https://i.postimg.cc/W1T69m4K/20181105-201944.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PPVwJwYz)

https://i.postimg.cc/85JhFtyF/20181105-202749.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bDPGWHf8)

https://i.postimg.cc/mk7CjhWB/20181105-202847.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vxH4HYmN)

https://i.postimg.cc/HWMwdvcR/20181105-203056.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5jxYm3mS)

Fired it up again and PS pump complained for a few seconds but then it went quiet. Here's a short video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_mYHGF7EHI

(brake booster leaked fluid all over the exhaust hence the smoke from the front right, I think)

I was able to move it back and forth and I'm super happy about that considering I bought it as a non-runner!
It does idle kinda lumpy and I think it went into a limp mode so it won't rev past 3k rpm. After few minutes it started puffing blueish smoke so I had to shut it off, I'm hoping it's residual stuff and the car just needs to work but we'll see next time I start it. I also plan to flush the engine with a cleaner down the road.

Next, I replaced the VCV valves as this cleared up blue smoke on the previous 850i.

https://i.postimg.cc/MpbfnmdR/20181110-150405.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v4TZjfRH)

Before the arrival of the car, I picked up some nice original 16" style 8 wheels with fairly newish rubber. I bought them from an older gentleman from Cologne, these came off his Japan import 840Ci with 43k miles so the condition is appropriate.

https://i.postimg.cc/50x0QXst/20181110-102130.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qt509vVf)

https://i.postimg.cc/9MJfdckY/20181110-102259.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Kk3FFhx1)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZnQKQV49/20181110-111535.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GTkC8PBr)

Couldn't wait to remove those totally wrong wheels that were just an eyesore on E31. These are much better looking and pleasing to the eye.

Before starting it again it's just a must to flush out the coolant. It's nasty looking and full of gunk so I started removing stuff for inspection and to replace the thermostat.

https://i.postimg.cc/x87YT8kq/20181111-162746.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZvrXwTxh)

One sad looking thermostat.

https://i.postimg.cc/DZPPT4Md/20181111-161913.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wy3m5MH7)

https://i.postimg.cc/qqfqj1L1/20181111-162750.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qhLp7XWK)

Radiator drain hole was actually clogged and only started draining once I poked it through with a screwriver. The water pump is spinning noise-free and has no play.

Radiator looks good from the outside and water is moving freely so I'll give it a chance for now though I might just replace it. I'll flush it thoroughly before putting it back as well as cleaning the expansion tank, hoses and I armed myself with enough coolant flushing products to flush the entire system. I also have new belts, tensioner and pulleys coming.

Once I'm satisfied I'll start it again and let it warm up so stay tuned.
Still a long way to go for this machine but progress is being made. :biggrin

704sw

11-12-2018, 06:46 AM

Phenomenal update as always! The work youâ€™re able to do in the space youâ€™ve rented is truly very impressive.

Those Style 8s are going to look great, but Iâ€™d love to see what it could look like wearing some M Pars.

Sreten

11-12-2018, 09:01 AM

M Pars would hit the spot but these will do for now.

Man, I dream of having a proper garage with proper tools and normal working environment one day. Working in these conditions just sucks.
Conveniently, the house keeper that rented me this spot forgot to mention that when it rains outside it also rains inside, right in the middle of the spot hence the need for car cover. Meanwhile, I'm looking for something better but it's very difficult to find something that fits the bill.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Hornung418

11-12-2018, 09:06 AM

Sreten

11-13-2018, 12:18 AM

That crossed my mind but I'm already getting enough weird looks as it as and grief for storing stuff behind the car. They even got hissy when I left a half-full bottle of windshield washer fluid out. Technically I'm not even supposed to work there but I'm being cautious and catch all fluid that comes out of the car, put them in containers and recycle later.

This garage will be getting renovated beginning of next year so I need to find a new home anyway.

ZHPizza

11-13-2018, 05:22 AM

RUS_ZHP

11-16-2018, 06:29 AM

You are staing on top of the maintenance as usual. As well as giving a proper update.
I cannot beilve air filer is from 94?! How come people ignore the basic maintenance, I don't know.
Well, e31 in good hands for sure!
Are planning to run m5 during the winter months? I forgot what is your daily car?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Sreten

11-16-2018, 07:37 AM

Amazing update. I don't think I could get through that much in two weeks with a proper garage and lift. I don't know how you do it.

Can't wait to see the 8er on the correct wheels. I love how meaty the tires look on 16's.

The new wheels do look cushy. I try to be fast but methodical at the same time and do the work whenever I have time to spare. But it's difficult with a full-time job and you always end up sacrificing something else so planning is key.

I was about to start it again on Wednesday but the thread on one of the belt tensioners stripped completely and now I'm waiting for a new one to arrive.

You are staing on top of the maintenance as usual. As well as giving a proper update.
I cannot beilve air filer is from 94?! How come people ignore the basic maintenance, I don't know.
Well, e31 in good hands for sure!
Are planning to run m5 during the winter months? I forgot what is your daily car?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Danke! I came to the conclusion that car maintenance in southern European countries basically goes like this: drive it until it breaks down, so I'm not that surprised by 24 years old filters! Admittedly incredible run for a pair of filters.

I don't have a daily since I leave in the city and there's no need for one. I hate driving in Frankfurt, traffic and roads are terrible and I have a monthly ticket for public transportation through my work. U-Bahn is quicker and easier to move around the city, albeit boring and I must admit I miss daily driving, but every time I need to drive somewhere during rush hours and get stuck in traffic, I get a reminder I'd go mad sitting in traffic every day.

Winter in Frankfurt is really mild with hardly any snow so I plan to use it whenever the weather is good enough and there's no salt on the roads. It won't see any snow but I do need to get winter tires since temperatures are low, however, that's not so easy.

17" style 66 wheels which are meant as winter wheels for the M5 can't fit on mine because of BBK up front and no one makes winter rubber in 275/35 R18 stock size. Well, Kumho does but I'd rather not drive at all then drive on those crappy tires, I did that last winter and never again.
I might try 245/40 R18 and all 4 corners, many on M5board had this setup for winter on stock wheels without issues so it could work, I don't plan to drive a lot anyway.

ZHPizza

11-16-2018, 07:54 AM

Can you not get all seasons in Deutschland? That's the ticket for enjoying cold-but-not-snowy driving.

Sreten

11-16-2018, 08:01 AM

Nah, also impossible to find in 275/35 R18 size. Die Germans are not big on all season tires, almost everyone has one set for summer and one for winter.

BMWCurves

11-17-2018, 11:00 AM

Phenomenal update as always. I look forward to your meticulous revival of that 8er

Sreten

12-04-2018, 01:57 PM

Busted.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181204/e411d95c93e6c7a6c7e19d64d366ad0a.jpg

4 mph over the limit. Silly Germans [emoji28]

Sent from my jail cell

Hornung418

12-04-2018, 04:35 PM

â‚¬10 fine? That'll buy a Somalian dinner for tonight. Thanks Merkel...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

704sw

12-04-2018, 04:53 PM

7km/h over? Less 5 freedom units. Thatâ€™s not even worth the administrative effort.

az3579

12-04-2018, 06:43 PM

7km/h over? Less 5 freedom units. That’s not even worth the administrative effort.

Dat 10 Euro fine doe. :rofl

BMWCurves

12-04-2018, 11:32 PM

Just look at the level of excitement he's experiencing at that reckless speed!

Sreten

12-04-2018, 11:50 PM

Phenomenal update as always. I look forward to your meticulous revival of that 8er

Thanks, Will! The revival is going slow but progress is made. Gonna post update soon.

â‚¬10 fine? That'll buy a Somalian dinner for tonight. Thanks Merkel...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Lol, my thoughts exactly. It's really petty but at least negligible, my 2nd ticket in California in a short span for doing 16 mph over the limit was around $400. That was a slap in the face...

7km/h over? Less 5 freedom units. Thatâ€™s not even worth the administrative effort.

Yup, the most ridiculous ticket I got so far. I felt when the camera flashed me and I remember I was hovering a bit above the speed limit. The letter alone must've cost them a few euros.

Dat 10 Euro fine doe. :rofl

Also the cheapest ticket I ever got. :biggrin

Just look at the level of excitement he's experiencing at that reckless speed!

An absolute maniac!

https://i.postimg.cc/RVLWRZ04/47aaf30661671e55d3963d2463749011.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Sreten

12-16-2018, 08:32 AM

The progress with E31 was slower than I wanted. I was sick, parts got lost in the mail - nevertheless, the progress has been made!

To pick up where I left off - got new belts, pulleys, one tensioner was stuck so I got a replacement one and also put radiator cleaner in the coolant to flush the gunk out. Since then, I flushed the cooling system 4 times until the water started coming out fairly clean.

The pulleys are actually NSK which are an official bearing supplier for Bosch, great quality.

https://i.postimg.cc/GmPgW6qS/20181114-194028.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fVLvXq4x)

https://i.postimg.cc/25z9rTtj/20181114-200041.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75WnN1Dj)

Added 1 bottle of Liqui Moly engine cleaner and then replaced oil and filter after. Even with this cleaner, the oil that came out was actually clean.

https://i.postimg.cc/MZRL0c1S/20181126-195921.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLsbBjNJ)

Worlds filthiest cabin filters from 1990.

https://i.postimg.cc/prbR0g0X/20181128-201312.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzwvk6f0)

https://i.postimg.cc/tRWX14T1/20181128-201349.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mhZxJR7R)

Found a fuel leak at the back of the engine which was sorted easily.

https://i.postimg.cc/wjgJ4BMZ/20181128-214725.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ykpkksFy)

https://i.postimg.cc/FKKSmnjx/20181128-221318.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G4ZtxKgB)

Then I pulled and checked all of the fuses and reseated all relays just because the car has been standing for a while.

The main issue with the car was that it would start up, idle crappy and once it starts to warm up, it would grossly misfire and choke when I give it gas.
Once I turn it off, it wouldn't stay running again, it only starts for a second or two and then stalls.

Clearly a big issue. I wanted to pull codes and it took me 3 weeks to get INPA to work on E31 and I ended up buying an old Dell D620 laptop with a serial port cause that was the only way to make it work.

After much trial and error, I successfully set up INPA and managed to pull some codes and live data. In the meantime, I also used Foxell NT510 which was surprisingly able to talk to DME, EKM and ZKE modules of the car.

https://i.postimg.cc/sDKb1vk4/20181201-161105.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6y2Mm558)

https://i.postimg.cc/7Z6dzqD8/20181213-143541.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9r6L55rJ)

Didn't get any useful codes and DME was mainly code free. I did get one code for the fuel tank breather valves aka purge valves.

Upon closer look, I found that some genius butchered the fuel breather system by splicing some wires, chopping off factory connectors and making vacuum lines out of electrical tape.

Didn't know if I should cry or laugh when I noticed this.

https://i.postimg.cc/TPr3zVsc/20181127-203256.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DWwhsXnW)

https://i.postimg.cc/nzphpsbf/20181127-203332.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJpHT88L)

https://i.postimg.cc/4NmNfkMy/20181127-203339.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mRTPMXR)

https://i.postimg.cc/t46q6d9H/20181127-203433.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75xr82CB)

https://i.postimg.cc/fWHRQT81/20181127-203532.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QVT3psGq)

https://i.postimg.cc/k5dnvV5R/20181127-203601.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G4qwcmGb)

The paint a better picture, the fuel breathing system on E31 works like this - vacuum line goes from the fuel tank to the valve under the rear right fender, then a line to the carbon canister in the engine bay and from the canister to the Y piece connector which splits it to two purge valves which are feeding each throttle body on bank 1 and 2.

What morons did: remove one purge valve entirely, cut off both factory connectors (why wouldn't you?) and split the lines after the valve and feed throttle bodies with just one valve and top it all off with making vacuum lines out of electrical tape.

https://i.postimg.cc/SxbsD1TK/20181202-134947.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qzQ47wdf)

https://i.postimg.cc/Dz2zKJKk/20181202-135424.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TK4xVPwC)

I've seen some butchery done on cars before but this takes the medal.

Luckily, I was able to trace back the original wires in the loom and re-did everything back to stock with new wires and proper connectors.

Two wires that were cut and sticking out of the loom turned out to be leftovers of the original wires which they were too lazy to remove.

https://i.postimg.cc/tCpPgTbk/20181202-141052.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Bt7tYJXP)

https://i.postimg.cc/Px1pXGF0/20181202-141535.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XG77LPWg)

These are just typical Bosch EV1 connectors.

https://i.postimg.cc/y8NZFbkS/20181202-171534.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gnfjp4yY)

https://i.postimg.cc/XvGBPBKj/20181211-203917.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gwp0XJBQ)

I bought one new valve and tested the old one, I measured the resistance with a multimeter which was good at 44 kOhm, applied 12V on it and made sure it holds pressure with a hand vacuum pump. The original Y connector is made of plastic and NLA so I got a better one made of brass.

https://i.postimg.cc/4d1f2X04/20181211-202531.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXnbnbd1)

Everything assembled.

https://i.postimg.cc/zfsHYDpn/20181211-211001.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5Hm2wVh0)

Next, I focused on ignition wires which were original and considering age due for replacement. One of the common issues for this engine to start and stall after a couple of seconds are cylinder identification sensors aka donuts. These sensors are mounted on wires #6 & #12, if the signal is absent the engine will run for 2 seconds and then the injectors will be inhibited to prevent wash-down of the cylinders. Courtesy info from Timm from the UK.

There are 2 options when it comes to new wires. Either get a whole set with new sensors already installed on the wires and pay around $450 or cheaper route of getting just the wires and new sensors separately and installing them myself. Guess which one I took :)

Installing new donut sensors was a bit tricky but once I got the hang of it, it was easy. A plug on the wire needs to be removed and the sensor just slides on the wire.

https://i.postimg.cc/ryDcr6Gr/20181207-202818.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V5P2xVVf)

https://i.postimg.cc/d0QcQgtD/20181207-203311.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MnLFdPB8)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZYXmPfjD/20181210-220447.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LhkG23cz)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZqftWjCH/20181210-221743.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VSbHTq90)

Then I verified proper installation with a multimeter and the wires were ready to be installed.

https://i.postimg.cc/t4jHwYK3/20181210-221841.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mBMhNNy)

https://i.postimg.cc/Hk9CgTmf/20181210-224547.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sMxLPdvc)

Out with the old wires.

https://i.postimg.cc/qM87NV0G/20181211-212859.jpg (https://postimg.cc/F7Hv66Yf)

New wires neatly labeled and repacked in the original brackets which were without any damage and in good condition.

https://i.postimg.cc/fRCTvcVt/20181212-204617.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dh7YsTmw)

https://i.postimg.cc/FHNHcWHX/20181212-210343.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hfZnR0m2)

Earlier I measured the resistance on the crank position sensors - 488 kOhm which is kinda on the limit (repair manual says 540 kOhm +/- 10%) so I got a pair of new sensors and replaced them.

These sensors are located at the front of the engine. I had to unbolt the PS pump to get enough room to remove/install the sensor. I beat up my hands pretty good when doing this job.

Borrowed a pic from the internet to show location.

https://i.postimg.cc/66bPCy6W/M70.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/13tbKNYv/20181213-122515.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2VsHk3YW)

And piÃ¨ce de rÃ©sistance - new plug caps for the vent holes on the throttle bodies. The old ones were cracked and perished. Cheapest part I bought so far at ~ 2 bucks a piece.

https://i.postimg.cc/k5ZsKT2y/20181215-114610.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QBQcrkkB)

https://i.postimg.cc/vTwvSDLg/20181215-114659.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6w82JHq)

After all of this, the car was still running like a turd - no change. Misfiring and barely stay running when warmed up.

Then I turned to test the fuel pressure which I had plans to do a while back just didn't get around it. I bought a cheap fuel pressure gauge which turned out the be total crap and leaked all over when I attached it on the lines at the back of the engine, but even with it leaking there was hardly any pressure, less than 1 bar when the car was running for a brief moment.

https://i.postimg.cc/3NDJYzrz/1111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D4nKcjXc)

That was no bueno and I decided to pull the fuel pump assembly out. Fortunately, I bought new pumps some time ago because I was planning to replace them preveniently.

With the pumps out, I found that both rubber lines that go from the pumps had sizeable cracks in them.

https://i.postimg.cc/25CGwp6r/20181214-123944.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dhSGsxrx)

https://i.postimg.cc/LXbV2nV8/20181214-124007.jpg (https://postimg.cc/342GZr6s)

https://i.postimg.cc/d119b8rf/20181214-133942.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p9w8850Q)

Combine that with old weak pumps and they simply didn't supply proper fuel pressure. No wonder the car was running like a turd.

The strainer was crispy and falling apart.

https://i.postimg.cc/Wzqw3T96/20181214-123954.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7JD2t8rf)

The bracket that's holding fuel pumps removed.

https://i.postimg.cc/6pF2WnkS/20181214-132256.jpg (https://postimg.cc/18c5Mn5c)

Original Bosch pumps.

https://i.postimg.cc/j5bDNKd4/20181214-132900.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p9sVbwjm)

New Polish pumps worked a treat. Very happy with the quality and the design was identical to Bosch pumps.

https://i.postimg.cc/0NqkXnR8/20181214-132714.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9DJHrGQS)

https://i.postimg.cc/CLXLkYcn/20181214-132702.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cr7SNqyd)

Everything reassembled and ready to go back in the fuel tank.

https://i.postimg.cc/MH0NT73Y/20181214-150407.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Cn1mrqgZ)

https://i.postimg.cc/jj9GkdJy/20181214-150403.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p9fGmvCd)

https://i.postimg.cc/8kLqtGkr/20181214-151038.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dDtHVzyq)

I read somewhere that the new gasket for the fuel tank is a must so I got one.

https://i.postimg.cc/YSfWdjPs/20181214-140355.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wtMMvxgX)

I think the most annoying part of this job was replacing these 2 short fuel lines going from the pump to the metal pipe connection in the underbody, but I had to replace them since they were rock hard and they would leak for sure. Also, lining up the fuel pump assembly with the new gasket was a pain. I counted 2 and 1/4 turns when removing the plastic lock ring so I went with the same when putting it back.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZncmgzmZ/20181214-120845.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9wrsRSzN)

https://i.postimg.cc/x1krGzX9/20181214-163624.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3kHbYWjq)

Fired up the old girl and lo and behold a different car! It started after just a couple of seconds while before it used to crank and crank.

Inspired by this, I took her for the maiden voyage out of the garage on the next day.

https://i.postimg.cc/sgp2PqQj/20181215-120630.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G4mrdMxV)

https://i.postimg.cc/25G8MW7g/20181215-120642.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5HHVF6Gm)

https://i.postimg.cc/Kj6ZBDm3/20181215-121630.jpg (https://postimg.cc/m1SfGMzT)

https://i.postimg.cc/4dF4NTM5/20181215-121650.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qhyHjWph)

https://i.postimg.cc/2658D5Hy/20181215-121659.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CZWVCwpp)

https://i.postimg.cc/0jMkzB1q/20181215-123029.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Mfw24tGs)

She is working beautifully! Engine sounds sweet and idles great, cold start is also good. There was a lot of condensation and I let the car work for 30-40 minutes and eventually it all cleared up and exhaust was smoke-free!

I drove it up and down the courtyard and clutch is great, I got it up to 3rd speed and it slots in all gears perfectly and without any slop. Even the power steering pump is working noise free after exchanging around 5L of correct fluid!

Here's a little video. Injectors are clicking loudly since the sound insulation is removed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2banJfwxuU

So far so good. :biggrin This car was a roller coaster with ups and downs, it took a lot of effort but I'm very excited for bringing back to life this neglected icon.

There's more mechanical stuff to be done, but next I wanna see that interior clean up which will have to wait for a bit better waether.

I've done some stuff on the M5 as well which I'll post in the upcoming days. At the moment screws on the alternator housing are stopping me from replacing the noisy bearings.

704sw

12-16-2018, 09:03 AM

fredo

12-16-2018, 10:21 AM

+1. Congrats on your great progress !

ZHPizza

12-16-2018, 11:57 AM

Damn that is some amazing investigative work and rebuilding. I don't know how you're getting anything done over there right now with your 5 hours of daylight.

Sreten

12-16-2018, 12:51 PM

Dude. Iâ€™m in awe of your ability to not only fix the issues you fix, but to seemingly do so with such calm and logic. If I found that hack job you just resolved I probably wouldâ€™ve gone inside, defeated, and consumed a large quantity of beer. Meanwhile Iâ€™m still driving around without an ambient temp sensor because the carport is too cold and damp for my sensitive bitch-self to crawl under one corner of the car for 15 minutes and splice the wires back together.

Marvelous update, as always, my good man.

Thank you, Spenser!

It wasn't going swimmingly as it may seem and after finding this hack job, consuming large quantities of beer is exactly what I did while kicking myself trying to understand the reasoning behind this idiocy. Still got nothing... I tackled it another day after doing some reading up and ordering new parts.

I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to get the car up and running, the fact alone that is was parked for 10 years or so and then to find hack jobs wasn't encouraging, but I persevered and it was a proud fuck yes moment when I drove the car out of the garage. Totally worth it.

I can relate, when the weather is like this you just don't have the motivation to go out and fiddle around the car.

+1. Congrats on your great progress !

Thank you, Fredo!

Damn that is some amazing investigative work and rebuilding. I don't know how you're getting anything done over there right now with your 5 hours of daylight.

Danke schÃ¶n, Herr Pizza! We are past daylight son, just me after work in a stinky ass underground garage with my trusty magnetic torch light tinkering away while normal people walk past me with the word lunatic in their mind, I shall imagine.

I told myself this is the last time I'm starting this type of a project in a miserable not well-ventilated space. Poisoning myself with all that crap just doesn't bode well for my health.

704sw

12-16-2018, 02:09 PM

Information on the â€œtrusty magnetic torch light?â€ Sounds like a good solution to my work-lighting problems.

Sreten

12-16-2018, 02:37 PM

I bought an equivalent to this one on German Amazon. Pretty good light output, easy to maneuver and the magnet is very handy.
I think I can get around 3 hours of usage with full light output and I'm planning to get another one to use while the other one is recharging.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07BQ2JZRC/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stppvp_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1544998785&sr=2&pf_rd_p=e1eda7cc-5eb0-4456-b167-af5ea3a8af63&pd_rd_wg=gHhoi&pf_rd_r=6QC1Y12ZWE9DQ8RMR9AX&pd_rd_i=B07C97G8LY&pd_rd_w=BNHKN&pd_rd_r=3b245ecc-a08a-45c5-9f9a-cd23cb92d1e6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&th=1&psc=1

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

johnrando

12-17-2018, 06:24 AM

Wow, awesome detective work and mechanical skillz.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

BMWCurves

12-17-2018, 10:20 AM

+1 on Spenser's comment. I would like to think I would persevere like you did, but let's be honest, I would have flung my hands up in annoyance and just given up.

It's awesome you're bringing this thing back to life, outstanding work, especially considering your work space/environment. Simply top notch stuff, bud!

Sreten

12-18-2018, 07:19 AM

Wow, awesome detective work and mechanical skillz.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thanks, John! Been a while since I had to do so much troubleshooting and testing, usually you just plug in the scanner and it'll tell you what's wrong. Not always the case with this old beast.

+1 on Spenser's comment. I would like to think I would persevere like you did, but let's be honest, I would have flung my hands up in annoyance and just given up.

It's awesome you're bringing this thing back to life, outstanding work, especially considering your work space/environment. Simply top notch stuff, bud!

Appreciate it, Will! There were moments when it crossed my mind to throw in the towel but I'm glad I didn't. I learned a lot about E31 and common weak spots on the M70 engine in the process, makes me feel a bit more comfortable working on it. Would love to get my hands on E38 with M73 lump in the front too. :biggrin

I have to move both of my cars out of the garage by 15th of Jan due to renovation and I haven't found anything promising yet, should be fun.

Sreten

12-20-2018, 11:54 AM

Update on the M5.

A couple a weeks ago we went to France for the opening of the Christmas market in Strasbourg and Colmar.

On the way there M5 decided to greet me with its own set of Christmas lights.

https://i.postimg.cc/65tY810y/20181209-195247.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9zgGSbsh)

Pulled to the gas station, restarted the car and lights went off and didn't come back until following weekend when we went to Heidelberg to drink more GlÃ¼hwein.

In the meantime, I pulled the codes and it was for the front right wheel speed sensor. Quick visual inspection revealed exposed wires on both sides so time for a new set. These are likey the original sensors.

https://i.postimg.cc/63x1Y6dh/20181208-090447.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gw4D0Wtw)

https://i.postimg.cc/4dv2MCPR/20181208-090922.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BL6CLVRm)

There are various brands for wheel speeds sensors in Germany. I went with Bosch: part # 0 986 594 508 - around $40 per side. Great quality and surprisingly made in Germany.

https://i.postimg.cc/J7qTsk34/20181215-125341.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kD2NZDhk)

Didn't take any pictures here since this a straightforward DIY. Instead here's a complementary picture of lovely D2Racing 8 piston brakes.

https://i.postimg.cc/JnM7SkJ6/120181215-135242.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qtDd3g1y)

Hood struts were getting weaker, that was a nice-easy-cheap fix.

https://i.postimg.cc/nhLhMMtW/20181215-125431.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0bLsBkjG)

When I had the belts off last time, I noticed that the alternator bearings were noisy when I spin the alternator pulley. They weren't particularly bad and I couldn't hear them with the car running but I wanted to sort that out before getting worse.

On this side of the pond, cheapest rebuilt M5 alternator starts in the 4 digit range which I thought was hilarious so I opted to replace just the bearings and voltage regulator just like Ed China did. Besides, this is a perfectly good working alternator so scraping it would be a crime.

This isn't a terrible job but it quickly becomes annoying if you don't have the right tools which tends to happen to me. I had to make a run to the hardware store a couple of times so I'll include some tips if anyone else attempts this job and hopefully make it a bit easier.

Before getting started, I measured the voltage with the car running for before/after comparison. Readings of a healthy alternator.

https://i.postimg.cc/63LdtzRR/20181215-143853-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CB5Z4GcL)

Removing the alternator is the easy bit - remove the fun clutch, drive belt and upper belt pulley to get access to the alternator bolt. Unbolting the PS pump is so easy that I didn't want to try it any other way, there are only 3 bolts holding it and then you can slide the pump out of the way and wiggle the alternator out. Trickest part is to loosen the negative cable on the back of the alternator but it's doable with an open-ended 17 mm wrench.

https://i.postimg.cc/FHD8sgyM/20181218-192732.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hXQp2m3s)

It's heavy so don't drop it on your face if lying under the car as I did.

https://i.postimg.cc/SRbY29L4/20181215-170210.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TLQ3BpHN)

I bought a set of el cheapo gear pullers for this job. The nut holding the pulley removed with an impact wrench and ready to pull off the pulley.

https://i.postimg.cc/15J0TWcN/20181216-111055.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hfQ7Q1YS)

It comes off rather easy.

https://i.postimg.cc/dVf2QLfs/20181216-111255.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qN8hjM0S)

Working on the back of the alternator, plastic cover and voltage regulator removed.

https://i.postimg.cc/k42XJgkm/20181216-132035.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jwrrvtxg)

https://i.postimg.cc/yYm6Y5rk/20181216-132411.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jLjYM8Tb)

There are 4 bolts holding the case together and once those are removed, it comes apart easily by prying and separating two halves with a flathead screwdriver.

