Chris' BMW Projects

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loxxrider
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

busmn280 wrote:Hi Chris,

That's a nice E24 you have there! I love those big ol' BMW coupes, especially in the Euro CSI flavour! I think the style 5's look great on the car, even better without the center caps. I can't wait to see it lowered on coilovers. I bet it will look mean!


Thanks! It looks much better in pictures... she's a big ole' bucket of rust to be honest. I don't let that stop me from lovin' her though!

I can't wait to get all of the suspension stuff on. Hopefully this weekend :) I did get a bit of a start on it tonight.

Photo dump time!

You know what these are!

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Replacing these...

The Bilstein sports seemed to be about 1" shorter in the rear.

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Installed

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I thought they'd be at a reasonable ride height when I set it down... but it just kept going down! These things gain some serious camber when lowered.

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Not looking so hot with the front still way up in the air haha

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I'd like to show you another little project I did the other day that I'm proud of:

Door handle gaskets on my Dad's E36 have been looking nasty

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So I ripped them off... even nastier underneath

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All cleaned up!

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New gaskets

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finished product

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I also just bought this for my girlfriend to drive while she is up at school in Maryland for nursing school. Her truck wasn't cutting it as for safety in the winter weather up there and it needs some work.

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I swear I looked at Audis first! :idunno:



and one last random one for kicks

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-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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scubadave
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by scubadave »

Nice work Chris! I'd like to take a ride in her now to see the difference in how she feels and handles. Bet its night/day. Keep an eye on the rear tires if you are going to keep it that low. They burn through half the tire pretty quick like that. Get em flipped and swapped sides before it cords so you can get max life out of em.

Nice work on the pops car. Looks good.

I would own an x5 without hesitation since I have worked on enough to know their typical problems and issues. Its all suspension bushings and cooling system issues as I'm sure you know. You have a good grasp on them too, so good work. Make sure she's got some good snows for the out of the ordinary storms that happen from time to time. That's about the best advice I can give for it. They do have AWD, but they don't react like a quattro. Give it the best traction you can.

That boat is awesome! Its hard to get used to seeing how other states will look the other way on vehicles like that. It wouldn't fly here for a second. Looking forward to getting another chance at a dive or two next time around considering my job situation doesn't turn sour. Fingers crossed.
highlander69
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by highlander69 »

She looks great Chris................ Nice 635 also :D

I really like the lines off the 635.

Cheers,

Craig
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85oceanic
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by 85oceanic »

Frick Chris, you're slowly moving to the dark side. You need to get into a fast Audi again... like... ASAP!
-Ben-
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-1985 Audi 4kq: Xona 7164 AAN 488whp- -2009 Audi A4 -
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loxxrider
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

85oceanic wrote:Frick Chris, you're slowly moving to the dark side. You need to get into a fast Audi again... like... ASAP!


More like quickly moving! Take a look at my sig... that doesn't include my Dad's E36 which I have worked on enough to make it at least half mine and which I drive more than any of the other ones. 5 BMWs and 1 Audi :hide:

I can't help that I only like the 5 cyl stuff! BMW just had so much more variety of good stuff in the 80's and 90's in my opinion. I love E30s, E24/E28s, E34s, E36s, ///Ms of all kinds, 2002s, etc., etc. They came in V8, V12, variations on straight 6s, and more. Plus they like to wag their tails and they are really easy to work on. The only major downfall I've found with them so far is that they love to eat control arms for breakfast and always find a way to shimmy (even if just a little) no matter how new or old. The Audi has never done that.

Every time I get in a 5 pot Audi I fall in love though :) There is nothing like it! :drive:


highlander69 wrote:She looks great Chris................ Nice 635 also :D

I really like the lines off the 635.

Cheers,

Craig



Thanks Craig! :D



scubadave wrote:Nice work Chris! I'd like to take a ride in her now to see the difference in how she feels and handles. Bet its night/day. Keep an eye on the rear tires if you are going to keep it that low. They burn through half the tire pretty quick like that. Get em flipped and swapped sides before it cords so you can get max life out of em.

