Massive update from my microcosm of the world

I haven't been on here as much as I used to be, as I have been really busy lately with a lot of things. Lost my job, got a better job, moved to a new house, began renting a shop space for car projects, decided to go back to school, etc etc. While I upload the tons of pics of all my crazy stuff, here's a teaser:

As of the last time I was really active on this board, I had a nice E34 touring 5-speed wagon. When I lost my job, I sold that to get into something cheaper, which turned out to be a Nissan 200SX V6. When that started puking coolant and burning oil, I traded it for my 6th Subaru GL 4WD wagon. Then I found a turbo engine for it; then I bought a Fiat X1/9; then I began working on the Brat a whole bunch. Between all this I was given my old euro 528 back for free, after it collided with a deer and messed up the front end.

So basically, my automotive ADD went totally crazy for a while. As I go through the pictures I'll share some more with you guys. Those of you familiar with my Brat, it is going to be up for sale rather soon to fund the restoration of my BMW, so keep your eyes peeled....

That right there is what is inside my mind. I'm just fortunate that it's not inside my garage. It makes my head hurt.

It makes my head hurt, too! It's why I'm trying to slim down. Luckily, not everything in the pics is mine (ugly Jetta, brown EA82, Impreza) but I still have more than enough...

So I recently got my hands on this '77 Fiat X1/9.

As purchased: As it sits:

I hate flat black, so I immediately re-painted it Rust-o-leum Key Lime Green. Looks good to me, if you're a hater you can GTFO. More pics: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v126/SlickDizzy/My%20Cars/Fiat%20X19/

Anyways, the car is a '77 with a 1500 swap from an '81, after the PO spun a rod bearing at Road America. 1300 carb setup is retained, but with the 1500 electronic ignition - a good combo, IMO. Currently has the original 4-speed. Came with a boatload of spare parts, including the full '81 interior, 5-speed transaxle w/subframe & rear suspension, fuel injection setup, spare fenders, targa top, etc etc. The car has a little bit of rust here and there but is far from being horrible. Plans are to finish the bodywork, re-do the interior and add a stereo, then put an oil pan baffle in to prevent another spun bearing - then it will be a summer auto-x/track day car with occasional DDing. I have to figure out some way to store the targa top with the custom hood vents - the vents are ducted from the radiator and provide EXCELLENT cooling, but there's no room for the targa top anymore! I wish someone made a collapsible one.

I was driving it spiritedly one day when I somehow managed to crack a spark plug resistor...so it's parked for some general R&R at the moment.

SlickDizzy wrote: As it sits:

Nice. When I was a kid I used to lust over my neighbor's one....not quite the same shade, but it was also green.

More info on your paint job? It looks good to me!

Javelin wrote: More info on your paint job? It looks good to me!

One of the less-complex ones I've done. I scuffed up the flat black with some Scotch-Brite pads and went to town with spray cans of Rust-o-leum Key Lime Green. Masking was the hardest part. I have had varying success with both spray cans and the rolled-on method. Careful prep work is always the key to good coverage, and wet sanding will make any paintjob look factory fresh.

I rolled my E34 with Royal Blue using the Penetrol method and it looked pretty damn good.

I'm trying to compile all the info I have on my cheap-but-awesome paint jobs and will be starting a thread soon.

Yes, please do! When I bought my MX3, it looked pretty good. The previous owner had laboriously taped, sanded, roll-painted, wet-sanded... to the tune of about five coats. But unfortunately, the marine paint he used is susceptible to nasty water spots every time it rains, and sun bleaching. Looks dreadful. I'd really like to tackle it myself, but I'm afraid I'd make it worse. Your pics look great!

Here's my 528 and Brat at the moment. We were originally going to use all of the XT6 bits and turbo the EJ22 that was in the Brat and run it in the challenge, but adapting everything to the older Brat platform would have compromised the originality of the thing - and it's just too nice. We're just putting it together with a 5-speed upgrade and a cammed EA82 engine, after which I'll be interested in selling it to fund the BMW's repair.

If anybody needs older Subaru stuff, I probably have it This is really getting out of hand...

That's a rad setup.

You must be happy to see the Bimmer back. (I remember the original thread from when you first got it.) I have a similar 528, and of all the old Euro cars I've owned, it's my favourite.

There's just something very 'right' about cruising around in an old BMW.

SlickDizzy wrote: This is really getting out of hand...

I have the same problem... car parts expand like a gas to completely fill any space.

ROCK OUT WITH YOUR CRANK OUT!

what repairs does the E28 need?

AngryCorvair wrote: what repairs does the E28 need?

The deer did two things, one of which makes the whole repair 10x more of a pain in the ass:

1. It hit the car square in the center of the hood, bending the metal around the grilles and tweaking the core support and hood release substantially. The frame rails have been verified OK, and the (expensive!) euro lower valence is intact other than a softball-sized dent that is easily fixable. Unfortunately it will need (expensive...) new staggered euro headlights, the bumper is usable but has clearly been bent before, and I need to either find a donor car to get all the core support/metal grille surround hardware. I already have an ugly spare hood that will temporarily get the job done. This is not the hard part.

2. The impact broke the distributor in half (it is mounted at the leading edge of the block), and CRACKED THE HEAD! Granted, the motor had 260k miles, but it had run Amsoil since the 90's and didn't leak or burn a drop of anything...had great power (euro M30B28 has the same power as the US M30B35)...

I don't know if I want to swap an M50 into it or use the euro high compression M30 block to build a motor. Either way, it will be a project.

Slick nice shop setup and sweet cars/ projects going on.

Is that how you make your money or just a hobby?

CarKid1989 wrote: Slick nice shop setup and sweet cars/ projects going on. Is that how you make your money or just a hobby?

Thanks! It's a little bit of both. I split rent in the space with a couple of other friends, it's $700 a month for the whole thing. I work 45-hour weeks and bust ass in the shop on weekends, haha.