BMW 323i M50 2.5
- Jason_323i
- E21 Pro
- Posts: 756
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Front:
http://www.bmwe21.net/forum/viewtopic.p ... c&start=90
Rears: TBC, luckily it's fairly simple to get some sort of coilovers to fit out back.
http://www.bmwe21.net/forum/viewtopic.p ... c&start=90
Rears: TBC, luckily it's fairly simple to get some sort of coilovers to fit out back.


It's about time. Tom and Misky came over this weekend to kick me up the arse and get the car in gear. Misky was on welding and chopping duties while me and Tom was on mechanicals, though I often was the parts bitch made to run errands...
Day 1, Thursday 25th Feb:
I took the day off work to get started on the car and to try and sort the condition of the workshop. I'd been working in the workshop in this state for several months... I'm messy

The car still hadn't run with everything needing doing, the back axle was off, the front suspension needed swapping, the boot floor was missing, no brakes, no interior, no wiring etc etc etc. What a mess.

First thing I did was fit the accessory belt, since this a chained engine. The M50 E34 donor had PAS and aircon so it needed a much shorter belt. I chopped the old one and wired it up to the right length, took it down the motor factors and got the right one. If needs be let me know and I'll tell you the specs of my belt.

Finally I tidied the workshop, end of day 1

Day 2 and 3, Fri-Sat 26-27th Feb:
Did a few jobs before the cavalry arrived. They arrived Fri lunch and got stuck straight in. Misky looking on at the hi-viz bloke working on my car...

Oh, it's Tom!

This is what greeted Misky after I chopped the rot out a few weeks ago...


Me and tom got the rear axle into place and fitted with polybushes, and a special 100% LSD. We also fitted my shortened 323i struts with E30 bilsteins. Tom made some sexy brake lines, fitted the goodridges and the wilwoods. LOVELY

Misky meanwhile chopped the boot floor out of my 315 field racer and matched it perfectly in the 323i boot, the guy works fast so I didn't get any in progress shots of the passenger side!

E21 hover car

Since the M50 is hard against the passenger side getting to anything underneath the inlet is near impossible. A lot of fuss can be saved if you take the gearbox out and fit it onto the engine off the car, as well as the starter, and also ensure all coolant pipes under neath the inlet are bolted on! We had to remove mine. Edd and Tom made short work of removing and refitting it

Day 4, Sunday 28th Feb:
We woke up feeling pretty knackered, went down to spoons for a fry up. Then went to the farm... Edd in the background

ALIVE!!!
After a few hours of wiring and finishing up the fuel lines etc this happened
That was me getting quite excited... Massive thanks to Edd for donating his morning to the cause and wiring the engine up! The guys left shortly after lunchtime so I cleared up and started to reassemble the panels and dropped the car on all four wheels


What's under here?

Oh yeah!

Tom cleaned out all the rubbish inside the car and bolted the seat in! It will have reclining buckets shortly.

Misky the poor guy by the end of the weekend had a bad case of sunburn after slaving away in the boot for four days straight and produced some fantastic results


I can't thank these guys enough, what was achieved this weekend would of taken me at least 3 months of work and it would be debateable if it would even be road worthy by this summer. Not only did they give up their weekend they even took Friday off work. They also taught me a lot this weekend and stopped me doing some pretty stupid stuff! Cheers guys, I'm in your debt. I had a blast this weekend and I'm well chuffed that it's finally running and with all the progress achieved this weekend.
The car is off to get an exhaust later this week, I'll get it back the week after for final MOT preparations. I'm booked on a trackday at the end of April and it will be going. Paint is also in the post
Day 1, Thursday 25th Feb:
I took the day off work to get started on the car and to try and sort the condition of the workshop. I'd been working in the workshop in this state for several months... I'm messy

The car still hadn't run with everything needing doing, the back axle was off, the front suspension needed swapping, the boot floor was missing, no brakes, no interior, no wiring etc etc etc. What a mess.

