You have probably seen alot of stories about dogs in horrible condition being rescued with a tremendous difference in before/after photos – my story is almost not like that.
What I wanted VS what I got – me being a car guy with not much interest in ‘the new’ and some spare change, meant that sooner or later I’d be having some heap of metal to bring up to life. I was not keen on a fast or well handling or a drifting car, but rather one with the soul that cars from the 80’s ( and before) carry. Car prices plumeted around here and soon enough I was scouting for an old merc w114/ w116/w126. After a while all I’ve got were cars that carried some form of compromise – rust, allround condition or just a nut’s price. That was untill one day an ad was pointed out to me that immediately grabbed my attention – a ’82 518 e28, sold dirt cheap only 40km away from me – the same day I went to check it out, next thing is as soon as monday came I went to get the paperwork done.
Here’s what I got myself into:
Before
Description:
Pros:
- 9/10 condition regarding rust
- beautyful colour
- small taxes
Cons:
- m10 with the horrible pierburg carb, that ran only on LPG
- missing glove compartment
- central console ruined by an italian aftermarket AC
- no radio
- missing/ broken parts in the interior
- shot suspension
- shot upholstery
- no gearshift ball or boot
- leaking clutch master cylinder that destroyed the floor insulation and paint
- headlights not working
- heater blower not working
Around 80% of this was fixed in the first few months and with only LPG fuel and idle controlled by a screw I had a nice summer driving around town. Got myself a set of handsome rims to fit my vision of the car:
A new set of floormats
And an aristocratic looking lever boot and a wooden ball
Radio with AUX
All was nice, being slow wasnt bothering me that much, but I wanted to travel with it and also count on it not leaving me stranded somewhere.
The solution:
M30 Swap Vol.1
The donor options were scarse at the time so I went for a compromise – a whole e32 with m30b30
I4 vs I6
My e32 having the newer engine block didnt have the bosses for attaching the right engine mount, so first mockup on only two bolts, then some custom fabrication, lol
Carbed m10 didnt have a return fuel hose at all, so a m20 tank pickup unit was installed
As I wanted to show as little wire as possible, all the relays and electrical connections run under the dash.
Exhaust was done a bit scrapyardy, but it all sat very neatly
Intake manifold needed some new support as the engine mount was moved
With the new engine I thought an LSD would be appropriate – 3.07 out of a 635 auto, together with the rear axle and disk brake setup.
After a few broken visco fan blades I ditched the idea of staying oem and went electric
Some airbox variations were considered, but afterall I went for the stock one, with a fabricated mount to stay put
Swap was done just in time, and spring was just around the corner, time for the first few tests
After some minor mishaps close to home
The rest was driving
Whats next:
M30B34
New upholstry in perlbeige
A fresh coat of brazilbraun
Stay tuned!
Kind regards and thanks for your interest!