The old girl has returned… Sorta

[oneheadlite]

Well, after parting ways with it about 9 years ago, my boss bought my E36 M3 from the person I sold it to. (So it returned to my immediate circle)

I originally bought and built the car for autocrossing with some HPDE’s here and there after having the oil pressure warning light flicker on my E30 M3 at an autocross. (I purchased the E36 for less than it would have cost to rebuild the S14 in the E30, so it was a win).

The interim owner did HPDEs with it and generally just ran the wheels off it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed to have it return looking like it went off to live on a farm.

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Tree sap like crazy, and just brown dirt bonded to the paint. My boss bought the car to be built ground up as a proper race car, so to get the process started right I gave it a quick bath and clay mitt just to give her some dignity again. Afterwards, to protect the paint through the build I just gave it a coat of Nanoskin’s spray SiO2 stuff. Here it was Friday.

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Still a long ways from the condition I sold it in, but at least now it’s not going to absorb any greasy handprint that might befall it when it’s not me working on it.

Up next, adding lightness and getting it ready for the cage builder.

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Tried Stoner’s tar remover for the first time to help get rid of the sound deadening residue, overall quite happy with it. The yellowing you see I feel is just what white paint is going to look like after 27 years with tar paper stuck to it.

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Trans is out, engine’s next. After that the cage guy wants the hood and trunk off, and I’m planning on giving the underside one hell of a reset wash. Then off to officially start the next chapter.

[Setec Astronomy]

That car is 27 years old?!?!? I must be older than I even think I am.

[Coatingsarecrack]

Would be nice to still have that e30 laying around…. E36 as well…


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[oneheadlite]

Would be nice to still have that e30 laying around…. E36 as well…


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Yeah, as seems to be the rule, I sold the E30 right before the market for them made a big upswing.

Sold it to a friend who said he was going to keep it; he had it for a little over a year before selling it for about 30% more than I sold it to him.
Next guy did a full repaint then posted it for sale on BAT; bidding went to to twice what I sold it for but he decided to keep it.

I try to think of it like houses - it’s all just Monopoly money. You can’t obsess about selling for maximum dollar cause you never know for sure when it’s gonna be. I just look at it this way - for $10k, I bought what’s commonly thought of as an icon. I had it for 7 years or so, drove the wheels off it, did some fun mods and basic maintenance, and sold it for more than I bought it for. We’ll call it a win. :D

Speaking of, here’s the actual old girl (I’m sure I’ve posted it before):

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For project race car, got the engine out yesterday:

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And cleaned a bit of the farm out:

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Anyone wanna guess what product did most of the heavy lifting for cleaning underhood?

[GrnEyeDog]

brake cleaner?

[oneheadlite]

brake cleaner?

Solid guess. But even though it's underhood I don't like to use brake clean on painted stuff.

I should give a little help - it's temporarily discontinued and never seemed to get much love here. Which I've always found interesting because I've really liked it for maintaining the race cars here.

[Paul A.]

Some (incl me) would argue that was the BEST M3! It will look beautiful again when you're done and ready for the next 27!

[Coatingsarecrack]

Solid guess. But even though it's underhood I don't like to use brake clean on painted stuff.

I should give a little help - it's temporarily discontinued and never seemed to get much love here. Which I've always found interesting because I've really liked it for maintaining the race cars here.

Tarminator?


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[oneheadlite]

Some (incl me) would argue that was the BEST M3! It will look beautiful again when you're done and ready for the next 27!

I'm sure automotive sacrilege to say out loud, but the E36 did everything better - stopped, went, turned. The E30 was a riot though because it was much more visceral. Very much a child of the 80's, doing it all through ox-cart suspension and the tire contact patches. :laughing:


Tarminator?



Actually it was Griot's Brilliant Finish Rinseless Wash. Powered through the grimy stuff much better than I was expecting!

[oneheadlite]

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Off to the cage builder/fab guy.

Amazing how light the actual shell is. The car was about 3,000lbs when it rolled in with partial interior, roll bar and fixed back seats; <1,200 rolling out with just the front and rear suspension, and brake and steering systems in place.

It's funny to see the ride height change in the before and after shots.