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Project: BMW E21.



J

JoeyD

If it's anything like an mx5, you can adjust idle on the throttle body and this stops revs drooping when you lift off completely. Obviously it isn't anything like an MX5, so I've no idea if that applies here.

Cracking progress anyway Ed!
 
Matt_90

Matt_90

ClioSport Club Member
  Sprint/climb 106 gti
This car gets better every time I check the thread! Top work, I am not a fan of BMW's in the slightest, but yours is one I would very proud of owning and one of the only ones I would own.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

Right, the exhaust is on now. It's blowing slightly, but it's on. It sounds immense! Such a lovely noise, it's maybe a bit louder than I would like, but I'll run with it for now.

Firstly, cooling system. I need to get it bled properly. Problem is, I don't have any bleed screws or anything so I'll have to bleed it through the expansion tank, something I'm not massively familiar with so I need to figure that out.

I'm worried (I like to worry) about the temperature of the coolant. The gauge is saying it's fine, but it's a 38 year old gauge and frankly I'm not sure I trust it. I need an aftermarket temperature gauge really, something I can fit and it can give me a readout in the car, and I'll just tuck the new gauge away somewhere nice and hidden. I'm open to suggestions for this though.

Next up, with the throttle open and the revs high, there's a fair bit of blue and black smoke, although mainly blue. So it's burning oil. I did a compression test and got the following:

Cyl 1: 148
Cyl 2: 142
Cyl 3: 152
Cyl 4: 155
Cyl 5: 148
Cyl 6: 162

So they seem "okay". That was on a warm engine, with the throttle closed, and all spark plugs removed. I've not done a wet test to compare, so I can't completely eliminate the piston rings. Might well be valve stem seals, it also might just be because it's not been used in a long time, and it just kicking old oil out, I don't know at the moment.

It's very close to being driveable though, when it is, I'll be taking it to an exhuast shop as it 100% needs something better making than my attempt.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

So the time has come to button the car back up.

Engine wise, I'm happy. Coolant system needs a bleed, and I probably should replace the 'blue plug' (coolant temp sensor for the ECU) but that's it.

So yesterday I got loads done, it looks like a car again!

14449890995_f862a5fce7_c.jpg


14449891035_b71864cabb_c.jpg


I really love how the engine sits in the bay, looks so at home and I think it really suits the car, appearance wise.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

So I think I've got the cooling system bled correctly, turns out I do have a bleed screw, bad information led me astray. Anyway, I bled it how I understand to be correct, but time will tell.

So with that sorted, it was time to put it back together and it can finally become a car again!

14483100315_07698a35c6_b.jpg
[/url]

Engine bay looks as tidy as it's going to get for now, I didn't want to wrap all the loom up yet incase it needs to be worked on. So for the first few hundred miles it will remain open, but zip tied up.

14296469009_9c3aa391ce_b.jpg


14296512428_6b893736d5_b.jpg


Chris and Jon were round today and we detailed all three cars. Mine was cleaned and clayed. Then Prima Amigo was applied via DA. The paint was finished off with a layer of Zymol Glasur. Glass was polished and finished with Gtechniq G5, and the tyres finished with the usual Megs Endurance.

14479715871_a412eece88_b.jpg


Mandatory Zymol beading shot:

14296475960_c5687693c8_b.jpg


Really cannot wait to drive it. I'm actually rather nervous. Many people have told me it'll be quite lairy, in addition to that, I'm worried about the quality of the engine and the build etc, many things. Only one way to go about it though and that's to just get on with it. First drive will be in a few weeks after I get back from Prague.

Exciting times.
 
JON13S

JON13S

  A4 DTM/iceberg cup
Looks stunning, winning in a big way. It's a lot of work but the reward is driving something unique.
 
J

jam.

You've probably answered this already - but what are your plans when its finished? Drive it? Keep it in showroom nick? sell it and do something else?

I can't see you wanting to sell it obviously, but surely you must be able to get a nice sum for all your hard work. I mean just look at that thing - I am seriously in awe of it.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

They're not worth too much at the moment, agreed value on my insurance is £9,000 which is probably still short of what it owes me.

Right now, the plan is to continually work on it and make it tidier and tidier. It'll never be truly finished, projects like this never are. One day I'll sell it, how soon that day is I don't know.

For all the hard work, blood sweat and tears, it's only tin and rubber, and there will always be other BMW shaped pieces of tin and rubber that I'll want! :)
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

So yeah today I took it for the first drive, mainly good, with a few teething issues:

The battery moves in the boot as I didn't strap it down, so when I floor it, the battery gets flung across the boot, pulls the cables off it and the car cuts out! Doh!

Anyway that's now strapped down and seems to be all okay.

The waterpump seems to have a tiny, and I mean tiny coolant leak. It's like a pinprick in a hosepipe, coolant coming out in a very, very fine jet. It also only does this intermittently, so I'll probably have to get the pump off and reseal it or something.

The exhaust blows a bit, so that needs sorting next, but that's not too much of a headache.

Now onto the good stuff: It's awesome, properly awesome. The engine feels great, pulls well, and sounds brilliant. I must admit, I saw it parked up at my mates flat and felt really proud to be driving it. I need to get some miles on it now, Didsbury car show is next weekend so I'm looking forward to that.

So yeah, loads of little things to be doing, but ultimately, it's on the road.
 
Matt Cup

Matt Cup

ClioSport Club Member
  Leon Cupra
Good to see it's running under its own steam! I bet it's a different animal now you've got the m20 in there now.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

Yeah it pulls really well! I desperately need an alignment done, so it all feels very "nervous" at the moment, so I don't really want to give it too much beans.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

Yup, Nas and Jamie. I know both of them very well. They're both fantastically finished cars. Not a mark on them, and the asking price of both is an absolute bargain.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

They've both got superior engines than mine, but mine is a Series 1, they both have a Series 2 shape.

Tbh, I'd love either of their as much as mine, great examples.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

Went out in it tonight, all seems well enough. Still got a very small coolant leak.

I think the centre bearing of the prop isn't on properly and it's knocking on the underside of the car so that needs sorting this weekend.

Also, on the motorway, doing about 70mph in 5th, I got a loud bang and a judder from the gearstick. A quick inspection under the car on the drive shows a some oil/moisture on the underside next to the gearbox. Needs further investigation as to what the bang actually was.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

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:

14469620197_d21bfe7749_c.jpg


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.

14633078736_3908695897_c.jpg


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!

14469426529_0fff71c5fe_c.jpg


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:

14633199006_7e19e63be7_c.jpg


14655790522_5c4820d679_c.jpg
 
welshname

welshname

ClioSport Club Member
Didn't realise it broke down en route. Those reliable BMW's eh.

Car is looking great, once I've finished spending every single waking moment postponing the inevitable breakdown I'm going to have with mine I'll pop round for a catchup.

Also Oli's M3 came up well after a wax...
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

welshname said:
Didn't realise it broke down en route. Those reliable BMW's eh.

Car is looking great, once I've finished spending every single waking moment postponing the inevitable breakdown I'm going to have with mine I'll pop round for a catchup.

Also Oli's M3 came up well after a wax...
Click to expand...

The car is fine, it's the muppet who thought a poorly fitting battery earth strap would be okay.

Yeah, we need to get out for a drive once I'm happy I haven't left something vital off the car.
 
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