Boris3

One of the wheels might be an updated version, a spare, or sourced from a different casting facility. I'm not quite sure which BMW's were all offered with style 44's, but if there were multiple models offered with the same wheel, they might have a different place that sources the same style wheels. The other reason could be casting improvements or a lack of material in a region that was producing wheels and they switched suppliers. Either way, I find it hard to believe there would be a "replica" of a style 44 as its not a highly desirable wheel. 
I could also be very wrong as well, who knows. 

131,050


Well, my time with this car has come to an end. What a wonderful car and one I’ll truly miss, but it was time. It sat nearly all summer and was just getting to be a pain to maintain on top of the truck, e30, and e91. It went to a local guy who was looking for a neat older car to learn to wrench on, so I think it’ll suit him well. It remains the quietest, most solidly built car I’ve ever owned, it was seriously a tank. Hung the tail out in the snow pretty impressively too.

Replaced the blower motor before I sold it, and sent two sets of wheels and most of my e34 spares along as well. I’m excited to have the space back, one less project, and to be able to focus more on the E91 and E30. I still have the MOMO Heritage 6’s and the m-systems, if anyone was wondering haha. MOMO’s will be listed as soon as I wash them, and the M-Systems will hopefully get their restoration completed once the e30 is back on the road. 
 
Farewell to the E34 club, it’s been a good ride!
 
 

SOLD
 
WIBimmers Price: $4500


Snow got you stuck? Don’t want to rust out your nice car/truck? Want an affordable fun car? This might be the car for you! It’s a 1995 BMW 525i with a 5-speed manual, 130,xxx miles. Purchased by my dad in 2018, I purchased it in 2021. Only selling because I bought @m42b32’s E91 and don’t drive this anymore. 
This car has an extensive maintenance history, please see the end of the ad for a full list. Lots of work in the last two years. I also have a few options for wheels and tires.  
The paint/body on this car is fair for its age, it’s not show car quality but doesn’t have any clear coat failure evident; mostly scratches, dings, chips and a few small dents. Rust is present on the door bottoms; the rest of the car is pretty clean. Couple small spots on the underside but nothing wild. Wasn’t driven in the snow often before it came to WI (lived in Jersey from new to ~2017). Nose of the car was repainted at one point I believe.
Issues include small windshield crack, A/C stopped working this summer, drivers rear window and lock actuator not working, couple small tears in drivers seat bottom, slight stitching pull on the top of the rear seatback, and drivers door brake removed due to it tearing the bolts holding it to the door out (common e34 issue, not due to hitting something with it). Blower motor just went but will be replaced before sale. I have a full booklet of maintenance history going back to the early 2000’s, and have roughly 80 images of various points on the car as well - just ask if you have any questions at all.
 
Things I’d probably recommend eventually would be shifter refresh, rear shocks, diff oil change, and eventually rear subframe bushings; they were all always on the list but I never got to them. Definitely doesn’t need them anytime in the near future but I’m picky about my shit. 
 
All my spares will be included for the asking price; mostly interior switchgear and trim bits.
 
WIBimmers asking price w/ spare parts and no extra wheels: $4500 OBO. No trades unless @wasnt m3 wants to swap for his clownshoe…

Current wheels: Car will come on stock 15”x7” bottlecap wheels and 205/65R15 Continental VikingContact winter tires; these are superb in the snow. I’ve driven through 20”+ drifts and foot high unplowed streets without issue. Date codes are I believe from 2021; tons of tread left. Maybe 12k miles on them? Purchased in late 2021
Extra wheel options include: 
- Full square set of 17x8.5” MOMO Heritage 6 wheels in satin black; purchased new by me in 2022. Good tread on the 235/45R17 Michelin Pilot A/S 3+’s that are mounted, I want to say date codes show 2018 or 2019 but not positive. I’d ask an additional $800 for the set with the car or $1000 separate for you guys. Retail price when they were still available was roughly $325/wheel. Neat wheels, and in good condition with only a few bucks here and there. No rash or bends. 

