CarBQ M5 update with June 2012 pics

[mooseheadm5]

After installing the new UCABs in the wagon (see link in my sig) I did a little bit of work yesterday untangling and figuring out that parts of the under dash harness I needed from the stuff Andy sent me. Spent today plugging in the rest of what I could and soldering what couldn't be replaced without going to the fuse box. Wiring hell is officially finished. Dash is back in, which is also a pain in the ass. Did you know that M5s have more insulation under the dash than the regular E28s? Instruments back in, too. Not much left before it hits the streets.

[1st 5er]

WooHoo... I love this thread.
See you at V@V...

[CSBolger]

I can't wait to see this thing done. Just knowing the work that was put into it is going to make it that much cooler.

[mooseheadm5]

I had hoped to finish some euro conversion cosmetics before then, but I may take it a little easy after I get it running and just get the wheels done instead. People that don't know the story can think it is kind of ratty looking, but I'll have plenty of pics so they can see why.

[mooseheadm5]

Completed cleaning and installing the HVAC panel (what a PITA,) center console, and glove box yesterday and got the rest of the interior cleaned and installed today. Not far now, just the front end work next weekend and a windshield and the car will hit the streets.
Also managed to get some of the trunk interior put back together.
The wires you see are for the stereo. That is the last bit of wiring necessary for the car to be perfect, electronically speaking. Everything works!

This morning:


This evening:



Wifey washing the ti (she came by to clean my old receipts and junk out of her car and wash it.)

[wkohler]

Wow. Beautiful. Congrats. You must be happy!

[CSBolger]

It's all coming together. You must be more excited about it every day!

[mooseheadm5]

I am definitely excited. I am going to wait on the euro conversion since a rushed job is a crappy job. I will show it at V@V with the trashed air dam and all the cosmetic flaws, but in perfect mechanical condition.

BTW, thanks to anyone that provided interior parts- Doug, Brandon, Mike Grey, and kohler. The carpet got much cleaner and all the flaws are hidden, the center console and heandbrake console may need dye, but they don't have any burn marks or holes, the shift boot is buttery, and the glove box cleaned up nicely.

[CSBolger]

After seeing the massive progress you've made in such a short span of time, I have no reason to believe that you can't do a quality Euro conversion in time.

[mooseheadm5]

After seeing the massive progress you've made in such a short span of time, I have no reason to believe that you can't do a quality Euro conversion in time.

Thanks, but wait till you see what I have planned for the wheels. I'd rather spend a couple weeks on those.

[Coldswede]

Hard to believe the last pictures are of the same car that the first pictures in this thread were!

I hope to see this car in a few weeks, Great job

[Jory]

great work and project

I went through a very similar process on a VR6 Jetta.
I was lucky enough to have a parts car so the wiring end of it was much easier, but chasing electrical gremlins in a burn car will drive you up a wall.

here's a little memento


hope to see the m5 in person some time

[gray635]

Paul:

Words cannot express the admiration I have for you in saving this poor old M5! Most folks would have just parted it out and crushed the rest.

The fact that this car is now back on the road is a testament to your skill and dogged determination. I hope it runs for a million miles. This car owes you big time. Way to go. Glad I could supply the shifter boot. - what a contribution!

[Nanajoth]

That is an amazing transformation, from that crusty burned mess into an interior that looks great, that is really quite a feat.

[mooseheadm5]

The interior isn't super great. I purposely bought so-so parts for cost reasons, plus I wanted to build a driver, not a garage queen. It does look several million times better, though.

Eibachs and Konis going on it right now.

[cvillebimmer]

Damn, I'm not going to recognize that car next time I see it. Looking great!

[skip535i]

The interior isn't super great. I purposely bought so-so parts for cost reasons, plus I wanted to build a driver, not a garage queen. It does look several million times better, though.

Eibachs and Konis going on it right now.

Did you buy Chris' Konis??

[Karl Grau]

Well done, it looks great!

[mooseheadm5]

Did you buy Chris' Konis??

