And so it starts, Maeve

[wkohler]

I've also seen just absent minded people put the wrong fuses in. Nothing on those circuits that draws a ton of power that someone should be compensating for. "My OBC is suddenly drawing a lot of amps. Needs more headroom."

[gwb72tii]

Can you tell me what the holes in the area just above the Taxi valance are for? The ones that have caps in them? Looking at cek's blog on the paint work he had done these were filled and painted.

Also, what is a "Taxi" valance?

[wkohler]

Base model valance, like how a taxi is a base model car. Has no openings in the valance on top or in the middle or the two oil cooler openings at the bottom. The holes with the plugs are for the US bumper surround trim. They have to be filled. Make sure you pull the headlight wiring harness out from behind there before welding or you’ll blow holes in the harness.

[gwb72tii]

Thank you. Looking at google explanations I don't think I have any need to replace the valance, it just needs to be installed better. I'm not convinced I need A/C up here so the extra holes probably don't matter.

I'm also guessing that whether it's taxi model or the A/C model of valance it doesn't affect the value of the car.

[wkohler]

I think it looks terrible especially given the stampings are there and would think a lot less of a conversion done using one especially since they’re the same price.

It’s not like the one on the car is trash and needs to be thrown out. Someone will buy that and pay plenty for it. Converting the car is not rocket science. It’s been done many times. I did my first one in ‘08 and it was done many times before I did. We were blessed with better parts availability then, but there are ways to get everything you need and in the grand scheme of what a project like this costs are not that expensive but make for a better result.

But that’s just, like my opinion, man. In the end it’s your car and do what you’re happy with but I’m always going to give you what I think is the right answer to the question.

[gwb72tii]

Some progress to report. I removed both the front and rear windshields today.
As you might suspect, its much easier if you know you're going to replace the windshield gasket.
And the good news is there is no rust in the corners under the gasket, a typical spot if you're going to find some. Does it ever rain in Phoenix?
I'm also thinking we should have a "whose dash is more cracked" contest maybe.....



Here's a picture of the rear windshield area, no rust! PO tried to repair the rear speakers.


And I've been fighting this all week, SNOW! Unusual in that it has remained since Sunday and temps have been cold.
I don't know how all you people in the upper midwest work on cars in the winter. I have a garage heater that I'll be hanging in the garage in a few weeks.

[gwb72tii]

I like the zipties holding the fuses in. Good job so far!

they are special e28 fuse box zipties

NLA as I understand.

[Mdreamer]

I'm also thinking we should have a "whose dash is more cracked" contest maybe.....

I agree!

I'm going to have my front and rear windows taken out soon too. I can only envy the lack of rust on your car.

[SeattleGuy]

I'm also thinking we should have a "whose dash is more cracked" contest maybe.....

I agree!

I'm going to have my front and rear windows taken out soon too. I can only envy the lack of rust on your car.

I'm so lucky... of course I have the usual middle crack which is pretty bad below 30f with just a couple others holding steady for the past 4 years.... and my car has virtually no rust. Just little surface stuff under the side body trim and stuff. For some reason the driver's side trim blew partially off so I just took the whole thing off. But still, you're in good shape here as you can do this stuff yourself and have all the tools for the most part rock on!

[gwb72tii]

some progress to report.

boxed up my dash and it's off to Van Nuys for JustDashes to restore. They are 4 months out so maybe I'll get it back the end of April/mid May. That schedule works as my current daily goes off lease July 9. My car goes to the body shop for some body work and painting at the end of February, so maybe getting it back mid March. Should be plenty of time to get the car put back together before July.


I finally read and re-read how to remove the AC box. It's not hard unless you've never removed one before, then it takes time. Once I removed the dash, this is what I could see:


After I removed this vent on both sides of the box, access to the screws that secure the box were easy.


Then removing the 10mm nut on the middle front of the box securing the box to the tranny tunnel and it was ready to come out

These two flaps were inside the AC box when I removed it. Not sure where they go but it should be obvious at some point. All the foam turns to dust if you touch it.


