Alpine White Zender Kit E24 633CSI

[Jdesign]

Spacers installed with pics. 

The front valance also needs paint yet, I know.

I also decided to fix a section of the rocker panel that was rusted from someone installing the side skirts with non-stainless fasteners. I cut out the old metal and am welding in new material. One side is done, the other is in process. The new hardware consists of metric rivnuts and stainless socket heads. 

Labor

• Paint and properly Install the lip 
• Install the bumper side covers (I need to post how I repaired them)
• Figure out the Parasitic power drain
• Finish buffing the entire car
• Finish removing the rear window tint
• Fix the rear seat pod covers again, as they are pealing back again
• Refinish the pin stripe
• Installed the side skirts with stainless hardware and plug the OEM trim holes
• Install speakers
• Alignment

[straight6pwr]

looks meaty, very nice! i like it without the skirts too!

[Jdesign]

straight6pwr said:

looks meaty, very nice! i like it without the skirts too!

Thank you, I think the skirts are just a little addition that make it a touch better. I wish I had a rear valance for it.

[Jdesign]

So.. I drove this to work yesterday. I would like to think of as a maiden voyage as I have not driven the car since last year, and since then it has all new suspension, steering arms, balljoints, wheels, tires, brakes, bleh bleh bleh. You get the point.

The Good:

• It handles sooo much better with the new springs, shocks and struts
• Ride quality just cruising is greatly improved and not harsh 
• Braking is worlds better, I can actually feel the pedal that the cars stops like it should
• The exhaust sounds great, I never drove it far after the muffler delete, and I was concerned it would be loud and droning, but its not 

The Bad:

• The turn signals are staying on and not flashing again. I assume the switch or corner lights are the culprits again
• The radio antenna signal failed about 20 mins into my drive. I think the plug on the back of the radio is loose. Easy fix.
• I lost a center cap. This bums me out, and to make matters worse, I can't find a replacement that won't take at least a 1 month to ship here. Either way I ordered a set.

Overall Im happy that I can drive it and iron out some of the kinks. After addressing some of the minor things, I really need to start polishing and stop procrastinating.

[B C]

Congrats on achieving a significant milestone in your project!

[Jdesign]

B C said:

Congrats on achieving a significant milestone in your project! 

 Thanks! I see the light at the end of the tunnel!

[P_Roloff]

Dang, bummer on the center cap. Congrats on getting it driving though!

[Jdesign]

I plan on driving this to Georgia in two weeks with a few friends for Alpine Vag Fair. 

Mechanically, I feel like I have very little left besides flushing the coolant, flushing the diff fluid, and recharging the AC.

I have started to Clay, Buff, polish the entire car. It took two full days to just do the roof, trunk, and hood. It is an astounding amount of work.

Before that I also attacked the interior, installing new speakers and amplifier and finally removing the remaining tint glue from the rear window. While I was doing this, my girlfriend shampooed all of the carpets, interior panels, trunk, and cleaned and moisturised all of the leather which was in dire need.

 A little compare and contrast to the clean and dirty body panels. 

I assume the wheels will match after all...

I have this buffer to thank for the beautiful work. This thing is amazing.

Some videos to get some reflections. Sorry for the snapchat words on the videos.

KRFO2675.MP4

[YoungCR]

Test drive to Lake Mills on Sunday?

[suspenceful]

Paint is looking good!

[Jdesign]

YoungCR said:

Test drive to Lake Mills on Sunday?

Mayyyyyybe 

suspenceful said:

Paint is looking good!

Thank you!

[SteelBlue]

I would love to see this thing lay frame.

Looks great.

[Jdesign]

SteelBlue said:

I would love to see this thing lay frame.

Looks great.

Stop that.

[SteelBlue]

Jdesign said:

Stop that.

[Jdesign]

SteelBlue said:

MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24

I hope I dont catching feelings driving it.

[SteelBlue]

Jdesign said:

MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24, MUST NOT KEEP E24

I hope I dont catching feelings driving it.

Sorry bro

[Jdesign]

Feels trip yesterday.

And in BMW fashion the turn signals failed, yet again. IDK how, but everytime they fail, it's a different way too. There MUST be a bad wire somewhere that I can't find. I took the hazard switch out again and cleaned all of the connections, and the pins and reassembled, and it worked perfect. A day later I went to drive it, and they didnt work. 

I also have a pretty nasty shimmy on the freeway above 65, and it comes and goes, and is very inconsistent. This really concerns me as I am about to make a 13 hour drive. My first thought is the wheels, so I need to swap them out and see if that's the problem.

Luckily I have a second set of style 5's, so I might need to do some swapping.

On the plus side of things, I picked up more Alpine white for the front lip, the rear diff gasket and the new center caps arrived today.

One last important thing on my list is coolant. I realized on my 20 minute drive to Cars & Coffee yesterday that I never flushed the coolant and or replaced the thermostat. I know that hasn't been done for at least 10 years, and in those 10 years alone the car hasnt been running...  My temp gauge was all over the map.

[Jdesign]

I wish I would have taken more pictures of it when I got it.

[YoungCR]

Did you replace the lower control arms?

[jc43089]

Get you some blue coolant son!