With the rear case of the alternator removed, the rear smaller bearing is exposed. The plastic cap needs to be taken care of which is visible on the right side of the picture.

https://i.postimg.cc/FKtxgYVP/20181216-132551.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jDXNRd9N)

Removing the bearing with a puller.

https://i.postimg.cc/TYLm7RwB/20181216-133413.jpg (https://postimg.cc/svzv1C5J)

Original bearing made by NSK. This one wasn't that bad and was spinning okayish.

https://i.postimg.cc/PrTbxGr7/20181216-133841.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Z0sv7MNP)

I ordered new Bosch bearings, but as Bosch doesn't make them the bigger one is made by NSK and the smaller one by SKF. Both are good quality bearings.

Part numbers:

Bigger bearing - Bosch Part# 1 120 905 510 is common part# B17-99D (17x52x17)
Smaller bearing - Bosch Part# 1 120 905 525 is common part# 6203-2RS (17X40X12)

https://i.postimg.cc/zvSnj7pp/20181216-133754.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jn2wqzpJ)

New bearing gently tapped on.

https://i.postimg.cc/HkRVrKC5/20181216-134631.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0zG83Vj2)

Coming back to the front of the alternator, we have 4 Philips screws securing the front bearing to the case. Before I started this job, I read that these screws are a pain and almost always melt.
Despite that, I didn't get screw extractors, so learn from my mistake and be sure to have them for this job.

I approached them with care, soaking them in WD-40 but they still melted on me. This is where I had to stop, get a beer and make a run to the hardware store on Monday when they open.

https://i.postimg.cc/pdvY9pvK/20181216-135558.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nXdQgVCL)image uploader (https://postimages.org/de/)

Equipped with proper tools, got the bastards out.

https://i.postimg.cc/cCwWC90x/20181217-140802.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dZspS9hp)

Original screws are odd length, 22-23 mm and the replacement once I got are M4 x 20.

25 mm should also fit, but the hardware store didn't have them in stock. This was the 2nd run to store as I didn't know their spec prior to pulling them out.

https://i.postimg.cc/5NW1TVS6/20181217-221428.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nM269N5J)

With these removed, the rotor can be tapped out from the front case, a steady surface is needed for this.

https://i.postimg.cc/PrFGhnmW/20181217-165052.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RNfpQ8ph)

I always find my self in work with what you have type situation and in spirit with that tradition, I decided to use my girlfriend's yoga blocks as a soft surface to prop the rotor while I work on the bearings.

Totally ruined them.

https://i.postimg.cc/D0n6ryRb/20181217-211713.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1n7DPPm9)

Next tip - there is very little space to grab the front bearing and jaws on my cheap puller were too thick to fit. Wanting to avoid another delay and ordering of new tools, I ground down the surface on my puller and I was able to fit it properly.

https://i.postimg.cc/x8FSh7vg/20181217-221241.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lgf7Zx0Z)

https://i.postimg.cc/NfzHkjH2/20181217-210059.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sv5xVyK3)

The big bearing is stuck on there pretty good and this is where you need to grow a third hand. I had to employ help of my girlfriend to turn the ratchet while I was holding the guts of the alternator.

Front bearing removed.

https://i.postimg.cc/zfwh1mdJ/20181217-211722.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LqX5zWK7)

This one is made by NTN. It was in poor state and main source of the noise.

https://i.postimg.cc/LXNZntKw/20181217-211840.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQG2LZ24)

Repeated the same gently tapping installation for the new bearing and then assembled the casing back together.

https://i.postimg.cc/FzVLcxxv/20181217-212518.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xNq8VM7p)

Lastly, I bought a new voltage regulator since I'm already in there and the old one was bound to have worn.

I got really lucky and stumbled upon original Bosch regulator on German Amazon for unbelievable $45! Last one and these are normally well over $400 from the dealer for the same Bosch part.

BMW part # 12311713491 / Bosch part # 1 197 311 545

https://i.postimg.cc/QCvW1D05/20181216-135136.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PvzxngGr)

https://i.postimg.cc/3x5vwKyQ/20181216-135239.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mtjDXWNm)

https://i.postimg.cc/T3VWLZmL/20181216-135259.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BjvvR7m4)

https://i.postimg.cc/7LqJgmMB/20181216-135314.jpg (https://postimg.cc/21X5Ydtv)

https://i.postimg.cc/zfpbpKxq/20181216-135355.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5HY22Ycr)

One noise free alternator ready to go back in the car.

https://i.postimg.cc/pTzd4jZ9/20181217-221132.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cg1Z8rPZ)

Reinstallation went swimmingly to the point I almost couldn't believe how smooth I was able to pop back the alternator. That never happens.

Verified that the alternator is doing what it's supposed to do and went for a shakedown on die Autobahn. It didn't fall out and was still charging properly, job completed.

https://i.postimg.cc/FH4wVLfW/20181218-213746.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D8xC2mPL)

Few christmassy pictures from France.

https://i.postimg.cc/dt4SrxY1/20181124-133632.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KR3NyQ4S)

https://i.postimg.cc/SQGZbvjr/20181124-170435.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4nmvzw67)

https://i.postimg.cc/XYPHDBX6/20181124-192547.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hX91Xj92)

https://i.postimg.cc/FzhDJjC3/20181124-194245.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jwkzpJbS)

https://i.postimg.cc/bwrVT9yR/20181124-203335.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75vNP7TC)

https://i.postimg.cc/KjQQ7RCV/20181125-142807.jpg (https://postimg.cc/n9jvpcFY)

https://i.postimg.cc/CLLchsqV/20181125-165644.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LhwtvfDy)

https://i.postimg.cc/j508RVz8/20181125-170833.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FfpbxBCc)

https://i.postimg.cc/zBCxBd7q/20181125-171423.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzrYpyKn)

https://i.postimg.cc/DzqrdSXg/20181124-131613.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bGwSqNLD)

https://i.postimg.cc/d3Srtdbq/20181125-120918.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p5zps9V7)

https://i.postimg.cc/RCPcR5Nj/20181125-121035.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MXQM6L0D)

Happy holidays, folks!

san

12-20-2018, 12:01 PM

ZHPizza

12-20-2018, 12:48 PM

I love your updates, your M5, Strasbourg, and, most of all, GlÃ¼hwein!

Sockethead

12-20-2018, 02:16 PM

Glad to see someone that repairs their alternators instead of replacing with questionable re-manufactured units. I haven't replaced an alternator in probably 25-30 years. I always have the original units rebuilt... same with most starters I've serviced over the years. Saves a lot of money.

Awesome Christmas pics! We were in Puerto Rico during the Christmas season a few years ago. It was so cool seeing how other countries/cultures do Christmas. I really enjoyed it

BMWCurves

12-20-2018, 03:36 PM

I drool every time I get full pics of that car. I am wet with envy.

johnrando

12-20-2018, 05:35 PM

Nice werk!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

704sw

12-20-2018, 05:52 PM

I drool every time I get full pics of that car. I am wet with envy.

+1

His pictures give me the really really really bad idea of hunting down one of the uber rare Avus M5s.

Sreten

12-24-2018, 08:54 AM

I admire how you have the patients to take pictures even when things are not going right. I just canâ€™t be bothered to take pictures even if itâ€™s smooth sailing...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, San. More fun to read with pictures :)

It's a habit at this point, plus taking pictures when disassembling something is a good practice. It bailed me out a few times when the time comes to put it back together.

I love your updates, your M5, Strasbourg, and, most of all, GlÃ¼hwein!

Merci, Pizzaman!

Strasbourg was incredibly beautiful during the Christmas market season, but when it comes to food and drinks, Germans rule.

https://i.postimg.cc/G3T5QFMw/20181221-193232.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w3H2xm80)

Glad to see someone that repairs their alternators instead of replacing with questionable re-manufactured units. I haven't replaced an alternator in probably 25-30 years. I always have the original units rebuilt... same with most starters I've serviced over the years. Saves a lot of money.

Awesome Christmas pics! We were in Puerto Rico during the Christmas season a few years ago. It was so cool seeing how other countries/cultures do Christmas. I really enjoyed it

I couldn't agree more, Rob. Repairing the original unit surely beats buying re-manufactured ones from the quality and financial standpoint. Many would junk the whole thing just because of a bad regulator or bearings. I haven't dealt with starters yet, but I would def try tp repair it when it comes to that.

Definitely, we went to the Netherlands for the weekend and we had a great time. Puerto Rico sounds like an ideal destination during these cold winter months.

I drool every time I get full pics of that car. I am wet with envy.

Thanks, Will! :biggrin Once I repaint the hood and the front bumper, I'll do a complete detail with paint correction and it will look even better!

Nice werk!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Danke, John!

+1

His pictures give me the really really really bad idea of hunting down one of the uber rare Avus M5s.

I think next when you visit Deutschland and you drive mine on the Autobahn, that Avus M5 should be a done deal.

We visited city Den Bosch in the Netherlands over the weekend and had a great time with a friend. First time in the Netherlands for me and I loved it, wonderful city and we are planning Amsterdam for the next year.

The weather sucked and I didn't take many photos as it was constant rain. I put almost 500 miles on the M5 under heavy rain and it didn't miss a beat.

One wet M5.

https://i.postimg.cc/8cRTqqmx/20181223-110815.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vxmRn2jv)

https://i.postimg.cc/9FBW1HM7/20181223-114217.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XppS7h9j)

https://i.postimg.cc/rFgkxGnG/20181223-114324.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BX8kGFGt)

https://i.postimg.cc/Hngg461z/20181223-114406.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Q90wjktK)

https://i.postimg.cc/PfWhrn1R/20181223-114433.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K48CJVqP)

BMWCurves

12-24-2018, 12:44 PM

https://i.postimg.cc/8cRTqqmx/20181223-110815.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vxmRn2jv)

https://i.postimg.cc/9FBW1HM7/20181223-114217.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XppS7h9j)

https://i.postimg.cc/rFgkxGnG/20181223-114324.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BX8kGFGt)

https://i.postimg.cc/Hngg461z/20181223-114406.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Q90wjktK)

https://i.postimg.cc/PfWhrn1R/20181223-114433.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K48CJVqP)

I can hear the V8 from here.

Sreten

02-15-2019, 07:31 AM

Sitrep.

A lot has been going on. The big piece of news is that since Jan 1st I finally found a garage where I moved the E31.
This was a relief since my current garage was getting renovated and I got tired of working in shitty underground space.

https://i.postimg.cc/D09bBM6X/20181228-130156.jpg (https://postimg.cc/n91zLT6F)

It's actually a parking spot in a large hall. It's not ideal in the sense that it's a bit expensive and not close to my apartment but it's totally worth it.
I can come in whenever I want, it's dry and I can wrench in peace and store my tools there. Owners are father and son who are really nice folks and speak English which is great since shamefully my Deutsch still doesn't exist.

They restore old British cars and have several buildings and a small workshop with a lift. E31 is in good company with a couple of E-Type Jags, AC Cobra (I think replica), few old Land Rovers and a very rough 2002 tii lurking in the corner.

https://i.postimg.cc/BnWxgX7V/20181228-130212.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bsTDYNhx)

https://i.postimg.cc/RZcwb4jV/20181228-130226.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QFdBFG8R)

With the M5 there's isn't much going on. It's still sitting pretty.

https://i.postimg.cc/RFcrp5Fc/20181228-151615.jpg (https://postimg.cc/R6VbqYwF)

https://i.postimg.cc/0jfTxY7j/20181228-151653.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PvC3Q83n)

I have some parts awaiting install like new engine mounts, PS hose and these lovely SS brake lines.
Just no time as I'm mostly running around the E31.

https://i.postimg.cc/vB6f6yhw/20190209-211447.jpg (https://postimg.cc/njpC66N3)

https://i.postimg.cc/sxYWwJbn/20190209-211454.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sG2125jS)

I finally got around sending the oil sample I collected back in November to Blackstone for analysis.
3.300 miles with Liqui Moly oil. Great results for a happy S62 engine. When I bought the car the Italians were adamant that it was sempre tagliandata, loosely translated that it had regular oil changes.

https://i.postimg.cc/L83nwXCs/00-M5-181108-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/68TWG9Ns)

The 850i has come a long way in the last 3 and a half months under my stewardship. I'll start with the progress but first I gotta start by addressing the mistake I made during fuel pump replacement.

Lack of experience and I made a rookie mistake of using regular fuel lines inside the fuel tank. This is a big no-no as the regular fuel lines basically melt once submerged in fuel. This only hit once someone asked me what kind of hoses I used.
I ordered correct submersible fuel lines and pulled the fuel pump out. Luckily there were no consequences as the fuel level was low and lines weren't submerged.

https://i.postimg.cc/Dyp3S46R/20190109-194645.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9r9nSMvB)

Just sitting there and even the fumes had an effect on the lines. This is essentially what would happen, the outer rubber separates and melts since it's not meant to handle fuel on the outside.

https://i.postimg.cc/d3MmH6Jg/20190109-201025.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KkNM4nk5)

Correct submersible fuel line.

https://i.postimg.cc/t4h02vpG/20190109-201253.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TKYHP9Kt)

https://i.postimg.cc/W4nBPDd9/20190109-201322.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJDQm8X9)

Good lesson learned here. Reinstalled the fuel pump assembly and we were back on track.

I was looking to replace cabin air filters and in Europe, I could get them only from the dealer for a ridiculous $95 for the pair.
Not willing to pony up that kind of dough for a pair of paper filters, I took measurements of the original filters and its plastic housing. An hour on the internet and I found a suitable candidate that should fit perfectly in the said plastic housing.

These are cabin filters for Peugeot/Citroen part # 1609998980, dimensions: 290 mm x 96 mm x 30 mm.

https://i.postimg.cc/5224CDgt/20181220-192912.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WhxcRWQR)

https://i.postimg.cc/1zgyW6Lh/20181220-192932.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4KgCyKfB)

Test fit was good so I cleaned up the old filter housings, smoothed out the edges and put a small bead of sealant on the inner lip and put new filters in.

https://i.postimg.cc/HnKPSc5n/20181228-090744.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p5fZrdsM)

https://i.postimg.cc/BQLzjp9K/20181228-090916.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3dh16gw8)

https://i.postimg.cc/X7Rzd54D/20181228-090939.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BXCpGX8x)

https://i.postimg.cc/MKQs6GV0/20181226-132916.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8jTdwNys)

https://i.postimg.cc/W1c5hPwB/20181226-132921.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rKg1P3bj)

These worked out superbly and were on only 10€/$12 for the pair! As long as the E31 doesn't spit them out given they are Peugeot parts. :biggrin

Since getting the car, there was a pronounced clicking sound coming from the steering wheel when maneuvering it. I poked around to see what was the cause of the noise and perhaps find out why the airbag light was on. Got answers to both of the questions.

This locking pin broke off inside the steering wheel and was catching when the steering wheel was turned.

https://i.postimg.cc/9XKz8K3k/20181224-151434.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t7dX7r4d)

https://i.postimg.cc/j27qYqVF/20181224-154527.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p5PMDHLf)

Steering wheel material also separated from the metal surface. This probably contributed to breaking the plastic piece in the first place.

https://i.postimg.cc/7LKZgQMm/20181224-154542.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XZyWWLPC)

As a result - slip ring wires were torn which set off the air airbag light.

https://i.postimg.cc/662dPZ35/20181224-151658.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DmhJJ8Lt)

https://i.postimg.cc/pT9ngNP1/20181224-151738.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zbrBgcbn)

I picked up a cheap E36 steering wheel locally that came with a slip ring and locking pin.

https://i.postimg.cc/yY6BrCHm/20181225-165759.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xqZWc7q8)

My slip ring had ripped cables inside and was kaput so I reused the one that came on the E36 wheel, just swapped the plugs. Tested the continuity with a multimeter from one side to the other and this slip ring was good.

https://i.postimg.cc/zvtQcMC7/20181228-095251.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kRSwVThR)

Used the opportunity while I had the steering wheel out and treated it with leatherique.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZRmXB6Y8/20181226-163327.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SXZgH2MR)

Then there was a simple task of resetting the airbag light. Simple? Not so much. This is a very dated airbag system with Siemens module that was also used in E30, E32 and it is a nightmare to reset it since there are no available tools for sale that can reset the light let alone read the faulty code.

First, I bought useless Carsoft 6.5 from China which didn't do diddly shit. Then I found online some trick with jumping the pins on the diagnostic connector, that didn't work either.

Then I learned 8erfaszination (part guys for E31) are just 30 minutes away from me and kindly agreed to borrow me the correct tool for resetting the airbag light. It's called Zymexx BOA/SIR3 and it's NLA nowadays.

https://i.postimg.cc/QtTnKStC/20190112-160444.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yg7Twm0C)

This didn't work either so I connected the tool directly to the airbag module under the dashboard, still won't reset the light. Then I went back to 8erfaszination and borrowed 2 airbag modules, 2 impact sensor and different slip ring. Tried various combinations and it was still a no go.
Then I studied the wiring diagram for the airbag system and tested all wiring coming and going to the airbag module, from impact sensors in the engine bay and airbag itself, also measured airbag resistance and everything was fine.

https://i.postimg.cc/8PzKG1St/20190113-151943.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6TFLLxTv)

At this point, I tried everything I could think of and I was beyond frustrated. I made 3 round trips to 8erfaszination and I wasted 2 fucking days making a 30-year-old explosive device to work properly which ultimately I don't even want to have.
I threw in the towel and disconnected this primeval crap entirely so the airbag light is permanently off. Life's too short to waste it on nonsense.

I carried on with other repairs and despite being pretty cold outside, I got more work done.

I addressed the leaking brake booster, a full rebuild would've been nice but I opted to try the simple & cheap fix and replace the culprit - the O-ring.

https://i.postimg.cc/W419Hv22/20190119-104246.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Wdx6dxFK)

Removed brake fluid reservoir and brake master cylinder to gain access to the brake booster.

https://i.postimg.cc/mDcmTyzJ/20190119-114308.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hzBLrx01)

In order not to die from the vicious spring that lives inside the brake booster, I mocked-up a simple tool for safe removal of the spring.

https://i.postimg.cc/5yLpC9mm/20190119-135519.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D4fqVTHW)

https://i.postimg.cc/BQfmGDq7/20190119-140433.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qgQssN62)

https://i.postimg.cc/YCp8vHL1/20190119-140638.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1fjDdbHt)

Credits for the inspiration go to Jay (master6) who rebuilds these parts professionally.

https://i.postimg.cc/4xfdq8jf/20190119-145830.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Cz2Sf4FX)

https://i.postimg.cc/9FVFw8md/20190119-150000.jpg (https://postimg.cc/grSPfK6j)

The O-ring was flat and not as elastic which caused fluid to leak out.

https://i.postimg.cc/MTxrmQvF/20190119-140708.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GB7Qc9PF)

https://i.postimg.cc/PJ53Bnbb/20190119-141328.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wynQmPG3)

With a healthy dose of technische vaseline the new O-ring went it.

https://i.postimg.cc/k4cY1gSX/20190119-142532.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k62yD9wk)

Got the new grommets for the master cylinder and new pressure switch as it too was leaking.
I thought I released pressure from the system when replacing this stupid switch but apparently I didn't and fluid sprayed every-fucking-where. That was fun to clean up.

https://i.postimg.cc/FKdHhddV/20190119-150251.jpg (https://postimg.cc/942hpfBD)

https://i.postimg.cc/T1kzy0BL/20190119-150605.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YLWnZ6rM)

Replaced brake lines. They weren't as bad as I thought they'd be, just hardened.

https://i.postimg.cc/Gh2YsmhJ/20190120-125611.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8s2s2Dvj)

Went with OEM FTE lines. Flushed nasty old brake fluid using a power bleeder. I did brake flush on 2 separate occasions and replaced around 2 L of fluid. I wanted to make sure the system is fully bled and clean.

https://i.postimg.cc/nzXrhC1C/20190120-112055.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5YMbP9TV)

The brake booster repair went well in the sense that it is was no longer leaking but another problem presented when I started the car. The hydraulics/power steering was totally dead, the power steering pump was whining and screaming for its dear life yet again.

I was pretty close to rebuilding the power steering pump and I even bought a rebuild kit but first I decided to replace the filter in the reservoir.

All of this is inside the Pentosin canister which has about 7-8 lines coming and going from the canister if memory serves me right. Talk about complicated hydraulic system...

https://i.postimg.cc/3xYQrcNL/20190127-145740.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sv6NwKpS)

https://i.postimg.cc/zG7ZyFRq/20190127-145840.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3kkb6pBq)

There is another filter in the system located and at the front of the engine near the A/C compressor. This one is a metal mesh filter which I just cleaned and replaced the O-ring.

https://i.postimg.cc/BbT7dJTJ/20190127-161358.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D4zcGkpN)

Added more Pentosin, purged the air by turning the steering wheel from lock to lock twice and stepping on the brake 5 times twice in a 30 seconds interval as per the manual.
The pump is quiet as a mouse now and power steering/hydraulics are working properly! So I didn't go through with pump rebuild as it was not needed.

Then I shifted to adding missing pieces around the car, like 3 new jack pads since old ones decided they'd rather stay in Spain.

https://i.postimg.cc/y86Zz62S/20190120-115204.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mMd6GfJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/43mHmLff/20190120-115211.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XZ6YPgBm)

New washer fluid cap. The cap is NLA from BMW so I searched and someone posted that the one from Mercedes with a part number # 163 869 0508 fits.

https://i.postimg.cc/xCrs5F15/thumbnail-20190122-205420.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kVcFXs8R)

It does but not perfect, it's a bit bigger in diameter but it's staying in place so it'll do.

https://i.postimg.cc/XJwszcZb/thumbnail-20190122-205611.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hzt8Jmby)

The front lip was missing, got the replacement from the dealer. Pretty pricey piece of plastic, almost 100 euros.

https://i.postimg.cc/X7dSK0tN/20190127-162841.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yk1bB2V2)

https://i.postimg.cc/FHvtDBQy/20190127-163358.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zVxPfpvv)

Replaced windshield wipers.

https://i.postimg.cc/c4pwnnw6/20190203-160313.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ppBmNy0t)

Replaced broken hazard light switch.

https://i.postimg.cc/SKs90fpT/20190213-141549.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w1CMLJML)

https://i.postimg.cc/mkQz3dQD/20190213-141817.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lg8823QK)

I also resolved the issue with the right headlight not popping up and the answer was right in front of me all this time. I was going through the pictures I took and noticed that the part number on K39 relay which controls the pop-up function is wrong. It was ending with 416 instead of 413. So obvious I just didn't expect someone would put a wrong part but nothing is surprising me on this car anymore. The car had 3 416 relays. Whoever worked on this car before just sucks.

Installed the correct one and both headlights are working properly.

https://i.postimg.cc/yNBpw7p6/20190112-155606.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZW7LNzhX)

https://i.postimg.cc/Y9746sSs/20190112-155726.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJfYBncm)

After 10 years or so the old girl is back on the road!

https://i.postimg.cc/X7MtYzqR/20190127-165332.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mhwmdVQj)

Pretty proud moment. The new garage is in a sorta industrial area and there's a closed stretch of road right in front of it so I was able to stretch its legs and damn it feels good! The engine is very healthy, revs and goes through the gears wonderfully.

Next on my shitlist was detailing the filthy interior and attempting to restore the paint.

Pulled both seats to clean the carpet and fix the twisting bottom part issue. Something I'm sure all E39 owners are familiar with.
This was easy and cost-free DIY but man these bastards are heavy! I read somewhere they are around 32 kg each and I can concur.

https://i.postimg.cc/vT9NwgX9/20190129-213848.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RJSRc0kV)

https://i.postimg.cc/3rD6vV7R/20190129-213859.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0rPcgtzR)

https://i.postimg.cc/xTv4smXV/20190129-215923.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3dw1Ndjt)

https://i.postimg.cc/3NMt1r7w/20190129-220359.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0MfG2szg)

I cut off around 6 mm and both seats are moving in all directions flawlessly.

https://i.postimg.cc/2y42Kp87/20190129-221144.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N2j6KzXK)

I ended up finding a very nice surprise under the passenger seat in a form of a purchase invoice from February 1995.
The second owner paid 2.065.572 Spanish pesetas back then and this confirms that the car had just 1 owner from 1995 to 2018. Sad he forgot about it later down the road.

https://i.postimg.cc/YCHxQvL2/20190202-174128.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jLMNbdhB)

Now we are coming to probably most satisfying part of the entire project - cleaning up the interior.

Before/after carpets.

https://i.postimg.cc/g0HRvm6f/20190202-152918.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xkqcQr5R)

https://i.postimg.cc/nLFMf7CP/20190203-112947.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K1Wmn17P)

https://i.postimg.cc/mDqr95Vv/20190203-115314.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vgrMFXJh)

https://i.postimg.cc/3NFwdCfp/20190202-120529.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hQhnYxBP)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZnwhGfDf/20190203-113511.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sGG8SJzS)

https://i.postimg.cc/0NhGfPkn/20190203-113002.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SX7zQ0zY)

A nifty tool for cleaning out vents.

https://i.postimg.cc/FsPLpNGS/20190203-124249.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MvQHKkCZ)

The leather is mint, just needed a good cleaning.

https://i.postimg.cc/d302FDSv/20190202-160209.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dkzkmQYS)

https://i.postimg.cc/XJLft9LQ/20190202-145849.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xJkNzJWz)

Passenger seat.

https://i.postimg.cc/L8xFh092/20190202-125429.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cvtbbhtb)

https://i.postimg.cc/HLKG9c8N/20190202-125518.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t1hmXg5d)

https://i.postimg.cc/gjVfpgt9/20190202-125523.jpg (https://postimg.cc/q67mXxdQ)

I used Gliptone GT11 & GT12 leather cleaner and conditioner. Normally I'd go with Leatherique but it was too damn cold for it to have a proper effect. Nevertheless, Gliptone is also great stuff.

After the cleaner.

https://i.postimg.cc/XJHgCdZZ/20190202-134551.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PpDZGLQh)

https://i.postimg.cc/PJ0z6HQT/20190202-134558.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0KdwQL4B)

Driver's seat cleaned.

https://i.postimg.cc/QNnNSHsD/20190202-145025.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YjYwC2hD)

The bolster basically without any wear.

https://i.postimg.cc/fbjTvCWq/20190202-145018.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sBxrjph5)

After sitting overnight with conditioner applied.

https://i.postimg.cc/kGrC3t5R/20190203-093451.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LYVwj5Lm)

https://i.postimg.cc/3wdQkZ4D/20190203-093721.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJ4b5cTV)

I finished off the interior with a set of brand new floor mats.

https://i.postimg.cc/YCcfT2kG/20190203-141519.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZCcddSW4)

I cleaned everything I could see and reach in the interior. All of the plastic was cleaned and then treated with Aerospace 303. I took my sweet time with it and wrapped up interior detail in 2 days.

