Z4M full strip down and rebuild project

[john-e89]

Bonjourno,

With the new vapour and ice blasting workshop pretty much finished it's at last given me an opportunity to start a long planned strip down and rebuild of my M Roady. Its previous owner was an RAF sea rescue pilot and so the poor car has suffered with tin worm on its suspension and undercarriage components. Its currently on 39k miles but looks twice that underneath, engine and box are silky sweet and the bodywork is excellent but it's in dire need of attention to the running gear.

The plan is a full strip down and as concours rebuild using as many current parts as possible but realistically that's not many. So it's going to end up pretty much a nut and bolt refresh. The floor pans etc, are fine, no issues. It'll be dry ice blasted to the whole underneath as well as the gearbox and engine bay. Other parts will be either soda or vapour blasted back to as new.

The rebuild is going to see a few performance upgrades as listed:

KWV3 coil overs
AP 6 pot front 4 pot rear stoppers
VT engine mounts
New OEM bushes throughout
RTAB's
Remus back boxes
OEM CSL wheels in hyper silver with new MPS4's
New seats, not committed to any yet.

If anyone has ideas or advice please come forward, I'm always open to suggestions.

A couple of pics of the start of the strip down, it's in my own time so progress may be slow....

Thanks for looking in.

 

[Jollyjoiner]

Nice project to keep you out of mischief matey and nice new wheels in the background :wink:

 

[Zedebee]

I have serious workshop envy. Your earlier vapour blasting pictures were amazing. I can’t wait to see how you get on. Is this all hobby stuff for you, or do you run a business?

 

[pvr]

My word, that looks attacked

Had a look underneath mine last week during the service

 

[john-e89]

Nice project to keep you out of mischief matey and nice new wheels in the background :wink:

Really enjoying the bike Nige, being lekky means you can use the motor a lot if you're knackered after a day.

 

[john-e89]

I have serious workshop envy. Your earlier vapour blasting pictures were amazing. I can’t wait to see how you get on. Is this all hobby stuff for you, or do you run a business?

Cheers Zeb, Its a new business I've started, Ice, vapour and soda blasting.

 

[john-e89]

My word, that looks attacked

Had a look underneath mine last week during the service 616B242B-95D2-48E3-B443-DE6F6C10BEAF.jpeg

Perfect for dry ice blasting Paul, would look showroom afterwards.

 

[Zedebee]

I have serious workshop envy. Your earlier vapour blasting pictures were amazing. I can’t wait to see how you get on. Is this all hobby stuff for you, or do you run a business?

Cheers Zeb, Its a new business I've started, Ice, vapour and soda blasting.

Postal service? Where can I get details?

 

[pvr]

My word, that looks attacked

Had a look underneath mine last week during the service 616B242B-95D2-48E3-B443-DE6F6C10BEAF.jpeg

Perfect for dry ice blasting Paul, would look showroom afterwards.

And you offer bed and breakfast as well. Sounds like a deal :lol:

 

[john-e89]

I have serious workshop envy. Your earlier vapour blasting pictures were amazing. I can’t wait to see how you get on. Is this all hobby stuff for you, or do you run a business?

Cheers Zeb, Its a new business I've started, Ice, vapour and soda blasting.

Postal service? Where can I get details?

Not on Google yet Zed, but type Prescision blasting .co.uk, the website is only really a holding page for now as it's in progress but there's a form and number there.

 

[PDJ]

Things to consider

At the rear
Remove drive shafts and replace the ABS rings
Remove bumper and powder coat the steel bump bar
Remove sub frame and powder coat
Service the diff or at least the seals
Replace the rusty exhaust joint clamps for split stainless steel ones
Repair the heat shields they are very expensive
Replace the rear brake pipes (put a join under the plastic tray)
Consider poly bushes

At the front
While you have the X member off you are almost at the sump so consider checking the oil pump relief valve and rod bearings
Replace the outer steering arms
Remove the half blank in the brake cooling ducts
Consider polly bushes
Gear box mounts
Check change all the flexy bits in the prop shaft
While it is all in bits consider removing the O2 sensors re greasing threads and re fitting


Vanos service
Valve clearance
Leak down test
Compression test
Change power steering fluid 9if the rack is comming off you have to anyway)
Change the 2 front belts
Remove air box and service the little valve that is bolted to the block just under it forgot its real name but mine was stuck
Clean throttle bodies inside and into the inlet track

Thats all I can think of for now

 

[john-e89]

Many thanks for that PDJ....there are a couple of things on there I hadn't considered, like the ABS rings.

