Hey guys! I know I haven't updated my Simca 1200s coupe thread in over 3 years (link) but I'll get round to that eventually... In the mean time I have been chipping away at this: An e34 5 Series project. Progress is incredibly slow, I have been working on this for probably over 2~3 years already. To be perfectly up front with everyone: in all likelihood, I will probably never finish or release the car, I just want somewhere to share my progress for now since I am proud of where I am at. I am doing all modelling and JBeaming myself, based on my own cars. (I currently own a 1992 525i Sedan and a 1994 540i Touring). I have done a lot of photoscanning to get good detailed reference for the suspension and engine bay stuffs. Currently I have more or less the outer bodywork fully modelled, including stock and msport bumpers along with some aftermarket kits like BBS and Racing Dynamics. I would say I am about 60% done with the suspension, which I am actually incredibly proud of. For the front suspension I painstakingly recreated control arms struts, the cross-member, mounting points... It still needs a little fine tuning. I am not a great JBeam guy (who is lol) and I haven't really got a grasp on the swaybar which still acts a bit funny, but other than the brake calipers and the swaybar bushings/mounts the front suspension is pretty much 100% complete. For the rear suspension I would say I am about ~50% complete? Depending on if you count the differential and axles. I actually bought a rear subframe for reference because I was too lazy to jack up the car and take pictures from underneath, however I don't have as much good reference of the diff as I would like. Control arms are mostly done they just need some more finishing details, and then it needs the dogbone arms done and the brake calipers: Beyond this progress is quite... Slow... I have some engine bay modelled, but it's such a time suck that it's left me kinda putting the project off for a long time (although I am also just busy with uni). It seems like to add some more pictures I need to create another post so bear with me --- Post updated --- Here's another picture of the front end so far: Unfortunately that is really all I have so far. Like I said progress is slow. I want to get the main bodywork out of the way before I continue with anything else, which means modelling the underside of the car and underneath the fenders and all that and it's just... a bit draining I will be honest. I still need to get my wagon on a lift and get a good photoscan from underneath but even just doing what I can like the engine bay is taking me forever. The current plan is to keep going as I am going, and then only work towards recreating the 535i Sport I used to own when I started the project, doing more parts and engines after I fully finish recreating that, as to not bog me down. Eventually I plan on a touring as well, but considering I don't anticipate myself finishing the 535 even in the next 3 years, I would not keep my hopes up... Today I made a sport seat model, just as distraction from the never ending modelling slog that is the bodywork: It's also not perfect but like I said it was a nice distraction. Here's some shots of the model in progress: Here's some reference photoscans I've got for when I get around to engines:
As a classic BMW fan it makes me very happy to see an E34 with such a good looking and well detailed model. I also happen to own a classic BMW of my own, a very early US spec 1992 325is with the non vanos M50b25, and, seeing that between 1991 and early 1992 the E34 525i shared the same motor, I would be willing to provide photos of the motor if you like as the physical characteristics of the nv M50 is slightly different. Though, I can't say for certain you'd get much use out of photos of an E36 In any case, this project is looking lovely ^w^
