Project Chronicle

Much has been written about the late 80s and middle 90s Mercedes-Benz products. The W124 has long enjoyed favor among enthusiasts owing to the platform's longevity and fairly bulletproof reliability. But I'm here to tell you the next generation - the one that got eyerolls and deep sighs from brand loyalists that didn't like the dramatic redesign - is just as impressive as those older models when it comes to ease of ownership. 

I put some money into my E55 last summer when I first got it, almost all of it proactive in nature (meaning, not urgent). I replaced the shocks with Konis, installed new tires, and replaced the fan clutch. Otherwise....I haven't touched it until last week. This is a high-performance, limited-production super sedan that has needed next to nothing maintenance-wise, and didn't exactly come with a robust service history when I acquired it.

So, it didn't bother me in the least to put some work into this month. There were some errant oil leaks I had been ignoring that were likely to become a problem in the future, but that I had basically lived with for a year to no ill effect. The oil cooler seals, oil filter housing gasket, and valve cover gaskets were replaced, and I had the coolant flushed while it was in the shop. That's it, and I don't foresee any mechanical needs arising in the near term. 

For a factory hot rod, there's no denying that there's usually a maintenance penalty that comes with the need for increased upkeep. Not the E55, however - it's a unicorn in so many ways, not the least of which is its ability to maintain its high-performance status without becoming a maintenance hog. 

It has been years since I had a hobby car I made an excuse to drive. Despite having an ongoing rotation of vehicles stretching back about a decade now, it hasn't been since my departed 1995 M3 that I tried to find excuses to get out for a drive - but I've found that in the car infamously known as the clownshoe. 

The 2002 BMW Z3 M Coupe is quickly nestling its way into my cold, dead heart, blending together all the rubber-bands-and-bubble-gum construction of an E36 car that I find so endearing along with the bonkers S54 powetrain that has all the smoothness of a classic BMW I6 but actually wants to rev to 9,000. Combine that with the classic BMW traits of the door being at the perfect height for your elbow and the fact that this car is tiny! - my head hits the ceiling - and you have a vehicle like nothing else on the road. It's what I imagine it's like to drive a TVR with airbags and ABS.

All in all, I am so happy I took a chance on this forgotten breadvan, and I'm eager to correct its remaining ills to bring it all the way back as soon as possible. 

After selling my 996-chassis Porsche 911, I was pretty relieved to be done with the looming threat of bore scoring and a replacement IMS replacement to my existing IMS replacement. The fear mongering was pretty intense, from both fellow owners to individuals who own shops that service 911s. The makers of IMS kits are now suggesting that you may need to replace your original replacement, which is a big change from the "one and done" approach. And even if your car has no evidence of bore scoring, there are legions of enthusiasts who will say your car probably has the issue. 

I hate to admit this, but it got to the point that I couldn't enjoy the car. That being said, I didn't like it that much to begin with, so it wasn't all that heart breaking to see it go. So now, with this in mind and the 2001 Z3 M coupe in the garage, we move to the next persistent threat: rod bearings. In the BMW world, rod bearing replacement is the equivalent of IMS replacement for Porsche owners, but with perhaps less risk because your engine won't instantly blow up but rather slowly degrade.

When I got the Z3 M Coupe, there, of course, was not evidence of bearing replacement, so this was first on the menu. However, once the original rod bearings were replaced, it was evident they were in fine shape and could have remained installed for years to come. Should I have had them done? Well, most M car enthusiasts would say it's worth the insurance and comfort of knowing the job has been done, but I could have delayed the job and dealt with some other more pressing maintenance needs in the meantime. 

Regardless, the condition of the original bearings suggests a history of frequent oil changes and lack of abuse, so there's the silver lining - along with knowing I won't have to tackle this job for years to come. 

The M Coupe went to the shop this week for the long-awaited rod bearing servicing. As part of this, the engine mounts and oil pan gasket will also be replaced. Since I was waiting for both the title paperwork to come through and to avoid driving it without the bearings done, the car hasn't seen much use except for around the neighborhood. As such, one of the main concerns was how notchy the gearbox was. I'm happy to say, those concerns have all but dissolved after taking it on a meaningful cruise. 

The transmission became much easier to live with within 10 minutes of driving as the fluid warmed up; otherwise, there were no surprises with this car despite four years of inactivity. When I got to the shop this week, the front subframe had been dropped and in looking under the car, I was pleased to see how many OEM stickers were still present on parts; some, like the shocks, are original Sachs units that will need to eventually be replaced, but it's amazing how stock this example remains. 

The transmission notchiness could be explained by the fact that it had the incorrect fluid. In addition, the rear subframe is mint with zero popped welds. The engine internals are beautiful with no signs of metal shavings or any other damage. I will need tires but I knew that; otherwise, there have been no ugly surprises thus far.

You may recall I bought my "dream" bike a few months back, a 1991 BMW K1 motorcycle. Yes, I still cannot ride, and yes, I have bought a second bike since then (that I also cannot ride). The K1 went up to Rhode Island to my long-term mechanic Jay Gaston, who - while not being a BMW tech - is pretty talented at all things mechanical and a regular motorcycle user, so I felt it was worth shipping it up to him.

The bike had been in a prolonged state of disuse, so it wasn't a surprise that the fuel system was trashed. Amazingly, a few weeks ago, the guy I bought the bike from contacted me to say that the title had turned up. When I received it, the title had some language on it that indicated the K1 was ordered to be sold as part of a divorce settlement, which may indicate the bike was tied up and not usable for some time. 

