Slow White, the E28

[jrcanes55]

This is a mash up of two posts from my main build on BFc

I put the car in a ditch at the last event



Surprisingly, the car was completely fine, if it hadn't started pouring rain and my windshield hadn't fallen out I would have been back out on track. Literally nothing but cosmetic damage. Here's a video.

Well I just got done moving back from Charlotte to Chapel Hill, it sucks. I can't get anything done, don't have a job, and my motivation to work on the car is dwindling. I have enough tires saved up for two, maybe three more events. Although I did get my welder back so hopefully now I can start making progress on finishing the cage. I still need intrusion bars and door slats and I found a couple spots where the retard who "welded everything" just neglected to do. Those being at the top of the cage between the roof and the back of the dash bar.

I had to sell basically sell all of my spares to pay for the move and all my bills. I spent the last two years stock piling these only to sell them for pennies on the dollar to guys who will never put them to good use.



Before I left I got my ride height and alignment squared away. Although I think the crash may have pushed my caster back a bit. Which kind of blows but whatever. I have a parts car. I will say the Fortune Autos ride so much better than my previous BC setup. The rebound is so much better. When the car hits a bump it just takes it. It doesn't get all bent out of shape and try to throw me around. I also noticed a huge difference on track. The car actually kept up with/pushed past other cars when I was tandeming. After I get the rear end sorted with camber and toe adjusters this thing will be an absolute rocket on track.



Here are a bunch of shots of the damage from the ditch. I pulled the windshield out of the missile and threw it in so I could drive it around. I cracked it pretty bad pulling it out but when the time comes I'll just get a new one.













The gate hit the door, smashed the windshield and put two nice size dents in the A-pillar.





The ditch also smashed the lower kick panel. Wonderful....



I finally found all my heat wrap that went missing months ago. So I finally wrapped my "up pipe." I'm getting really tired of it. I'm going to try and make finishing the exhaust a priority. It's so loud and all the fumes just come flying into the car and make trips of 50+ miles miserable.



Also replaced my tail lights that got smashed at end of year bash last year.







I also got all three of my cars in the same place and took a picture. That was exciting until two days later when I decided to part the missile out.



Word of warning. Don't buy Napa products, ever. I got a water pump after mine started leaking, it uses some bullshit generic impeller design and now my car went from easily maintaining 180* on the highway to struggling to keep it under 200* with a massively beefed up r53 mini cooper fan and shroud. I'm ordering an OEM one asap. The day before the event I was stuck at work and my friends replaced it for me which was absolutely awesome. I cannot thank them enough.



Finally I got to drive on my knuckles for the first time. That had to be the best part of the entire month. The car felt awesome sideways. I was able to throw massive angle and not be afraid of pushing it to far. It was really strange pushing the car past where I was comfortable but I had a blast trying to use all of it.





Now this is my current situation. No garage to store the car, it's just sitting outside getting rained on and rusting because I haven't had time or money to finish the body work or paint it. Hopefully I'll be able to get everything back on track soon.

[Tan_nicholson]

subd

[jrcanes55]

Well the car is now ready for her first event since the turbo was installed. I finally got the new clutch in and I'm so happy with it. The pedal feel is so much better. The stock clutch still had tons of life left, it was just glazed over.



I also got the Mishimoto intercooler on. It has helped a ton. The car is back up to 14psi and the intake air temps are staying at a steady ~10* over ambient. The power is insane. I haven't even been able to put my foot to the floor yet because of the clutch. I have no doubt this car will do 3rd, if not 4th on some of the faster tracks.



I also got the fortune autos installed. They go really low. I'm extremely pleased with the ride quality. The shock valving is far superior to the BCs I had previously. The car recovers from bumps a lot faster now and I feel like the rear is gripping up a lot more than it used to. Now when I clutch kick the car actually moves forward instead of just sitting sideways and roasting tires at the limiter.







I'll also add this for those interested in tracking or drifting their own e28. My previous coilovers had a ton of issues with the lower mounts cracking and breaking. See below





This is just a solution that I came up with that will help prevent any damage to your coilovers. If you plan on putting the car in high stress situations I would highly recommend doing this.





The instructions I got with the BCs said to only leave an inch of strut tube then weld. I highly advise to leave about 1.5" to 2". You'll sacrifice some height adjustment but the reliability in my opinion is well worth it.