I used my handy 12v power source to test the fan motor.


I found what I think is the drain tube broken and held to the bottom of the box by a foam ring. luckily it looks easy to zip grip back together.


tomorrow is remove the heater box day. Luckily the rain we've been having up here in the Pacific Northwest has gone away for the next week or so. That lets me push the car outside of my garage to work on. Amazing how natural light is so much better than hand held work lights.

[Mike W.]

Those flaps are a big deal, they live in that piece that connects the A/C and heater boxes, are neatly counterbalanced and direct airflow or block it. A neat design with the counterbalance, but the hinges are overly fragile, just a little tiny pin at either end IIRC. They are how you can get fresh air or A/C out of the same vents. Not shown separately, but laying horizontially in the Realoem image. https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=64_0494

On the A/C drain, you need to glue that on, not zip tie it on. A significant amount of water can drain thru there and you want it under the car, not under the carpeting.

[gwb72tii]

more progress to report.

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking of things I need to do, and realized I need to get my car apart far enough so when it's time to trailer to the body shop at the end of February it will be ready. I am out of the country for 2 weeks in mid March so I won't have any fudge room.

So today:
took off the rear tail lights, and no rust! I keep expecting to find rust. I was hoping perhaps the seals would be re-usable but no luck. Just like everything else that's rubber or plastic on this AZ car they are dried out and need replacing.



finally took out all of the carpet panels in the trunk, and no rust, even in the spare tire well. The spare is a TRX tire and is dried out. No way it could actually be used as a spare.



I took off part of the dried out trunk seal, expecting to find rust, and didn't until the final corner. Not too bad and the body shop should be able to fix it without any problem.


ugh, rust!


Moving to the front, the euro headlights need to be refurbished. The Hella lamps will be replaced with either newer Hella's or Koito's.


I am continually surprised that the car has all original panels. For as old as this car is and as hard as it was apparently driven, the panels are surprisingly straight.



And here is something someone may want, the OEM amplifier. If you want it, PM me and its free if you pay shipping.


I'm hoping some of you can tell me what the two extra radiators are for? I'm guessing one is AC related and the other an oil cooler?


And then I found this. Can any tell me if it has any kind of value?


That's it for today. Football tomorrow, GO 49ers!

[John in VA]

Any rust around the license plate lights?
The first aid kit is from a much later model - check eBay, maybe $30.

[Mike W.]

Looks like an A/C condenser in front of the aux fan along with the original condenser between the fan and the radiator. Never seen anything like that, are there hoses going to it?

[gwb72tii]

Any rust around the license plate lights?
The first aid kit is from a much later model - check eBay, maybe $30.

I would call this minor surface rust based on what I've seen from other posts



and years of built up dust. Have you ever spent time on Phoenix/Tuscon and experienced the occasional dust storms?

[gwb72tii]

Looks like an A/C condenser in front of the aux fan along with the original condenser between the fan and the radiator. Never seen anything like that, are there hoses going to it?

So here is a question. The front radiator supply comes from the steering fluid reservoir, and then goes to the steering box. Is this common practice, to cool the steering fluid? To my knowledge, the fluid doesn't circulate right?


And the mid radiator is related to the AC.

[gwb72tii]

And look what Fedex brought today! Thank you Mr.Lavery!

[gwb72tii]

Can you see what is missing? Tip of the hat to Mr.Kohler for noticing the driver's door is a different color.

[Mike W.]

Looks like an A/C condenser in front of the aux fan along with the original condenser between the fan and the radiator. Never seen anything like that, are there hoses going to it?

So here is a question. The front radiator supply comes from the steering fluid reservoir, and then goes to the steering box. Is this common practice, to cool the steering fluid? To my knowledge, the fluid doesn't circulate right?

