Rebuilt 2005 GX470 Project - From CO to TX and Back (soon)

And first half of vid

https://youtu.be/HQua2LoaH-M?si=7h2_71lYRPHBiIAI

 

Noticed it didn't have a/c when I moved it over to the new place. Just emptied a bottle of refrigerant into it and it's cold again. Probably go and get another bottle to get it up to 40, then top the Jeep off.

 

Finally clearing out the Aurora, CO house! Should be up for rent in a few weeks with a little luck.

Can't wait to get the M3 back home! Dumb dumb me didn't leave the trickle charger on it and it's been sitting, undriven since...I don't even remember but at least since I moved in March. The AGM battery is super dead. Hoping an overnight on the charger does the trick.

 

The gang is all here, finally!

 

Congratulations!

 

Property mgmt already getting hits on my house to rent, and it's only been listed a few days! Can't wait to get this $2500+ a month bill off my plate, start getting back to work on the GX

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14808-E-Tufts-Ave-Aurora-CO-80015/13102958_zpid/

 

LOVE these. Feel like I never see that gen M3

 

Drove it to work today for our mandatory 3 days a month in office

 

Good lord.... love it

 

Favorite year but the subframe issues keep me from getting one even as a toy.

 

The subframe issue is mostly seen on the ones that have been tracked, or driven hard. Which is really hard to tell when buying second hand. There's differing opinions about it needing to be done on convertibles. But it's always been in the back of my mind.

 

Looks like I just hit 9 years of owning the E46 M3 earlier this month.

 

Weekend project was to get the jeeps hardtop hoist installed at the new place now that the end of summer approaches and the weather starts to get nicer.

My storage closest is absolutely filled with garage stuff now. Might see if they have any good discounts on a larger one this holiday weekend.

 

+ $400 (20% off a single item at Harbour Freight Labor day sale)

 

For future reference. This thingie covers three spot welds

 

And another part of the qp support out

 

QP 90% removed. Have 100% decided on the roof portion yet. The QP sheet metal sandwiches between the upper roof sheet metal and a lower inner sheet metal. So it's either pry those apart and pull it out or cut the new QP along the roof line. Either way will work fine. I made the cut to remove old QP in a spit no one is going to see

 

^^^^All the new tools and compressor by the looks of things you could open a part time auto body repair service! HA!!!!
You are way all up it now! Turned into a job for sure, it is nice watching the progress.

All down hill from here!

 

Oh I know, right lol. I have so many tools that probably won't get used again for a long time. I'd love to join a collective or some tool/shop sharing club if there are any around

 

just about to get the same one.

 

Very please with how quiet it is!

 

Me too, wife didn't even know I had turned it on. That's a win for me.

 

This last little piece of the qp support is being a PIA yo remove. It's sandwiched between layers with a hidden spot weld

 

Damn you quality construction!!!

 

Finally!! Bet my neighbors are just as happy as I am lol. Been banging with hammers and thin putty knives and spot weld drilling forever just for this top corner piece.

 

I'm done for the day! But wanted to get a pic of the new qp corner support mocked up. Will have to massage it into place tomorrow. See what more of the bottom tub I'll have to pull out still

 

Nice!

If the neighbors complain tell them they shouldn't have moved next to a body shop!

 

Lol! One of them cam by yesterday in the middle of me banging away to introduce themselves and welcome me to the neighborhood. Luckily he's a woodworker and OK with the noise. Said one of the other neighbors is a mechanic also. Lucked out!

 

So I still need to straighted out the bottom corner tub enough to get some good spot welds on the qp support. Looks easy enough but still trying to figure out what i need to do.

Maybe drill a hole in the middle so I can thread a bolt/washer through then pull with winch?

 

Made some progress. Used a eye hook and some washers with the puller. Need to go back and get a thicker hook though, the eyelet on the 1/4" was starting to stretch. Don't need that snapping on me. Was applying heat with the butane torch, not sure if enough heat though. Will continue working on the corner over the week.