Alex April's E30 4 point project is just about wrapped up. Took a little longer than I had anticipated, but toss a sick kid and a tax deadline in the mix and progress can get slowed down a tad. Pretty straightforward 4 point with some reinforcement of the shock tower/coil spring mount areas as well as a "strut" bar and a hoop brace diagonal.
Once again seat mounting has proved itself to be tons o' fun. The old "one step forward 2 steps back" waltz was in full effect as we tried using some Recarro sliders with the stock mounting points and the front 11mmx1.50 studs. Drill the holes a little bigger... that works, slot the rear holes... whoops, the slider is hitting on the stud, spacers for the stud to raise the front of the slider.... ahhhhh now we're located! Mount up the seat for a test fit... adjust a little and measure the position and angle of the seat, get the harness bar location and angle of the shoulder belts, pull the seat back out. After welding the harness bar in and getting everything painted and tidy'd back up, go to reinstall the seats... take a step back, 11x1.50 bolt head isn't going to fit in the rails for the rear bolts, nor will a nut fit on the fronts for the studs ... off to the Grainger down off of S. Hanley and grab some socket head bolts... heads still look fairly large, but can deal with that easily enough. Back in the shop, cut off the factory studs, centerpunch, then drill out the heads. No real access to the bottom sides, so extend the hole through the seat mounts crossmember. Make up a 2"x.125" washer as a backing plate on the outer mount (inner mount was ok with a normal fender washer, outer mount had another hole w/i .25" of the new bolt hole). New 3" g8 bolts and locknuts in the front holes... a little grassroots lathe work (mix one drill and a belt sander and use your imagination) on the socket head bolts and the rears were installed. Check the bottom sides for any issues... threads are too long on outside and is rubbing on the fuel line.... couldn't possibly be any future issues there right? Bolt comes back out, run a die onto the bolt, cut the hardened bolt, round off the cut, re-cut the threads with the die and viola!!!!! Drivers seat is ready to bolt in! Now for the passenger seat! Oh... ebay sliders shipping were delayed... good, I'm tired of seats!
On to the strut bar and then the rear sway bar bracket mounts.