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1983 323i E30 Restoration Project

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hennabm View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hennabm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar 2011 at 10:04pm
To be fair most of the problems encountered are not E30 related. The stolen wheels and warped roof are and the latter will prove difficult to put right. But everything like that is repairable and when done it will prove that you have done a good job and overcome the adversity of it.
 
Don't let the b****ds grind you down.
82 323i Henna
90 320iSE - died Apr 21
10 116d Sport
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89 240DL est
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cabrio Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2011 at 10:45am
Think you really want to do it - just take a break enjoy the sun and recharge your battery and packets then think about the roof and you will get it sorted I am sure and enjoy use all the more
E30 Register joint coordinator - Competition Secretary - Contact name Neil for PM and Email - cabrio_e30@yahoo.co.uk - be aware addicted to E numbers
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2011 at 9:45pm
Hi Mike and Neil,
Thank you for your comments, who give me encoragement to get on with this restoration. Hopefully, all the external situation that are affecting me emotianally and therefore the enthusiasm for this project will soon fade away.
It's time to cool down a bit and sort myself out.
As an inspiration boost, I've put Mike's 323i photo on on my desktop.
Thank you,
Gentil


Edited by Gentil79 - 28 Mar 2011 at 9:46pm
Gentil Gomes da Costa
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hennabm View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hennabm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Mar 2011 at 8:03pm
EmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassed aww shucks.EmbarrassedEmbarrassedEmbarrassed
 
Anyway if it will keep you inspired to reach the goal - then good luck.Clap
 
Now the lighter nights and (hopefully) better weather is coming, the mojo should return and progress made.
 
Keep us up to date on the way she goes.
82 323i Henna
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2011 at 11:43am

Hi Everyone.

 

It’s been a while since I gave an update about this restoration. Unfortunately, things haven’t been going very well lately and therefore the E30 resto was put on hold

Due to some financial hardship for the last few months, I had to take some drastic decisions and one of them was to sell my 318is.

It wasn’t an emotional goodbye as I was getting a bit bored of the car.

The other reason why I sold it was because I needed something more practical and economical to load all the rubbish from the restoration without worrying in damaging the seats or the carpet. Therefore, I bought this from a neighbour:

.

 

It’s a 1991 Peugeot 309 Diesel, in very good condition and it has been very useful so far to get the rusty E30 bits to the local tip. Not bad for £200 with an MOT.

 

Following the previous post, all the welding work is finished and now the bodywork will be prepped for painting… but I’m not there yet.

 

First, I had to take care of the underside and after debating for too long about what type of coating I should use, I decided to spray it in black.

I thought about using paintable anti-chipstone, but then that would use an unnecessary amount of paint and it would get easily dirty, so I’ve used 3M black shutz, which is very long lasting and gives a nice finish.

 

 

It was very easy to apply, but for two coats I needed about 10 litres of this sticky thing. Each coat took about half hour to apply with 24hr drying time between coats. Before starting, I covered every bolt and hole with masking tape to prevent them being blocked. This was the final result:

 

 

 

I can’t stress enough that the use of a chassis tilter is a must for a restoration of this kind. The ease of access it provides is good for you back and neck.

With the underside done, it was time to put the shell back on wheels after a year being legless.

While the welding was being done, I started to take car of other bits and bobs, like the front and rear axle.

The front axle was the first one to be worked on:

 

 

As you can see, all suspension components are very rusty, especially the struts.

So, the only solution was to get another pair, which I got from a South African 325i.

They were in good shape, but needed some TLC.

 

 

First, using spring compressors, I removed the shocks, emptied the oil, and removed the brake callipers… until it was time to remove the hub. I’ve hit a brick wall with this because I didn’t have a number 36 socket and broke a ratchet. Only after some violence, swearing and an impact air gun I managed to remove them. The hub easily came off with a bit of hammering and then all was ready for de-rusting and painting.

 

 

After degreasing, de-rusting and priming, all was painted in satin black

 

 

 

The same process was applied to the disc brake covers and coil washers. In regards to the coils, I thought about buying new ones, but since they weren’t in bad shape, I painted using the same process I used for the struts.

 

 

 

In regards to the shocks, the old one weren’t that bad, but it was pointless using them so I bought a brand new pair of gas Boge Turbo, for a bargain on Ebay.

 

 

Then, it was time to put everything back on with new hubs. for the coils, I used The brake discs are the one that were in my car before and they look like new, but since they are ATE had less than 2000miles in them, it would be a waste to throw them away.

