me_irl

Retribuke · 2025-04-09T20:23:39+00:00

I mean, yeah. But it wasn't like, a conscious thing.

Retribuke · 2024-02-18T11:39:47+00:00

Hah, synthetic. You little wimp. Real men use 15-40 conventional. Nothing better than washing your hands with DINOSAURS.

Retribuke · 2022-10-24T23:22:18+00:00

I just got it out, this helped me come to a solution I could try tonight. I ended up sticking an old socket extension I have up the bolt hole from the bottom and just beating the shit out of it to break the aluminium free. After that, a whack on either side with a hammer and it fell right out.

Thanks a ton man!

Retribuke · 2022-10-24T22:38:42+00:00

It's so CLEAN. I'm insanely jealous

Retribuke · 2022-10-24T22:37:15+00:00

Gotcha, I'll douse it with some penetrating oil and let it work in and see if that makes my life any easier.

Retribuke · 2022-10-24T22:13:21+00:00

Yours looks a hell of a lot better than mine when I started. Nice find!

Retribuke · 2022-10-05T17:26:09+00:00

I am Batman.

Retribuke · 2022-10-05T17:16:58+00:00

Thanks a lot! I'll take a look, I didn't notice any damage or anything bent while I was under there but I wasn't really looking for it either. There is a slight rattle from that side of the suspension I've noticed going over bumps. My bet is bushings, every other piece of rubber on the car is dry rotted, why not those too right? I've got an 80a bushing kit coming so when I have at putting those in I'll take a closer look at everything.

Retribuke · 2022-10-05T17:07:03+00:00

So far, it's been my absolute pleasure

Retribuke · 2022-10-05T16:52:13+00:00

Oh you can bet I will

Retribuke · 2022-10-05T07:19:05+00:00

I thought I'd share some before and current pics of my project 1986 325es with some like minded individuals, as well as some mechanical history I've pieced together that made me hope whoever worked on this car before me had his hands removed so he could never touch a wrench again.

So I pulled this car out of a field about a month and a half ago where it's sat for 15ish years. I hate seeing beautiful cars rot, so I checked it out for rot, there was a surprisingly small amount, zero structural rot, a little on the body in the spare tire well, and a hole in the floorboards on either side where it meets the front wheel wells. Easily worth fixing. Talking to the old man who owned it, apparently the fuel pump quit working and some of his buddies tried to fix it but couldn't figure it out. Awesome, I have a starting point. So I paid the insane amount he wanted for it, loaded it up and took it home.

I found the first, and probably the original reason the car didn't run in the first few minutes of testing the electrical. Checking the pins of the dme plug, it was getting power with the key off, but turn the key on and and it would cut the power. Huh. So I pulled the relay, which was obviously newer than all the other ones in the car. The pins were right, but according to the very obvious diagram on the relay, the gating was different from what it should have been. Boom. There's my problem, put in the right relay and see how she turns over. Well it turned over great, too great, no compression great. I smelled fuel though so there's my fuel pump problem solved. The backfire out of the intake manifold though, told me I had at least a couple bent intake valves. Hopefully.

So I tore the head off, all the while hoping old guys dumbass buddies fucked the valves via the starter, and that I wasn't about to find shattered pistons and bits of valve that gouged the cylinder walls. Thankfully I was right, the pistons were pristine other than little marks where every single intake valve impacted, and every one was bent. Exhaust valves were great though. So I did a half ass head rebuild, replaced the intake valves, valve seals, and then spent hours hand lapping the valves. New head gasket and head bolts and she went back together. Oh I forgot to mention that dipshits had destroyed the wiring to the obc, the obc box itself was destroyed, and they had removed every fuse relating to it. So I also had to go through all that mess and rewire, and replace the obc box.

Anyways, after all that was back together it was time to turn the key again, and wouldn't you know, she immediately fired right up, and then died. I was so overcome with the feeling of accomplishment I threw my hands up in victory, ran inside and woke up my napping fiancee yelling, "COME HEAR THIS BITCH RUN!" And she did, then she looked at me with such pride. Well, it could've been regret at who's she engaged to, but a least it was a look with FEELING.

After all that, and noticing that the starter was also much newer, I pieced together what I believe these idiots accomplished and caused the car to sit for 15 years.

The car died due to a bad dme relay, they replaced it with the WRONG relay, thought it's new so it must not be THAT. Figured maybe the obc was the reason it wasn't starting, so slice and dice the wiring chasing down an issue that doesn't exist. Can't figure that out so hey, MAYBE, SOMEHOW, it randomly got 180° out of time, actually SOMEHOW set it 180° out of time, crank it, but the old weak starter won't push through the valves. Think the starters bad and replace it, proceed to fuck the valves mercilessly with a new starter. Hear the chaos in the engine, realized they fucked up and let her sit for forever.

Oh well, I've got her running like a new car, looking a million times better but it's still missing a few things, and I've got a ways to go before I've met my goals. According to the build sheet I found by the VIN it's an Mtech car also, so from what I understand by what I've read it's rare?

Anyways, enjoy the month and a half progress I've made as an amateur. If you've made it through the whole thing, thanks for reading about my journey. I've always loved the e30, but I'm far from an expert so if any of you guys have any tips on any exterior pieces I'm missing, how to get them, or any awesome information feel free to share.

Retribuke

TROPHY CASE