Project: My AC Schnitzer E34 Touring

Well, show was great a few weekends back. I should have expected though that my car would be shunned a bit, it was more of a ricer orientated meet anyways, and to them my car could just be a stock BMW wagon stanced out.
Had one joker asking why you would do a gay reverse opening bonnet mod to a BMW, and then tell me that the engine in it is **** and it should be replaced with an RB25DETT. well, he didnt know the bonnet was stock, and i wasn't going to tell him what was in the engine bay.
And then some other flatpeak and his mates rolled in (probably drunk) in a beaten up old Holden VL Commodore and started doing skids and crap in the middle of a meet in the middle of the day. people started throwing bottles and stuff at them for wrecking it, but i saw what was coming and got out straight away. Some people just feel the need to ruin other peoples fun.

But because the car was all gorgeoused up, including freshly repainted front kit, i took it to another spot and took some photos. its not every day she gets a 5 hour polish and love and attention. Usually im swearing at her for doing silly things.

But then i see this thing in real life and fall in love all over again.




so thats all the photos i got though. i decided i would treat her and myself to a nice long cruise.

and then this weekend just gone, I decided we would get back out on the road again, and travel back to Auckland. But the tyres on the back were had it so i fitted a pair of Bridgestone RE001 Potenzas on the back, 255/45R17 from memory. yes quite wide for an E34!
and then in Auckland a friend of mine helped to sort the electrical stuff out, the wipers were sorted out as was the temp gauge, both things that were working originally, but had loose connections during the build and had to be fixed. And also installed an OBC and got the interior heater and things going. So, theoretically, shouldnt have any more wiring issues with this car, and is almost 100% a fully operational tidy conversion.

only things i have left to do now is:
- to hook up the rear glass window so it can open independently to the tailgate,
- a new head unit,
- i need to run the wire for the central locking for the fuel flap.
- refit the glovebox and hinge now there is no more wiring under there to play with
- and of course, a few other things i dont NEED like i want some work on the exhaust etc

I have decided to take the foglights out as you can see in the pictures, as becasue the intakes are so cramped in behind the headlights, im going to do a bit of an intake project at some stage and make it breath better. the pickup will be the fog light holes.

sigh, the never ending love affair. good job I'm single right now

Looks stunnin' mate!!

so i had the car up to have a look at the exhaust while it was in for its Warrent of Fitness (similar to MOT for our UK friends). noticed the left front thrust arm bushing had a lot of play in it. compared to the otherside and then noticed hey wait a minute! the bushings are different colours!
When the front suspension was going in, the right arm was upgraded to the 540i arm, but the left one was still the 520i arm. Well the arms are the same, but the bushing in them are a different grade.
so, had to pull that arm out. and what a process it is too, those that have done it will know. ended up dropping the sway bar to get access. and then decided, you know what, ill just replace the whole lot. Ordered arms bushings etc from Pelican which im half way through installing.
Day light savings has ended here now, so im getting home from work, manage to spend a few hours on the car, and then its dark. so its a long slow process putting the suspension back together!

Also have some engine gaskets to replace, the sump is weeping both upper and lower. I SHOULD have replaced them while doing the conversion, but i didnt, thinking the engine is low milage. i REALLY regret not doing it now. of course, the lower one is a piece of cake to do, and thats the one thats weeping badly. the upper gasket isn't so bad, but to replace that, the transmission has to come out. cant be bothered with that at the moment.

and as for the interior, haven't fitted glovebox hinges yet. not driving the car at the moment, and I'm waiting for a new bezel for the radio. have had to end up using a LHD bezel (in a RHD car) due to the stereo hitting the 750iL heater box behind. I havent received it yet, but it should be better. that way, can move the OBC to the RHS of the stereo (like is in your cars) and have the stereo further away. not ideal, but a darn site better than no stereo.
A BIG thanks to Costa here for sending the bezel out to me