An empty space for now

Welcome to the BMW club! Very nice example of a classic you have there. Needs a set of 18" BBS LM or similar, with a little ride height drop, but looks lovely!

Got any interior/engine shots?
 
.
33078979282_968ecac0a1_b.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks, dude. I'm familiar with BMW because my dad's friend sold him a 1987 BMW E30 325is. After seeing that car, I've fallen in love with BMWs, and in general, older European cars.

I've been looking at other rims, especially OEM rims such as the M Parallel wheels from the E39, but those seem pretty pricey for that they are. I agree with a slight ride height adjustment. I feel it rids a bit too sloshy and high up, so I may get some lowering springs/stiffer springs for mountain driving.

No interior shots right now, but I plan on doing some considering they're some of my favorite photos to take. The engine is a nasty mess, so I'm holding on that :P

Till then, here's an image(s) from a drive up the mountains in the morning.
33107255701_b6736fbaa9_b.jpg\


33078979282_968ecac0a1_b.jpg
E30's are lovely motors. I'd love an E30 M3 Evo, but I think we both know how rare and expensive those are!

Have you tried sourcing M5 suspension/wheels for yours? Might be a relatively cost-effective way to get a firmer, lower, more responsive ride, and make it look **** hot at the same time!

Check out my thread (in my signature) for some E46 stuff...
 
Our E30 is currently out due to a control arm issue, but we're going to bring it back. I might end up bringing the E30 out to California if possible. I tried to talk my father into buying an E30 M3 before the prices shot up into the sky, but he wasn't too informed on them. I'd say that they're just over hyped vehicles that I don't really have a desire for anymore. The only E30 M3 that can get my attention is the proper DTM Racing ones.

As for the wheels, I've looked at M5 spec modifications and they're actually fairly viable, but I'm not sure about sourcing parts from cars that are this old. I'm going to look into it some more, and that's mainly because the prices are so nice.

Can't beat a brand new Bilstein setup, though! Sadly, I really don't have the money for their parts at the moment.

I've been checking out your car as well. It's a shame we didn't get that compact E46 in the states..
E46's are lovely cars, and I love the fact that the compact is widely hated for it's ugly-duckling looks. My aim with Black Betti was to make her into something that converts the haters into admirers, and so far I've had only good comments!

You'd probably have a lot more luck sourcing M5 parts in Europe and UK, because there's actually a lot of them around here. A lot of the components I buy for mine are from wrecked E46s, but I'm always seeing E30/36/39 parts showing up on eBay and on club forums.

I recently found an 1985 E28 525 (2.8L auto) that I'm strongly considering purchasing. The guy has modded it nicely, but someone tried to break into it so the driver's door lock and ignition are all torn apart. If I had somewhere to lock it up I'd buy it in a flash!
 
I've been looking at other rims, especially OEM rims such as the M Parallel wheels from the E39, but those seem pretty pricey for that they are. I agree with a slight ride height adjustment. I feel it rids a bit too sloshy and high up, so I may get some lowering springs/stiffer springs for mountain driving.

E39s used the 74.1mm hub center bore instead of 72.5mm more commonly seen in other BMWs. M Parallels in E39 bore size from the factory was only available in the US for one year in the 540i M Sport model. From these two factors, there aren't many sets of E39 M Parallels in the US, hence why they tend to be so expensive.

If you are set on that style, you can consider looking for E38 sport package M Parallels and see if those fit.
 
A new acquisition - This time I'm serious

DGe6Z6S.jpg


cBC5Xqr.jpg




Car: 1983 Porsche 944
Cost: $3,700
Milage: 68,000 Mi (broken odometer)
Specifications: 150HP I4 - 5 Speed Manual - Guards Red - Black Leather Interior

This is the second car I've taken complete ownership of. As you can probably tell, I have a knack for older German cars ever since my dad bought an '87 BMW 325is in 2010. I bought this car because I wanted something to work on, as well as something of value. I didn't like the car when I bought it, but it's slowly growing on me. The interior looks almost new and the exterior is in fair condition, with a little body work and detailing from a shop. It was brand new tires and brake pads. Almost everything on this car works, which is impressive for such an older car.

