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

[Jdesign]

straight6pwr said:

why on earth would you do a lexan windshield? buy a used windshield for $100. a sheet of lexan probably costs the same.  save yourself the time and possible throat slashing in an accident.

Throat slashing? You have no trust in polycarbonate?

If you know of, or have some guidance on a new window, help me out!

[straight6pwr]

Jdesign said:

Throat slashing? You have no trust in polycarbonate?

If you know of, or have some guidance on a new window, help me out!

yeah, poly is stronger than glass, but, when it breaks you get shards. maybe the break threshold is so high that an accident that bad would kill you anyways, but i'm not an expert so I'd err on 'better not find out.'

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/d/e36-325is-part-out/6272159242.html

[Jdesign]

straight6pwr said:

yeah, poly is stronger than glass, but, when it breaks you get shards. maybe the break threshold is so high that an accident that bad would kill you anyways, but i'm not an expert so I'd err on 'better not find out.'

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/d/e36-325is-part-out/6272159242.html

Windows cracked on that one.

[HipMF]

wait, what?

Windshields are usually a structural part of the car and it's generally a Bad Idea to replace them with plastic if you're not going to cage the car.

[Jdesign]

HipMF said:

wait, what?

Windshields are usually a structural part of the car and it's generally a Bad Idea to replace them with plastic if you're not going to cage the car.

This is a fact. Good point.

I just need something that is not cracked and I was thinking of something I could cheaply do myself. I wonder how much I can get a window installed for?

[Jdesign]

Also, remember that I still plan on putting bars over the windows.....

[Jdesign]

@#&&*#^$@&*##!!!

Just tried to drive this to my work to mount the roof rack. Got about two blocks and a clunky clunk clunk started at the left front. Pulled over and whattyah know.. One of the studs was M.I.A. and the rest were all loose. 

Walked back two blocks, got tools, came back, fixed everything drove back and parked it. I knew that last drink the other night was 1 too many when I was installing the wheels lol. 

Im an idiot.

[Daggerty]

straight6pwr said:

yeah, poly is stronger than glass, but, when it breaks you get shards. maybe the break threshold is so high that an accident that bad would kill you anyways, but i'm not an expert so I'd err on 'better not find out.'

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/d/e36-325is-part-out/6272159242.html

Shout out

[Daggerty]

Well windows are very heavy for the amount of space they take up. Lexan is good wieght saving.

[Jdesign]

More updates-

So when I tried to drive this the other day the tires were rubbing pretty bad with the new spacers(front and back). So I started modding the extra front fenders as I originally intended. 

• Cut the lower half
• Bent it to shape
• Cut out venting for the phuture when the world is 40% hotter
• Tested out my LED idea in the fender, not quite sold on it

I also really like the way it looks without fenders 

I have an extra diff that I need to weld so I took a closer look at that again and snapped some pics. IF anyone can explain the welded washer to this stud that would be great. 

[Earl]

That is some ghetto mods with that diff...yikes lol

What if you took a piece of plexiglass and frosted it to disperse the light behind those vents on the top of the fender?

[jc43089]

Someone probably hung the exhaust somehow from that washer contraption.  Mine had a random bolt welded to the subframe with a hose clamp around it to hold the exhaust up.  Super classy stuff.

[Jdesign]

jc43089 said:

Someone probably hung the exhaust somehow from that washer contraption.  Mine had a random bolt welded to the subframe with a hose clamp around it to hold the exhaust up.  Super classy stuff.

Yeah. I bet you are right. When I got the car the exhaust was.............ZIP-TIED UP!!!!!

Earl said:

That is some ghetto mods with that diff...yikes lol

What if you took a piece of plexiglass and frosted it to disperse the light behind those vents on the top of the fender? 

You think that's bad?! Check out the slave cylinder and trans mount that I never posted:

And Ehhh... about the LEDs and plexi, I just think its too much in general right now. We will see how it looks once I have the roof rack on and the random cables coming out of it.

[HipMF]

Jdesign said:

ou think that's bad?! Check out the slave cylinder and trans mount that I never posted:

#Merica

If you got some angle iron, a welder an a come-a-long, you can fix anything.

[Daggerty]

My mind is filled with these horrible ideas, and I'm just hoping I don't use them now.

[Jdesign]

Daggerty said:

My mind is filled with these horrible ideas, and I'm just hoping I don't use them now.

[Jdesign]

Took care of some of the less exciting things that I have been putting off.

• Replaced the broken speed sensor filled with RTV and JB weld
• Swapped out the AC fan that was used as a cooling fan that was also loudly spinning backwards with a new slim fan
• Actually hooked up the new fan to a switch and a relay instead of full power all the time originally installed with wing nuts 
• Trimmed and painted some things and replaced a lot of hardware on the front of the car with 10mm head bolts so that I dont have to use 6 sizes to fix something
• Failed to take pics of everything minus the speed sensor because its a hilarious hack job
• Broke my harbor freight vice

[B C]

Help me understand the speed sensor situation. You have an E36 speedometer and would assume that is being driven from the E36 VSS in the diff. So where is this particular speed sensor you replaced and what is its purpose?

[Jdesign]

Snap said:

Help me understand the speed sensor situation. You have an E36 speedometer and would assume that is being driven from the E36 VSS in the diff. So where is this particular speed sensor you replaced and what is its purpose?

Ah yess, you are correct. This particular sensor is in the side of the transmission of the Ford T5. It was broken and hacked, which also caused leaking. The new sensor wont be connected to anything, but it will be there to fill the hole correctly without leaking.

[Jdesign]

I also forgot to mention that my next step is welding the diff, attaching the roof rack, and installing the hydro hand brake. I have been updating the CAD file for the lever so that it can be machined with a 1/16 end mill. Doing so, I had to reduce a lot of the sharp corners that are just impossible to machine and I am working with adjusting the tool path.

The updated part is on the right.