My Garage Imaginarium

Oooh e24... the one BMW I've always wanted to own but never did. When I was shopping for my first car, an E34 535, one shop had an L6 with the fully wrapped leather interior, rear fridge and all. I wanted it so badly! Still do... a friend of mine in town is turning his into a Group A replica (currently going insane replicating the schematic exterior paint scheme).

Volvos are awesome. I don't think it matters what you've got nearly as much as what you do with it. Like my E30, it's not about having the perfect track car. I could have bought a C5 and built up a monster from there. But the point is to work on a car that has been with me as long as my wife has, has been everywhere with us, moved across the continent, we worked on it in the apartment underground when we had no garage or anything...

Pulled the rear bumper to see how the car looks without it... total win! With the holes patched, some wirebrushing and painting, with the giant wing, it will look so tits!

Oh and a note to self, when removing exterior nuts that have not moved in the car's 27 year history, and you think, maybe I don't need to hit them with penetr... YES YOU DO.

I think blue anodized aluminum is car-speak for "this cost way more than you think"

Almost done the wing mount base. Just working on figuring out how big of a diagonal brace I can put over the battery and still leave it enough room to come out

This weekend need to start on the brackets for the uprights, going to do two 1/4" steel plates in double shear, with the 1/2" aluminum uprights going through the fenders

FINALLY got the last corner on

Tablet mounted. Will wire up the bluetooth adapter next week and hopefully finally see it in action with live data!

woah - cool! What software are you running?

It's the Android version of the management app for my ECU, VEMS. Just got them to add the calc analog inputs cause that's where my fuel level is now routed to. Just need to change it to show the proper labels but not a big deal.

I'm also waiting on them to make use of the internal accelerometers :)

Making progress with the wing mount. One side is ready for the uprights, 1/4" plate in double shear. My compressor took a dump so no plasma cutter for me. Went through 3 cutting discs... I need a freaking band saw.

ERMAGHERD IT WEHRKS!!!!!!! So cool! Very responsive too, played with the gas pedal, the throttle gauge responds with no discernible delay.

Great build - keep up the good work! Thanks for sharing the pod idea and construction. Certainly something I'll try in mine.

Thanks, my pleasure!

BigD wrote: Thanks! Yeah I ported the build history from elsewhere, got pretty tired of random discussions and stupid comments. Not a lot of attention here but the guys who comment are the ones who get it, which is how I like it. I actually made that pod one day when I missed working with wood (plywood, balsa, fiberglass). Yup it's Oil temp/press and Water temp (the stock gauges are so horribly buffered that you could be within 100 degrees of reality before you know it)

Steam bent ply? More details please.

Thin plywood would actually work too but that's balsa. I've done similar curves (maybe not quite that sharp) with super thin plywood but you have to really soak the crap out of it. Balsa just needs a few hits of Windex and it will do anything you want. Then skinned with fiberglass cloth, and a plywood former with blind nuts, and plywood faceplate, also glassed.

ID2000s have arrived! Next week I plan to finish installing the Accusump and fire up the motor for the first time this year, check things out, and begin the swap to E85. Went to Buffalo to buy some... 3.30 a gallon, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?????? Here in Canada we haven't seen that price for REGULAR since the 90s and I can buy racegas for 87c/liter?

Wing base finished and installed. Mocked up the upright. Mulling it over now before I make a pair of prototypes out of 3/16 aluminum and then after I'm happy with those, make the final version out of 1/2".

Finished putting the engine back together finally, needed to swap out the WG springs and put the downpipe back in. Out with 13 psi in with 18! 18psi gate and E85... hoping to retune on the dyno in a few weeks. Mid 800whp?

I'll never get tired of staring at this:

Accusump is in but the damn Earl's 90deg fitting has some giant size for the hex base, even though it's only a -8. Need to find a stubby wrench in the right size, pick up some Evans coolant and I should be good to go to fire it up!

Found a local source for a good price, hopefully it works as I think it will and help make my gasket and head survive.

First start of the year, woohoo!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JDNOI4nNDE

Next week will give the cooling system one last check with compressed air, fill with Evans and go for a little drive. Then it'll be time to do the other fender and start the E85 conversion.

Cut upright prototypes out of 3/16, turned out quite well! A few issues revealed. Will also add a brace to the slots in the fenders for the uprights to bolt to.

Woohoo, I have a fuel level gauge! I changed it since to show the actual liters but the current version of the app doesn't allow changing the descriptors, so for now it still reads transmission pressure or something.

Took it out for the first boosted run of the season!!! So happy. Now to do the other fender flare, clean up some things and off to the track for more testing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXBireiOSxI

Gutted the door too. Turned out very well! Just need to dress up the cut. Loving the elbow room, it's now roomier than an E34.

Have you talked to someone who has used Evans coolant? I just bought some for my E36 but haven't started it yet.

Yep, a few guys. Most notably a regional time attack master with a highly boosted subaru, holds many track records. He's been using it for years, swears by it. In my quick test it worked great. Car maintained temperature and you could take the cap off any time.

will you be my neighbor simply a work of art.....

Thanks a lot! And if I keep doing that I may need new neighbors lol... My cop buddy has offered to come close a road for me to do some basic testing (also a racer). I'm having dreams of having him follow me home with cherries on, and then come in for a beer. Now THAT would keep the neighbors quiet and confused for years to come.

Project copy paste commence

Looking forward to putting in a cutout to clear the filler lid, should look pretty cool

so cool...can i get a dash set up like that for my e46 build? thanks for any info.

Thanks! Anyone can get it but only if you're using VEMS. The original version of the app was for AIM but for the massively flexible displays you can put together, it's working off the V3 triggerframe protocol which is specific to VEMS.

That reminds me, when I go wrenching on it this weekend I can finally update the gauges to read what they should (like oil pressure/temp, fuel level, proper speedo). They released a new version with customizable gauge descriptors.

Second flare ready to weld in, will save that for tomorrow.

Ready for prep and paint! Need to fill in the side moulding gutter like I did on the other side first.