Maytag: The Alpine '87 529i

[cddallara]

As they should be.

[tig]

Heh. Nuts turned out perfect.



Got some OE BBS valve stems with caps too.



Which do you like better? Vote early and often.

[wkohler]

The BBS emblem but the nut needs to be silver.

[tig]

The BBS emblem but the nut needs to be silver.

Your vote has been automatically disqualified.

[bkbimmer]

Those look pretty nice.

[LSXBeemer]

BBS on passenger side, BMW on the drivers side

I'm partial to the BMW logo.....but I really like both. You can't go wrong either way.

[Karl Grau]

Sorry, but I'm with Chris on this. I've done all the variations and I think it could be pulled off with a 17" wheel but with 16"s, it's just too much black, I would go with the BBS caps no matter what though. They're classic, period correct wheels, run them with pride!

[wkohler]

The BBS emblem but the nut needs to be silver.

Your vote has been automatically disqualified.

That's generally how people operate when they know they're wrong.

[tig]

Sorry, but I'm with Chris on this. I've done all the variations and I think it could be pulled off with a 17" wheel but with 16"s, it's just too much black, I would go with the BBS caps no matter what though. They're classic, period correct wheels, run them with pride!

15"

[wkohler]

That's a lot of money to spend on center caps that look like someone stole your center caps.

[bkbimmer]

That's a lot of money to spend on center caps that look like someone stole your center caps.

[davintosh]

I'm with Chris on this too; silver centers would look better. Even with the black, I'd do the BBS logo.

The black nuts make for way too much black on that wheel. I've never been a fan of black wheels anyway, even on Porches. Visually, it's just all wrong; the centers just kinda disappear. All that detail that you work so hard to finish and keep clean... I like to be able to see what the wheels look like.

I do really like the machined finish on the lips; that looks fantastic. Too bad about the centers though.

[tig]

Mounted. I'll put the centers on tonight.

And no, I do not plan on lowering it (unless I can find some sort of suspension kit that just lowers it a teensy bit), so don't ask.

It goes in to have the rust bubble at the rear window corner fixed next week (supposedly). I'm going to re-do the pin-stripes to be dark gray at that point too.

[bkbimmer]

I wish my car looked half that good. Now put euro bumpers on it already.

[tig]

I wish my car looked half that good. Now put euro bumpers on it already.

Gee, if I only knew of some amazing craftsman who only lived a few hundred miles from me and would do an amazing job.

[tig]

This week Maytag goes to get a little rust addressed. I finally found the kind of body/paint guy with whom I think I can have a nice long-term relationship with (Ken). He just did my buddy's Zinno 325ix last week and his work absolutely meets my standards. The first job is fixing the rust bubble in Maytag's rear window. I'm still collecting my euro bumper parts for Vlad and that will happen next...think of the work on Maytag as a 'get to know you' job.

In prep, I pulled the rear window.



Good news is the rust does not extend into the channel, nor has it really started on the left-hand side.





PO had obviously addressed some rust in the trunk gasket channel with POR15. I have a new trunk gasket I bought ages ago. There's a bit of rust still lingering in there, so I'm going to have Ken take care of that too.







While the parcel shelf is out of the car, I'm going to use some fabric paint to make it like new.

[tig]

All ready to be dropped off... Only need to go a few miles, and thankfully the weather's supposed to be ok this week.



Turned out great!




Now working on trying to fix the defroster tabs, which had both broken off.

[Mike W.]

Before you spend too much time on the defroster tabs, ohm it out. It should be ~5 ohms or less. Lots of times I've seen the grid go to near infinite due to wear, tear and oxidation. No sense in fixing what might not work.

[tig]

Maytag is now 99.99999% rust free. He did a super job.



Even Maytag's tool kit is now rust free. Arrow Plating does a "clear" plating in addition to the yellow/zinc. I sent all the fasteners I had from the M20B27 project and parts car in and they came back today. I figured it would be worth a try to see if they could restore the tools. I think they look great. Not quite the original chrome, but far better than icky rust.

[oldskool]

You've done gone and fell in love wit your SideChick. No turning back.

[tig]

Got the rear window in. Installing the rear lock strip is a lot easier than on a windshield. Still a bear, but I got it done.



Parcel shelf looks great. Gotta replace that beige cover though. Someone got one lying around? I'll buy it...



Defroster works too. And I put in a new trunk seal.



My paint guy did a really nice job. He also painted the left rear door jamb (lots of scratches), the trunk seal gutter (after sanding out all the POR15 the PO had put in and fixing some rust), and the trunk threshold.

Kinda nice not having a rusty set of tools.

[Crazy_Canuck]

You just need to replace the rusted sound absorber, 71-111-152-109, for the OCD perfect tool kit

[tig]

You just need to replace the rusted sound absorber, 71-111-152-109, for the OCD perfect tool kit

Truth: I meant to take the pic such that it wasn't visible because I knew someone would suggest that.

I have a weird relationship with this car. I really don't want to keep pouring time & money into it, but its been so interesting seeing it transform I can't seem to help it. Unlike Vlad where I really know what i want.

With the rust repair done, everything I thought needed to be done for me to sell it with no caveats is complete. The oil leak at the head gasket has gone down after I torqued the head bolts. The valves are noisy. Subframe bushings could be replaced. But 'cmon, this is now one of the nicer 208k Etas on the planet now.

It is an absolute joy to drive. When Vlad goes under the knife for bumpers and suspension refresh in the next month ill be glad I have it.

I'm still sorta working on a replacement motor based around then m20b27 I got from the donor super-ETA (if collecting parts counts). But I also fantasize about an S52 swap fairly regularly. We shall see...

[tig]

Maytag now has a 3.25LSD instead of the 3.46LSD I put in previously. Just slightly less revvy.

Full thread on my rebuild of the differential with lots of Pr0n here: http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?f=3& ... 6#p1269930

[oldskool]

M power plant swap, and then I can begin to forgive you for what you did to the Mercedes.

[kzolee]

But 'cmon, this is now one of the nicer 208k Etas on the planet now.

[tig]

But 'cmon, this is now one of the nicer 208k Etas on the planet now.

208k *miles* kzolee, not *km*.

[kzolee]

Ohh, I now get it. There are nicer 207 and 209k etas on the planet.

[2 5's and a 7]

Got the rear window in. Installing the rear lock strip is a lot easier than on a windshield. Still a bear, but I got it done.



Parcel shelf looks great. Gotta replace that beige cover though. Someone got one lying around? I'll buy it...



Defroster works too. And I put in a new trunk seal.



My paint guy did a really nice job. He also painted the left rear door jamb (lots of scratches), the trunk seal gutter (after sanding out all the POR15 the PO had put in and fixing some rust), and the trunk threshold.

Kinda nice not having a rusty set of tools.

Don't about your past but I've never had a rusty Tool.......just saying

[tig]

Ohh, I now get it. There are nicer 207 and 209k etas on the planet.

Let's duel.