Quote:
Originally Posted by DocWalt
What's the plan for this one?
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The plan was to treat myself to a nice clean simple driver that I could keep stock and offset with my hoopty which is getting increasingly modified.
However, when the white car showed up it was nothing at all like it was described, so I legitimately have to do a full mechanical restoration on it, which has absolutely gutted me, as I've diligently fought to rid myself of big projects.
I tried to reach back out to the seller, and he didn't care. Motor that was supposed to be good wasn't, suspension that was supposed to be fresh is all shot, interior hacked, etc etc. Literally needs an entire mechanical resto. It gets worse, but I'll leave it there, haha.
In the face of adversity I built up another stroked M20. I had a new head ready to go with new cam/rockers/springs. Made the two one and got that ready to drop in. Pulled the old block/trans and got the new motor ready to go in after servicing the transmission with some MTL, a shift selector seal, and a shifter rebuild kit. I have a 91oct stroker chip on the way for the 2.7 since I want to keep the car on a stock ecu, M50 injectors.
Everything rubber in the engine bay is in need of replacement. So all hoses will get replaced once the new engine is in the car. Currently waiting on motor mounts because somehow I didn't have spares, and have to clean the Texas dirt out of the engine bay before the engine goes in. Trans is on the motor now as well with a fresh clutch.
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Onto the diff- it's the factory S3.73 and appears to be tight and not super leaky, so it got a service with some Valvoline Synthetic GL-5 with LSD additive. Available at your local Wally World, and a great fluid for a street car. I always love to see the factory safety wire on the speed sensor plug.
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Onto the rest of the car....... this thing was supposed to be a "ran and drove not too long ago" type of deal, which in my experience in buying over 50 E30s at this point, means that the car will be at least someone mechanically preserved. However, there's a last inspected sticker on the windshield from 2005, which matches the condition of when it appears to have last been on the road. Every hose, piece of rubber, etc etc is all shot. Brake lines collapsed, etc.
Someone was kind enough to tow the car via the tie rods at some point in the past. The suspension/brakes are absolutely hammered. Pulled the steering rack boots and the rack seals are shot.
I have new control arms, solid centered bushings, tie rods endlinks, bavauto springs, dampers, etc that are all going on the car now. I have an E36 steering rack I'm going to have to swap in as well, which includes modifying the linkage.
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
Interior I thought was nice, it had a dash cap siliconed on, a 5k (wrong) tach poorly installed in the cluster, old ****e radio shoved in the HVAC panel without wiring or radio cage, clips and screws are missing or replaced with drywall hardware, you get the jist. I'm tackling all of this at once so i have some variation in my workflow.
Whoever painted and assembled the car post paint did a miserable job. The air ducts and drip moldings didn't even make the trek up here. Most stuff is drywall screwed together.... it's bad.
I think that about sums it up lol.
Edit: but wait, theres more
On todays episode of "just recently broke a timing belt and was taken off the road", we have a rotten fuel filler neck and rotten fuel tank from 2005 fuel.
I jest, but this situation makes me sick to my stomach.
Untitled by
Bobbie Morrone, on Flickr
E36 rack in and the rest of the front suspension assembled
Nothing bad to see behind a fuel filler hose that looks like this for sure
I scooped a bit of this with a screw driver and the rot is thick. I don't have any good late model tanks because i'm in the midwest so I had to order a spectra tank.
This whole situation is terrible.
