Project E30 / Ep. 17 / Paint Repair & First Drive

In this video we'll fix up the remaining bodywork issues then take the BMW out for its first drive in over 5 months.

[@jah2mon]

Awesome job with the E30, you are one of the most detailed builds out there. You should have a sponser or patreon page, I wouldn't mind throwing in a couple bucks to see you put out more content.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thank you so much! I haven't looked into Patreon very much, but I'll be sure to check it out. I appreciate the support!

[@notwalshy]

second this

[@Ibrahimibrahim-zb4xp]

Bro,, your insane. I felt really happy seeing this success.

[@sixcylinders6346]

Still got a few more videos to watch yet but have been thoroughly entertained so far and fascinated by your journey. I’ve been very impressed by your attitude about getting stuck in to all the problems that have cropped up and the quality of work that you have produced. I’m a huge E30 fan and you’ve brought this one back from the brink so thank you for that. Your style of presenting these videos is so enjoyable to watch and unlike a lot of others out there. I wish you well on the remainder of this journey and will be eagerly following. Best wishes Peter.

[@rutger208]

So great you can finally have a drive in it! Please bring us more of this content

[@Glocker45]

Gotta love that BMW engine humming sound

[@luckylucy12lucky]

Very nicely done! I also admire the way you adhere to the principle of "don't let perfection be the enemy of progress".

[@sumimasen4180]

My E36 had a similar transmission whine in every gear. Tried new fluid but it never went away. Sadly the car eventually died out before the transmission did and I sold it for a $200 loss. Not too bad. This series was truly a joy to watch through, I've been heavily thinking about getting an E30 lately now that I have more free time and income. Very much looking forward to more content from you E30 and otherwise.

[@bmw-e30]

Great series on fixing up an e30.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thank you!

[@MrLakers2432]

this is exactly the motivation i needed to get my hands on an e30

[@vroomkeys]

Ivan Ortiz yeAh breh! You end up buying one?

[@LOADEDpistOLE]

Love that hidden supercharger 😉

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

If only it added horsepower!

[@lmChance]

A BMW e30 is my current dream car. After watching you go through and repair this car to bring it back to good quality just makes me want to buy one even more. Seems like such a fun car to work on and a great drive as well. Thanks for this series, Great job.

[@motheolebelo]

Engine sounds very happy and very. So awesome to finally see you doing the first drive after all the hard work, Thumbs up on this build.

[@dtownLaydowns]

Way better than I ever could have done. Great job, thanks for sharing. I would have covered the brakes when painting the body next to it. You had plenty of excess material.

[@Gsr_automotive]

Good job, I've only recently discovered your channel and have been following this build ever since. Tbh, I haven't learned this much in quite a while, there are so many minor car details you almost never find being covered on YT and I'm glad this build covers them. You're really good at what you do and I hope one day I'll be as good. keep it up.

[@TonyDraycott]

Wow a bmw driver that uses the indicators! Wonders will never cease! Seriously thou great job on the restoration

[@becomematrix]

11:40 perhaps a bit overdue but chip guard builds up if sprayed slowely it matches oem texture.

[@txdave13]

Looks great, Peter. This has been my favorite car to watch you do because I have a project car with many of the same issues. No rust, thankfully, but everything else is helpful.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thank you David! This has been the most trying one yet for me, but it's finally coming along. I hope your project comes around as well!

[@Anirossa]

Great job, you really have saved this bimmer!

[@vitocaloia6535]

Great videos, appreciate the detail over everything. Making it easier for others and adding confidence 👍

[@azamizi]

Congratulations, that smile at the end sums it all up.

[@lifelong5425]

Really good work all round...

[@peterkrzesinski5941]

Congrats! I admire your perseverance!

[@personman6212]

Awesome Car that E30 really hoping to have a car like this one day

[@ruvimbro3165]

Amazing work!

[@pcranebmw]

Nice job. You do great work. Thanks for sharing your videos.

[@Gnux91]

Awesome just awesome. Love the content. Please continue

[@scottstone686]

Sweet ride! Must feel so good to finally get to enjoy it.

[@hakansundstrombmwsweden7645]

Great job, love old BMW:s I have 3 E10 one 318 e21 one 87 e30 conv. And one old 2000cs from 68. Love em all. Hakan in Stockholm Sweden

[@Ricdhol]

Great series, really enjoyed it.

[@XskiXedgeX]

Great job, man! Thanks for the good content and ideas for my E30!