I spent a decent amount of time cleaning the welding area on the spindle and on the supplied tubes. The welds came out pretty well. I will say that at least for the lower section use a higher temperature and wire speed. The spindles can take a decent amount of heat.





On the side pictured above try and get as far back into the spindle as you can.





Then on the other side I usually fill a little ways up the side of the spindle.





You'll then want to cut out small plates to weld on to the middle of the tube and spindle. These seem to do a great job strengthening the tube.





Weld everything up on both sides and you should be good to go for a long time.

[jrcanes55]

It's been a minute since I updated this. The car is still alive, sitting in my garage on jack stands waiting on parts. I took it to sowo on borrowed coilovers while my new fortune autos are being built. Car did great the entire weekend. I probably put over a thousand miles on it in two and a half days. She's a champ. I raced a Z4 M coupe on the way down and even with only 8 pounds of boost and a massively heat soaked intercooler I stayed dead even with it. I'm currently just waiting on my coilovers and I'll be able to take it out again. My clutch finally came in yesterday.

Here are some shots from sowo. It was a good time. We ripped up a mountain with a built e30 M3 and an E36. Unfortunately the borrowed coilovers were less than desirable for grip driving.











Forgot to add that I got the rear fenders welded on. I still need to do a lot of work to make them look correct but it's good for now. I'm currently in the middle of a move and I have almost no time to work on the car.



























That's pretty much all the car has done for the last month. I'm just waiting on coilovers and money to appear out of thin air. I don't have much to do before I can run some event. Just a bigger intercooler, some miscellaneous hoses and a few bushings.

I've prepped the new spindles for welding



you can see my current intercooler that is a complete and utter turd.



This however, is not a turd. I got a Spec stage 5. Should make it extra miserable to drive around town.



I really can't wait to get out again. I miss driving this car. I took the missile out for an event and it was miserable.

[jrcanes55]

Thanks guys! I had a great time out there. I'll be doing a full exhaust soon. That up pipe is ridiculous on the highway.

[Robitussin]

Saw it at SoWo also. Love how in your face your car is, keep up the good work!!

[Shawnc16]

Saw it at SoWo as well. That downpipe (up-pipe?) is hilarious!

[Earl]

Car looked rad at SOWO=)

[SnazzyQ]

That cop is like "Im so going to pull this guy over when he leaves"

[jrcanes55]

This build is by far one if my favorites. Good stuff man

props for a fantastic build

Thanks guys! I appreciate it.

I went to the shop this past week to try and get the rear end finished. I was making great progress. I got the rear fenders cut up and ready to go on, most of the metal for the fenders cut to size and everything prepped on the car for welding. But unfortunately Wednesday afternoon I started to feel sick, 5 hours late I was at urgent care and somehow I ended up with both my ears infected and a fever. Awesome. So now the car is stuck at my house with no suspension (sold my BCs) and probably won't get done in time to actually have it look slightly not retarded at sowo. #yolo I'm still going to do burnouts everywhere.









It kind of looks like I'm running Big Duck Club Fenders, to bad they're oem garbage.









I really want to get the rear done. But it's not looking to good.



Also this picture was taken at cars and clouds (no, I don't vape)



and my knuckles get a ton of angle. Super excited to drive with them on. I literally just need a clutch ad I'll be back out on track. But Formula D and SOWO are the next two weeks so I'm super poor until after that.

[Tan_nicholson]

<333333

[jrcanes55]

your welds suck

shutup tanner

This week I finally overcame my laziness and threw my second set of knuckles on. straight off the bat they felt 10x better. No steering bind, no ridiculous ackermann correction, I'm super excited. It's not pushing as much angle as before but it feels much better. I also need to find somewhere to make billet aluminum tie rod centers. The other side was starting to bend as well.





I just need to align the car and I'll be good to go.

[Tan_nicholson]

your welds suck

[DER E30]

My welds are fine now, to be honest those flux welds held better than the original migs, granted now I don't have any issues at all. But since then I've improved my welding tenfold.

Skid plate I did for an e30.]

Those new welds look great!

[jrcanes55]

This is badass! I want an e28 now dang it!

Also THANKYOU for having someone with a real welder (and skills) fix your spindles!!! Things were scaring me with those flux welds!

My welds are fine now, to be honest those flux welds held better than the original migs, granted now I don't have any issues at all. But since then I've improved my welding tenfold.

Skid plate I did for an e30.