M535i my new toy. It's a keeper.

[Tiit]

I took my cars to a track day. I mostly drove my E36 328i but I did do one session in my E28.
My E28 isn't ready for track a track day, yet I wanted to have a fey laps in it just to get a feel of it and to compare it to E36.
Shifting from E36 to E28 was a dramatic experience. Difference was bigger than i would have thought. Lets compare the two just for fun

Power:
E36: not much at lower revs, but above 5K it pulls smooth and slightly more power than my E28.
E28: decent mid range, but from 4,5K power starts dropping.

suspension:
E36: Rear axle bushings are worn, which greatly reduces stability/handling. has some body roll. Other than that it handles pretty decent.
E28: compared to E36 it feels softer, clumsy and a lot more body roll

Steering:
E36: feels fine. (purple tag 3 turns lock to lock steering rack)
E28: surprisingly not worse than E36.

gearbox:
E36: arm rest was in the way for quick shifting. Due to 2.93 rear end gearing is not ideal on track.
E28: Shifter is in comfortable place, but I had crazy hard time down shifting. It did not want to shift to third or second while braking. Gearing is a lot better suited for track.

Diff:
E36: 2.93 open. Not ideal.
E28: 3.46 open. ratio is ok, but need for LSD is desperate.

Seating:
E36: seat is barely ok. Doesn't provide enough side support. No head space at all with helmet. Helmet is hard against the roof.
E28: On street I prefer E28 seats over E36, but on track E28 is worse. Not enough side support and maybe some flexing. I was afraid to brake it during heavy cornering. Head room is ok

Brakes:
E36: adequate, but better pads should improve a lot.
E28: Barely held up a lap. After that the pedal went down really deep and felt like crap. Which is confusing, because I just changed brake hoses, pads, fluid and guide bushes. Im pretty confident there is no air in lines.

over all:
E36 is a decent base for a track car. After few fixes and mods it will be a nice car to through around the track.
E28 My M535i will never be a track car. The only reason I took it out was to find out how it behaves at limits. I learned a lot. The experience was pathetic and hilarious at the same time. Brakes are crap, gears don't go in, motor is sluggish and the body roll was huge. It felt like It was going to tip over. Perhaps really good tires contributed to excessive body roll
IMG_2740 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2552 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2826 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2717 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2843 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2477 by

[Bonsaibacker]

Great pictures!
Sounds like fun and frustration. Curious if you are going to make any adjustments to the M535 after getting to know it better?

[Adam W in MN]

Great pictures and thanks for the assessment

[LeiseyJr]

Your box needs a rebuild or your rev matching needs work. My dogleg is fantastic under track conditions. Its not as crisp as the newer transmission but it always shifts. E36 is a a much better platform then an E28. It’s what I shouldve built, but E28 is still a blast, a lot more entertaining to drive.

[Tiit]

Your box needs a rebuild or your rev matching needs work. My dogleg is fantastic under track conditions. Its not as crisp as the newer transmission but it always shifts. E36 is a a much better platform then an E28. It’s what I shouldve built, but E28 is still a blast, a lot more entertaining to drive.

My rev matching is far from perfect, but there is something more to it. I am pretty sure there is something wrong internally with the transmission. I really have to pull my finger out and get the transmission rebuilt.

Great pictures!
Sounds like fun and frustration. Curious if you are going to make any adjustments to the M535 after getting to know it better?

I have not decided yet. One part of me wants to keep it stock, the way it was engineered back in the eighties. But I might add stiffer springs and stronger sway bars one day.

[Tiit]

Small update. This year I have driven this car for at least ten times. Each time couple of meters in my back yard to make space in my shed so I can work on some other cars. Lack of air con, noisy exhaust and transmission troubles removed all desire to drive it.
I did get something done though. I purchased set of ford injectors off a forum member.
IMG_5446 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Just to be sure I gobbled together quick and dirty flow bench. I tested old injectors first and result was shocking Flow difference was around 50%.
IMG_5449 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

M30B34 injector spray pattern.
IMG_5448 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr



This might explain the flow difference. interestingly, O rings were still very soft and rubbery, but what is that rusty looking crumbly shit?
IMG_5524 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Same test was repeated with ford injectors. Spray pattern was much finer as expected.

IMG_5450 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

But flow rate difference was disappointing.
IMG_5451 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

By this point I realised the battery voltage was low. With fully recharged battery the test was repeated. This time I was happy with results. Flow rate difference was indistinguishable.
IMG_5452 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I now wish I had repeated the test with old injectors with fully charged battery. It is bugging me not knowing if the old injectors are cactus, or flow difference was caused by low battery.

Ford injectors are a smidgen shorter. Fuel rail mounting holes were filed oval to compensate.
IMG_5469 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

This tool was used to clean injector holes in the intake.
IMG_5471 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_5470 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

And long overdue fuel hoses were replaced.
IMG_5473 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr


Car idles better and ticking is much quieter. I would call it a success.

