34. BMW Blueprints

So, here's another usefull resource.

BMW E30, E36 and E46 blueprints in high resolution.

33. It's drivable!

Finally, after a lot of agony, the green BMW is drivable!

So, here's a little vid of the glorious moment.

32. Still alive

Well, there's been some progress since I wrote the last post.

I've managed to pull out more than half of all electric connections, wires and modules. Of course, only the ones I don't need. But beware! Before you start doing something like this, be sure you know what you're doing. I've pulled one wire too many, and the darn thing didn't start... It took me one whole day to figure out wich wire it was, and to put it back. But, in the end, it's interesting how many components, fuses, and wires are in the car only for our comfort...

On the mechanical side of the story, I've sucessfully installed my small differential. It took me some time, since I worked alone, and the thing is quite heavy... And I didn't read any manuals before I started working... It would save me a lot of time, because I tried to force the half-axels under the rear stabilisator bar... Huh... That's what I get for slacking off while my friends were taking down the original diff... :P Oh well... When that was finally done, I've mounted the exhaust...

In the end, I did quite a nice progress with weight reduction... 
I guess I'll be finished in a day or two with this, and then I'll bleed the clutch, and the car is going to be drivable again! Then it's off to the welders to fix my floor, and to install a rollcage! :)

I'll post some pictures tommorow!

31. Power windows

So, i started removing those power window electric motors, brackets, and all the wires... It's not something I enjoyed, since I had to squeeze my hand into a lot of small holes... :P

Well, I also managed to prepare my differential and driveshafts for mounting, so I guess the car will be movable real soon. I'll post some pictures real soon! :)

30. Rust bucket

It's been a while since I've wrote about my project... Here's some latest news...

I've managed to pull the passenger seat out. It wasn't easy, but, nice big sledge hammer did the trick. Then, I removed the dashboard, heater assembly and the carpet. And, OMG! What a suprise... It looks like I'll have to start welding... So, here are a couple of photos:

Sunroof: It really looks heavy. I have to figure out what to use to fill the hole...

This is how the interior looks without the dashboadr. I gues, I won't be putting it back in...

And this is the suprise I was talking about... Man, it looks ugly!

And, here's another hole. Heh... :) Air condition :)

29. Rollcage talk...

I'm thinking about installing a rollcage in my E36...

The main purpose of roll cages is to protect the passengers in the event of crashing and/or rolling. But there is one other crutial bonus to rollcages: They stiffen up your car's body, thus improve handling. A lot of people put strut braces on their cars, and rollcage could be considered an 'ultimate strut brace'.

There is also a negative side to the story - Cages are made from steel tubing. And steel tubing is quite heavy. You would have to spend some extra time and effort on your 'car-diet' plan to compensate for the cage if you put it in.

Of course, you can choose from a wide variety of cages. Proffesional multi-point weld-in cages are absolutley the best. But for an amateur, a half-cage would do just fine. (Half-Cage: Rear half of the rollcage, consisting of a roll-bar and two attachements that go to the rear struts)

The danger in this buisness is lack of quality. We all know that roll-cages can be easily made at home. One would think that we need some steel tubes, an angle grinder and a welder... But that's far from the truth. Please, for your own safety, DON'T MAKE YOUR OWN CAGE! (That is, if you're not an expert fabricator and welder!) Be sure that your cage is from high-quality steel. Make sure that the person installing you cage has a welder's certificate. And check out the angles where the tubes are bent - first of all - the tubes must be bent - no welded angles allowed here! And the bends must be smooth, and not crushed! And one other tip - there's no point in installing a cage in a old rust-bucket! that's why I decided to buy a new shell for my Beemer! :)

The conclusion would be this:

Buy the best BRAND NAME rollcage you can afford. Be sure it was designed for your model, and go to a certified expert to install it. And think twice before installation - do you really need it? Think about pro's and con's. After all, it's your ride!

And, here are some pictures: (hard to find)Found here:

Project Ring-shed E36 325i

Project E36 - Track Day Car