A lift is well worth the investment. I got mine at the end of my build but it's been brilliant ever since.
Rebody My 250 California build
- Thread starter Pond
- Start date
Here we go! Even more expense!
jaguartvr
Zorg Guru (I)
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
- Points
- 95
If you don't want the expense of a lift you could use air bag lifts. I have a gravel drive so it's a pain dragging trolly jacks around. With the air bag lift just throw it under the car and attach it to your compressor. You can get them for around £70.
Best to buy a pair.
Best to buy a pair.
Pneumatic Triple Air Bag Car Jack Trolley 3Ton 6600lbs Cap 150-400mm Lift Height | eBay
6600lbs Loading Capacity. The pneumatic jack is designed tough and built to last! Inflated with compressed air, they are easy to handle. Model: 3T Pneumatic Jack. There are three valves on this triple airbag jack: air input valve, air outlet valve, relief valve, which can help you operate the...
www.ebay.co.uk
What's the manufacturer and part number?
Is that lifting on the sills? Jacking points?
How heavy is it?
632 YUJ is a Tribute. See what this guy haa done to the door window. Looks like it has a frame around the door window and slidey windows installed. Does that window frame come from tribute or did owner make/source them?
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2011
- Points
- 145
They were the original solution, but it wasn't very successful. The best solution is the electric window solution from Greenbanks. It's very expensive, but most things on these cars are very expensive. The production numbers are in single figures, so there is no economy of scale.
The sliding windows are perspex and they scratch and glaze very easily.
Platinum 3000
It's lifting under the jacking points. Heavy but can be moved with the supplied tool.
Platinum MSL3 3 ton midrise mobile scissor lift with 24 volt locking system | eBay
The Platinum MSL3 mid rise car scissor lift is also ideal for tyre bay's for fast lifting of vehicles instead of using trolley jacks. Platinum MSL3 Mid Rise Car Scissor Lift. Scissor Lifts. Wheel Balancers.
www.ebay.co.uk
So got the donor car. After a day and a half going through it, it does seem a really good one. No rust anywhere. A good service history too. Obviously been garaged all it's life. I will be getting a new roof at some stage, but the mechanicals look really solid. Going to get the Vanos serviced, oil changed and brake fluid changed then we are ready to get cracking!
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jaguartvr
Zorg Guru (I)
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
- Points
- 95
Looks like a great donor, being a later 30 it will all be satin black under the bonnet meaning you can paint it any colour you want.
Take some photos of it now before you forget for the DVLA, front ,back and sides showing the number plate also the stamped VIN number, this is on the panel in front of the windscreen directly behind the engine. Peel down the sound deadening and it will be revealed. The number visible in the windscreen is only a sticker and the new bodywork will cover it.
If you are servicing it, allow for a set of EBC green stuff brake pads, these produce less dust and contain no metallic particles, this makes the wire wheels much easier to keep clean and stops rust forming.
Certain parts will sell quickly and for good money, sills and door mirrors, other parts such as the boot lid are hard to sell. I sold a couple as a body swap. buyers drove down and we swapped all of the body panels in a day, they left their old panels so you still have the boot hinges. boot lock, bonnet pins etc. I think I sold mine for about £1500 each but that included fitting it all with the help of the buyer. Saying that you should get £500 for the mirrors and sills and a lot less work. Staggered alloys are always a popular second hand item.
The only downside to your donor is that it doesn't have the alloy windscreen surround which makes the build much easier. You can still buy them from BMW and they are not that expensive, but you need to remove the windscreen to fit them. Worth having in stock just in case you get a chipped windscreen and have to have it replaced!
Take some photos of it now before you forget for the DVLA, front ,back and sides showing the number plate also the stamped VIN number, this is on the panel in front of the windscreen directly behind the engine. Peel down the sound deadening and it will be revealed. The number visible in the windscreen is only a sticker and the new bodywork will cover it.
If you are servicing it, allow for a set of EBC green stuff brake pads, these produce less dust and contain no metallic particles, this makes the wire wheels much easier to keep clean and stops rust forming.
