Okay,

As some of you know, this happened to Jim's poor M3 while on a track day @ Silverstone with Paul (Rst something ) behind the wheel !!





R.I.P.

So with what had jus happened & Paul basically having to buy the car from Jim, the decision was made with consent of Jim that me & Kirstie would have the car to basically re-shell into her E36 320 Coupe !!

So, here's the heart of the M3's new home with Dr jb Fletch, Nurse kirstie & assistant Tom at the helm of the major operation !!





Once the decision was made, it was about organising the safe return of the M3 down to my gaff as the car was safely tucked away at (the god send that he is) Martin's place !! We'd finally got most things sorted thanks to Paul, with the help of Tom & Dojj at the helm we had a car with a tow bar & Paul sorted a top of the range trailor (yeah top of the range in 1930 )

So the same day we were heading up to Martin's, Tom & Paul were rippin Pauls engine out as Tom has bought it for his own S2 rs turbo !!

Tom's Rs turbo


His new engine !!


So as Jim was "sort" of in my area lookin at a shabby 328 & me havin to do a cam belt on a 1600 Polo Gti he offered to pick me up & drop me to Pauls place were we'd meet Tom, Dojj & Paul !!

We jumped on the M25 (the wrong way ) in Jim's mum's Golf & as soon as we passed jct 8 we hit this...


So Jim did this...


And I did this



So while sittin in this stooopid traffic past Clacket Lane, Jim was umm'in & Arrr'in bout what motor to get, was contemplating Ginge's 325 then came the brain storm !! Rich's (PON) MR2 & then we rung EVERYONE tryin to get his number !! Once the traffic decided not moving was borin & got under way Jim was on a mission


And within about 15 mins wit were wit the boys & Paul handed over alot a dosh


The beast


Jim decided to follow us to collect the trailor incase he was able to go look at Rich's car, so we decided to keep blowin him kisses & make all the other cars look at him funny !!

So once collection of the state of the art trailor was in hand Dojj sorted the directions & we were off !! Straight inot traffic AGAIN


Paul kept lookin at me funny


Then I found out why once we'd put CARS on the dvd player !!


Then Paul decided to sort Tom out as i weren't playin his "naughty" games !!


While that was goin on, Dojj concentrated on drivin & I did the only thing I could do !!



Take pictures of the moon (Not Pauls moon )

We finally arrived at Martin's place at like 10pm. Fellin bad was NOT the word as Martin had quite a few guests round as it was his daughters birthday (happy birthday )

Still with all that goin on, he got the van & trailor carrying the M3 & pull it round the corner for us to transfer accross onto ours !!

We looked at it & thought hmmm



Martin didn't have the faith & thought we'd sleep in the motor & wait for his Forklift the next morning !!

Paul straight away was reminissing



So after several attempts, he gave up & I hopped in to get the car moving !!

Our problem was the n/s/f wheel literally hanging off !!



While the guys pushed the car towards the o/s, i reversedit & eventually we got it accross !!




Then Paul & Dojj strapped it down !!


And we were on our way !! Or so we thought, Martin pointed out we might need a "little" air in a couple of the tyres More air in a vacuum would of been a better description !!


Dojj managed to limp it to a go go juice station & Tom filled up the red bull while we filled up the tyre & Paul had a P

Then the valve decided to give up & loose ALL it's air again !! So after stoppin at EVERY services on the way home & havin to drive at 40 mph due the the seriously short trailor we got back to me old dears @ 4 am !!


So once home, we thought all well & good till Dojj pointed out we had no ramps for the trailor !! (thought it was top of the range ?? )

So with that in mind, I got the Cossie out the way, my lil run about 306 converts (sold now tho ) & my pals Mk 2 Golf that we've done a VR6 conversion on


Paul managed to reverse the trailor onto the drive after some difficulty


And we jacked the rear of the trailor up & let the car shimmy forward so the weight would take the back of the trailer to the ground

This sort of worked till the car got stuck, so wit the keys at the ready I hopped in again & started drivin it forwards, till the wheel digged in & the trailor got almost spat out the back at Dojj's Mondeo !!

The brickes we put under the wheels to chock em did nothin as they were under the wheels that were now in the air It was 4:30 am man !!

But eventually, she found her new home !!



The next morning will follow.............

jb

 

great story

good to hear the M3 will be back, as a 320!!!

 

Would this not be better in restos lol


You still doing the 'thing' to the saph too ?

 

Good write up bro.... Except the Police would have a field day with Jim talking on the phone while in control of a motor vehicle (I would of said driving, but I saw the traffic pic ) and the speedo pic

 

Okay, the next morning (or afternoon really as we started @ 3pm), Tom popped round after collectin his car from Pauls & we went bout seein the damage (like the exhaust add on ?)



We got bored of that & thought gettin the bonnet open was a good idea !!

It WOULD NOT move at the front, no matter what we did, so with the space at the rear undone the hinges & bent the bonnet forward


Kirstie was feelin a lil helpful & destructive !!



Then we had a go


Once the bonnet was off we could see a bit more of the damage


So Tom set about gettin the bumper bar off & strippin down the front end



The road was a lil busy with all our visitors payin their last respects to the M3



So once the front end was off, it was time to get the car in the air to start preppin it for engine removal



Poor wheel


All the bits which were damaged or didn't need (thats not an angle grinder, honest lol)



Gettin the ecu out was a mare as the fuse box got smashed & crushed


A glimps of the damage (air feed pipe after the air flow meter which was also broken)





Ooops


So by about 5/6 pm the engine was ready to be dropped



At which point we had to lift Tom's new engine out his car & into the garage, have Pizza, get rid of Kirstie to work (love ya really bubs ) & drop off me 306 to it's new owner !!

By the time we got back it was too late & we was pooped !!

