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I've been all over this forum after a mate recommended it, anyway I think it's quite suited to what I'm at! Il copy and paste the first bit So, I sold my bmw compact. Something I had bought for a bit of rwd fun but this is what I was really after, so I the compact went and a deal was done for this... I'm going to take you back in time.... Circa 2005 (there was a thread but I can't find it). Me and my mate Phil done our usual Thursday night thing,.... 6 pints in the courthouse, one thing lead to another and a purchase was made on eBay.... A big one! £64 if I recollect? Yes £64 for a whole bmw...... In Norfolk! So out we flew, flight and 3 trains we were there! On the trip we laughed about how bad this might be, talk of leopard print seat covers (there was no interior pics) were mentioned.... But never in our wildest dreams did we think it would be true.... Fine vessel it was... It had no radio.... This was easily fixed... Morphy Richards One thing lead to another I painted it nimbus grey with intentions of fitting an sr20det.... But I blew it out for 500 quid and that was the end if that. 8 years on a guy contacted me who bought the car, intending to fit the suspension to his car. A deal was done and I fitted it to his car And now I have it back, in a rather sorry state! But it's still incredibly solid Funny how things work out eh!?
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Last Edit: Jul 11, 2013 0:35:00 GMT by pedenjohn
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Test fit I will point out I have went the. Omega gearbox route
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Last Edit: Jul 11, 2013 0:40:57 GMT by pedenjohn
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8tee8
Part of things
Posts: 288
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Looks promising. How did you get it so low in its first incarnation?
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Jul 11, 2013 13:52:29 GMT
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Oooh this could be good
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Jul 11, 2013 17:32:58 GMT
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Last Edit: Jul 11, 2013 17:33:46 GMT by pedenjohn
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Jul 11, 2013 17:37:35 GMT
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love it
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Jul 11, 2013 17:43:26 GMT
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I'd consider myself quite lazy and went in search of a propshaft. If I hadn't moved the engine back so much I could have directly bolted a bmw compact e36 3 piece prop in, I actually had it in by cutting the splines down but then decided it would be best to mate the omega piece to it as the spigot wasn't 'just' right Obviously the sump didn't fit. But I will give anyone a tip, if you wernt needing so much ground clearance or have the engine back so far you could probably get away with a saab 900 sump. This engine was out of a 9000. I had an engineer weld this as its alloy And I also had him swap the throttle body round. Plenty left to do but that's where we are at the moment!
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Last Edit: Jul 11, 2013 17:44:14 GMT by pedenjohn
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Jul 11, 2013 19:33:28 GMT
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lovely fabrication, best home made engine mounts i've seen on retrorides to date !
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Jul 11, 2013 20:56:22 GMT
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Wow, I don't know if I'd go that far but thank you for the compliment!
It's pretty much fitted, just the tunnel to sort, intercooler to mount and then we are ready to paint he engine bay which will be the big milestone,.... Knowing the engine won't have to come out again!
What I'm to do for a gear selector I just don't know!
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Mark
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,825
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Look forward to seeing progress. Where are you based?
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E36 BMW 318is saloon (rare as a hens false tooth) VW Caddy Maxi 2010 (usually full of Labradors)
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gavs1
Part of things
Posts: 571
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LOVE THIS, will be watching v,closeas i wanna c how these lumps wrk in rwd format
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Jul 12, 2013 17:32:18 GMT
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Look forward to seeing progress. Where are you based? I'm actually in Northern Ireland, I have been following your own thread with interest, although I've only signed up the other day. Yes, it will be interesting, there are plenty of people doing the same conversion in other makes but I found it difficult to find many completed builds. There is alot of talk of the omega gearboxes not being up to the job, but I think with this being so much lighter than an omega, different gearing etc it should be fine. I plan to leave it so that its easily changed should the worst happen. To be honest I think the rear end is the weakest point so il have to look into that.
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Mark
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,825
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Jul 12, 2013 17:55:15 GMT
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What sort of power are you hoping for?
An E21 diff can handle 220+ although it's the torque that usually kills the driveshafts. Have you joined www.bmwe21.net/forum yet? Some of the guys there can offer good advice.
I'm surprised there aren't more E21 being rallied in Ireland. They're so much like Mk2 Escorts but way cheaper and with independent rear suspension. There are a couple doing events over here now.
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E36 BMW 318is saloon (rare as a hens false tooth) VW Caddy Maxi 2010 (usually full of Labradors)
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Jul 12, 2013 20:48:20 GMT
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Well, in my head I picture it with a great big turbo strapped to it, purely for aesthetics. But it would be a shame not to make use of it. I think I can build an e30 lsd into the small case diff, but that's a bridge to be crossed later. Ideally I'd have 300-350bhp so really something will have to be done here.
Yea, I can't get over the value compared to a mk2 escort when they are pretty similar in age/rwd/2 door..... I was having this exact conversation the other day. Although they seem to be getting more sought after. A clean one is pretty rare over here tho. Some areas of England have much better weather than we get.
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Jul 12, 2013 21:51:50 GMT
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I'll be following this with great interest as A, I love Saabs and B, it's Saab powered RWD. Did I mention, I love Saabs? ;-)
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1964 Saab 96 two Stroke 1971 Hillman Avenger 1500 GL (Tuned 1600 fitted) 1976 Saab 99 2dr EMS (Project of very slow progress) 1978 Saab 99 2dr EMS (Awaiting reshell) 1981 Saab 99 2dr Turbo (Awaiting reshell)
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Jul 12, 2013 21:56:46 GMT
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You sir are the king of engine mounts !!!,,,they're flappin ace !!!
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300ce lowrider c220 track car c280 youngtimer S320 ...vip no 4 S430 .. 2 x slk 230 500se , E36 amg E 430 E55 amg Ml 320 C43 amg
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Jul 12, 2013 23:48:09 GMT
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You sir are the king of engine mounts !!!,,,they're flappin ace !!! Why thank you, they are really just a few bits of 6mm and 4mm plate welded together from cardboard templates. I've never made an engine mount before but I've certainly fabricated a few things in my time. I recognise your user name from various lowrider forums over the years,..... A man with a taste for mercs? ?
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Last Edit: Jul 12, 2013 23:48:51 GMT by pedenjohn
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Jul 14, 2013 12:44:49 GMT
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i think its because they look good, welding is good, and geometrically sound (in engineering terms) for their purpose. rather than "gets from the engine to the rubber bit, must be ok"
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Jul 23, 2013 23:41:04 GMT
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Now, I can handle a bit of metal work, but fabricating a transmission tunnel may well be a bit beyond me. So the plan was to make one roughly the right shape and have someone with the right tools make one. I don't really like the idea of square folds, so I started with a bit of exhaust pipe and cut it into quarters to mock it up. Il admit its an odd shape but,.... Lets face it... There's no going to be any room under the car for a 2.5" exhaust so it has to go down the passenger side of the gearbox Now, I needed a curved section, and I've no metal rollers.... So I formed a bit by hand around an old propshaft... Then made another few pieces the same way Il persevere with it tho a while longer, if I can seam it and grind the welds back.... It could work as is.
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froggy
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,099
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I would check the capacity of the front well of the sump and look at adding some baffles to help keep the oil in the well . The stock sump in fwd layout runs with the oil around 10-15 mm below the bottom of the block and they can run dry on track . If you have to run a front well I would make sure you have 4.5 litres min in the well . I've sold steel sump kits to people who found out the hard way that front well sumps need a lot more capacity to work
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