What's up everyone

[BigD]

Sorry I don't really belong in the 5 series forum since I no longer have one but this was my home for a long time. I'm getting tired of the local forum since it's mostly kiddies now, debating the latest $5 ebay mod for their mom's E36.

I see Jeff's still around, anyone else? What happened to Gordon? I remember JR, winfred, Bill R, George M, I still talk to Bruno.

[632 Regal]

Big D! my hero that bailed after they balanced your crankshaft with wheel weights! You ever sell that over priced umm... E32???: memory not so sharp here now.

You have a new site as to your gains and competitions? Really bummed when that went down man.

Hope all is good with everyone and look forward to hearing from you dude!

[Paul in NZ]

everyone but George and Gordon chime in now and again.Gordon hasnt been seen for AGES

[BigD]

Big D! my hero that bailed after they balanced your crankshaft with wheel weights! You ever sell that over priced umm... E32???: memory not so sharp here now.

You have a new site as to your gains and competitions? Really bummed when that went down man.

Hope all is good with everyone and look forward to hearing from you dude!

Hey man!!!

It was a 92 M5, bastard. :D Yeah that's long sold. I sold it when I moved to Vancouver and realized that I need the money, and I was tired of having a daily driver with track car pretensions, and not really excelling at either. I got a new 4Runner while I was out there but I was jonesing too hard for working on cars.

The problem I found was that every car in Vancouver had about a 30-40% "I don't know what **** is worth" tax. UNLESS it was broken, then it had a NEGATIVE 30-40% "I can't even change my ****ing oil so I'll pay mechanics anything they ask to fix my car" tax. So I set out to find a broken, rwd light little thing to play with and autox/track. The E30 was actually not even on my list, I never liked those things. I tried to find an AE86 with no luck. All 240SXs that were cheap enough were Ontario cars and rusted to hell and back (like the serious 240SX cancer, where the shock towers are held together by the paint, they are so rusted). Then while hounding the classifieds for anything under 1500, I came across a guy selling an 87 eta for 1500 with a busted clutch. I came to check the car out and it was as rust-free as expected (had a tiny spot on the bottom edge of the left front fender, and around the bottom rear license plate holes - probably leaking tail light seals and no where else, even the underbody was all matte black incl brake and fuel lines).

So after a week of peer pressure, I got the guy to trade me the car straight up for my 20D Canon (I guess 1000-1200 value at the time). I rented a uhaul and got the car home.

http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v59/128/77/515028286/n515028286_17767_37.jpg

Problem is "home" was an apartment building. My parking spot was the worst lit of all, because the surrounding lights were dead from a car fire that happened there a year ago - which is also why most people who park there who have been there a while, are extremely paranoid of seeing anyone work on cars.

But **** 'em I set out to change the clutch anyway. I had the car like this for the bulk of a 3 day long weekend:

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v59/128/77/515028286/n515028286_17762_8862.jpg

The main problem was I couldn't get the transmission off. Even with these working conditions (the camera flash makes it look about 3x better lit than reality, you couldn't really see much in the engine bay with the hood open, it was that dark), I managed to undo the DS, all the trans bolts but it wasn't separating. It felt like it was stuck on something spring loaded - I was worried maybe the clutch was somehow seized on the trans input shaft). Then out of desperation I removed the starter. I didn't even consider it before because for one, Bentley didn't say to do it, and two, it's impossible to reach. But with the trans bolts off I could rotate the trans over and have easy access. Turned out the starter was pinching that tin plate behind the flywheel to the transmission.

This is how I looked after I was done. The black spots on my forehead are actually MASSIVE bumps from bashing my head on things (by accident and otherwise). The pic is dark but I'm expressing my feelings towards the Bentley:

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v59/128/77/515028286/n515028286_17763_9142.jpg

I got in **** with the super as expected. I tried to tell them that I was changing the oil but they weren't too keen to buy that. Their main concern was that I wasn't paying for 2 parking spots. That tiny spot where the car is, is unusable, cause I park my 4Runner on the left of it, and an F150 is on the right. You could only really fit a bike there comfortably but the dude agreed to park tightly and let me leave the E30 there, saying he's never seen anyone there in the 5 years he's been there so he's sure it's fine. Problem is that I was on the 3rd level and you have to start on the 6th with a new spot and request to be moved up progressively. They reluctantly signed me into the spot.

[BigD]

Then I kept messing with the car, got all this stuff for it from the US in one trip:

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v59/128/77/515028286/n515028286_17771_5919.jpg

Thing is that I really didn't feel like paying tax and duty cause it was a few grand worth of ****, and most of it wasn't made in the US (non-nafta). I've always smuggled my crap and the Canadian border people never even look at my passport, let alone toss the car. But people in Vancouver were saying I'm insane, they all get searched. This put a doubt in my mind and I was worried. I crossed back late as usual, put all the crap up against the back of the rear seat in the 4Runner. At the last second I decided to put the cargo cover over the back. Then I stepped on my running board, to place myself roughly where the guy would be and realized that he could only see the back of the tailgate BUT he'd see the H&R box. So I took out the springs, wrapped them in my jacket and put them in the rear footwell, and tossed the box. I left the cover off.