Sreten

02-15-2019, 07:32 AM

This is the end result. The interior really is mint and apart from that hazard light switch nothing is broken inside which is remarkable. Even the original headliner is still in great shape and rear sunshade is fully operational!

https://i.postimg.cc/fTZ0d8cF/20190203-144354.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dDH1PmSm)

https://i.postimg.cc/0yX6LxTR/20190203-144407.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rDWF46yQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/B6HXLFX4/20190203-144428.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jwqsBLHF)

https://i.postimg.cc/k5k2gsMT/20190203-144434.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NyksN1HX)

https://i.postimg.cc/xjGX9LwP/20190203-144629.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nMzFk9cs)

https://i.postimg.cc/gJKjYWxK/20190203-144711.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KkRxNCrK)

https://i.postimg.cc/hPMmLN1w/20190203-144727.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XpGX3Hhc)

https://i.postimg.cc/RZVDG55n/20190203-145020.jpg (https://postimg.cc/pp4CXSd2)

https://i.postimg.cc/mgDH8Vdr/20190203-144740.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ykMxNhCq)

https://i.postimg.cc/fbS0hyQn/20190203-144803.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t1yg3Xg2)

https://i.postimg.cc/28086YCH/20190203-145600.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JGBW69DJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/0QG9qRt0/20190203-145653.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ygNMF5CD)

https://i.postimg.cc/W4k2XJgK/20190203-145703.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xk9Dd8sy)

https://i.postimg.cc/pTDhpSds/20190203-144816.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DJwyNBLG)

https://i.postimg.cc/SRkX8G2k/20190203-144845.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6YXPKvp)

https://i.postimg.cc/hjMPdR9P/20190203-144956.jpg (https://postimg.cc/622NkSjD)

https://i.postimg.cc/vBndtFFd/20190203-145129.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yg757G8f)

https://i.postimg.cc/zDnrLrFC/20190203-145243.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xqT77B78)

https://i.postimg.cc/RZGf4yY9/20190203-145315.jpg (https://postimg.cc/87JsbKDn)

https://i.postimg.cc/L5zY7bPc/20190203-145439.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lg88gvND)

https://i.postimg.cc/m26xF2J5/20190203-145304-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bsbV78zx)

https://i.postimg.cc/vBx67BZH/20190203-145541.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LYRX2mPr)

https://i.postimg.cc/5y7rvn7C/20190203-145754.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SY9Vb7pS)

https://i.postimg.cc/BnddM7q5/20190203-145823.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hX1yGrQh)

https://i.postimg.cc/xjthW1f1/20190203-145846.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G9TXDrTW)

https://i.postimg.cc/DZ5pkxKM/20190203-145945.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5YYS8qyB)

https://i.postimg.cc/7hWBbbh1/20190203-150012.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bS10ByQd)

https://i.postimg.cc/RFvpDj2t/20190203-150050.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kVhyVhJM)

Still wrapped glove box lamp and key pouch.

https://i.postimg.cc/sxw6kBmY/20190213-125620.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V00WMk3v)

https://i.postimg.cc/NG4z9VtK/20190213-125710.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Z0WcXwCm)

https://i.postimg.cc/yY8rFP6v/20190213-125739.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0rhfv7ww)

With that, it was time to tackle the paint. Now I've done paint correction before with great results and I armed myself with the right products and tools. Got a very nice DA polisher, set of polishing pads, Menzerna and Meguiars products and million microfiber towels.

I started with a thorough wash and claying the whole car.

https://i.postimg.cc/1tn4SWg3/20190208-123715.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VrwzBWBx)

Just to give an idea of how bad the paint was, here are some examples.

https://i.postimg.cc/50dWHp70/20190208-164010.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4K5SqvTk)

https://i.postimg.cc/4xmDBjjy/20190208-164021.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MnJ3G36J)

https://i.postimg.cc/c44y8vmQ/20190208-164030.jpg (https://postimg.cc/c6j5p4PH)

https://i.postimg.cc/fWvQLcxz/20190208-164038.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XXXz1yHm)

https://i.postimg.cc/D0xNccg1/20190208-164045.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bS2Lyk4v)

https://i.postimg.cc/RFz2ChhJ/20190208-164050.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hJp2pS9K)

https://i.postimg.cc/bJHWZPSC/20190208-164054.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzk8n0wC)

https://i.postimg.cc/J0rgJFb1/20190208-164304.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8JYtgtK3)

https://i.postimg.cc/nV2NZHJM/20190209-103013.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLydkvLw)

Besides tons of scratches, the whole car was covered with a thick coat of something, my guess is dirt and dust embed into the paint but it's like someone poured glue all over it. It was on every single panel, trim and glass. To remove it from the glass I had to use a combination of clay bar and rub 100% acetone and even that took a while. It also seemed that someone painted something near the car as there was overspray and dripping pretty much everywhere.

It took a while to test and figure out the best plan of action. Some panels I had to wet sand with 2500-3000 but what worked the best was Menzerna Heavy Cut Compound 1000 and heavy pad. Even that required several passes after which I followed up with Meguiars Ultimate Compound and drove it home with Meguiars Ultra Finishing Polish and finally sealed the paint with Sonax Xtreme Protect and Shine Hybrid NPT.

Detailing the paint is always time and labor intensive job but with paint being so bad it was taking a lot more time than usual. It was going so slow that it took me 4 days to complete this, 3 of which I worked 10-12 hours straight.

Some before after action.

https://i.postimg.cc/zXCy5CYS/20190209-113720.jpg (https://postimg.cc/HVLY97xV)

https://i.postimg.cc/Jhn0bSDP/20190209-122535.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fVGMs2v9)

https://i.postimg.cc/CxJdnw1R/20190209-122554.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jDwRG0yT)

The hood was particularly bad and rough.

https://i.postimg.cc/DZnCjdhj/20190209-124822.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xkpyqmcM)

https://i.postimg.cc/Jnxp9D41/20190209-142322.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cgK73Jnj)

https://i.postimg.cc/Wz45jNh0/20190209-162628.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9RvdYjPf)

https://i.postimg.cc/nrw0hyDg/20190209-164717.jpg (https://postimg.cc/tnWhrmDN)

https://i.postimg.cc/1XLwTs6m/20190209-164743.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K3D13XJw)

Difference between a polished hood and untouched panels.

https://i.postimg.cc/Bb82MXj7/20190209-164722.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wRptBxcD)

https://i.postimg.cc/2jJQ3Fts/20190209-164803.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nM4jP7p2)

Pretty much entire paint was like this.

https://i.postimg.cc/Kcq2T4rS/20190211-101428.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLHSqszp)

After paint correction.

https://i.postimg.cc/bNZj983G/20190211-110248.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bsfMzXX8)

The roof.

https://i.postimg.cc/qqP0C5fD/20190211-113149.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZvxXGj56)

https://i.postimg.cc/Gm1dLVxH/20190211-122950.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vcXpXPjs)

https://i.postimg.cc/W16jh85S/20190211-145452.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xXCBZvDb)

It went from matte gray...

https://i.postimg.cc/yNLDSsLf/20190208-164005.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VSbfxQQM)

To black paint again.

https://i.postimg.cc/XJXpfmhn/20190212-143907.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JDVrm6MF)

Water beading.

https://i.postimg.cc/DzTDHb3N/20190213-111904.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G4Xqst2P)

https://i.postimg.cc/qRYWmDJs/20190213-111922.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7G3BhVTh)

https://i.postimg.cc/Kc6dBWsF/20190213-111926.jpg (https://postimg.cc/pyBGtsH1)

https://i.postimg.cc/2jbsqYG2/20190213-111943.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QVD4PRRT)

Prior to starting paint correction, I knew there was no way of getting this paint perfect, for that the whole car would need new paint. There is still a fair number of deep scratches and dents left but perfection wasn't the point. The point was to revive the old paint and remove as many defects from it as possible. Some panels were repainted (pretty obvious one is the driver's door) and some are still original paint but I must admit it turned out better than I excepted.

I was able to remove 85% of scratches and defects altogether. The paint is nice and shiny again and very much presentable. It was an exhausting process but the end result was worth it.

https://i.postimg.cc/bN5z2Lfj/20190213-120717.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nCv8y4Ld)

https://i.postimg.cc/TPMftwP7/20190213-130404.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75VF6q00)

https://i.postimg.cc/KzQbcDDw/20190213-130411.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Q9Bw05PJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/wMvp1RWv/20190213-130811.jpg (https://postimg.cc/47rMMyRk)

https://i.postimg.cc/25yhxr0K/20190213-130449.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GB04LwwF)

https://i.postimg.cc/8CYWK93P/20190213-121414.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DWq8mjnt)

https://i.postimg.cc/YCbQghzF/20190213-121403.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BjP8fZyZ)

https://i.postimg.cc/PqnnW5ft/20190213-120902.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nX2WZZQ5)

https://i.postimg.cc/Jh3VPCtj/20190213-121344.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Jyh2zgNh)

https://i.postimg.cc/d3syLFZ6/20190213-120619.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N9nMzW42)

https://i.postimg.cc/qvhCtjqP/20190213-120847.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qNr7Sc8w)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZYHNXWXM/20190213-121332.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vD1DVZYr)

https://i.postimg.cc/g2CL386n/20190213-121656.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zykfrL7r)

https://i.postimg.cc/xTY2NCCn/20190213-124906.jpg (https://postimg.cc/grM5fG8T)

https://i.postimg.cc/8cLfK5QT/20190213-123307.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jndjCRS1)

https://i.postimg.cc/J46Rw8r8/20190213-123505.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gnZCRfLt)

https://i.postimg.cc/TYV56pyb/20190213-123439.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3dwxjrFr)

https://i.postimg.cc/0jgrgsPZ/20190213-123448.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FdZhcwfJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/zfByK7xw/20190213-125434.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bZ7Yjxcd)

https://i.postimg.cc/G2T9S2wH/20190213-130112.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CBYFRwKg)

https://i.postimg.cc/2yBc64pr/20190213-123648.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D4ndp4yM)

https://i.postimg.cc/4NpG2cYD/20190213-125258.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6y6FyyLc)

https://i.postimg.cc/L6jDbtzF/20190213-124739.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Xp79ZyHs)

https://i.postimg.cc/qBh4nS4M/20190213-131254.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w3pCYW1S)

https://i.postimg.cc/Z0tfyCZ3/20190213-131304.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rRjGByDF)

The Spanish turd is no longer a turd!

That's all folks!

ZHPizza

02-15-2019, 07:58 AM

704sw

02-15-2019, 08:11 AM

Holy hell what updates! The brake booster spring tool was genius, and the end result of that interior is jaw dropping.

Bravo, my good man.

fredo

02-15-2019, 12:50 PM

Amazing results, good sir ! :roundel

holyc0w

02-15-2019, 07:59 PM

Wunderbar

I know it was labor intensive, but you truly just turned the Spanish turd into a very valuable collector car, and you did it freaking right.

applause.gif

And people say you can't polish a turd. You just have to polish long and hard to turn it into a diamond.

Sreten

02-19-2019, 01:03 AM

So watching you restore these cars is definitely entertaining, but I am absolutely enthralled with seeing the progression of your skills and creativity. I think it's safe to say that you've found a calling that perfectly matches both your abilities and passion.

I know it was labor intensive, but you truly just turned the Spanish turd into a very valuable collector car, and you did it freaking right.

applause.gif

Thank you for the kind words, Nate! Each car brings something new to the table and this E31 was a big learning experience for me. Also, a big risk as this is the first time I bought a car that wasn't running.

Bringing old turds to their former glory is definitely something I see myself doing. It's manual labor and exhausting work but I'm passionate about it and enjoy every bit of it.

But this is also one of the reasons why I want to come back to the States. Everything is simpler there, no language barrier, cars are cheaper and demand and supply is endless. Just a bigger playground. Here I have to jump through various loops and the most challenging part is finiding the right cars which is followed by a disappointment of not being able to road trip the car back home.

Holy hell what updates! The brake booster spring tool was genius, and the end result of that interior is jaw dropping.

Bravo, my good man.

Thank you, Spenser! I had inspiration for that tool but it worked flawlessly, it would be impossible to push it in by hand.
Since seeing the interior in person I knew it would come out amazing, just needed a good clean. :)

Amazing results, good sir ! :roundel

Thank you, Fredo!

Wunderbar

And people say you can't polish a turd. You just have to polish long and hard to turn it into a diamond.

Lol, some turds can indeed be polished. I was lucky the clear coat was good so the paint could be restored.

derbo

02-19-2019, 04:10 PM

amazing. Good thing your clear coat was thick enough to polish!

dannyzabolotny

02-19-2019, 11:24 PM

But this is also one of the reasons why I want to come back to the States. Everything is simpler there, no language barrier, cars are cheaper and demand and supply is endless. Just a bigger playground. Here I have to jump through various loops and the most challenging part is finiding the right cars which is followed by a disappointment of not being able to road trip the car back home.

Lol, some turds can indeed be polished. I was lucky the clear coat was good so the paint could be restored.

Yeah but in the US you can't find cool 850i's with a stick very easily, and a lot of the cool 80's/90's stuff never made it over here, like the E34 M5 Touring, a bunch of the Alpina models from that era, and just all sorts of whacky options that we never got here in the US. Like you can buy a 520i in Europe with the M-Sport body kit, whereas in the US that's reserved for 2003 540i's only. And there are all sorts of cool Individual cars over there that we never got.

Polishing paint is stupidly labor intensive but it's so satisfying at the end of the day. I polished the heck out of my 330i's hood, and it came out amazingly well, considering that I used a super cheap Harbor Freight DA with cheap Meguiar's cutting/polishing compound.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7878/46225552094_3a93870ccd_b.jpg

Mine didn't come out perfectly either, but I also didn't want to go too hard since I'm not sure how much clear coat I have to work with. This time around I limited myself to just a cutting compound + polishing compound. Once I get a paint depth gauge and verify that I have enough clear to work with, I'll try wet sanding to get some of the deeper scratches and etched-in defects out.

Sreten

02-20-2019, 12:40 AM

amazing. Good thing your clear coat was thick enough to polish!

Thanks! Yeah, that was lucky. I used paint depth gauge as I polished to make sure I have enough clear coat to work with it.

Yeah but in the US you can't find cool 850i's with a stick very easily, and a lot of the cool 80's/90's stuff never made it over here, like the E34 M5 Touring, a bunch of the Alpina models from that era, and just all sorts of whacky options that we never got here in the US. Like you can buy a 520i in Europe with the M-Sport body kit, whereas in the US that's reserved for 2003 540i's only. And there are all sorts of cool Individual cars over there that we never got.

Polishing paint is stupidly labor intensive but it's so satisfying at the end of the day. I polished the heck out of my 330i's hood, and it came out amazingly well, considering that I used a super cheap Harbor Freight DA with cheap Meguiar's cutting/polishing compound.

Mine didn't come out perfectly either, but I also didn't want to go too hard since I'm not sure how much clear coat I have to work with. This time around I limited myself to just a cutting compound + polishing compound. Once I get a paint depth gauge and verify that I have enough clear to work with, I'll try wet sanding to get some of the deeper scratches and etched-in defects out.

I agree that Europe has more cool cars but it comes at the price. E34 M5 touring prices are up in the sky. I'd love to get my hands on some cool Alpina's like E39 B10 or the most desirable one for me E38 B12 but the cheapest ones start at $37k. You need deep pockets to play around here, lol.

I saw the hood results in your thread, it turned out great. On E31 the clear coat was thinnest on the roof but it still had enough thickness left to polish out.
Paint thickness gauge is a great investment, I use it all the time when I inspect cars to check for repainted panels and signs of accidents that were repaired with excessive use of bondo. I didn't find excessive use of bondo on E31 despite having some panels repainted.

Here's one sweet ride the US didn't get. I have to admit I was never super into E36 design but my heart is pounding for this one badly.

My favorite BMW color - Estoril blue and the ultimate inline-six, 3.2 L motor with 321 PS. I want it just based on the color and those lovely ITB's.

https://i.postimg.cc/ydk35B1N/DSC6221.jpg (https://postimg.cc/R6x06knr)

https://i.postimg.cc/G2VTnNtx/adfasdf.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Ppb5mSmC)

az3579

02-20-2019, 08:45 AM

^ The 1994 E36 M3's with the euro-spec S50B30 are now eligible for import to the U.S. Granted, "only" 286hp, but just a couple of more years and the S50B32's will be available as well. :)

Sreten

03-27-2019, 07:01 AM

I wouldn't mind getting my hands on S50B30 either. :)

Update incoming though not as exciting as the last one. :biggrin

Finished few loose ends on the E31.

There was an oil leak which is very common for the M70 engine coming from the timing chain tensioner.

https://i.postimg.cc/dVPp1Fcg/20190217-152747.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D86BjtZc)

The O-ring gets hard and oil leaks past it. Cheap and straightforward fix with a couple of remarks - mark the position prior to removal and set the same tension when installing it back as the tension is determined by turning the screw at the end, and it's important to make sure the piston at the end engages the chain tensioner properly.

https://i.postimg.cc/fb4RsCZD/20190217-161003.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VJR8BjdV)

https://i.postimg.cc/8Pjpr9zT/20190217-161008.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mRkD8c0)

https://i.postimg.cc/02F8GnzD/20190217-161014.jpg (https://postimg.cc/565dbwq2)

https://i.postimg.cc/yx5zP68s/20190217-161352.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lgz74pPb)

https://i.postimg.cc/pLjPsjj7/20190217-161931.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VJYy6dDB)

https://i.postimg.cc/RV6m0tgF/20190217-161940.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mgqLYkk)

Replaced the brake master cylinder as it developed a leak.

https://i.postimg.cc/VN6Q3b0m/20190302-111956.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sMtNWxJN)

Next is to sort out the dead pixels in the MID and apart from that, the E31 is up for sale. I'm not in a rush but I'm ready for a new project and it's time to pass the torch.

I caught up with some maintenance on the M5. I had new engine mounts sitting in the trunk since late last year.
I initially ordered Lemforder mounts and received Made in China ones with poor and weak stud design. I sent them back, ordered Ruville and got the same Chinese crap, then ordered Corteco and got Chinese junk again.

Out of those 3, Lemforder looked the best but I didn't want to take any chances and reluctantly paid the stealer price and got a pair of original mounts.

https://i.postimg.cc/SQcDxYdf/20190311-202352.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qgM8mR9N)

https://i.postimg.cc/43MBmzjB/20190311-202349.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hJL9Y7Dd)

https://i.postimg.cc/qM0QhBZV/20190311-202405.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t7SF8bj2)

Here's how Lemforder looks like.

https://i.postimg.cc/T1CBpyx0/20181216-130524.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jnnM1SLn)

https://i.postimg.cc/2jwsHtWW/20181216-130558.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yWDpxvv6)

https://i.postimg.cc/zXG94kwc/20181216-130643.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLZJHmz6)

Quality of Ruville mounts was hilarious.

https://i.postimg.cc/tTfxykZN/20181216-130755.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQYX4pJM)

https://i.postimg.cc/WphCswfF/20181216-130807.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XX6Q8dW4)

Corteco. No wonder these studs snap off so easily.

https://i.postimg.cc/HWzwvqtb/20181219-212540.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XXZBpDmv)

https://i.postimg.cc/hPG9k2C6/20181219-212615.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V53rMWPW)

https://i.postimg.cc/T3Lnwpvc/20181219-212623.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rDTDZymd)

No issues with the OE mounts and they matched what I removed from the car. Pretty easy DIY, I jacked up the engine by the oil pan, R&R mounts, use thread locker and torque down everything to spec.

Old mounts weren't too bad and didn't have obvious cracks, just compressed. Wetness on them is from WD-40.

https://i.postimg.cc/MKkhpjBW/20190311-212714.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rzJhhsgb)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZKrXBKP6/20190311-212750.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Ln8xGSbs)

Some fine small vibrations that were present between 2.000 and 3.000 rpm are now eliminated and the car feels tighter.

I had a very small but annoying power steering leak from the line that runs from the cooler to the steering box. There are no OEM options for this line in Germany and I was forced to get it from the dealer.
They delivered COHLINE hose which is available as OEM in the US so no need to order genuine stuff cause you'll end up with the same thing but pay more.

https://i.postimg.cc/6qSRBXq3/20190311-202505.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CnGd49jT)

https://i.postimg.cc/hGGJY9kS/20190311-220056.jpg (https://postimg.cc/87qPJrk3)

Removing the banjo bolt from the steering box is not that difficult using a joint socket but putting it back is a bit challenging because there are 2 crush washers and there's no way I can get my hands down there as it sits next to the frame rail and there really isn't any room.
So I improvised and used a piece of tape just along the edge of the bottom washer to hold it in place while I fish it through and start to thread it in, then I used a long screwdriver to remove the tape.

https://i.postimg.cc/65S1q0hP/20190311-221721.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QHQqncwg)

Took some patience but it worked and so far no leaks.

Next, I set about installing SS brake lines. These are just delicious.

https://i.postimg.cc/4NVPBgGJ/20190218-194911.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZCY65X0g)

https://i.postimg.cc/Hkt219jR/20190218-194922.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fVJXxXcf)

https://i.postimg.cc/rpF9VRrm/20190218-194936.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mPJ9VDVf)

I bought all 6 lines despite having D2Racing BBK in the front with SS lines because the certificate is needed for TÃœV which I can only get if all 6 lines are from the same manufacturer weirdly. Though I didn't touch the front lines.

https://i.postimg.cc/Nft2vySr/20190218-195102.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XX2YwvVV)

https://i.postimg.cc/7ZYCbFxH/20190218-202910.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3dVrcb4V)

https://i.postimg.cc/kXy6JJPY/20190218-205241.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D88y5KZ1)

Middle lines weren't that bad actually. Rears looked okay as well.

https://i.postimg.cc/6QFTjTCq/20190218-214202.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2qFz3kcN)

https://i.postimg.cc/J0kFNYMt/20190219-003901.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gLG4dDwP)

Then I bled the system using a power bleeder and DIS to cycle the pump.

https://i.postimg.cc/tRvR2syj/20190218-225709.jpg (https://postimg.cc/s1SR2Dv6)

https://i.postimg.cc/C1P0PQ3N/20190218-230019.jpg (https://postimg.cc/62vFTY52)

It was time to get new brake pads for the front as the current ones are pretty low. This is a direct quote from European D2Racing website:

When the components of the kit are worn, such as the brake discs or brake pads, AP parts can be fitted onto our brake kit.
Also, the brake pad from the following well-known brands: AP, FERODO, MINTEX, EBC, PAGID, CARBON METALLIC AND HAWK can be fitted onto our kit.

I also wrote to D2Racing support to confirm this and they said yep all of them fit 100%. So I decided to try Ferodo DS2500 and order pads that were listed for D2 and AP calipers.

Old pads.

https://i.postimg.cc/kgkS2jDB/20190309-124355.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9DY0SYdh)

https://i.postimg.cc/tJCZKwvm/20190309-124412.jpg (https://postimg.cc/r03wWnkS)

New Ferodo pads which don't fit properly in D2 calipers, they hang over the rotors by good 3-4mm and don't cover the rotor surface as they should.

https://i.postimg.cc/XNf6mX9h/20190309-124606.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kDgHtJ1F)

Sent them back and order a new set with a different part number thinking I ordered wrong pads but ended up being the same.

https://i.postimg.cc/rpVBrLsp/20190312-203014.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yDGQMtFq)

Backing plate and friction surface are identical on D2 and Ferodo pads but the position of the friction material on Ferodo pads is different which causes them not to fit properly.
I emailed Ferodo about this issue and they responded to 2 of my emails and then they stopped. D2Racing replied once saying they don't know anything and just bailed and ignored the rest of my emails.

After getting nowhere with Ferodo, I opted to try EBC YellowStuff and found a part number in the EBC catalog that was unique to D2Racing 8 Pot calipers.

I ordered them from the UK and they arrived fairly quick.

https://i.postimg.cc/j5yD9N62/20190320-181317.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQDfGMNC)

However, the issue was the same.

https://i.postimg.cc/3NRHpQwh/20190320-190336.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LYr7K7fQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/7hWrntC2/20190320-190559.jpg (https://postimg.cc/q6yFkLxJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/JhM7ngjr/20190320-191121.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RWpxpgPy)

https://i.postimg.cc/gjCmPBYP/20190320-191224.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8fmqR4Jy)

EBC customer service was a lot better and they responded quickly. They told me these are designed primarily for AP racing calipers and that there might be fitment issues with other calipers which is funny because there is no mentioning of this in their catalog related to this part number, just that they are a direct fit for D2 8 Pot calipers.

I emailed D2Racing again which responded that it doesn't look right and that I can order D2 pads from them. So the statement on their website and what they told me is total bull and in fact only D2 pads can be used with their calipers as Ferodo and EBC don't offer anything else. I suspect it's the same with other pad manufacturers.

If I paid $2,600 which is what this BBK costs and which luckily came out of previous owners pocket, I'd be pretty pissed right about now. Your choice of pads are only limited to D2 and if you are a type of person who tracks the car chances are you want to have a bigger selection of pads.
Luckily, I'm not that guy and I order D2Racing Sport pads not having other options. They are carbon ceramic compound and described as a fast road/light track pads which should be a step up to D2 Street pads which I have now. Delivery time is 2-3 weeks and hopefully these finally fit.

Moving along, I continue to experiment with tranny fluid. I got tired of terrible cold shifting properties with Liqui Moly MTF 5200. The shifting with this oil is smooth as butter when the car is warm but when it's cold, it's hopeless and I can barely use the 2nd gear for the first 10 minutes.

I went with Castrol Syntrans B 75W this time around, BMW MTF LT-2 approved oil and advertised as specially developed for BMW M gearboxes. I ought to put more miles on it but so far it seems the best. Cold shifting is much better compared to before, still not perfect and nothing will be but I can use the 2nd gear normally from the start and warm shifting is just as smooth.

https://i.postimg.cc/xCcFvvmk/20190317-121631.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Ppn4h82h)

My M5 is one of the first facelift examples with a 09/2000 build date and experts will know that cars before 12/2000 come equipped with the old type of Vanos accumulator which means that my M5 rattles like a bastard for a couple of seconds during warm startups while it's dead quiet on a cold start. This rattle is totally harmless and doesn't affect the performance at all but the racket was bugging the bejeezus out of me since getting the car.

My previous 05/2001 M5 had none of this and I wanted to try and address this by installing a new style Vanos accumulator which incorporates a shutoff valve to prevent oil draining from Vanos and supposedly eliminates this start up rattle. All of this is described in detail along with installation procedure in the service bulletin released by BMW that's floating around.

Service bulletin also says that cars after 09/2000 rolled off from the factory equipped with an electrical connector that's needed for the new accumulator. Sadly, my M5 didn't have it which meant I had to do the wiring as well, not a big deal just requires more time.

New parts needed for the retrofit.

https://i.postimg.cc/gjZwZ2K9/20190322-130355.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JHR4wmgK)

The first job was to route wires from bank 2 - one connects to module 2, pin 8 on DME and the other one is ground which connects in bank 2 wiring harness.

