[MPOWER5266]

Extremely small but important update. I have have two people drive behind the car and tell me how low the rear brake lights are. My buddy was following me Saturday in his M2 and over lunch mentioned that during the day the brakes are really hard to see. The other person that has brought this up was my dad after he followed me out to the hanger. So a few weeks ago he ordered a simple LED strip and yesterday wired it into the headliner.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Its not period correct, but it disappears when it is off. Most importantly it is extremely bright. I want to keep the classic look of the car but I dont want to lose it due to someone texting. I will probably wire one up in the 02 as well, or wire in a vintage rear fog as a third brake light.

We also got this jewelry piece in the mail yesterday.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Hopefully I will have some install pics this afternoon.

[happyjack]

Originally Posted by MPOWER5266

Extremely small but important update. I have have two people drive behind the car and tell me how low the rear brake lights are. My buddy was following me Saturday in his M2 and over lunch mentioned that during the day the brakes are really hard to see. The other person that has brought this up was my dad after he followed me out to the hanger. So a few weeks ago he ordered a simple LED strip and yesterday wired it into the headliner.

that's a really clean install!

[MPOWER5266]

Yeah, this works.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

[Gemmot]

Wonderful thread and even more wonderful car! Thank you so much for sharing your build with us. Hope you gave many enjoyable miles in it 👍

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by MPOWER5266

Yeah, this works.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Super clean and sharp.

[MPOWER5266]

A couple of boring updates. We changed out the plug wires.

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We also made a gasket for the trunk emblem. It is common to close the trunk by pushing on the emblem and they can rub the paint underneath.

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And we finally found some tan armrests for the doors.

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I also took it out Saturday for a little cruise with my wife. The nardi is perfect, and I can sit in a more comfortable position.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

[MPOWER5266]

Small updates, but after putting some miles on the car(about 100-200 or so) we found some things to address. Most importantly, cars and coffee runs were difficult without a cup holder so we ordered a cup holder from Patina handle...

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Ok, maybe not the most important thing. The last time I drove the car, I made an effort to get it up to interstate speeds(70-80) and it felt fine but the temp was a touch high. We did some investigating and notice the fan clutch was weak, and decided to just overhaul the whole cooling system.

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Since we had access to the condenser, it seemed like a good time to replace it.

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Well, we mostly had access..
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Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

With everything removed from the front of the engine, the oil leak issue was pretty obvious...

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So the cover was removed and the brittle old seal was replaced.

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As of now, we are just waiting on parts. All new coolant hoses, belts, Ac condenser, parts for ac lines(we arent getting it going at this time but just to a point where it wont have to be torn down again when we do), water pump, timing chain tensioner, etc etc. I am sure I am forgetting some parts. While is down we figure it would be a good time for a valve adjustment.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

We will also give the engine a good steam cleaning but we should have a leak free(by bmw standards) properly cooled engine when it is all said and done.

On a more fun note, the floor mats came in over the weekend. I am very impressed with the fit and finish of these Cocomats, I will probably order some for my other cars.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by MPOWER5266

Small updates, but after putting some miles on the car(about 100-200 or so) we found some things to address. Most importantly, cars and coffee runs were difficult without a cup holder so we ordered a cup holder from Patina handle...

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Ok, maybe not the most important thing. The last time I drove the car, I made an effort to get it up to interstate speeds(70-80) and it felt fine but the temp was a touch high. We did some investigating and notice the fan clutch was weak, and decided to just overhaul the whole cooling system.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Since we had access to the condenser, it seemed like a good time to replace it.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Well, we mostly had access..
Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

With everything removed from the front of the engine, the oil leak issue was pretty obvious...

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

So the cover was removed and the brittle old seal was replaced.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

As of now, we are just waiting on parts. All new coolant hoses, belts, Ac condenser, parts for ac lines(we arent getting it going at this time but just to a point where it wont have to be torn down again when we do), water pump, timing chain tensioner, etc etc. I am sure I am forgetting some parts. While is down we figure it would be a good time for a valve adjustment.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

We will also give the engine a good steam cleaning but we should have a leak free(by bmw standards) properly cooled engine when it is all said and done.

