M535i my new toy. It's a keeper.

[Tiit]

I have been daily driving Bluey for a while and I love it.


IMG_9517 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_8522 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr



Also, the deadline was set and Whitey was dug out.
IMG_0628 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

After a quick wash we rolled it to shed.

IMG_0636 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

IMG_0654 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Just to make sure it is not too upset for being abandoned for a while, we started it up for the last time.

https://youtu.be/FCJHHb6wbIc


I have not made up my mind completely what will be done to it, but a few things on the list are:
* Transmission is not shifting right. Needs an overhaul.
* Engine feels weak and leaks oil. Engine will come apart and find out how much wear does it have. I will probably assemble it with high CR pistons and bigger cam.
* Probably a ton of while I am in there things.

It definitely won't be a full on restoration. My budget is tight and time is even more precious. I am already sleep deprived and can only afford to spend up to 10 hours per week on it. Probably even less than that. So it will take some time to get it finished, but I am determined to complete it as soon as possible.

[tig]

Great pic.

[Zengineer]

Good old broken steering box mount repair was easier than expected.
IMG_9988 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I had a hilarious moment with this photo. First I thought "that looks like rebar", then it was "that's the biggest rebar I've ever seen!" In my mind that looked to me like a 6" thick piece of rebar. It's only after careful reflection and more reading that I realized it was a close up on a mini lathe, lol. I may have a slightly larger lathe that seems to have skewed my perspective a bit.

[Tiit]

Things are slowly happening. Luckily I have a friend helping me out, otherwise I would get nothing done.

M30 looks a lot better, in my opinion, with most of the wiring and fuel injection crap removed.

_MG_0002 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Wiring is a big issue. The entire wiring loom is crusty and brittle.

_MG_0007 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0013 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I prefer removing motors below with tranny and subframe attached. First time for me on E28, but I have done it this way a few times on other bmws and works great.
_MG_0018 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0019 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr


I am very tempted to tear the motor apart begin the rebuild, but it won't happen just yet. Firstly I will clean the engine bay and complete all the dirty work first.

[Zengineer]

Admiring your garage setup here, looks good. (nice and bright too) What is it you are using as jackstands to get the car up that high? (Are those wooden boxes?) Appreciate any photos of that setup you can provide.

[Tiit]

Thanks. I've put some time and effort into my shed to make it a comfortable place to work. I've added lots of lights, power outlets, insulated and sheeted and done many other improvements.
Car sits on wooden boxes indeed. One of the most useful things I've ever made. Very easy and quick to make and much more stable than axle stands. In this case I simply screwed to boxes together for extra height. Added some carpet on top for extra protection and thats it.

_MG_0016 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

These boxes are part of my multi function kit. I've got 8 different size boxes and ramps that can be configured in a few different ways. In the beginning of this vide can be seen how they are typically used.

https://youtu.be/gVqMs-w4AXI

[Zengineer]

Very cool, thanks for sharing that. Certainly some food for thought as I think about how I want to work on my car and my overall disdain for jackstands, lol.

[Tiit]

Nothing has happened with the car for weeks due busy work situation. Hopefully I will get hands dirty soon.

for those who are interested, this is how the engine came out https://youtu.be/ZSOGwZD740s

Decided to measure compression. Results were better than expected.

_MG_0023 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

By the way, I really like that the starter bolts directly to engine block, unlike more modern BMW.

I was a bit nervous about undoing Jesus nut. Turned out to be a simple straight forward task. No trouble at all.

_MG_0045 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0043 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Clutch appears to be original from new. Still has some life in it and probably will just put it back in as is. I expected to find dual mass flywheel for some reason.

_MG_0049 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0056 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

[LeiseyJr]

I have been daily driving Bluey for a while and I love it.


IMG_9517 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Super cool pic! Excited to see the new motor build.

[Tiit]

Some time have passed and not much has happened with M535i. One reason why progress stalled is due higher standards. When trying to do things right, progress slows down. I am a bit bummed out about slow progress, but I have not given up about it yet. I have been thinking about it every single day and I will get back at it.
Past year Iv'e worked on other cars and was year of self improvement. Tried to have more sleep at night and adopted healthier life style. Attended local half marathon, which is absolutely out of character for me. In school I always finished last and been lazy for for past 36 years. Training for the race was hard, required a lot of discipline, but rewarding at the same time.
Prior the race, my wife kindly offered to to get rid of one of my cars if I wont finish half marathon in 2hours. I thought its fair, if I'm allowed to buy another car, if I finish in 1.45. Reluctantly she agreed. I ended up finishing in 1.40:37. I was super happy with the experience and can recommend to anyone. No matter how fat and lazy you are, you can do it. Set a goal, train and do it.

