Touring Trailer project

[Elekta]

Here we go. I bought 10 hours from the welder. Bought the car for $300. We now need a $10 hr monkey to gut the car and take the junk to the dump. Sayther's pirates took more than I expected, but no matter how you slice it the roof rails are mint and are worth the price of the rolling chassis.

I will need an M5 rear bumper cover, latch, and hatch tools, tool cover etc. I am keeping the cruise control, but need to know how to get it off the steering column w/o frying it. I need a gas door to weld into place. When I get my real camera over there, I will take some pics that I can pshop.

Initially we are going to break out the cracked winshield, cut the front of the car off a few inches in front of the windshield and see how heavy the car is. I would like to remove 85% of the forward doors, but the welder says the chop and re-weld on just that portion will eat all the hours...

should be fun.. keep y'all posted on my latest insanity....

[tonyroc14]

well this will be interesting...

[87shark]

A s62 in this thing would be godly.

[Elekta]

Originally Posted by 87shark

A s62 in this thing would be godly.

The only motor in this will be in a margarita machine when we tailgate with this badboy.

Can electric window doors be easily converted to manual just by installing a manual crank and regulator, or should the doors be straight up swapped. I don't think a manual window touring was even a US option. It's either that or AE will need to guide the rewiring to the rear key.

[87shark]

Originally Posted by Elekta

The only motor in this will be in a margarita machine when we tailgate with this badboy.

Ahhh your making this into a trailer.

BTW your m5t is

[adriver]

was it missing the hood, or is there a chance I could pick that up from you?

[Elekta]

Originally Posted by adriver

was it missing the hood, or is there a chance I could pick that up from you?

no hood, no motor, no drivetrain, no gas tank, no grill or headlights, anything that was worth something to the pirates, they grabbed...that was part of our deal. I just didn't want them robbing the rear hatch area, which they did unfortunately....they were supposed to give me another drivers door too.

sall good

[Binjammin]

Elekta, if you buy my plane tickets and a welder I'll come down there and do all the fab work for you


Just need room and board for a few days, plus just a little wheeltime in the M5t....

[Parker731]

This will be interesting.

[tammer]

Elekta, did the rear seat come with the car? I'm specifically looking for the trim piece around the passenger side rear seat belt, top. Plastic rectangular thing that I am pretty sure is touring-specific.

Part no. 9 here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...99&hg=72&fg=05

-tammer

[Tj Hunter]

Sad to see another Touring go, but seems like a worth while trailer. Are you cutting off the roof and everything...in that case I have a great 540 shell that you can have to save a touring.

[kesslerbmw]

subscribed.. Be sure to take plenty of pics. I've thought about doing this but never figured anyone would do it.

[PorscheDude]

I'm going back to the yard that had the touring Monday or tuesday.
I'll see if any useable parts are still there.

Last time out, it had the fold down tool box but no tools
and the latches were there.

[sfgearhead]

Damn I was going to ask about the hatch cover, but I like this use better! Subscribed!

Any plans to remove glass? I assume the interior will be gutted, a trap door floor in the front area would be sweet to hide stuff. Make it level with the rear.

[StealthBimmer]

[LouieD]

Originally Posted by StealthBimmer

+1. I had the same thought a few days ago, but thought it would be blasphemy to cut up a T. I can't wait to see it done. I did see an e30 trailer that I thought was way cool.

[garethashenden]

Is this cutting off the nose and having an enclosed trailer or cutting off the nose and roof and being open?
Something like this?

[zubbie]

Something like this except BMW style.

[janders211]

I have no idea what is going on.

But I bathe in the lyrics secreted below:
"we now need a $10 hr monkey to gut the car and take the junk to the dump. Sayther's pirates took more than I expected"
Reminds me of Card I used to read. LSD is bad.

[LouieD]

Originally Posted by janders211

I have no idea what is going on.

But I bathe in the lyrics secreted below:
"we now need a $10 hr monkey to gut the car and take the junk to the dump. Sayther's pirates took more than I expected"
Reminds me of Card I used to read. LSD is bad.

"take a bit of this and tell me what the sounds taste like..."

Originally Posted by zubbie

Something like this except BMW style.

Ok that is cool... I'm a sucker for wagons... even if it's a Civic.

[Sam Son]

subscribed

[attack eagle]

IMO leave All 4 of the the windows electric... you got 12v + ground right there on the trailer harness... front windows were ALWAYS electric IIRC, only the rears were ever manual option.

http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx

use one of those ultra small batteries (maybe in the rear cubby?) when the trailer is actually in service if you need them to work without the tow vehicle attached.


1: is this a cargo trailer or a camping trailer?
2: If it is a camping trailer, sunroof and roof as a location for a flip open tent?, ala range rover roof tent?
3: its gonna be massively nose heavy as is. you'll have to shorten it, I think.