Certain parts will sell quickly and for good money, sills and door mirrors, other parts such as the boot lid are hard to sell. I sold a couple as a body swap. buyers drove down and we swapped all of the body panels in a day, they left their old panels so you still have the boot hinges. boot lock, bonnet pins etc. I think I sold mine for about £1500 each but that included fitting it all with the help of the buyer. Saying that you should get £500 for the mirrors and sills and a lot less work. Staggered alloys are always a popular second hand item.
The only downside to your donor is that it doesn't have the alloy windscreen surround which makes the build much easier. You can still buy them from BMW and they are not that expensive, but you need to remove the windscreen to fit them. Worth having in stock just in case you get a chipped windscreen and have to have it replaced!
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It's all blue under the bonnet but I still want a red car!
Mine was grey but I've painted it red. Careful masking and used primer followed by 3 coats of spray-can top coat in the same colour as my bodywork will be. Well worth the effort and makes a huge difference. You'd be surprised at how much is visible after the body swap.
First update:
Body panels almost stripped. Interior half stripped (and wiring labelled).
There have been a few hurdles so far, which are not all rectified yet. Water has been getting in to the interior (A pillars), so the carpet foams are all sodden (and I mean sodden). This has fried the two DSC sensors on the pax floor (even though it passed an MOT with no advisories a few days before I got it
. Someone got a dodgy MOT done, as, aswell as the DSC the front discs are below minimum thickness and there is a big chunk out of one of the tyres).
It looks like the big seal on the windscreen/ roof is blocked all down the A pillar, so may need a new seal. There has been water getting into the boot from the aerial grommet as this was split. Sorted and I won't need the external aerial but it has rusted the main aerial bracket so there is no radio reception. I can sort this easily, though.
The car had been stored previously for quite a while, so it has become resident to many, many families of mice. I have got three bin bags' full of leaves, compost and cob nut husks from various places throughout the car. The inner sills were both full of leaves and woodland produce. even the alternator vent duct was clogged with leaves! Luckily the rodents haven't chewed through any wiring, or anything required to be kept.
Vanos has now been rebuilt, along with brake fluid, oil change, new filters and plugs. The engine purrs like a kitten now.
On the plus side there is no rot or corrosion anywhere, the body, tub and chassis are in exceptional condition for a near 23 year old car. Just about to take the plunge with the expensive bits, so wish me luck!
Body panels almost stripped. Interior half stripped (and wiring labelled).
There have been a few hurdles so far, which are not all rectified yet. Water has been getting in to the interior (A pillars), so the carpet foams are all sodden (and I mean sodden). This has fried the two DSC sensors on the pax floor (even though it passed an MOT with no advisories a few days before I got it
. Someone got a dodgy MOT done, as, aswell as the DSC the front discs are below minimum thickness and there is a big chunk out of one of the tyres).It looks like the big seal on the windscreen/ roof is blocked all down the A pillar, so may need a new seal. There has been water getting into the boot from the aerial grommet as this was split. Sorted and I won't need the external aerial but it has rusted the main aerial bracket so there is no radio reception. I can sort this easily, though.
The car had been stored previously for quite a while, so it has become resident to many, many families of mice. I have got three bin bags' full of leaves, compost and cob nut husks from various places throughout the car. The inner sills were both full of leaves and woodland produce. even the alternator vent duct was clogged with leaves! Luckily the rodents haven't chewed through any wiring, or anything required to be kept.
Vanos has now been rebuilt, along with brake fluid, oil change, new filters and plugs. The engine purrs like a kitten now.
On the plus side there is no rot or corrosion anywhere, the body, tub and chassis are in exceptional condition for a near 23 year old car. Just about to take the plunge with the expensive bits, so wish me luck!
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jaguartvr
Zorg Guru (I)
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
- Points
- 95
This is what I use as a replacement aerial, cheap as chips and works well. Just screw the wire into the old base and mount on the inner rear wing shelf. Great reception.
Gloss Black Car Shark Fin Aerial Antenna Mast Roof AM/FM Radio Signal Kit | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Gloss Black Car Shark Fin Aerial Antenna Mast Roof AM/FM Radio Signal Kit at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
Dxbolton
Zorg Guru (II)
I hadn’t realised the small wire next to the aerial base was the earth for the radio! After refitting this all the radio station suddenly stated to work
not having a wind break helps a lot. i also have a bluetooth speaker strapped to the trans tunnel helps tooIt's for drowning the wife out, "stupid boy"