Fixes: Suspension - electrical/wiring rework - hoses and tubing - headlight motor - parking brake line - rear hatch pins - weather stripping - interior bits and pieces - front bumper - paint detailing
Potential Modifications: Upgraded Camshaft - lighter flywheel - new/better clutch - fuel injectors

There's a pretty decent amount of parts arriving and most of the parts in the fixes area are on their way, meaning I have work to do.

Meanwhile, here are a few more pictures -

0F4oFTy.jpg


jrSgqqN.jpg


HRBuywV.jpg


CReA0ng.jpg
 
Last edited:
Don't crash it :D
It's an easy thing to mock, but there were a lot of horrible things happening to me which somewhat led to that crash. I had no real reason to be in the mountain at that time, I was trying to decompress and get away from something that was happening in my life at the time. The whole thing felt unnecessary. Those few months made easily one of the worst years of my life.

Congrats, looks awesome! I positively envy you for it! :)
Thank you, but there's no need for the envy lol - there's a lot of work to be done, but looking at the progress I'm making, all of the issues should be squashed before winter gets a little extreme.
 
Last edited:
Old vs New: Those are the old shocks vs the new Bilsteins.

The Bilstein shocks were installed without a hitch. The hardest part was just getting the bolts off, other than that, it was a drop and play installation. Two hour job.

8E695F61-72B0-41D9-9C38-4C0FCBC37B5A.jpeg


After that installation, it was time to take it for a test-drive, one that lasted a little longer than expected. As for the new ride, there's a difference, but the suspension is being let down by the awful front struts that are in there.

I didn't have my film camera with me, so I had to settle with some iPhone SE (2016) shots. Not bad for such a limited and aged sensor.

2021C343-0C38-42D7-B866-38A535647B5F.jpeg


So, that leaves the front strut inserts. I've settled with Sachs Performance struts on the front, but I will upgrade to the Bilstein HD later on. Those are double the price at $450 compared to Sach's at $150 - These should be installed by the end of the week, hopefully.

115%20153__ra_p.jpg


There's a few other bits and pieces I've forgot that I bought.

I bought two Bilstein ball-joint replacements for the front. There's a knocking noise on the front-left wheel, so I'm hoping this will remedy it. If it doesn't, it's not a big deal as I'll be getting new control arms and replacing the rest of these little things down the line.

171.407.365F-2.jpg

The speedometer cable is likely the culprit to why the speedometer is out in the first place. It could also be that the gearing in the tachometer isn't rotating. The speedometer cable is an easy replacement, and considering the age of the car, I may as well put a new one in there just in case the original has any thoughts of going out. With that, I'm going to do a slight re-build of the tachometer, replacing the odometer gearing to restore the mileage count, replacing all bulbs for better lighting and doing a that nice wrap I always wanted.

142.957.801c-2.jpg

As always, there's more parts, but that's that for now.

One more thing, that MOMO is proving to be even more expensive.

I wanted to get a quick-release hub attachment for it to curb potential theft.
s-l1600.jpg

This car has been garnering a lot of attention, and as I keep working on it, I want to make sure that I'm okay with street parking it. That means installing this, likely a two-step ignition start up and locking lug-nuts for the ATS wheels which I'm going to get re-done in February/March.
 
Last edited:
So, I’m taking a break from ordering parts and I’m going to start getting more work done.

Starting with the little work, I’m installing the new speedometer cable and odometer gear to restore functionality.

I also need to install the weather stripping for the rear hatch and clean the fuel float to get the fuel gauge back to accurate numbers.

Pretty easy fixes that will better the quality of life when driving.
 
Last edited:
Ugh...

A college roommate had a dash fire years ago after installing a stereo. Grounded a hot wire, no problem until the key went on to test. No fire, actually, but a lovely smell and some melted insulation. Easy to find since we just followed what he'd done with the radio wires. Don't know if yours will be so easy to track down...
 
What a mess! But who cares about using a harness??? Just patch the wires with a spool of something you've got lying around or can pick up cheap. Colors Schmolors. Solder and heat-shrink insulation?? Pthpthpthpthpth!!! Use the clamp-on connectors! That should stuff back in there just fine, and will be perfectly safe and reliable!!! :lol:

The next owner (if there is one) will come after you and your descendants for seven generations!
 
Me think you should consider newer wheels to give the 944 a proper stance and tighter look...

I like where this thread is going...
 
Please, please, please don't stance a driving car! The original camber is there for a reason. If you start doing yes k days with it then toucan change it a little, but never go stance...
 
Back