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Hi Andy
Looking good.
I have high expectations of this build as you are so meticulous.
Would have liked the recessed filler cap on ours but we had time constraints to get it to press.
Just starting on a new Kalifornia build which should be much better than the prototype from what we have learnt.
Did you see the Kalifornia on the cover of Kitcar Magazine, out now?
Thanks for the comments!
Haven't seen mag yet as in Italy. Looking forward to seeing it though. I bet your phone will be ringing off the hook.....
Many thanks for the build photo's, and for the ones from the Italian museum.
Can you tell me please where did you get the rear reflectors and boot lock?
Eric - I like your approach of doing one section of the build at a time.
In fact, I love the idea that you could now take this for a drive to road test the rear end.
The "raised" character number plate looks good too.
Good luck, Paul.
Many thanks Paul L - Needed to get back end on to get sizing and dimensions for Exhaust fitting, So it was bit of a rush job, now will take back end off and refit this time taking care with lines and finish.
Can't take credit for raised number plate as 'nicked' the idea from Plastic Porsche on forum!
Great progress, exhaust setup looks superb, what does it sound like
Thank! Hopefully it sounds like a 1961 Ferrari Although how can I ever tell? Guess I could upload a youtube video of it, but I am sure it wont do it justice.
Its 'bassey' with the hood up, it must amplify the noise. It has a fantastic crackle that was always there but was suppressed but now is unleashed and I got to say that the pickup is much better at lower revs, I am very pleased with it all round in terms of the look (although detailing still to be done) and the sound is tremedous, just like the Nubodi Prototype I went to see last month.
Mine is a 3.0i so not sure what a 2.8, 2.2 or other might sound like.
Its going to cost me a fortune in fuel just revving it to hear that nice pitch
Check out my blog where I compared before and after fitting a k&n filter. That was recorded on a mobile phone held just near the steering wheel.
No, it does not do the sound justice but you can still really hear the difference.
Record, upload to YouTube and post a link here.
Cars need more than photos
Hi, yes I watched it and can hear a difference, obviously difficult for me to do a before and after, will give it a go though at some point. I'm taking a day off tomorrow from build after doing around 20hours commitment on it in last few days
I film loAds of stuff on my phone that I never use. Every now and then I discover I need something I filmed a while back.
The. Sound comparison is a good example. It was a pointless performance test as I had a passenger and an empty tank but I recorded anyway. I didn't use it for performance but for audio instead.
The past is a valuable thing, they don't make it now. If you record as you go you might find yourself going back to old bits.
I really recommend it now photo, film and storage is. So cheap/free
Hi Eric - can I ask - where the cars up on the post ramp are those stock BMW 17" wheels?
If they are I'd be forever indebted to you if you could run a straight edge up the face of the wheel and see where it hits the rear wheel arch - inside/on the lip or outside.
It looks to me like they won't go up into the arch and if that's the case it may scupper my idea for the big rims tucked up in the arches. I can gain some room by going 215 tryes and stretching but not a massive amount.
As I understand it stock 17" BMW wheels are fronts: 7.5" wide; et 41 and rears: 8.5"; et 41
Largest offset I can get on the Axe wheels I want @8.5j is 45mm so only 0.4cm reduction in poke over stock.
Hi Eric - can I ask - where the cars up on the post ramp are those stock BMW 17" wheels?
If they are I'd be forever indebted to you if you could run a straight edge up the face of the wheel and see where it hits the rear wheel arch - inside/on the lip or outside.
It looks to me like they won't go up into the arch and if that's the case it may scupper my idea for the big rims tucked up in the arches. I can gain some room by going 215 tryes and stretching but not a massive amount.
As I understand it stock 17" BMW wheels are fronts: 7.5" wide; et 41 and rears: 8.5"; et 41
Largest offset I can get on the Axe wheels I want @8.5j is 45mm so only 0.4cm reduction in poke over stock.