[stuartinmn]

Building your own injector test rig is pretty impressive.

[Tiit]

Its been over a year since last update. Unfortunately I have done almost nothing with my M535i It doesn't mean i have done nothing lately. It has been actually a busy year working on several cars.

bit of this.
IMG_3603 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

And this.
IMG_7624 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

And this.
IMG_8604 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

And much more. I have gotten really familiar with E36 last year. How about E28? My M535i sits under cover behind Land Cruiser and Corona trampoline.
IMG_9982 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I was secretly hoping for Corona virus to lock me home for a month or so and I could start working on M535i, but instead I've been busier than usual. While my M535i been siting under cover, there is another E28 Ive been driving daily. To explain this, let's go back in time a few years in 2015, before I had M535i.
That time I didn't have any E28 in my life, but Ive had a few in the past and wanted one since. I was walking my dog in my neighbourhood and discovered this.
IMG_6310 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

It had been sitting there a while and looked a bit rough. I ended up buying this for a $300. Not a bad deal for running 535iA. Drove her home and did quick inspection. It looked like pretty well maintained car until youngster got their hands on it. Water has been leaking to interior and carpet was soaking wet.

IMG_9411 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Luckily, body is almost rust free.
IMG_7578 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_7215 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_7634 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_9404 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Once the water leak was fixed and interior tidied up, it sat for a while in my back yard. I couldn't really make up my mind of what to do with it. It seemed, it required a lot of money and work to bring it up to a nice standard. That's when I started to look for M535i.
M535i is nice, but honestly I never really fell in love with it. For several reasons I just don't enjoy driving it that much. If it wasn't my all time favourite car, I would have sold it a year ago (I know it's weird not to love my own favourite car )
Meanwhile the blue 535i continued to sit in my back yard. Suddenly I got motivated, fixed a few mechanical issues to pass mechanical inspection. Registered it and started daily driving it.

IMG_8446 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_8416 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr



Good old broken steering box mount repair was easier than expected.
IMG_9988 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_9992 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_0010 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_0011 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_0028 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I have been driving this on and off for last 6 months and absolutely love it. Yes it's not a perfect driver and has plenty of flaws, but it still an E28 and does the job. I also learned to love automatic. Automatic is a better match for lazy b34 than CR dogleg. Handling is absolutely ridiculous! It leans scary amount in corners. It's an effort trying to drive fast and that is a good thing.
What are the long term plans with the "Bluey" I don't know. Part of me wants to preserve this time capsule and the same time I'm itching to "improve" a few things on it.

How about the plans with "Whitey"? Well I haven't given up on it yet. I'll push it in to garage very soon and tear it apart. Goal is to get it finished by december. What exactly will be done, not sure. Motor and gearbox will come out for sure. Gearbox need to be sorted out (notchy shifting). Motor will receive refresh (I've sourced B35 just in case) and whatever else I decide to do while it's apart. I'm really hoping to do regular updates, once the works start. I'm a little nervous and excited the same time.

IMG_5107 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

[tig]

Land Cruiser
\

Love.

[Tiit]

Trampoline
\

Love.

Haha. I knew you have a soft spot for trampolines

[Tiit]

I have been daily driving Bluey for a while and I love it.


IMG_9517 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_8522 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr



Also, the deadline was set and Whitey was dug out.
IMG_0628 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

After a quick wash we rolled it to shed.

IMG_0636 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_0654 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Just to make sure it is not too upset for being abandoned for a while, we started it up for the last time.

https://youtu.be/FCJHHb6wbIc


I have not made up my mind completely what will be done to it, but a few things on the list are:
* Transmission is not shifting right. Needs an overhaul.
* Engine feels weak and leaks oil. Engine will come apart and find out how much wear does it have. I will probably assemble it with high CR pistons and bigger cam.
* Probably a ton of while I am in there things.

It definitely won't be a full on restoration. My budget is tight and time is even more precious. I am already sleep deprived and can only afford to spend up to 10 hours per week on it. Probably even less than that. So it will take some time to get it finished, but I am determined to complete it as soon as possible.

[tig]

Great pic.

[Zengineer]

Good old broken steering box mount repair was easier than expected.
IMG_9988 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I had a hilarious moment with this photo. First I thought "that looks like rebar", then it was "that's the biggest rebar I've ever seen!" In my mind that looked to me like a 6" thick piece of rebar. It's only after careful reflection and more reading that I realized it was a close up on a mini lathe, lol. I may have a slightly larger lathe that seems to have skewed my perspective a bit.

[Tiit]

Things are slowly happening. Luckily I have a friend helping me out, otherwise I would get nothing done.

M30 looks a lot better, in my opinion, with most of the wiring and fuel injection crap removed.

_MG_0002 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Wiring is a big issue. The entire wiring loom is crusty and brittle.

_MG_0007 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0013 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I prefer removing motors below with tranny and subframe attached. First time for me on E28, but I have done it this way a few times on other bmws and works great.
_MG_0018 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0019 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr


I am very tempted to tear the motor apart begin the rebuild, but it won't happen just yet. Firstly I will clean the engine bay and complete all the dirty work first.

