Cars We Drive!

[impolyt_one]

Here's an awesome car I saw when I went to the beach the other day - C130 Nissan Laurel from the early 1970's. It's a pretty large car, a bit unusual since the more popular cars back then were so tiny. This was almost the size of American cars of the same era. I think it's built on the same platform as the 2nd gen Skyline.

Anyhow, this car was really mint, and I think the wheels were Hayashi Racing (maybe something else, but I think I saw an 'HR' on the cap) - it's really crazy when you see the old school Japanese Hayashi Racing Equipment stuff and then realize it became HRE in America. I guess most people besides the wheel nerds don't even know that.

 

[HRoi]



There are already good wagons in the US. The E63T is in a league above the RS4, especially that V8TT one they're making now. I'd take one in a heartbeat, forget a 5 year old Audi compact that costs $60K.
Thinking of making that M3 wagon though, because it could be just something to do over time, and it's pretty easy to do nicely and cleanly. All of the stuff would be about $60K, which is less than a brand new 328i wagon. I could buy a 2007 318i wag with a clean registration and drive it around til I'm ready, and then buy a clean 2008 M3 sedan with a dead registration and have it flatbedded straight to it's evisceration. I'm not sure if I'd take the M3 shell and turn it into a 318i sedan and try to sell it, or what, lol. Even though it could be a good car (if I chose the same colored cars I could end up with a stock-looking 318i sedan) - the VIN would end up making the resultant 318i sedan really expensive to insure.

the difficulty in doing that project depends on how much you want it to actually be an M3. the engine is probably straightforward, and I am guessing that the 6 speed is either the same unit across cars or is a straight bolt-on. where you might get trouble is if you want it to handle like an M3 (suspension and various internals need to be swapped) and look like an M3 (you'd have to replace or fabricate almost every major body panel I think)

 

[fatals]

Hi guys, this is my second post here! Thats my dads A6 that i drive somethimes!!!

 

[Find Finn]



the difficulty in doing that project depends on how much you want it to actually be an M3. the engine is probably straightforward, and I am guessing that the 6 speed is either the same unit across cars or is a straight bolt-on. where you might get trouble is if you want it to handle like an M3 (suspension and various internals need to be swapped) and look like an M3 (you'd have to replace or fabricate almost every major body panel I think)

I don't think it's that difficult, engine and gearbox should be plug and play and if the wheelbase is the same, so should the axels etc. and the suspension you can get something better from KW, Bilstein etc.

Interior wise you can get an m sport interior, which is almost the same the M interior and the exterior shouldn't look like an m3, as it wouldn't be a sleeper then.


On a related not I don't understand why BMW doesn't make a M3 touring.

 

[impolyt_one]

There is that guy in England who made one, apparently it's very simple (considering one is making an entirely non-existent new car) but it'll probably take a whole M3 sedan to or at least a wrecked one+fresh parts to do a wagon, because of all the mechanicals plus the main loom, interior, etc.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=492494

Basically, the entire driveline, suspension, even interior (with a little mod of the backseat upper back rest) go straight into the wagon, they're apparently the same in terms of bolt holes and everything all the way to the back axle. I think even the rear door panels work. All of the subframes, driveshaft, exhaust - everything just bolts in. Using the main loom from the M3 gets you everything in working order, even the iDrive. Using the rear loom from the stock wagon just runs power back to the taillights. The guy on M3post says the only thing that doesn't work is the rear wiper, but I don't understand why right now. Maybe that's off the front loom.
There's only two things that take real work: splicing in the rear flares from the E90 M3, and then you have to fab a back bumper from two bumpers (splice the top center section from a wagon bumper and put it into the M3 bumper) - so that it accomodates the E91 liftgate and also the M3 rear flares. That's it.

Seems like a fun project, it'd be cool to have one of them since there's only a few running around in the world. It would have to look and sound like a real deal M3. I wouldn't do too much aftermarket stuff to it, I'd actually want to keep it 'stock' so that it looks like BMW actually made it, stock wheels and suspension, brakes, interior, all of that.

At first I thought I should get the cheap wagon first, and then an M3 sedan later, but now I realize I should get the M3 first and get the donor wagon shell later. haha.

 

[JayJay]

^^^The guy did a great job with that car; it looks in the pics like it's stock straight from the factory with aftermarket wheels. Really nice work.

 

[impolyt_one]

This is for GreenFrog.

 

[GreenFrog]

Ewwwwwww!

I mean, props to the owner for the great conversion job.. but it looks like crap!

Goddammit now I want an m3 again.. just when I felt satisfied with my ZHP

 

[mike1445]

I'm agreed with a size down in the wheels for a more stock look but huge respect for the builder. Must have been a massive undertaking and the results are perfect.

 

[impolyt_one]

Yeah I hate those Breyton wheels, I hate Breyton in general. I'd roll on stock M3 19"s or maybe ZCP's if I go through with this. Maybe have a set of LM's for my ricey days.

I wonder how many hours I'd have to book for the mechanical and then how many for the bodywork, then for the interior? I'm guessing at least 100 hours combined. Full mechanical swapover and undercarriage/suspension would be like 60-80 alone. I could probably fab the rear bumper myself with a sawzall and some SEM plastic patch.

 

[Find Finn]

It would look better with some G power or Alpina wheels.

Hartge did a M3 V10 a couple years ago.

 

[Cedric]



A riced NSX?

If it is a genuine , buddy, it is the ultimate NSX you see there, the Type R!!!

 

[rocks]

LM's are ricey, you sure are a funny guy....LM's, at least the authentic ones are superior in every way to any oem BMW wheel....this thread is becoming dumber every day.....Mods needs to move it to DT.....

 

[impolyt_one]



It would look better with some G power or Alpina wheels.
Hartge did a M3 V10 a couple years ago.

G Power would be only as good as Breyton, and I wouldn't want to go through all that trouble to put Alpina fins on a car like that - a B3T costs the same as an M3 wagon project yet the B3 is just a turned-up 335iT. Staying far away from that is best.

LM's are ricey, you sure are a funny guy....LM's, at least the authentic ones are superior in every way to any oem BMW wheel....this thread is becoming dumber every day.....Mods needs to move it to DT.....

Please tell me you believe in carbon fiber Roundels.

 

[Find Finn]



G Power would be only as good as Breyton, and I wouldn't want to go through all that trouble to put Alpina fins on a car like that - a B3T costs the same as an M3 wagon project yet the B3 is just a turned-up 335iT. Staying far away from that is best.

I'm was talking looks only, as the G-powers are better looking.