Uwbuurman: 1986 e30 325iA cabrio

[uwbuurman]

After that I had it powdercoated.





This reinforcement is needed for the more heavy users, because those thin pieces of metal welded on to the subframes can't hold the engine. Now the won't crack.

[uwbuurman]

In December 2015 I started working on the E30. I took off the front legs ands the stabi.







things that stand out:

Top bearings are shot. Lots of movement.

I found out that the car was fitted with two different swingarms. Also different rubber mounts. Right is a Boge from 2002 and left is de original from 1986.







early in ths century the e30 was in a fenderbender. Nothing more than that, or so I thought. But the front leg must have suffered some damage aswell.

[uwbuurman]

[uwbuurman]

Things that I dont like…:

The harmonicarubbers on the steeringrack. One is imitation and one is worn. So I ordered two new ones.

The exhaust nuts were heavily corroded almost went from M14 to M13. So I ordered a set of new copper ones.





The brackets that hold the sway bar were also heavily corroded, so again I ordered replacements.

[uwbuurman]

[uwbuurman]

A groggy pic of the tank. It looks like someone has jacked the car up underneath the tank. It has a dent without scratches and it wasn’t there before. Any way, it leaks and is dented. So it has to come off.



That is added to the original plan??

I couldn’t help my self and have some parts re-zinced.



Front legs do get a coat of paint, spraycan, 2K, black.

Another new filter on the powersteering. Again, after doing that in 2012. But in 2012I couldn’t get all the ATF from the rack itself, and now I can.So all for a longer life of my pump.

The rear subframe will be powdercoated. Swingarms not, because I just got new bearings in those last fall.

[Jeroen]

Always keeping busy! Hope this gets to a temporary end (meaning no issues with the car either!) so you can spend more time on the E21!

[uwbuurman]

I took the frontlegs apart. One shock is pretty dead, no pressure what so ever, the other one seems in an good state. I think that one is also changed after that fenderbender. Funny detail, the name of the previous owner is written on it.









The springholder is filled with dirt. Dirt and moist aswell. What a miracle that it isn’t rotten. Just one small drainhole, a rather daft construction.





Cleand both legs and had them curing in the rusticogel.







Springs have the same high tand look great! Happy with that.



Original BMW, factory.



The brackets that hold the trailarms are sandblasted and soon will be black again.

[uwbuurman]

After that I changed the subframe. The powdercoated one is reinforced. The correct bolts are at the zincplater, so they will be fitted next week.



I flushed the powersteering twice with ATF. This ATF is only 3 years and some 15k km old…



The filter i placed in ’12 was a brandless filter instead of a original ZF part. This time I ordered ones from Lemforder. Do change that filter, because most pumps break down due to clogged filters

Anyway, the Lemforder filter is a ZF filter! Only the BMW logo is grinded off…







The last parts for the front arrived, the harmonicarubbers and two new brackets for the stabi.

[uwbuurman]

Is anyone enjoying this threath? I have lots of foto's...

[uwbuurman]

So, on 27 december 2015 I started on the rear axle. Was that necesary? Oh well, I guess those rubbers could do for a while more….





So I started working on that rear axle, intending to get it of the car. Started to get the handbrake cables of. The car is fitted with a new one and an older one, so in the past the axle has come off before. I also removed the ABS cable and the brake pad wear indicator, loosened the coils and got the spings of. After that, just the two bolts from the blockrubbers and that axle comes of, right? WRONG…

Man o man that thing was stuck. The bushes are completly rotten tot he car. I used the puller, but just got the bush torn to pieces. The other side didn’t move at all, so I’d liked to get the torch out, but with a leaking patroltank, I don’t think that that was a good idea. So I used a heated chisel. It took ma an hour and a half to get it burned out.



The axle it selve seems in good nick, a bit rusty, but ok. The swingarms are heavily corroded. So I figured to buy two new ones. As I found out they cost some €762,-- a piece, I canceled that plan and will repair the myself.

[uwbuurman]

[uwbuurman]

[uwbuurman]

Once that axle was off, I could finally remove the tank. It still holded about 30 liters of petrol RON 102. The tank was very wet, so I was sure to find a leak, but nothing of that. After some investigation I suspect the venthose. In 2012 I replaces all the hoses except the one that runs over the tank. Clear to see that the paint is solved by the petrol.





And the tank taken off. One side is in good shape, the other side looses the paint just by looking at it. O I will get that dent out and get the tank powdercoated.









I fabricated a tool to get the rubbers out of the axle. Works like a charm.







And that is two. Two subframes fort he powdercoater. The old front subframe is reinforced also.

[uwbuurman]