Okay, so today I decided to dive into the world of classic cars and get my hands dirty with a BMW E30 M3. I’ve always loved these cars, the boxy shape, the history, it’s just awesome. So, I finally found one that was, let’s say, “project-ready.” It wasn’t pretty, but the bones were there.
Getting Started
First thing I did was give it a good look over. Really inspected every inch. I mean, this thing was old, so I expected rust, and yeah, there was some. The usual spots, around the wheel arches, a bit on the rocker panels. Nothing I couldn’t handle, I told myself.
The Dirty Work
- Step 1: Washed it down. Got all the years of grime and dirt off. It’s like uncovering a hidden treasure, even if the treasure needs a LOT of work.
- Step 2: Started tackling the rust. Angle grinder, wire wheel, the whole nine yards. Sparks flying everywhere! It was messy, loud, but satisfying seeing that rust disappear.
- Step 3: Welded in some new metal where the rust had eaten through. My welding skills are… well, they’re getting better. Let’s just say there was a lot of grinding involved afterward to smooth things out.
Engine Time
Next up, the engine. It supposedly ran, but “ran” is a very subjective term. I pulled the spark plugs, and they were pretty nasty. Did a compression test, and thankfully, the numbers weren’t terrible. That was a relief!
- Changed the oil, it was blacker than my soul after a week of debugging.
- New spark plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor, basically, it all needed it.
- Cleaned up the throttle body, cause that was gunked up. It was nasty.
Making Some Progress
After all that, I tried to start it. It coughed, sputtered, and then… it actually fired up! It ran rough, like, really rough, but it ran! That was a huge win. It felt so good to hear it, it made my day.
Still A Long Way To Go
It’s far from finished. I have to go through the complete fuel system, cooling system, and a ton of other things. I got bodywork to do, interior to restore, the list is endless, really. But, hearing that engine run, even badly, was a major boost. It’s a reminder that this project is actually going somewhere. I’m super stoked to keep working on it!
