e23 progress...

[D Unit]

very very beautiful car, congrats !

Looking good!

Very, very smooth. I like it a lot.

Thanks!

First thought before seeing any pics was black/grey, but it seems like the picture shows it being pretty close to black/white. I thought it would be a little more subdued.

That blue/black will probably look best in there, tie into the highlights from the M fabric.

X2 on the mats.

Would it kill you to update your Instagram every now and again?

Haha... I go on IG daily but never post. I think my wife averages 5 posts per day... lol

The early E23 nose gives it a more aggressive look, especially with the airdam and stance.

Car looks great!

Yes, the sharknose conversion was totally worth it. Thank God for pick n pull!

Damn I love staring at this car. My only slight gripe is I think it's sitting a little too low for my tastes. I was looking at the pics and your tire specs wondering if it was a thin sidewall, but 245/40/18 doesn't sound really low profile for an 18". So I guess your springs?

I think it would be perfect if it were raised just a tad... but if you leave it as is, it'll still be one of the finest E23's I've ever coveted.

What's going on with the funkiness under the rear bumper on the bottoms of the quarter panels? Just dirty?

I hear ya... but there's no way I'd be happy with the car unless I was able to get it lower than my previous shock and spring setup. The car is low, but I personally wouldn't call it stanced. As for the rear bumper, it's a combination of being dirty and having that painted textured style that was more popular in the 80s I guess.

[ElGuappo]

My car on Dinan springs sits maybe 1/2 to 3/4" higher than his car, and its a firm ride.
I have plenty of room between rear sidewall and arch, some 15-20mm spacers are in the future plans.
Euro 735, Dinan springs, e23 bilstein sport front(stock valving which is much firmer than the HD), e23 bilstein custom valved rear (firm)

[gazm3]

Orsome about the coco mats.
May just make some templates and send them to USA.


You have inspired me to give my 735i ssome loving.
There was a noticeable pull to the right and it turned out the RHS upper spring had dislodged from the perch. The 225/55/16 tires have a few nicks in the sidewall so some slighly skinnier 205/55/16 are on. Also my mechanic had a bit of a play with the airflow meter. With the bigger cam we had to dump fuel in at idle to make the 292deg cam idle a bit smoother but it made the bottom end really dohey. We now got a good compremise with it still having a rich idle but straight iff idle it's nice and lean.

Have also a 3.73:1 LSD to replace the 3.25:1 open diff. Also getting hold of a 2nd war chip/maf to get the best out of it. There is only so much u can do with the air meter.

What I would really like is an auto trans chip to liven up the shift points etc. I've heard dinan make one but trying to get one even direct from dinan is hard. I want to keep it auto iff possible. Trying also to purchase the 11.5:1 bottom end the head/cam prong ally came from as it's got fly cuts in the pistons so I can dial in the cam better and the high comp will make the throttle responce great.

[igotbank]

Yo D all I can say when describing your e23 to friends is very tastefully done. Well done homie. Even though I'm still bummed about not getting your new wheels I'm very happy that 1) you were able to get your e23 back with the motor u wanted and 2) you've put your personal flava in it. And I'll buy your 18s when your done with them lol.

[D Unit]

My car on Dinan springs sits maybe 1/2 to 3/4" higher than his car, and its a firm ride.
I have plenty of room between rear sidewall and arch, some 15-20mm spacers are in the future plans.
Euro 735, Dinan springs, e23 bilstein sport front(stock valving which is much firmer than the HD), e23 bilstein custom valved rear (firm)

Sup Jay... Quick question. Am I losing much using stock b34 exhaust manifolds on a b35? Trying to decide if it's worth it.

Orsome about the coco mats.
May just make some templates and send them to USA.


You have inspired me to give my 735i ssome loving.
There was a noticeable pull to the right and it turned out the RHS upper spring had dislodged from the perch. The 225/55/16 tires have a few nicks in the sidewall so some slighly skinnier 205/55/16 are on. Also my mechanic had a bit of a play with the airflow meter. With the bigger cam we had to dump fuel in at idle to make the 292deg cam idle a bit smoother but it made the bottom end really dohey. We now got a good compremise with it still having a rich idle but straight iff idle it's nice and lean.