First thing I did was fit the accessory belt, since this a chained engine. The M50 E34 donor had PAS and aircon so it needed a much shorter belt. I chopped the old one and wired it up to the right length, took it down the motor factors and got the right one. If needs be let me know and I'll tell you the specs of my belt.

Finally I tidied the workshop, end of day 1

Day 2 and 3, Fri-Sat 26-27th Feb:
Did a few jobs before the cavalry arrived. They arrived Fri lunch and got stuck straight in. Misky looking on at the hi-viz bloke working on my car...

Oh, it's Tom!

This is what greeted Misky after I chopped the rot out a few weeks ago...


Me and tom got the rear axle into place and fitted with polybushes, and a special 100% LSD. We also fitted my shortened 323i struts with E30 bilsteins. Tom made some sexy brake lines, fitted the goodridges and the wilwoods. LOVELY

Misky meanwhile chopped the boot floor out of my 315 field racer and matched it perfectly in the 323i boot, the guy works fast so I didn't get any in progress shots of the passenger side!

E21 hover car

Since the M50 is hard against the passenger side getting to anything underneath the inlet is near impossible. A lot of fuss can be saved if you take the gearbox out and fit it onto the engine off the car, as well as the starter, and also ensure all coolant pipes under neath the inlet are bolted on! We had to remove mine. Edd and Tom made short work of removing and refitting it

Day 4, Sunday 28th Feb:
We woke up feeling pretty knackered, went down to spoons for a fry up. Then went to the farm... Edd in the background

ALIVE!!!
After a few hours of wiring and finishing up the fuel lines etc this happened
That was me getting quite excited... Massive thanks to Edd for donating his morning to the cause and wiring the engine up! The guys left shortly after lunchtime so I cleared up and started to reassemble the panels and dropped the car on all four wheels


What's under here?

Oh yeah!

Tom cleaned out all the rubbish inside the car and bolted the seat in! It will have reclining buckets shortly.

Misky the poor guy by the end of the weekend had a bad case of sunburn after slaving away in the boot for four days straight and produced some fantastic results


I can't thank these guys enough, what was achieved this weekend would of taken me at least 3 months of work and it would be debateable if it would even be road worthy by this summer. Not only did they give up their weekend they even took Friday off work. They also taught me a lot this weekend and stopped me doing some pretty stupid stuff! Cheers guys, I'm in your debt. I had a blast this weekend and I'm well chuffed that it's finally running and with all the progress achieved this weekend.
The car is off to get an exhaust later this week, I'll get it back the week after for final MOT preparations. I'm booked on a trackday at the end of April and it will be going. Paint is also in the post


Thanks Rob.
Was an epic effort from everyone this weekend.
We still found some time to have a play though....

Oh yeah, thanks for letting me cruise around in your 7er all weekend!!
Nice.[/img]
Was an epic effort from everyone this weekend.
We still found some time to have a play though....
Oh yeah, thanks for letting me cruise around in your 7er all weekend!!
Nice.[/img]
Last edited by thetomc on Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
- e21-Mark
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Cruise?!? Is that what you call that!! Trying to get sideways at every opportunity!thetomc wrote:Oh yeah, thanks for letting me cruise around in your 7er all weekend!!![]()
![]()
Nice.[/img]
Cheers guys, I'm pumped to get it finished now. I can't see why it can't be MOT'd by this time next month, though this does mean my lovely 7 will have to go into early retirement...


Fantastic news! Its good to set a project get a new lease of life - well done chaps.
Now when are you having a weekend out up north to help me out?
Got a E28 track car project on the go that needs some love... 
Now when are you having a weekend out up north to help me out?
1986 E28 M535i - Car stripped to shell ready to be blasted
1981 E21 323i - 2.8 24v on throttle bodies & cams - 3.0 conversion soon.
[img]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99/Arnold_the_swimmer/My%20M535i/IMG_0447sig-1.jpg[/img]
1981 E21 323i - 2.8 24v on throttle bodies & cams - 3.0 conversion soon.
[img]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99/Arnold_the_swimmer/My%20M535i/IMG_0447sig-1.jpg[/img]
