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The "ZHP" Wagon is ON!!!!

81K views 173 replies 49 participants last post by  reese001 
#1 · (Edited)
I found the donor today, a 12/2004 build ZHP with 72k miles. Bashed front end. everything rear of the accessories on the motor is in good shape or better. Car starts and runs; interior is lovely, it's just the front end that's ugly as hell...

I will be putting the following items into the wagon:
M54B30
6MT
Driveshaft
Brakes (F & R)
Steering rack (if truly undamaged)
Front Control Arms (if truly undamaged)
Rear trailing arms (with new bushings)
Steering wheel
HK Stereo
Alcantara shift and parking brake boots
Dashboard and Door trim
ECU, EWS, Cluster, keys

Any other suggestions?

Everything else will be either scrapped or sold on eBay/craigslist...

 
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#2 ·
CONGRATS! What a cool project!

Curious if we could work out a deal on the two front wheels for my two back wheels?

Why would you not put the seats in the wagon? Along with the dash, and the entire interior? If the A, B and C pillars are not peeling I would like to talk about those too.
 
#3 · (Edited)
CONGRATS! What a cool project!

Curious if we could work out a deal on the two front wheels for my two back wheels?

Why would you not put the seats in the wagon? Along with the dash, and the entire interior? If the A, B and C pillars are not peeling I would like to talk about those too.
The wagon has manual 'hellbeige' sport seats. Don't really want to give those up :)

The interior of the wagon is in surprisingly good shape. Plus, I'm in Texas and I don't want the death of a black interior during our 18 months of summer every year.

Are you saying you'd want the 18x8s? I'm thinking that the non-track setup will be 18x8 all around. As for the rest of the interior bits, you can have first right of refusal. Not sure when I'll start pulling stuff out. Mostly because I don't know when the shipper will drop it off in front of my house.
 
#5 ·
Yes, in Alabama my car is known as "the sweatbox". It got that name from me some 4 years before I bought it. It belonged to my former boss and he and I would go on appointments in it with suits on, try that in July!

Yes, I wanted the 18X8's so I could run 225/40/18 all around. But sounds like you'll need them.

Ya know what looks amazing in a tan colored interior? Black Cube trim!
 
#8 ·
Are you installing the zhp rear diffuser and side skirts?
 
#18 ·
The rear diffuser isn't compatible with the stock rear bumper, and I don't really want to spend the money to get the full M-touring body kit.
 
#11 ·
This is the first time in a thread like this that I am not sitting over here thinking "I need the trim, I need the shift boots, I need the wheel, etc, etc, etc"

My car IS that car (only not wrecked).
 
#16 · (Edited)
ECU, EWS, Cluster, keys
I'm assuming you're doing that because you want the MS45.1? Otherwise I'd say keep your stock components, swap the gauge faces and needles into your existing cluster... that way you'd keep your original VIN (not sure if it really matters for a car that modified).

Also, I am not sure if the MS45.1 DME will play nice with the earlier version of the DSC module that came with the 01 cars. There may be other issues since BMW switched from the ZCS system to the FA system between 2001 and 2002 (both are ways how the car identifies itself to the various diagnostics tools out there)
 
#17 · (Edited)
Pretty much. I'll check into the differences between the diagnostic and DSC systems. Thanks for the info...

edit It looks like both cars run the same Teves MK 60 DSC III system. Should be good there. /edit

Maybe I'll just do the whole freaking wiring harness :D
 
#19 ·
You are building the car that I wanted to buy in 2004! :thumbup:

The donor car's seats are Alcantara? :cry:
 
#26 ·
Still have the M3/4/5. Will sell that when the project is done. And given my looking in to what's involved, I suspect the 3-day weekend I'm giving to the motor/trans/ecu stuff will be more than enough. I plan on doing much of the suspension and interior stuff bit by bit.

You want to come watch? I can think of some girls that would love to see you, and the fetching Mrs BLT as well.
 
#24 ·
Very cool project, just like what I have been thinking but with two not four doors. Will look forward to following your progress.

Count me on on buying some parts. I am wanting some interior crap. So when you get to point of needing to clear out, put me on a list and give me a jingle.
 
#27 ·
Thread stickied on account this is so cool.

:bigpimp:

Good luck!
 
#31 ·
#37 ·
Shouldn't be to bad if he does most of the work himself. The hard part imo is putting in the wiring harness from the ZHP to the wagon. My friend whos doing my manual conversion put the S54 and all M3 parts on a wagon including wiring harness. Most of the things work except rear windows, sun roof small stuff like that. I'll take a pic of it for you guys when I pickup my car.
 
#40 ·
Wow! I'm green with envy! :p

I would love to watch but it'd be hard. Where are you in TX?

If we weren't looking to get something bigger than my wagon, this would totally be a rockin' mom taxi for me!!! ;)

I love my wagon but with 2 of our 3 kids being in a car/booster seat, it means we don't all fit in it. :cry:

Anyone have an X5 with a 3rd row (just in case) in it they want to sell?
 
#42 ·
#50 ·
Good call, thanks Cliff. I'll ask him about LSD options, too.
 
#52 ·
Just heard from the shipping company. It's supposed to arrive this evening!!!! :) :D :thumbup: :bigpimp: :drink: :beerchug: :cool: :guitar: :banana: :clap: :fruit: :sabrina: :supdude: :freakdanc :roundel:
 
#54 · (Edited)
Well, that fracking bites! The AC compressor was torn off the engine block. Nice sized hole I can stick my thumb in. Now I get to find a new block and rebuild the whole motor. Whee!!!!!




No wonder it was such a bargain :(


So should I get a plain block and rebuild the motor or get a new motor entirely?
 
#55 ·
Well, that fracking bites! The AC compressor was torn off the engine block. Nice sized hole I can stick my thumb in. Now I get to find a new block and rebuild the whole motor. Whee!!!!!

No wonder it was such a bargain :(

So should I get a plain block and rebuild the motor or get a new motor entirely?
Ouch, sorry to hear that. I say rebuild the motor with a new block if everything looks good once you start pulling it apart.

I wonder what that ZHP ran into, obvouisly it had pokey branches... :(
 
#64 ·
So...far from letting a little set back slow me down, I've swapped out the steering wheel, door trim and shifter today. It's amazing how good the ZHP steering wheel feels. And the difference in throw in the shifter is enormous. I also removed the front brakes from the ZHP and will probably do that job this weekend. Maybe. Maybe I'll do the exhaust.
 
#65 ·
I also removed the front brakes from the ZHP and will probably do that job this weekend. Maybe. Maybe I'll do the exhaust.
I highly suggest doing the rears as well. Yes, it requires removing the ZHP trailing arms and half shafts but when I put ZHP front brakes on my 323 it did little to help braking. It wasn't until I added the rears it really made a difference you could feel. I was told by some people that adding just the bigger front calipers makes the brake bias get out of whack. Not sure I agree, but hopefully this info is helpful.

So, how do the B and C pillars look in that car? :dunno: :D
 
#68 · (Edited)
Slower than I'd hoped for. I've got driveshaft and diff out, working on rear subframe and suspension. Pulling interior bits at the same time. BTW, I've got both sets of B&C pillars out now. :)

The big hold up is that our BMW CCA chapter is putting on an HPDE on March 31. As the Tejas Chapter's Chief Driving Instructor, I've got a teenie little bit of responsibility for making sure it runs smoothly :eek:

:thumbup: :drive:

And another recent update. The hole in the block is repairable, according to several knowledgeable folks that I know. Have a welding shop recommendation and will be pulling the motor the weekend after the HPDE :)
 
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