I figured fellow E46 fans may enjoy this. This work was carried out over winter.
With the car off the road for the year, I took it to JWS Motorworks for them to install a Redish RACP plate kit & supplied them with new replacements of anything they'd be taking off to carry out the job, and a few other bits - job quickly turned into an underside restoration from the mid of the car backwards - albeit with the effort going towards functional replacements & rust/future proofing, rather than a full blown anal nut & bolt approach.
The work carried out included:
Essentially an underside restoration, albeit with the diff left for later on.
I had already rebuilt the prob, CSB, gearbox mounts etc prior to this.
Note the final finish isn't half as yellow as the photos make out.
Then I got around to sorting the front end out. Cleaning the knuckles up, new struts, springs, wheel bearings & an F30 BBK:
Then a wheel refurb:
And the car was back on the road...
The diff is still outstanding as I'm unsure whether to go for a simple rebuild/bearing change, or opt for a ratio change.
Notable stuff carried out prior to this:
- front end refresh (wishbones, FCABs, strut bearings, bump stops, tie rods, ARBs)
- VANOS rebuild (Redish Motorsports, Beisan kit)
- Rod bearings (Redish Motorsports, custom mixed ACL set)
With the car off the road for the year, I took it to JWS Motorworks for them to install a Redish RACP plate kit & supplied them with new replacements of anything they'd be taking off to carry out the job, and a few other bits - job quickly turned into an underside restoration from the mid of the car backwards - albeit with the effort going towards functional replacements & rust/future proofing, rather than a full blown anal nut & bolt approach.
The work carried out included:
- RACP reinforcement using the Redish plate kit on the underside and interior bracing.
- Clean up, removal and treatment of any existing corrosion
- Removal of the factory floorpan grommets & battery bracket (known starting point for corrosion)
- Continuously welding the factory spot welded lower arch seam
- New rear springs (existing ones were flaking)
- Exhaust hangers, brackets, mounting plates, gaskets & hardware replaced
- A pair of new driveshafts
- Subframe, brace, knuckles, arms and all other major components blasted and powdercoated
- New bushes (Lemforder for the control arms, RTABs, droplinks etc, Powerflex for the subframe & ARB).
- Rear calipers painted & new flexis
- New genuine steel brake lines front to rear
- Wheel bearings, handbrake assembly & backing plates replaced
- All brackets, nuts, bolts, hardware etc replaced with new
- Underside painted/seam sealed & undersealed
- Alignment & MOT
Essentially an underside restoration, albeit with the diff left for later on.
I had already rebuilt the prob, CSB, gearbox mounts etc prior to this.
Note the final finish isn't half as yellow as the photos make out.
Then I got around to sorting the front end out. Cleaning the knuckles up, new struts, springs, wheel bearings & an F30 BBK:
Then a wheel refurb:
And the car was back on the road...
The diff is still outstanding as I'm unsure whether to go for a simple rebuild/bearing change, or opt for a ratio change.
Notable stuff carried out prior to this:
- front end refresh (wishbones, FCABs, strut bearings, bump stops, tie rods, ARBs)
- VANOS rebuild (Redish Motorsports, Beisan kit)
- Rod bearings (Redish Motorsports, custom mixed ACL set)
Comment