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Restore It: The Man Who Lives for the Old and Broken

I can confidently assume everyone reading has plans to complete some crazy restoration, build, or otherwise massive BMW project. Whether you act on those plans or not, there are a few who decide to stop thinking and start doing. Often, you see the results of their labor and are amazed at what an inspired vision can produce. You rarely see the work involved to bring that finished product to you unless it’s some high-budget build from a well-known shop. Rarely, you find people like Steve, who decided to take on a complete restoration of their BMW and follow through, especially ones who perform their work in front of a camera.

Steve sets up a camera to capture his entire process for restoring just about anything and speeds up the video through some editing trickery so we can quickly watch the transformation of each part. He has always enjoyed the act of taking some antique appliance and returning it to a pristine condition, an interest that clearly transferred when he decided to tackle his 1986 E30 325is. The daunting project was more than just to make it mechanically sound and throw together a budget ‘race-inspired’ interior, of course. Steve had no choice but to apply that same meticulous nature to completely restore the E30 to factory condition, down to every nut, bolt, bushing, boot, and washer.

“Why not just do everything? If you’re gonna do it, do it properly.” Steve told me, laughing as he went on to describe his E30 as something that has forced him to learn most of what he knows about cars. His method is to “find out how to fix it. If I’m learning, anything is possible.”
“Why not just do everything? If you’re gonna do it, do it properly.”
Many of us have spent more time than we would care to admit working on our BMWs and have gathered years of knowledge to competently maintain them. As he will tell you, Steve is not a mechanic, nor has he spent more than a few consecutive minutes under his old Volkswagens. Watching him approach the extremely weathered, eleven-owner, early model coupe, you would assume his whole life had been spent restoring cars. This is, in fact, his first major car project.

His channel, Restore It, is populated by videos of vintage appliances and the like receiving his special treatment of detailed care. The E30 clearly dominates his time, however, as it is a much larger scale project than any of his other videos. The job is larger than Steve anticipated, too, as this E30 did not enter his ownership with the original goal of a full restoration.

Like many of us younger folks, Steve grew up at a time when the E30 was one of the newer BMWs on the road. The car, to him, was the picture of unattainability. That he would own one in the future seemed like a fantasy, one that would never be realized. Years later, when his Volkswagen was totaled while parked outside of his house in England, Steve was left with a check from insurance and a decision to make. Around that time, E30s were everywhere and incredibly affordable to Steve’s surprise. He immediately sought one out that fell into his budget and intended to use the car as his everyday transportation.

After settling on his 1986 325is, it became readily apparent that the car he chose was not in a condition he wanted to live with for long. Much of the car needed considerable attention. Normal owners, or even enthusiasts, would approach the problem by swapping out faulty parts, diving through scrap yards for better alternatives on the cheap, or turn to aftermarket modifications to replace the broken factory parts. Steve is not most people. His dedication to performing the job correctly and as thoroughly as possible will result in something many people will never experience, which is to say a ‘completely original,’ zero-mile, BMW E30...


Steve has taken the time to learn the processes necessary for his arduous tasks. With no background, he was left to research and absorb incredible amounts of information. For that, he turned mainly as many of us do to the internet. Steve picked up knowledge on new tools, equipment, and methods to see each project complete, down to rescuing as many original non-wearable parts as necessary. To do so, Steve has had to zinc plate all his hardware after working them over in his previously acquired cleaning and detailing skills. His goal to retain as much of the original car as is mechanically allowable demonstrates a focus and patience that is elusive to many.

Working mostly alone in a home garage that belongs to a friend of his, Steve has stripped his once daily transportation down to a bare frame and restored many individual components without needing to replace them as some of us would. He favors the process of meticulously breaking down, cleaning, scrubbing, sanding, painting, and plating all the savable original parts. The results are breathtaking. There is something so innately pleasant watching an old differential coated in rust and age return to better than new condition.

In one of his most visually satisfying videos, Steve takes the time to completely refresh his alternator. In the days when going to the auto parts store for a new alternator is often the easiest method, Steve proves his love of the old-school by rebuilding the internals and refreshing the exterior for a minty, factory-new, and frankly astonishing look. The whole car is in the process of receiving similar treatment, with all the years of grime, rust, corrosion, and disrepair giving way to a shiny finished product representative of his hard work.

What began as an interest in refreshing old things to a high level of quality and detail has exploded into a successful channel where Steve is able to devote much of his time. The whole project began as a result of his work schedule, which left him with many days a week to spend his time how he liked. What Steve chose to do is something many of us dream about while we sit in front of the television or computer watching other people realize their visions. The massive amount of work this restoration has taken thus far has, as Steve admitted, left him exhausted.

“It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked for anything,” Steve told me, “I’m working most days from seven AM to eleven PM nonstop.”
“It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked for anything,” Steve told me, “I’m working most days from seven AM to eleven PM nonstop.”


