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the loud, low and slow project

79K views 429 replies 70 participants last post by  disco!!!! 
#1 · (Edited)
the loud, low and slow project (8J STYLE 5s NOW FITTED)

alrighty
ive had the 318is since november and i have done a fair amount of work to her already including:
one full service
one coil pack
one set of ht leads
camshaft sensor
lambda sensor
full exhaust
rocker cover, front plate and oil filter housing gaskets
thermostat
mtec front and rear bumpers
mtec side skirts
and not to mention the fairly disaterous results from when i sent it to the bodyshop (it will get sorted on friday)

in the recent weeks i have fitted a set of height adjustable suspension and some new brakes here are some photos

here it is before work started the rear had been lowered before i bought it -60mm i think and standard suspension on the front, it looked pish



here it is with the front suspension done and lowered as much as they would go, it was still the standard rears with the lowering springs



then due to the front springs taking lumps out of my alloys they had to get raised to 4x4 esque comedy suspension (i should have my other wheels back soon so i will be able to lower it properly then)



the car was raised high enough so the spring platforms would clear the tyres on the front. even with the helper spring totally compressed there is only a balls hair of space between the front tyres and the spring platform

the other night if fitted some new front discs and pads as they were fandangoed



whilst doing that i tried to check the state of the abs sensor and found out as soon as i touched it, it fell apart in my hands :hissyfit got to sort that this weekend

the photos are post bodyshop
when i bought it, it didnt have the mtec kit on it
 
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#3 ·
what suspension coilovers/springs are you using and what width/et wheels are they taking chucks out of?
im looking to lower at some point and dont want any contact between the wheel and suspension, ill probably be running 235/45 17s (7j et35) on hot-tuning coilovers. (unless someone says its not a good mix of tyre and alloy)
yours look good lowered, did you try going over speed bumps?
 
#5 ·
its the hottuning coilies im using and the wheels are 7"x15" style 27's (et 47) with 205/60 profile tyres, ive had to raise the front suspension as high as it would go so the spring plates would clear the tyres and even then there is only a ball hair of space :jaw-dropping.
i didnt try any speed bumps on the basis the car struggled to get out of the garage.
im not sure they will fit it would be best to ask in the forum as you might find someone who has done it. however im my opinion 235's are a bit too wide a tyre to be running on 7" wheels

Dont slam it too much mate, you will only cause camber problems and possibly have to replace suspension parts more often, lower a little on some 18's or somethin but not too much.

You done a fair amount of work there fella, good job. Next stop, alloys :) If it was me, I would go with gen M3 wheels :)
well the idea of getting the coilies was to slam it as much as i could :awesome and i already have got a set of wheels well actually i got the wheels ages ago but they have been away getting refurbished for what seem like ages going to have to get the cove to pull his finger out of his behind and get them back to me

will be going to the bodyshop tomorrow to try and get some coin back as i don't want him working on the car anymore :mad
 
#4 ·
Dont slam it too much mate, you will only cause camber problems and possibly have to replace suspension parts more often, lower a little on some 18's or somethin but not too much.

You done a fair amount of work there fella, good job. Next stop, alloys :) If it was me, I would go with gen M3 wheels :)
 
#7 ·
OK I dont advise this as I didnt like doing it.

But when you kit konis adjustables to a Escort Cosworth and run 18" wheels they catch just like yours do. They solve this (they being all the top tunners) by either taking a hammer to the spring cup and bending it up round, or you can get a grinder and grind part of the cup away.

I went for beating it with a hammer and to be honest, its brutel but works a treat.
 
#8 · (Edited)
got the wheels back
good times



i finally got the wheels back after 4 1/2 months of shenanigans to be honest they aren't that great there is pitting in the polished sections of all of the wheels and the paint isnt fantastic, he did do a good job of getting the dunt out though.
but im not to fussed at the moment im going to fire them back together and i think about christmas time im going to strip them and redo everything
they look good from a distance though along with the rest of the car :rofl
 
#10 ·
i got a bit more work done tonight in the form of new rear discs and pads


the handbrake needs adjustment but im going to do that tomorrow, whilst i was doing the rear brakes i waxoyled the arches (dont buy the spray one as it went literally everywhere incuding my face) and i removed the original sill covers in preperation of the mtec covers being fitted but i need to drill the front wings for the mountings :eek

i stripped the style 5s again and took a grinder+flap disc to the pitting and i have started to flatten back the polished sections with p80 :frown its going to take me ages so i bought another set of wheels which should be getting collected tomorrow all going well
and that will mean i dont have to put up with the style 27s and all of their shenanigans and i can finally lower it :thumbsup
good times
 
#24 · (Edited)
today i have mostly being: bypassing my hazard lights, fitting a pair of arb links and getting down to sanding the style 5s

i jacked up the arse of the car and bolted up a wheel but after a wee while of sanding i stopped and realised the gouging from the grinder was a bit much so i might see about getting a company to finish them off depending on the cost

i purchased a set of E46 flavour style 32s



to be fair i did quite like them however due to the suspension setup i am running i would require spacers for these wheels and as far as i am concerend thats a big no no, so these wheels are back up for sale
 
#25 ·
whilst i was at home over the festive season i managed to replace the rear trailing arm bushes with some meyle bushes from all german parts http://www.allgermanparts.co.uk/

they seem to be alright a big difference from the saggy originals and they only cost £12 each so there is no complaints

other than that nothing to report just keeping it topped up with oil and water and trying to smash the sump off it :rofl
 
#26 ·
well i was a bit busy over christmas with the rta bushes but on the night before i was due to return to inverness my radiator took a b:censoredh fit and decided to burst on me, this would not normally present a problem but i was due to catch a ferry at 6.15 am the following day and it was 7.30 pm

being unable to source a new rad me and a mate pulled the burst rad out of the car cut back the fins and the pipes and then looked for the first thing we could plug them with
which happened to be a tub of fibreglass and a tub of filler, and here are the results



a bit of a bodge to say the least but it managed the 65 mile trip from ullapool to inverness then the 40 mile round trip to work and back the next day when it started to leak again, thankfully a new rad had arrived and was waiting for me when i got home and was promptly thrown in
 
#30 · (Edited)
well unfortunately the loud, low and slow project took a bit of a turn for the worse this morning

whilst on my way to work this morning, i overtook a lorry or two :shifty: and didnt think anything of it untill i came off a roundabout, about 2 miles down the road and looked in the rear view mirror to see clouds of steam coming out of the back of the car and to be confronted by a temp gauge needle aiming for the red
once i got stopped i opened the bonnet and saw the hose connecting to the thermostat had popped off and it had spat out all of the water
the engine had started ticking about a week ago and i just put it down to the exhaust manifold had cracked but i was wrong, so wrong

anyways taking the rough with the smooth i now dont have to do the crankshaft seals (they were leaking), i can give the engine bay a good scrub, change the gearbox oil, and get that Z3 shortshift i have been promising myself

oh and just to rub salt into the wounds bmw called me today to tell me my parts have arrived and i was to come in and pick them up :rofl

now i had better get hunting for an engine
 
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