Not sure I want to go polybush, I've read they give a fair bit of vibration which I don't want.

 

[john-e89]

Driveshafts are stuck solid, really struggling to shift them.

 

[PDJ]

Driveshafts are stuck solid, really struggling to shift them.

Mine where but had to give in and a garage got them out I gave them a swinging arm hub and drive shaft they gave me a pile of bits back
If you do mark up the drive shafts as they are handed for rotation they will snap if fitted the wrong way round

I did not notice any vibration with the polly bushes but had not driven it for 6 months when it went back on the road
Why anyone would fit race type suspension and then leave sloppy rubber joints in is not my idea of an upgrade, my westfield was rose jointed so the movement was the linkages not compressing rubber first just my thoughts

 

[grannyknot]

I will be following your progress closely, I'm planning to do something very similar to my Z4MC this fall, I only have a home made vapour blaster and my shop is nothing compared to yours.

 

[john-e89]

Driveshafts are stuck solid, really struggling to shift them.

Mine where but had to give in and a garage got them out I gave them a swinging arm hub and drive shaft they gave me a pile of bits back
If you do mark up the drive shafts as they are handed for rotation they will snap if fitted the wrong way round

I did not notice any vibration with the polly bushes but had not driven it for 6 months when it went back on the road
Why anyone would fit race type suspension and then leave sloppy rubber joints in is not my idea of an upgrade, my westfield was rose jointed so the movement was the linkages not compressing rubber first just my thoughts

I've bent my half shaft puller feet trying.... :lol: Need a more robust one.

My thinking with bushes was have a standard but new set then rely on the coil overs to take up the slack. Its not going to see too much track time, but as I say, if the consensus is polys don't give vibration I'll go with them.

 

[Mr Tidy]

That looks like a fantastic project John.

It will take some time but you'll get massive satisfaction from seeing the end result!

 

[john-e89]

I will be following your progress closely, I'm planning to do something very similar to my Z4MC this fall, I only have a home made vapour blaster and my shop is nothing compared to yours.

Yes but I've spent tens of thousands on kit Granny and it's a business. I'd be very interested to see your vapour results.

 

[john-e89]

That looks like a fantastic project John.

It will take some time but you'll get massive satisfaction from seeing the end result!

Cheers muchly Mr T.

 

[craig3.2]

Bonjourno,

With the new vapour and ice blasting workshop pretty much finished it's at last given me an opportunity to start a long planned strip down and rebuild of my M Roady. Its previous owner was an RAF sea rescue pilot and so the poor car has suffered with tin worm on its suspension and undercarriage components. Its currently on 39k miles but looks twice that underneath, engine and box are silky sweet and the bodywork is excellent but it's in dire need of attention to the running gear.

The plan is a full strip down and as concours rebuild using as many current parts as possible but realistically that's not many. So it's going to end up pretty much a nut and bolt refresh. The floor pans etc, are fine, no issues. It'll be dry ice blasted to the whole underneath as well as the gearbox and engine bay. Other parts will be either soda or vapour blasted back to as new.

The rebuild is going to see a few performance upgrades as listed:

KWV3 coil overs
AP 6 pot front 4 pot rear stoppers
VT engine mounts
New OEM bushes throughout
RTAB's
Remus back boxes
OEM CSL wheels in hyper silver with new MPS4's
New seats, not committed to any yet.

If anyone has ideas or advice please come forward, I'm always open to suggestions.

A couple of pics of the start of the strip down, it's in my own time so progress may be slow....

Thanks for looking in.

Looks like an excellent choice of stuff,and a full on list of work.nice one

Re the Vibratechnics Engine mounts ...it's a reasonably noticeable improvement,I liked it alot. Was doubtful if I'd feel any difference or improvements with them,but did,and well worth it,John

As for the Poly bushes,I'm not a fan, personally.
Did them on my 3.0, and found it too stiff,and a bit of noticeable extra vibration.
Not done it on my M as a result,but each ti their own. Just my opinion. (Some people say they noticed increase in nvn, with the VT engine mounts,but I don't, as others don't).

Looks like you won't be parting company with the M for a while now then.
Guess I will have to look elsewhere in the future for Remus back boxes,when I have the cash,lol

Looking forward to your updates and seeing the finished article John.