[Miche]

Electric windows was always an option, but AFAIK the electric windows didn't cost a noticeable amount of money to add, so IIUC almost everyone had them added when buying a new e34.

I've seen US versions with manuals and over here in europe it's not common at all to have manuals, even though i got it in my touring and i'm glad for it, haven't ever broken down like the electrical does


I say keep the power windows, that would be awesome I wanna fix a trailer like that too now! That i never thought of that, now i know what to do to one of my other tourings if it brakes down hard.

[Binjammin]

Rick brings up an EXCELLENT point about being wicked nose heavy. if this were my trailer, I'd probably do something like weld the rear doors shut, cut the floorpan and wheelwells out, and move the rear wheels forward to about where the front of the rear door is, and move the wheel arches.

[Elekta]

Originally Posted by tammer

Elekta, did the rear seat come with the car? I'm specifically looking for the trim piece around the passenger side rear seat belt, top. Plastic rectangular thing that I am pretty sure is touring-specific.

Part no. 9 here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...99&hg=72&fg=05

-tammer

I'll look, but the interior is extremely trashed...velour seats with a cigar smoker. It was pretty picked over.

Sad to see another Touring go, but seems like a worth while trailer. Are you cutting off the roof and everything...in that case I have a great 540 shell that you can have to save a touring.

This is being saved from the crusher. I'm doing it a favor, and I could care less about the saloons if you really want to know. I'll get a saloon or an IL when I'm over 50, but tourings are where I hang my hat.

Elekta, if you buy my plane tickets and a welder I'll come down there and do all the fab work for you

This is a covert op, not that I wouldn't mind like minded houseguests...I have no desire to splain this lucy

I'm going back to the yard that had the touring Monday or tuesday.
I'll see if any useable parts are still there.

Last time out, it had the fold down tool box but no tools
and the latches were there.

Thanks, if you could, please make a mental inventory. I don't know what all I need besides the latches and switches at this point..I do need the inner tails in the gate as the reverse lenses are both cracked..the harness is damaged of course and the sunroof is pretty toasted (tho I am going to try to remove it as a unit for parts for somebody)

Any plans to remove glass? I assume the interior will be gutted, a trap door floor in the front area would be sweet to hide stuff. Make it level with the rear.

It all depends upon weight. I don't want any stress on my clutch. The forward doors are going to go to just where they lock, then the windshield frame gets cut and welded to the new line. I may take the rear side glass out and only have the hatch glass and the two rear doors glass.

"we now need a $10 hr monkey to gut the car and take the junk to the dump. Sayther's pirates took more than I expected"

A monkey is not a $75hr welder who can work in any welding material...just someone who can strip the car of everything that's not wire. Sayther is Terry Sayther, a regular contributor to Roundel and owner of a great indy shop here in austin and his mechanics team are the pirates. He's famous for putting S52's in 2002's, he put the one in that white touring called the 532iT, and he's raced several times in the Pan Carrera in mexico in an 50's sedan. He also put an S38 in a CS....pirates indeed

use one of those ultra small batteries (maybe in the rear cubby?) when the trailer is actually in service if you need them to work without the tow vehicle attached.


1: is this a cargo trailer or a camping trailer?
2: If it is a camping trailer, sunroof and roof as a location for a flip open tent?, ala range rover roof tent?
3: its gonna be massively nose heavy as is. you'll have to shorten it, I think.

1. Tailgating and camping trailer
2. I'd like to see that. I was thinking of a VW type canvas pullback in the new smaller opening.
3. I think it is too nose heavy for sure; that's why the first door has to go.

I will need help getting the windows to close from the rear key, and maybe put some switches to operate the aft windows from the back? The wiring will be interesting, but the westfalia trailer plug gives you lots of options. I'd like to not have to adapt to 4 pin as I did with my last touring


11 and 12 for the rear wiper washer?


The real question will be finding time to sneak away and get near enough to the project to think about it. I think once it's a towing shell, I'll own up to the madness....then AE and Bimmernut can come visit for the customization!

I think this lil guy is saying WuHOO!

Originally Posted by Binjammin

Rick brings up an EXCELLENT point about being wicked nose heavy. if this were my trailer, I'd probably do something like weld the rear doors shut, cut the floorpan and wheelwells out, and move the rear wheels forward to about where the front of the rear door is, and move the wheel arches.

This trailer has to come in under $1800...that's way too much welding. We just lose the forward doors and make a light frame under the unibody and cut out all the weight you can. I will keep the spare wheel well for some counter balance with a steelie in there, and maybe put an ice chest where the tank used to be. Ideally, I'd like to fit a mini propane tank up by the tongue for bbq