Off with the plenum cover. PS don't judge me on the filthy engine bay, it's a drivers machine and it'll be cleaned up soon enough. :D Crumbling firewall covers are also on the list but I'm refusing to spend absurd $250 on new covers from the dealer!

https://i.postimg.cc/1X1gDN5G/20190322-111200.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MMtKSHBH)

https://i.postimg.cc/DZXJWcFf/20190322-114157.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQ3Dq7vb)

Routing the wires. Remarkably, I managed to remove both covers for the wiring harness without breaking any clips.

https://i.postimg.cc/PqPsQ3CH/20190322-115524.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GBw5cjPg)

https://i.postimg.cc/QtT2RFgn/20190322-122044.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YGtDFqs1)

The tricky bit is routing the wire to DME. I used a good old wire coat-hanger method.

https://i.postimg.cc/GtPZm65F/20190322-125351.jpg (https://postimg.cc/H8xSSvHn)

https://i.postimg.cc/GhQWwwYr/20190322-125735.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mtPXCn86)

https://i.postimg.cc/MK6QKVcR/20190322-133423.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dDf157jt)

The part number for the pin for DME:

61131393704 - just a pin
61130005197 - pin with wire

Then I tapped into the ground and tucked everything back together.

https://i.postimg.cc/WpGZVjnd/20190322-141240.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MXGH0Cgw)

Since I had the plenum removed, I decided to replace throttle position sensors as part of preventive maintenance. Found a very good deal on OEM Hella sensors on Amazon, $22 each.

https://i.postimg.cc/503FwSjw/20190322-141647.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXxJpRVJ)

I bought this nifty thin ratchet for removing tough accessible Phillips screws that hold TPS on the back of the engine. I was able to remove 3 of those screws easily with this tool but the last one stripped and I used small vice grips to remove it just as easily.

https://i.postimg.cc/TPbsYph8/20190322-150146.jpg (https://postimg.cc/McW59Zyt)

Before parking the car and begging the work, I hit the hardware store in the morning thinking it will be easy to find M4 x 25mm hex bolts to put instead of Phillips screws. As it turns out, these need to be specially ordered, checked other 2 stores in Frankfurt and they didn't have them either. So I settled for the next best thing which was M4 x 25mm Allen head which is easier to remove in the future if necessary.

Hella sensors are def OEM as you can see the BMW logo scrapped off on them.

https://i.postimg.cc/s2p4BSzr/20190322-150215.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QBdTwFV4)

Anywho, with those replaced, I moved to remove the old Vanos accumulator.
To get to the bolts that hold the bracket for the accumulator following needs to be removed - fan clutch, belt, tensioner and pulley, top alternator bolt removed and lower one slackened, then the eye bracket can be removed and bolts accessed.

Old one.

https://i.postimg.cc/bv2Cw4Qw/20190323-105940.jpg (https://postimg.cc/f3DjH22G)

New accumulator and bracket ready to go in.

https://i.postimg.cc/j2vv1TrZ/20190323-110025.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XBGwZTqC)

Installed Bosch EV1 connector and connected it to the accumulator.

https://i.postimg.cc/Fzf1MbM8/20190323-113005.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JHL1JX45)

https://i.postimg.cc/XqTX4G3J/20190323-114635.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bS9qRvZc)

That pretty much sums the retrofitting of the new Vanos accumulator.

While I was in there, I also ordered parts to replace the filter and O-rings on the Vanos pressure regulator.

https://i.postimg.cc/wMVycTdT/20190323-122716.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CnRxw01W)

https://i.postimg.cc/XNcC0xyS/20190323-123820.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V5v6qqRD)

Pretty easy to do and the filter was filthy.

https://i.postimg.cc/jdxJqNzW/20190323-124046.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MXLGdn3x)

With the new accumulator installed and wired next step was to test it. Grabbed a multimeter and with the ignition on, I was getting 0V, with the engine running also 0V so clearly not working.
I had a friend (BWM on the forum) to check the voltage on his '03 beast and he was getting 0V with ignition on and 1.8V with the engine running.

Service bulletin mentions that the cars prior to 09/01/2000 will require DME to be reprogrammed with newer software that will allow activation of the shutoff valve which the previous accumulator didn't have. It goes further and briefly describes the procedure for reprogramming DME using DIS.

The first step was to check which version I had.

https://i.postimg.cc/pr0jTqWk/20190326-195604.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7J2ht1TT)

The programmed control unit was indeed never touched and dates to 31.08.2000 so onto the programming.

https://i.postimg.cc/J79DTDys/20190326-195912.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yWy8xNyK)

DIS determines which part numbers/versions are compatible with the DME in the car.

https://i.postimg.cc/4xGKgDQZ/20190326-200223.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KR9c7sWs)

https://i.postimg.cc/T3cKYttb/20190326-200241.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LJn9x3K4)

Entering the programming section and then simply follow the instructions.

https://i.postimg.cc/hjNLbCWj/20190326-200803.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VrB0zWNQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/d3d8W8w9/20190326-200810.jpg (https://postimg.cc/m1Lzk1cc)

https://i.postimg.cc/7Y815Qnt/20190326-204309.jpg (https://postimg.cc/grsL5s53)

https://i.postimg.cc/kXQQKFjJ/20190326-204336.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GHpT1YwV)

https://i.postimg.cc/rFjdqhnr/20190326-204424.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gnwcDKPz)

https://i.postimg.cc/WbTFLRnV/20190326-204423.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RqpVKDyp)

https://i.postimg.cc/SRNhdGWB/20190326-204436.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQ8qD7Hm)

I had battery disconnected while I was working on the wiring so the language defaulted back to Italian. :biggrin

https://i.postimg.cc/MpZgzWZ0/20190326-204449.jpg (https://postimg.cc/pp7sZMFy)

I made sure that the laptop was connected with a charger, the battery on this old laptop was good but I didn't want to take any chances and potentially brick the DME.

Programming initiated.

https://i.postimg.cc/Rh9FBfwd/20190326-204457.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ft2Z7V2S)

https://i.postimg.cc/BQJJ1fQb/20190326-204514.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LhQcr7PF)

Snail speed.

https://i.postimg.cc/XNfVJYWt/20190326-204632.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4n3C2Zm1)

Loading...

https://i.postimg.cc/pLTxqQjt/20190326-205110.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rKvvprgh)

Still reading?

https://i.postimg.cc/NfbB6C54/20190326-205312.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZC9GZcPB)

Did you know that the average speed of a garden snail is 0.03 mph?

https://i.postimg.cc/W1HVKDmq/20190326-205457.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FY3wkHBh)

Almost there.

https://i.postimg.cc/LsgSMHvC/20190326-205914.jpg (https://postimg.cc/06vFY1TD)

As an IT guy by profession, I was just waiting for it to slap me with an error so I can start pulling my hair out.

https://i.postimg.cc/pTDtpqwK/20190326-210019.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N9fnn7f0)

Done!

https://i.postimg.cc/g2BnZxPc/20190326-210101.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bZkyXNJ4)

Well, no. Its German brain has to do it zweimal just do be sure.

https://i.postimg.cc/RZL6HxtZ/20190326-210115.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DSmy9D59)

Quicker this time.

https://i.postimg.cc/d1LLp7xh/20190326-210237.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6PJt59C)

After 18 minutes it was done.

https://i.postimg.cc/R06qQvM7/20190326-210250.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XZWVnSBq)

https://i.postimg.cc/GpWtX62Z/20190326-210412.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SXGmsTcr)

Verified that the new version is installed which it is.

https://i.postimg.cc/rm5m3gRz/20190326-212423.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jwdtJHXr)

Started the beast and checked voltage at the connector and got 1.8V!

https://i.postimg.cc/bYtkjc2V/20190326-211536.jpg (https://postimg.cc/s13vpLm5)

I didn't have enough time to do thorough testing last night but I warmed up the car and left it turned off for 10-15 minutes and usually in this short timespan I'd get just a hint of the rattle upon restart but yesterday there was nothing.
However, I'm not calling this a win just yet as the real test will be when I start the car after a couple of hours of it sitting because that's when it rattles like a bastard the most.

For the end, pictures of the M5 and 850i chilling together and a shell of Maserati Ghibli lurking in the background.

https://i.postimg.cc/28nZFZWG/20190218-193817.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kBXG7DfR)

https://i.postimg.cc/0yxJtyds/20190218-193839.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sv6XxyN6)

704sw

03-27-2019, 07:16 AM

Iâ€™m convinced you spend as much time writing your updates as you spend actually working on the car to make said updates.

ZHPizza

03-27-2019, 07:37 AM

Damn that was fun! I really enjoyed all the loading screens lol

Your thoroughness and attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. Wunderbar!

Sreten

03-27-2019, 08:36 AM

Iâ€™m convinced you spend as much time writing your updates as you spend actually working on the car to make said updates.

Lol, and you're right. I do spend quite a bit of time sorting through the pictures and writing up everything.

Damn that was fun! I really enjoyed all the loading screens lol

Your thoroughness and attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. Wunderbar!

Vielen Dank, Herr Nate! After 2 years of living here, I actually just started taking a German course. I'm pretty hopeless.

I wanted to paint a vivid picture of being in a state of boredom while sitting in a car in an underground parking lot without cell reception.

Will

03-28-2019, 11:06 PM

Amazing work, thank you for documenting and sharing with us! Great job saving the e31, it looks fantastic.

Sreten

03-29-2019, 01:18 PM

Thanks on the kind words!

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

BMWCurves

03-31-2019, 11:45 AM

Man, I am not on here often enough, but your updates are some of my favorite study breaks.

Simply wonderful stuff. So organized and pragmatic in your approach to your repairs/restoration/maintenance.

Sreten

04-01-2019, 11:31 PM

Thank you, Will! I really appreciate the great feedback. I'm enjoying working on the M5 and E31 and documenting stuff as I go.

Quick follow up on the results of Vanos accumulator retrofit. I think now I can call it a success! I had more time to drive the car and I left it parked for a couple of hours and upon restart there was no rattle. Very happy that the bastard racket is gone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivph9n6i-eE

The M5 is currently sitting on jack stands as the rims are on their way to Poland. After searching high and low for someone who can refinish the wheels to original Chrome Shadow, I found a guy in Poland who's done many Style 65 sets and can refinish them at a reasonable price. I'm extremely picky about the finish so I'm hoping for the best and anxiously waiting to see the outcome.

https://i.postimg.cc/8C0FrBqZ/20190330-100700.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kVWM08MS)

https://i.postimg.cc/kGxDzrDH/20190330-101439.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ctLstbR7)

https://i.postimg.cc/DfsW8G5c/20190330-103026.jpg (https://postimg.cc/s1jfLvkB)

https://i.postimg.cc/4NQm1TD7/20190330-104147.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JGtr1S4M)

https://i.postimg.cc/GhC4Yp5n/20190330-104149.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K40chmb0)

https://i.postimg.cc/13R4CjSW/20190330-111546.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7fcxbXf7)

wstr75

04-02-2019, 08:15 AM

Instructive pictures on how to ship wheels, especially the novel use of pipe insulation to protect the rims.

Sreten

04-02-2019, 08:57 AM

Danke. The noodles should work pretty well. I used a double wall cardboard boxes, polystyrene inside the box all around, noodles along the lips of the rims and just bunch more packaging material to stop the rims from moving. I spent nearly as much on packaging material as I did on actually shipping.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

nextelbuddy

04-11-2019, 08:39 AM

so can''t wait to see the beautiful shadow chrome finish on those wheels, its going to look so mint.

Sreten

04-12-2019, 09:51 AM

704sw

04-12-2019, 11:31 AM

What do we think of Techno Violet?

I think Iâ€™ll be in my bunk.

Will

04-15-2019, 04:52 AM

Rims are almost home.

What do we think of Techno Violet?

Looking forward to seeing the refinished wheels. Techno violet's a very interesting color, in my opinion. When I was in high school and the car was new to market I was indifferent about it, but as I got older I started to appreciate it more and more. I like how it shifts from metallic violet to a black depending on the angle light reflects off of it.

Does it also have the S52 like the Estoril one you posted, and did you add it to your stable?

ZHPizza

04-15-2019, 05:21 AM

Rims are almost home.

What do we think of Techno Violet?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/e97679f9926af1a07258fc79946533c2.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/52a1a263891ffb17bcb519b20d6dd26a.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/0c5afa23cdcd8326a75bd5707e8555bb.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965F using TapatalkI've only seen technoviolet in person once, and it was while wandering around in Munich last year. I effing love it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190415/07f6ebb2ea594ab0a0ed6c10562f2960.jpg

Please buy that purple car.

san

04-15-2019, 05:34 AM

Rims are almost home.

What do we think of Techno Violet?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/e97679f9926af1a07258fc79946533c2.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/52a1a263891ffb17bcb519b20d6dd26a.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/0c5afa23cdcd8326a75bd5707e8555bb.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

We think you should buy it

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Sreten

04-15-2019, 05:44 AM

I've only seen technoviolet in person once, and it was while wandering around in Munich last year. I effing love it.

Please buy that purple car.

I've never seen one in person but it looks really cool in pictures. I have a lot of info about this M3, it's rough around the edges but has a good base. We'll see if it goes further.
I'm having hots for S50 so if not this one, maybe a different one. I'm having an urge to put a Supersrpint on it and just rip it!

Looking forward to seeing the refinished wheels. Techno violet's a very interesting color, in my opinion. When I was in high school and the car was new to market I was indifferent about it, but as I got older I started to appreciate it more and more. I like how it shifts from metallic violet to a black depending on the angle light reflects off of it.

Does it also have the S52 like the Estoril one you posted, and did you add it to your stable?

This one is S50B32 like the Estoril one but that one is gone I believe. Gotta sell the E31 to release some funds before I can make the next move.

Rims are in transit with the worst courier service in the world - DPD. I hate them passionately, they messed up so many of my packages and last time they cost me $100 because they falsely claimed to have delivered the package even though they didn't. Sadly, there's wasn't a different option for shipping from Poland so I'm anxiously awaiting delivery.

In the meantime, here's how they look. I'll know better when I inspect them but I think they nailed the finish.

https://i.postimg.cc/L4zZsVXS/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-12-at-10-13-58.jpg (https://postimg.cc/F1HKW33C)

We think you should buy it

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Fingers crossed.

Sreten

04-23-2019, 03:44 AM

Sitrep on the wheel refurb.

I spent more than a year searching for someone in Germany and Europe who could refinish the wheels in the original Chrome Shadow. I sent out over 50 emails to any alloy repair shop I could find in Germany.
I also talked to Lepsons in the UK since I read good things about them and their chrome shadow work. I got a great impression from them and their general manager explained to me in detail their repair process. If I was in the UK, I'd be going with them but shipping from Germany would be costly and downtime too long.

I managed to find only 2 places in Germany that were doing chrome shadow but they were rather pricey and didn't have pictures of Style 65 refinished and I was adamant on having the correct finish.

In the end, I went with Superfelgi from Poland as they have been doing this finish for some time and actually did a bunch of M5 rims plus the price was very fair, half the price of what I was quoted in Germany. After seeing pictures of their previous work, I felt comfortable sending out my rims to them.

My rims weren't particularly bad, one rim was little curbed but mainly the finish was starting to fade in places.

https://i.postimg.cc/8c27Z6Z0/20190330-100706.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vxv8BcFr)

https://i.postimg.cc/PrDpPSxs/20190330-100710.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2Vz8tFh2)

https://i.postimg.cc/VkcSMXrS/20190330-100713.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w70TYykH)

https://i.postimg.cc/MT4HGBJp/20190330-100716.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQYs6v2k)

https://i.postimg.cc/RhHFJ0vQ/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-08-at-23-44-43.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wR9HSgy7)

https://i.postimg.cc/JzcsQtZp/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-04-at-15-59-32.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MnHZ66sB)

https://i.postimg.cc/C1ddYNt2/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-04-at-15-59-57.jpg (https://postimg.cc/r0XqNSqG)

https://i.postimg.cc/Jhpt9gTJ/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-04-at-16-08-07.jpg (https://postimg.cc/B81qFhfQ)

In simple terms, achieving Chrome Shadows is as follows: rims stripped, powder coated black, then comes silver (depending on how much silver is added the finish can be darker or lighter) and the last step is clear coat.

Here are mine stripped.

https://i.postimg.cc/P572HtSz/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-05-at-15-40-15.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LJzzBMKn)

https://i.postimg.cc/pdnkXg7N/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-05-at-15-40-29.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t1pFBmpD)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZRtH9wtW/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-05-at-15-40-38.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PLyY9zqH)

https://i.postimg.cc/ZnJLH0qZ/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-05-at-15-40-41.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9RNTFmTN)

https://i.postimg.cc/wvXVDDg0/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-05-at-15-40-46.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vgmfsg1V)

https://i.postimg.cc/kXXctVZv/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-05-at-15-40-57.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QVw52MjF)

Cleaned up.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZK7LPbzt/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-08-at-23-01-26.jpg (https://postimg.cc/56zvbMtn)

https://i.postimg.cc/RZWLXkv3/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-08-at-23-01-37.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75yzLQGD)

https://i.postimg.cc/cLPMjFJF/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-08-at-23-01-49.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LJB1gBLP)

https://i.postimg.cc/TwNP74dw/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-08-at-23-01-06.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N9TYLbrq)

https://i.postimg.cc/FFxpRbPK/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-08-at-23-01-16.jpg (https://postimg.cc/c6rwk3Gq)

Painted black.

https://i.postimg.cc/8C2G7gzL/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-11-at-11-17-06.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hJ16YwxG)

https://i.postimg.cc/DZ1TspSH/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-11-at-11-17-20.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2bjMNwF7)

The most important thing for me was to get them refinished to the correct shade of chrome shadow, I've seen them refinished too dark which gives them gunmetal look or too light and they look plain silver and that's just not what I was going for.
My instructions were sorta simple - get them to the original finish as close as humanly possible and if doubt, my preference was lighter finish as mine were like that from the factory.

From the paint booth.

https://i.postimg.cc/G2fXLb31/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-11-at-21-23-47.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7Gg3X8TB)

https://i.postimg.cc/RZ1p7rdc/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-11-at-21-24-05.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cvHcWbVH)

https://i.postimg.cc/s2V6KnHb/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-11-at-21-24-13.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v4NtZvsv)

https://i.postimg.cc/HxnS1rg2/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-11-at-21-23-56.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nj8KvcMj)

https://i.postimg.cc/yNvfGFwx/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-11-at-21-24-30.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t1ntZVRG)

https://i.postimg.cc/tgJXwzYm/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-12-at-10-13-58.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJq4SchF)

https://i.postimg.cc/ncxnpxXm/Whats-App-Image-2019-04-12-at-10-14-14.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kDT0vkFM)

The finish of the M5 wheels deviated even from the factory, some darker some lighter, but I think they absolutely nailed the finish of my rims and accomplished exactly what I wanted, not too dark and not too light just a proper Chrome Shadow finish.

Wheel porn incoming.

https://i.postimg.cc/N0j8KL0r/20190416-190541.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fV1SFzmw)

https://i.postimg.cc/dtc8851F/20190416-190629.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Z0jBmFps)

https://i.postimg.cc/SQM62BmV/20190416-190638.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4nX7jF7h)

https://i.postimg.cc/6qr4jN3X/20190416-190656.jpg (https://postimg.cc/q677qSyb)

https://i.postimg.cc/15KNDP20/20190416-190702.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GHH2C0c9)

https://i.postimg.cc/nrbQGLn2/20190416-190706.jpg (https://postimg.cc/47PdJs7H)

https://i.postimg.cc/Gm78SKcH/20190416-190931.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75zZ5gJk)

https://i.postimg.cc/mZC927S5/20190416-190939.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rzysf031)

https://i.postimg.cc/PJQNbz3f/20190416-190943.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RJqM4fx2)

Pics taken shortly before sunset, the perfect time for Chrome Shadow to pop.

https://i.postimg.cc/nV4stpF8/20190416-193131.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bdvYxXSL)

https://i.postimg.cc/kXwBBsRf/20190416-193134.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3d4KqgBv)

https://i.postimg.cc/cHqJV5P4/20190416-193140.jpg (https://postimg.cc/HJ2HM3pf)

https://i.postimg.cc/50wt1SM5/20190416-193143.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQgz4Sx1)

https://i.postimg.cc/j2nYtsfp/20190416-193608.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WqVH7cX8)

https://i.postimg.cc/RVfqTmYp/20190416-193617.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gnzYYCm3)

https://i.postimg.cc/rwNmvJMS/20190416-193643.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NKLBXRyM)

https://i.postimg.cc/yN6dBZ82/20190416-193647.jpg (https://postimg.cc/873DmsWb)

https://i.postimg.cc/k4zXxYvd/20190416-193651.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CBCg0N2v)

https://i.postimg.cc/yYFYZPJw/20190416-193700.jpg (https://postimg.cc/HVkgGb92)

https://i.postimg.cc/qv4BX3yg/20190416-193710.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2V9fC3Hf)

https://i.postimg.cc/MGrWS34j/20190416-193853.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5HLc5gfx)

Before dropping them off at the tire shop, I treated them with this rim specific ceramic coating for protection and to make them easier to clean. They claim the protection lasts for 5 years but time will tell.

https://i.postimg.cc/DygDbJg2/20190417-175223.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0bzZTNF3)

https://i.postimg.cc/pLLSQWGK/20190417-185506.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QHvSh3rM)

At the tire shop. I had to profoundly express myself through my Greman friend that the rims are freshly refinished and that if they scratch them, I'll be the mood to throw a fit. Luckily, it all went smoothly.

https://i.postimg.cc/GphshNpL/20190418-102014.jpg (https://postimg.cc/tswgBBPw)

https://i.postimg.cc/cJ9tKmKQ/20190418-102017.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t164wFNT)

New M emblems and lock caps. I should say that these pics weren't taken on the hood of the M5 but a rather disintegrating 2002 that's in the garage. :D I'm extremely against putting anything on the paint of the car but in case of this poor 2002, it's the least of its worries.

https://i.postimg.cc/J7fx4bBy/20190418-125929.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kDyKTRs9)

Shame that the new caps don't have the BMW logo.

https://i.postimg.cc/4xZ1psPs/20190418-134245.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RNsfBr2D)

Quickly coated the lug bolts to make them look the part.

https://i.postimg.cc/C1jdgBBq/20190417-194242.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1n3y0zKm)

Tires are Falken Azenis FK510 that were bought new last year by the PO and I got new center caps last year as well.

And we're back in business!

https://i.postimg.cc/gJDs001x/20190418-150659.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G84G7bLR)

https://i.postimg.cc/PJVMmRXh/20190418-150708.jpg (https://postimg.cc/y399Kn3r)

https://i.postimg.cc/sD1mVsm2/20190418-150715.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fJnmC464)

https://i.postimg.cc/gjjVkHv7/20190418-150735.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N2h9dTC8)

https://i.postimg.cc/rmQGkPtW/20190418-150745.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dkZZRn6t)

The beast is due for a nice wash but I'm super stoked how the wheels turned out! The communication with Superfelgi was good and on time, his English isn't brilliant so once it got technical I resorted to google translate which worked out fine. As I already stated, the shade of Chrome Shadow is really perfect and was my main concern but there is some room for improvement in their work. Primarily with the overall finish as there are some tiny imperfections and specks of dirt if you really nitpick, but considering the price and work done I can't really complain and it's acceptable since it's not noticeable at all once on the car.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice that the pillar covers are missing in the above pictures which is the next project.

https://i.postimg.cc/1RjZJRY0/20190406-123410.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G9GNpRR9)

https://i.postimg.cc/vBZptCrS/20190407-172857.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v1CqQqSW)

https://i.postimg.cc/5tbc6X6J/20190407-172904.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sM6HLDYH)

https://i.postimg.cc/GmkwLF3z/20190407-173100.jpg (https://postimg.cc/pmX1knFn)

ZHPizza

04-23-2019, 05:36 AM

704sw

04-23-2019, 06:55 AM

Those look incredible. One of my favorite wheels ever, and definitely my favorite finish. I was talking with a guy at Cars & Coffee once about Chrome Shadow refinishing. He explained to me the finish could vary so much on factory wheels it was actually someoneâ€™s job just to pick from big lots to get the 4 closest matches. He also said the manufacturing process was banned (lead I think?) and was fairly toxic, and thatâ€™s why getting â€œfactory finishâ€ is so damn hard.

Damn the depth that that finish adds is just astounding. I'm excited to see some pics of them on the car in Golden hour lighting.

God I hate using "that that" in a sentence. Go explain that one to a German...

I took a business writing course where the professor docked points for every unnecessary â€œthatâ€ she found in every assignment, which is about 90% of the times â€œthatâ€ is used. Basically my way of saying â€œDamn, the depth that finish adds is just astoundingâ€ (single â€œthatâ€) is correct, boo.

az3579

04-23-2019, 07:07 AM

Damn the depth that that finish adds is just astounding. I'm excited to see some pics of them on the car in Golden hour lighting.

God I hate using "that that" in a sentence. Go explain that one to a German...

Well that whole sentence isn't proper anyway, which is probably why it won't make sense to a German. :)
I would have phrased it as such: "Damn, the depth of that finish is astounding."

I only mentioned it because you brought it up. lol

I agree with your statement. I can't believe they did such a good job with that finish. I imagine getting the finish the same on all four is the hardest part. It may just be the lighting, but it looks to me as though two of the wheels are darker than the rest. Is that the case in person, Sreten?

704sw

04-23-2019, 07:16 AM

Well that whole sentence isn't proper anyway, which is probably why it won't make sense to a German. :)

At least we can say the word â€œsquirrel.â€

Checkmate, Germany.

nextelbuddy

04-23-2019, 07:25 AM

love the finish on the wheels and think they came out perfect. lighting is hard on these wheels and even with a perfect batch, if the sun changes direction or the lighting changes.. then some of the wheels can look different shades... that's the only downfall really with this finish.

az3579

04-23-2019, 07:44 AM

At least we can say the word “squirrel.”

Checkmate, Germany.

Too many natively English-people can't even say that word properly. :rofl

Sreten

04-23-2019, 09:19 AM

Damn the depth that that finish adds is just astounding. I'm excited to see some pics of them on the car in Golden hour lighting.

God I hate using "that that" in a sentence. Go explain that one to a German...

Lol, living in Germany actually has a bad influence on my English. When you talk or write with someone who doesn't speak English very well, you gotta structure your sentences in a simplest manner with most common words and sometimes mix it up with German words. [emoji16]

Don't get me started on German Der, Die, Das... Think I'll never get a hang of it.

Those look incredible. One of my favorite wheels ever, and definitely my favorite finish. I was talking with a guy at Cars & Coffee once about Chrome Shadow refinishing. He explained to me the finish could vary so much on factory wheels it was actually someoneâ€™s job just to pick from big lots to get the 4 closest matches. He also said the manufacturing process was banned (lead I think?) and was fairly toxic, and thatâ€™s why getting â€œfactory finishâ€ is so damn hard.

I took a business writing course where the professor docked points for every unnecessary â€œthatâ€ she found in every assignment, which is about 90% of the times â€œthatâ€ is used. Basically my way of saying â€œDamn, the depth that finish adds is just astoundingâ€ (single â€œthatâ€) is correct, boo.

Yep, you can see and read many examples of this on M5board over the years. You'd buy them new from the dealer and they would arrive in different shades so they had to order them in bulk and then you pick the matching set.

Not sure about the ban but seems since it was such a complicated process where the finish depends on amount of silver that's added, they never got it under control with just one finish. Since last year, the rear rims are NLA from BMW and no one knows if the production will be restarted. In light of that, the prices for used sets blew up and people are getting silly and asking stupid money for them. Just last week I saw a set for $2.000, new they were around $1.600.