IMG_2321 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

It didn't take too long, before an old BMW came up for sale in my area. It was an impulse buy and was cheap. Iv'e always wanted E23 in my collection and this one seems to be fully loaded with options and 95% complete. It has been sitting for over ten years and needs some work before can be registered.
Looks like in 2007 the motor was replaced or repaired, but something went wrong and it seized up. And it's been sitting in the back yard since.
So I've got another project in my hands. I am not planning to restore it to perfect condition, but just repair what's needed and start driving.
Yes I know I am dumb. It's cheaper to buy decent car instead of cheap wreck that requires $10K in parts and 100hrs in labour, but I just love those scrubby old cars
IMG_2520 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2472 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr
IMG_2591 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

[LeiseyJr]

Congrats on the marathon!!!! Funny how the power of shitbox motivation (something your passionate about) works with goals.

That is a cool color combo on that e23 (no bias or anything). Hope the restoration process goes smoothly.

[Das_Prachtstrasse]

Bravo to you on the health kick. It's amazing what a difference that discipline makes to the rest of your life.

The e23 is a good find and a well deserved reward!

[Ordnator]

Absolutely nothing wrong with snagging a good E23, they are becoming as rare as rocking horse poo.

Looks like you may have a late production run out Executive model with all of the extended buffalo leather everywhere.

Is it a 735i SE Auto Executive or possibly a south African 745i SE Auto Executive?

You stole this fine example for a song by the sound of it, brilliant.

This will be one classy sweet ride once you have re-commissioned it.

I have been looking for a nice Executive model for a few years with no luck.

Best regards,

Mick

[Tiit]

Thanks guys.
Yes it’s a late 735i. Head has 81 stamp on it and motor is locked solid. Someone has been messing with it probably in 2007 when it was last registered. Other than that it’s completely original and unmolested. I’ve got b35 in the shed ready to be dropped in. Motor swap should be easy, but I’m more worried about thousand little things might be wrong from sitting outside.
Speaking of shit boxes, I’m still driving blue e28 daily and still loving it. The car has many issues and far from perfect, but I consider myself lucky to be driving my favourite car to work every day.

[Ordnator]

You can't beat the smiles per miles that an E23, E24 or an E28 provide every day.

[Tiit]

Done a lot of things not worth to mention. I have spent a lot of nights on my e36 track car. Its amazing how much time takes any custom work.

IMG_3178 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Then lockdown happened for 3 weeks in my town. The best 3 weeks in years. I got a lot of work done around the house, spent time with family and got to work on cars more than usual. I was tired of working on E36 and wanted to work on something cool.

_MG_0204 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

I love all my cars equally, but "Bluey is definitely my favourite. It is a fun retro driver, but a few things do annoy me. A/C does not work, noisy exhaust, steering has slop in it, no cup holders and suspension is shot.
I considered all kinds of options for new suspension setup, but ended up ordering BC coilovers and couple days later post man dropped them off.
Installation was simple and quick. My setup has 7kg/mm (392lbs) front and 6kg/mm 9336lbs) springs at rear. Out of curiosity I measured stock front spring tension. According to my measurements they are 2.3kg/mm (129lbs). Stock springs are a lot softer and had 100mm of preload.

Untitled by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Coilovers are smaller and lighter (look at the front shock piston difference). No doubt new bilstein shocks would out last BC coilovers big time. Hopefully coilovers wont fall apart in couple of years.

Untitled by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

ride height was set as stock. I do not see a reason to go any lower.

Untitled by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

Untitled by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

_MG_0212 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

First drive experience was positive. Ride is softer than feared. Seems ok. Have a look at the quick test drive video we shot.

https://youtu.be/f2TGi-_tmL8

Next we tackled the exhaust. There was no leaks in the system, but catalytic converter has lost its core and empty case resonates like an echo chamber. I had pair of E36 M50 cats laying around, and it seemed like an easy swap. It ended up being more work than hoped, but got there in the end. Car still is not super quiet, but much better than before. Here is quick before/after video clip. Difference is bigger in real world.
https://youtu.be/784Ho9rTaB8

Untitled by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

It is a better car than before, for sure.

After that the e23 rolled on the garage. I am super excited about it and deep in the b35 swap right now. Lockdown has ended for me and progress has slowed a bit.
_MG_0216 by Tiit Saul, on Flickr

[Tiit]

Last time I was under my E28, I discovered front upper control arm bushing is due replacement. Instead of just replacing it, I installed GoPro under my car and went for a test drive. While I was in there, I had a look at the rear suspension as well. Honestly didn’t expect that junk to move around as much as it did. Bushing in the rear looked visually ok, but as you can see from the video, new ones are needed.
Car is drivable and sloppy bushings can be noticed only when pushing to the limit.

https://youtu.be/zq8tfaiOGdo

[Nick1984]

Awesome video you made!!
Now I'm glad I installed the Mooshead bushes