I will know after I finish the fronts on Saturday. I'm sure it will be a huge difference, but still kinda soft. This car needs to be a little soft, its just in its character. Soft to me might be a little different than to most though!

Nice work on the pops car. Looks good.

I would own an x5 without hesitation since I have worked on enough to know their typical problems and issues. Its all suspension bushings and cooling system issues as I'm sure you know. You have a good grasp on them too, so good work. Make sure she's got some good snows for the out of the ordinary storms that happen from time to time. That's about the best advice I can give for it. They do have AWD, but they don't react like a quattro. Give it the best traction you can.

Its an X3. I agree, they are or were nice and simple. The newest models have gotten much, much more complicated, but I did get the straight 6 version, so at least it is sort of simple there. I'll surely get rid of it before its out of warranty though (or buy an extended warranty. It has too many brains for me to be comfortable with it in the long run. I'll definitely see about some snows, anything is much safer than the truck!

That boat is awesome! Its hard to get used to seeing how other states will look the other way on vehicles like that. It wouldn't fly here for a second. Looking forward to getting another chance at a dive or two next time around considering my job situation doesn't turn sour. Fingers crossed.

Crazy isn't it? There is another one in center console form (similar to our Grady White). He says it was super easy to register LOL. Hopefully we'll be more set up for that next time! I'll try and get the gear a little more situated and maybe we can plan a little more in advance.
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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mushasho
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by mushasho »

Was the X3 available with the turbo 4 cylinder from the F30's?...

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WOMBAT
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by WOMBAT »

those 635's are just so dang sexy... If I wasn't in snow country, I'd probably have a 540i 6 speed M-Sport...
Casey O

Current Attire:
- 2007 Audi A3 3.2 quattro

Past Projects:
- 07 Cooper S - 91 200 20vt - 91 90 20v - 85 4000CS - 96 Audi Cabriolet 5 Spd - 02 A4 1.8T - 91 V8 5 Spd - 01 A6 2.7T 6 Spd Sport - 86 5000CS - 91 100
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scubadave
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by scubadave »

X3 eh? Was hard to tell at first glance. I guess they got a little bit bigger over the years. Perspective with the gf standing next to it makes it look huge lol. :P
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loxxrider
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

Lol yep, they did get bigger than the previous gen. They are just a little smaller than the first gen X5s.

It is indeed available with the 4 cyl. 2013 was the first year for that. In practice it doesn't really get much better fuel economy, but I still would have liked to have it for its tuneability. They make great torque too.

Oh, and I can't forget the update on the 635... I'll get some pics tomorrow, but we got about 90% finished today. Only problem is that my springs were too long for the front :( They only fit between perches at the maximum lowness setting. These springs are 7" long, I need about 4.5-5" springs to optimize it. I also need to order new lower control arms (ordered the uppers, but not lowers for some reason) and get some spacers made because the wheel wont fit next to the spring anymore (since it is perched so much lower than stock.
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

Got busy this weekend!

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Final product:

Rear

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Front

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Notice that the fronts are shortened and use Koni Yellows from an E30ix. The only problem is that my springs need to be a few inches shorter (because of the way I placed the lower spring perches). 7"x2.5"x375 lb/in Eibach springs for sale! I need some in 5" length. I also need to order new lower control arms (I ordered uppers only before... doh!) and some spacers to help the tires clear the lower perches. More details (and lots of pictures) later. From my initial test fit, the maximum ride height is about two inches lower than stock with the ability to go at least 2 inches lower than that if desired. There is a lot of suspension travel there because of the modifications to the strut housing. Stay tuned if you like this kind of thing

If anyone needs any dimensions on anything let me know before I get the parts I need and button it up.
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

Been waiting for parts for the past two weeks... finally got the last pieces of the puzzle today (spacers for clearing the struts). I put some 15mm up front and 25 in the rear... it could still use some spacing to look perfect, but I like it for now. In my opinion, the car sits just right at its maximum height setting. There is about 6" of clearance from the oil pan to the ground, so I feel pretty safe there. The front bumper is pretty low though. Tons of suspension travel at any height which is sweet!