[@grugrufito]

Nice job!!! Thanks for sharing it

[@dyeang]

Great contents sir. Very detailed and only valuable information as needed. Perfect. Bravo

[@friguy4444]

Seriously a great little treasure! It's great to see that you followed through and made this car hum along again as it should. I believe (If you are a driver, and I'm sure you are lol) that the more that you drive it the more you will fall in love with it. Hoping you will video the seat clean up or replacement, how ever you are going forward with it, when the time comes. Perhaps in the future when your bank account allows you can delve into another top BMW project. Perhaps an E30 with a S54 engine swap? (Plus LSD rear etc) I've heard many times that that swap can produce one of the best power to size ratio to handling excellence and Hoonablitiy for your dollar possible. Anyway, Thank you for the great videos and hoping you don't stop!

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thanks Greg! I'll be sure to document the interior makeover. We'll have to see about an engine swap, I somewhat like the fact that you can wring out the M20 and still be somewhat within the legal speed limit :)

[@swazi5]

looks mint. so nice, congrats

[@TheDasbull]

Belated congrats! Welcome to one of the best of the BMW's. Great to see you enjoy the fruit of al, your labor 👍

[@ivou]

Awesome work man, so happy that it's finally "finished". Enjoy it, you def earned it!

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thank you!

[@danieldbird]

Great job.

[@punkbloater]

Job well done Sir! It’s fun little nippy car.

[@robertcarney8361]

thank you for sharing these issues, mine has the pulse ht lead issue and the oil filter housing leak 👍

[@robsfooty]

Congrats!

[@karimmortada9204]

Dude I’ve been waiting for this👍👍

[@tipr8739]

Stay tuned for Season 2, when Peter gives the e30 a turbo!

[@cocoyc495]

The car is looking great. Keep it up!

[@michaellindon5688]

Great stuff

[@brendensprague8019]

so glad you finished it. Been waiting for this video! impressive work my dude

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thank you!

[@tmmason10]

You’ve made great progress. Makes me want to finish some things on my e46 project. Except it’s freezing out and no garage!

[@CooCuMbEr]

i was relieved when you cut that bodyline back in on the sill at 7.50 :)

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

It just had to be done!

[@jordanmowday]

You either got lucky and have an M3 rear seat, or someone wrestled a convertible rear in there. Not sure what's going on under the front covers but horizontal stitching wasn't an option in sedans. Great job on everything so far, love the videos!

[@nicknamesieben]

Good Job 😎

[@vroomkeys]

So good

[@carlosramos-ib3wf]

man that's awesome!

[@iamCairn]

You make amazing videos

[@mikewarner2285]

Nice job

[@becomematrix]

Nice job overall considering what you mentioned:-)

[@Pointyman77]

For some one who doesn’t do paint and body that’s pretty good. Next time you’re doing a spot repair , try to widen out the area a bit where you’re gonna paint . As in put the soft edge masking a little bit further even if you’re not painting all the way up to . I think you’ll see some great results

[@comfort_in_discomfort]

Nice work. I similarly wanted an E30, but a full size Jeep Grand Wagoneer followed me home. Have to restore that one first. Great content. You clearly spend some time on the editing.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

There are so many cool cars out there that need rescuing! I'm glad you found a Wagoneer and are going to give it some TLC.

[@carsonhunter7117]

Defiantly inspired me to get an e30

[@SunnyV-0]

Great work! But man that transmission sounds like a supercharger.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Lol it so does. Ugh.

[@eugenebaker3682]

Videos are amazing, new music is great!

[@widionugroho7917]

nice....

[@CookRacingUK]

So glad it's came out well :) On the rear bushes, maybe rent the BMW tool that lets you take them out in situ? Would be great to see it in action, and would save so much time instead of taking the subframe off.

[@arkkukakku112]

E30 with power windows, leather seats, OBC, 2.5l. that is so rare car in my country. you need to pay 8K € for something like that.

[@ArcticAutoWerks]

Sweeet! Time for a loud exhaust

[@Erikson.Frederick]

Love the kosei k1's I regret selling my set

[@_i-kr6eg]

Great too see someone else use POR 15 I've used almost all their products great stuff just need to perp the surface right. Should of washed the underbody even the engine bay

[@mrrhyte]

great job!!! Replace the two bulbs in the OBC. you have one that is not working.

[@guillaumetsogbe-hamel2145]

16:10 mintues, we can see how long the car sits when spiders made their home on the jack stand😂😂

[@joshuaflint603]

Yayy new vid!

[@Acejason200]

Amazing videos I hope ur channel grows faster. Im considering buying an e30 because of you and restoring it PS buy bilstein B8 or B6 shocks for it and put it on eibach springs Keep up the good work

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thank you! I definitely have my eye on some Bilstein shocks when the time comes.

[@swpdisciple]

I love the detail of this build! I love BMW and the E30 is probably my fave body style 3 series. Oh, where’d you get the ambient music? Cool tunes.

