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First off lets get this clear: Yes you can build a fast E28 by throwing in a big azz motor, or turbos, or some fancy Japanese motor. I like all of that! I LOVE all of that. But its been done. And done well. I dont want to even try to replicate someone elses build. I may not do it justice. So I decided to take a different route with this. Bear with me please.
This is probably for the more technical group of people that dont mind a little weirdness, age, and well, I guess a purist way of looking at things.
The goal of this was to imagine yourself living in 1988 or 1990 I guess. You dont have the money for an M5, but you are mechanically inclined. And lets say you are in good with a "local german junkyard" (if that existed)
Take an 85 524 td and make it a poor mans M5. Lets handle as well and be just as quick, if not quicker.
Body:
1985 BMW 524td Found it in a private junk yard with title for 200 bones. Non Running.
Front bumper is removed.
Rear bumper shocks have been drilled and collapsed moving the bumper 1.5 in closer in.
Inner high beams replaced with French style fogs.
Outer low beams replaced with high / low beams.
The paint is typical of 80's BMW non clear coat Alpine white. It waxes up beautifully, and looks great when it's clean, but if you let it go for two weeks it chalks up. There are also a few thin spots from overzealous waxings.
Engine:
1989 BMW 735i (grey market) It had 68,000 on the clock when I yanked it....88,000ish now
210bhp 305Nm 9.0:1comp....compare to e28 535i 185bhp 240Nm 8.0:1comp
Head gasket blew, so now: head was cut .0025 to bump the compression to around 11.3:1
535 cam. (edit: thanks Stupid Kid) Lots of lope. Due to map.
chipped DME.
2 maps with map switch.
Shorty ram intake.
Emissions systems removed.
Gutted cats.
Stock exhaust, but straight through design. No gains from aftermarket, and raspy as hell.
New water pump and thermostat.
New alternator.
Converted to electric rad fan.
Drivetrain:
1988 BMW M5 5-speed gearbox.
Stock e28 533i flywheel. Lighter than 535i or M5.
Stock e28 M5 pressure plate and clutch.
3.74:1 diff from an e32....stock e28 535i is 3.45:1
New slave cylinder and hydraulic lines.
Suspension:
Eibach springs
The front springs have 75% of the first coil removed.
Bilstein sport fronts.
KYB adjustable rears.
BMW 850i wheels 16x7.5 all around.
24mm front sway bar (smallest fitted to the e28 line) 19mm rear sway bay (largest fitted to the e28 line) Lots of experimentation was done with a total of 7 different bars. By far the best combo to almost never have any understeer, and to have comfortable and on demand throttle control overseer.
All front suspension and steering arms and links replaced.
Front wheel bearings replaced.
Front lower control arm bushings and rear sub frame bushings shot.
Brakes:
Stock e28
New master cyl.
Cross drilled front rotors and oem pads.
Braided lines.
Interior:
Mildly custom.
The non M e28's had a black dash with color matched radio / a/c control console, center console, lower dash panel, glove box, carpet, door panels, seats, and door handles. The black looked good, but all the others (blue, date rape red, and beige) seemed overpowering and ugly to me. Kinda like someone spray painted over everything with the same color. The M trim cars however, regardless of interior color, had a black dash, radio / a/c console, center console, lower dash panel, glove box, door handles, and they had a black border trim around the door panels making them two toned.This is how my interior is, but unlike the M trim cars that only came in black, date rape red, or beige, Madeline's is blue and the only one like it. (as far as I'm concerned lol) The interior is all black aside from the carpet, seats, and door panels which are two toned.
The dash has the small number of expected cracks, but overall it's in good shape.
The drivers seat bottom has a large tear in it.
Otherwise the interior is in good condition.
Its a steady slow build. Taken almost 5 years of on and mostly off work to get to this point. (Daily driven)
A friend suggested now that the mechanical stuff is done, I should make a "build thread" from here on out since the rest is what people actually care about, (looks)
Hope you made it through all of that.
After sitting in and out of the shop for al most two years, the car was to say the least, GROZZ
After a long, hard, hot day of scrubbing the paint off of her, she came out, well, as clean as busted azz, faded, 25 year old, alpine white can come out.
Started the slow process (for me) of getting the faded trim, bumpers, grill, etc back to a lovely black. Here comes the texture. (still have more to do and will update when I can)
Now if you noticed the condition of the wheels in the first couple of pictures, that was before the wash... After the wash, they were clean, but terribly faded, scuffed, and ugly. So after some sanding and paint:
Slowly but surely. But after years in the shop, I guess its not that slowly.