The only problem is that the battery was dead when I tried to start it :( Its on the charger now. Hoping to drive it to work in the morning! Pics when daylight comes again.
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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WOMBAT
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by WOMBAT »

C'mon, we need pics of the completed setup!
Casey O

Current Attire:
- 2007 Audi A3 3.2 quattro

Past Projects:
- 07 Cooper S - 91 200 20vt - 91 90 20v - 85 4000CS - 96 Audi Cabriolet 5 Spd - 02 A4 1.8T - 91 V8 5 Spd - 01 A6 2.7T 6 Spd Sport - 86 5000CS - 91 100
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by 85oceanic »

I'm ready to see pics too!
-Ben-
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chaloux
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by chaloux »

Third
Matt

18 Silverado 1500 work pig, roof rack and tonneau cover
11 Jetta sedan TDI DSG, rear muffler delete
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

Hmm, do you mean pictures of the car lowered or pictures of the process of modifying the struts and such? I posted pics of the latter in the T44 coilover thread, but I'll post them again here. Still haven't gotten pics of the car as it sits now because I ran out of light last night and I worked for ~13 hours today :( ... so no light again!

I did drive it to work today though and it is a major improvement. I have to say it does feel a bit underdamped though. I forgot to adjust the Konis after installing, so they are probably on full soft. The car sort of comes close to cornering flatly now, so that is like a revelation for it! Of course the biggest benefit was getting rid of the seized strut. Boy was that annoying. It would slam every time I'd hit the slightest bump. We are talking paint on the road bumps. It was bad!

I'm slightly frustrated though because I still have a vibration in the front end. I thought the control arms would solve that, but at least now I can rule them out. Time to start looking into the wheels, tires (tires are brand new though), brake disks (also relatively new), and tie rods. I'm not sure what else I can replace beyond that. The only other things would be the steering box and steering arm system thingy. I'm going to try a different set of wheels/tires before anything because that is FO FREE!



OK here is a quick DIY on the actual strut housing modification. These pictures are from the work I did on my 635csi, but the concept is identical (except you can also cut off and rotate the steering arms on the T44/URS like Ed D. has done on his car).

First, remove the struts from your fine automobile. If you don't have the ability to do this without a DIY, then you probably shouldn't attempt the rest of this! I'm I/we could help someone with that on an individual basis if it comes to it.

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Observe your soon-to-be awesome strut housing:

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Start hacking away at the old spring perch with a grinder or cut-off wheel. Just be careful not to cut into the strut housing itself unless you intend to cut that section out.

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You should end up with something like this when you're finished. Mine is pretty hacked up, but I didn't care because I cut that section out later. It turns out that I really should have cleaned that part up and cut down lower, but hindsight is always 20:20 isn't it?

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At this point, you might think you could just put the threaded sleeve on the area where the spring perch once sat. Not so. An uneven surface could lead to stress concentrations which can split or crack the aluminum sleeve leading to failure down the road. You need to make (or buy) a ring of some sort for the sleeve to sit on. See the ones I made in the post above and the ones Ireland Engineering (below) included for me when I bought some of these parts from them.

Next, observe how much shorter and awesome your new shorter struts are. Also notice how nasty the one you are replacing looks.

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(This is just for the BMW guys)... Look how much shorter these are!

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Now if you're going to shorten the housings for use with shorter struts, you need to get on to deciding where you're going to make your cuts. This is a pretty critical decision and depends on your spring length shock length combination (and how much threaded sleeve you have to work with). Like I said earlier, I made mine a bit too high, but I really wanted to get a specific part of the strut cut out to avoid excess grinding and some rust issues.

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When you are all happy with your calculations and have made your cuts, get to welding!

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One thing to note about the welding process... You really want to get the two tube sections as close to concentric as possible. The easiest way to do this is to put a strut in the housing while you are welding. The problem with this technique is that the struts are filled with 1000s of pounds per square inch of pressure, and overheating one could cause it to fail and explode, potentially maiming or killing you and anyone around you. As a result, you must only weld small sections at a time and allow the strut to cool off after a few small passes. That's why the welds look so inconsistent in the pictures.

