uberpanzer
04-03-2008, 11:49 PM
Sorta OT since it isn't really e21 related, although some could say that it is too (I'll get into that in a sec).
So I have been using a '91 318is as a daily beater since '04. Not sure who remembers seeing pics, but here is what it looked like (from afar) parked next to my M3:
http://e21.tricord.be/members/uberpanzer/TwoFront.jpg
http://e21.tricord.be/members/uberpanzer/TwoRear.jpg
The last 4 years have seen that car beaten. I have driven it into the ground, including going through a tranny and a diff, a water pump, odometer has stopped working, windshield has a huge stress crack that started a rock chip from a semi and then spidered out when I took the car on a canyon run, 2 sets of tires (all street stuff, no autoX for this car), an AC compressor, and the power steering is leaking up a storm currently. The paint if completely shot, the factory headunit's attenuator is going, and the power antenna froze ages ago and now the grommet sealing the hole for it into the trunk got so hard and brittle it finally cracked in half and just fell off the car. I have washed it once in the past year, due to a combination of me being lazy and just not caring anymore. But through all of this, the car has kept going and never missed a beat...well except for when the water pump blew, tranny/diff went out, oh and when I had to replace the FACTORY plugs and wires at about 160kmiles.
But today it finally decided enough was enough. I haven't attended to THIS diff since it was put in 2 years ago. It is a small case Open 4.10 (for those that know e30), so it is pretty weak in the first place. It currently sounds like it is going to seize. Either that, or a seal has gone on the output shaft. Whatever the case, it sounds like it is finally time for me to put this car out of its misery of having to deal with ME neglecting it. A friend looking for an e30 chassis to build into a modern hot rod may be taking it off my hands, if he hasn't found another car. I'm currently waiting for him to call me back. I've removed the Euro Ellipsoids, ebrake and shiftboot/knob from the M3 (I swapped them into the 318 when I blew the M3's motor and knew I would be driving the 318 a LOT). There isn't much else to take off of the car, other than maybe the MikeD chip.
I need to face it, I'm very hard on cars and I neglect them on top of that. The e21 is in need of much love, although the engine still runs and the suspension just got a partial overhaul. I still could use some new control arms/tie rods, as well as a once over on the electrical system and a new downpipe-back exhaust. The M3 is in a bit better shape, but that is partially due to being in the garage, having just had the motor rebuilt about 1k miles ago (about a year and a half ago after having sat for 3 years while I saved money for parts) and the fact that I rarely drive it for fear of killing THIS motor. It too needs new control arms and every other bushing you can think of (again due to sitting for 3 years). The Jetta has been beaten to a pulp as well. It too was a daily beater, I treated it as such. It had that 'distinction' before the 318. Only 1 of the 4 windows works, the sunroof is also out of commission, the Check Engine light is on, the suspension has been worn out for 4 years (hmm...around the time I started driving the 318 instead of the Jetta), and the clutch is on its last legs since the car has 115K on it and I think this is the original unit (I got the car at 40K and haven't replaced it since).
I could say that I used to be better about these maintenance items, but that is only partially true. Before we moved to this condo, I had the OPTION to do the work, and often I did. But I did notice a sharp decline in work I was doing on the cars...again due to lack of caring and motivation. Some of you know what this was caused by (WoW), and the current decrease in game play may help all of this. But I fear that the 318 is beyond hope for me currently. As much as it will pain me to let that car go, I think I will. It has all the makings of the perfect autoX/track rat. Lighter chassis, no sunroof, but all the mounting points that the 325 cars have for suspension, motors, etc. It is Diamond Black on Black, again a great combo. But I do believe that I have not earned keeping it and must pass it along to someone that will do it justice.
....hopefully he is still in the market and is willing to resurrect this poor, neglected e30. :(
Sorry for the rambling, I always tend to post novels.
Cliff Notes: I think I killed the 318is AGAIN, but was hoping to sell it anyway, so hopefully I still can. Oh, and I beat up cars and don't repair them well enough.