Be really grateful for you help - cheers, Scott
Yep they are stock 17"
Front - current dunlop 225/45/17 94W
Rear - current dunlop 245/40/17 91W
Wheel front 17" x 7.5 ET41 Type 78
Wheel rear 17" x 8.5 ET41 Type 78
I have calibre alloys and they are
Rear 17" x 8 ET35
Front 17" x 8 ET35
Tyre 235/65/17 104W dunlop
I put a straight edge there and I would say the edge of the tyre is around 5mm inside the wheel arch edge and the wheel arch lip/edge is around 15mm, so for my wheels to fit I will have to grind them flat or create a smaller lip as I want my wheels under that also. One of the others Andy S split his arches, not sure I am skilled enough for that!
Firstly your problem. I thin the biggest you want to go in terms of diameter is the original wheel size which was 675mm on the Fez.
Your new wheels and tyres come in at a massive 737.3mm!!
The big problem you have is you've reduced you offset to start with at 35ET. Seem to me anything above 7" wheel width won't be able to sit on the arch unless you manage to get some big offset like 60ET or something!
IF You could your same wheels in 7j with the 35ET they would sit 12.7mm further into the arch. If you combined them with 185/65 tyres then the top of the tyre then the actual tread part of the tyre would actually be a further 6mm ish un from the wheel edge (as you basically stretch fitted). *EDIT* Not usre about the legalities or safety etc. but could you get 10 mm machined off the inside of the ally wheel hub mating face to change them to ET45 assuming there's enough meat to do it?
So in total you'd gain about 18.7mm back from you current wheel face at the edge of the tyres circumference - so you may be able to get it to sit under?
The tyres diameter would be 672.3mm so almost bang on for original.
Go here and have a play with the size and offsets and you can also see the cross section of the wheel and how the tread will either stick out from face of wheel or sit in. Very useful
For me, I cannot get better than ET45 in 5x120 at 18" in the wheels I like plus the smallest width they do is 8.5j which would be impossible to get to sit under the arches. I've been burning the midnight oil trying all sorts of combinations but it's simply not possible for me with the sizes that are available. I always envisenged the car as a resto mod on big rims sat down and it's clear this not achievable without some major body work or fitment of after market arches so I think I'm basically out of the 250 build race
Smash, don't give up yet man. I believe that there are interchangeable parts from the Z4 (hubs n stuff) that allow another few cms of room, it's on a thread somewhere so maybe someone can pop a link up for you. A definite option me thinks.
The internet is a terrible thing, and I am now spending far too much time on it
I have a 2.2 M54 engine z3 auto (personal choice) it came with air conditioning, and heated seats and being an m54 engines car I have fitted cruise control, 2 parts required, just plugs in.
Looking on all the Google sear areas and the BMWmini spares site, it appears that fitting a z4 rear drive flange/hub will bring the rear in by 20mm
The early lower powered e36/e46 3 series cars had solid rear discs which are 60.1 mm high and 280mm diameter as opposed to the z3 with 83mm high and 272mm diameter, handbrake shoes on the 3 series are same diameter but narrower, disc same machined area though
The calliper bracket mounting bolts are a standard M10 10.9 strength shouldered bolt, 26.5mm long,
If I bought some 30mm 10.9 bolts and put a 3mm shim between the caliper bracket and the hub to centralise the bracket on the disc, and turned a 3 series disc down to 272mm diameter this set up would appear to be good to go
This could potentially give a 40mm decrease in the rear track on the 6 cylinder wide bodied cars for not a lot of money - 2nd hand or new flanges, new wheel bearings, discs and some bolts:
I am going to try and keep the 235/65/17 if I can. I have a suggestion on another forum about adding stopbumps inside the dampers so to restrict movement and hopefully it wont let the tyre touch the arch. It might be a quick, easy and cheap option to do. Parts ordered and due middle of next week.
Although how can I ever tell? Guess I could upload a youtube video of it, but I am sure it wont do it justice.
out: 