Have also a 3.73:1 LSD to replace the 3.25:1 open diff. Also getting hold of a 2nd war chip/maf to get the best out of it. There is only so much u can do with the air meter.

What I would really like is an auto trans chip to liven up the shift points etc. I've heard dinan make one but trying to get one even direct from dinan is hard. I want to keep it auto iff possible. Trying also to purchase the 11.5:1 bottom end the head/cam prong ally came from as it's got fly cuts in the pistons so I can dial in the cam better and the high comp will make the throttle responce great.

Looks like a learned a new word today... Orsome. And right when I thought I was cool when I learned the word "ratchet" a few months ago... LOL. Since I'm running out of things to fix, I might consider giving the miller chip/maf a go too since you seem sold on it.

Yo D all I can say when describing your e23 to friends is very tastefully done. Well done homie. Even though I'm still bummed about not getting your new wheels I'm very happy that 1) you were able to get your e23 back with the motor u wanted and 2) you've put your personal flava in it. And I'll buy your 18s when your done with them lol.

Thanks man. If you're still shopping for wheels, you can trust daywalker on Stanceworks. He's from Germany but I had a good experience with him and shipping only cost $270 (IIRC) via UPS and only took 4-5 days. As for the Oz Futuras, the plan is to have them refinished in the next couple of weeks. Plan is to have the centers brush finished and cleared, polish the lips, and new Oz carbon fiber rings.

Today I was able to watch the Lakers game and pull out my cluster.


My odometer stopped working before the shop and my temp gauge called it quits while it was in at the shop. I was hoping I could fix both, but I could only fix the odometer gears. I couldn't see anything blatantly wrong with the temp gauge so I'm going to assume the issue is non cluster related. Lakers won btw...

[ElGuappo]

The b35 manifolds are definitely bigger so yes you are losing flow. I remember a pic with a golf ball falling into the down pipes of the b35 piece but sitting on the rim of the b34 down pipe.
Of course their connection flange is different so that would require more welding.

[gazm3]

The miller seems a good option if you only want to fiddle with a few things. Its much better than dodgy modifications to the airflow meter, but not as good as a full standalone. I guess the problem with a full standalone is you have to start again with all the coldstart, ac rev lift, etc etc. Im also putting a miller war chip/maf on my supercharged 540i E34 as they have a program already for 60lb/hr siemens injectors with OEM drivablility. The STD ESS tune is super rich and they injectors they supply barely support the level of boost the kit comes with, let alone when you intercool and turn the wick up.

Anyway we are getting sidetracked off the lovely E23. Im taking mine for a country trip around 400miles return so hope it all goes ok.

The odometer gears are pretty easy to do. THe scary thing looks to be removing the instrument cluster. I have to do my SI board as i get the odd flashing of the display and the tacho reads a little low which is also a telltale sign something needs to be done. Is it difficult to remove the cluster. Everything on the E23 interior is heaps more intricate than the E28 or E24 for some reason.

[Das_Prachtstrasse]

That is a fantastic looking e23.

[fastcrs]

Wow, this car has come a long ways. The stance is perfect and the interior looks great! Great job my friend

[offroadkarter]

The b35 manifolds are definitely bigger so yes you are losing flow. I remember a pic with a golf ball falling into the down pipes of the b35 piece but sitting on the rim of the b34 down pipe.

[ElGuappo]

That's the one

[D Unit]

It came to my attention the other day that I installed the small yellow ring on the wrong gear... I'm correcting it here just in case someone copies my dumb ass. It should look like this... BTW, if you have an e23, you will probably need the gear set similar to an e24 and not the e28. I ended up re-using 2 of my original gears and only changed out the e1 gear which was bad.

First thought before seeing any pics was black/grey, but it seems like the picture shows it being pretty close to black/white. I thought it would be a little more subdued.

That blue/black will probably look best in there, tie into the highlights from the M fabric.

