Markos, I have lots of odds n ends, let me know if you need anything in particular- I think it will be really cool to see how far you can go for the lowest dollar amount- maybe a new competition in the future!
'71 2800 CS Budget Resto
- Thread starter Markos
- Start date
Ha! No doubt. I told her around $13K. This is highly contingent on how the car gets painted. That money goes very far if paint and metalwork is DIY or free.
Man every piece of rubber on the car is shot. I will likely spend $2K on new rubber alone. Then there is tires, etc. Other than maintenance or a cheap engine swap, I don't really plan on messing with the motor.
I had my trigger finger on an M90 L-Jet Euro e24, that would give me 50 extra hp. The goal was to steal the seats to get cheap/free leather. Get the brakes, rear disks, seat belts, etc, plus a dogleg 265. Unfortunately the timing isn't right to part out a car due to work stuff. There will always be more old sub $1K e24's. I'm looking forward to documenting the part out process in this thread if something does come to fruition.
Interesting fact. My brother had a '94 Mustang, the last year of the 5.0. The E9 has nearly identical weight, height and wheelbase specs. He was shocked to learn how heavy that cars are, considering his car was considered a pig compared to fix bodies. With the M90, the e9 would have the exact same power to weight ratio also. Torque is probably similar also given the grunt that the m90 has.
Man every piece of rubber on the car is shot. I will likely spend $2K on new rubber alone. Then there is tires, etc. Other than maintenance or a cheap engine swap, I don't really plan on messing with the motor.
I had my trigger finger on an M90 L-Jet Euro e24, that would give me 50 extra hp. The goal was to steal the seats to get cheap/free leather. Get the brakes, rear disks, seat belts, etc, plus a dogleg 265. Unfortunately the timing isn't right to part out a car due to work stuff. There will always be more old sub $1K e24's. I'm looking forward to documenting the part out process in this thread if something does come to fruition.
Interesting fact. My brother had a '94 Mustang, the last year of the 5.0. The E9 has nearly identical weight, height and wheelbase specs. He was shocked to learn how heavy that cars are, considering his car was considered a pig compared to fix bodies. With the M90, the e9 would have the exact same power to weight ratio also. Torque is probably similar also given the grunt that the m90 has.
Hi Peter,
Thanks for the offer! I must have missed this post before. I'm paying fair prices for some of this stuff. After all it's NLA and for the most part, quite rare. Folks have been very generous with the small odds and ends, especially my friends in town. Most of my savings will come from doing the metal and body work myself.
Typical update - more parts and no progress. 
A few noteworthy comments though. Firstly, the car out from under it's cover and living happily in the garage! Please excuse my messy workbench. I'm going to build a new one out of a bowling lane.
Secondly, I now have all the wood required to refresh the interior! I received a quote for a local woodworker to re-veneer and refinish for $400. Now I need to do some research. If I do it myself it will cost me $100 in veneer, $100 for a vacuum pump on CL, and just under $100 for a large new vacuum bag from http://www.veneersupplies.com/. I have to ask "will the woodworker go over $400?", or "Do I really need these veneering tools for future use?". I also only called one woodworker. I need to shop around. I have an Angie's list account, so that helps. Lastly, I may be able to veneer without using a vacuum pump. I even thought about using Ikea clothes storage bags with my shop vac. I'm excited to have these pieces, because I don't have to take my dashboard apart to work on them. That means I can leave my dash intact for a bit, since I do want to drive around a little this summer.
Total Spend: $4,598
Used dashboard wood & parts (Thanks floridabmx!): $300 + $30 shipping
Some might think I paid a lot for the wood cores. My thought process was that Bela purchases values cores at around $190 (I thought was $100, but double-checked). Wazza.csi is working on newly molded cores that would likely go for at least $300. $250 for the dashboard wood seems fair. I paid another $50 for the dashboard tray. Mine isn't in terrible shape, but the wood inserts are spongy and it may have some mold/mildew under the vinyl.
The good news is that if one disagrees about the value of used wood - one can always run down to the local salvage yard and pull a dashboard from the plentiful supply of E9 parts cars.
A few noteworthy comments though. Firstly, the car out from under it's cover and living happily in the garage! Please excuse my messy workbench. I'm going to build a new one out of a bowling lane.