We would weld about two or three half-inch sections and then spray the strut off with some water. Even then, it was getting hot enough to scorch the paint on the strut body. Whatever you do, just be careful, and also be mindful to weld in such a way that the strut housing doesn't warp. Do welds 180 or 60 degrees apart from one-another to keep the warpage in check. Check that the strut can slide in and out of the housing easily after each session. Don't weld the strut housing to the strut! LOL

Just take your time and you will be A-OK.

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After the sections are welded together, weld your sleeve perch on.

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Now you can test fit the strut and measure how much spacer you need to make for it (if it is shorter than the housing you have). A piece of aluminum tubing or even a stack of washers will do the job just fine. You want to space the strut out such that when you fully tighten down the gland nut, it doesn't bottom out on the strut housing, but it has plenty of thread engagement (a few threads sticking out above the top of the housing is OK in my opinion.

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Next, get some paint on them bad boys and assemble them! It should definitely be time for a good drink by this point.

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Finally, you may have to space the wheel out from the strut in order for the tire to clear the spring and spring perch depending on what wheel/tire setup you are running. On this 635csi, a fairly standard 17x8 et20 wheel and 235 tire doesn't even come close to fitting. An 8mm spacer (minimum) is required for clearance. That's OK though, as these cars have no problem swallowing up wider wheels. I'm putting some 15mm spacers up front. 20's or more could easily be fit with some negative camber, but I wanted to keep camber as close to neutral as possible for street use.

This picture was taken with about 12mm of spacer:

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Quick pro hint: You can estimate the spacer you need by putting washers between the wheel and brake hat/hub and assembling.


I also cleaned up and painted the piece that connects the strut housings to the control arms and tie rods:

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I'll be finishing up some body work on the front of the car tomorrow, then the next items on the list are an electrical gremlin or two and the power steering/hydro system. Needs new hoses, maybe rebuild the pump, etc.
Last edited by loxxrider on Sun Aug 25, 2013 10:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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loxxrider
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

At some point last week I decided to try my hand at body work... I just couldn't stand looking at the nose of my 6'er all beat up anymore. The paint was cracked badly where someone had made a repair before and there were plenty of dents which needed filling. So I got to standing. I thought I'd just be able to do a quick job on it, but I got that perfection bug in me and couldn't stop at "good enough." So I left it until I could give it some more attention later in the week.

I didn't really get any detailed pictures of the damage before fixing it, but here is what I started with after sanding and after getting rained on lol

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I did something a little unconventional to remove some of the dents... I like doing things the right way, but I really didn't care to take this panel off and get into it with some metal-working hammers. I haven't yet practiced with those yet... plus I wanted to experiment a bit with other methods.

I don't love Bondo except for skim coating stuff (even then I don't love it), but I thought using some kind of epoxy would make for a better fill. Instead of Bondo, I used JB Weld.v :o :hide: :idunno: :boom: The truth is that JB Weld bonds exceptionally to metals and is much tougher and more flexible (will flex with the panel) than conventional fillers like Bondo. The problem is that it is much harder to sand and fare with, it takes a lot more time to cure, and it is relatively expensive by volume. I don't mind any of the above though.

The stuff did indeed adhere very well to the bare metal. The only thing it wouldn't stick well to was Bondo which was used previously to repair this panel. When I found that, I got rid of ALL of the bondo on the panel. It took me the better part of two days to get it perfect, but I finally did today. I would have loved to paint it, but I ran out of primer after the stores closed. I'm going to do a temporary rattle can job for now, but I will probably go back at some point and spray a two-stage epoxy on it. I plan to do the hood at some point, so that will probably be when that happens. At least the hard part (the body work) is done for now. I'm very curious to see how the repairs will hold up, but I'm pretty confident that they will be much better than anything else I would have done aside from beating the dents out.

Here it is part of the way through while the E30 was getting simultaneously worked on

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Smooth like a baby's bottom

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closer view (just one or two coats of primer on for now). Before the filler, you would have felt sea sick looking at the panel from all the waves in it :)

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One crap exterior shot as promised the other day... I promise I will get better ones! This is max ride height

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I'll post more pics after paint.