The engine came out the following evening with the box & loom/ecu etc.

It's a little bit difficult at the mo as I can not get time off work at the mo, Tuesday's & Thursday's I'm like otherwise obtained & Sundays also !!

So don't leave much time to be workin on the M3.

But the plan is...............

Wednesday Evening (tonight now lol) get the rear beam & everything off the back underneath the car.

Friday Evening get the trim (inc head lining, A/c & wiring harness/components) out & everything needed inside.

Saturday, get Kirstie's car over & start strippin it. Same again next week & then the week after start fitting back up !!

Fingers crossed it goes according to plan !!

Thats state of play so far, will up date as we go along !!

Thanks to everyone involved in this, it is REALLY appreciated !!

jb

 

Oh sh*t !! Wrong room !!

Sorry !!

How I move it ??

Oh, forgot to say the impact has broken the o/s engine mount & snapped the engine mount bracket on the n/s !!

Hopefully the 320 items are the same ??

Rad, thanks for the heads up on the thread & of course

jb

 

Sorted

 

Thank you very much Rob !!

jb

 

nice read .looks a good project . sounds abit of a mission you had.
dont fanny about do ya lads .

tony

 

proper fun & games there i see

keep it up guys!

 

Look forwards to reading about this

 

guess what i was doing last night yup, virtually the same thing to micks motor, but i don't think he's going to put up a resto thread about his estate, even thoug i've taken enough pictures

if i'm in that neck of the woods on friday i'll pas through and see whats happening

as for the engine mount, not sure if they'll be the same mate, best start getting that wallet out for a mount as well as the air filter

 

Nice read J. Road trip looked fun

 

pmsl @ roadtrip !


Looking good

 

Cheers for the comments, we do always try have a giggle & thing ALWAYS go wrong somewhere !!

Dojj, I have a feelin your right bout the mount & bracket, already need to get an Air Flow Meter as this one got smashed !!

Jus a lil frustrating as I wanna crack on wit it, but can't due to other commitments !!

She'll get there tho, it'll be really nice for Kirstie, cos this way she gets a slippa (been on at me for months to weld the diff, but I said no cos her daily car & our lil girl goes in it), she gets a/c (both rads were fine & a/c still had pressure), cruise control, computer, probably the nicest E36 trim I've seen & around 300hp !!

It's really puts a smile on her face & swells me up cos she so excited bout it - like a lil school girl !!

JB

 

cooooooooooooooooool

 

aww bless ya! good to see all the hard work is going to a good cause bet she be well chuffed when its done!

 

Cheers Gaz,

Yeah man, Kirstie's so proud of her car it's untrue, it's jus up til now it's lacked in the go go & she really wants to track it & run it @ pod. With all the bits on it from the M3 she can do jus that & still take our lil girl to School & the shops, stables etc in comfort !!

If you could see jus how excited she was bout it all it'd bring a tear to ya eye, specially when I'm able to do this for her !!

jb

 

Nice one, read that with my lunch

Whats her insurance going to be like after the conversion? she doesnt look very old

 

Mission!!

 

Cheers mate, hope you liked it !!

She's "over" 25 (she's like you for sayin that tho ) & payin jus shy of Ł300 at the mo fully comp so shouldn't be too drastic. She's alos a named driver on the Cossie which she'll be pickin up on Saturday to use for a couple weeks while I get the bm's sorted !!

jb

 

How long before you weld the diff??

 

Cheers Neil, it is gonna be missions but worth it I recon !!

It's gonna have the M3 slippa in it which Jim got reconditioned not long ago so should be plenty sideways for her !!

jb

 

Good stuff, shes got good taste in cars tell her

 

I feel you might have a biased opinion of that tho !!

Will tell her tho, she does love her zimma's !!

jb

 

Biased? nah


Hope the operation goes well

 

Good luck on swapping it all over

 

looking good mate, depending on what time i finish working saturday i mite be abler to get over and give you a hand- should be picking the mk1 up sunday hopefully

 

Cheers & yeah yeah Paul, long as you keep ya hands to ya self this time !!

You gotta come see us when you pick the Escort up tho !!

jb

 

Yeeeeeeeeeeh Mk1 sounds good Paul, we gotta see it.....deffo worth staying Ford and not switching to the dark side......Jim

That road trip was an absolute mission, was a giggle though, not as much fun as ripping an M3 to bits.
Best part of the weekend though was getting that lump home, cant wait to get it in my car now...also gonna be good seeing Kirstie's car up and running M-Power!!

 

im going to trailer the mk1 and am not trailering it round to you as that a mission, pop round and see it in the evening?

your loving that engine tom-really hope it gets good power, im gutted i never got to get it mapped lol

 

Yeh your right actually trailoring a car ANYWHERE is a fecking mission especially to Surrey from Birmingham.......i expect we may be in Essex saturday.......London sorry

 

Yeah, Tom I can't wait either as once your's is done I'm pullin the Cossie off road for a few lil "tweaks" gettin the gauges sorted & dash flocked too !!

Paul, PLEASE tell me your not using the same trailor ??

jb

 

 

I hope he aint using the same trailor it only just made it back without falling apart on the motorway.......and there is a distinct lack of boards to actually drive the car onto the trailor which wasnt noticed till we were the wrong side of the mission (as in actually about to put the car on the trailer ).......im praying its only a short journey

 

yeh its a legend of a trailer , couple of scaffold boards and job done lol, only 30min or so drive

 

Great read there jb

 

 

Cheers Twins

Paul, oh god !! 30 mins drive at NORMAL speeds, bout 3 hours wit that thing on the back !!

jb

 

Paul, Its only a legend in the world of scaffold boards!!! And i cant wait to get some big power out of it either, hopefully i can do that whilst avoiding getting another speeding fine