So wee update on the compact, cba starting a thread.
As above failed MOT on emissions and a crusty exhaust, so took that off to have a look...
Nice and riggy. The 'cat' was just an imitation apparently! Weird.
I intended to just fit a complete coupe exhaust from a 328 with a bit of length taken out, but it was way more hassle than it was worth - the backbox is bloody massive!
So I stuck with the oem mid section and cats and just had a backbox made by JPexhausts in Macclesfield. Much better!
I'd butchered the rear panel trying to fit the other backbox so ordered a new one.
Note the new dealer plates too!
While it was off the road I decided to fit an LSD, I ideally wanted a clutch type, but there dont appear to be many E30 units for a reasonable price and they're probably all worn out by now anyway. So I found a medium case Z3 Torsen LSD (3.38:1 vs 3.45:1 previously on the car). Not quite as good as the clutch type for doing skids, but they don't wear out and it'll hopefully do for track use. I also fitted new, shorter driveshafts due to the larger case size. The old diff snapped the mounting tab on removal too, so I'm not going to bother with a polybush on the new one - clearly didnt like it!
I then set about removing all the old crap bonnet latches, they were corroded and only one actually worked! Fitted a set of aerocatches to just eliminate the problem altogether.
I also fitted new grills as I didnt have any whatsoever.
Another MOT advisory was that the passenger headlight was pointing the wrong way. It was actually from a left hand drive car, oddly. Kind of makes sense - the car has obviously been smashed and just cheaply repaired... nice. I took this opportunity to throw the compact-only plastic lense headlights out and swap them for proper glass lensed elipsoids. Just a small wiring loom change was needed for this.
And that pretty much brings it up to date. Passed MOT with no advisories thankfully, although now the gauge cluster has started playing up and a coolant pipe has started to buldge... always something!
So this is how it stands now
Really really hate that front bumper, it doesn't fit properly at all.. but it'll do for now. Needs new tyres and the brakes need seeing to also... it's been a bit of a bigger project than I originally thought TBH! Ah well...
Also if anyone knows of a set of those 16x8 E38 BBS's going cheap then I'd love them. They're really not cheap on ebay anymore annoyingly!