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Well my subframe is fully welded now and the engine is spot on position wise

Pictures after a clean and some paint.

Subframe
Here we are, my custom M50 subframe adapted from a the original 4 cylinder one.









New bits
I love it when I get new bits! First up my quick rack from Jason.



Then a put in an order from Rally Design for the coilover bits. 8" 400lbs 2 1/4" springs, coilover conversion kit and coilover spanner. I've already sorted my struts and the threads are ready to be welded on.



I also got a battery box to go in the boot from Rally design.

sweet coilover kit, im ordering mine soon as i get cash. please do right up on that with lots o pics

No worries, it's really easy!

Rob

Hit a snag, I didn't really think about strut size differences between my 316 legs and my coilover converted 323i ones. I'd planned to use my short spax dampers but I think I can't really get away with the size difference, and it looks like short sports dampers are £100 each I'll get some photos of what I've done so far.

I'm still thoroughly annoyed with my unplanned shock dilemma, what I'm going to do is unsure just yet. Done a few more bits.

Mounted my quickrack on my subframe, ready to be fitted to the car.


My new engine mounts arrived in the post £9 for four. I could probably just drill them and fit them, but I'm probably going to get the pucks skimmed to the level of the E21 M20 mounts I used to create my subframe mounts. I need to drill them and get some M10 threaded rod (easily got on ebay) and they're good to go.




Oh, and I might be doing something with this 323i open diff...


I really need to get around to ordering my pedalbox since when the engine is next removed I can redo all the hydraulic lines I've crushed and bent, well I might as do the whole damn car since I'm getting rear discs and the petrol tanks are off the car.

Rob

I think that tall mount may move left to right I would weld a web onto it to stiffen it

Jason

Good thinking really, a few others have suggested the same and it doesn't hurt. I've braced both open sides and welded against the subframe wall. I was going to do one downwards diagonally towards the engine but there was actually much room to place the brace. I won't post up my braces as my welding wasn't pretty this time!

My coilover dilemma has gone even further now. I've had the coilover sleeves welded onto my 323i struts and instead of paying £230+ for E21 dampers I'm going to pay £60 for bilstein B6/8s off an E30 and cut the struts. I'm getting an engineering firm to do this as I can't tig, and I wouldn't trust myself! Bonus is that the E30 shocks will be sitting at around the right height even though it will be much lower on the E21 itself, all round win and I'll be saving about £80-90. But in preparation to do this I've had to cut the coilover sleeve off again and ground off the welds! Very pointless and I've learnt my lesson to check my shocks first...

The engine is now bolted in . Glad to of reached this milestone, so for the rest of the evening I spent messing around and putting the grille back on.

Exhaust


Inlet


yerrssss!


Strut brace still fits, you may recognise it Jason


I actually quite like it! Fits quite well on the hella grille


Problems on the horizon with the steering link/exhaust manifolds




My struts are at the engineers and should be done in the next coming weeks, then the beast can roll again. I saw a scab at the end of the sill near the rear axle mounting pin, shouldn't of picked it as it exposed quite a big hole I wasn't expecting

I got my struts back today from the engineers. They have had a section removed underneath where the coilover thread now sits and the struts were rewelded to keep the shock collar threads in place. I'm extremely pleased with how they've turned out and the quality of the guys work is great. I've tried to compare them to standard struts to get a better idea of what's gone on. The shocks are E30 bilstein b6s.





Good penetration, has stuck out into where the strut sits but this is irrelevant to me because of the shocks I'm using are designed to be thinner than the strut housing.


Height difference, 4 cylinder strut in comparison.


Built up and compared to another 4 cyl strut, spring heights are a complete guess right now. Top mounts are standard items for the time being, until I can afford some adjustable stuff.


Painted

Cool!

Youre getting there!

wow those are really really really cool! loving them infact!

how much in total were they?

can you get some more done? ill buy them off you as a finished item, plus £40 for your trouble!

and no im not joking!

Murran, be careful or you'll end up with a proper track car and have to learn how to go round bends without skidding.

RE engine mountings - I have a load of hockey pucks which I'm sure to find a use for somewhere on the slug .

jim it does go round corners pretty well as it is (without opposite lock!). you do realise when we meet up im taking you for a ride round the block somewhere without other road users.

after catching my exhaust on another speed hump for the 100000 time today....... id like to notch it up about 20mm on the front for daily driving.


rob..... that pic with the 323i diff........ you wernt thinking of welding it up were you?
you do realise that a kitten dies every time a diff gets welded?
also that the dessimation of the sea horse population off the coast of spain has been directly linked to the diff welding phenomana?

Suspected that would be the case - thus I keep mytrackday helmet at the workshop ready for the day!!!