Dawn of the E9

I think I’m just about ready to begin this BMW restoration. I’ve got the service manual, loads of new parts, a bunch of metal shaping tools, sheets of steel and a lot of backup via the excellent web forum at e9coupe.com. I can’t say enough about the quality and depth of the postings there.

Spring is here and I’m finishing up the transmission project in the garage that’s keeping the E9 parked in the driveway. Many parts have arrived over the two years. Wow, it’s been that long… An order from Eastwood.com with a plasma cutter and orbital sander along with primers and paints are in transit to me as I write this.

Space is still an issue in the garage. It’s a single bay with a row of shelves along one side. There are overhead racks storing boxes. There’s enough room to work, but once I start taking the car apart, the seats, dash, engine and transmission will have to go somewhere to let me work on the body. I’ll have to build another storage closet under the front steps to keep things under control. The 75 square foot shed I built in the back yard has helped a lot, and a few more things will fit, but it’s pretty full.

 

Honda CX500 springtime repairs

It’s time to get the Honda on the road to test it’s systems and enjoy the Spring weather.  I’ve gotten new Michelins installed at a local shop. The shop couldn’t balance the front wheel because the wheel bearings were stiff. Fortunately, they are both easily available and cheap. Seals were included for a cost of $11 per axle.

There’s an O Ring at the rear drive flange to keep dirt from getting into the flange grease. It was broken. I’ve ordered new O Rings and they are on the way. The flange itself was somewhat worn and that’s a concern as all power is transferred through it and they are no longer available from Honda. I did manage to find an excellent used one in Germany for $108, shipped to Texas. I will have to make a list of spares to collect before they become unavailable.

I’ve gotten several inquiries about my New Old Stock CX500 engine. Nope, it’s not for sale, yet. Plans change and there are several projects ahead of the three wheeler build so it’s hard to say I’ll never sell it, but not yet.