MyE28.com

What started as a cat install for my biannual smog test turned into rear shocks, sway bar bushings, sway bar links and a section of fuel hose.



I bought Powerflex bushings but after fighting them for 17 days I gave up and ordered stock ones.



I bought the el cheapo sway bar links because the boots on the 'good' ones only last 4000 miles apparently.

Put Snob up For Sale.

http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5687472827.html

Mike W. wrote:So what is it, the M535i (presumably) shown in the foreground? Or something else with a body kit?

Yes; M535i. 03-85 build date. Spent most of its life in Italy until Ivo acquired it. He prepped it for another customer but that deal fell through last fall. I saw the car in February when I visited his shop, and said I'd take it. I was hoping to get it sooner, but things didn't work out out until school was out. We got some cheap (€23!!!) EasyJet tickets to Amsterdam, rented a car and drove to Franeker to take possession. It gave us a little trouble -- it wouldn't start after we had to stop for a boat crossing at the near side of the Afsluitdijk, but a fresh battery put all things aright (thanks, Ivo!)

The first day we drove it to my wife's sister's house near Amsterdam (where the photo above was taken), then the next week we drove it the rest of the way to Kandern, with a couple of overnight stops along the way. The car ran great, but I didn't get a chance to really open it up; top speed on the way home was only ~150kph. It needs some fresh tires, and judging by the shimmy in the front end, maybe a set of upper control arm bushings (hello, Moosehead?) It also needs to have the AC charged (the weather was thankfully relatively cool for the drive home) and I need to track down an exhaust leak somewhere forward of the cabin. It has a few needs here and there, but all in all it's a solid car.

The next big hurdle is to get it registered in Germany without breaking the bank. I talked with a local mechanic before we left (Axel Zanger!) and will be working with him to get things squared away & ready for the TÜV inspection. From what I hear, many of the inspectors will make registering "oldtimers" (anything over 25 years old) difficult in an effort to keep junk off the roads, but Axel works with a guy who is a bit kinder & more flexible when it comes to cars like mine that are worth saving. He's seen the car and is excited to help me keep it rolling!

travisj wrote:Very nice there David. Waiting for more photos, but I checked out your link and looked at all of Ivo's photos and that 360 photo thing is awesome. You can even go into the shop and see Ivo working his equipment

Ivo did a great job with those 360 photos, but they still don't compare to a visit to his shop!

No photos yet; we left for the US a few days after getting it home, and things were busy enough that I didn't even get a chance to wash it before leaving, much less take any photos. I have a few that my 7-year-old nephew took of it when we first saw it in February, but... Nah.

Installed euro headlights on the 87 535i yesterday and drove it a bit last night. I still need to finish adjusting them, the aim is still a bit off, but they made a pretty big difference! Much better than the crappy US sealed beams.

Front end still doesn't look 'right', because of the US bumpers.

That will change soon, as I will get my euro front bumper assembly today, and the rear euro bumper should be here next week! Too bad my installation hardware for the front had to be ordered from Europe. I ordered part no. 51119056461 from Schmiedmann, (the complete front euro bumper mounting set) but they are on 'vacation' until the end of the month won't be fulfilling my order until then.

Stupid BMW NA wouldn't sell the 'mounting set' to me, since my car isn't a true euro car. I will go to my local BMW dealer and get the carriage bolts and hex nuts to install my rear bumper when it gets here next week or week after next.

Almost sold Snob.
Maybe Sunday.

Continuing to junk up the new car, I installed this groovy leather handled parking brake lever, with leather boot to ditch the bristles. Then went for some ice cream for the weekly car exercise. The temp showed 97 degrees, but the R12 was cold!

dsmith wrote:Then went for some ice cream for the weekly car exercise.

Do your feet even reach the pedals?




I replaced #9. It should have been easy but NOOOOO, it was a royal PITA. At least the weather was perfect though. 95° with 99% humidity.

I was inspired by FiverWest to get my eta's on the road. Gerda got a new alternator, some new fuel lines and the brake light problems diagnosed, new switch on the way. Re-installed the newly painted oil pan on Otto. Thanks again to "the collective"; all the previous posts are invaluable and make working on these cars pretty straightforward.

Installed the brake switch and kick panel; took Gerda for a long check ride. She is making clunking noises from what I suppose is the subframe area. Picked up Otto's intake manifold at the machinists where it had been soaking in the hot tub.

I drove her around. For the first time after this....

Oops

Bought the grandson's.
He gave up.

1st 5er wrote:Bought the grandson's.
He gave up.

That's scary, since these cars are so simple. What's the alternative, a new car?

Yesterday I changed a flat tire due to running over a rather large screw and then cleaned up my main ground. Finally have over 1000 miles on the car since pulling it out of storage a year ago.

BimmerDan wrote:I drove her around. For the first time after this....

Oops

Well dang!

duggi wrote:Yesterday I changed a flat tire due to running over a rather large screw and then cleaned up my main ground. Finally have over 1000 miles on the car since pulling it out of storage a year ago.

A whole thousand miles? You better be careful, you'll wear it out.