Well that whole sentence isn't proper anyway, which is probably why it won't make sense to a German. :)
I would have phrased it as such: "Damn, the depth of that finish is astounding."

I only mentioned it because you brought it up. lol

I agree with your statement. I can't believe they did such a good job with that finish. I imagine getting the finish the same on all four is the hardest part. It may just be the lighting, but it looks to me as though two of the wheels are darker than the rest. Is that the case in person, Sreten?

In person they are all the same color, just depends on lighting and under which angle you take pictures.

Have a looky here.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190423/6bf5a875cc524db47c069b0bd04e01d0.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190423/f92acd88c7ac0a71a96c2324ba116557.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190423/65fa788552d9d4f5705f507b3596a5c6.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190423/4cad287a2a9463d5650dfcd301fdcf22.jpg

You can see how they are lighter/darker depending on conditions.

I was made aware by few shops that when going for Chrome Shadow you must refinish them all at once. Lepsons even wanted me to sign a disclaimer that if I damage them in the future they have to refinish minimum 2 rims from one side or ideally all 4 to get the same finish otherwise they will certainly be different. Also the finish will vary from the technician to technician that's doing the work.

That said, I'm really pleased with the service and how these turned out, especially considering the price I paid. It's very finicky process and reason why it's usually costly to refinish them. Highest quote I got in Germany was 1.200â‚¬ and they didn't even sound confident they could get the right finish.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

ZHPizza

04-23-2019, 11:45 AM

Dude I hear you. Your language is surprisingly tough to "dumb down" when hanging out with non-native English speakers. We get exhausted after a couple of days over there with our friends even though they speak English fine. That constant battle of trying to form a sentence with the most basic of words, pronounce everything clearly, and avoid idioms and nuance....ugh...I'm tired just thinking about it.

I also pick up a German accent on my English after a few days because I'm a gd parrot.

Oh and die/der/das cannot be learned. I understand the basic instances where it affects the meaning of the noun, but it's a total crapshoot for a lot of stuff and you would only know it if you were born and raised there. Our friends taught me to just use a short "deh" sound, like the beginning of each of them and no one will notice or care. It got me through our last trip and I have since given up on the German language because it is impossible.

Sreten

04-23-2019, 12:48 PM

At least we can say the word “squirrel.”

Checkmate, Germany.

LOL. Do you know I try this out with most of the Germans? That Clarkson reference always gets me. :D
We were in Paris for Easter and I just wanted to make some random French to say imediatement and uncomfutabul - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQugEZOrZSc

love the finish on the wheels and think they came out perfect. lighting is hard on these wheels and even with a perfect batch, if the sun changes direction or the lighting changes.. then some of the wheels can look different shades... that's the only downfall really with this finish.

Agreed! It's tough to show off the finish properly but you can almost immediately tell if the finish is not the right one. I've seen so many attempts and failures. I kinda dig they change appearance under certain situations, you could say it's what makes them stand out. :)

Dude I hear you. Your language is surprisingly tough to "dumb down" when hanging out with non-native English speakers. We get exhausted after a couple of days over there with our friends even though they speak English fine. That constant battle of trying to form a sentence with the most basic of words, pronounce everything clearly, and avoid idioms and nuance....ugh...I'm tired just thinking about it.

I also pick up a German accent on my English after a few days because I'm a gd parrot.

Oh and die/der/das cannot be learned. I understand the basic instances where it affects the meaning of the noun, but it's a total crapshoot for a lot of stuff and you would only know it if you were born and raised there. Our friends taught me to just use a short "deh" sound, like the beginning of each of them and no one will notice or care. It got me through our last trip and I have since given up on the German language because it is impossible.

So you actually do get me. We ought to share some stories one day while having a cold German brewsky.
English is not my first language but I'm fluent and living in California for a few years helped shape up my accent but I feel like I'm losing touch sometimes. I find it much easier and relaxing when talking to a native English speaker, it's an odd feeling.

I was told I do a pretty good German accent. ;)

No rules when it comes to die/der/das, just have to always learn them with the words. I'm A1.2 and the going is tough, not sure how long I'm gonna stick around here (introduction of the speed limit on die Autobahn would be a deciding factor) but I'll learn it sooner or later. I can understand the common stuff and know enough to get around, but speaking is painful.

My girlfriend is fluent in English, German, Spanish and understands and speaks French well, she's actually perfecting it now. And her mother tongue is Macedonia, some people just have it naturally...

cakM3

04-23-2019, 01:10 PM

Damn those refinished wheels look awesome! Your attention to detail is superb [emoji1417][emoji1417][emoji1417]

Sent from my iPhoneX using Tapatalk Pro

ZHPizza

04-23-2019, 02:05 PM

Absolutely man. We're not planning anymore trips across the pond for a while but I'll certainly head over there if @704sw ever gets his ducks in line to make a trip to the ring.

Good example of our point came from my buddy that has been living in England for 3 years: He said that he and his wife are elated when they hear an American accent because they're just so much easier to talk to. Even though there's no language barrier or limits on vocabulary, there's just so much nuance in American English that you can only communicate with someone that's lived here.

Will

04-23-2019, 06:55 PM

Amazing finish on the wheels! Congrats on getting them back and sharing the results with us.

Sreten

04-25-2019, 09:04 AM

Not how I was excepting to find my beloved car today...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/23bb90b30e4e0bfd9acb8fda089c5fe5.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/2ec03cb9a6f2d111e724a27f0d1951c5.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/d5f73b01aad50fb99d339f0833493b00.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/b87a4a02151e3cf51d77465eec9a6312.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/8866baec3a595e2ae16dba0e6f8b3eac.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/020c14042a16afdd928b8934267bd719.jpg

Some fucking asshole helped himself to the glass from my side mirrors.

Moron managed to break actuators in the process as well. The car sleeps in a locked garage along with other expensive cars but someone definitely targeted my M5 since this is the first time something like this is happening.

Die Polizei came out, made a report, dusted for fingerprints and collected DNA from the connectors. They got at least one good fingerprint, I truly hope the bastard is in the database.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/f09e08676ffd1b90ddc9322fd60ba25e.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/7ba514eadca545d576240875b80a9a88.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190425/e0a0d4d21acb1a857cf3cbf921ef4e34.jpg

Hopefully the insurance will cover it as the damage is roughly 1.260â‚¬. Those mirror glasses are stupid money.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

fredo

04-25-2019, 09:17 AM

Sorry to hear the news. This sucks big time.

az3579

04-25-2019, 09:46 AM

WHAT THE FUCK???

God I hate people sometimes. Like the moron who keyed the crap out of my trunk to steal my M-Tech lip spoiler. Unbelievable.

And there's another difference between Germany and the U.S. They actually care enough to properly investigate a crime like this in Germany, where here all they'll do is fill out a police report and forget about it. :facepalm

ZHPizza

04-25-2019, 12:39 PM

That sucks but I freaking love how thorough the Polizei is. Fingerprints and DNA for some mirror glass? Wild.

I also spent like a full minute staring at your second pic trying to figure out how they got your A pillar off without breaking the window. I keep going back to it trying to decide if that is indeed the pillar airbag that I see or a light reflection.

What is even real in this world?

Sreten

04-25-2019, 01:30 PM

Absolutely man. We're not planning anymore trips across the pond for a while but I'll certainly head over there if @704sw ever gets his ducks in line to make a trip to the ring.

Just plan it, fellas. Got a nice king size bed, you and Spens can get cozy. :biggrin

Amazing finish on the wheels! Congrats on getting them back and sharing the results with us.

Appreciate it, Will! Thanks for following along.

Sorry to hear the news. This sucks big time.

Thanks, Fredo. Shit happens and it'll be fixed. Important now is to find a new garage as soon as possible.

WHAT THE FUCK???

God I hate people sometimes. Like the moron who keyed the crap out of my trunk to steal my M-Tech lip spoiler. Unbelievable.

And there's another difference between Germany and the U.S. They actually care enough to properly investigate a crime like this in Germany, where here all they'll do is fill out a police report and forget about it. :facepalm

Humans are dicks sometimes. A good example of a moron right here, he obviously knew what he was stealing and it takes a few seconds to remove the glass without damaging the actuators, just appalling thievery.

Big props to German Polizei. They treated this as non-emergency call, which it was of course, and still showed up in less than 30 minutes. They handled it very professionally, I honestly didn't expect they'd bother with fingerprints and DNA so that was a pleasant surprise.

That sucks but I freaking love how thorough the Polizei is. Fingerprints and DNA for some mirror glass? Wild.

I also spent like a full minute staring at your second pic trying to figure out how they got your A pillar off without breaking the window. I keep going back to it trying to decide if that is indeed the pillar airbag that I see or a light reflection.

What is even real in this world?

Credit where it's due. The policeman was stunned when I told him one of them bad boys will set me back 450 euro and laughed it off saying it costs 10 euros on his car. Safe to say he won't experience such theft.

Lol, don't think German Copperfield robbed me, I removed all of the pillars (minus the right A-pillar) some time ago as I started to wrap them in Alcantara. The headliner started to sag so perfect time to step up to Alcantara.

Btw, driving without side mirrors, super sketchy!

Sreten

05-06-2019, 01:44 PM

Finally received new brakes pads from D2Racing and these fit perfectly. These are their Sport pads which are carbon ceramic compound and so far I'm very happy with them. Brake pedal feel is lastly as it should be, they grab on the Autobahn superbly and inspire great confidence.

https://i.postimg.cc/pL4HVrFx/20190425-193056.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WdGKX28f)

https://i.postimg.cc/TwXvms04/20190425-193100.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7CXRrmp3)

https://i.postimg.cc/VNtcJwqt/20190425-194343.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TyTssZH2)

While my remarkably slow insurance gets back to me on the situation with the mirrors, I had to be able to drive the car so I went with el cheapo mirrors which I'm going to keep until I switch to the new garage.

https://i.postimg.cc/pL8cRWb5/20190427-163843.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LJ93VMsm)

https://i.postimg.cc/FK4WKMNW/20190427-163901.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5Xsq7kHL)

https://i.postimg.cc/7LnBJKLx/20190427-163907.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DWmQtdsD)

https://i.postimg.cc/nzd00M7g/20190427-163918.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YGW6Srdz)

https://i.postimg.cc/90r1SVYM/20190427-163922.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kRPx60Z3)

https://i.postimg.cc/LX4xtjqj/20190427-163938.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v1j7Mgtm)

These are surprisingly good quality for $35 I must say. Blue tint, heated and aspherical which is very useful and not usual China garbage.

Sadly, when the dumbass ripped out the mirrors he broke off and took parts of the actuators with him which meant I couldn't mount these properly. I was traveling to Cologne in the morning so I used double sided tape since they could be only partially secured in place, which didn't go that well.

Worked fine on the way there but on the way back at around 155 mph the left mirror glass started to wobble violently and just as I thought it's going to fly off it did. Clipped the window on its fateful journey, left a small mark and for good measure, chipped glossy black window trim, disappeared and presumably shattered in gazillion pieces. Made for a nice yep, I'm an idiot moment.

Mind due, 1st of May, everyone's off from work, early in the morning - all this meant the Autobahn was empty. I had the best drive of the year with the M5. I drove it like I stole it and enjoyed every bit of the drive.

Once I got home, I went on the interweb, ordered new left side mirror and searched for similar cheap and used actuators because there's no way I was going to pay out of my own pocket $242 per side for the new ones from BMW.

The search was fruitful and I found 2 cheap actuators from some Mercedes model for $55 shipped. They looked identical, only the connector was different which was fine since I only needed the front plastic.

https://i.postimg.cc/VkrhH9kw/20190505-105328.jpg (https://postimg.cc/754X52zt)

https://i.postimg.cc/LsFxCrWk/20190505-105342.jpg (https://postimg.cc/21Td3Xr3)

https://i.postimg.cc/0NGcLVgT/20190505-105344.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xkCvmy15)

The broken one is from the M5 on the pictures. Transferring the front plastic was easy enough and now I have fully functional actuators where the glass attaches firmly. :o

At the moment I'm rocking the M5 like this until I get around to finish recovering headliner with Alcantara.

https://i.postimg.cc/KYmHc65G/20190501-140026.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VJHRDHTp)

In other news, my bank account was relieved of some money today and another V12 is finding its way to me. :biggrin

https://i.postimg.cc/fbJC2Mzr/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-28-09-3-1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

704sw

05-06-2019, 02:27 PM

At what point is the German government going to require you to register as a business for all your buying and selling of vehicles?

Will

05-06-2019, 05:30 PM

...around 155 mph...

I'm envious...

...
In other news, my bank account was relieved of some money today and another V12 is finding its way to me. :biggrin

https://i.postimg.cc/fbJC2Mzr/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-28-09-3-1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

oh man... e38 750i/il?

ZHPizza

05-06-2019, 05:42 PM

Dude the Chinese mirror glass is my jam. I have 4 versions of them for various mirrors (E36 M3, E46 M3, E46 coupe, E46 sedan) and love each and every one. I was going to suggest that when I saw what happened, but figured you were too good for my hokey shit. Hilarious that it blew off at 150mph lol u idiot.

<3

704sw

05-06-2019, 05:53 PM

Sreten

05-06-2019, 10:58 PM

At what point is the German government going to require you to register as a business for all your buying and selling of vehicles?

Don't say that, they might be reading. :shift

My girlfriend wanted to buy a massive expensive closet and having just received a bonus at work, I found myself browsing for cheap BMWs and you know, things happen. Figured a 19-year-old BMW is a better investment. She disagrees.

I'm envious...

oh man... e38 750i/il?

The I'm a rich CEO version.

https://i.postimg.cc/FRkHTJHm/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-33.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXdpJjhB)

Dude the Chinese mirror glass is my jam. I have 4 versions of them for various mirrors (E36 M3, E46 M3, E46 coupe, E46 sedan) and love each and every one. I was going to suggest that when I saw what happened, but figured you were too good for my hokey shit. Hilarious that it blew off at 150mph lol u idiot.

<3

Lol, I was really surprised how good these are for the money, I can understand why you like them so much. Them flying off was entirely my and perps fault.

Well, I needed to drive the car so this looked like perfect short term solution. Even if the insurance paid for the new ones, I wouldn't install them until I switch to the new garage at the end of the month. But I want my auto dimming mirrors back, those rule for night-time driving.

704sw

05-07-2019, 05:44 AM

The I'm a rich CEO version.

https://i.postimg.cc/FRkHTJHm/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-33.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXdpJjhB)

â€œor to give it its other name, the BMW Move Over, Poor Person.â€

-James May

Sreten

05-07-2019, 05:48 AM

Yessss, can't believe I forgot about that one. Perfectly put together.

https://i.postimg.cc/TYX93GzY/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-32.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLpTNhGW)

ZHPizza

05-07-2019, 08:44 AM

â€œor to give it its other name, the BMW Move Over, Poor Person.â€

-James May
Yessss, can't believe I forgot about that one. Perfectly put together.

https://i.postimg.cc/TYX93GzY/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-32.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLpTNhGW)Spenser we gotta go visit this clown so he can chauffeur us around in his fancy boat. I'm thinking champagne and caviar in the back while we slam through the Nurburgring.[emoji1774][emoji1635][emoji1774][emoji2533]

Chaplian

05-07-2019, 09:49 AM

That sucks about the mirrors, Sreten. I remember back in 2014, two of my buddies bought brand new Civic Si's, and the first night one of them had it, the wheels were almost. People tried stealing badges, emblems, you name it. This is why we can't have nice things.

Spenser we gotta go visit this clown so he can chauffeur us around in his fancy boat. I'm thinking champagne and caviar in the back while we slam through the Nurburgring.[emoji1774][emoji1635][emoji1774][emoji2533]

No Grey Poupon?

ZHPizza

05-07-2019, 11:36 AM

No Grey Poupon?

"Entschuldigung, haben sie grau poupon?"

Yeah, we got this scheiÃŸe.

Sreten

05-07-2019, 01:40 PM

Spenser we gotta go visit this clown so he can chauffeur us around in his fancy boat. I'm thinking champagne and caviar in the back while we slam through the Nurburgring.[emoji1774][emoji1635][emoji1774][emoji2533]

Kommen Sie, fellas! I like your thinking. We shall drive around, shout and fire people for say serving warm beer.

This cruiser will likely take a long time to get roadworthy but der MfÃ¼nf is ready to put up a show.

That sucks about the mirrors, Sreten. I remember back in 2014, two of my buddies bought brand new Civic Si's, and the first night one of them had it, the wheels were almost. People tried stealing badges, emblems, you name it. This is why we can't have nice things.

Thanks, Chaplain. You just feel helpless when something like this happens. Luckily this is easily fixable albeit expensive.

"Entschuldigung, haben Sie grau poupon?"

Yeah, we got this scheiÃŸe.

sie - means she/they
Sie - is formal you

Don't ask how long it took me to learn this crap. :biggrin

Fun fact - this fancy cruiser was previously owned by a pilot.

Will

05-07-2019, 02:17 PM

The I'm a rich CEO version.

https://i.postimg.cc/FRkHTJHm/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-33.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXdpJjhB)

The oligarch package, fantastic!

KevinC

05-07-2019, 09:19 PM

The I'm a rich CEO version.

https://i.postimg.cc/FRkHTJHm/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-33.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXdpJjhB)

Dude that's THE tiniest TV screen I've ever seen. Rich CEO needs a better comp package. :roundel

Sreten

05-09-2019, 09:15 AM

She's coming home.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190509/ed7c20962445dddfdf6ac594d5972958.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

704sw

05-09-2019, 11:09 AM

She's coming home.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190509/ed7c20962445dddfdf6ac594d5972958.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

E38s with M-Pars look badass.

fredo

05-09-2019, 12:56 PM

Well done. Can't wait to hear your comments on the engine.

Sreten

05-29-2019, 05:14 AM

E38s with M-Pars look badass.

I totally agree, I think they are best-looking wheels for E38.

Well done. Can't wait to hear your comments on the engine.

Thanks, Fredo! The engine is M73 5.4L V12 which is essentially the same as M70 in E31, just a bit more modern with upgrades and more hp.

Update. Starting with feedback on the new brake pads. When doing highspeed driving on the Autobahn having good brakes along with good tires is undoubtedly number 1 priority.
These pads are just what the doctor ordered, they are not noisy and the stopping power is phenomenal. It really gives confidence to push the car knowing the brakes grab so good. Big, big thumbs up for this BBK.

The only downside is that they dust like there's no tomorrow but I'd rather take that and have good brakes over noisy and fast wearing pads that dust less.

https://i.postimg.cc/TYPmVgQ9/20190518-140024.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0rLbx6TM)

I wrapped up a project that I knew was coming sooner or later - my slicktop headliner was starting to sag.

Picture taken in June of last year.

https://i.postimg.cc/qRw8XLKk/20180726-081802.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7GCGqSXc)

It just kept getting worse.

https://i.postimg.cc/8cFjJBBX/20190501-132831.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YLHpTFPQ)

So perfect time to step up to Alcantara and make the interior even more pleasant to be in.

I bought a big roll of original black Alcantara with 1 mm foam backing. Superb quality stuff.

https://i.postimg.cc/x8Sp4gxB/20190406-123400.jpg (https://postimg.cc/R6XT31zT)

https://i.postimg.cc/7hMt87jh/20190406-123410.jpg (https://postimg.cc/y3xy0J1C)

I did a lot of research regarding the glue I was going to use. I've used 3M spray adhesive in the past for some minor repairs which worked out well but I wanted something that I knew was going to stick hard and last a long time.

Enters Technicoll 8044 PLUS - German made 2 component adhesive that's well proven in the industry and especially suited for attaching headliner fabric.

https://i.postimg.cc/J4Q7K2YV/technicoll-8044-plus-web-2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Since I've never done this before, I started with C pillars to practice and understand how the glue works. Once the small bottle is mixed with the big one, the glue needs to be utilized within 12 hours.
The crosslinker (small bottle) is what gives the final strength and resistance to temperature and other conditions. It mixes in 100:5 ratio so I was using small papers cups for mixing.

The glue is applied with a brush on both surfaces and after a flash-off time (5-10 min), they are joined under strong pressure (I was using a roller) and the initial strength is immediate.
I also learned that it's very important that the ambient temperature is optimal - between 15 and 25 Â°C otherwise it takes a long time for flash-off time. I was working section by section and the glue is really neat and easy to work with.

https://i.postimg.cc/7ZPkY11g/20190406-123856.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rKHbfrPm)

https://i.postimg.cc/d3RbJDLH/20190407-144134.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QKt4b8g1)

https://i.postimg.cc/PqPn1tRJ/20190406-173158.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2qRtDfmN)

https://i.postimg.cc/dtwM4Rxz/20190406-173231.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yWQrNRBP)

https://i.postimg.cc/xjKDvptv/20190407-172857.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5jNR1gcy)

https://i.postimg.cc/RVRk86rq/20190407-172904.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mY2H3xT)

https://i.postimg.cc/nhS6FyhJ/20190407-173100.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0zmtZHSW)

https://i.postimg.cc/CKZ9zcRf/20190407-173526.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xk26Zyy0)

Redoing pillars was very therapeutic and going along nicely.

My A-pillars were actually looking very poor, the plastic was twisting and the middle tab was broken. I've seen this on many e39's.

https://i.postimg.cc/cJYsjRQw/20190407-115842.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zLzZHR2G)

https://i.postimg.cc/BbZ4XRRB/20190415-191457.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gX7f7tzx)

https://i.postimg.cc/bJhzjZTM/20190415-191433.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJLqmY2X)

I decided not to use them and bought the cheapest new A-pillars I could find, removed the fabric and wrapped them in Alcantara.

https://i.postimg.cc/13h7BD5L/20190415-191359.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8j4bPJvH)

https://i.postimg.cc/fbM2nZdC/20190415-191410.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cv5MwpXt)

https://i.postimg.cc/RZ7sDqWq/20190415-191416.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3kwFy8CH)

This is the final result. The pillars turned out perfect, not a single wrinkle or imperfection. Very pleased.

https://i.postimg.cc/3xNjgR2P/20190514-191957.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TK8WxT79)

https://i.postimg.cc/DyBdJs4r/20190514-192006.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QHKWvFbC)

https://i.postimg.cc/nhW4TJkM/20190514-192011.jpg (https://postimg.cc/HrQ8sFFC)

https://i.postimg.cc/kGw8S3GJ/20190514-192018.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2LbVptnM)

In case you are wondering why is one of the C-pillars a bit different shade than the rest of the gang, I initially bought just a small piece of Alcantara to give it a try and see if I can actually do this.
Despite buying the full roll and the small piece from the same seller, the shade was a bit off which I realized later but in reality, this cannot be noticed inside the car.

Next up was the headliner. No sunroof meant the removal was a breeze. I love the fact that it's a slicktop, so many benefits.

https://i.postimg.cc/FH276sJd/20190501-140026.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZWxbBmH4)

https://i.postimg.cc/Zq8KDPS2/20190501-140504.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FfK4YL1V)

https://i.postimg.cc/gcSc5kCz/20190501-140508.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PNDkvhf9)

https://i.postimg.cc/qvnkzczq/20190501-141024.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v4YRKV7w)

The old fabric comes off very easily.

https://i.postimg.cc/0r19fr4P/20190501-141515.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gL49ccdT)

https://i.postimg.cc/xd1NHFHg/20190501-141526.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xXBdV56b)

https://i.postimg.cc/wvtt4ywm/20190501-141532.jpg (https://postimg.cc/47gNmdkf)

The leftover foam and glue are nasty stuff.

https://i.postimg.cc/L6FqvsLJ/20190501-142213.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fk5TRDHs)

I used a brush to remove the gunk and I was vacuuming along the way to minimize the mess. Then went over the board with sandpaper and finally used a compressor to blow out any debris. This process was very time-consuming.

https://i.postimg.cc/13xkYfKN/20190501-164530.jpg (https://postimg.cc/svcHMfqV)

https://i.postimg.cc/0jbThS37/20190501-164519.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SYb1MnmK)

https://i.postimg.cc/0NPLPFFk/20190501-164628.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PCV6M3d9)

https://i.postimg.cc/4d3qhtXj/20190501-164633.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gwfNCxXK)

The headliner was the most difficult part of the project as expected. I did some research prior and watched a few videos but it requires skill and practice.

I started just behind the rear grab handle pockets going towards the back and then continued to the front.

https://i.postimg.cc/2SC81cB6/20190511-144809.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mFTM1Pk)

https://i.postimg.cc/HW9dM00P/20190513-234643.jpg (https://postimg.cc/c6CpynbQ)

There are many curves and deep pockets which are so difficult to do and not get any wrinkles. Overall I did really well but I did end up with few wrinkles around grab handles and the very top in front of the dome light which is luckily not noticeable since it's obstructed by the top of the windshield. Around the sun visors and all other surfaces turned out perfect.

https://i.postimg.cc/59Tm4Qy7/20190514-212325.jpg (https://postimg.cc/s1PWKXp7)

https://i.postimg.cc/tg3cPtZ4/20190514-211807.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GBpznDxW)

https://i.postimg.cc/sDM0KRQ8/20190514-211817.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nCtkcg1Y)

https://i.postimg.cc/TYBN4HnP/20190514-212137.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zVSkL7tm)

https://i.postimg.cc/TPJkhdFy/20190514-212152.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p9yQ6H2x)

https://i.postimg.cc/nzd0YdHp/20190514-212213.jpg (https://postimg.cc/HcywT9ch)

https://i.postimg.cc/W3p5ZRc5/20190514-212219.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJ5hqbdR)

https://i.postimg.cc/SR3dHJ2P/20190514-212229.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sGP5hfJP)

https://i.postimg.cc/K8XQN3yk/20190514-212256.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QHbpNtCh)

Considering I'm not an upholsterer by any means and this was my first time doing this, it turned out really good. It was a great learning experience and if I were to do this again, I know how I would tackle grab handle pockets to get them perfect and wrinkle-free and generally speed up the process.

The final piece of the puzzle was leather sun visors, courtesies of Clemster! Big thanks to, Adam. They are in lovely shape and I just went ahead and removed the stupid airbag stickers though you can tell they were there which is a bit annoying. Eventually, I want to source Alcantara sun visors but those are difficult to come by.

https://i.postimg.cc/sxzyRDkT/20190519-144020.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LYxGtR6P)

https://i.postimg.cc/jq6t4Pfm/20190519-144048.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6TQk97Yf)

https://i.postimg.cc/4NJZLybd/20190519-144055.jpg (https://postimg.cc/grBfrY7F)

https://i.postimg.cc/cLzSLmqg/20190519-144238.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v45jP5Zb)

https://i.postimg.cc/8z4bRKkc/20190519-145910.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k2V89ybP)

Everything put back together.

https://i.postimg.cc/gk5j00SN/20190519-150004.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SJ6kTmpM)

https://i.postimg.cc/tgGghMH6/20190519-150033.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WdSjVSzp)

https://i.postimg.cc/bJ3NfYS0/20190519-150104.jpg (https://postimg.cc/tZnHhj57)

https://i.postimg.cc/0Q824Kj2/20190519-150112.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LqbpYXjr)

https://i.postimg.cc/XqqNjM9R/20190519-150139.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xNrV54x5)

https://i.postimg.cc/zGgBH145/20190519-150132.jpg (https://postimg.cc/68BwFF91)

Time-consuming task but worth it since the interior is that much nicer to sit in.