I normally tell the border guys that I bought like 150 of stuff, sounds real, they don't care and send me on my way. This time I foolishly decided to say I got nothing, and just point to my wife's laptop which we use for guidance and say just bringing back our laptop, that's it. I pull up to the guy, he says who you be, where you from, what you bringing back, I say nothing, just... look over and she put the laptop away. I stutter and say "our... stuff". The guy raises an eyebrow and says "nothing eh... roll down your back window for me sir". My heart ****ing stops. "Of course sir." I roll it down and I do my best Yoga impersonation to stay calm. The guy pokes his head into the back, looks around with a flashlight for what seemed like FOREVER. "Ok sir go ahead". As I rolled I pulled the window up so he couldn't see into it as the rear of the car was closer (better angle at the cargo area). You know how when you encounter something terrifying on the road, you tend to drive slow? Well I drove at 20kmh for like a quarter mile until my heart went back to normal... we just looked at each other and yelled WOW!

Came across a deal for a full 98 M3 driveline I couldn't pass on. I did all the prep-work in my livingroom. If you think your wife/gf is car-friendly, try this ****:

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v64/128/77/515028286/n515028286_29595_1745.jpg

I've moved back to Toronto since. Finished the install here:
http://photos-e.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v140/128/77/515028286/n515028286_148116_8791.jpg

First successful start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvFrjmkII68

First cautious drive, no exhaust:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogGVCSyiiWk

First drive after exhaust, still very cautious, gonna take it to the track next weekend, see how things are, already had to fix some bugs (like replacing the fuel pumps):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtuP9S8MffU

[Ross]

"I did all the prep-work in my livingroom. If you think your wife/gf is car-friendly, try this ****:"
Marry her now! Oh, you did.

[632 Regal]

Yeah, I dont think I could pull that off anymore either...LOL

"I did all the prep-work in my livingroom. If you think your wife/gf is car-friendly, try this ****:"
Marry her now! Oh, you did.

[Jr ///M5]

D' meat Tree....good to see you again! I see you haven't washed since last time you visited...:D

All kidding aside, I thought you finally got the M5 fixed (whew!) and drove off into the sunset. But it looks as though you've been quite busy. Once you get a taste of "M"....it's hard to look back.

Glad to hear you're doing well. Really enjoyed the photos and the stories. Be good and try not to make Mr. Landlord so angry....;)

Later,
JR

[BigD]

D' meat Tree....good to see you again! I see you haven't washed since last time you visited...:D

All kidding aside, I thought you finally got the M5 fixed (whew!) and drove off into the sunset. But it looks as though you've been quite busy. Once you get a taste of "M"....it's hard to look back.

Glad to hear you're doing well. Really enjoyed the photos and the stories. Be good and try not to make Mr. Landlord so angry....;)

Later,
JR

LOL yeah, I bought a house in the Toronto area so I wouldn't have to worry about this again. To do all of the suspension work I borrowed a garage from my company's CEO in Vancouver. Her neighbors weren't very impressed by the sight of a dirty white-trash looking guy sitting on the floor of a garage of this uppity neighborhood, with a subframe between his legs, burning one end of it with a blowtorch, sucking on a lollipop (0 exaggeration). After it dawned on my why I got such a stink eye, I giggled my ass off for about a half an hour until I grabbed the freshly torch-heated subframe (I was onto the otherside by this time) with my bare hand. The giggling ceased immediately.

[Dave M]

LOL yeah, I bought a house in the Toronto area so I wouldn't have to worry about this again. To do all of the suspension work I borrowed a garage from my company's CEO in Vancouver. Her neighbors weren't very impressed by the sight of a dirty white-trash looking guy sitting on the floor of a garage of this uppity neighborhood, with a subframe between his legs, burning one end of it with a blowtorch, sucking on a lollipop (0 exaggeration). After it dawned on my why I got such a stink eye, I giggled my ass off for about a half an hour until I grabbed the freshly torch-heated subframe (I was onto the otherside by this time) with my bare hand. The giggling ceased immediately.


Funny. Same look I got in Toronto when I used a tennis court fence and adjacent wall as a 'spring comressor'.

Keep up the good work.......

Dave

[RockJock]

How's your E30 coming along? I had the opportunity to drive an E30 with a euro spec S50 transplant. Go-kart like handling and the noise was incredible. I thought it was gonna rip my face off. I couldn't stop giggling like a little school girl :D:D:D holy friggen fun! The term 'visceral' would be an understatement.

I see Will Zaraska has 318iT that has undergone a similar surgical procedure; have you seen and/or experienced this car? Can you say sleeper?? ;)