I also have a set of stock 15x7” style 5 basket weaves with two good and two trash tires, $100 extra for those. I’ll throw them in for free if you have a set of wheels and tires that hold air and fit a e28 well enough to roll it onto a trailer. 
 
Final wheel set option is a partially complete and partially refinished set of style 20/21 M-Systems. I have four forged wheels, 3X complete turbine covers in good used condition, and 4 caps - I’m missing only a left side cover and fan to complete the set. Wheels have been stripped/blasted to bare metal, checked to ensure they’re perfectly straight and true, and the lips polished out; a few lips need some final finish polishing but they’re generally very close to ready for paint. TBD on asking, I’d like to finish them myself and sell them but if you’re serious and interested, shoot me a message and I’ll send photos/details. 
.
Completed Maintenance and Upgrades
This likely isn’t an exhaustive list and doesn’t include a lot of the little trim bits, clips and minor stuff done over the years, but these are the heavy hitters:
General:
OEM BMW roof rails will be included with the car Chrome door trim has been “shadowlined” with vinyl trim tape; easily removable if you prefer the chrome look Interior/Exterior/Electrical:
General module New sunroof button panel Auxiliary audio input wired into CD changer; completely reversible (I made a custom wiring harness) and exiting below stability control button Drivers front window regulator New midsection door trim Trunk shocks New battery last winter Various side trim pieces replaced - all with genuine BMW pieces Blower motor replaced and fuse de-rated to 20A to fix common wire melting issue - no evidence of problems with this car Rear headrests added from an E32; rare to find on US model E34’s I have a E32 rear motorized sunblind kit that I can include; it’ll require cutting to fit but would be an awesome upgrade   
Steering and Suspension:
Upper and lower front control arms replaced in fall of 2021 - used E31 and M5 arms (spherical/solid rubber) for improved handling and longevity. All Lemforder components.  Front shocks, shock mounts, and all related hardware replaced in fall of 2021 with OEM Sachs/lemorder components  Front sway bar links changed in 2020 I have a set of new Lemforder tie rods to go with the car as well; I never got around to installing them Brakes:
All new OEM pads and rotors last year all the way around Both front calipers replaced (and slide pins regreased before install) New front soft brake lines Hardlines all look good Engine/Driveline:
New clutch master and slave last year Z3 shift lever - shorter throw. I believe I have the original still and can include it.  ZHP shift knob Giubo replaced last year; CSB was fine but I have a spare I didn’t install that I’ll include with the car Transmission shift shaft and output shaft seals replaced this summer - major job Alternator replaced last winter with an OEM Bosch unit Serpentine belt, tensioner, and pulleys replaced in 2021 VANOS seals replaced this summer; valve cover gasket replaced at the same time New serpentine belt, a/c belt, pulleys, and tensioners in summer of 2021 Metal impeller water pump installed in 2017-ish