No, I got some fronts a while ago that were used. They are valved to Dinan spec. The rears are still Bilstein HDs. I will be selling the front HDs I pulled out soon, and the rears once I install a set of the ones Bill in MN found (914 struts.)

[mooseheadm5]

Eibachs and Koni sports installed. I opted to repair the ripped upper sway bar mount. I copied the other side using 1/8" steel. I welded it in, then vowed that it wouldn't happen again.


Let's see that bitch rip loose now!

Got that all back together and went on to working on the exhaust. I hadn't installed the proper hangers and it was being held on by mechanic's wire. I reversed the rear hanger for clearance, since my muffler is huge, and welded on a tab to bolt to the OE mount. Tried to adjust the one hanger I had on the front section and broke it off. Oops! So I welded it to the other side, since I needed a pull to the passenger side. It'll do for now. Got some 2.5" tail pipe and slash cut it. Pained and tacked on my oval chrome tips. Installed them to the muffler with little tacks so that when I eventually do the euro bumpers I won't have to do too much to shorten them.

[Coldswede]

I know this like criticism from the peanut gallery but: Those tips might need to be about 1" to 11/2" longer.

If you get drone that is where it's from.

[mooseheadm5]

I do what I can. I could only find one 18" long 2.5" pipe, so I could only make them this long. I was getting tons of drone before when they were shorter than that on my last M5. I added a center muffler and these tailpipes. In any case, the rear bumper will exit stage left shortly after V@V, so I'm not too worried about it.

[Mab1957]

Where shouldn't we go for service in D.C. area?

I wondered what a CarBQ was! Spectacular recovery project, it found the right home. Good work.

[Kapt]

I looked at this car years ago right after it burned. If I remember correctly, the original owner wanted $4500. It was located in Annapolis, MD. After speaking to the PO on the phone, I decided to take a look because it didn't sound too bad. He said it might need a new wiring harness. Anyway, after I saw the carnage, I passed.

I wondered what happened to this car. Good on you for bringing it back to life.

[Scottinva]

Is this sway bar mounting issue only present when upgrading from the factory sway bar? I have yet to have an issue, under very frequent high performance driving with my stock sway bar.

[mooseheadm5]

The car was BBQ'd at a Curry's Auto.

This is indeed the one that kapt looked at. The guy I bought it off of got it for much less than the original asking price, stripped off a bunch of stuff (some he told me, some he didn't) and sold it to me for the same price. Still a good deal, though. Dunno how that sway bar link got ripped off. Those struts were on a 535is before they were installed on this car. I figured while I was in there, I'd make sure it couldn't happen again since it only added an hour or so to the job.

The car is one brake hose away from me driving it again. That will be installed tonight. I probably won't take any more pics until V@V, though.

[mooseheadm5]

I drove it last night and it was the scariest thing I have done in a long time. The front tires were so flat spotted and out of balance that the wheel almost ripped out of my hands at 45. Rebalancing didn't help enough. I woke up super early to get to the shop and see what I could do. I had a pair of spare E34 wheels and a pair of spare E36 tires, so I mounted and balanced those and put them up front. They won't be on there for long anyway. The vibration was gone, so I loaded it up and drove it to work.

It is loud, it is raucous, and it is fun as hell to drive!


This thing is going to get me in trouble if I don't fix the speedo!


Look out North Carolina, some Virginia style CarBQ is headed your way Friday!

[cvillebimmer]

I want to go for a ride!

[mooseheadm5]

Look for my other whining about getting a flat and throwing a belt, but the car made it to and from V@V and a good time was had by all. Of course the car is still a work in progress and only got love from spectators if they knew the story behind the car, but I am still happy I made it.

Pictars!

Under the tree at V@V


The wheels. The paint on the mesh is a crap job, but this will be remedied when I send them for powder coating. I didn't have time before the show and I need to do a little reshaping in places anyway (details on that later.)


Low angle shot from this evening:


Can't wait to polish out the paint and do the euro bumpers! My friend took a gazillion pics with a real camera and I'll post a link to those and the other 1000 or so V@V pics he took.

[Duke]

Congratulations on your long hard journey to get the car running again. You saved a M5.