Secondly, I now have all the wood required to refresh the interior! I received a quote for a local woodworker to re-veneer and refinish for $400. Now I need to do some research. If I do it myself it will cost me $100 in veneer, $100 for a vacuum pump on CL, and just under $100 for a large new vacuum bag from http://www.veneersupplies.com/. I have to ask "will the woodworker go over $400?", or "Do I really need these veneering tools for future use?". I also only called one woodworker. I need to shop around. I have an Angie's list account, so that helps. Lastly, I may be able to veneer without using a vacuum pump. I even thought about using Ikea clothes storage bags with my shop vac. I'm excited to have these pieces, because I don't have to take my dashboard apart to work on them. That means I can leave my dash intact for a bit, since I do want to drive around a little this summer.
Total Spend: $4,598
Used dashboard wood & parts (Thanks floridabmx!): $300 + $30 shipping
Some might think I paid a lot for the wood cores. My thought process was that Bela purchases values cores at around $190 (I thought was $100, but double-checked). Wazza.csi is working on newly molded cores that would likely go for at least $300. $250 for the dashboard wood seems fair. I paid another $50 for the dashboard tray. Mine isn't in terrible shape, but the wood inserts are spongy and it may have some mold/mildew under the vinyl.
The good news is that if one disagrees about the value of used wood - one can always run down to the local salvage yard and pull a dashboard from the plentiful supply of E9 parts cars.
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Random updates...
I made a deal with my wife. Since I built a new fence in the yard, I can reward myself by rinsing and sealing my gas tank!
I have been keeping my eye out for a decent set of "rollers" for the car so I can drive around town. It doesn't make much sense to invest in tires yet. I would like to take my Enkei wheels off so that I may ditch the ancient rubber, and touch up the wheels.
I had to bust out my welder for a portion of my fence project. It is a cheap harbor freight flux core, and makes a mess without any gas shielding.
When the time comes to do the structural work, I will need to acquire a gas MIG. I'm thinking Lincoln or Miller. I am also building a 60 gallon compressor from a few different cheap compressors that I got on CL. One was the speedaire 3HP 4ME96, an $800 compressor with a bad motor that I picked up for $100. The second is an early craftsman 5HP 20 gallon that I also picked up for $100. I bought a new pressure switch, relief valve, and Ingersoll regulator. The plan is to use the craftsman motor with the speedaire cast iron pump. I should get at least 12 cfm at 90psi, hopefully more with the added HP. My old chargeair compressor has a recall that provides a $100 visa gift card. That will put me at about $180 for my beefed up speedaire compressor.
Air compressor manufacturers inflated HP ratings in the 90's using 'starting' HP, which is like peak HP. I confirmed to the best of my abilities that this 220v craftsman motor (made by GE) is actually 5HP. The only challenge other than mounting will be figuring out how to mount the belt. I'm hoping that I can swap motor pulleys.
Unrelated, I took a welding magnet to the lowest portion of the driver's fender. It has issues sticking. I used a much lighter magnet the first time. There must be a healthy amount of body filler in that area.
I made a deal with my wife. Since I built a new fence in the yard, I can reward myself by rinsing and sealing my gas tank!
I have been keeping my eye out for a decent set of "rollers" for the car so I can drive around town. It doesn't make much sense to invest in tires yet. I would like to take my Enkei wheels off so that I may ditch the ancient rubber, and touch up the wheels.
I had to bust out my welder for a portion of my fence project. It is a cheap harbor freight flux core, and makes a mess without any gas shielding.
When the time comes to do the structural work, I will need to acquire a gas MIG. I'm thinking Lincoln or Miller. I am also building a 60 gallon compressor from a few different cheap compressors that I got on CL. One was the speedaire 3HP 4ME96, an $800 compressor with a bad motor that I picked up for $100. The second is an early craftsman 5HP 20 gallon that I also picked up for $100. I bought a new pressure switch, relief valve, and Ingersoll regulator. The plan is to use the craftsman motor with the speedaire cast iron pump. I should get at least 12 cfm at 90psi, hopefully more with the added HP. My old chargeair compressor has a recall that provides a $100 visa gift card. That will put me at about $180 for my beefed up speedaire compressor.
