Everybody I told about this car was saying to repair the z and put it on the road. From the damage I saw and paperwork that was in the car, I think that the Z hit a curb most prominently at the front passenger wheel. The control arm is bent good, as is the tie rod on that side (unfortunately no joy rides!). Everything else looks OK, but who knows. It seems as if the Z was purchased from a dealership a month or two prior to this accident that occurred at 2:30 am. That was why the engine compartment looks so clean.
It's too bad this Z ended up in my hands.
I want to go for it. Still a little apprehensive. I jacked it up and was ready to drain fluids and take off the exhaust...Then put it back on the ground.
I think that I have a decent understanding of the mechanical aspects of this job. I got concerned with the electrical. I'll have to go to emission testing straight away to get tabs. I understand the EWS, SAP delete on the DME. Not really understanding how to get rid of the ASC and have the ABS intact.
I didn't think that the Z engine wiring harness would fit in the TI. So I went ahead and bought a '96 328i 5 speed harness and DME off of Ebay. The Z is a '98, I was thinking that I could take the '96 328i harness and simply plug it in to the '98 Z DME. The TI is a '96 and I figured getting the '96 harness would make things easier, as I don't think the SAP and ASC garbage would be included in it, the TI has neither.
I'm now concerned that this wont work. I've been reading up on things and something about Pin locations being different in the years of the DME. Not sure.
If that is the case and the DME and harness' have to stay together. Then I see the options as: Running the '98 DME and harness with all the extra crap on it. Or running the '96 stuff, but having the DME and cluster not match.
This is what is on my mind these days. Any info or linc's of similar swaps people know would be of great interest to me. I'm still looking too....
….I'm actually starting to think about putting the Z back on the road.
Right front tire. Rear isn't as scuffed.