On a more fun note, the floor mats came in over the weekend. I am very impressed with the fit and finish of these Cocomats, I will probably order some for my other cars.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

And you thought you were done.

It's crazy to see all those parts removed to get a new radiator in, but this is a labor of love after all.

[2000cs]

Nice update, thanks!

Back in the day BMWs were known for overheating, especially in summer traffic (I was in So Cal at the time). Lots of us went to “triple core” radiators, I think from Zionsville, at the time, which helped a lot. A good fan helps too, otherwise had to keep the car moving to maintain airflow through the nose.

I always liked the look of coco mats, and yours are perfect for the car!

[MPOWER5266]

Originally Posted by TAZ007

And you thought you were done.

It's crazy to see all those parts removed to get a new radiator in, but this is a labor of love after all.

They were mainly removed to do the condenser but yeah. Still not as bad as a valve cover on my e91, you'll spend an hour pulling stuff for a 20 minute job. But this was part of the plan. One of the podcasts I listen to, mentioned their shake down plan for new restos and I decided to try it on this car. One mile, 10 miles, 100 miles, and 1000 miles, and you make a list and fix issues after ever point. We are on the 100 mile list.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by MPOWER5266

They were mainly removed to do the condenser but yeah. Still not as bad as a valve cover on my e91, you'll spend an hour pulling stuff for a 20 minute job. But this was part of the plan. One of the podcasts I listen to, mentioned their shake down plan for new restos and I decided to try it on this car. One mile, 10 miles, 100 miles, and 1000 miles, and you make a list and fix issues after ever point. We are on the 100 mile list.

That sounds like a good plan. I will be starting a mechanical rebuild on my C3 soon and will use this plan and a lot of points I learned from reading you posts. I appreciate your attention to detail and workmanship.

[MPOWER5266]

Sorry its been a crazy few weeks, and its going to get crazier. We have had nothing but rain for the last month it seems, we took a weekend to go to the mountains (deals gap), and I am about to leave for a 12 day work trip. My dad got the engine buttoned back up and gave it a quick clean with the steamer.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

He finished the assembly and drove it around a little bit, and zero leaks. That was a big win. Since the weather has been awful he decided to go ahead and work on the AC. We sourced a new style compressor and an adapter mount made for an e28. The mount needed a little shaving but we made it work.

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We hooked everything up inside the car when we did the interior, but we needed a couple of hoses. Thankfully we are set up to make them at home.

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And installed.

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He left it on the vac pump over night and will check for leaks this morning. It is going to be really nice having AC for the ride to the Vintage in September.

[TAZ007]

Sounds like you are about ready. Enjoy.

[MPOWER5266]

Got the E9 out for a photo shoot Saturday afternoon, and drove it around a little to test it for the Atlanta trip Sunday morning.


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This is such a nice place to be, especially with AirCon.


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Sunday morning I drove the car about 70 miles north to the local BMWCCA cars and coffee. This was the first time I had the car on the interstate, and I was a little nervous at first. After a few miles at about 65 it settled right in. The AC was amazing, and I could actually see my breath in the car after a sip of coffee. The trip back was also uneventful except for a little traffic. Thankfully the temp gauge didn't creep up while stopped. There are a few issues, but nothing major and it should get to The Vintage and back with no issues. A 5 speed would be nice, its a little buzzy on the interstate.


Photo taken by a semi unprofessional driver, do not attempt. Compared to most drivers in Atlanta, this is perfectly safe and the phone was in my hand for 3 seconds.


Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr


I would like to work on the hood paint a little before the vintage, I have some sanding marks to dig out but it is pretty much ready for the show.

[MPOWER5266]

I have pretty much been working the last 20 days straight, between normal work and having to go to an airshow. Saturday, my wife let me have some much needed alone time so I took the e9 to cars and coffee. After putting some miles on it, I am confident in the fuel system and that the tank is leak free so I filled it for the first time.


Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr


I also stopped a local coffee shop to grab a cup. I put the new Patina Handle cup holder to the test. It worked great and I will likely get one for the 02.


Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr


On the drive back I noticed a clicking noise in the right front. I planned on doing an oil change on my daily Sunday morning, so it was already at my dads shop. I drove the e9 over in the morning and the noise got worse. After changing the oil on my wagon we put the e9 up on the lift and found a loose wheel. I torqued the wheel back down and gave it a shake, and found a bad wheel bearing. So the e9 is down now for wheel bearings and a brake system fluid flush and change. I dont know of the bearing caused the wheel to loosen or if it was from painting the wheel and leaving some paint on the mounting area. I am going to pull all the wheels anyway for new tires so I will sand the mounting surface down as well.

[wdb]

Losing a wheel altogether would have ruined your day! Glad you caught it early enough. Checking the lug contact surfaces is important, but also check the mating surfaces on the backside of the wheels as well as where they meet the rotors.

I was just chatting with a guy who owned one when they were just used cars. His rusted away, as so many did. It's great to see a survivor.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by MPOWER5266

I have pretty much been working the last 20 days straight, between normal work and having to go to an airshow. Saturday, my wife let me have some much needed alone time so I took the e9 to cars and coffee. After putting some miles on it, I am confident in the fuel system and that the tank is leak free so I filled it for the first time.


Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr


I also stopped a local coffee shop to grab a cup. I put the new Patina Handle cup holder to the test. It worked great and I will likely get one for the 02.


Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr


On the drive back I noticed a clicking noise in the right front. I planned on doing an oil change on my daily Sunday morning, so it was already at my dads shop. I drove the e9 over in the morning and the noise got worse. After changing the oil on my wagon we put the e9 up on the lift and found a loose wheel. I torqued the wheel back down and gave it a shake, and found a bad wheel bearing. So the e9 is down now for wheel bearings and a brake system fluid flush and change. I dont know of the bearing caused the wheel to loosen or if it was from painting the wheel and leaving some paint on the mounting area. I am going to pull all the wheels anyway for new tires so I will sand the mounting surface down as well.

It is a labor of love afterall.

[MPOWER5266]

I don't know why the mods keep moving this thread, it took me a while to find it. Anyway.

This weekend the E9 went on its first major trip. Wed night I set up the infotainment screen...

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And loaded up the essentials, a cooler full of beer.

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Thursday morning, I made the rainy trip to north Atlanta to meet up and caravan with a group, but most of them bailed out because of the rain.

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So it was pretty much my buddy Gary, his girlfriend, me, and my dad following in the Jeep. We cruised back roads all the way to Asheville.

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We stayed the night in Asheville and partied in the host hotel parking lot Thursday night. That is where we will be staying next year for sure. Friday morning we cruised down to the BMWCCA foundation in Greer SC for a little meet. We hung out there for a couple hours, saw some old friends and made some new ones. We left Greer to head to the Air B&B in Hot Springs Nc, but first we made a quick stop by the mothership.

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The parking was a little scary at the Air B&B.

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But the views were awesome.

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Saturday we went to The Vintage and parked with a group of 12 other E9's. I did not take many pics at the show, I just hung out with friends and relaxed. It was such a good time. Sunday, we drove about 5 or so hours home and made it back with out any major issues. There are a few things we need to address though. It will be getting a 5 speed, the 4 speed is horribly noisy and the extra gear would be nice for interstate cruising. We are going to wire in a hidden USB port for phone charging, the cig lighter fried on the way up. And there is a power steering leak, but that hose is already on order. All and all it was an awesome trip and went better than I could hope for, now I just need to get the cleaned back up and address some issues.

[MPOWER5266]

Huge update but the photos are going to be boring.

Untitled by Nick Wood, on Flickr

Picked up a new shifty boy. It obviously needs a clean up, not sure why its covered in great stuff. We have the bell housing, so we just need to gather a few other parts, and put new input and output bearings and seals in it. I am so excited, this car with a 5 speed will be amazing.

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[racerbruce]

Such a great thread; love the Dan Gurney for President bumper sticker on your cooler....I grew up in So Cal when Gurney was at the top of his game and saw him compete multiple times.

[P1]

Maybe I missed it in this fantastic thread, but any plans to put the wheels from page one back on there?

[MPOWER5266]

Originally Posted by P1

Maybe I missed it in this fantastic thread, but any plans to put the wheels from page one back on there?

No they are gone. They were cheap enkeis. Bbs' or Weds night make their way on the car someday.