So I have been using a '91 318is as a daily beater since '04. Not sure who remembers seeing pics, but here is what it looked like (from afar) parked next to my M3:
http://e21.tricord.be/members/uberpanzer/TwoFront.jpg
http://e21.tricord.be/members/uberpanzer/TwoRear.jpg
The last 4 years have seen that car beaten. I have driven it into the ground, including going through a tranny and a diff, a water pump, odometer has stopped working, windshield has a huge stress crack that started a rock chip from a semi and then spidered out when I took the car on a canyon run, 2 sets of tires (all street stuff, no autoX for this car), an AC compressor, and the power steering is leaking up a storm currently. The paint if completely shot, the factory headunit's attenuator is going, and the power antenna froze ages ago and now the grommet sealing the hole for it into the trunk got so hard and brittle it finally cracked in half and just fell off the car. I have washed it once in the past year, due to a combination of me being lazy and just not caring anymore. But through all of this, the car has kept going and never missed a beat...well except for when the water pump blew, tranny/diff went out, oh and when I had to replace the FACTORY plugs and wires at about 160kmiles.
But today it finally decided enough was enough. I haven't attended to THIS diff since it was put in 2 years ago. It is a small case Open 4.10 (for those that know e30), so it is pretty weak in the first place. It currently sounds like it is going to seize. Either that, or a seal has gone on the output shaft. Whatever the case, it sounds like it is finally time for me to put this car out of its misery of having to deal with ME neglecting it. A friend looking for an e30 chassis to build into a modern hot rod may be taking it off my hands, if he hasn't found another car. I'm currently waiting for him to call me back. I've removed the Euro Ellipsoids, ebrake and shiftboot/knob from the M3 (I swapped them into the 318 when I blew the M3's motor and knew I would be driving the 318 a LOT). There isn't much else to take off of the car, other than maybe the MikeD chip.
I need to face it, I'm very hard on cars and I neglect them on top of that. The e21 is in need of much love, although the engine still runs and the suspension just got a partial overhaul. I still could use some new control arms/tie rods, as well as a once over on the electrical system and a new downpipe-back exhaust. The M3 is in a bit better shape, but that is partially due to being in the garage, having just had the motor rebuilt about 1k miles ago (about a year and a half ago after having sat for 3 years while I saved money for parts) and the fact that I rarely drive it for fear of killing THIS motor. It too needs new control arms and every other bushing you can think of (again due to sitting for 3 years). The Jetta has been beaten to a pulp as well. It too was a daily beater, I treated it as such. It had that 'distinction' before the 318. Only 1 of the 4 windows works, the sunroof is also out of commission, the Check Engine light is on, the suspension has been worn out for 4 years (hmm...around the time I started driving the 318 instead of the Jetta), and the clutch is on its last legs since the car has 115K on it and I think this is the original unit (I got the car at 40K and haven't replaced it since).
I could say that I used to be better about these maintenance items, but that is only partially true. Before we moved to this condo, I had the OPTION to do the work, and often I did. But I did notice a sharp decline in work I was doing on the cars...again due to lack of caring and motivation. Some of you know what this was caused by (WoW), and the current decrease in game play may help all of this. But I fear that the 318 is beyond hope for me currently. As much as it will pain me to let that car go, I think I will. It has all the makings of the perfect autoX/track rat. Lighter chassis, no sunroof, but all the mounting points that the 325 cars have for suspension, motors, etc. It is Diamond Black on Black, again a great combo. But I do believe that I have not earned keeping it and must pass it along to someone that will do it justice.
....hopefully he is still in the market and is willing to resurrect this poor, neglected e30. :(
Sorry for the rambling, I always tend to post novels.
Cliff Notes: I think I killed the 318is AGAIN, but was hoping to sell it anyway, so hopefully I still can. Oh, and I beat up cars and don't repair them well enough.