1995 BMW 320i

[Supernaut]

It gained a sticker yesterday. Seems fitting for a shabby E36.

 

 

 

Today I attacked it with these:

 

 

Usefully, rust converter dries to a very dark blue. This means the rusty bits are actually slightly closer to Boston Green now!

 

I also reached the conclusion that the Jagermeister lanyard just wasn't working. It was a bit cumbersome and kept getting tangled up. I've gone back to a shoe lace, but one that's more my style:

 

 

I've yet to actually take the cowl off the steering column and look at the ignition barrel, but I'm kind of scared to!

[LessThanEqual]

I'd recommend not putting stickers on paint, they like to pull the lacquer with them when removed.

[Supernaut]

I think the health of the lacquer is the least of my concerns with this vehicle. There's not a single panel without a scratch and/or dent on it.

 

I've successfully removed stickers before using a hot air gun and patience though.

[Supernaut]

Seamless*

 

 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

That XJC is Juniper green. I had a 1977 XJS that colour.

 

The rear arches will respond to Halfords Boston green, just the weather for it.

[Split_Pin]

Somehow an E36 gets away with looking patinated, love this thing.

[Supernaut]

I bought a can of spray-on body sealant stuff today. The same as what Tickman was showing me and 17-Coffees yesterday, explaining that it did quite well on the Morris Oxford.

 

My plan if the weather is good next weekend is to attack the insides of the arches with a wire brush, then apply a couple of coats of rust converter, then the underseal stuff.

[Split_Pin]

What brand is it? I could do with finding a decent one, most I have tried are too thin.

[Supernaut]

Tetracoat, I think. It's in a red tin.

 

The motor factors I bought it from were trying to tell me it's the 'cheap one' and I should get the one with waxoyl in it. No thanks.

[Tickman]

.. explaining that it did quite well on the Morris Oxford.

It was used on 320's Toledo and seemed to look the part after a bit of work, the Oxford is still not ready for that kind of attention.

[Supernaut]

It was used on 320's Toledo and seemed to look the part after a bit of work, the Oxford is still not ready for that kind of attention.

Oh yes, sorry! It was one of 320t's many cars anyway!

[Split_Pin]

Sounds like the same stuff I get at my motor factors, it was a lot thicker than others I have tried.

[320touring]

Oh yes, sorry! It was one of 320t's many cars anyway!

Steady, I don't have that man...

 

I'll shut up now..

[Supernaut]

It may not be a Volvo, but I'm still a proud Scotoshiter!

 

 

 

I found a barcode behind the rear number plate. I left it, because it would seem rude to disturb it.

 

 

No wonder the rear plate was an advisory on the MOT. It was somewhat past its best.

 

 

 

The white screw on the front number plate doesn't actually intrude on the X, it's just the angle I took the photo from.

Opinions please, should the black screw on the edge of the 8 on the rear plate be yellow instead?

[Split_Pin]

Could be construed as MB18 MHX but I personally would not be concerned.

[Kiltox]

That’s looking well

[Split_Pin]

Agreed^^^^

[Supernaut]

Did you scan the bar code?

No. Damn! I even have a barcode scanner app on my phone!

[Supernaut]

This is turning into an utter mare.

It's taken most of the day to get the driver's side lower arm off, and I stupidly didn't get lollipop bushes.

 

My brother is heading to ecp before they close at 4 to collect one for me. If he gets it, I'll then do a roughly 70 mile round trip in a Citroen C3 picasso to then fit the driver's side lower arm and lollipop bush.

 

Haven't even looked at the passenger side.

[Supernaut]

Well, fuck ECP in the eyes.

 

They had the driver's side in stock but not the passenger side, but they refused to give my brother just the driver's side until they had the passenger side in stock. I haven't paid them a penny so far, and they aren't getting a penny from me.

 

Both lollipop bushes now ordered from GSF for £21. I'm kicking myself for not ordering them at the same time as the lower arms, I should have known they'd need replaced too!

 

 

I managed to get a lift into Aberdeen from 17-Coffees, and the BMW is now laid up in a barn at the parents' farm and will be there until next weekend. I don't need it during the week anyway!