First thought before seeing any pics was black/grey, but it seems like the picture shows it being pretty close to black/white. I thought it would be a little more subdued.

That blue/black will probably look best in there, tie into the highlights from the M fabric.

X2 on the mats.

Would it kill you to update your Instagram every now and again?

I bit the bullet and ordered the black and blue cocomats... I honestly had trouble pulling the trigger but after watching "how they are made" video, I couldn't resist... Besides, if my wife can I have a closet full of Air Jordans, then this was chump change... LOL.
https://youtu.be/Rb5QNNYXwcM

I also custom ordered red thread stitching around the drivers heel pad and black thread stitching everywhere else. Hopefully the blue and black combo will still look subdued with a little pop with the red heel pad... They don't advertise it on their site, but here's an example of what one of the reps emailed me.

[tig]

I wasn't subscribed to this thread. That was a mistake. Fixed.

[D Unit]

I finished the rear parcel shelf yesterday... I was able to squeeze out both middle consoles and the rear shelf using only 1 yard. Don't mind the lack of speaker grill covers since I forgot to put them on before I took the pic.



Next up, the cocomats. I've been pretty hesitant spending some coin on something as simple as floormats but once I saw "how" and "where" they were made I was sold. I placed my order online and the very next day a rep called to go over my order. Wow... great service! We discussed my options and he ended up mailing me their e23 floor mat patterns to verify a perfect fit. I honestly thought that would be overkill, but what the hell, I didn't want to argue with the man.

He also sent me a few samples. Seems like the blue will be a perfect match.


When I received the patterns, I went into the garage thinking I'd spend 5-10 minutes or so verifying/modifying the pattern. Low and behold, it took me nearly 2 hours. It wasn't so much the patterns were off, but moreso, it was kind of fun tweaking them out to be perfect. The blue shows how much material I wanted to add the the red portion I trimmed out.







I made the least changes to the front passenger seat...


And then went a little coo coo in the rear. Here's what I started off with... The e23 rear floor is not leveled but I wanted more coverage. This is what I ended up with.



Next step was to label the front


And... here's the wheels I bought from some guy in Germany (daywalker) a few months ago. They are Oz Futura 17x8.5/10 and only took 4 days to deliver. I was going to refinish them myself, but ended up sending them off to get professionally refurbished by a pro.

[stoney]

wow

[KrautnotRice]

Nicest E23 I've ever seen! In fact, I didn't think the E23 looked good until I saw a random pic of yours once. I love the direction you've taken this beast in and how clean of a find it was when you got it. Lucky!
Oz Futuras are some of my all time favorite wheels, they look great on pretty much anything. However, the BBS Style 5s you had earlier also looked proper.

[D Unit]

I got a BBS rear spoiler but does anyone know which one is mounted the most correct? I'm having trouble finding an accurate picture to go off of.

[86GT635]

Damn. This is getting gooder than good.

Please, please, please have the mat maker join the rear mats so they cover the tunnel. Once you pile a trio of well off inebriated bachelors like I imagine this car will be used for, you'll be thankful the carpet on top of the tunnel has been protected.

I'm thinking BBS included a template to drill holes correctly. Worst case/ and also best case you could find a leak free trunk lid and copy the holes.

[Pavel]

Man, you make this fabric reupholstering look so easy!

Thanks for inspiring me to dig into my E23 this weekend.

[D Unit]

Nicest E23 I've ever seen! In fact, I didn't think the E23 looked good until I saw a random pic of yours once. I love the direction you've taken this beast in and how clean of a find it was when you got it. Lucky!
Oz Futuras are some of my all time favorite wheels, they look great on pretty much anything. However, the BBS Style 5s you had earlier also looked proper.

Thanks! The BBS Style 5s were nice but I already have a set on my e36. The original plan was to have a matching BBS front end, BBS rear spoiler, and BBS wheels, but it seemed like that combo had already been built.

The guy that is refinishing the Futuras did these wheels too. He brushed the centers with gloss clear coat and polished the lips. I'm going to have him do the same thing to the Futuras too except nickel plate the existing wheel bolts in black chrome.