[@Justin-ry2kh]

Awesome job man! I'm a DIY guy myself and you gave a lot of helpful tips. You should consider importing something next. I imported a Nissan PAO. It isn't as hard or costly as you'd think.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I would love to! I've got a bit of an itch for a RWD manual turbo JDM sedan. Hmmm...

[@Justin-ry2kh]

@@PracticalEnthusiast There are tons of options, as long as it's 25 years or older. Go to japancardirect.com > How to buy > Vehicle Search Engine You can browse through the auctions in Japan.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thanks for that - I'll take a look!

[@Justin-ry2kh]

@@PracticalEnthusiast No problem!

[@darothc]

I really need/want an e30!!!

[@GaJeepr]

Have really enjoyed the E30 already. Have considered one as my next project several times. Great work. After your fine work I would have to say just some cheap spray can bed-liner might have been better, IMHO, than the chip guard. Will have to check out your paint reference. Still deciding on how to make my latest project 94' Hardbody all the same color again. Was the clear coat 4K? Thanks again for sharing. Your explanations and completeness are A+.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thank you! I'll definitely have to give the bedliner a try if I ever have to do this again. My Z has the same chipguard stuff going on the bottom portion of the car and some areas need touched up. I'm not sure about the clear coat, it didn't list specs as far as I remember. It does go on quite well and holds up from my experience with the Z.

[@GaJeepr]

@@PracticalEnthusiast The 4K ( and 2K ) clearcoat cans normally require you to mix via putting a button on the bottom to fully mix and thus you definitely require a high-quality full respirator. My 94 Nissan Hardbody really needs a full paint (it's a beautiful TK3 blue) but as a beater so far with no two panels looking close to the same. Have been toying with the idea of "can you do two stage at home with high-end color and either 2K or 4K clear coat in spray cans?"

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

@@GaJeepr I think you could definitely pull it off with spray cans! It just might be a lot of spray cans haha.

[@roberthildebrandt266]

careful when you pull out the gauge cluster, there are two mounting ears at the top. They break super easily. ask me how i know

[@wheelsdeal]

Well done.That was a very enjoyable series. You can finally have fun with the car now...So...maybe some 996 content now???

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

The 996 is gone, sorry :( but I plan to make a CBR900RR video once it warms up.

[@aabmthsk]

Hey, what size metal did you use? I’ve got a 2002 and will be attacking similar repairs soon. Thanks

[@poching0521]

Great to see another E30 back on the road! Mine is still on jack stand and waiting for parts. Hopefully, it will on the ground soon. By the way, what type of transmission fluid do you use for your Getrag? Have you notice any rattling noise from transmission when it is in neutral or when the engine is lugging at low speed?

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I used Redline MTL. Mine doesn't rattle, just whines. This transmission was ran out of oil for who knows how long, and the previous owner just kept driving it. At this point I'm just happy it actually works well!

[@davidcover9591]

looking good man, did you by any chance check for water entering the cabin before putting the carpet back in? I just finished doing all the floor pan work you did. Going to drive it for a while with the stripped interior to see if any water still gets in

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thanks man! You know, I haven't tested it thoroughly, but nothing was wet after I washed it. I'll have to do a better test later!

[@cbkenison]

96 five the buzz :)

[@NitroFaDe]

hey i have an 86 bmw me and my uncle switched out the slave cylinder and the master bled it but we took off and it still making some really sketchy noises and i don’t know exactly what it is help??

[@Logan-ml2dt]

What suspension was on this before you upgraded?

[@1stNintendoCollector]

Is the AIr Conditioner working? Like your video’s!!

[@northernmaten7676]

that whine is from the gearbox due to worn input shaft bearing

[@UnearthedMind]

sounds supercharged - I like it :D

[@tylermcbride2158]

Why did you use a fiberglass filler instead of a Bondo filler?

[@youngmauro12]

Are you sure that whine isn’t the timing belt you just did? It can happen right after a new one is put in

[@g0disn0where]

What were tire and wheel sizes?

[@felipeaguiar2830]

What happened to the toyota??? More videos of that truck pleaseee!! 😁😁

[@adamclaus1624]

@peter do you still own the Ram? I've seen your other cars in the driveway but haven't seen anything written about the Cummins in a while.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I sure do! It's too big to keep at the house haha.

[@bvd2551]

that getrag whine

[@bvd2551]

i love it

[@mehmetcetin3325]

such this car 5000-6000 USD dolars in TURKEY what about there?

[@vladikpetrovskiy5259]

Hey it’s a old car it doesn’t need to be perfect

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

So true. I like some imperfection, it means you can actually use it. :)

[@mrnick8171]

Plastic bumper