This month marks the 1-year ownership of the M5. 1st of May last year is when I flew to Italy and taken over the stewardship of this fine machine.
I did go through a lot of troubles with Italians to get this car but now I can say that it was worth it. As much as they were crazy in their own ways, they did take good care of the car.

I've covered around 7.000 miles so far and it's been enormous fun blasting down the Autobahn with it. Much maintenance went into it and I plan to keep in perfect shape and improving it as I go.

Some pics after a long overdue wash. I can confirm again that the finish of rims is bang on. They look so good.

https://i.postimg.cc/YCXnJJdc/20190528-203746.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VJCWtHy4)

https://i.postimg.cc/xdcxYtZX/20190528-203752.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hJRb1bcn)

https://i.postimg.cc/43q83pCB/20190528-203811.jpg (https://postimg.cc/94PP8RQ7)

https://i.postimg.cc/L6xGpYs0/20190528-204327.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WhJ5m4gM)

https://i.postimg.cc/XJKDDXhL/20190528-204437.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XGJ8rNnB)

https://i.postimg.cc/zDjcCbTX/20190528-204519.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QVFmsM6R)

https://i.postimg.cc/nhPrSGQF/20190528-204753.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TKnTpm9F)

https://i.postimg.cc/PqSCbMfQ/20190528-204809.jpg (https://postimg.cc/94qXCZ7D)

https://i.postimg.cc/N0syrnt0/20190528-204849.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NKnG3p5h)

https://i.postimg.cc/vTVDsFr0/20190528-204931.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9wccdkN9)

Recently we had a road trip to Paderborn, around 3 hours from Frankfurt. The roads up there are spectacular, twisty mountain passes in derestricted zones. Entering long sweeping bends at high speed and the car being stable is unforgettable.

I might be overemphasizing but the M5 really is the king of the Autobahn and just last weekend it proved it to me again. The family was visiting so we made a quick trip to Cologne, 5 people, light luggage (and tools which I forgot to take out) and it propels you to your destination in comfort at remarkable speeds. On the way back, the backseat passengers were actually sleeping despite me driving like I was on fire and hitting 165 mph at times. God bless Autobahn!

704sw

05-29-2019, 05:40 AM

Damn, nice job!

It looks you cut the Alcantara at the edge of each piece rather than wrapping it over the edge, is that right? When I did one of my C pillars I wrapped it onto the back, but my material wasnâ€™t nearly as thick as padded Alcantara.

Sreten

05-29-2019, 06:04 AM

Thanks, Spens!

I actually I did that as well on all of the pieces and headliner except on the cut out for sun visor lights and dome light. Since they clip in, it would make their removal harder given the added thickness.
The adhesive sticks so strongly that there wouldn't be any issues even if it was cut along the edge but wrapping it over the edge onto the back just makes it look neater and cleaner.

I thought a took few pictures of the backside but can't find them now.

Will

05-29-2019, 07:18 PM

Great work with the alcantara! It looks fantastic. I like the bottle of sriracha next to the empty beer mug, glad to see it made its way over to Germany. :)

BMWCurves

05-29-2019, 08:01 PM

Do you ever get bored with your attention to detail and your Midas touch? Very impressive, as always!

Whammy

05-29-2019, 08:54 PM

Great work Sreten!

az3579

05-30-2019, 03:48 AM

Wow, you did a phenomenal job with that. My ZHP is in need of new headliner but I couldn't trust myself to do such a good job.

Eugene

05-30-2019, 05:23 AM

Holy moly you did an amazing job! Kudos to you!! I dont think I have that kind of attention to detail in me. I'm going to have my wife help re-wrap our steering wheel- she's usually meticulous.

Sreten

05-30-2019, 08:52 AM

Great work with the alcantara! It looks fantastic. I like the bottle of sriracha next to the empty beer mug, glad to see it made its way over to Germany. :)

Thank you! Sriracha is from the guys who's lunch table I used as a workbench. They sell it in stores here as well. :)

Do you ever get bored with your attention to detail and your Midas touch? Very impressive, as always!

Thanks, Will! I love doing projects like this where it's all about the details. I'm actually looking forward to repeating this task on the E38.

Great work Sreten!

Thank you, Whammy!

Wow, you did a phenomenal job with that. My ZHP is in need of new headliner but I couldn't trust myself to do such a good job.

I appreciate it, Botond! You just need time, will and practice for this. It's rewarding at the end knowing you've done it and saved some money as a bonus.

Holy moly you did an amazing job! Kudos to you!! I dont think I have that kind of attention to detail in me. I'm going to have my wife help re-wrap our steering wheel- she's usually meticulous.

Thanks, Eugene! Uh, that's a tricky job, you have to be very good with a needle.

ZHPizza

05-30-2019, 09:31 AM

My mans doin interiors now just filling out his auto restoration resume

Hornung418

05-30-2019, 09:36 AM

My mans doin interiors now just filling out his auto restoration resumeGoing to move to Germany just because he's in country. And all the cool cars we don't get stateside...

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Sreten

06-05-2019, 03:36 AM

My mans doin interiors now just filling out his auto restoration resume

Yess Pizzaman, soon to be swapped with the current IT resume. :biggrin

Going to move to Germany just because he's in country. And all the cool cars we don't get stateside...

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Can never have too many friends and cool cars.

The beast has been caged at yet another shitty and preposterously tiny underground garage. At the bare minimum, they'll need an angle grinder to get to the mirrors now.

https://i.postimg.cc/PqyfMMGn/20190605-080116.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Nyywsmfd)

BMWCurves

06-05-2019, 05:19 PM

It looks sad, like a dog putting its ears back.

danewilson77

06-05-2019, 05:36 PM

It looks sad, like a dog putting its ears back.Or... Like a lion, waiting to eat its keeper.

Sent from my Note 9 using Tapatalk

Sreten

07-02-2019, 06:09 AM

Some updates on the E31.

Got the board computer pixels fixed by Pixelfix in Hungary, great guys to deal with.

https://i.postimg.cc/DfWS4gVS/20190120-161305.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7bkHpSZ4)

https://i.postimg.cc/mgVL5zfx/20190427-124537.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JsDCyhzK)

I thoroughly inspected the suspension. Having checked all wheels for play and finding that everything is tight and in order, visual inspection revealed that the rubber on ball joints on upper control arms were split.

https://i.postimg.cc/Y26xdXYP/20190427-131906.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V5NM6W79)

Sorted that with new TRW control arms and got new sway bar links while at it since they are cheap and shiny new parts always look nice.

https://i.postimg.cc/s2srsVzY/20190504-161846.jpg (https://postimg.cc/pmG7BMpr)

Original control arms made by TRW as well. The old bushings were actually still good.

https://i.postimg.cc/rpjLpvyv/20190504-171458.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t1scSvx5)

https://i.postimg.cc/KjkXJj72/20190505-104805.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Fk4nK9nW)

https://i.postimg.cc/50kdBLCg/20190505-104738.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xJH4YkgN)

Remarkably, the rest of the suspension is in great condition and nothing else is needed, a true testament to the low mileage of this car.
EDC shocks are without any leaks and they switch from Comfort to Sport flawlessly and the change on the road is obvious. I really love the fact that the car is fitted with EDC shocks.

Given that the car spent its life in Spain and hasn't seen any salt, it is completely rust free but it was sitting for a while and condensation got the best of the rear mufflers.

https://i.postimg.cc/ryrM1Zft/20190429-184630.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xqnwY5D0)

The outer metal had rotted away.

https://i.postimg.cc/Hs0mKcDY/20190429-184613.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4m3jH3xq)

https://i.postimg.cc/ncfZ0KWS/20190429-184619.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G9KZpDdv)

https://i.postimg.cc/x8MQ9qXP/20190429-184623.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V0fpRfBS)

I was preparing the car for TÃœV and even though it wasn't blowing exhaust fumes out of the holes, this would've been an instant visual fail. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on new exhaust and the used ones are all like this, but I kinda wanted to keep the stock setup so I was weighing my options. The old man that's renting me the garage is pretty good with metal and welding so he offered to cut out the bad metal and weld in the new pieces.

So I decided to give that a shot, removed the left muffler and chopped off the right one.

https://i.postimg.cc/DZY0SWyk/20190519-154512.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KkBxV8MJ)

From the top they are in good order.

https://i.postimg.cc/MG5v8PCG/20190516-212437.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1gg9GH5x)

https://i.postimg.cc/bJvdY0P9/20190519-154256.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5HZfnC6X)

Finished product.

https://i.postimg.cc/D0kZr9sB/20190526-121223.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ftCDZg89)

https://i.postimg.cc/qqs7j1x0/20190526-121232.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LgsRsBW0)

https://i.postimg.cc/HsmnVCTL/20190526-121427.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t7rpMwZ0)

Got new hardware from HJS and bolts and copper nuts from the stealer.

https://i.postimg.cc/3xVH0g2Z/20190526-121643.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PCW7Bv3L)

https://i.postimg.cc/P5Pjq6vx/20190526-123405.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NKqVJk4q)

Turned out great! Should last for a while until it's inevitably replaced.

https://i.postimg.cc/PJ37sj4M/20190526-134949.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QK7m1vvB)

https://i.postimg.cc/qMqYcNJD/20190526-134955.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w7K0gTsD)

https://i.postimg.cc/HWBR7wg7/20190526-134952.jpg (https://postimg.cc/s1GwkZ1V)

Another oil change for good measure.

https://i.postimg.cc/gJMsrKZz/20190602-144609.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WFkgHg8C)

Then the car gently reminded me that the cooling system needs to be refreshed due to age by developing a small leak from the radiator.

https://i.postimg.cc/LXkHHsQR/20190606-160159.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dk1M6JKS)

New parts in - radiator, all coolant hoses, expansion tank and cap, bleed screw with the mounting clip, coolant...

https://i.postimg.cc/nrs04s8f/20190615-102126.jpg (https://postimg.cc/m1sYRg2m)

Out with the old.

https://i.postimg.cc/MKJzn1Jw/20190615-161626.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t7kKfZgv)

Pretty easy DIY and all buttoned up.

https://i.postimg.cc/HnQ3ZqL6/20190615-160552.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lg8zh0LP)

https://i.postimg.cc/DfsCwXc1/20190615-160557.jpg (https://postimg.cc/z3zwd36f)

I wanted to round up the replacement of all fluids by changing the gearbox and diff oil.

https://i.postimg.cc/dVTR5MSr/20190620-123340.jpg (https://postimg.cc/21rB5tYS)

75W-90 liquid for the open diff.

https://i.postimg.cc/wMvLJnmt/20190620-123424.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WFBdcWSj)

I always use MTF LT-2 in BMW manual gearboxes so I was kinda on the fence about ATF but that's what the sticker calls for and I went with it.

https://i.postimg.cc/RhDfTG7g/20190620-131957.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4Hpmf6Fc)

The fluid that came out was indeed ATF and it was nice in color. The gear changes were buttery smooth and tight prior to the change and it stayed like that with the new oil.

https://i.postimg.cc/YqvQSK7Z/20190620-135415.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BXGjhzXB)

Then it was the big day and time to take E31 to TÃœV and get it roadworthy again after nearly 10 years! A new chapter in this cars life.

https://i.postimg.cc/26fDXBFm/20190606-111452.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wtFZ1MGb)

Since this wasn't a German car and was lacking certain technical documents, the big TÃœV Â§ 21 had to be made. Which is like a normal TÃœV but a bit thorough, longer and more expensive.

https://i.postimg.cc/x1t5Zrvd/20190606-111117.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JsHjy2dw)

https://i.postimg.cc/s2LcVp0d/20190606-111422.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PLmZy8j2)

One happy TÃœV inspector. The guy was actually thrilled about inspecting the 8 series and was smiling all the way through it.

https://i.postimg.cc/KYjfS9fD/20190606-111829.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CZykbsWR)

They thoroughly checked the suspension, brakes, exhaust system, checked for leaks, etc...

https://i.postimg.cc/7h8nzqkK/20190606-112654.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9Rb955z9)

The last step of the inspection was the emissions which went without a hitch.

https://i.postimg.cc/SxyVVQz5/20190606-112817.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Lnbz8pDB)

And then I heard the sweet words: Alles in Ordnung mit dem Auto. The 8er passed the TÃœV with flying colors and is fully road legal!
I'm extremely happy with this development and the fact that this beauty is back on the road. :biggrin

https://i.postimg.cc/76TNbfpC/20190606-130015.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sQsWNDfy)

As a reward, I treated it with a period correct cassette radio. I believe from E36 but fits splendidly and I like the look of it. Even the cassette player is working.

https://i.postimg.cc/QCRXJntN/20190622-171257.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5QSdxgLD)

https://i.postimg.cc/1tm48TgL/20190623-200448.jpg (https://postimg.cc/94kcSLYp)

It started being hot as hell outside so perfect time to break out Leatherique and treat the leather. I've used many leather products and cleaners over the years but nothing gets the job done like Leatherique.

The interior is absolutely mint.

https://i.postimg.cc/wvrtn2vZ/20190623-195126.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5YwNCw8S)

https://i.postimg.cc/MX2npG1Y/20190623-195139.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1VBmWsCg)

https://i.postimg.cc/VLZYgvJZ/20190623-200111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZC3tKTF6)

https://i.postimg.cc/KcJFcjDc/20190623-194703.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JtDSP1FS)

https://i.postimg.cc/QdWrqbGV/20190623-195429.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TKGSdnPX)

https://i.postimg.cc/43kR29sP/20190623-195357.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9Dpkrz4w)

https://i.postimg.cc/bvxc7wvh/20190623-194825.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wtjGJHJf)

Fresh wash for fresh pics.

https://i.postimg.cc/G2m7XL8z/20190621-133944.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KKCDzy5g)

https://i.postimg.cc/50KPGh8J/20190621-133956.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ftXjSgHq)

https://i.postimg.cc/sgCTt9GM/20190621-134441.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LnvkPPTS)

https://i.postimg.cc/525s1Y8n/20190621-134451.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QFtQJM4T)

https://i.postimg.cc/63qcdMgm/20190621-134507.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ygq0KyVm)

https://i.postimg.cc/pdqkhwGj/20190621-134410.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cKtfPbN1)

https://i.postimg.cc/CdT4pS13/20190621-134306.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wR2NhKD2)

https://i.postimg.cc/T2z83bW6/20190621-134335.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8smXyjHK)

https://i.postimg.cc/xTMwJdKb/20190621-134600.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mtZXKBpb)

https://i.postimg.cc/gjRTZM6P/20190621-134055.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GTLK0xQM)

https://i.postimg.cc/kg7p2vJk/20190621-134015.jpg (https://postimg.cc/D8YgDsbg)

https://i.postimg.cc/4N604Sg6/20190621-134031.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2V5G2T3y)

https://i.postimg.cc/DZ4C9C6b/20190621-133927.jpg (https://postimg.cc/347CpFPK)

The revival project of this forgotten machine is practically completed and the car is fully sorted. The final piece of the puzzle will be to get the A/C working.
I finally learned that those 3 cut wires are actually from the plug for the A/C compressor. I'm sourcing necessary parts and hoping to get it fixed but it will be a challenging as this is also the old R12 system.

The sale has been kinda slow going and seems the market isn't as strong as it is in the US for these cars, but finding the right buyer always takes time so I'm patient.

ZHPizza

07-02-2019, 09:09 AM

Will

07-02-2019, 10:59 AM

Awesome work! Thanks for taking us along for the project.

Sreten

07-02-2019, 11:12 AM

YOU ALWAYS PUT TOO MUCH IN A SINGLE POST FOR ME TO DIGEST IT ALL

but I came away knowing exactly what the slick new cassette deck needed:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Falco-FALCO-3-cassette-1985-A-M-Canada-CS9124-CrO2-Audiophile-Edition/133093903457

don't disappoint me

Holy moly, where did you whip out this one from?! I'm amazed actually.

If that doesn't sell the car I don't know what will.

Awesome work! Thanks for taking us along for the project.

Thanks as well for following along!

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

BMWCurves

07-09-2019, 09:22 AM

Amazing update as always!

fredo

07-09-2019, 10:34 AM

:like

Sreten

07-11-2019, 01:46 AM

Thank you, fellas!

Girlfriend surprised me for my birthday with a 3-day trip to Austria. She didn't tell me where we were going until we were in the car and I was thrilled to learn it was Austria.

Just a quick write up. With roadworks and butt load of stupid caravans along the way, it was a 6 hour drive. Totally worth it though as you are greeted with stunning scenery upon entering Austria.

https://i.postimg.cc/PJf0rRX4/20190705-161633.jpg (https://postimg.cc/R68ggGn6)

https://i.postimg.cc/Vs43HmgH/20190705-162551.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jCwgDVGz)

https://i.postimg.cc/CxnX1DgW/20190705-163800.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v4M324Dz)

Fueling up with a beautiful backdrop.

https://i.postimg.cc/6qHg7fTN/20190705-164722.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bSt3WbQ6)

Roads are so much smoother than in Germany.

https://i.postimg.cc/CL193X6M/20190705-170241.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rzBhWnk7)

https://i.postimg.cc/sDNbsmtY/20190705-170710.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GHvXjF3t)

Can't ask for a better rest stop.

https://i.postimg.cc/BvWy16Zt/20190705-171639.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RWRGkvHz)

https://i.postimg.cc/nzpP0PDJ/20190705-171653.jpg (https://postimg.cc/d7N60n6H)

https://i.postimg.cc/MGyL0SX5/20190705-171852.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8FzwDxRf)

Destination reached - Fernsteinsee lake in Tyrol.

https://i.postimg.cc/kD38vk2N/20190706-110817.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8f4j1XBs)

Wonderful castle/hotel.

https://i.postimg.cc/4xG2J0Wh/20190705-173516.jpg (https://postimg.cc/F7PVpT59)

https://i.postimg.cc/bwRCdR5V/20190705-173531.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sMv9N5s5)

https://i.postimg.cc/mkQ3JLfp/20190705-173942.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rRwttLp5)

Breathtaking nature.

https://i.postimg.cc/13ptF80j/20190705-183630.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PC5TsrRW)

https://i.postimg.cc/rw6sz144/20190705-184518.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SJrkvzDQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/FFB7X5sD/20190705-190542.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9zyWyk97)

https://i.postimg.cc/YqLjpnvk/20190705-190856.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jLKRch6k)

https://i.postimg.cc/N0B0kQpf/20190706-144458.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JsYm1Vf9)

https://i.postimg.cc/C5X1GD6W/20190707-111558.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xNGnYkQR)

https://i.postimg.cc/9MfFs166/20190707-112128.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zL9rgwX7)

https://i.postimg.cc/vmhZPCN7/20190707-113209.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2qqYy9m3)

All you can eat Austrian grill. :biggrin

https://i.postimg.cc/1XkmnS8S/20190706-183344.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hQ0W6H8Z)

Too bad we had to head back.

https://i.postimg.cc/WzFp1zbS/20190706-190447.jpg (https://postimg.cc/tnbGrX6V)

https://i.postimg.cc/RCyVb7XY/20190707-100019.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Hj0gryG0)

Whether it's high-speed Autobahn driving or twisty mountain passes in Austria, I love doing long road trips with the M5. It just feels like I'm home every time I'm behind the wheel.
I've been getting lots of thumbs up lately from other drivers which is always nice to see.

:cheers

johnrando

07-11-2019, 04:19 AM

Awesome in so many ways!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

ZHPizza

07-11-2019, 09:35 AM

Dude Tyrol is my mfin JAM. Glad you guys had a good time and that pos didn't break down on you.

704sw

07-11-2019, 10:15 AM

Austria, eh?

https://i.giphy.com/media/2ibkhGGeYaevm/giphy.gif

fredo

07-11-2019, 10:36 AM

Amazing pics, I see that was a GREAT trip.

Will

07-11-2019, 07:54 PM

Amazing scenery! The e39 m5 seems like the perfect grand tourer for such a trip.

Sreten

07-11-2019, 11:04 PM

Awesome in so many ways!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thank you, John!

Dude Tyrol is my mfin JAM. Glad you guys had a good time and that pos didn't break down on you.

Fine taste you have! Our first time in Tyrol and it is a very, very pretty area. We said we'd definitely come back.

Austria, eh?

https://i.giphy.com/media/2ibkhGGeYaevm/giphy.gif

Lol, let's not.

Amazing pics, I see that was a GREAT trip.

Thanks, Fredo! Indeed it was.

Amazing scenery! The e39 m5 seems like the perfect grand tourer for such a trip.

Thanks, Will! My girlfriend always complains how much money we spend on gas but I can tell she loves it as well. Not many cars where you can be sound asleep while traveling 140 mph.

Sreten

07-23-2019, 01:29 PM

Look who's finally here.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190723/84d5b7fb5179de82054b4a4e8c46a7e2.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

704sw

07-23-2019, 03:37 PM

Did you also buy that sweet Ericsson phone so you can drive it from the backseat?

Sreten

07-23-2019, 11:34 PM

Mannn, that reminds me. Watch from 16:36 to see the real James Bond car in action. Actually, watch the whole thing since it's simply jaw-dropping when you see which cars BMW group classic owns. It's with English subs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruNyGf9f_MM&t=

In other news, I was thinking to try and create like a mini-video restoration series for this car, just not sure if anyone would want to watch me trip over and mumble around.

704sw

07-24-2019, 04:27 AM

Based on the level of effort you put into your post updates Iâ€™m confident your videos would be worth watching.

Sreten

07-24-2019, 10:34 PM

That's what I'm afraid of, I'll get obsessed with it and spend a ludicrous amount of time on it. Thanks for the vote of confidence though.

ZHPizza

07-25-2019, 10:27 AM

I just want a compilation of scheisse's from every time that you trip/scrape/bang/break something

az3579

07-25-2019, 11:29 AM

I just want a compilation of scheisse's from every time that you trip/scrape/bang/break somethingThis......
Would be hilarious.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Sreten

08-05-2019, 01:25 AM

I have something the werks, fellas! We'll see how it turns out and if I want to publish it.

Final update on the E31!

I went the extra mile and fixed the last piece of the puzzle on this car: the A/C.

If you followed along then you might remember the wiring fiasco that I had with this car. Well, the lunatic with a knife did stop there and the madness continues with the A/C compressor.
I always knew something fishy happened with the A/C compressor but in the spirit of not losing my mind, I decided to ignore it for the time being. However, I also knew that the day for further investigating will come and here's the outcome.

Remember those 3 chopped off wires I couldn't figure out what they were for? It's the connector for the compressor.

https://i.postimg.cc/5NYrMQ64/20190627-185744.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w7z2XvXZ)

Butchered compressor. All of the wiring on it was destroyed, I have no idea what they were trying to achieve here nor do I want to know.

https://i.postimg.cc/y80rDqm2/20190630-200144.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rDF9HPY9)

https://i.postimg.cc/LsRQfyv5/20190630-200151.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xXxPV3wV)

https://i.postimg.cc/8CHKbhnH/20190630-200156.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VSJWfbwr)

Chewed up line going from the compressor to condenser.

https://i.postimg.cc/MKCFZZQy/20190714-120606.jpg (https://postimg.cc/F7xZD4GR)

https://i.postimg.cc/xC1spcwS/20190714-120611.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kVLFBXMj)

The only logical explanation that comes to mind is that there was a rodent that had a thing for wiring in that corner of the car since there are no signs of accidents there (all of the plastic trim is original). Then an even bigger human rodent came along and played electrician.

I ended up buying a cheap used E32 750i compressor and transferred the wiring from it to the compressor that I removed from the car. My compressor seemed overall in better shape than the used one I got so I went that route.

https://i.postimg.cc/Kv51xf4F/20190709-194832.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XppjgwwD)

One finished compressor along with other bits I needed to convert the system from R12 to R134a. Added correct amount of synthetic oil to the compressor.

https://i.postimg.cc/SNKhYfDm/20190714-122531.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w3nPSJCr)

I had to dissemble a good portion of the car to replace the bad A/C line and get to the dryer.

https://i.postimg.cc/zDsQ8w6d/20190709-220122.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V5FgFtYM)

https://i.postimg.cc/XY3DyjVd/20190709-220126.jpg (https://postimg.cc/567mhMQ2)

https://i.postimg.cc/rF5Pm0Lq/20190709-220132.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9rFpgfMk)

Dryer lurking underneath right headlight.

https://i.postimg.cc/zGcKY7Pv/20190714-152325.jpg (https://postimg.cc/75Sfg34r)

Then I found a screwdriver in the guts of the bumper, presumably dropped there by the incompetent imbecile who previously worked on this car.

https://i.postimg.cc/x8fczNFB/20190714-152546.jpg (https://postimg.cc/dkfsM3F9)

Another look at the dryer from the wheel well.

https://i.postimg.cc/8zpggBf2/20190714-152938.jpg (https://postimg.cc/crbbQ3mh)

https://i.postimg.cc/Lshdn9Tv/20190714-153808.jpg (https://postimg.cc/R3rpYz2n)

New dryer in situ.

https://i.postimg.cc/X72QXwzS/20190714-161227.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RNHcDnmX)

https://i.postimg.cc/wjZ2Q9zw/20190714-161233.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DSQ12k8G)

Replaced missing connector for the compressor.

https://i.postimg.cc/RZptcd79/20190714-124213.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LJfhSzQ0)

https://i.postimg.cc/N0Wrn0Cz/20190714-125654.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8Fm5JTSR)

https://i.postimg.cc/bvGtLngn/20190714-130331.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xk281cWj)

Installed R134a adapters.

https://i.postimg.cc/05JqxyWC/20190714-162502.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w3HrQgdt)

Then it was time to pull the vacuum and pray to God almighty that there are no leaks.

https://i.postimg.cc/gk8XwdJV/20190716-195915.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WhpbKB0z)

Upon the first hour, things were looking good and it was pulling steady vacuum.

https://i.postimg.cc/15CTqxjz/20190716-203555.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Xp5xRP3M)

I left the system sealed and came back tomorrow and happily it was still holding perfect vacuum!

https://i.postimg.cc/mrNKhcxv/20190717-182433.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p9rs6LLC)

https://i.postimg.cc/DwG9kjxy/20190717-182427.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FY9W0Zt2)

https://i.postimg.cc/bvjKzx50/20190717-182430.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cvXDhn06)

Since in Germany you can't buy cans of R134a to refill the A/C anywhere, I had to find a cheerful Italian to do this part of the job.

The 8er has a large A/C system and takes 1550 grams of R134a refrigerant.

https://i.postimg.cc/J7fnbgHR/20190730-101618.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Wt7TV57y)

https://i.postimg.cc/vZMZKVvj/20190730-102156.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jLgTwCmQ)

Another forgotten 850i sitting in this shop.

https://i.postimg.cc/4x5xRxL3/20190730-103139.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w11phgdK)

And for the moment of truth.

https://i.postimg.cc/zBMf22dS/20190730-104349.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bDx8sgfs)

https://i.postimg.cc/hvdtk86F/20190730-104601.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LgmSfPmv)

We have fully functional air conditioning! With this, I have fixed every single thing on this car, every button was working and the car was mechanically sorted.