On the shocks, I used the old plastic boots that came up nice and clean after a good wash.

 

 

 

The front sub frame was also restored using the same painting process as the struts.

 

 

 

The wishbones are new and were bought with new ball joints and bushes.

 

 

The steering rack also went under the wire brush.

Many components are zinc plated but some rust had started to accumulated, so armed with a wire cup brush it was all removed and coated with a engine lacquer, which is resistant to high temperatures. I also replaced all O rings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rear axle was the same old story:

 

 

The old diff has been discarded because there was a knock coming from the back of the car every time I engaged 3rd and 4th while at speed. When the diff was out, I noticed some play on the output shafts.

So, I purchased this 3.73 big case diff from a 325i. Apart from the suspension, this will be the only upgrade/modification to this car.

 

 

With a few wire brush sessions and good coat of primer and satin black, the “new” diff looked much better.

 

The rear axle carrier was also renovated and the bushes replaced. These were in a terrible state and the inner aluminium tube actually departed from the rubber and was stuck to the underside

After the bushes being removed with a reciprocating saw, they were fit in with a friend’s hydraulic press.

 

 

 

 

The rear suspension arms were a f****** nightmare because the bearings are press fitted and they completely disintegrated when I tried to remove them… leaving the outer race stuck. Only with a 5 ton hydraulic press they came out!

Then they were rust treated, painted and fitted with new bearings and bushes. These were easy to fit with just a threaded bar a few bolts and sockets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After all this, the disc plates were put in place as well the hubs. These are the original ones which I de-rusted and sprayed with lacquer. They had to be fitted very carefully with a rubber mallet, while supporting the inner bearing race from the other side, otherwise, it’ll split.

The shocks are still the original ones, but this is only temporary as I haven’t managed to find a gas Boge Turbo pair, or a similar alternative. What do you guys recommend?

 

In regards to the brakes, I’ll leave them for now and will be picked up when the assembly starts. Same thing goes to the anti-roll bars which have been restored and will have new bushes and drop links.

 

After all this, it was the time to bolt everything to the underneath, which was easy since I had the shell on the spit.

For now, I’m still using the old bolts, but when I finish the painting process, they’ll be replaced with new ones.

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s all for now. The prep work for the painting process has started and will be ready in a few weeks’ times.

Until then, I’ll welcome your comments and suggestions.

 

Take care, Gentil

Gentil Gomes da Costa
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dteagles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2011 at 1:03pm
Excellent work, keep posting the progress reviews.

Think about what you can do for the club, not what it can do for you...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cabrio Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2011 at 8:50pm
great work - makes my restoration slap dash - if you need any help or parts let me know - will be cheap possibly free Wink
E30 Register joint coordinator - Competition Secretary - Contact name Neil for PM and Email - cabrio_e30@yahoo.co.uk - be aware addicted to E numbers
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote martin carey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jun 2011 at 10:39am
have to say excellent work,this has to go in the mag!these cars have a habit of getting to you and 1 job taking 4 to do.in the end it will worth it to have a new car that you drive not just point and get there.my first car was a 323 (a883 jld) and in my opinion best engined,fast smooth not sure about mpg didnt matter at 17 just as long as dizzy is set right! well done
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jun 2011 at 6:56pm
Hi all,
 
A new video showing some of the previous work done has been uploaded and it is available on:
 
Gentil Gomes da Costa
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hennabm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jul 2011 at 4:52pm
Hi Gentil
great progress - do not lose the faith -  you are on the up with it now.
82 323i Henna
90 320iSE - died Apr 21
10 116d Sport
12 1.4 Punto Easy
89 240DL est
11 X3 3.0d SE
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cabrio Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jul 2011 at 9:35pm
Gentil - thanks for your in depth posts again - can I ask you again if you are interested in sending me the details broken down so we can profile in the magazine so other members can see it in print - also dont think I have sent you the new news letter for E30's speak soon - Neil
E30 Register joint coordinator - Competition Secretary - Contact name Neil for PM and Email - cabrio_e30@yahoo.co.uk - be aware addicted to E numbers
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2011 at 6:50pm
Originally posted by Cabrio Cabrio wrote:

Gentil - thanks for your in depth posts again - can I ask you again if you are interested in sending me the details broken down so we can profile in the magazine so other members can see it in print - also dont think I have sent you the new news letter for E30's speak soon - Neil
Hi Neil, I don't think i've received the newletter yet. I am interested in getting this published in the magazine. I'll prepare an email with all the details broken down and a selection of photos.
 
regards, Gentil  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2011 at 7:12pm
Originally posted by hennabm hennabm wrote:

Hi Gentil
great progress - do not lose the faith -  you are on the up with it now.
thanks, things are looking a bit better now... can't wait to get it finished!
Gentil Gomes da Costa
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cabrio Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2011 at 7:59pm
Be great if you can do something for the magazine - call if need any help - we could try and do it as a series - cheers Neil 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2012 at 1:19pm
Dear all,
 
It's been a while since I gave an update, but unfortunatelly the car is still in the same state as it was back in July.
 