As luck would have it, I was able to source these Racing Dynamics sideskirts on Ebay for $150. They are so subtle that I think they will blend with the BBS front and rear spoilers without clashing.

Damn. This is getting gooder than good.

Please, please, please have the mat maker join the rear mats so they cover the tunnel. Once you pile a trio of well off inebriated bachelors like I imagine this car will be used for, you'll be thankful the carpet on top of the tunnel has been protected.

I'm thinking BBS included a template to drill holes correctly. Worst case/ and also best case you could find a leak free trunk lid and copy the holes.

Couldn't be more wrong man... This car is my daily driver and hauls my kids around to their practices. As for the rear mats, I was honestly thinking about it too then chickened out... LOL. Cost would've have been only $70 more, but I wasn't sure if I could justify spending that much money added to the original price.

Man, you make this fabric reupholstering look so easy!
Thanks for inspiring me to dig into my E23 this weekend.

Trust me... if I can do it, you can do it. The e23 panels are all very flat so they are easy to wrap. I highly suggest the 3M 90 spray glue at Home Depot and using Duplicolor fabric paint from Oreilly's. I've used SEM in the past (along with their cleaner, prep, etc) but whatever Duplicolor did to their magic formula in recent years has surpassed SEM IMO. Good luck.

[four2zerohero]

damn Dunit, I truly envy you. Would you be able to provide more details on your exhaust setup? more specifically the muffler.

thanks and great job

[D Unit]

damn Dunit, I truly envy you. Would you be able to provide more details on your exhaust setup? more specifically the muffler.

thanks and great job

Muffler is a magnaflow... Let me find out which one exactly when I get in front of a computer.

Had a strange problem on my home. After taking my routine route home from work, the car suddenly would not want to rev. Pulled over and had sporadic idle and could not hold a steady rev... Rev... Drop... Rev... Drop. Weird.

New plugs, rotor/cap, ignition coil, tested afm, cps, fpr, cat, and both fuel pumps.

I then checked the ecu and thought it felt a lil warm. Called the wifey and she brought my spare ecu 15 min later. Swapped the spare ecu and all issues resolved.

Cool, right? No. I tried to replicate the problem so I swapped back to the original ecu but the car is running fine now. Drove around the neighborhood for 20 to 30 minutes and no problems. Drive the snot out of it and there's nothing wrong anymore. What gives?

[four2zerohero]

Yeah probably a bad solder joint, its good to have a spare for troubleshooting. Mine used to act up when going over bumps or rough roads.

Anywho good job on the car.

[ElGuappo]

Dude, looking very nice.
My car feels so shabby now...I don't spend nearly enough time on it.

[D Unit]

Yeah probably a bad solder joint, its good to have a spare for troubleshooting. Mine used to act up when going over bumps or rough roads.
Anywho good job on the car.

Thanks!

Dude, looking very nice.
My car feels so shabby now...I don't spend nearly enough time on it.

Sup Jay!

Was waiting on a couple of things to attempt to install my wing again...

This wing is legit.


Here's the secret sauce.


Decided to dremel off the bolts and tape on the wing.


Then painted over the dremel marks to prevent rust.


Taped up the wing...


Made a complex measuring tool using a snipped zip tie...


Prepped the surface...






Fits like a glove...






Next project will be to mount the front fogs and re-do the exhaust tips...

[gazm3]

I love the look of the rear wing. Finishes off nicely combined with the front spoiler and large style5 wheels. Hope the new wheels look as good.

[ElGuappo]

Clever spacer and the spoiler looks great.

I think I have one of those, and maybe a Zender, not sure what the second one is. But I know I have 2 E23 deck spoilers...

[Adam W in MN]

Man this car looks so good. Nice prep and pics of the rear spoiler, looks fabulous.

[dsmith]

That is the best looking e23 spoiler I've seen. Maybe it's the install or the lines are crisper? Love it. That's a perfect example of how great an e23 can look. Well, minus the fender dents. Can you PDR those?

[fastcrs]

Nice touch with the spoiler, looks great! This is one car I can never get tired of looking at...