Another week gone and more progress. I have continued the strip out of the donor car by getting the diff and drive shafts out along with the handbrake cables. I set about the diff with a wire brush in an electric drill and removed all the muck, rust, and corrosion to leave me with a pretty good looking item. A good coat of Hammerite and its ready to go in. I am having to balance the desire to build against the need to strip!
I am getting funny looks from people living nearby as a fairly decent looking 3 Series is being reduced to a pile of scrap. With no wheels and the load space full of removed parts, mainly interior trim it looks a poor old sight. 
However, I have booked a scrap merchant to come and get it next weekend so hopefully I will avert a complaint. I did toy with the idea of putting it on ebay to see what would sell but thought it better to get shot of it. The only parts I have I do not need are a set of 15 inch wheels. I will keep these so that I can move it around if required.

So, diff all bright and glossy I decided to get it installed. I have to say it was straightforward, the rear mounts lined up perfectly and the front bracket fitted very well after drilling the holes. If this sets the standard for fit I will be very happy.

I am still thinking over the fuel tank. I have received a lot of comments on the Blog and on the GKD Owners Club site for which I am very grateful. I am really pleased people are happy to share their experiences with me. Thank you all.

Whilst on the subject of help, I needed to order some parts from our local BMW dealership, Sycamore BMW in Peterborough I was a little apprehensive about how they would deal with somebody who is desecrating one of their cars to make something very different. I have to say, all the guys in the parts department have been very helpful, interested in what I am doing and knowledgeable. The final positive is the price, old 3 Series parts are very well priced! 

I started the donor car strip out with a thought that I would not take too long. Wrong, it seemed to take an age. Whenever I thought I was ready for the remains to be scrapped I found myself taking of one more part, usually, "just in case". However, I don't regret it in retrospect. A lot of the parts have come in useful.

I am surprised on just how big the keep pile was but not as surprised at the size of the wiring harness. Its bloody huge. I intend to re use the loom so I was careful to mark up the majority of plugs but it is going to be a major job getting rid of all the wire I will not need. However, that is for the future.

Whilst I was stripping the donor I started to think about the fuel system and the tank in particular. In view of my intended use for the car fuel surge is clearly going to be an issue as it it is a simple box. I am going to have a good think about baffles/foam or swirl pot but in the mean time I could start to make the two sender unit retainers and associated fittings.

I now feel like we are properly under way. My target is to be complete and IVA'd by April 2013 so a way to go yet!

Before the start of my build I wanted to have a clear view of what I wanted the car for and the type of events I would use it for. I never intended to build it only for road use. I came up with a broad selection of events just to make the decisions about the build more difficult. I ended out with pretty much everything, sprints, hill climbs, auto tests and autosolos oh, and the inevitable track days. I may even have a go at racing!

A detailed look at the blue book to make sure I could meet all the safety requirements and a large number of  nights with the documents from the Government on the IVA requirements I felt ready to start.....

With woodwork.... I was keen not to have to grovel on the floor but have the car at a nice height to work so a trip to Wickes for some stud wall timber and two nights work resulted in:










Which left my garage looking like:

Now all I need is a donor vehicle. I thought about this for a while and considered a variety of models. One serious consideration was a 330D! However a 328 Touring with a service record, in very good condition which on testing made all the right noises and none of the less desirable ones was finally tracked down in Leicester. This was duly placed on the driveway ready for stripping.