FuturisticConcept Art BMW E36 with a V8 on a bottom dollar budget

[Jdesign]

Well im going to quote @KaiserRolls here. Fittings are a pain in the ass for the hydro brake. I went to Pegasus last weekend and bought everything they have that fit my BMC. Apparently the hundreds of times I have been there, I always manage to forget they don't really deal with a whole lot of hardlines. I bought about 5 adapters (all of which I will have to return) and headed to Napa which was Pegasus' suggestion. They too, had nothing of what I needed. 

So I hit the internets, and I hit the internets hard, and ordered a few options, and they are finally showing up. Here is a list of what I ended up getting:

-3AN Male To ISO 10mm x 1.0 Male SAE Inverted Flare Adapter Fitting

-3AN to 3/8-24 Brake Fitting Adapter

-3AN Tubs Nuts X2

-3AN Tube Sleeve X2

-1/8 NPT Female - 4AN Adapter

-Dual Female swivel 4AN-4AN

-4AN to 7/16-20 O-Ring Boss Adapter X2

-3/8-24 Brake Union x2

-3/8-24 Brake inverted flare x4

If this doesnt work, I might just order a new hydro brake with a hardware kit . LOL

[GunMetalGrey]

Jdesign said:

Nope! Living life on the edge on this one. Lag bolts will be fine.

This is now funny to look at

[Jdesign]

LOLOL

[Jdesign]

Well let me tell you how well this worked out for me....

NOPE-3AN Male To ISO 10mm x 1.0 Male SAE Inverted Flare Adapter Fitting

NOPE-1/8 NPT Female - 4AN Adapter

NOPE-Dual Female swivel 4AN-4AN

NOPE-4AN to 7/16-20 O-Ring Boss Adapter X2

WTF NO? -3AN Male To 7/16-20 Male SAE Inverted Flare Adapter Fitting

YES-3AN to 3/8-24 Brake Fitting Adapter

YES-3AN Tubs Nuts X2

YES-3AN Tube Sleeve X2

NOT YET-3/8-24 Brake Union x2

NOT YET-3/8-24 Brake inverted flare x4

I have yet to get line, but for some reason the 7/16-20 adapter that would have been the final piece to the puzzle doesn't fit, yet the -4AN fitting threads into both 7/16-20 and -4AN threads. So I improvised. I had a 7/16-20 die within arms reach and chased the threads on the new fitting. Seems to pass through the die without issue. I have reason to believe that this new fitting might have had a taper or NPT threads even though it didnt specify that when I ordered it. Oh well, it threads in to the hydro master just fine now.

Headache currently resolved.

[Jdesign]

Update, but not really.

I did some minor things on the car. I have been dealing with China and the fact that the red tint I got came damaged and its obvious now that its applied to the car. Here's where $15 for a roll of tint would have been more worth while than the $8 roll I bought. You live and you learn, from here it looks like I just might have to find a new roll and count my losses considering China thinks I can take the tint to a shop and get it repair? WTF. Guess I deserved that for being a cheap ass building a car for pennies.

I also picked up yet another car I really didn't need. A parts car; A stock 95 325i E36 Auto that is also black. I figured I could steal a lot of the little parts, clips and such from this new car, and just sell it again. So if anyone is reading this, I will sell you the parts car (no title due to a lien) for $300 ( that's what I bought it for ). It runs and drives. 

For sale ad HERE

What I grabbed from the parts car:

1. -window harness/switches
2. -rear window latch
3. -rain tray and wipers
4. -trunk struts
5. -hood struts
6. -floor mats
7. -fuse box lid
8. -misc clips
9. -dash vent
10. -wheels 

I learned some interesting things while digging through the parts car. there was a lot of little differences. The window regulators and motors were completely different, and I now have found 3 different styles since the door I bought before the parts car also had a different window regulator. The center dash vent that has a control for Hot/Cool air mixture is powered in the Eurostang, and manual on the parts car. The dash boards are completely different, as the parts car has a passenger air bag, mine does not. I also noticed that the wiper arms are different lengths. Like why tho?

Anyways, I need to buckle down some time and address the power steering pump. Basically I made a bracket, and it was off about 10mm and caused the serp belt to chatter. After that I had to do a bunch of work on the daily and just haven't revisited the task.

[Earl]

So is this a 93 or 94 since it has a non airbag dash?

[Jdesign]

Earl said:

So is this a 93 or 94 since it has a non airbag dash?

Its a 1993 I guess, same as my E30 LOL

[Earl]

hell yeah=P

[Jdesign]

Earl said:

hell yeah=P

Funny you ask, because I really had no idea, care, or desire to find out.

[Earl]

Well you're welcome=P

[Jdesign]

Turns out the wire harness and pin outs for the window regulators is different. Anyone have some info on this? I think its pretty straight forward as I can see the larger gauge wire in either ends of the harness that power the regulators isn't aligned. But I hope all the switches for the one touch operation is the same. Ughhh why, just why, would BMW switch this from different models / years?

Just found the answer to my own question, man google is such an awesome guy. Turns out there is different switches for one touch, heated mirrors, and speaker options. great.

In other more exciting news, I was able to pick up a Corbeau Forza for $30! Now I just have to find / make brackets.

[wasnt m3]

I have some VAC floor mounts that I could lend you if you'd like to attempt to copy them.

[Bassboy3313]

I need to find a seat that cheap to make an office desk chair out of

[Jdesign]

wasnt m3 said:

I have some VAC floor mounts that I could lend you if you'd like to attempt to copy them.

That might be very helpful. I already cut the brackets from the old seat as a template. I'm not sure if I plan on welding something, or just machining it out of aluminum and adding it to the list of other items I need to mill out. 

Bassboy3313 said:

I need to find a seat that cheap to make an office desk chair out of

Yes! I have wanted to do that for a long time. I had a set of RSX seats that I was going to use, but they proved to be more work than it was worth. there are a ton of cheap reclinable ones on craigslist quite often though.

[Jdesign]

Using this as a mental note*

Things to build in SolidWorks to machine out of aluminum:

• -Shifter
• -Hydro brake lever
• -Power steering bracket
• -Wing uprights
• -Seat brackets

[Jdesign]

Had some free time today so I did a quick rendering of the front of the car. (Sorry @Earl I promise I will get to yours!) 

Give me some feedback, I am always open for more ideas, but for now, this is what I am shooting for. IDK about the Lightbar, but yeah.

[straight6pwr]

i like the rendering. the light bar looks like an afterthought, though. maybe a roof scoop with a small LED bar inside the opening, or some small LED fixtures going down the a-piller?

or a few of these on each side

[Jdesign]

Yesss!!! I agree. The light bar sucks.  You got me thinking WRX hood scoop with lights inside mounted to the moonroof?

I also forgot to add the white lettering on the tires before

[B C]

Makes me think of a hood mounted led bar indicator tach, like a firebird 301 turbo boost indicator, just with modern led bars

[straight6pwr]

yeah that looks right. run it all the way back and tie it into your rear window louvers for bonus points