Oh wow, that is bizarre. Stock there is a little P/S cooler of sorts, up towards that general location, but it's just a pipe bent into a box shape. Look at #1 in the link, https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=32_0264

No fins or anything, I think it's just steel. But fluid does circulate to a degree. That cooler is such overkill, it's got to be at least 50 if not 100 times more effective, but unneeded. I'd rip that thing out and replace it with either the correct cooler/pipe, or get some soft copper tubing and make your own. Many cars now do have P/S coolers, but not like that. A FWIW, the little short pieces of rubber hose connecting to the original cooler are leak prone and made with steel braid reinforced hose. But I just used regular hose when I did mine and they were never a problem. It's on the return side, so it's not really under any pressure.

[2dye4]

Here’s a few pics

Are these e24 seats?

Im digging the process, please, go on.

[gwb72tii]

Looking at the RealOEM diagram it’s looks like an all too common over thought out over engineered German design.

There’s no return to the reservoir, there’s no circulating pump, no circulation.

[Mike W.]

Looking at the RealOEM diagram it’s looks like an all too common over thought out over engineered German design.

There’s no return to the reservoir, there’s no circulating pump, no circulation.

No, there is a return. Look at #4 in the diagram. It's two different hoses, but the short one on the left goes back to the reservoir. And the P/S pump is the circ pump, it's always pumping regardless of need at the moment. If there is no demand, it just kind of flows thru the system, if there is a load, it's put to work so to speak and the system pressure rises. Think of turning in a parking lot, you can hear the pump a little bit. It's working. But if you turn it hard to the stop, it's really working, deadheaded and isn't happy.

Now weather or not they really needed the cooler I don't know, nor how much good it did.

[gwb72tii]

So bmw ran the lines forward to the radiator area in anticipation for someone putting in a radiator I guess.

I’ve never dealt with any kind of power steering so my inexperience is shining bright.

Thanks for the explanation.

[Blue Shadow]

So bmw ran the lines forward to the radiator area in anticipation for someone putting in a radiator I guess.

BMW ran the lines forward to have the power system fluid (brakes and steering power) run through a cooling pipe, not a radiator, just a pipe bent to fit behind the kidneys and be unseen but right there in the cool incoming airflow.

The addition of the radiator to replace the pipe is the aftermarket change in your ride.

[Blue Shadow]

replace the power fluid radiator with part number 1

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=32_0264

with the price of one of these, a small radiator would be way cheaper.

Here is a link to a pic of the part installed from a different board

https://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/139020-c ... ind-grill/

the pipes from the pump/reservoir area lay flat on the frame rail. The pipes across the front also lay flat on the bodywork. Your short connection pieces are about right but when you put it all back together, you'll use hose as needed to connect the pipes to whatever cooler you decide to put in.

[gwb72tii]

Stock has no cooler right?

[Mike W.]

Stock has no cooler right?

Not that looks like a cooler, no fins or anything, but #1 in the diagram is a cooler. Just not a very good one, but probably as much as was needed. Porsche did something similar a decade or so earlier for an engine oil cooler. FWIW, only the big engine cars got them, 528e's did not. Porsche cooler below.

[gwb72tii]

Well I'll add that part to the list, which is getting long.

Thanks

edit:
part #1 on the realm diagram is available from BMW, and its a cool $190.
Maybe I'll clean everything up and leave the radiator in place.

maybe someone on the board wants to sell a used one.

[gwb72tii]

Here’s a few pics

Are these e24 seats?

Im digging the process, please, go on.

They are e30 cabriolet seats

[Mike W.]

Well I'll add that part to the list, which is getting long.

Thanks

edit:
part #1 on the realm diagram is available from BMW, and its a cool $190.
Maybe I'll clean everything up and leave the radiator in place.

maybe someone on the board wants to sell a used one.

A used one "shouldn't" be hard to find as they're not really a wear item. Or solder up or bend some copper tubing. But I would not leave what is there, there, blocking both A/C and the cooling system, for naught.