OT: My other girl friend
12-05-2011, 08:46 AM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
OT: My other girl friend
This is not 993 related but since I know you guys are all car nuts, I thought I'd share the story of my 1987 BMW. I call it my other girl friend (993 being the first...)
What I'm most proud about this project is that all work (except for body&paint) is done by yours truly, including the full engine build.
It has been a long and educating project but with the help of knowledgeable car nut friends, it has been a very rewarding experience and good offset to my daily office work.
So here's the story...I've had this car for quite a long time but It's been out of service for the past few years due to a little offroad excursion ala a friend of mine.
There was very minor damage to the car (mostly cosmetical) but she was put aside (and kind of forgotten) for a couple of years.
My initial plan was to restore it but as you'd expect, it got "a little" out of hand...
The car is a 1987 325e with sport seats, LSD, tinted glass and not much else. Nice torquey engine with decent gas mileage.
I started with taking out the engine and taking it apart. Everything looked good with normal wear on the bearings, cylinders and pistons looked ok, camshaft was shot though.
I could've gotten a new camshaft, new bearings and put her back together and drive for the next 200k.
But I didn't...
Instead this is what I did:
ENGINE
m20B27ETA Block (2.3mm shaved off)
m20B27ETA Crankshaft
m20B25 130mm conrods
m20B25 Pistons (skirts modified for counterbalance clearance)
m20B25 head (ported & flowmatched)
Schrick 272/272/110 Camshaft
Febi bilstein rocker arms
Adjustable camshaft sprocket (modified from original part)
m20B25 intake manifold
m20B25 Throttle body and air filter
m52B28 injectors
New bearings, piston rings, oil pump, gaskets, bolts etc.
Martelius headers
Martelius full exhaust
Megasquirt engine management (using original harness)
Displacement 2.7 liters
CR ~10.5:1
BODY
New front fenders and front panel
Numerous rust repairs
Heavily rolled fenders
Full Mtech2 bodykit flush mounted (FRP knock off since the OEM does not fit a 1987)
Sepang Bronze paintwork
E46 side indicators
CHASSIS, STEERING AND BRAKES
E36 M3 3.2 Front hubs
E36 M3 3.2 Front lower control arms
E36 M3 3.2 Front brake calibers and discs (Calibers are getting powder coated as we speak)
D2 coilovers with E30 topsides in front and full E30 setup in the rear
Powerflex bushings all around
E30 M3 rear hubs
E30 M3 rear brake carriers
E30 M3 rear brake calibers and discs
Z3 1.9 steering rack
E36 M3 3.2 tie rods
Short shift kit (modified from original shifter) with new pins and sleeves/bearings
Getrac 260 gearbox
Type 188 3.64 LSD differential
WHEELS
OZ Futura 9,5x17 + 10,5x17"
INTERIOR
Original sport seats re-upholstered in Alcantara (replica) with white stitchings
325i speedo with chrome gauge rings
The car is not finished yet. I will have to break in the engine properly before I can do the full throttle mapping on a dyno. And when I'm done with that, I will begin working on stage 1.5 (Eaton M90)....
Some photos taken during the build in chronological order: http://m3supercar.1g.fi/kuvat/325E/
A video revving the engine: http://m3supercar.1g.fi/kuvat/325E/31102011013.mp4
2009 - Starting point:
2011 - Current condition:
What I'm most proud about this project is that all work (except for body&paint) is done by yours truly, including the full engine build.
It has been a long and educating project but with the help of knowledgeable car nut friends, it has been a very rewarding experience and good offset to my daily office work.
So here's the story...I've had this car for quite a long time but It's been out of service for the past few years due to a little offroad excursion ala a friend of mine.
There was very minor damage to the car (mostly cosmetical) but she was put aside (and kind of forgotten) for a couple of years.
My initial plan was to restore it but as you'd expect, it got "a little" out of hand...
The car is a 1987 325e with sport seats, LSD, tinted glass and not much else. Nice torquey engine with decent gas mileage.
I started with taking out the engine and taking it apart. Everything looked good with normal wear on the bearings, cylinders and pistons looked ok, camshaft was shot though.
I could've gotten a new camshaft, new bearings and put her back together and drive for the next 200k.
But I didn't...
Instead this is what I did:
ENGINE
m20B27ETA Block (2.3mm shaved off)
m20B27ETA Crankshaft
m20B25 130mm conrods
m20B25 Pistons (skirts modified for counterbalance clearance)
m20B25 head (ported & flowmatched)
Schrick 272/272/110 Camshaft
Febi bilstein rocker arms
Adjustable camshaft sprocket (modified from original part)
m20B25 intake manifold
m20B25 Throttle body and air filter
m52B28 injectors
New bearings, piston rings, oil pump, gaskets, bolts etc.
Martelius headers
Martelius full exhaust
Megasquirt engine management (using original harness)
Displacement 2.7 liters
CR ~10.5:1
BODY
New front fenders and front panel
Numerous rust repairs
Heavily rolled fenders
Full Mtech2 bodykit flush mounted (FRP knock off since the OEM does not fit a 1987)
Sepang Bronze paintwork
E46 side indicators
CHASSIS, STEERING AND BRAKES
E36 M3 3.2 Front hubs
E36 M3 3.2 Front lower control arms
E36 M3 3.2 Front brake calibers and discs (Calibers are getting powder coated as we speak)
D2 coilovers with E30 topsides in front and full E30 setup in the rear
Powerflex bushings all around
E30 M3 rear hubs
E30 M3 rear brake carriers
E30 M3 rear brake calibers and discs
Z3 1.9 steering rack
E36 M3 3.2 tie rods
Short shift kit (modified from original shifter) with new pins and sleeves/bearings
Getrac 260 gearbox
Type 188 3.64 LSD differential
WHEELS
OZ Futura 9,5x17 + 10,5x17"
INTERIOR
Original sport seats re-upholstered in Alcantara (replica) with white stitchings
325i speedo with chrome gauge rings
The car is not finished yet. I will have to break in the engine properly before I can do the full throttle mapping on a dyno. And when I'm done with that, I will begin working on stage 1.5 (Eaton M90)....
Some photos taken during the build in chronological order: http://m3supercar.1g.fi/kuvat/325E/
A video revving the engine: http://m3supercar.1g.fi/kuvat/325E/31102011013.mp4
2009 - Starting point:
2011 - Current condition:
12-05-2011, 09:31 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Great color. I bet its a blast to drive too-
12-05-2011, 09:59 AM
#5
Three Wheelin'
Looks fantastic Juha. I'm deep in the middle of converting my 87 325is race car to an m52. Should be entertaining, will not look anywhere near as clean as that one. Came out great!
12-05-2011, 01:01 PM
#7
Three Wheelin'
Nice! Curious why you went with the eta crank and not the turbo-diesel. The latter was used by ALPINA in all of its hotrod engines and from what I understand has the same stroke but is more durable -- although I'm not an m20 guy so I don't really know....
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12-05-2011, 03:08 PM
#8
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Interesting that you went with M20. Back in teh day (oh, about 10 years ago) the common thing in the States was to put an E36 M3 Euro 3.2 into the E30 body. That was fun.
I had a pair of E30 cabs, '91 and '92. Liked that body and simplicity of those cars. Still do, actually.
I had a pair of E30 cabs, '91 and '92. Liked that body and simplicity of those cars. Still do, actually.
12-05-2011, 07:57 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
The eta engine--another high point in the BMW line. Good to see another one gone! (I made quite a bit in the mid-'80s replacing cracked cylinder heads on those. And the companion repair, cleaning or replacing the heater core from the oil/coolant mix that would gunk it up.)
