e30mclow's latest e30

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

Scored a massive e30 parts hoard this weekend!
Dozens of new in the bags/boxes sensors, gaskets, seals and various interior/exterior trim pieces.

I've never seen an e30 in my area, but was lucky enough to snag all of this stuff only 2 miles from my place.



I think I have every component to rebuild and m20 x 3 except for head gaskets.
3-4 OEM Radios in there too, and a nice air-con euro front spoiler.

I also pulled the motor and trans from the Lexus and started measuring things up.

I'm not sure if I go the cheap/practical route and replace the front rad support with something homemade or not. If I did, I could reuse the really nice rad/fan/IC setups that came off of the Lexus.

The only thing I'm waiting on before ripping into the e30 is the decision as to what I'll do about brakes. I'm leaning towards trying to make a Renault Clio servo fit with an Audi master...





Swapped out my chrome for black kidneys

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

Last weekend's hoard was evidently not enough.






'86 325eS manual.

This thing actually started with a jump and drove onto the trailer! The car had been parked for years and no doubt the gas was cruddy, so I was blown away when it turned over once and then fired up.

I bought it as a test mule chassis for the 1J swap, which allows me to continue driving the white one.

It is pretty disgusting. The trunk is seized shut and is most likely full of water. The owner said there is for sure a wasps nest + he did see a snake go under the car once and not come out....so...

Positives:
It only cost $200 + $68 for a U-Haul.
Has a service history
Has the "e" motor with 2.7 bottom end
Has the rare 2.93 Ratio LSD
Pop Out Corner Windows
M-Tech Steering Wheel
It has the dark grey carpet I've wanted for the white car

I'm going to try to not fall in love with it, and start chopping into it to get the 1J swap finalized before transplanting the package into the white car.

[GINCH]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

From the first pic you posted I thought your white one had caught on fire!!!!!

[Circuits]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

From the first pic you posted I thought your white one had caught on fire!!!!!

I had the same thought....


P.S. You're a crazy man Gerard...and we love it!

[witchcraftz]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

A wash and a buff and it'll be like new. Nice find, sure you're going to chop it?

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

A wash and a buff and it'll be like new. Nice find, sure you're going to chop it?

I'm afraid to wash it. It has a tiny bubble of rust on one rear arch, but it a southern car, so it is clean.

If I wash it, and it is clean, I'll get the usual chest ache and puss out of taking the grinder to it.
I'm going to pick up some high strength/mega pollutant cleaning products on the way home and tackle it, just to make it look presentable in the driveway.

I have an idea for a rad/hood support that'd free up a lot of room at the front of the 1J while allowing more options for a hidden IC, yet keeping the stock front end. No sense chopping up the white one and finding out that my idea is bogus.

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

I got home last night to find my 1JZ front sump swap waiting for me. Feeling inspired, I whipped the engine and box out of the dummy car so that things are lined up heading into the weekend.







A solid target for this weekend will be to get the following done:

- Remove any non-applicable items from the dummy car's bay.
- Swap the sump out on the 1J
- Set the engine in the car for the first time, so as to get an idea of what I need to do to fit a rad+fans+intercooler in the tight space.
- Measure up and order engine mounts.

That'd be a huge victory!

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

Made some progress this weekend (long weekend here).

As mentioned, I managed to get the m20 out of the dummy car late last week, so then set about test fitting the 1J in an e30 bay.
Just to see how much of an issue the servo would be, I test fit the engine with it in place - a no go.

I removed the servo and dropped the thing in as far back as it'd sit.
This shows the space behind the head due to the adapter plate on the block hitting the transmission tunnel:




I marked up the tunnel and proceeded to persuade it:




Heater core hoses also needed to be bent slightly so as to avoid hitting the head.



That all left it sitting pretty, with the wastegate clearing the subframe, the steering column obstruction free and the 3" downpipe in a pretty manageable position:






My initial plan, in order to save money, was to reuse the 30" wide rad from the sc300 and section out the chassis legs on the e30. I proceeded to chop the chassis legs, then said F this, so I'll be ordering a Nissan s13 rad soon. It should fit nicely and allow for a slim pusher fan, rather than the twin pullers I was going to try and use.

Work area to the front.


The weather turned wet so I couldn't try and wrestle the CD009 in, plus I was pretty tired.
That'll be a bigger challenge, as I've seen that this was another e30 owner's solution to the tight space :(



So the main things on the list right now, in order of ball ache:

1) Figure out if I can offset mount a Renault Clio brake servo in this space:


2) Fit the Nissan box and see where the gear lever comes out (I reckon 3" further back than the e30)

3) Start figuring out if I want to totally/partially strip the e30 wiring loom, in case I ever want to revert back to an m20/m50.

4) Shorten the Nissan Titan driveshaft and have the e30 UJ welded on the diff end.

5) Figure out turbo sizing....big & laggy or small and violent?

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

That is a crazy project, serious work and I cannot wait to see how it all goes. I think the test shell is a great idea too.

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

That is a crazy project, serious work and I cannot wait to see how it all goes. I think the test shell is a great idea too.

Thanks, but my landlady/neighbors/girlfriend disagree with the test shell idea. I need to hurry up and get it finished.

I just want to get to a day when I can upload a video with lots of whooshing and pigeon type noises as I melt tires.

[Feens]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

its a tight space for the Clio brake servo.. pretty sure my 1 was offset for the s50 swap Renault Clio Duel Diaphragm Servo , i used an Audi Quattro 27.5mm master cylinder iirc but it had great pedal feel, some man to find a bargain, i wish i could find anything worth a damn up here in NW Alberta

[e30mclow]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

Out with the awful carpet and in with the red

[witchcraftz]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

Sweet, no one will ever see any of the blood on the carpet.

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: e30mclow's latest e30

That interior is so inviting, you just want to be in there for hours driving around.