• Sound deadening Done!
• Air Conditioning Done!
• Headliner Done!
• Rust proofing Done!
• Heater Core Done!
• Remove windows, rear glass and actuators Done!
• Anything that doesn't hold the car together Done!

• Rig starter
• Remove excess wiring

• Oil Change
• Valve Adjustment Done!
• Air filter change
• Spark Plugs

• Fire suppression
• Belts
• Window net

• Get sport springs off Ryan's car & swap for stock
• Put sport springs on lemons car
• Get Pete's used Bilsteins off of the M5
• Put Bilsteins on lemons car.

• Clean and fill rust holes
• Primer
• Color coat

With the summer months upon us, we've gotten a bit lax on documenting our progress, but it goes a bit like this. Every unnecessary bit of wiring, metal, scrap, rust and unessential pane of glass has been painstakingly stripped from the car. The garage is covered in the dust and scraps from the joint sealer, frame undercoating, and a ton of metal filings. Wire wheels have been torn a sunder, cutting blades have been worn down, and both sweat and blood have been donated to the cause.

Day 3 was a lightly attended affair with only Ryan and Robert in attendance, but we got a good bit done for such a small crew. The cabin AC components were removed, the headliner was pulled out, the dash wiring was thinned out and moved out of the way, the coolant was drained, and the engine bay was prepped for the next round of projects.

Day 2 was the first official Barbie Must Win work-day. Alex, Pete, and Robert got to work clearing rust, tar mats, and cutting out mostly-gone floor panels. John Cox broke out his vast knowledge of all things old BMW and gave us some good and bad news. The good news is our transmission isn't the lemon that it could have been with our year range, and that we do, in fact have the more powerful 'euro' engine. The bad news is we have an open diff in an unfavorable ratio. Ryan showed up and helped pull the shiny 6 series trim before he and Alex started in on the dashboard. Before long the the front of the cabin was an exposed bundle of wires. Unfortunately, in an attempt to remove the shit knob, Alex made a discovery that his elbow is harder than a 25 year old windshield.

Day 1 was all about confirming that our donor car wouldn't cleave in two the moment we hit the brakes before the first corner. Peter, Alex, Robert and Dan showed up to check things out. Pete got under the car to check the extent of our cancerous rust while Alex and Justin got to work stripping out the carpeting, sound deadening and tar mats, which uncovered more rust in the floor-boards. Pete and Robert started pulling off the brake calipers for Pete's 'homework assignment' of rebuilding and getting them just the right shade of Barbie pink. Everything was going well until the driver's side stainless steel brake line didn't feel like letting go of its caliper. On the plus side though, the brake line was stainless steel! Too bad the rears are nice crackly rubber.

There's nothing quite like trying to drive (smuggle) a totally non-legal heap of scrap through south city, all the while praying you don't manage to kill it because you don't have a working ignition switch. No turn signals no plates, no interior, no bumpers, and (rather abruptly) no shift knob. It would have made for an interesting discussion with any of the local constabulary should we have been stopped. Ryan and Robert took turns behind the wheel of his E24 hunk of scrap and my (only slightly more legal) e34 hunk of scrap. Luckily we made it one piece without any... imperial entanglements.

We didn't get arrested The car didn't explode

None, YAY!