e28 touring....

[Kameix1]

Ok, so I see all these people who want e28 or e30 tourings. Whats keeping us from making our own?? BMW out sourced the original tournings to another company. Seems to me that all you need to do is cut the rear roof off one e28 and graft it onto another e28, put some hinges on the glass and there you go, e28 touring. I might do this when we are about to crush the e28 at the junk yard I work at.

[Jeremy]

Custom panels, custom glass, hinges and clasps to make the rear gate work . . . trim for the glass . . .

The devil's in the details, but if you're good with a panel roller and handy with a welder, you might just be able to make it happen.

Jeremy

[Kameix1]

for the rear gate I was just thinking of making just the glass open, use the factory pinch weld for a gasket and put some hinges and everything from a SUV or van, rear glass would be the factory stuff, an quarter glass could be plexi.

[Shawn D.]

Conception and execution are very different animals. How are you going to extend the roof and drip rails? Plexiglass for windows? Not good on a street car -- looks cheap. How do you expect SUV parts to line up? The enthusiasm is great, but unless you're a master body-panel fabricator, the results are going to be less than stellar.

[Kameix1]

Conception and execution are very different animals. How are you going to extend the roof and drip rails? Plexiglass for windows? Not good on a street car -- looks cheap. How do you expect SUV parts to line up? The enthusiasm is great, but unless you're a master body-panel fabricator, the results are going to be less than stellar.

ok, well you cut off the roof from a e28, then you weld it to the back of another e28... this will extend the drip rails, and the roof. now as for the suv parts, they would be mounting hardware for the oem e28 glass to open up from the rear the car, thats the only suv parts that would be used, mounting hardware for the glass (ie two hinges and a striker/latch for the glass). Making the whole rear open like a real touring would be hard, but making just the glass open would be very easy. I will post pictures in a month when we junk the other e28 of what I mean.
here is a close up of a tourings rear end

here is both rear ends together now


Do you see what I mean by looking at that last picture?? Im not saying it will be easy but I would rather make my own than bend over and get raped trying to import one.

[maximapitko]

boy,I don't like the touring even a little bit....

[Shawn D.]

Do you see what I mean by looking at that last picture??

Dude, showing me pictures I've already seen doesn't tell me anything. It's pretty obvious that's not two roof sections pasted together -- doing so would create a side-to-side dip where the rear of the roof stops now.

[Kameix1]

open up your narrow mind here, your not just going to slap this crap together, its going to take work to do, blending, welding, and alot of metal work. If a company can do it and still make money then there is a good chance it will work. if people can make e24 convertibles, e30 pickup trucks, e23 limos, why cant a e28 touring be made

[Shawn D.]

open up your narrow mind here... why cant a e28 touring be made

My mind isn't narrow -- it's just not open so wide that anything can fall into it! I never said an E28 Touring can't be made. You're twisting my statements into an absurd extreme. I'll believe it when I see it completed and will congratulate you for a job well done if it is indeed well done.

[C.R. Krieger]

If a company can do it and still make money then there is a good chance it will work.

If a company had made money, there would be more of them.

[Kameix1]

If a company can do it and still make money then there is a good chance it will work.

If a company had made money, there would be more of them.

they just didnt import any of the e28 or e30 ones to the us. e34, e46, e39, and e60 ones are all over the place

[turbodan]

The e34, e46, e39 and e60 were all production BMW models. I can get parts for those. I cant get parts for an e28 touring.

[crispy]

OK, why? Why, why, why, why, why, why? All that time and effort for what? A freakin station wagon? Spend the time and effort (and money) putting a turbo on the car or something... geez man, what are you gonna do next, go round up some kids and go play soccer?

[Eric_V]

I think it's great when someone wants to do (or try) something what others don't. However, I believe the poster is taking the whole project much too lightly.

Probably, together with a lot of strong language, it just ends with 2 less E28's in the world.

[cgraff]

The e34, e46, e39 and e60 were all production BMW models. I can get parts for those. I cant get parts for an e28 touring.

If a company can do it and still make money then there is a good chance it will work.

If a company had made money, there would be more of them.

they just didnt import any of the e28 or e30 ones to the us. e34, e46, e39, and e60 ones are all over the place

In addition to that, let's also get this clear as well: E30's were also production tourings as well. BMW didn't outsource any production of any model (specifically chassis) to anyone since Karman did the early E24s and they tried to have Lambo do the M1.

Any E28 touring was a one-off, privately contracted project.

Yes, there are a few that were made by private coachbuilders, if you will, in Europe. They were not sanctioned or in anyway affiliated with BMW.

And there is a very high probability that you CANNOT get any custom part anymore from any of the builders for an E28 touring.

