Alpine E30 Convertible Running Log

[KaiserRolls]

OEM lines don’t show up pre bent, at least for the long run to the rear brakes  

on my old red e30 I ran chase bays line for the main rear run, it was quick and easy

my current car I went the copper nickel route and re did all the front line and flared stuff. Also super easy to work with 

[YoungCR]

^ thats the same tee used in the stock position in the rear. I hear ya on the diy flaring, you’re right though the tools have always been the problem. The split die style flaring tool makes perfect flares about 95% of the time. The only time it doesn’t work is because the line wasn’t square. Remembering to put the flare nut on the line is the hardest part 😂

[KaiserRolls]

1 hour ago, YoungCR said:

^ thats the same tee used in the stock position in the rear. I hear ya on the diy flaring, you’re right though the tools have always been the problem. The split die style flaring tool makes perfect flares about 95% of the time. The only time it doesn’t work is because the line wasn’t square. Remembering to put the flare nut on the line is the hardest part 😂

That is the exact part for the rear T lol, wanted a m10 bubble flare fitting, figured that would be the easiest to find 😁

[P_Roloff]

Man, it’s been a bit since I posted on this. Mostly because I haven’t touched it since last post really 😬 I swore I’d never let a project sit but here I am. 
 

Two weekends ago I finished bending all the rear hardlines after I kinked one of the short ones last spring and got frustrated and stopped working on it (I also got stupid busy, but hey). Fuel system can now go back in, subframe after that, and then the car can come back down and get re-situated for the manual swap! I decided to go engine-out for that one since the oil pan gasket needs replacement, the timing belt is due, and 80% of everything else is already disconnected. 
 

Excited to hopefully make more progress this winter spring when I have time, I’d like to get it done before June so I can enjoy it and shake it down before a planned Blue Ridge parkway road trip this fall. Hoping that once the rear end is back together things will progress more quickly. 

 

[P_Roloff]

Sheesh, long overdue for an update here. 
 

I’ve been lagging on getting this done; the spring ended up being completely full (like, every single weekend from January to May) with water ski team maintenance stuff, and the season went until May to now. The team hasn’t had an official member dedicated to fleet main fence in a long time so the backlog was enormous. Like, waterlogged and rusting boat trailer bearings that haven’t been repacked in a decade, rotting trailer floor, and broken bilge pumps and blowers, enormous. 
 

I’m finally getting a chance to get back into cars though thankfully, and have made some good progress! It feels amazing to be finally getting somewhere.

Fuel tank is back in and the tank-adjacent stuff is plumbed in. I’m holding off on installing the fuel hardlines until the engine comes out and goes back in so I don’t accidentally damage them. My brake hardlines seem to fit nicely though, which is exciting!
 

And tonight, for the first time in something like 20 months, the car’s subframe and chassis were reunited. Big stuff! My only concern so far is that the fuel tank neck is contacting the subframe because of the subframe riser bushings; it doesn’t seem to be severe though, so I’m probably going to leave it. Don’t have much of a choice I guess.

Engine oil has been drained, PS hoses disconnected, a/c lines are unhooked, and all fuel/intake/other things have been disconnected in the bay other than the starter ground strap, oil cooler lines, coolant hoses, and the DME. The plan is to button up the rear end ASAP and get it back on four wheels so that I can reposition it, then yank the engine and get cracking on the swap stuff/timing belt. Also planning to get the HIKfab skidplate welded on by @rampelsauce while the engine is out, should make it a snap to weld and repaint. 
 

Hoping to make a lot of progress this fall. I’d love to get it done, but I’ve made promises like that before (look at how long it’s been sitting). It WILL get done before next summer; the ski team is doing an 80’s themed show and it’d be sacrilege to not have the quintessential 80’s car not running for it.