After a long 6 months of trying to sell the E31, I finally found a buyer 2 weeks ago. This is by far the longest I ever had a car up for sale.
I've never had so many idiots contact me and come by, I had a guy coming with 3 sheets of paper printed out with questions and things to test (front and back), I spent 3 hours with him that day and several weeks of emailing just for him not to buy the car.

I had another guy coming twice, 2nd time with his girlfriend and then sending me an email with the list of demands he wants me to guarantee, e.g. that the water pump will not fail in the 50.000 km, that he can safely drive the car 250 km/h, that there will be no oil leaks in the future, that I should guarantee that the km is accurate and the car had no accidents, etc... All of this on nearly 30 years old BMW. I told him he must be smoking something and should go to BMW and buy a new 8 series. After he came to his senses and understood that the car is sold as-is, he had different requests which I'm not going to bore you with.

All of the potential buyers were only hung up on one thing - the cosmetically condition of the exterior, dents and scratches. Despite paint being good for an old car and front and rear bumpers, hood and most of the body panels were actually in original paint. Everyone wants a concourse condition car and pay as little as possible. You can imagine how frustrated I was when everything I've done to the car is overlooked and dents and scratches are used as the main argument.

Anyway, all of that is behind me now and this car was a great learning experience in every sense. I found a very nice buyer and the car will join his collection of 7 cars with this being the first BMW. He is also only an hour away so hopefully I'll get to see the car in the future. Just goes to show you have to be patient and wait for the right buyer. The car was in my custody for around 9 months and I am very happy how it turned it and that I put in the condition it deserves to be.

Now moving along to the new member of the fleet.

https://i.postimg.cc/Qx5gLCB5/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-28-09-6.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Complete sitrep on the latest acquisition.

I must've mentioned a bunch of times that I've owned 4 E38s with a V8 heart in the past. In my opinion, E38 is the best looking 7 series to date and amongst my favorites from the BMW lineup.

Fully loaded E38 with a 12 banger under the hood was always on my bucket list and I was looking for one kinda periodically and it needed to check few boxes:
It had to be a facelift model (so '99 and up), reasonably priced and in need of some TLC, fully loaded with goodies like rear electric seats with heaters, picnic tables & mirrors in the headrest... preferably any color other than black or brownish ones and most importantly no rust!

You might think there's plenty to pick from in Germany and you'd be wrong, spec that I wanted is generally rare and without a shred of doubt, without even learning about the car you can bet that it will have rust, unless it was strictly driven in summer but such cars are even rarer and come with a nice price tag. I hate rust so much that I'd rather pull an engine and do other mechanical repairs than have a rust bucket.

The 7er I ended up with was a culmination of boredom, freshly received bonus at work and access to the internet. It was a gloomy and rainy month of May in Germany and I was doing what every normal person does, probably. I found myself browsing for used cars in Dubai, well-used BMWs naturally, when I stumbled upon this fine specimen listed for sale with a vague description and small pictures, a typical ad in other words.

https://i.postimg.cc/pyNDhbSp/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-24.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/4yFBdS60/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-33.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sG7pHK0P)

2000 750iL, Titanium silver (which is one of my favorite colors) with black soft leather interior and fully optioned with goodies that I wanted and 125k km on the clock (77k miles).

A very important thing to note about the car is that it is in fact a Euro-spec car with first delivery being Japan. As some might know, Japanese cars are generally very well kept cars (this one isn't anymore) and Euro-spec means it will be easier to get it to register it in Germany with probably some necessary tweaks. Here's a VIN if someone wants to look up its extensive options: DG50835

https://i.postimg.cc/qv1xwYhZ/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-35-2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/7Y6Rkg3c/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-35-1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I found the seller on WhatsApp and started chatting. His first response was: Come and see it. Cash only! which was obviously not going to happen given the distance between us but I did get more info and pictures eventually. As I mentioned, I was bored so I sent him a very nice low ball offer and after some back and forth haggling, he accepted it and that's when it all becomes serious.

https://i.postimg.cc/XvwFhzpb/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-34-39.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/G2nkM1Kr/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-27.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cKTgH2P5)

One thing I was particularly disappointed with after seeing this picture, besides the obvious remnants of the desert under the hood, was the lack of EDC shocks. It's clear that the wiring for it is missing on the top of the strut towers. Some might say that it's a good thing the conventional setup was swapped in but long term plan is to reinstate EDC shocks and SLS function for the rear. I happen to love EDC capabilities. At least this was the original plan but for the reasons I shall explain later, I will not be going down this route.

https://i.postimg.cc/KzpXyQH9/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-35-23.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

So I started doing more research to see what it would take to import the car to Germany, the cost, shipping etc... Only once have I bought a car sight unseen, it was my first car and the biggest mistake I made and that sorta determined my #1 rule when buying cars - never buy cars prior to inspecting them in person. As you can gather that rule went out of the window with this car but I was a bit smarter this time around and I found a shop in Dubai to perform a PPI. I got more close up pictures and a full report that didn't contain anything I wouldn't expect from a 20-year-old BMW.

https://i.postimg.cc/cJr1tgG5/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-01-at-19-28-09-1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

In the end, I was able to lower the price a tiny bit more, rendering the price good enough that I decided to gamble and wired the money to the guy.

https://i.postimg.cc/mDWxZtL9/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-09-at-11-06-35.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8F4Xtkrk)

https://i.postimg.cc/W1DgT4fT/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-09-at-11-06-45.jpg (https://postimg.cc/68XyhBXm)

The car left Dubai on May 28th and arrived at the port in Bremerhaven on June 28th, exactly one month of transport in a container on a cargo ship.

https://i.postimg.cc/mk82FQkJ/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-12-at-10-06-06-1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/3rBw6H11/Whats-App-Image-2019-05-12-at-10-06-07.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Took another month to clear customs and get it down to Frankfurt. I used a company called Berlin Motors USC which handled everything for me and I can't say enough good things about them. Shipping a car is always a nightmare but in this case, everything went perfectly smooth and without an issue. Simply unbelievable.

Delivery day!

https://i.postimg.cc/W4z2QD9w/20190723-110538.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KKXSTYh1)

Pulled it into the yard for a first look.

https://i.postimg.cc/wMG5QRb4/20190723-113856.jpg (https://postimg.cc/302DKNh2)

https://i.postimg.cc/1tyKmQqB/20190723-113844.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QBn7mvSK)

https://i.postimg.cc/dQH9YgtR/20190723-113911.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MXBB0PBX)

https://i.postimg.cc/vH4tHXcJ/20190723-113925.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CzVqcGC7)

https://i.postimg.cc/KjzrTDQg/20190723-113933.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Q92TG52X)

I'll talk about the condition of the car in the next update. For now, I give you 32 cylinders and 1.026 hp in one picture!

https://i.postimg.cc/656C1KsL/20190729-193431.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLVy5Wj5)

https://i.postimg.cc/Kv9B6WxX/20190729-193529.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CzqRDmRJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/T3pgfc3K/20190729-193637.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qNHzGynr)

https://i.postimg.cc/Sx38sznD/20190729-193704.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yDhWpxXZ)

https://i.postimg.cc/sgjQg4fY/20190729-193731.jpg (https://postimg.cc/56rNPvCy)

https://i.postimg.cc/rmrzPhgk/20190729-193819.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzTbcy0X)

https://i.postimg.cc/cJjrTqRh/20190729-193756.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mcYL2561)

704sw

08-05-2019, 06:41 AM

Then I found a screwdriver in the guts of the bumper, presumably dropped there by the incompetent imbecile who previously worked on this car.

Hey, I lost a T-25 bit down in the area where my DME/brake booster/brake fluid reservoir is, and I'm not taking that shit apart just to find it.

But this post gives me some confidence in tackling my A/C compressor issue. It's leaking a little bit (has been since I bought it), and I think this fall I'll take on the project.

Since in Germany you can't buy cans of R134a to refill the A/C anywhere, I had to find a cheerful Italian to do this part of the job.

Your cheerful Italian doesn't look very cheerful.

In my opinion, E38 is the best looking 7 series to date and amongst my favorites from the BMW lineup.

In my opinion a facelift E38 with M-Pars is the best looking full-size sedan ever. Although I'm partial to the non-long wheelbase model.

It was a gloomy and rainy month of May in Germany and I was doing what every normal person does, probably. I found myself browsing for used cars in Dubai

Ugh, story of my life bro.

it is in fact a Euro-spec car with first delivery being Japan

Dude you're out there finding unicorns like it's nothing lol.

https://i.postimg.cc/rmrzPhgk/20190729-193819.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzTbcy0X)

Damn son.

fredo

08-05-2019, 06:53 AM

Congrats on the sale. Those pics with your 3 cars look great. I'm in for details about the 750iL ! :thumbup

Sreten

08-06-2019, 05:59 AM

Hey, I lost a T-25 bit down in the area where my DME/brake booster/brake fluid reservoir is, and I'm not taking that shit apart just to find it.

Yeees, that's a normal occurrence, but we don't go around with wire cutters and start cutting everything in our way which is what someone did, so I had to express my displeasure.

But this post gives me some confidence in tackling my A/C compressor issue. It's leaking a little bit (has been since I bought it), and I think this fall I'll take on the project.

Do it, I didn't know much about A/C prior to doing this. Just make sure the system is evacuated before touching anything, otherwise you'll get refrigerant up your nostril like Nate.

Your cheerful Italian doesn't look very cheerful.

He had some deep thoughts when the picture was taken.

In my opinion a facelift E38 with M-Pars is the best looking full-size sedan ever. Although I'm partial to the non-long wheelbase model.

I totally agree here! I prefer the overall look of shorty E38 as well, but the iL has more presence and it's more of an eye-catcher in person. Also, if you sit in the back of the iL, you quickly realize the luxury that extra legroom gives.

Ugh, story of my life bro.

Idiot with money and thing for neglected BMWs is the worst kind.

Dude you're out there finding unicorns like it's nothing lol.

Unicorns, turd. Potato, potahto. :biggrin

Congrats on the sale. Those pics with your 3 cars look great. I'm in for details about the 750iL ! :thumbup

Thanks, Fredo! It's coming up soon.

wstr75

08-06-2019, 06:07 AM

Congrats on sale and congrats on purchase.

"I found a very nice buyer and the car will join his collection of 7 cars with this being the first BMW."

Curious, please tell us about the other 7 cars in his collection.

Sreten

08-06-2019, 06:32 AM

Thanks! Uh, Opel GT and then some Italian weird looking thing that resembles Lamborghini but it isn't one. After that, I kinda lost interest...

Sreten

08-13-2019, 12:15 AM

I'm making progress on the E38 and discovering that a proper dumbass worked on this car before. They just chucked in Bilstein's in and kept all old hardware from EDC shocks which is wrong and not compatible and resulted in broken rear shock mounts.

https://i.postimg.cc/fRYN3MJH/20190812-210825.jpg (https://postimg.cc/686SgJVR)

https://i.postimg.cc/W4ncnSmg/20190812-210829.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5H6r9BR2)

https://i.postimg.cc/502dkvpG/20190812-210839.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nsgPXXyY)

Just placed a huge order for new parts. This 2-ton turd will ride like new again!

fredo

08-13-2019, 04:25 AM

Mmhh ... Sounds like the same person worked on both the E31 and this car. :dunno

704sw

08-13-2019, 05:53 AM

Mmhh ... Sounds like the same person worked on both the E31 and this car. :dunno

My thoughts exactly. Should probably check the front bumper for leftover tools.

Sreten

08-13-2019, 06:34 AM

Who wants to watch me moan and kick the shit out of the M pars?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ0ds--DVrI&feature=youtu.be

fredo

08-13-2019, 07:11 AM

Oh, man. And that was only one wheel.

704sw

08-13-2019, 07:46 AM

Dude, I had a nearly identical experience on my buddyâ€™s 370z. â€œYea Iâ€™ll be happy to put new brake pads on for you.â€

Apparently a silverback gorilla torqued his lug nuts to a billion foot-pounds. To make matters worse Nissan uses stainless nuts with a chrome cover to look nice and it oxidizes between the layers, causing it to expand. Meaning itâ€™s no longer 21mm but not quite 22mm. I couldnâ€™t even get the first wheel off his car...

Will

08-13-2019, 03:50 PM

That was surprisingly hilarious to me; probably made me think of all the times that's happened to me. And, I agree, it did sound like a really bad porno. Lol.

Glad the bolts didn't break on you.

ZHPizza

08-14-2019, 01:29 PM

Who wants to watch me moan and kick the shit out of the M pars?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ0ds--DVrI&feature=youtu.be

needs more scheisses you uncultured ape

racer2086

08-14-2019, 05:41 PM

This is one hell of an epic thread. I remember cruising through the first 15 pages when I joined here and thought, "wow I should just look through here for vacation ideas."

Now I realize, I just replied to your thread on the E38 forum about this car and suspension stuff. TL;DR over there = get some good progressive lowering springs to pair with the Bilstein's and it will have the response and firmness of the ZHP without harsh bumps. Go Sachs or Bilstein touring if you want softer. New control arms front and rear are mandatory for tightness. Edit: just realized 77k! Those arms may not even be spent yet at those miles

Good luck...I guarantee you're going to find more interesting stuff based on your video... Check the ABS wheel sensors for some interesting repairs. I feel like those are some of the first for cutting corners...

Sreten

08-14-2019, 11:18 PM

Oh, man. And that was only one wheel.

Funnily enough, it was only this wheel that gave me trouble.

Dude, I had a nearly identical experience on my buddy’s 370z. “Yea I’ll be happy to put new brake pads on for you.”

Apparently a silverback gorilla torqued his lug nuts to a billion foot-pounds. To make matters worse Nissan uses stainless nuts with a chrome cover to look nice and it oxidizes between the layers, causing it to expand. Meaning it’s no longer 21mm but not quite 22mm. I couldn’t even get the first wheel off his car...

Lol! That sounds terrible. Typically I don't have this type of issues because I remove wheels on my cars often and I steer clear of German rust buckets.

That was surprisingly hilarious to me; probably made me think of all the times that's happened to me. And, I agree, it did sound like a really bad porno. Lol.

Glad the bolts didn't break on you.

Lol, thank you. To appreciate moments like, you have to experience it yourself.

needs more scheisses you uncultured ape

Plenty of that to come my Freund.

This is one hell of an epic thread. I remember cruising through the first 15 pages when I joined here and thought, "wow I should just look through here for vacation ideas."

Now I realize, I just replied to your thread on the E38 forum about this car and suspension stuff. TL;DR over there = get some good progressive lowering springs to pair with the Bilstein's and it will have the response and firmness of the ZHP without harsh bumps. Go Sachs or Bilstein touring if you want softer. New control arms front and rear are mandatory for tightness. Edit: just realized 77k! Those arms may not even be spent yet at those miles

Good luck...I guarantee you're going to find more interesting stuff based on your video... Check the ABS wheel sensors for some interesting repairs. I feel like those are some of the first for cutting corners...

Thank you!

ZHP with Koni FSD and stock springs is one of the best overall rides that I experienced. It ticks all of the boxes perfectly.

I won't be going with lowering springs, not my kind of a thing and it will just make a fuss when I take it to TUV. I ordered standard reinforced springs and I'll keep Billy's for now since they are in good condition. Hopefully the ride is not too harsh for my taste.

It's getting complete suspension overhaul, everything is worn out and due to be replaced. I actually have no idea if 77k are the original miles since it came with no service history to me.
Thrust arm bushes bear a date stamp from 2013 and look to be improperly installed and torqued with the car up in the air as they are twisted.

https://i.postimg.cc/xdcmjp5R/20190729-203340.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1g1XJHLn)

https://i.postimg.cc/cHCFScty/20190729-203232.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ft4c7mvB)

https://i.postimg.cc/prnk9XBs/20190729-203236.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JHMjv8vX)

https://i.postimg.cc/1zJv2dtr/20190729-203214.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mc13F87P)

https://i.postimg.cc/MTLdKj1c/20190729-203218.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cgQQFC9Z)

Wheel speed sensors are shot in the back, that's getting sorted as well. Rear ball joints shot as well, that's a fun one...

Btw, the complete car is in the original paint! I couldn't believe that given that the car is 20 years old but I'm super stoked about it! The plastic trim around the car has been repainted in body color and all of that will be replaced.

https://i.postimg.cc/KvpBXyrz/20190723-160444.jpg (https://postimg.cc/crYrY2zy)

https://i.postimg.cc/2SPW6FtN/20190723-160455.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VJWvZM1K)

Sreten

08-15-2019, 04:57 AM

Here's a whole lot removed.

https://i.postimg.cc/pVYdcWN5/20190813-203034.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9z0VrjQc)

https://i.postimg.cc/DZ1zTF8D/20190813-203020.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BLQ3Tr5c)

racer2086

08-15-2019, 06:51 PM

Ooooh it does get better! Double washers on the PS hose and is that oil pan welded or just taken off-road?

Arms probably installed wrong... Surprised that bushing isn't leaking. You are moving along fast!

Sreten

08-16-2019, 01:06 AM

Yep, some genius used 4 crush washers on that PS line. The oil pan is beaten up pretty good, scraping and dents all over. I bought a good used one that I dropped off with powder coater.

New springs in.

https://i.postimg.cc/B6528hTt/20190815-210659.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qhRNSxZd)

The difference between front EDC springs and standard springs is staggering.

https://i.postimg.cc/tJ2PkYmj/20190815-211022.jpg (https://postimg.cc/y33kYYHQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/VsRjmVsV/20190815-211052.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ThKycQDV)

https://i.postimg.cc/kXYKtRbN/20190815-211124.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XpFpRJxX)

The rear ones are about the same, maybe the standard springs are a tad bit shorter.

https://i.postimg.cc/8PzL5mjP/20190815-210830.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G964gYFZ)

https://i.postimg.cc/Wz2g0M88/20190815-210920.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ph6mH5g5)

But here's the main difference and why EDC springs are not compatible with standard struts.

This is how standard stock springs are sitting on the strut, fits like a glove.

https://i.postimg.cc/fyKFvfNR/20190815-215147.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2L12kvys)

https://i.postimg.cc/bYHK8ptf/20190815-215203.jpg (https://postimg.cc/c6CDBqhF)

And here's EDC springs, they simply cannot be installed properly.

https://i.postimg.cc/sg4FcWp8/20190815-215243.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Yv0y2hDf)

https://i.postimg.cc/3w8sbw1w/20190815-215255.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w1r41gSK)

I'm aware that the car will be sitting higher in the front (like from the factory) but I sure do hope they compress easier and settle because the difference in length is unbelievable.

Sreten

08-22-2019, 08:34 AM

Here's a bit of a closer look into the E38.

But first, meet my new best friends. #sadlife

Phenomenal versatile Bosch work light. Has a strong magnet and a hook, best 100 euros I ever spent.

https://i.postimg.cc/SKgYLngS/20190731-193830.jpg (https://postimg.cc/67GQtpsg)

https://i.postimg.cc/YCfX1BTr/20190731-193843.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mPkNsJbJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/jSrgwSg3/20190731-193851.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TpCqBfXn)

Cordless impact wrench. Should've gotten one years ago.

https://i.postimg.cc/s2L5Wnff/20190811-154157.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TyryMJWB)

As mentioned, the car has 125.000 km on the clock (77k miles) but it has no service history other than few invoices from recent years. Judging by the state of it and general wear and tear I'd say it's probably original km. Also PA Soft is reading this km in the ECU as well.

My impression of the car is that this was a very well maintained car while it residing in Japan and then got neglected last few years in Dubai and serviced by hack mechanics.

Here's what we have in the interior.

The window switch button is worn. I'll replace it with E39 window switch panel since they feel much sturdy and are a direct fit.

https://i.postimg.cc/DZXFfzYf/20190730-114005.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6qLf7mL)

The ashtray is crooked.

https://i.postimg.cc/Rh1BfDBj/20190730-114021.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Pvq9nKN4)

The front armrest is melting.

https://i.postimg.cc/7hr45yp3/20190730-114027.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2bGMtgjy)

Rear sun blinds are falling apart and/or missing.

https://i.postimg.cc/KvNb8wQT/20190730-114056.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8jj9yy2k)

https://i.postimg.cc/3xfHgGsJ/20190730-114100.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NKXVtKGW)

https://i.postimg.cc/BZ2sdXKM/20190730-114104.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7bPpzPX2)

https://i.postimg.cc/vZZsghSN/20190730-114210.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QHwPvQDQ)

C pillars are obliterated.

https://i.postimg.cc/CKZpJ10C/20190730-114114.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gwP72Gnr)

https://i.postimg.cc/HsHHHd0H/20190730-114120.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w3WnQKbb)

Lower B pillar trim: tabs broken on both sides.

https://i.postimg.cc/hGHWYB4k/20190730-114125.jpg (https://postimg.cc/B8cV8RKp)

https://i.postimg.cc/hjTWW5ff/20190730-114225.jpg (https://postimg.cc/tZqmFDdj)

Crack in the windshield.

https://i.postimg.cc/fy7vNxcc/20190729-205139.jpg (https://postimg.cc/30RGj0bN)

Right mirror glass spilled its guts.

https://i.postimg.cc/263CBwcw/20190730-114327.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N9h331w9)

Also drivers side door panel is flimsy and tabs need to be replaced, interior lighting not working (fixed, a fuse was blown), rear electric headrests are not working, headliner still holding up but needs to be redone, tint needs to be removed and the interior smells like a chemical plant from some glue or whatever was used inside.

But the cup holders work! That's astonishing since they are always broken on E38's.

Overall, not the worst condition of the interior that I've had. Leather is in very good condition and once all of the broken plastic bits are replaced, headliner and pillars rewrapped in Alcantara and interior fully detailed and cleaned it will be a very nice place to sit in.

Mechanical condition after a quick look around.

The radiator was replaced in 2012 and thankfully they used an OEM part.

https://i.postimg.cc/mrbkX7kx/20190729-203157.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hX5KhzVM)

The lower oil pan is beaten up and leaking from the gasket.

https://i.postimg.cc/cLdtjpk5/20190729-203205.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9rNfwnhG)

https://i.postimg.cc/W3qdgTtt/20190729-203218.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G8r310F1)

Power steering leak from the line on the pump. Note the 4 crush washers.

https://i.postimg.cc/PrSdX0r7/20190729-203214.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rKRBgn4G)

The serpentine belt is looking lovely and by that, I mean on a verge of snapping. Plus there's a grinding noise coming from one of the pulleys.

https://i.postimg.cc/13HBjhPv/Capture.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CRRbR2R8)

Lower control arm ball joints shot.

https://i.postimg.cc/J0PChBmX/20190729-203232.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bSDBCrZY)

Thrust arm bushing improperly installed and now twisted because of it.

https://i.postimg.cc/jS6Qn6mB/20190729-203340.jpg (https://postimg.cc/18tNLF9K)

Sway bar links are shot. Actually, the complete suspension is shot.

https://i.postimg.cc/HsHdwXLb/20190729-203236.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Wt9BjDg4)

Dent in the spare tire wheel well.

https://i.postimg.cc/WbL5D4tF/20190729-204444.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3W1XVYXY)

Oil leak from the selector shaft seal.

https://i.postimg.cc/QdNk5KDt/Whats-App-Image-2019-08-21-at-00-09-11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Ln71FXnK)

Then the radiator brackets are broken, there's an oil leak from one of the oil separator valves, brake booster hose was replaced with a generic one, rear brakes are shot, brake lines are looking poor, rear-wheel speed sensors are bad, hood insulation looks like crap, headlights need to be converted to right-hand traffic... plenty more to come and discover as I move my merry way through this vehicle.

In case it's not clear enough, yes, it's yet another turd that's going to get some love.

But there's some good news as well. The complete car is in original paint!
I find this to be outstanding considering the age of the car and places its been to. After paint correction, it will def look great.

https://i.postimg.cc/SK0hKMHX/20190723-160444.jpg (https://postimg.cc/68hSjyWw)

https://i.postimg.cc/yNFz3NzL/20190723-160455.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Y4qPJM0F)

That said, the front bumper is damaged and cracked.

https://i.postimg.cc/dQzP6dt5/20190802-154837.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rzCPFD44)

https://i.postimg.cc/76st5vbB/20190730-113938.jpg (https://postimg.cc/vgntKNr9)

https://i.postimg.cc/m2Fpg54w/20190730-113940.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WhTw9ShF)

And the plastic trim around the car has been poorly repainted in body color so that needs to be sorted as well.

https://i.postimg.cc/26MJHRm1/20190730-114341.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CBCm12R0)

But look how good it looks after its first wash!

https://i.postimg.cc/7Y6G3Fh3/20190809-171228.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7bFZDQgh)

https://i.postimg.cc/mrxPGhwj/20190809-171240.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Hr2YwYF8)

https://i.postimg.cc/sgGM85p1/20190809-171255.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Yvk2LGDw)

https://i.postimg.cc/q78zB0DT/20190809-171306.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DWw2BVKj)

https://i.postimg.cc/G2d9HN6s/20190809-171309.jpg (https://postimg.cc/wt49rWq6)

https://i.postimg.cc/QtmC5mrY/20190809-171313.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CBZwpj5b)

https://i.postimg.cc/vTmBvnYY/20190809-171322.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KkdxGR3w)

I'm starting with sorting the car mechanically and first on my shitlist was to pull struts and shocks and learn why the car drives and handles like a sack full of potatoes pushed down a very steep hill.

Here's the whole lot removed.

https://i.postimg.cc/cJr6YwJd/20190813-202952.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CZpFpZD2)

https://i.postimg.cc/ydRdpK95/20190813-203020.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hzSchH2b)

https://i.postimg.cc/3NHwPqFw/20190813-203028.jpg (https://postimg.cc/HcBHMBKG)

I learned a couple of things. A person that deleted EDC shocks on this car and installed Bilstein's is a proper dumbass as they didn't do it properly. All they did was install new shocks and reused old EDC hardware which couldn't be more wrong.

First of all, EDC springs don't and can't fit properly on standard struts as shown here.

https://i.postimg.cc/sg4FcWp8/20190815-215243.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Yv0y2hDf)

https://i.postimg.cc/gk1G5Qcb/20190815-215243.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BXcWPh1m)

Here's how a correct spring for standard suspension sits on the strut.

https://i.postimg.cc/4NYJWsg1/20190815-215203.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Mv82TkXc)

https://i.postimg.cc/bv3WXS0S/20190815-215147.jpg (https://postimg.cc/v1x3fBNG)

Notice the difference in height between old EDC spring and the standard one.

https://i.postimg.cc/FRbZtMXW/20190815-211022.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CB1Dk61k)

Rear mounts for EDC have a larger hole and are different, they used custom sleeves which resulted in broken shock mounts.

https://i.postimg.cc/Hk2dxx4d/20190812-210825.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RWNjpvDD)

https://i.postimg.cc/W41jJvXr/20190812-210829.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LJwGrrd6)

https://i.postimg.cc/1z7SGjjd/20190812-210839.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hJmNgpg8)

Rear springs are also different and so are the metal plates and cups. I had to buy everything new.