I’d have to imagine, though, that exhaustion is served alongside a gratifying sense of accomplishment, as the end results offer glorious eye candy to anyone with an affinity for old BMWs. Steve has so far completed all his suspension, brakes, subframes, differential, much of his engine, and has already started bodywork. Moving at a rapid pace, Steve allocates most of his time to consciously working over each part in a methodical fashion to maintain a steady pace. As he goes about each project, we are fortunate enough to see his work start to finish. Not only does this benefit curious others with aspirations to take on similar projects, but it gives Steve a chance to directly receive input and feedback from the community who can offer tips and support. This is one more way for BMW enthusiasts to connect and share their experiences.

Thanks to the resources those experts have made available, people like Steve are able to expand their interest into one of full-blown BMW addiction and create content of their own we can all admire. We look forward to seeing this project completed as Steve readies the car to send the body off for a professional paint job and more. With an interest and a goal in mind, anyone can make the decision to just get up and tackle that project head-on.

You can follow along as he makes steady progress on his channel, Restore It, and watch as yet another E30 is brought back to its former glory at the hands of a caring and passionate enthusiast with a penchant for keeping a piece of heritage around for everyone to enjoy.


 




The E30 Life

We all have that moment when we knew BMWs were more than just a car to us. When we found a sense of completion behind the wheel of a car that became a form of self-expression, the interest opens up to a broader world of others who share that enthusiasm. The more these cars grip us, the more they inspire some of us to revolve our lives around them and the community that they foster. Chris Chappell is someone who has devoted his time to his love for E30s. From the moment he drove his first E30, he knew that car would become a defining part of his life.

Years ago, when he was in high school, a friend of Chris’ would sneak her dad’s triple black E30 out of the garage to take it driving up in the mountains in the middle of the night. Quickly, Chris realized he was more interested in that car than he was his friend and his fixation with BMWs began. Later, before he purchased one of his own, another friend in college let him borrow an E36 318ti, which reminded him of that first E30 he used to drive. As he experienced more of these cars, he learned what it was that he loved so much about them. They are exciting to drive and entice you to learn to drive them hard. His interest in motorsports took over with BMWs, but it would not be until 2010 when he would finally find the right E30 to purchase for himself.

"...Chris found his early model E30 325is for an absurdly low price. The car, of course, needed work to be something like the almost new E30 he drove in high school."

In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Chris found his early model E30 325is for an absurdly low price. The car, of course, needed work to be something like the almost new E30 he drove in high school. Around the time he picked up the E30, forums had become regular sources of information and a place for the community to come together. He began the painstaking process of reviving the car and intended to use it as a track car. In learning about the car as he needed for certain repairs, Chris found a wider world of BMW enthusiasts. Through the forums, he met Rob Kadunza, of Kadunza Motorsports in Knoxville, who would become a staple in providing advice as Chris dove deeper into the BMW lifestyle. That introduction would lead him to become more involved with the greater BMW community.

As he restored and improved his E30, Chris found learning opportunities with the BMWCCA and groups like Brodeo where he was spending time outside the garage or forums engaging with the real BMW community around his area. Through those connections, Chris discovered the benefits of a tight-knit group who regularly gather as it forces friendly competition and helps keep everyone motivated. Even with the resources on Facebook and through forums, it is hard to find excitement through a screen. In person, Chris discovered that the more E30 enthusiasts he could gather, the more the community would improve and grow together over a common love for these cars.

Chris has taken his love for E30s and the BMW community and set out with a new goal in mind. He wants to bring the same level of organization to the E30 as the 2002 has experienced in recent years. He began with the idea of E30 Third Thursdays, local monthly gatherings of all the area’s E30 owners, and has grown his idea to one that is now heading for a national recognition by the BMWCCA. As an active member of the Old Hickory chapter, Chris has been pushing to establish a national chapter for the E30 chassis. Readers of Roundel can find the listing under the index of chapters, but this is just the beginning. Through his love of E30s and an interest in bringing other enthusiasts together, he hopes to create a greater appreciation for one of the best BMW’s ever built.

The idea of bringing all the E30 owners under one roof is nothing new, but adding an element of organization that provides enthusiasts with opportunities to gather regularly, engage in events, and learn as much as there is to about these cars is something that requires absurd amounts of time and dedication. Chris lives his life for BMWs and has since added to his collection as his addiction has grown. With a driveway that displays his affinity for the E30 chassis, Chris is immersed in the life around this car entirely. Through his interest, we can look forward to a closer community around the E30 and expect efforts to maintain the chassis as relevant for future generations.

 




Locking Up

Once again, we are extremely thankful for the participation and support from readers like Steve and Chris. Sharing our passion for BMWs with each other is as critical a part of the community as driving the cars themselves. If you have a BMW, then you assuredly have many happy, sad, frustrating, or confusing memories with it. As a community, when we hear these stories, it adds value and depth to our own enthusiasm to know what other hobbyists love and hate. We want to hear your stories, so we would like to invite you to submit your own for the Turner Motorsport family to enjoy.

-Turner Motorsport

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