BMW 1991 318is coupe slick top (for project car/parts)
VIN: WBAAF931XMEE68385
Selling my 1991 318is coupe, BrIllantrot, rare slick top, 5-speed, m42, 4.10 LSD, Red46 skid plate, Stromung catback, sport seats, and more. The front subframe cracked recently on the passenger-side and the motor mount is now resting on steering arm. Radiator fan now rubs on bottom of fan shroud. Needs a new front subframe to be safe to drive beyond driving the car onto a trailer. Body rust and other issues mean it is time for me to move on and put funds into other projects. Best for parts or could be a good repair project for someone with welding skills. Selling the car ‘as is’ for $2,500 obo. 
I’ve owned the car since 2012 as a four-season occasional daily, parked outside in driveway. I am the seventh owner. Car has lived entire life in IL and WI. Estimated mileage at 275k.  The odometer stopped working at approximately 235k and new odo gears didn’t fix it (2015).  Regular oil changes with Castrol GTX 10-40 and Mahle filter kits; radiator fluid changes with BMW coolant (last in July 2023).  
Rust issues include rusted through areas on front floorboards (drivers side repaired but rough), front pinch welds, rear trunk wells (battery side well repaired poorly), frame rails (passenger-side rail repaired with welded sleeve in 2020), and transmission bracket support slots. Additional rust on doors (drivers-side door replaced, Zinnoberrot clear coat peeling), bottom of trunk lid, front valance (repaired poorly), hood is good rust wise but needs a strip and repaint, some rust spots on rear quarter (bubbling near wheel well on driver's side and more extensive on lower rear passenger side). Overall paint is faded except for driver’s fender replaced by PO after minor accident (2007). Front plastic bumper cover is cracked and valance bent due to a low-speed on-ramp spin incident (October 2023) that I expect also weakened the subframe (cracked as noted above, December 24, 2023).   
Engine bay: Original M42 engine runs and pulls well but has some timing chain noise.  Chain, gears, guides, tensioner, water pump replaced (2014; two rear valve cover bolts are loose). Other maintenance includes: Bosch alternator, ground strap and belt (2021); air filter (2021); purge valve (2021); plastic coolant pipe on engine (2018), OFH gasket and oil pressure sensor (2018);  mess under the intake mod (2018), fuel line hoses to fuel rail (2018, 2022); heater core and pipes replaced (2016), radiator and fan clutch (2016) and hoses (2014), engine mounts (2014), intake boot and hoses (2014); plugs, plug wires, loom (2014), lower oil pan (2013), Red46 Sump Armor Skid Plate (2013). All AC components removed and PS pump and lines removed and rack plugged (2013).                                              . 
Transmission/driveline: original G240 transmission, I also have a used spare 240 included (unknown condition); guibo and center support bearing replaced (2016); transmission mounts (2014); small case 4.10 LSD installed (2018), diff whines and exterior is rusty; passenger side axle outside boot is torn. Driver’s axle replaced by PO #6 (2010); clutch and driveshaft replaced by PO #5 (2008-09)
Exhaust:  Stromung catback (2017); used OE downpipe cat assembly (2016), heat shield rusted out, possible pipe/cat leaking, I have a used spare downpipe cat assembly which will be included; exhaust hardware (hangers [driver’s 2023, passenger 2016), manifold to down pipe bolts 3 of 4, new nuts, gasket; catback springs, bolts and nuts (2016); O2 sensor (2014).
Suspension:  Bimmerworld rear shock mounts (2016); Lemfoerder control arms and M3 CABs; front sway bar bushings, brackets, endlinks (2015); Bilstein Sports front and rear (2014); used H&R OE Cabrio Sports Springs (2014); OE subframe bushings (2014)   
Brakes: stock calipers, Textar pads (2022), Zimmerman rotors (2022); driver’s front caliper carrier bracket (2022); replaced main hard brake line to rear and hard line from ABS pump to bias valve with NiCopp (2023); rear T-junction replaced (zip-tied to old), rear trailing arm hard lines, rear inner soft lines, rear passenger outer brake line replaced (2018, DIY w/o dropping subframe, NiCopp); parking brake nonfunctional /parts removed (2013).  Stainless steel brake lines on the car installed by PO (2005-06). Brake pad wear light remains on (sensors removed and wires connected, so short somewhere). 
Other: Ellipsoids with Stern Lighting HIR2 9012 low beam bulbs (2023); Interstate battery (2019); wiper blades (2019); headlight switch (2018); windshield washer plastic-T connector (2018), driver’s side washer nozzle (2018); E36 Z3 antenna mod (2017); new gas tank, fuel pump, hard fuel lines, fuel filter (2016)
Wheels and tires: New General Altimax RT45 195/60/14 on basket weaves (November 2023); old General Altimax Arctic snow tires 185/70/14 on basket weaves (installed 2013, with 2011 build date) 
Interior: sport seats with black vinyl (?) seat covers installed by PO, tear on driver’s side seat cover bottom cushion; Analog clock with e30Love harness (2021); driver’s dome light (2019); Bavarian Auto Hexomats (2014); Panasonic MP3/CD head unit with detachable face, Panasonic speakers (CQ-C1333U) came with car. 
For additional detail do not hesitate to contact me. Pictures coming shortly.  
 