Air compressor manufacturers inflated HP ratings in the 90's using 'starting' HP, which is like peak HP. I confirmed to the best of my abilities that this 220v craftsman motor (made by GE) is actually 5HP. The only challenge other than mounting will be figuring out how to mount the belt. I'm hoping that I can swap motor pulleys.
Unrelated, I took a welding magnet to the lowest portion of the driver's fender. It has issues sticking. I used a much lighter magnet the first time. There must be a healthy amount of body filler in that area.
Unrelated, I took a welding magnet to the lowest portion of the driver's fender. It has issues sticking. I used a much lighter magnet the first time. There must be a healthy amount of body filler in that area.[/QUOTE]
Get a paint gauge, much more sensitive to give a good reading.
Get a paint gauge, much more sensitive to give a good reading.
I picked up my set of "rollers". Really I wanted something safer to drive on but cheap. I'm also pretty certain that I don't want to buy nice 14" tires. 15"+ make more sense to me.
With that said, I picked up a set of MSR wheels. They are stamped "made in Italy OZ". The wheels were made by OZ, and closely resemble BBS Mahles. I have four sets of E9 wheels now, so I need to unload some aluminum. Now that I can ditch the ancient rubber, I am going to refinish the Enkies and figure out what I want to do with them. This is something I can do stand alone, without tearing into the car.
4 15x7 OZ MSR Nuova Typ 1911.C. ET12: $115
Total Spend: $4,713
With that said, I picked up a set of MSR wheels. They are stamped "made in Italy OZ". The wheels were made by OZ, and closely resemble BBS Mahles. I have four sets of E9 wheels now, so I need to unload some aluminum. Now that I can ditch the ancient rubber, I am going to refinish the Enkies and figure out what I want to do with them. This is something I can do stand alone, without tearing into the car.
4 15x7 OZ MSR Nuova Typ 1911.C. ET12: $115
Total Spend: $4,713
My coupe had 15" MSW with gold centers, I polished the lips and they looked great but I eventually went with the Alpinas.
Did you polish them yourself? I've been brainstorming ways to build a wheel spinner. From an old wheel balancer to washing machine, bench grinder, compressor motor, etc.
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No, a shop did them professionally.
I picked up my set of "rollers". Really I wanted something safer to drive on but cheap. I'm also pretty certain that I don't want to buy nice 14" tires. 15"+ make more sense to me.
With that said, I picked up a set of MSR wheels. They are stamped "made in Italy OZ". The wheels were made by OZ, and closely resemble BBS Mahles. I have four sets of E9 wheels now, so I need to unload some aluminum. Now that I can ditch the ancient rubber, I am going to refinish the Enkies and figure out what I want to do with them. This is something I can do stand alone, without tearing into the car.
4 15x7 OZ MSR Nuova Typ 1911.C. ET12: $115
Total Spend: $4,713
Note to self, measure the lug pattern when you buy used wheels. The guy had a bmw, and I never questioned. These MSW's are 5x108!!! A waste of time, but I can sell them for a profit I'm sure.
Well, with where you're located, I'm sure you can throw those on Craigslist and someone with a Volvo 240 would happily take them off your hands for about what you paid.
Indeed, we are swimming in 240's! I wish I had one (again).
Bwana
Well-Known Member
I just recently bought a Miller 200 syncrowave TIG machine (used, approx 6 hours on it) for some structural but mostly sheetmetal work on my e3 restoration. Other than a significant cost difference in the TIG vs. MIG, why did you pick MIG? I didn't think MIG worked very well on thing sheetmetal, e.g., door and fender sheetmetal?
You can absolutely weld sheet metal with a MIG. I also own a Jeep XJ (Cherokee classic) with the darling 4.0 straight six. Anyway, it is very common for offroaders to reinforce the uniframe with 3/16" steel plate. You can weld sheet metal to sheet metal, and plate to sheet metal with a MIG. It is tricky to weld plate to sheet metal because you can easily burn a hole in the sheet metal before you get good penetration on the plate. You need to "favor" the plate. I am simply regurgitating what I have learned. I need rear reinforcements on my XJ but haven't tackled the task with my HF flux core welder.
