It's like the Same but Different: My 528e build
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Two months ago I was browsing the E28 forums and I came across this parts car which just happened to be another 1986 Burgundrot 528e, a straight, rust free car that spent most of its life in Georgia. I jumped on it and couldn't be happier as I now have a better base for building up my car. I'm in the process of hauling her home after a 2,500+ family vacation and can't wait to start throwing parts on!
The original deal was just the rolling shell minus interior, gas tank and all 5spd swap parts but I ended up getting the engine too as the previous owner couldn't sell it in time. The plan is to swap over all over my best parts from the donor car and my parts stash and slowly get it to "like new". Short term goal is to get it driving so I can participate in some car meets!
This is gonna be another "college budget" build until I get a real job but for now I have enough parts and resources to feed this project for a while. I'll be organizing a to-do list like my last build and update it on this first post.
I loved the character of my old car but its gonna be so nice to be in a clean E28 again!
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This is my starting point, complied a list looking of the car of what I need to make it complete.
Exterior:
Front license plate bracket
Fog light lens
Engine Bay:
Coolant tank
Fuel line to intake
5spd swap items:
Slave cylinder
Clutch line
Transmission
Driveshaft
Complete exhaust
Sway bar bolts
Interior:
Pedals and bracket
Steering Collin mounts
Steering wheel
Center console with all accessories including cig lighter wiring
Ebrake console
Premium sound wiring rear harness
All door trim
B pillar trim
Swap Pearl Beige carpet
Glove box
Ecu
Rear shelf
Gauge cluster
Swap Dash
Trunk:
Trunk light
All trunk carpet and liner
Fuel lines to evaporator
Gas tank with sending unit
For the future!
Custom dual exhaust with cross over and magnaflow muffler
Vinyl wrap (until I can afford a real paint job
)Repaint Black trim (thinking glossy?)
Redo chrome
Spax Lowering springs with Billy Sport struts
15" E34 Style 5s, may move up to 16" E38 wheels though.
KA Motors intake
Hella H4/H1 headlight conversion
Extra Brake light and side turn signal mod
Replace headliner
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if you are keeping the B27 in there I would do:
Mark D chip
Install some more modern injectors (that ECU requires low-impedance injectors)
Some other intake besides Kamotors, or if you insist on getting a Kamotors style, you can get the exact same thing for half the price on ebay since contrary to popular belief, he doesnt fabricate them, he is just a re-seller.
I dont have beef with the guy or anything like that, ive talked to him many times and he is good people, but there are better deals and filters to be had. -
if you are keeping the B27 in there I would do:
Mark D chip
Install some more modern injectors (that ECU requires low-impedance injectors)
Some other intake besides Kamotors, or if you insist on getting a Kamotors style, you can get the exact same thing for half the price on ebay since contrary to popular belief, he doesnt fabricate them, he is just a re-seller.
I dont have beef with the guy or anything like that, ive talked to him many times and he is good people, but there are better deals and filters to be had.
Still keeping the B27 as I plan on rebuilding my spare to throw in down the road, so injectors and a Mark D chip are both good ideas! As far as an intake its kinda of an optional item on the list only cause I'm curious to try out other intakes on this car and see how they perform, I'm not specific to the ka motors brand.
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whats with the wood in the trunk?
Rare OEM Sub box
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what about the plank?
That's actually a stack of crusty floor mats lol
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Chris ... I have got some stuff on your list. I will be at my shop tomorrow night if you want come take a look see
Sorry I missed this! Gotta wait until pay day tomorrow anyways. Shoot me a text/pm next time your available.
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I just bought myself an e28 parts car going to pick her up tomorrow I have all the stuff to do the 5 speed swap to mine and ill have leather and the better steering wheel... ODB will ride again and Im using the parts car to do the Frankenstein 240sx coilover e30ix setup but gonna cut the stock springs for now
1984 BMW 528e - SETA and manual swapped! M50 to come!!!
1988 BMW 528e - Need parts?
1991 Chevy C1500 (mighty 350 with TBI and Wisconsin weight reduction package)
1996 Mazda Miata (SOLD!!!)
1996 BMW 325i (Donor car)
1998 Chevrolet Corvette (BEAST)
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee (BROKEN)
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I just bought myself an e28 parts car going to pick her up tomorrow I have all the stuff to do the 5 speed swap to mine and ill have leather and the better steering wheel... ODB will ride again and Im using the parts car to do the Frankenstein 240sx coilover e30ix setup but gonna cut the stock springs for now
Do tell me about this coilover setup, I've eard of the IX struts/springs in the fronts, but nothing of 240 struts/springs in the rear.
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Do tell me about this coilover setup, I've eard of the IX struts/springs in the fronts, but nothing of 240 struts/springs in the rear.
1984 BMW 528e - SETA and manual swapped! M50 to come!!!
1988 BMW 528e - Need parts?
1991 Chevy C1500 (mighty 350 with TBI and Wisconsin weight reduction package)
1996 Mazda Miata (SOLD!!!)
1996 BMW 325i (Donor car)
1998 Chevrolet Corvette (BEAST)
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee (BROKEN)
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Small Update
Progress hasn't been going as fast as I wanted it to, but it never works out that way! I've been mainly spending my time parting out the old car so I can just get it out of the garage. Last week I did load some interior parts up into the truck and took them over to work to store in the car. I did a little clean up and got all the carpet installed in the trunk. I also cleaned up the rear shelf and speaker pods. That's the extent of my work so far on the new body
.During Clean Up
After, Carpet will need to be dyed.
Towing her back out after the first wash.
Tonight I was working in the garage trying to get the transmission off of the old motor and one of the bolts stripped.
#$%9^#!!!! I was out of cut off discs for my dremel so I will need to get some more to finish cutting off the bolt head tomorrow night. Hopefully that will be relatively easy and I can finally get the transmission in the new car. It's kind of a slim chance at this point I'll have the car running for the meet Sunday but I can still try 
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updates!
nice!
also, I spy rampelsausage.
If you need someone to stand around and make wild accusations about random things. lemme know. I'm in.
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This dude made mincemeat out of the stripped inverted torx bellhousing bolt on my trans. It was the top bolt so i had to pull the engine + trans from the car to get to it but if its in your parts car you could sawzall an access panel through the driveshaft tunnel (or maybe from the shift lever area) and work at it from the comfort of your drivers seat.
Simply find the best fit, smack it on with a hammer, remove it with ease with a ratchet. Took a whole 30 seconds vs. 10000 seconds of being angry without it.
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