I don't think there will be any ice racing this year.

Believe me the thought has crossed my mind as well! Years ago, I took the car to an Audi ice-driving school in Hutisford, and also tried the ice-autocross the SCCA used to hold at the Mile. Both days were a lot of fun. RWD with a good set of snow tires. Having two race cars though is a no-go for me unfortunately.

Must ignore the overwhelming urge to purchase this for an ice racer 

Update: looks like hit also weakened the front subframe.  The potholes in downtown MKE yesterday were enough to finish the job.  On the way home car started making unhappy noises, including the fan rubbing on the fan shroud. Turns out the front subframe is cracked and the passenger-side motor mount is now sitting on the steering rack. I think we are done.  😞

Project car for sale/parts time. I’ll post with details in a few days. 

BMW 1991 318is coupe slick top (for project car/parts)
VIN: WBAAF931XMEE68385
Selling my 1991 318is coupe, BrIllantrot, rare slick top, 5-speed, m42, 4.10 LSD, Red46 skid plate, Stromung catback, sport seats, and more. The front subframe cracked recently on the passenger-side and the motor mount is now resting on steering arm. Radiator fan now rubs on bottom of fan shroud. Needs a new front subframe to be safe to drive beyond driving the car onto a trailer. Body rust and other issues mean it is time for me to move on and put funds into other projects. Best for parts or could be a good repair project for someone with welding skills. Selling the car ‘as is’ for $2,500 obo. 
I’ve owned the car since 2012 as a four-season occasional daily, parked outside in driveway. I am the seventh owner. Car has lived entire life in IL and WI. Estimated mileage at 275k.  The odometer stopped working at approximately 235k and new odo gears didn’t fix it (2015).  Regular oil changes with Castrol GTX 10-40 and Mahle filter kits; radiator fluid changes with BMW coolant (last in July 2023).  
Rust issues include rusted through areas on front floorboards (drivers side repaired but rough), front pinch welds, rear trunk wells (battery side well repaired poorly), frame rails (passenger-side rail repaired with welded sleeve in 2020), and transmission bracket support slots. Additional rust on doors (drivers-side door replaced, Zinnoberrot clear coat peeling), bottom of trunk lid, front valance (repaired poorly), hood is good rust wise but needs a strip and repaint, some rust spots on rear quarter (bubbling near wheel well on driver's side and more extensive on lower rear passenger side). Overall paint is faded except for driver’s fender replaced by PO after minor accident (2007). Front plastic bumper cover is cracked and valance bent due to a low-speed on-ramp spin incident (October 2023) that I expect also weakened the subframe (cracked as noted above, December 24, 2023).   
Engine bay: Original M42 engine runs and pulls well but has some timing chain noise.  Chain, gears, guides, tensioner, water pump replaced (2014; two rear valve cover bolts are loose). Other maintenance includes: Bosch alternator, ground strap and belt (2021); air filter (2021); purge valve (2021); plastic coolant pipe on engine (2018), OFH gasket and oil pressure sensor (2018);  mess under the intake mod (2018), fuel line hoses to fuel rail (2018, 2022); heater core and pipes replaced (2016), radiator and fan clutch (2016) and hoses (2014), engine mounts (2014), intake boot and hoses (2014); plugs, plug wires, loom (2014), lower oil pan (2013), Red46 Sump Armor Skid Plate (2013). All AC components removed and PS pump and lines removed and rack plugged (2013).                                              . 
Transmission/driveline: original G240 transmission, I also have a used spare 240 included (unknown condition); guibo and center support bearing replaced (2016); transmission mounts (2014); small case 4.10 LSD installed (2018), diff whines and exterior is rusty; passenger side axle outside boot is torn. Driver’s axle replaced by PO #6 (2010); clutch and driveshaft replaced by PO #5 (2008-09)
Exhaust:  Stromung catback (2017); used OE downpipe cat assembly (2016), heat shield rusted out, possible pipe/cat leaking, I have a used spare downpipe cat assembly which will be included; exhaust hardware (hangers [driver’s 2023, passenger 2016), manifold to down pipe bolts 3 of 4, new nuts, gasket; catback springs, bolts and nuts (2016); O2 sensor (2014).
Suspension:  Bimmerworld rear shock mounts (2016); Lemfoerder control arms and M3 CABs; front sway bar bushings, brackets, endlinks (2015); Bilstein Sports front and rear (2014); used H&R OE Cabrio Sports Springs (2014); OE subframe bushings (2014)   
Brakes: stock calipers, Textar pads (2022), Zimmerman rotors (2022); driver’s front caliper carrier bracket (2022); replaced main hard brake line to rear and hard line from ABS pump to bias valve with NiCopp (2023); rear T-junction replaced (zip-tied to old), rear trailing arm hard lines, rear inner soft lines, rear passenger outer brake line replaced (2018, DIY w/o dropping subframe, NiCopp); parking brake nonfunctional /parts removed (2013).  Stainless steel brake lines on the car installed by PO (2005-06). Brake pad wear light remains on (sensors removed and wires connected, so short somewhere). 
Other: Ellipsoids with Stern Lighting HIR2 9012 low beam bulbs (2023); Interstate battery (2019); wiper blades (2019); headlight switch (2018); windshield washer plastic-T connector (2018), driver’s side washer nozzle (2018); E36 Z3 antenna mod (2017); new gas tank, fuel pump, hard fuel lines, fuel filter (2016)
Wheels and tires: New General Altimax RT45 195/60/14 on basket weaves (November 2023); old General Altimax Arctic snow tires 185/70/14 on basket weaves (installed 2013, with 2011 build date) 
Interior: sport seats with black vinyl (?) seat covers installed by PO, tear on driver’s side seat cover bottom cushion; Analog clock with e30Love harness (2021); driver’s dome light (2019); Bavarian Auto Hexomats (2014); Panasonic MP3/CD head unit with detachable face, Panasonic speakers (CQ-C1333U) came with car. 
For additional detail do not hesitate to contact me. Pictures coming shortly.  
 