I know people who drive more than that in a weekend.

dsmith wrote:

1st 5er wrote:Bought the grandson's.
He gave up.

That's scary, since these cars are so simple. What's the alternative, a new car?

His step-dad gave him a Subi with working a/c.

Mike W. wrote:

duggi wrote:Yesterday I changed a flat tire due to running over a rather large screw and then cleaned up my main ground. Finally have over 1000 miles on the car since pulling it out of storage a year ago.

A whole thousand miles? You better be careful, you'll wear it out.

I know people who drive more than that in a weekend.

Yah guys like me 12 yrs ago. My 528e went almost 150 miles last yr. I parked on the front front yard and used it as a tool box whilst I detailed the front of the house. I get more than enough driving during the week these days . So I don't drive much on week ends these days.

a wrote:

Mike W. wrote:

duggi wrote:Yesterday I changed a flat tire due to running over a rather large screw and then cleaned up my main ground. Finally have over 1000 miles on the car since pulling it out of storage a year ago.

A whole thousand miles? You better be careful, you'll wear it out.

I know people who drive more than that in a weekend.

Yah guys like me 12 yrs ago. My 528e went almost 150 miles last yr. I parked on the front front yard and used it as a tool box whilst I detailed the front of the house. I get more than enough driving during the week these days . So I don't drive much on week ends these days.

Well, it was in storage from 2011-2015 due to several issues I could't afford to fix at the time and upon bringing it out of storage last year, it just needed SO MUCH WORK to get it safe and reliable - then the transmission blew.

So in reality, what I should've said is: $10k and a year later I've finally been able to put 1000 miles on it and I'm still alive to tell the story. And it still needs a ton of work.

New shocks, bump stops, dust boots and top gaskets.




Put the wheels back on and am now waiting for the photographer to show up for the Pirelli shoot.

Took it in for a SMOG test.




At 25mph, it passed with flying colors but at 15mph, it failed miserably. Now I'm Gross Polluting my way down the Boulevard of Washed Out Hopes and Dreams.

Installed MrFixit's Project Octopus kit!

Pics please!!!!

e28Sean wrote:Installed MrFixit's Project Octopus kit!

I just finished editing an install / review video, which is uploading to YouTube as we speak. I'll post it in the Proj O thread once it's up.

Finally finished some cosmetic upgrades this weekend...

e28Sean wrote:Installed MrFixit's Project Octopus kit!

milarsky wrote:Pics please!!!!

milarsky: Video

I have been giving the last 528e Italian tune ups. Sundays I go visit Mum at her new place down in Plymouth. About a 12 mile run. in 2 and 3. It runs great once it starts . The starter is dragging before it gets gas to the cylinders. Hey Keith, what's the p/n for the 735i check valve ?. I dont smell gas, so I'm eliminating any under hood issues. I'm totally amazed by the battery. I just keep charging the battery every so often. If its got enough to start , I use the 9 buck floater. If it won't start the engine, it gets a 2 amp rate overnight.

Over the past couple of years I've been on a quest to quiet down my e28 a bit. I suspect that '82s didn't come with as much sound deadening material as later years, and a lot of what mine did come with has fallen off, been eaten by mice, or otherwise disappeared over time. So I bought 20 sq ft. of Second Skin Damplifier Pro. It's twelve sheets, one sheet weighs one pound. I've used about half so far, applied strategically inside the trunk and behind/under the rear seat. I put it on the panel which separates the trunk and passenger compartment, on the wheel wells, the underside of the rear deck, and the floor above the subframe. It's made a noticable difference.

On the e24 I replaced the thermostat housing and water manifold. They were badly corroded and coolant was seeping around the ends of hoses. After reassembly I went for a test drive and the temp gauge was reading higher than it should. I cranked up the heat and returned home. When I checked the lower rad hose it was cold. I took the thermostat out of a junked M20 thinking I would swap it in there. Then I noticed that it was different than the old one. I put them in boiling water and they both opened properly. But the M20 thermostat was shorter and the plunger wouldn't reach far enough to cover the hole inside the water manifold, according to my measurements. It was all very confusing. When I looked online, I saw vendors selling the same thermostat for the M20 and M30. Finally I started comparing the old and new water manifolds and found that they were slightly different. Apparently I had an old version and that's why my old thermostat (made in West Germany) did not work in the new one. I put the M20 thermostat in and went for a second test drive with no problems.

Is there a trick to preventing the water pump pulley from eating the lower rad hose? I've replaced this hose twice already and now it has a groove in it again.

Waldo is running and driving.

12valves wrote:Is there a trick to preventing the water pump pulley from eating the lower rad hose? I've replaced this hose twice already and now it has a groove in it again.

#2 - hose clamp (AKA hose carrier) to keep the hose away from the pulley - 11 53 1 717 091 - BMW MSRP $5.20

John in VA wrote:

12valves wrote:Is there a trick to preventing the water pump pulley from eating the lower rad hose? I've replaced this hose twice already and now it has a groove in it again.

#2 - hose clamp (AKA hose carrier) to keep the hose away from the pulley - 11 53 1 717 091 - BMW MSRP $5.20

The help here never ceases to amaze.