Anyways, after around $2.500 being burnt on spare parts, big boxes started to show up and I quickly became the most hated person for the delivery guys.

https://i.postimg.cc/LsG9dW31/20190815-185450.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Y4fKYbVr)

https://i.postimg.cc/J7N1gPDs/20190815-190137.jpg (https://postimg.cc/V5NQ09Fw)

https://i.postimg.cc/vTtbVZFr/20190815-190150.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9w063Vf0)

Look at this bad boy. Surely the delivery guy didn't curse my name once.

https://i.postimg.cc/43WczXZT/20190821-185929.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qtCgrVzm)

Btw, I hate the Italian who bought my M5 new and didn't tick the box for rear folded seats. It's probably the most useful thing to have in a car.

https://i.postimg.cc/PfSXbKCY/20190821-193720.jpg (https://postimg.cc/XXy64fcY)

I'll close out with some parts porn. Complete front and rear suspension laid out.

https://i.postimg.cc/sXtvcXNb/20190821-200453.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zbFzDJ5k)

https://i.postimg.cc/dtF0tzPR/20190821-200505.jpg (https://postimg.cc/py0vscdy)

https://i.postimg.cc/y6cdK75Y/20190821-200533.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6T6wLxtD)

https://i.postimg.cc/PJWrQMZ8/20190821-200543.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1VzQ9wv9)

https://i.postimg.cc/brcwn5Gh/20190821-200555.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DJ6hkBdj)

holyc0w

08-22-2019, 11:26 AM

Look at this bad boy. Surely the delivery guy didn't curse my name once.

https://i.postimg.cc/43WczXZT/20190821-185929.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qtCgrVzm)

35562

fredo

08-22-2019, 11:31 AM

The car needs new belts ASAP.

Sreten

08-23-2019, 01:05 AM

35562

Funnily enough, nothing spectacular, just piss poor packaging by the seller. The only large item was the windshield cowl which got bent.

https://i.postimg.cc/Y2X0HmJN/20190821-190113.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6TvtVT6T)

And randomly scattered nuts and bolts in a box that has holes.

https://i.postimg.cc/XqT0v3KW/20190821-190316.jpg (https://postimg.cc/y3XGfMrp)

https://i.postimg.cc/fb2WhGPz/20190821-190322.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qtKHs50S)

Went to fix the power steering leak yesterday and of course the 2 washers that I ordered for this were not there.

The car needs new belts ASAP.

Indeed.

wstr75

08-23-2019, 11:28 AM

holyc0w

08-23-2019, 11:48 AM

Funnily enough, nothing spectacular, just piss poor packaging by the seller. The only large item was the windshield cowl which got bent.

And randomly scattered nuts and bolts in a box that has holes.

FCPEuro is that you?

I kkeed...I keed

704sw

08-23-2019, 12:21 PM

FCPEuro is that you?

I kkeed...I keed

Savage

Sreten

08-24-2019, 02:46 PM

That is tough luck with the poor parts packaging. Sreten, do you think it was the exposure to high ambient temperatures in the Middle East that may have caused the console degradation? Maybe the high ambient temperatures also affected the headliner components?

Shit happens, washers are like 50 cents just annoying when you need them.

Well, I'm still trying to piece the history of this car together. I know it originally lived in Japan and then in Dubai for some years, just don't know exactly how many. I was also told it served as an official vehicle for Japanese embassy.

Weirdly the headliner is still holding up, looks like they only did a minor repair near the sunroof. But overall doesn't look good and I'll rewrap it in Alcantara.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190824/ff9f6f263647e68575eae3ec0aeb301f.jpg

The C pillars had broken tabs and they tried to glue then and in the process they broke them even more. The also has tint which is a must in Dubai.

FCPEuro is that you?

I kkeed...I keed

Lol, I only used FCP few times and never had issues with them but I keep reading about poor packaging lately.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

holyc0w

08-24-2019, 03:25 PM

Lol, I only used FCP few times and never had issues with them but I keep reading about poor packaging lately.

I haven't had issues either. I think the washers were at least put in a bag IIRC. But there were packages like that with a lot of empty space in them with just a bit of paper stuffed in. Plenty of room for stuff to fly around or the package to get damaged

Sreten

09-01-2019, 12:14 PM

Well, boys and girls, I already talked about it in previous posts but I finally did it. Here's the final product of my attempt at making a restoration video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00pL7DDJpvw

I've been feeling for some time now it was time for a step up. I love posting pictures and write-ups and I'll keep doing it, but I feel it's time to try something new so I stepped out of my comfort zone and went with it. I toyed with a few different ideas on how to go about this and having tried some different formats, I came up with this.

I have never done anything like this and I still have mixed feelings about it. Trying to film yourself feels weird and uncomfortable, also this is my very first time editing so be gentle with me. :biggrin

holyc0w

09-01-2019, 12:33 PM

Love the C-pillar part :D

PdZHP

09-01-2019, 07:09 PM

Subscribed and hit the like!

az3579

09-01-2019, 08:31 PM

"This is starting to sound like a porn"

I'm dying.

Sreten

09-01-2019, 11:05 PM

Love the C-pillar part :D

That's a fun one, isn't it. : ) Btw, smashing out glued kidney grills was oddly satisfying.

Subscribed and hit the like!

Cheers!

"This is starting to sound like a porn"

I'm dying.

Lol, thank you!

holyc0w

09-02-2019, 05:53 AM

That's a fun one, isn't it. : ) Btw, smashing out glued kidney grills was oddly satisfying.

I can imagine. When's the next one coming out? :biggrin

I looked up the Invo tires. Apparently they are made by Nitto. Pretty low treadwear rating

Sreten

09-02-2019, 06:25 AM

Ugh, probably not for a while. I'm in the middle of the suspension overhaul and everything is taking 3 times longer when you try to film it. I want to do most of the mechanical work and pack it in part 2.

Yeah, I looked them up later as well. :biggrin

BMWCurves

09-02-2019, 08:11 AM

Waiting for the outside possibility of "what have I done? Let's just scuttle the whole thing and do it as a tax write off"

Jokes aside, loved the video

DeathTrap

09-02-2019, 09:01 AM

Excellent video. It will become more polished with time. How many hours did you have in editing it?

johnrando

09-02-2019, 09:28 AM

Good stuff!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Sreten

09-02-2019, 11:13 PM

Waiting for the outside possibility of "what have I done? Let's just scuttle the whole thing and do it as a tax write off"

Jokes aside, loved the video

Lol, thanks, Will! Much appreciated.

Normal person would probably be pulling its hair out right about now, I see it as a challenge and can't wait to go to the garage and work on it. It has good bones and deserves to be saved. So far, knock wood, everything looks fixable.

If you remember the E46 325i M Sport Stratus gray that I bought to flip quickly, now that was a "what have I bought" moment. The tie rods were rusted so badly that alignment couldn't be done, I wanted to go underneath it to have a look and I started to lift it by the left jack point -- I just heard rust crunching and jack pad sinking, the immediate reaction was Nope, not touching this rusty garbage anymore.

I sold it disclosing that and the guy who bought it stays in touch and has started to sort it out. He removed the side skirts and there is soooo much rust.

Excellent video. It will become more polished with time. How many hours did you have in editing it?

Thank you! Absolutely, I'm a novice with editing and it should become better with time.
If the sound is one of the shortcomings you noticed, you see me walking around with a microphone but it's actually not working because I'm dumb and realized that too late. My stupid phone needed a special TRRS cable in order for the microphone to work so everything up until the outro is phone mic. I was so pissed after realizing that and I'm an IT guy...

Well, not really sure as I didn't account for the hours, I'd say I spent about 3 weeks playing with it, trying out different things and learning beginners editing. That said, I didn't spend every hour editing, last 5 days while I was on vacation back home were the most productive ones. I also got sick in the meantime, my stupid voice changed and I had to wait for it to pass as I sounded like a completely different person in voice-over, lol.

Good stuff!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thanks, John!

Sreten

09-03-2019, 12:17 AM

Btw, still waiting on @704sw & @ZHPizza for feedback. :shifty

ZHPizza

09-03-2019, 12:28 PM

Btw, still waiting on @704sw & @ZHPizza for feedback. :shifty

I'll get back to you when I find 15 minutes to sit still

I'm eating like week old pizza right now so might have an opportunity later tonight if this cheese is overripe

az3579

09-03-2019, 01:28 PM

I'm eating like week old pizza right now so might have an opportunity later tonight if this cheese is overripe

Thank you so, so much for that.

holyc0w

09-03-2019, 06:33 PM

Holy crap, LMAO :rofl

Sreten

09-04-2019, 05:05 AM

I'll get back to you when I find 15 minutes to sit still

I'm eating like week old pizza right now so might have an opportunity later tonight if this cheese is overripe

Dude, no sweat. I was just hunting for an amusing post from your side and I got one!

That sounds awful. 2 words for you: Frozen ZHPizza.

racer2086

09-04-2019, 02:18 PM

FCPEuro is that you?

I kkeed...I keed

:rofl LMAO

Nothing like dropping $800 buying control arms, coolant, o-rings, etc and getting one big flimsy cardboard box, retaped by the shipping company, with a hole like a grenade went off, and some baggies of small parts hanging out. I mean, I'm cheap and chose economy shipping but what's a couple extra pieces of tape cost or a thicker box?

Btw, some gems in this thread..."overripe cheese" bahaha

ZHPizza

09-05-2019, 05:12 PM

fredo

09-05-2019, 06:02 PM

LOL ... ZHPizza never disappoints. :thumbup

Chaplian

09-05-2019, 06:14 PM

Also watched the video, and loved it! Subscribed.

I know there's something wrong with me because I'm now browsing the classifieds for E38s...

9. Needs more schiesses

X2

Sreten

09-06-2019, 12:24 AM

Dude. Two frozen quesadillas later, I've finished the video. My thoughts:

1. Your accent is dope. It makes everything more fun.

2. Loved the pure joy at finding working cupholders

3. And knocking out the c pillar lights

4. I need a cocaine table in my car

5. Did you ever figure out what the smell was?

6. The whole run through of the busted interior was really fun

7. "Wee 12" is funny to hear - Germany has ruined you

8. Thanks for bleeping that f bomb my virgin ears can't handle such profanity

9. Needs more schiesses

Overall, I LOVED IT

It was like one of your stupid long posts but you read it to me and added action shots. I couldn't ask for more.

1. Merci! I always get different reactions to my stupid voice.

2. Dude, I was fully expecting broken cup holders. Literally in all previous ones I had they were kaput and I had to fix them with epoxy and paper clips. They are so expensive new.

3. Very useful feature.

4. Come to Deutschland, I'll borrow you mine. We can drink cows juice and have a party.

5. Nein, I asked the guy who sold me the car and he said there wasn't any smell in it which is probably bull. I left the windows open and along with that filter, it's pretty much gone. The headliner I'll replace, clean the carpets and leather and I think that should get rid of it completely.

6. I thought that make for a fun watch since it's very broken.

7. It's better than Fau ZwÃ¶lf. It really did, I work with a Brit, Indian, German and Italian. No one has a consistent accent, every now and then I'll run into an American and realize how much I miss proper American accent. I'm surrounded by German, at home I basically speak 2 different languages with my girlfriend and I'm currently in negotiations about a motor vehicle in Spanish.

8. No worries, boo. I got you covered. I get frustrated easily then I shout and swear but I read YouTube doesn't like that.

9. Next time. Not easy to think clearly when filming yourself. Most of the time I get stuck and forget how to speak properly.

Thank you!

LOL ... ZHPizza never disappoints. :thumbup

He never does.

Also watched the video, and loved it! Subscribed.

I know there's something wrong with me because I'm now browsing the classifieds for E38s...

X2

Thank you! Nothing wrong with that, it's a great land yacht and they can be had for cheap money. Also, V8 sounds a lot better than V12!

Sreten

09-16-2019, 05:23 AM

Dios mÃ*o.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/184ef01158bfa088a6d42a4cfd1bd779.jpg

You'd think I'd learn by now...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/680c746599db03d4a65c896bcd284e0f.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/7a1e1260a9da8b65ac9cf8614e2e0f95.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/3592bfd97fe4b8f5f15ba4bd1a84e481.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/368b339ebe155e9a793808ff0d4533f8.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/0152a3107e866bcbb87a1c03f7a6879b.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/f72a9de0438bd84a1eec271a33c5e55b.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/b5de218ed36c594afe3d25234f5dafbb.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

704sw

09-16-2019, 10:48 AM

That steering wheel and those pillar gauges...Yikes!

ZHPizza

09-16-2019, 11:08 AM

I think you found the official color of that time period

Sreten

09-16-2019, 11:18 AM

The steering wheel, gauges, shift knob and handbrake lever are atrocious!

He told me he had the original steering wheel and the rest of the parts but he couldn't find them in the end sadly.

This is by far the worst condition car I ever bought, it's been sitting since around 2011, brakes are stuck, fuel pumps missing, I couldn't even crank over the engine.

But it's Laguna green metallic with a 6-speed, beautiful BBS rims and it was cheap! So I bought it...

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

ZHPizza

09-16-2019, 11:20 AM

Lmao this hunk of shit is definitely gonna generate a healthy amount of schiesses

Sreten

09-16-2019, 11:28 AM

Its current residence is in Castro Urdiales in an underground garage and it was parked tightly up against the wall. It will be super fun getting it out of there with its stuck brakes and clutch that doesn't come back up.

This is what it looked like 10 years ago. World's smallest pictures.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/9d68c9a87ce4e8b84d3ce3bf9b514518.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190916/a114f0d3601c8651b6aaea20761cb8dd.jpg

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

704sw

09-16-2019, 02:10 PM

Style 5 wheels look good on every single 90s BMW.

Change my mind.

Chaplian

09-16-2019, 04:40 PM

Style 5 wheels look good on every single 90s BMW.

Change my mind.

https://live.staticflickr.com/5323/9455725064_ed370fac3f_b.jpg

Style 32s are superior, fite me.

holyc0w

09-16-2019, 04:57 PM

That steering wheel and those pillar gauges...Yikes!

Almost blew the welds on the intake

wstr75

09-16-2019, 05:23 PM

Beautiful car. The Laguna Green color and 12 cylinders make it a rare car, yes?

John in VA

09-16-2019, 05:38 PM

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-850i-66/?fbclid=IwAR2fWWKbJ1yHqxUmQkkN_Hx0H8uxBPQ9YyNxJkJe h8j2gue--Cntba5Lig8

az3579

09-16-2019, 06:36 PM

https://live.staticflickr.com/5323/9455725064_ed370fac3f_b.jpg

Style 32s are superior, fite me.

Yeah and the ti is a bad example too... not a good looking car at all IMO.

Sreten

09-16-2019, 11:52 PM

The color and the wheels is pretty much why I bought it. That and the 6-speed of course.

I can't explain it but I hate compact E36 and E46, they just look wrong.

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704sw

09-17-2019, 04:23 AM

The E36 compact Iâ€™ve always liked, probably because I knew someone who had one back in high school. The E46 compact, on the other hand...well I just pretend it was never a thing.

wstr75

09-17-2019, 04:31 AM

I can't explain it but I hate compact E36 and E46, they just look wrong.

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I guess it is just like how some guys prefer big women.

holyc0w

09-17-2019, 05:45 AM

I like the e46 compact. It's like they updated the e46 looks and blended them into the next generation. I think they look pretty neat and a compact rwd car is [emoji106].

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wstr75

09-17-2019, 08:32 AM

Every day is a day at school as I did not know about the E46 compact until reading the above posts and searching good old Google:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_Compact

From the wikipedia link:
The failure of the E36 Compact precluded the E46 Compact's entry into the North American market, and prompted BMW to reconfigure the BMW Compact's successor, the BMW 1 Series, from a liftback to a coupe before attempting to market the car in North America again.

racer2086

09-17-2019, 06:51 PM

That E46 compact makes the E36 compact look good. Wow I'm glad they didn't sell them over here because then I would have to see them.

Sreten

09-19-2019, 12:19 PM

And then there were 2.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190919/c26197ce096276d42349fe7e20d8d183.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190919/1f3588d321d0c2738794eb40aa67abcc.jpg

This is what happens when girlfriend is not home to slap me.

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704sw

09-19-2019, 12:45 PM

That one looks pretty clean

Sreten

09-19-2019, 12:57 PM

Ah, but wait.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190919/4b3d2a2bff4627938c670207a85efbee.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190919/9d5d7aee6cc1541340470041de6afbde.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190919/f1d415faef12323a8de2f847cc541ea0.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190919/27b7781718c62d37180deb0439f35665.jpg

This one is extra crispy. I'm challenging Botond.

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holyc0w

09-19-2019, 04:11 PM

:cigar

704sw

09-19-2019, 04:36 PM

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190920/5cff5c5cad23a25617dc3139420779e7.jpg

RUS_ZHP

09-21-2019, 09:21 AM

That rust is pretty serious!
You're crazy car guy no question!
Love to read you stories. I am couple of month behind, but winter is coming soon, so I'll catch up-:)

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az3579

09-21-2019, 03:25 PM

wstr75

09-23-2019, 05:18 PM

Myself and two age 22 mechanical engineers are going to be drinking beer in your town this weekend. They have researched the local celebrations. Apparently Frankfurt has an outstanding beer festival. We are on the way to Copenhagen and chose Frankfurt as our weekend spot while waiting to visit a testing laboratory in Aachen next Monday. One engineer is fluent in German (and gets himself in trouble easily) so it will be extra fun. If I see a sharp looking older 5 or 8 Series will tell my young accomplices, “Hey, I know that guy and he really does great BMW restorations!”

Sreten

09-23-2019, 11:35 PM

Very nice! I had no idea about that festival, not sure if I'll have time but I'd love to grab a beer with you.

I've been in Aachen couple a years ago, beautiful small town. You can only see a sharp-looking M5, others are in a state of disrepair currently, lol.

In other news, the crispy beast sprung to life. It's been sitting for 5 years in this very spot, forgotten n neglected. Changed oil & filter, fresh gas and pair of batteries and it fired up! Video coming soon.

https://i.postimg.cc/P5PRtrv0/20190923-192408.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yDCPjKPT)

https://i.postimg.cc/3Jbtb5f1/20190923-192415.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2VhdVJDL)

https://i.postimg.cc/BZpYH1xd/20190923-192651.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mhcyGkpw)

https://i.postimg.cc/jSwZpgGb/20190923-193834.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xXQvHRfx)

https://i.postimg.cc/KYtQzKGp/20190923-193845.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WDb0Y1J0)

BMWCurves

09-28-2019, 06:06 AM

Sreten

09-28-2019, 12:17 PM

I love original Arrested Development.

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BMWCurves

09-28-2019, 05:18 PM

I love original Arrested Development.

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Mmmmmmmmm...Busterâ€™s Hot Ham Water([emoji769])

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Sreten

09-29-2019, 04:11 PM

Here's the video of the rust bucket 750iL. Not everything turned out as a wanted and I had some interference with the microphone but I hope it's not too bad to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pta0_-BUyM&feature=youtu.be

Will

09-30-2019, 03:37 PM

Great video, thanks for documenting and putting that together for us. 3...2...1... doh; I feel your pain.

Will you be transferring the hydraulic trunk close mechanism?

holyc0w

09-30-2019, 04:05 PM

That oil really shined up that plastic.

Chaplian

09-30-2019, 04:50 PM

I'm loving the videos! Keep 'em coming.

Also, some sick, twisted part of me wants that E38 to fix up and bring back to its former glory.

I think I just heard my wallet whimper.

Sreten

10-01-2019, 12:50 AM

Great video, thanks for documenting and putting that together for us. 3...2...1... doh; I feel your pain.

Will you be transferring the hydraulic trunk close mechanism?

Haha, that was pretty stupid of me. The funnel came with the oil and I thought might as well use it so I don't spill anything... Yet I kept using it after the mishap.

That immediately crossed my mind as that is a really cool feature to have on a '90s car but it's a lot of work to retrofit it, the wiring and then cutting out the hole on the inner side of the rear quarter panel.

That oil really shined up that plastic.

Now there's a top tip. :biggrin

I'm loving the videos! Keep 'em coming.

Also, some sick, twisted part of me wants that E38 to fix up and bring back to its former glory.

I think I just heard my wallet whimper.

Thank you! Appreciate the good feedback.

Me too, it's been so neglected that it deserves better, it has good bones but rust is too much fore me. Btw, E38 goes well next to E46. ;)

Sreten

10-10-2019, 12:45 AM

Update incoming.

I haven't done much on the M5 to be honest, just racking up the kilometers on it and it's been trouble-free (knock on wood). We are at 187k km / 116k miles.

Insurance luckily covered the stolen mirrors and now I'm finally complete in that regard as I bought new/used ones. The Chinese glass worked fine for a while but they start wobbling a lot when at speed.

Scored this used but never installed right side mirror glass on eBay for half of the price of the new one.

https://i.postimg.cc/gJ4r1ZyT/20190623-150753.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WFF2ktHG)

https://i.postimg.cc/Y2nh3QC4/20190623-150809.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LhP94YfR)

https://i.postimg.cc/PJxNH52r/20190623-150624.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1nkycPkL)

https://i.postimg.cc/gJGnMDhh/20190623-150607.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CZ6h5bmM)

https://i.postimg.cc/QCyCdZyg/20190623-201957.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xNLn6hYq)

And for the left side, I found a used one that's in good nick for a reasonable price. Hopefully, these don't end up stolen. 😊

https://i.postimg.cc/CL8Sq8Bp/20190918-190403.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xc9wrc36)

https://i.postimg.cc/YSrHZyXt/20190918-190407.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jDFmJv01)

https://i.postimg.cc/QdrskM19/20190918-190729.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RNGjv4P4)

Changed cabin air filters awhile back, I do this yearly.

https://i.postimg.cc/T3BKMbyk/20190909-185445.jpg (https://postimg.cc/DSdv18Ps)

E31 arrived swiftly the same week I bought it, a Polish company picked it up on Thursday 7 pm and the car was already in Frankfurt on Friday evening 10 pm.

https://i.postimg.cc/43B50YzP/20190921-072907.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ns9BjcS9)

https://i.postimg.cc/zvRF3p42/20190921-073340.jpg (https://postimg.cc/H8dyh0Yb)

https://i.postimg.cc/W3y72xYJ/20190921-073402.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hz9msZBS)

https://i.postimg.cc/Y903BtRH/IMG-20190922-WA0006.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzxMQfKX)

It's a work in progress and yesterday I got it to run! So far it's what you'd expect, wrong and loose spark plugs, disconnected or dead ignition wires... I'm working on the video as well, it'll be the first car buying road trip that I video documented.

Last weekend I took a break from working on cars and we went to Austria, just across the border and made a tour to Bavaria with a visit to the Neuschwanstein Castle.

Lots of traffic and congestion on the way but totally worth it.

https://i.postimg.cc/HnR2GNHj/Whats-App-Image-2019-10-03-at-17-35-30.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7J170m5y)

Front wheels are totally coated with brake dust hence the color difference, D2Racing sport pads have a great stopping power but man do they dust.

https://i.postimg.cc/QxhFFfLB/20191003-171320.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hhZDwbtg)

We stayed in the hotel right under the Highline179 which is one the longest suspension bridges for pedestrians in the world with a span of 403 meters (1,322 ft).

https://i.postimg.cc/XNxFdDz9/20191003-173757.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0rMbqZxN)

https://i.postimg.cc/bNJnTH7W/20191003-173802.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w3C3xJTQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/9Fn7NwVM/20191003-173809.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZC6nWRWt)

https://i.postimg.cc/bwStXYNR/20191003-174747.jpg (https://postimg.cc/zy5BKrhL)

It's super sketchy walking on this thing as it's very wobbly and floaty but you get used to it after a while.

https://i.postimg.cc/k4TjWSwF/20191003-180154.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FdJg47M7)

https://i.postimg.cc/J0tpxh2w/20191003-180334.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CnTCLw0J)

https://i.postimg.cc/KjKdzQFg/20191003-175017.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xN2spvX0)

https://i.postimg.cc/y8PB2QNV/20191003-180617.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K1RdM5LV)

https://i.postimg.cc/259YS1vM/20191003-181217.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nsmgdc3G)

https://i.postimg.cc/fL3NtMfL/20191003-181224.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CBVt9TtT)

https://i.postimg.cc/Y0KsrF2p/20191003-181554.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jwcXvLJ9)

Would love to see the wrench for this giant nut.

https://i.postimg.cc/WbVHx0f8/20191003-182719.jpg (https://postimg.cc/0rtnwKvK)

https://i.postimg.cc/cCkt7RKW/20191003-183429.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YLgSMmfD)

https://i.postimg.cc/Njqf3CvV/20191003-183205.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Tp06m9wq)

https://i.postimg.cc/qvsM4ck7/20191003-183915.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SnKpGMY0)

The next day we headed to Bavaria. First was the visit to Hohenschwangau Castle which is the smaller one of the 2.
We had a short tour inside but it was not allowed to take photos.

https://i.postimg.cc/yNhnH8pR/20191004-110417.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Z9R6P4SY)

https://i.postimg.cc/8ccbMBpd/20191004-111119.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1Vx6ZFN4)

https://i.postimg.cc/wv0V1bpT/20191004-112147.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LYgf7D5r)

https://i.postimg.cc/66bcwScM/20191004-113417.jpg (https://postimg.cc/py8zJsgj)

https://i.postimg.cc/XqPk8GqR/20191004-113424.jpg (https://postimg.cc/xNKmjdK5)

https://i.postimg.cc/TYy9P9Hf/20191004-113432.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KR2Lqn2H)

And the Neuschwanstein castle.

https://i.postimg.cc/C1kWq0KH/20191004-132759.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LY4ycrLn)

https://i.postimg.cc/CMC3MwXw/20191004-133451.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6T3jYxBP)

https://i.postimg.cc/RCRvs1M1/20191004-133623.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BtjWtKPt)

https://i.postimg.cc/D0hRQNJV/20191004-152428.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BLhh4MBN)

https://i.postimg.cc/T1cFtcgK/20191004-152439.jpg (https://postimg.cc/64yM3nHK)

Beautiful scenery combined with amazing history, I definitely recommend a visit to this special place. Just make sure you book the tickets online like we did as there's a ton of visitors which is probably the only downside.

Obligatory M5 pics with a beautiful backdrop. One of these days, I'll get a proper camera and possibly learn how to take good pictures...

https://i.postimg.cc/2yQ6SgvV/20191004-155557.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9wfVx8Lh)

https://i.postimg.cc/SN4RvNF8/20191004-155609.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4n8XKG3N)

https://i.postimg.cc/kMKDsRZq/20191004-155722.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jCqsd2tF)

https://i.postimg.cc/Wb7zLLTy/20191004-155752.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hffcTYJ8)

https://i.postimg.cc/bwNJqCvw/20191004-155840.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fJpZKvXG)

Then I had a close call with a wooden peg.

https://i.postimg.cc/63SCKgZk/20191005-103931.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JDNscTPx)

https://i.postimg.cc/T37P1Vyq/20191005-103951.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QF7DnWJH)

That's it for now. I'm making progress on the E38 as well but it keeps getting increasingly annoying working on it as I keep finding hack jobs all over the place. Just replaced the whining power steering pump just to find out the pump wasn't bad but they improperly deleted the SLS and routed the lines causing the pump to whine. Next are the intake manifolds were somehow they managed to brake and then bodge one of the vacuum pipe connectors...