Project car for sale/parts time. I’ll post with details in a few days. 

Project car for sale/parts time. I’ll post with details in a few days. 

Update: looks like hit also weakened the front subframe.  The potholes in downtown MKE yesterday were enough to finish the job.  On the way home car started making unhappy noises, including the fan rubbing on the fan shroud. Turns out the front subframe is cracked and the passenger-side motor mount is now sitting on the steering rack. I think we are done.  😞

Putting this on hold for a bit. Rust issues on the car are making me rethink how much more I want to put into it.   

Forgot to post this, 3/4 RTs had normal wear after the HPDE - 1 got smoked after the lapping day. Unfortunately, not uncommon with the RT. Luckily I have 3 decent condition take offs that I kept (2020) so was able to get it swapped out before the dells autox 

Huge photo dump. By the time I sold the e30 I was pretty well over it. The old car problems were enough for me and it was taking time and money away from other things. Ultimately, our family may be looking a little bit different in the next year or so and I wanted something that I could fully enjoy with my girls. I went camping with my girls for a weekend with my brother and his new camper and they absolutely loved it.
So, I bought this complete and utter turd of a camper and have spent the last two months or so rebuilding in. It's ironic that one project leaves and another takes its spot, but this one is going to make so many memories and my girls are beyond excited to use it. My focus and priorities have shifted to them. A "racecar" will still find a new home with me someday as long as it's red per their requirements. 














Still got to put my 3D printing to use with this exterior box. 


The inside is 98% done. 




That's it for now! Hope everyone here is doing well and I've always been grateful for the wealth of knowledge here and all of your help during my ownership with the e30. 

Had a productive weekend despite the heat. Water Pump and Valley Pan done, new knock, crank and cam position sensors, billet throttle cable bushings, Intake w/ new PCV installed. I was going to do both the valve cover gaskets even though they didn't really need to be done but doing the right side turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. I think 4 of the studs backed out and 2 of them stripped going back in. The fun part is the studs are threaded into the CAM BEARING CAPS 🤔🙄 Not happy about that and haven't had this issue before on other M60's. I cleaned up the threads with a tap & die and hand tightened things as tight as I felt comfortable, the spec is only 10Nm and thankfully the lower back corner held tight. The center stud is barely hanging on though, Hopefully no leaks otherwise it'll be quite the job to properly fix that. Gonna leave the other side until it absolutely needs it. 