I may take a welding class at the community college down the street before working on the BMW.
Last night while tinkering with the wheels that wouldn't fit, I removed the fender liners. I've spent the last 6 months reading about E9's, but I had a presumption in my head that I debunked yesterday. I was under the impression that the fenders were nearly inaccessible without removal. To my surprise, one has access to the entire back side of the fender while it is mounted to the car. There is no mystery as to what resides behind a lower fender that is bubbling. I learned:
My passenger fender is in great shape. You can see the factory primer, there is no patchwork, no fiberglass, no body filler, etc. The driver's fender was patched at the bottom. This is the area that I took a welding magnet to last week. You can feel the patch, which was butted to the backside of the fender. My guess is that they held it in place and plug welded (rosette welded) the patch from the front. There is likely about 1mm of body filler over the patch, which my magnet didn't like. The driver's side fender has been 'undercoated'. I have no exterior bubbles on the passenger fender, but the driver's fender is bubbling.
I stuck my giant iPhone up into both boxes. The passenger side was rusty, and may be worse than it looks. I have a lot of windshield frame issues on the passenger side. The driver's side has enough sand in it to build a sand castle. The same goes for the lower fender. There was an amazing difference in the amount of junk in the driver's side fender versus the passenger side.
I removed my antenna and let it drop into the fender about a month ago, facilitating the tarp application. I took a look at it inside the fender. It is a manual unit, made in Germany. I'm pretty certain that I will be plugging the hole and skipping the radio altogether.
Most of the rust and discoloration outside of the fender boxes appears to be superficial. Try as I might to bust through the sheet metal with my hand, it's all solid. The passenger rocker is in much better shape than the driver's also. The floorboards are all solid, but some of the drain plugs need replacement. The front-most portion of the passenger front floorboard appears to be subjected to a floor jack. I'm not sure what the fix is there. The more I look at the car, the more I lean towards an acid dip. My biggest obstacle is time. I'm saving money on the metal work and re-spray, I wonder if I should dip the car?
Passenger Side:
Driver Side:
My passenger fender is in great shape. You can see the factory primer, there is no patchwork, no fiberglass, no body filler, etc. The driver's fender was patched at the bottom. This is the area that I took a welding magnet to last week. You can feel the patch, which was butted to the backside of the fender. My guess is that they held it in place and plug welded (rosette welded) the patch from the front. There is likely about 1mm of body filler over the patch, which my magnet didn't like. The driver's side fender has been 'undercoated'. I have no exterior bubbles on the passenger fender, but the driver's fender is bubbling.
I stuck my giant iPhone up into both boxes. The passenger side was rusty, and may be worse than it looks. I have a lot of windshield frame issues on the passenger side. The driver's side has enough sand in it to build a sand castle. The same goes for the lower fender. There was an amazing difference in the amount of junk in the driver's side fender versus the passenger side.
I removed my antenna and let it drop into the fender about a month ago, facilitating the tarp application. I took a look at it inside the fender. It is a manual unit, made in Germany. I'm pretty certain that I will be plugging the hole and skipping the radio altogether.
Most of the rust and discoloration outside of the fender boxes appears to be superficial. Try as I might to bust through the sheet metal with my hand, it's all solid. The passenger rocker is in much better shape than the driver's also. The floorboards are all solid, but some of the drain plugs need replacement. The front-most portion of the passenger front floorboard appears to be subjected to a floor jack. I'm not sure what the fix is there. The more I look at the car, the more I lean towards an acid dip. My biggest obstacle is time. I'm saving money on the metal work and re-spray, I wonder if I should dip the car?
Passenger Side:
Driver Side:
MyFemurHurts
Well-Known Member
I just did the "put iPhone up in the crevasse" check when I did my CN springs. Mine thankfully passed, but man was it an interesting moment.
Yours honestly doesn't look as bad given the windshield rust and how it was mossed over.
Yours honestly doesn't look as bad given the windshield rust and how it was mossed over.
I know it's all relative, but compared to some of the successful projects that started in worse shape, I think I'm doing ok. If you look at the last pic, it appears that there are holes. If you look closer, they are just shadows of flakes caught in a spider web.
I have to say the same, I'm surprised in a positive way. Needs some love but still manageable.