 

 

 

Getting the driver's side arm off was an utter 'mare though. Got the nuts off and the taper on the threads were all that was holding it on. Even with a 4-foot crow bar with me jumping on the end, they weren't budging. Had to get the blow torch out for it.

 

My plan is to get the bus out the road on Friday afternoon, re-fit the driver's side that evening so I can at least move it about in the barn again, then do the passenger side on Saturday. This time round I will have the lollipop bush too so I can just be totally destructive removing the passenger side, so should be able to do it relatively quickly. I hope.

 

 

In summary; I'm a massive eejit for not ordering lollipop bushes too.

[320touring]

Pretty much how I learned always to order them:)

 

Good luck once you get them

[Supernaut]

Pretty much how I learned always to order them:)

 

Good luck once you get them

 

Aye, looks like it'll be fairly simple once I have them. I can put the bushes on the new arms then just bolt the whole lot into the car.

 

Oh yes, this happened while taking it off.

 

 

That is the outer balljoint. I'd loosened the nut at the top, but the taper was still holding tight. Levering the control arm down resulted in the - pressed in! - balljoint separating from the control arm and still staying put in the bottom of the hub. This was the point of no return in regards to putting the car back together, so judicious heat was applied in order to free everything off.

 

The car is now sitting in the barn looking like this:

 

 

The random bit of metal there was held up with molegrips as a shield for the steering rack gaiter and the power steering pipes while using the blowtorch on the inner balljoint.

There is an axle stand hiding under there. It's under the massive crossmember that goes under the engine.

 

Part of me does feel kind of bad though. Because of where I dumped my now-immobile car my dad can't get his newest toy out of the barn. It even has a cup holder!

 

 

Well, he probably could if he moved the horse trailer a couple of feet. He just cut the grass yesterday anyway, so no real rush. He has a bloody tractor with a proper mower attached to it in the other barn anyway!

 

I was having a good look over the beast that is the Stiga Tornado. It has a 650cc Briggs and Stratton under its seductive flanks.

[BavarianRetro]

Knock fuck out of the bit that the bottom ball joint taper pin fits into. Hit it as hard and often as you like.

 

For *really* obstinate bastards, see above, but this time with two hammers - swinging at the same time and hitting as close to opposite each other as you can.

 

Never failed to break those tapers with no more than hammers.

[Guest VicN]

Knock fuck out of the bit that the bottom ball joint taper pin fits into. Hit it as hard and often as you like.

 

For *really* obstinate bastards, see above, but this time with two hammers - swinging at the same time and hitting as close to opposite each other as you can.

 

Never failed to break those tapers with no more than hammers.

 

That's the way to do it.

 

Although you can just hold one big hammer against the side and wack the other side with another hammer.

[Supernaut]

Mine was properly stubborn!

 

We were putting pressure downwards with a pry bar and twatting it with a hammer and it still wouldn't move. It took heat in the end to get it shifted.

[Supernaut]

Where did I leave things?

 

I had managed to get the driver's side lower arm off, then abandoned the car at the farm.

 

Yesterday evening, I went out to the farm and managed to get the new driver's side lower arm fitted, along with the lollipop bush for that side.

 

I had some cider to celebrate.

 

 

 

 

Later in the evening, I saw a badger!

 

 

 

 

This morning, I walked out to the barn to a genuine barn find yo!

 

 

Me and my dad managed to remove the passenger side lower arm, and fit the new one complete with lollipop bush. This time I had bought a balljoint splitter which made things easier.

 

Access to the inner balljoint on the passenger side was achieved through creative use of extension bars and a flexible driver.

 

 

Attaching the lollipop bush required a slight taper to be filed onto the new lower arms. Well, it made things easier anyway.

 

 

 

 

Once it was all buttoned up at the frond end, I got the back end up on axle stands for a coat of rust converter...

 

 

 

...then underseal.

 

 

 

 

 

Then to celebrate all this, I went round to 17-Coffees' house and we had a barbecue.

 

[Split_Pin]

I like threads where owners properly mark every achievement, shite-wise. Hurrah!

[320touring]

I shall have to hire your badger for the next time I do E30 front arms..

[Guest Hooli]

Does Badger love mashed potato?

[cms206]

Does Badger love mashed potato?

Everybody knows Badger loves mashed potato, my mashy mate.

 

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