Here are some pictures of the work we were doing on the E30. I'll post more when I get pictures from my friend Justin (owner of this turbo'd E30).

It had recently developed some rust holes that, unbeknownst to us, had gone all the way through the roof. They appeared so quickly, we think they came from the inside out (around the sunroof). The only good way to fix the problem was to cut and weld it!

The next picture is of the hole in the roof after using my new air saw. Let me pause for a second here and tell you something. I will never buy an air tool that isn't from Harbor Freight. I have had various air tools from them for the past four or five years and I positively beat on them. I've burned up SnapOn tools the way I use them sometimes, and these have just kept on going. You can't beat $6 for an air grinder! They aren't very efficient on air, but they work every time for me. This is coming from a tool snob and someone who loves to buy anything and everything American made or of superior quality in general. I wouldn't put my hands on one of their regular hand tools, but you just can't beat the air stuff!

OK, back on topic...

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new metal not even close to fitting perfectly yet

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more later!
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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chaloux
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by chaloux »

You know you're a badass when...
Matt

18 Silverado 1500 work pig, roof rack and tonneau cover
11 Jetta sedan TDI DSG, rear muffler delete
GONE :( 87 4ktq - 4 FOX SNAKES

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loxxrider
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

I really need to go on a photoshoot one of these days... Here's a pic of the nose with paint on it. No emblem or kidneys just yet. Still need to wait a week or two before I wet sand and buff, but I'm pretty happy with my bodywork! I can't see or feel a single imperfection in that panel now. I think I'm going to buy a set of metalworking hammers next. I also want to get a slide hammer with an attachment to grab onto welded-on studs. Then I think I might have to buy a paint gun, water trap, etc. I like body work, but only when I don't have to do it. This car sure does need it, so I'll be glad to give it a helping hand :)

Oh, and the paint didn't match super well at first, but it has gotten better in the past few days somehow... I think it will improve more when I sand and polish, but it still wont be perfect. I'm OK with that for now. As long as the metal is protected from rust and I end up with a good surface to repaint later, I'm happy :)

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Suspension at full height there ^^^

The slightly more exciting update is that I finally got a chance to adjust the Konis today and WOW, what a difference! I noted here before that it seemed very underdamped (bouncy, uncontrolled, etc.) which was unpleasant and disappointing. I also recently noticed that it was riding like I have experienced when one front strut is blown. The Audi and my E34 gave me my experience there :)

Well today I finally bought a tool to adjust them (the stock Koni tool doesn't fit through the slot in my new camber plates). It turned out that the driver's front strut was on full soft and the passenger front was on about 25% stiffer setting. Oops! When I adjusted them I went full hard knowing that Bilstein Sports are only good for about 350 lb/in springs... Konis are known to handle a little more spring, but not a whole lot more. Plus, these struts are from an E30ix, so I figured the valving might be a little softer than something made for a big 5 or 6. The result? Perfection! It rides and handles like a sporty grand tourer should, with a ride not far from a stock M3 (of almost any vintage). That makes me happy!

Next up, more suspension stuff, alignment, electronics, and power steering system (so annoying when my pump cavitates annoyingly loudly when I'm leaving for work in the morning lol).
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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WOMBAT
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by WOMBAT »

Awesome work as always Chris - and thanks for the last pic! Looks great even at max height!
Casey O

Current Attire:
- 2007 Audi A3 3.2 quattro

Past Projects:
- 07 Cooper S - 91 200 20vt - 91 90 20v - 85 4000CS - 96 Audi Cabriolet 5 Spd - 02 A4 1.8T - 91 V8 5 Spd - 01 A6 2.7T 6 Spd Sport - 86 5000CS - 91 100
Clem86
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by Clem86 »

Looks very good, I really like the big spoiler lip and the dark emblem ..!
Audi 200 T44 3B 89" _ 90 B3 NG 88" _ 200 T44 1B 89" _ 90 B3 7A 90"
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scubadave
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Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by scubadave »

Sweet! That looks awesome Chris. I Sooo want a ride right now. I blew out a set of koni's a while back not knowing that they last longer and are just as stiff backed off a 1/4 turn. (in case anyone didn't know that)

Nice bodywork too. As long as its sealed from moisture and looks good, there isn't anything wrong with that. Wet sanding and buffing can usually make lesser paint look pretty good. It won't last as long as the high dollar paint, but is good for as long as you need it to be. you can revisit the whole car down the road after a few repairs to various panels here and there.
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loxxrider
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Location: Jupiter, FL / Somewhere, PA

Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - "Oops?"