I should have some more work done this weekend and hopefully have some updates, however small.
This is probably for the more technical group of people that dont mind a little weirdness, age, and well, I guess a purist way of looking at things.
The goal of this was to imagine yourself living in 1988 or 1990 I guess. You dont have the money for an M5, but you are mechanically inclined. And lets say you are in good with a "local german junkyard" (if that existed)
Take an 85 524 td and make it a poor mans M5. Lets handle as well and be just as quick, if not quicker.
Body:
1985 BMW 524td Found it in a private junk yard with title for 200 bones. Non Running.
Front bumper is removed.
Rear bumper shocks have been drilled and collapsed moving the bumper 1.5 in closer in.
Inner high beams replaced with French style fogs.
Outer low beams replaced with high / low beams.
The paint is typical of 80's BMW non clear coat Alpine white. It waxes up beautifully, and looks great when it's clean, but if you let it go for two weeks it chalks up. There are also a few thin spots from overzealous waxings.
Engine:
1989 BMW 735i (grey market) It had 68,000 on the clock when I yanked it....88,000ish now
210bhp 305Nm 9.0:1comp....compare to e28 535i 185bhp 240Nm 8.0:1comp
Head gasket blew, so now: head was cut .0025 to bump the compression to around 11.3:1
535 cam. (edit: thanks Stupid Kid) Lots of lope. Due to map.
chipped DME.
2 maps with map switch.
Shorty ram intake.
Emissions systems removed.
Gutted cats.
Stock exhaust, but straight through design. No gains from aftermarket, and raspy as hell.
New water pump and thermostat.
New alternator.
Converted to electric rad fan.
Drivetrain:
1988 BMW M5 5-speed gearbox.
Stock e28 533i flywheel. Lighter than 535i or M5.
Stock e28 M5 pressure plate and clutch.
3.74:1 diff from an e32....stock e28 535i is 3.45:1
New slave cylinder and hydraulic lines.
Suspension:
Eibach springs
The front springs have 75% of the first coil removed.
Bilstein sport fronts.
KYB adjustable rears.
BMW 850i wheels 16x7.5 all around.
24mm front sway bar (smallest fitted to the e28 line) 19mm rear sway bay (largest fitted to the e28 line) Lots of experimentation was done with a total of 7 different bars. By far the best combo to almost never have any understeer, and to have comfortable and on demand throttle control overseer.
All front suspension and steering arms and links replaced.
Front wheel bearings replaced.
Front lower control arm bushings and rear sub frame bushings shot.
Brakes:
Stock e28
New master cyl.
Cross drilled front rotors and oem pads.
Braided lines.
Interior:
Mildly custom.
The non M e28's had a black dash with color matched radio / a/c control console, center console, lower dash panel, glove box, carpet, door panels, seats, and door handles. The black looked good, but all the others (blue, date rape red, and beige) seemed overpowering and ugly to me. Kinda like someone spray painted over everything with the same color. The M trim cars however, regardless of interior color, had a black dash, radio / a/c console, center console, lower dash panel, glove box, door handles, and they had a black border trim around the door panels making them two toned.This is how my interior is, but unlike the M trim cars that only came in black, date rape red, or beige, Madeline's is blue and the only one like it. (as far as I'm concerned lol) The interior is all black aside from the carpet, seats, and door panels which are two toned.
The dash has the small number of expected cracks, but overall it's in good shape.
The drivers seat bottom has a large tear in it.
Otherwise the interior is in good condition.
Its a steady slow build. Taken almost 5 years of on and mostly off work to get to this point. (Daily driven)
A friend suggested now that the mechanical stuff is done, I should make a "build thread" from here on out since the rest is what people actually care about, (looks)
Hope you made it through all of that.
After sitting in and out of the shop for al most two years, the car was to say the least, GROZZ
After a long, hard, hot day of scrubbing the paint off of her, she came out, well, as clean as busted azz, faded, 25 year old, alpine white can come out.
Started the slow process (for me) of getting the faded trim, bumpers, grill, etc back to a lovely black. Here comes the texture. (still have more to do and will update when I can)
Now if you noticed the condition of the wheels in the first couple of pictures, that was before the wash... After the wash, they were clean, but terribly faded, scuffed, and ugly. So after some sanding and paint:
Slowly but surely. But after years in the shop, I guess its not that slowly.
I should have some more work done this weekend and hopefully have some updates, however small.
?
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