Engine bay is all back together besides the fan and intake. Just need to replace the battery and battery negative cable before startup. If all goes well and running issues solved it'll be onto swapping out the front doors and fender. 

Changed out the expansion tank/paired with the new cap - unfortunately I think I’ll need to wait until an HPDE to see if the issue is 100% resolved. 
 
Autox at Golden Sands last weekend. Fun site being a banked oval, even with limited course layout options 
took 1st in XSB (small class) and 4/34 total drivers 

Next weekend is the second local event, the site (fairgrounds) was repaved/made larger so will be interesting to see the layout 

Last Wednesday I took a drive down to Chicago and finally picked up the car!

The dyno tuning had been done a week and a half prior to that but they wanted to further dial it in on the street and work out any little drivability issues it had. As for power numbers, on pump gas it made 401 whp (not sure on torque numbers for that). As for E85 though, the numbers were a bit more shocking... in a good way

I did end up driving it back from Chicago and besides the 105 degree weather I baked in, it was a pretty enjoyable drive home. The car felt great and the engine didn't skip a beat. I will say though that the clutch is a little more difficult then it use to be. Especially when getting the car rolling in first gear. The one in there is technically only rated for like 480 lb ft torque so we'll see how far that gets me. There are a few things I wanna take care of on it like an oil change and address a few small things but other then that very excited to have the car back to enjoy the little bit of warm weather we have left. 

This S50 swapped and front-end dinged e30 went quick, Madison phone number. 
 SOLD Wrecked 91 318is S50 Swapped - R3VLimited Forums

Trying to win it on lap 1!

Realized I never updated this. The vibration issue was the missing guibo bolt. Did a test day and a race earlier in July and all good...except someone got over enthusiastic and hit me on the first lap of the race in the driver's rear quarter, spun me 180 degrees and into the gators on the exit of T4 at Blackhawk. Car was fine after shaking loose the gravel and able to finish. One more aerodynamic "dimple".  Ain't racing grand!   

Exploring an alternative explanation first.
I had found a 50mm bolt in the paddock grass after coming in early from qualifying when the issues started. I couldn’t figure out where it came from or if it was mine. I was focused on a prior issue of rolling resistance from passenger front which was a brake pad sticking. Fixed that, drove it around the paddock and all seemed fine.
Went out for the race and as soon as I was going around 40 on the out lap the issues started again. Fought the car for about 7 laps and said this is stupid and came in. 
Watching my race video I can’t hear the noises from the rear I was hearing in the race. So not sure. Still kept looking for a diff just in case
Meanwhile I went through the car at home looking for other possible sources of the driveline vibration / noise.  Motor mounts were fine, trans mounts slightly loose, wheel bearings no play, diff noise no different than usual, driveshaft, CSB, all good.
But when turning the driveshaft I discovered I was missing a guibo bolt. Best guess is that it had come loose, got hammered a bit and had fallen out when I jacked up the front end to check the brakes. Helps to explain why the vibration seemed to come on all of sudden during qual.
 
All the other bolts were tight and guibo looked fine. Replaced the bolt and the lock nut with BMW parts and I guess we’ll see. No real place to test it except for on track in a few weeks. 🤷‍♂️
 

So I was working on my basement over the weekend and went to move the original seats from this car. As I carried them across the basement at an awkward angle a coin fell out from somewhere deep in the seat and went pinging across the floor. I figured it was a quarter or something. Nope. It's a 1988 Austrian 1 schilling coin. 

 
I did some googling and Austria switched to the euro at the start of 2002... so either someone went on a European vacation and lost a coin when they got home, it's been in the seat since the car was built, or the car spent some time in Europe. Either way it's pretty neat. 

Great trackside fix!