[Zengineer]

Admiring your garage setup here, looks good. (nice and bright too) What is it you are using as jackstands to get the car up that high? (Are those wooden boxes?) Appreciate any photos of that setup you can provide.

[Tiit]

Thanks. I've put some time and effort into my shed to make it a comfortable place to work. I've added lots of lights, power outlets, insulated and sheeted and done many other improvements.
Car sits on wooden boxes indeed. One of the most useful things I've ever made. Very easy and quick to make and much more stable than axle stands. In this case I simply screwed to boxes together for extra height. Added some carpet on top for extra protection and thats it.

_MG_0016 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

These boxes are part of my multi function kit. I've got 8 different size boxes and ramps that can be configured in a few different ways. In the beginning of this vide can be seen how they are typically used.

https://youtu.be/gVqMs-w4AXI

[Zengineer]

Very cool, thanks for sharing that. Certainly some food for thought as I think about how I want to work on my car and my overall disdain for jackstands, lol.

[Tiit]

Nothing has happened with the car for weeks due busy work situation. Hopefully I will get hands dirty soon.

for those who are interested, this is how the engine came out https://youtu.be/ZSOGwZD740s

Decided to measure compression. Results were better than expected.

_MG_0023 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

By the way, I really like that the starter bolts directly to engine block, unlike more modern BMW.

I was a bit nervous about undoing Jesus nut. Turned out to be a simple straight forward task. No trouble at all.

_MG_0045 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0043 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Clutch appears to be original from new. Still has some life in it and probably will just put it back in as is. I expected to find dual mass flywheel for some reason.

_MG_0049 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0056 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

[LeiseyJr]

I have been daily driving Bluey for a while and I love it.


IMG_9517 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Super cool pic! Excited to see the new motor build.

[Tiit]

Some time have passed and not much has happened with M535i. One reason why progress stalled is due higher standards. When trying to do things right, progress slows down. I am a bit bummed out about slow progress, but I have not given up about it yet. I have been thinking about it every single day and I will get back at it.
Past year Iv'e worked on other cars and was year of self improvement. Tried to have more sleep at night and adopted healthier life style. Attended local half marathon, which is absolutely out of character for me. In school I always finished last and been lazy for for past 36 years. Training for the race was hard, required a lot of discipline, but rewarding at the same time.
Prior the race, my wife kindly offered to to get rid of one of my cars if I wont finish half marathon in 2hours. I thought its fair, if I'm allowed to buy another car, if I finish in 1.45. Reluctantly she agreed. I ended up finishing in 1.40:37. I was super happy with the experience and can recommend to anyone. No matter how fat and lazy you are, you can do it. Set a goal, train and do it.

IMG_2321 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

It didn't take too long, before an old BMW came up for sale in my area. It was an impulse buy and was cheap. Iv'e always wanted E23 in my collection and this one seems to be fully loaded with options and 95% complete. It has been sitting for over ten years and needs some work before can be registered.
Looks like in 2007 the motor was replaced or repaired, but something went wrong and it seized up. And it's been sitting in the back yard since.
So I've got another project in my hands. I am not planning to restore it to perfect condition, but just repair what's needed and start driving.
Yes I know I am dumb. It's cheaper to buy decent car instead of cheap wreck that requires $10K in parts and 100hrs in labour, but I just love those scrubby old cars
IMG_2520 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2472 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2591 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

[LeiseyJr]

Congrats on the marathon!!!! Funny how the power of shitbox motivation (something your passionate about) works with goals.

That is a cool color combo on that e23 (no bias or anything). Hope the restoration process goes smoothly.

[Das_Prachtstrasse]

Bravo to you on the health kick. It's amazing what a difference that discipline makes to the rest of your life.

The e23 is a good find and a well deserved reward!

[Ordnator]

Absolutely nothing wrong with snagging a good E23, they are becoming as rare as rocking horse poo.

Looks like you may have a late production run out Executive model with all of the extended buffalo leather everywhere.

Is it a 735i SE Auto Executive or possibly a south African 745i SE Auto Executive?

You stole this fine example for a song by the sound of it, brilliant.

This will be one classy sweet ride once you have re-commissioned it.

I have been looking for a nice Executive model for a few years with no luck.

Best regards,

Mick

[Tiit]

Thanks guys.
Yes it’s a late 735i. Head has 81 stamp on it and motor is locked solid. Someone has been messing with it probably in 2007 when it was last registered. Other than that it’s completely original and unmolested. I’ve got b35 in the shed ready to be dropped in. Motor swap should be easy, but I’m more worried about thousand little things might be wrong from sitting outside.
Speaking of shit boxes, I’m still driving blue e28 daily and still loving it. The car has many issues and far from perfect, but I consider myself lucky to be driving my favourite car to work every day.

[Ordnator]

You can't beat the smiles per miles that an E23, E24 or an E28 provide every day.