Regardless, Jay was honest and told me he was uncomfortable disassembling the fuel system. I didn't know where to start, especially with the bike in Rhode Island. Fortunately, the gentleman I hired for bike transport over the last few months connected me to another individual (Joel) in Pennsylvania who apparently was a BMW tech in another life. He's retired but now runs a motorcycle tour business, but takes on a few projects each year. With my transport guy vouching for me, Joel told me to send the tank to him and he'd clean the tank, rebuild the fuel system, and re-seal the tank if need be. 

So far, I am super impressed. Joel has been sending me weekly updates - with photos! - of his progress. He's ordered the fuel pump, sender, various gaskets and seals, and so on. He did advise that the last K1 tank he did had pinholes in the bottom that didn't materialize until after it was put back together, so a treatment may be needed; regardless, I am thrilled to have found a turnkey solution that will allow Jay to install the tank and (hopefully) fire the K1 up. 

When I moved to Maryland, I had to leave a few cars behind due to being "in progress" once the moving van arrived. The Isuzu Trooper RS and the Lexus Land Cruiser were among them but had clear expectations of being down south before too long; the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth was far less certain due to needing a wide range of "finish" work.

I had a trip up north recently where I stopped in and visited the Cossie, as it's been parked at my longtime Rhode Island mechanic's shop for the past year. It received a short burst of work wherein the timing chain was replaced and some other mechanical sorting was done, but it still has fuel delivery issues and needs an assortment of work related to the interior: dash replacement, window regulator replacement, factory alarm troubleshooting, and other odds and ends.

I would very much like to see this car home, but it's been almost six years since it came home from the Pennsylvania junkyard. Since I plan for it to go back to my body shop for some additional paintwork before it comes home, we're still likely six months out from completion. It's a drag, but at this point, a few more months is relatively meaningless. 

It has been a long while since any updates have been posted here, and for that, I apologize. Like everyone else, there's 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag, and that's my one and only excuse for the lack of posting. The most exciting news I have is that I've acquired a bit of a unicorn in the last few weeks in the form of a 2001 BMW Z3 M Coupe, one of a handful equipped with the snorty S54 inline-six and made rarer still for being a sunroof delete example. 

I found the car fairly close by in Silver Spring, MD on the ancient BMW message board, Bimmerforums. The seller was going through a few things lifestyle-wise that meant the Clownshoe had been relegated to the back burner, and was left parked in the driveway of a house he didn't own. Covered with a cheap car cover and not registered since 2019, it was clear this M Coupe was in need of a rescue, and after very little haggling, I agreed to buy it. The price was fair for a car that will need a fair amount of preventative maintenance to drive confidently, including rod bearings, rear subframe reinforcement, and shift pins in the gearbox. 

Just 678 S54-powered M Coupes came to the U.S. in 2001 and 2002, making it one of the rarer cars I own - but also slotting nicely into the assortment of vehicles all built in limited quantities, save for the E30. My 996 will be leaving soon, and that will freely up space and resources for bringing this forgotten Clownshoe up to snuff. More to come! 

My 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth has left the body shop after being there for over a year. To say the owners of the shop were glad to see it go is an understatement; there is still some finish work left to do but hopefully, if it does go back, it will be in the paint booth for a day or so and then completely done.

Right now, it is back at my mechanic's for the second phase of mechanical work that will hopefully see the car fully sorted out after starting with the basics of getting it operational, which took place over three years ago. The first order of business was to replace the chain tensioner, a known failure point, and completely devastating to the these engines should it fail. 

Upon inspection, there was a good deal of slack in the chain. This was not entirely unexpected, and I bought both the tensioner and the chain when I acquired the Cosworth in 2018, figuring it would not have been done based on who owned the car last. At the same time, the water pump was replaced along with the thermostat. 

Other updates include replacing crushed sections of hydraulic hard lines supporting the rear load leveling system; these were obliterated when the 190E was moved by forklift in the junkyard. In addition, the Cosworth-specific oil cooler that hangs adjacent to the radiator is an obsolete part that was removed in the salvage yard, stripping the threads on the oil lines in the process. The shop made it work on a temporary basis but the cooler was rendered junk when it was removed as part of the radiator removal process. Incredibly, a radiator shop in Rhode Island that maintains a large stash of obsolete components in a warehouse on the Cape had the *exact* replacement part, and OEM to boot. I'm blown away by that ridiculous stroke of good luck. 

A few more things to button up and then it's onto the interior for dash replacement. 

The 190E Cosworth, which arrived in my garage as a soggy, rotten, trash-filled mess from a Pennsylvania scrap yard five years ago last month, is near the finish line. I've lived in three houses since I bought this car, and I'm hopeful it will be a permanent fixture in my garage sometime in the next six months. 

The bodyshop is buffing out the paint and assembling the body kit. The interior is going back together. And those two details are super gratifying considering I bought a complete spare body kit and interior sometime in December 2018, all with the expectation I would someday have a car worth putting them on/in. 

Today, I ordered a wiper blade insert and two pieces of reproduction hardware for mounting the bodykit doglegs ahead of the rear wheel arches. Truly nitty-gritty stuff, and my body guy should have the car fully assembled by the weekend. Or so we think; there's always something that shows up missing. For instance, I plan on having the lenses replaced on the European headlights because - why not? Well, because, the car will be otherwise mint and pitted lenses will be a serious let-down. 

But don't get too excited: there's still a laundry list of mechanical work to be done before we're truly "done."