-Chris

[turbodan]

Dont get me wrong though, I think the touring could be a cool car. I wouldn't mind stomping asses around town in a turbo touring. But I dont see it working out. If you've ever had the headliner and insulation out you can see the structure built into the e28 roof. Its more than just sheet metal. You would need to do some serious work to keep the car as rigid as it was with the C pillars where they used to be. Its all tied in.

[C.R. Krieger]

Probably, together with a lot of strong language, it just ends with 2 less E28's in the world.

Well put.

[philip1]

I think this would be an interesting project and if the parts car and the doner are going to the junk pile then why not try. As far as the windows go why not make it a panel van? It would give you the chance to have more structure to hold the car together.

[KillerPM]

We once made a parade car:





The car went to the yard shortly after that.

[Kameix1]

We once made a parade car:





The car went to the yard shortly after that.

Picture number 2 is what im talking about, then you need to section in the roof from the other junk car. Yes this is a very extensive project, I said that several times in the first couple posts. not something that I can do in a weekend. I am a ASE certified with welding, auto glass, auto body and for airbags. I am not just some novice trying to make something neat. I personally dont want to destroy my e28 that I drive daily, but I could use the junk yard I work at for test cars. This would be a very very neat car, and to turbo it would make it even cooler.

[Kameix1]

OK, why? Why, why, why, why, why, why? All that time and effort for what? A freakin station wagon? Spend the time and effort (and money) putting a turbo on the car or something... geez man, what are you gonna do next, go round up some kids and go play soccer?

because i dont want to get 10 miles to the gallon, that and why would I want to take a e28 that is 3 different colors and has a bent frame and dump 5k on a turbo for it. Minnesota isnt the best place to have a 400hp rear wheel drive car Anyway

[duncan-uk]

Erik, i salute you - if the cars are otherwise destined for the knackers yard why not give it a go? whats to lose?

I have no idea as to what skills you have but if no one ever tried we still be in the same valley wondering whats over the hill

give it a go and post the results good or bad - i've seen the dutch touring conversions and reckon they rock, sure it won't be easy but it might just work!

[Kameix1]

Erik, i salute you - if the cars are otherwise destined for the knackers yard why not give it a go? whats to lose?

I have no idea as to what skills you have but if no one ever tried we still be in the same valley wondering whats over the hill

give it a go and post the results good or bad - i've seen the dutch touring conversions and reckon they rock, sure it won't be easy but it might just work!

Thank you, people who understand that not doing anything is the first step to failing.

[JohnH]

Thank you, people who understand that not doing anything is the first step to failing.

I also agree. I think that creating an E28 Touring is a great idea and extends a vehicles use and purpose.

Because you are removing the rear bulk head you will loose a lot of tosional rigidity, so it might start to creak a bit, so I guess you will need to add a fair amount of bracing somewhere on the structure.

I believe that the Dutch tourings used a lot of Mercedes Benz tailgate parts.

Keep us posted.

[C.R. Krieger]

Because you are removing the rear bulk head you will loose a lot of tosional rigidity, so it might start to creak a bit, so I guess you will need to add a fair amount of bracing somewhere on the structure.

The bulkhead doesn't have to come out if the rear seat doesn't fold down. That would be a great place to reinforce with a beam - aka 'strut brace'.

[Eric_V]

I believe that the Dutch tourings used a lot of Mercedes Benz tailgate parts.

I take it you just mean the Touring those Dutch guys took along a while back, and not that the Dutch built it....

We didn't, a German firm called Schultz did the conversions.

[crispy]

Thank you, people who understand that not doing anything is the first step to failing.

Believe me, I know. My next project is either going to restore with turbo and MegaSquirt my 1973 2002, or finally start my scratch design / build mid engine car (see my avatar - CFD work.)

It's all subjective and I wrote what I wrote with sarcasm and humor, BUT, I am still surprised to see people putting all that time and effort into making a stationwagon. Then again, that kind of work is your specialty and it certainly will be unique which I say go for, so I wish you luck....

[Kameix1]

Alright, well some of you guys want me to build this thing, so im going to gather the parts, but im not going to spend any money on them. It will be slow going but Ive found a Vixen 21xc ( http://www.vixenrv.com/vixen_history.php ) and would rather have that than a e28 touring. Plans are to gut the vixen and make the inside how I want it to be set up.

[Badbradacadabra]

You should convert that Vixen into an amphibious party cruiser.

[Kameix1]

You should convert that Vixen into an amphibious party cruiser.

great lord almighty.... that would be awsome!! but I hate water. maybe putting a webesto rag top on all 21 feet of the roof would be better for me.