E34 advice and information sought!

[beambeam]

Hi... I could end up making this a LONG thread so bear with me!

Basically, I have a 1990 52Oi M20 engined E34, my parent's have a 1991 same car with the SE M50 engine... mine has been run through the mill due to previous owners and so terminal rust ect has forced me to consider a new car... tonight they went and veiwed an '89 E34 that is a rolling shell (no engine) and are buying it for me - over summer me and my Dad are gonna sand it down and prep it for a full respray, engine bay, inside, outside - the lot, lock, stock...

Any advice on what materials are best for sanding, equipment, ect...

It's red and I am planning on going BLACK with it.

Basically, I want it looking a close replica of:

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/importcar/pla...schnitt/01.jpg

and so any information like what bumper it is he has, what AC wheels they are, would also be appreciated!

In years time I have a bodykit that I am saving up for to go on, sticking with same colour though...

The engine from my parents car (M50 SE) will be going into this project car - and my engine will go into there's and sold on... my car will have it's brand new bilstein shocks, ect and other parts swapped to the project/shell as will other parts that are needing replaced, ect - before we strip it and scrap it.

Will the front grill from a later model, 95/96 E34 fit a 89 without any problems, I mean is it a straight swap or not?

Also, is there any other differences between the two versions of E34 - bodywise such as mirrors, ect, ect, I really need to know this - thanks.

What are the tuning opportunities for this engine, if any, by the way?

Thanks in advance to those that will reply, any commenst, feedback will be welcome, I have loads of ideas and really am going to see them off!

[AllanS]

I can't advise anything on the exterior, since I'm not really into body kits and such, but I can maybe help a bit in regards to the engine.

First, is that a 2l m50 in your parent's car, or a 2.5l?

I know that for that engine, there's a turbo kit available from Cartech for ~$8k, and a supercharger kit from ESS for ~$5k, both of which put out around 280hp. There's also a Mossellman turbo kit, but it's weak and not worth mentioning. Obviously, all this is ridiculously expensive, to the point where you could easily swap in a much more powerful engine for the same amount or less.

For the m50, other than a turbo/supercharger, you can get a new set of Schrick cams for it, a performance chip, air filter, etc., but it's not a very "tuneable" engine in terms of cost/performance. It already has a high compression ratio of 10.5:1, and you can't really increase the displacement.

If I were in your position, I would sell your parents' car as-is and use the money for a completely different engine. You could look into an m30 3.5l, which, besides being inexpensive and commonplace, is relatively easy to get power out of cheaply. Or you could do something more exotic like an s52/s50 m3 engine, m60 v8, or even an LS1, which has been successfully swapped into a 3series BMW before. I'm not sure on the availability of the LS1 in GB though :P

Basically, I wouldn't use the m50.

[Jeff C]

The hood 'bulge' on a later model is wider to go with the wider grill - SO if you just drop in the front grill into a early model E34 the hood 'bulge' will not line up. You would likely need to replace the hood as well if you wanted to change the grill. Besides Narrow Grills look Better (flame bait)

jeff

91 535 with narrow grill

PS I might be inclined to look for a M30 engine and use a 5 sp.

or a 540 engine with a 6 sp

good luck

[AZ_Jason_S]

I am going through a DIY paint job on a Porsche 914. I am finally at the point where I am ready to throw color on it. I have worked on this for almost a year. Not constantly but in spurts. My first advice is education. There is alot of good info on the web on DIY paint. Next, tools. Make sure you have plenty of compressor. At least 60 gallons, 6hp. You will want to run a Dual Action sander and you will need at least this much compressor to run it. Also, buy a decent gun. You can get guns as cheap as $40 and as much as $400. I got a DeVilbiss Finishline 3 for $120 on the web. It is HVLP, gravity feed.... If you don't know what this means, again education. Choose a paint system and stick with it, and follow the manufacturers directions. I am using an PPG OMNI Acrylic Urethane single stage. This is inexpensive-good quality paint. I could go forever, but I will give you one last warning. Black is the most difficult color to shoot. Your car better be perfect when you shoot it or it will look like ****. A good paint job is 90% prep work, 10% spraying paint. Black shows every error you made in the prep process and you will make errors. If you choose to shoot black, make sure you block sand the **** out of it and use a 2K primer. After you spray it, you will want to color sand and buff the paint to make it look like glass.

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the advice so far - I am now on the lookout for a "hood" as you lads would call it, to go with the grill... Thanks!

Also, the prepping will be done by myself and my Dad - afterwards it will be sent to a bodyshop that I know and have seen their work many times - they will finish off all smoothing and do the spraying... I'm very confident that this will be well done. I was already aware black was a harsh colour to play with!

With regards to the engine, in the UK I can't really afford extortionate insurance premiums and so the 2L M50 will stay for a while with basic tuning then - if I still have the car in a few years then I will lookinto a bigger conversion! This is pretty much why I am into the looks rather than power by the way!

Thanks for all the advice on preparation and spraying mate, education does seem the key and I have already sourced a few guides ect - not a lot varies between the information given either which is helpful too.

Thanks a lot so far!

[AZ_Jason_S]

Thanks for the advice so far - I am now on the lookout for a "hood" as you lads would call it, to go with the grill... Thanks!

Also, the prepping will be done by myself and my Dad - afterwards it will be sent to a bodyshop that I know and have seen their work many times - they will finish off all smoothing and do the spraying... I'm very confident that this will be well done. I was already aware black was a harsh colour to play with!

With regards to the engine, in the UK I can't really afford extortionate insurance premiums and so the 2L M50 will stay for a while with basic tuning then - if I still have the car in a few years then I will lookinto a bigger conversion! This is pretty much why I am into the looks rather than power by the way!

Thanks for all the advice on preparation and spraying mate, education does seem the key and I have already sourced a few guides ect - not a lot varies between the information given either which is helpful too.

Thanks a lot so far!

[Jeff C]

[QUOTE=Unregistered]Thanks for the advice so far - I am now on the lookout for a "hood" as you lads would call it, to go with the grill... Thanks!