Due to financial constraints, I've decided to put the project on hold. Abandoning the project and selling it to someone else that can carry on with the work is still a possibility, but the fact is that a lot of things in my life took a 180 degree turn in the last few months, both personally and financially.
 
I'm moving house soon and with the lack of storage, I will be selling some E30 bits, that are in good condition, but I won't be using in this restoration. front chrome bumper is excelent condition, complete exhaust, rear lights, new original rubber mudflaps, a couple of instrument clusters and that's it...
These will be listed shortly, so if anyone is interested, please drop me a line.
 
Take care,
 
Gentil
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hennabm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2012 at 5:38pm
Hi Gentil
 
I'm sorry to hear that things are not so good. Whatever happens don't let this restoration go to waste - if you can't continue I'm sure someone else will. Wink
 
PM on it's way.
 
Mike  
82 323i Henna
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10 116d Sport
12 1.4 Punto Easy
89 240DL est
11 X3 3.0d SE
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BMW250L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2012 at 12:58pm
That's bad news Gentil - I know only too well the cost of restorations, storage, etc.
 
I hope your car finds a good home and the resto continues...
 
Best,
 
Martin.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ACarmichael Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb 2012 at 12:02pm
Hi Gentil, as a new boy to the world of E30 ownership, I've been reading your restoration updates with interest and some amazement at the effort put in. The trials and tribulations of E30 ownership are certainly painful at times. Such hard work by you has to result in a happy ending so stick with it. You'll laugh about it all later!
As for your parts list, sounds like you've got a few I could do with, though mine is a slightly later model cabrio, i should imagine that they are interchangeable, though I'm sure all the guys on line will put me right if not. My old man lives in Sussex so a detour off the M25 is an easy trip should it be needed.
Andy C.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Feb 2012 at 5:47pm
Hi guys,
 
Thanks for the kind words. Let's see what happens, but the fact is that at the moment, the only thing that helps me cheering up, is my new girlfriend, who happens to like BMW's and currently owns a beautiful E46 convertible.
The negative side is on everything else, so I won't be touching the car for a long time. many parts are not being used at the moment, and most of them can be bought at a later stage like clusters, mudflaps, exhaust, etc. other rare stuff like the engine, interior and some trim won't be sold as they are not available.
Andy, if there is anything you are interested, please drop me a PM and i'll see what I've got.
 
cheers, Gentil
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ACarmichael Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2012 at 6:27pm
Hi Gentil, I've hopefully got it right and sent you a PM.
Andy C
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bimmy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2013 at 10:14pm
Gentil79 - nice project mate ;)


Gr8 restoration....... Heart
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cabrio Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Apr 2013 at 8:54am
How are things going
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Sep 2013 at 9:19pm
Hi everyone.
 
It's been 2 years since I've made anything pn that car.
 
Since then, things in life have changed quite a lot. Lot's of up's and downs (including my fathers death) and other things that are simply taking too much of my free time. I've also taken in new projects and after a house move, I simply don't have the space or even the time to complete the project.
So, and i decided to sell the lot and take on another restoration project in a few years time.
 
You've seen all the work that has been done, however, it silll needs a fair amount of parts to complete. The bonet, passanger door, sunroof, bootlid and bumpers have gone missing (don't know how) but the engine and gear box, interior, cabling and other bits n bobs are all still there. let's say the car is 70% complete as well as some new parts.
I really wanted someone to take over and complete this project.
 
If anyone is interested, please PM me as it is impossible to describe the car accuratelly in writing. must be seen in order to make your own judgement.
 
Many thanks,
 
Gentil Gomes da Costa
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Gentil79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Sep 2020 at 1:31pm
Hi all,

Its been 10 years since I started this project and as many of you know, I couldn't finish it due unforeseen circumstances.
I've noticed that the hosting website I used for the pictures published in this topic is no longer available, so I've made a small video as a final part of the restoration series:


Hope to get an E30 again in the near future.

Take care!

Gentil Gomes da Costa
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