© Brian Silvestro
It still needs a few things addressed to get it race-ready, though.
Earlier this year, I bought a 1988 BMW 325iX project car with plans to prep it for ice racing in upstate New York this winter. The ice racing season is nearly upon us, and I've finally managed to get the car up and running. Mostly.
While the car is drivable, it still has some important issues that need to be addressed.
What Have You Done to It So Far?
The car desperately needed its braking system refreshed and, thanks to numerous winters spent in the Northeast, also needed a new hard line running to the rear calipers. I replaced the line, along with the fluid, pads, and rotors. Now, the middle pedal works as intended. And, thanks to a new alternator belt, the battery stays charged, even after a week of sitting. Luxury!
In my last update about this car I mentioned the faulty front seats. The driver's seat had a jammed slider that I couldn't get unstuck, so I took it out and dropped in a black leather spare we had sitting around at the shop. No, it doesn't match the red interior. But at least it works as it should. We're not aiming for perfection here, folks. I managed to fix the broken backrest lock on the passenger seat and secure it to the floor, so it stays (until someone pulls the adjustment lever and breaks it again, anyway).
During my first few test drives the car would begin to overheat while at a standstill, say at a stoplight or creeping through a drive-thru. At first I thought it might be the head gasket, but these M20s are pretty bulletproof. I decided to replace the thermostat to see if that would do the trick, and it did. The old unit was the original factory piece, and wasn't opening as it should've once coolant temps reached normal levels. My overheating problem was solved.
© Brian Silvestro
The wiper motor needs to be accessed through a removable panel in the firewall.
The wipers were a bit more difficult to fix. The motor itself is fairly easy to access, but the bolts attaching it to the wiper arm mechanism are a bit awkward to reach, so the motor took a while to get out. Instead of buying a new motor, I simply took the one from my Spec E30 race car and plopped it in. Unfortunately, the iX wasn't happy with that, immediately shorting out the motor and frying it. I was now out two motors. Worried I might have an electrical issue, I sourced another working motor from a fine gentleman parting out his early 318i to see if my car would short that one out as well. I plugged it in, and weirdly, it worked just fine. Eighties electronics remain a mystery to me.
The biggest improvement came with my power steering fix. The cooling apparatus for the fluid that snakes in front of the radiator had sprung a leak due to rust. Instead of replacing it, I simply rerouted the power steering hoses to bypass the apparatus altogether. Sure, the fluid might get a bit hotter now, but at least I have power steering. Have you ever tried to parallel park a front-engined all-wheel-drive car with unassisted steering? It's horrible. I'd say warmer power steering fluid is worth the tradeoff.
© Brian Silvestro
The cooling apparatus bypassed, the hoses from the steering rack to the reservoir connected.
So How Does It Actually Drive?
Very nicely! The suspension is a bit tired but perfectly suitable for what I plan to use it for. It's quick enough, and the five-speed transmission feels great. with no grinds or slipping whatsoever. Thanks to an aftermarket exhaust with less muffling and no cats, it sounds great too. As far as performing basic car functions goes, it's fantastic. But it's far from perfect.
What Else Needs Fixing?
Great question. A bunch of stuff.
The most important things that need addressing are the tires. Right now the wheels are wrapped in a set of dry-rotted all-seasons, which will be useless on the ice. I've ordered a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS90s because 1) they're very good on snow and ice and 2) they were one of the cheapest options on Tire Rack.
© Brian Silvestro
The iX parked in front of Hearst Tower, Road & Track's headquarters.
The blower motor for the HVAC system works, but only at its highest setting. After a few seconds of running it begins to make contact with the firewall, likely because the bearing inside is shot, and it makes a terrible noise. I've ordered a new one, along with a new resistor. Hopefully it'll be an easy fix.
The gauge cluster's connection to the car is iffy at best. The needles for fuel level and coolant temp jump around at random, while the speedo is non-operational, save for the time it briefly started working on the highway. I'll need to remove it and play with the connectors to see if I can get it working properly.
The spring on the throttle assembly isn't as, well, springy as it was when it was new, and doesn't fully close the throttle body even if your foot is totally off the gas pedal. The result is a constant 1500 rpm idle speed, which can get pretty annoying. The upside is not having to to feed in any throttle when setting off from a stop. The downside is more fuel consumption and people at stop lights looking at you funny.
While I don't necessarily need a radio for ice racing, it would be nice to have one during the two-hour-plus drives up to the frozen lakes each weekend. Right now the aftermarket unit in the iX turns on as it should but doesn't recognize any USB input and doesn't play any sound from the FM tuner. If anything goes unfixed it'll probably be this, as the stereo doesn't affect performance. For now I'm using the bluetooth speaker sent to me by Gearwrench. It has enough battery to last me several hours and fits neatly in the little storage space in front of the shifter.
© Brian Silvestro
325ix ice racer project
When Do You Plan on Fixing All of This Stuff?
Soon, I hope. The ice racing season is slated to begin on January 3, 2021, which is just a few weeks away. All I really need to be ready to race are the tires, but having all of the other stuff fixed in time would be nice.
The next time you see this car it'll likely be sideways on a frozen lake. Stay tuned.