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maybe something has fallen off.

Hopefully the bang was just running over something ??

Most BMW gearbox's i've owned do weep a bit of oil, so I wouldn't get fixated on that before checking simpler things first.

Propshaft vibrations, as others have mentioned, the centre bearings do fail over time and could cause your symptoms.
When changing the centre bearing I'd advise fitting a new genuine Guibo (rubber donut) at the same time. Cheaper parts can have a very short lifespan.

I have also seen play in the propshaft UJ's. These can be replaced but would need the proshaft to be re-balanced afterwards.

HTH

Ben

Don't get cheap guibo shyte like from WN, bound to cause vibrations and leaks (mine distorted so much under strain it started to hit the shifter and ruined that seal as well)

So I figured out what the bang was the other day, one of the nuts came off the bolt that holds the prop onto the gearbox. The bolt then wriggled its way out and departed at whatever revs I was doing. Understandably, it made a fair old racket!

Can be seen missing here:



So with that sorted, I gave it a wash along with my mates E36 M3, and got prepared for Didsbury car show which was this Sunday just gone.



Sunday morning came around, and on the way there I noticed my wipers slowed down and eventually stopped, the horn didn't work either... then it died. Presumed alternator failure, but after being towed home and we had a look at it, it's looking more likely to be a weak earth.

I went to the show anyway, just without the car. I did see an old BMW bike there, in Topazbraun too!



So a disappointing weekend I guess, but these things happen.

I did get a couple of decent shots on the 50mm from when I went out the other night though:

isnt your car on coilovers? how come your running at such a tall ride height?

you learnt a lesson for not going over and checking your bolts and nuts are tight didn't you

It's on coilovers yes, but I don't want it to be undriveable. I love the height as it is now, and it'll look a whole load better when the spacers are fitted.

I think every E21 must have rear end adjusters (eccentric bolts on trailing arms)

with them, car is lot easier to drive when lowered and tyre wear is something you don't have to worry about anymore.
and looking from behind, it don't looks like it has been raped and/or molested....

I used to love the "stanced" look but it's the smashing of sumps and scraping of exhausts I can't be dealings with. I want to be able drive it without worrying about "is that dip too much?" Or "will I crack my sump going over this crest".

E21's look amazing when low, but it's just not for me as an overall ownership.

I was concerned about exactly the same thing with mine but i have a -60mm spax kit on mine with m20b25 although i am running 16's but even with 15's on ive never hit anything while driving at any speed and baring in mind that i drove around europe with a car full of camping gear etc im happy that it wont scrape anything

The only time it has scraped is on a couple of big speed bumps at very slow speed but well .......

It's been a good while since I have updated this, so here is what has gone on in the last month or so.

The chrome on the rear bumper was a mess and I wanted to tidy it up a little. A friend told me about a trick that utilizes Diet Coke (Diet to prevent stickiness from the sugar) and alluminium foil.

Essentially you pour the Coke on and gently rub down the chrome with some scrunched up foil. The results are fantastic.

Before:



After:



Of course the rust will come back, but I've sealed it with some FK1000p wax for now, so it should keep it looking fresh for a little while.

I also took the car to Blink motorsport for a full alignment. Very happy with them, they've transformed the car from a very nervous feeling thing, to something that feels very capable and really quite sharp.





The rear settings can't be changed as I don't have a slotted rear end yet, so that camber is a result of the lowering and nothing else.

Couldn't recommend them enough.

I then took it down to Worcester for the Retro Rides Gathering 2014.

It was fantastic on the way down, sits very well at 70mph, and pulls really nicely. Then once off the M5, the country roads across to our hotel were sublime, turn in feels good, even on the crap tyres, and it has great traction. It's also really rather nippy, even with a modest 170bhp (ish), the lack of weight and driving assists certainly makes driving it a real event.

Unfortunately the following morning saw me written out of the show:



After brimming the tank, I noticed a pretty serious fuel leak. The culprit was the fuel sender unit, which should have a seal on it but doesn't. A simple fix and a new one is on order, but the damage was done, fuel all around the exhaust and fumes in the cabin made it far too much of a risk to drive, so I called my breakdown cover and they loaded it up and took it back to Manchester for me. Fortunately I was still able to go to the show, as the driver agreed to take the vehicle home for me without me going with him.

So it now sits outside venting off the last of the fumes, I'm hoping to have it all sorted and back on the road by the weekend.

The work on the bumper

Pity about the fuel leak but better discover it this way, at least you made it to the RRG!

Jeroen wrote:The work on the bumper

Completely agree- I am going to give this new trick a go!

Yep, me to! great idea!!

So today I made a start on the headlining, the material is charcoal grey, brushed nylon & foam backed. It's lovely to work with.

The pictures are awful as the colour isn't easy to capture in sunglight conditions, but you get the idea. It's not 100% perfect, but it's pretty good for my first attempt IMO.

I tired to keep the use of glue to a minimum, which I believe is the standard practice for the OEM headliner, so it's tucked into the door and window seals as per OEM.

Was the original one damaged?