Post by loxxrider »

Thanks!

That's kinda the idea... just get everything smooth and solid for now, then a quality repaint later on.
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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loxxrider
Posts: 6642
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2013 7:46 am
Location: Jupiter, FL / Somewhere, PA

Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - Floor Repair (Help!)

Post by loxxrider »

Things have been on the up for this car. Over the weekend, I fixed the driver's side door hinge and tightened up the seat backs so they don't flop all over the place anymore. I also ripped all of the carpet out along with an unbelievable amount of carpet padding... more than I've ever witnessed in a car before. In some places, there was over five inches of padding! I'd say the average was about 3 inches of plush foam. I always wondered why the floors felt so soft. I figured it was just rust :o

Well, the rust thing wasn't far off... this car is positively plagued with rust. There really isn't much on the outside... someone knew how to shine it pretty well :) Even things like the subframe, etc. are all in pretty good shape, I assume because they have always been covered in grease or oil of some sort. The bad parts are in the fenders. Because these cars never came with fender liners, they get eaten up where the front tires throw salt at the top and rearward parts of the fenders. Once it eats through those areas, it will start getting into the rocker area and the result is this (WARNING: the following is very graphic. The squeamish auto enthusiast should skip pas the pictures):


This is the driver's floor looking forward.
Image

This is under the passenger seat.
Image

That isn't the extent of it, but you get the idea of what I'm dealing with.

So... I want to figure out how to proceed with this car. The way I see it, I have two options.

1) Just keep driving it (even though I get wet from the tire spray when it rains lol) To be worth what I paid for it, I would like to drive it for three years (so ~2.5 from now). I can then just junk it for scrap, but take the parts that make it a Euro and the parts I've invested money into (suspension, exhaust (on the car when I purchased it), wheels, even the euro motor which runs very, very nicely) and either sell them or use them on another E28 or E24.

2) Attempt to fix the floor. It wouldn't be and doesn't need to be pretty, but I think it could be done solidly with some skill. The main advantages here would be peace of mind, the ability to keep the car on the road, and not getting wet when it rains. :rofl:

So for the experienced among you, the sport quattro guys, any urq guys who have dealt with rust, etc., first of all, can this be done (anything can be done, but you know what I mean), and do you have any tips? I'm trying to think of how I will get some of the bends in the pieces, etc. Special equipment I should consider investing in other than a brake (I'd like to find a cheaper, more portable, but less accurate way to bend things if I can). I'd plan to grind away everything until I get to fresh metal, and then replace with new.

I'm sure the majority will say shit-can it, but I'd like to at least give it a shot to keep it on the road because it just runs so nicely. Like I said, it wouldn't be a total loss if I had to decommission it, but it would sure be nice to keep it going. Either way, I'm going to keep driving until it doesn't make sense to anymore. :drive:
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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Mcstiff
Posts: 2003
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:16 pm
Location: Erie, CO

Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - Floor Repair (Help?)

Post by Mcstiff »

Tube it!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXgRUQbr1n8[/youtube]
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loxxrider
Posts: 6642
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2013 7:46 am
Location: Jupiter, FL / Somewhere, PA

Re: Chris' Euro-spec 635csi - Floor Repair (Help?)

Post by loxxrider »

Mcstiff wrote:Tube it!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXgRUQbr1n8[/youtube]


Oh yeah I forgot... That's option 3! Just gotta figure out how to go about that...
-Chris

'91 Audi 200 20v - Revver/BAT project
'91 Audi 200 20v Avant
'01 Anthracite M5
'90 M3
'85 Euro 635csi
'12 X3
E34 530i (maybe rear-mount soon)
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