E91 Trailer Project (E36 Based Trailer)

07lilredwagon · 03-19-2013, 11:22 AM

So no good project worth its salt would be rewarding without complications!

Found some rust through under the trunk lip that had been bondo'd and was coming back through in nice large rust areas...luckily, I have caught it before it rotted past the double weld seams that go into the trunk and below the bumper....

If I can find a panel for this section, Ill get it...but for now Im planning on honing my welding skills here....(of which I have very few at the moment!)

The trunk floor was bashed in on the battery side and surprisingly hammered back into reasonable shape in about an hour...

There are a couple of rust through spots where the battery was....and a mysteriously missing support rail that used to exist just to the left of the battery tray/trunk floor.

The fun is just beginning....I have started to make some cardboard templates to get a feel of how this thing is going to look, as well as figure out how to build some structure into the front end so that the trailer toungue and support arms will have a solid area to mount to....

Time to flip this thing on its back and remove the differential and drive shafts and get an idea of what I have to build off of....

JP

eric@helix · 03-19-2013, 11:28 AM

Hilarious! Keep it up, and keep posting progress shots.

07lilredwagon · 03-23-2013, 07:39 PM

So Ive managed a little more progress...though I realize Ive had to take a few steps backwards to get to the point I can move ahead again...

I decided to take care of the rot in the trunk area first because I need to give that area structure again before flipping the beast on its back to figure out my welding procedure for the trailer tongue/under body supports/frame rails.

The passenger side bumper mount has been seriously compromised with that support brace having been cut out of the car inside the trunk....

Im going to weld a steel pipe in its place, which should be just fine...recreating that octagonal shape in steel will take (me) too long and Im not sure if I can do it anyway with the limited resources I have here for metal fab.....

So heres where Im at: Welds cut out of outer floor pc....

floor under the battery area to be replaced:

view inside the trunk: You can see the mock up of the support brace and below that, the cardboard template for the floor piece.

Ive begun fabricating the cradle which Im mounting to the bumper brackets...this will allow the trailer to be rolled on its back.....

more later!

thanks for looking

JP

07lilredwagon · 03-27-2013, 08:09 PM

Update:....budget news: sold a wiper relay-15.00...bought some nice smoked tail lights 60.00....

Figured out that I need a minimum of 7' for the trailer tongue. This length will reach the rear differential support which is very solid. Ill be able to build a bracket or two and bolt or weld the tongue in at that location as well as 4 other points up toward the front of the trailer. (I found that the front has more flex than anticipated....These cars are really well designed) So in tying the front end and back end together using the trailer tongue as a frame member AND adding two other braces to further strengthen the floor pans, I should be good to go!....

More pics to follow soon

JP

NGEE · 03-27-2013, 08:35 PM

Jaysus christ. I'm tired just looking at all that work. Major props to you, sir, for ambition and balls. I mean, moving the wife's car out of the garage for THIS?

Sub'd

kmeghtx · 03-27-2013, 10:03 PM

awesome, def sub'd this thread as well!

GmoBmw · 03-27-2013, 10:16 PM

This is going to be awesome.

07lilredwagon · 03-31-2013, 02:41 PM

thanks, boys!

Had a buddy here knowledgeable in fabrication work and he says that Im pretty much on track...He had a great suggestion....a front tailgate. I thought about using an S-10 tailgate before but gotta get some measurements, ect....wouldnt it be cool?

more importantly, it would be the shape I want for the front of this thing...NOT boxy is what Im going for!

JP

Karbon · 03-31-2013, 07:22 PM

Such great progress!
I wonder though. Are you keeping the doors intact so you can open then or are you sealing them shut permanently?

You'd probably have to install custom locks of course... OR!
Maybe there's a way to tie in the electric harness a way to unlock the trailer doors when you unlock the car? That would be spiffy.

07lilredwagon · 04-01-2013, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karbon

Such great progress!
I wonder though. Are you keeping the doors intact so you can open then or are you sealing them shut permanently?

You'd probably have to install custom locks of course... OR!
Maybe there's a way to tie in the electric harness a way to unlock the trailer doors when you unlock the car? That would be spiffy.

so many options, so little time!....those thoughts have crossed my mind time and again!....Thats why Im thinking: front tailgate....Ive decided to weld the doors shut and blend them into the body work...door handles will disappear too...nice and smooooooth!...

Gas tank door might stay...or go...undecided...but that would be left there just for fun.

I have decided the trailer will get the following goodies:

1) Hinged hard tonneau cover with locking handle INSIDE the trunk. there will be no visible hardware on it at all...
2) working and lockable trunk
3) front tailgate with inside handle and lock
4) trailer tongue wheel
5) rear support feet that swivel out of sight when not used
6) matching paint
7) faux dual exhaust
8) matching wheels

its a big long list that I will try to achieve over time....stay tuned!

JP

NGEE · 04-01-2013, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 07lilredwagon

7) faux dual exhaust....stay tuned!

TFF! Awesome

07lilredwagon · 04-03-2013, 10:23 AM

Got the trunk sheet metal cut out and shaped.....getting ready to weld the panels in...Ill take a few photos soon....this is getting exciting!...with these pieces back in the trunk, I can rest easier with moving forward. Once that darn brace is in...then I can really get going again!

JP

NGEE · 04-03-2013, 10:50 AM

Efthreeoh · 04-03-2013, 12:29 PM

Highly impressed, Sir!

07lilredwagon · 04-04-2013, 07:10 AM

Got a bit more done last night!....(yawn!) My welding skills leave a lot to be desired...but its amazing how much more strength that floor has now with just that smaller piece tacked in place. Its got a ways to go yet, but Im happy so far.

The larger piece where the battery was is just held in place now by a floor jack...but the fit there will be good...Im overlapping this piece like the original was and seam sealing the outside.

the little piece is butt welded so had to be cut to fit right in the hole I made...which was tough to do...Im going to have to get creative with the weld puddle here and there!
(mig)

thanks for watching my progress and I enjoy any comments.

JP

Turb0Surge · 04-04-2013, 08:25 AM

Subbed!

Ark10bimmer · 04-04-2013, 10:05 AM

Interesting. Great work!

07lilredwagon · 04-06-2013, 08:50 AM

Okay...so some real progress made yesterday....A friend of mine came over to help out and we got a lot done!......

Looks like Im crating it up for truck freight, but no......

In order to be able to work on the underside items, including the welding, removal of the drive system, and cleaning up the floor pan..I decided to simply turn the thing over...well, at least I thought it would be straightforward...Ended up having to get pretty creative to do it safely. (Found out ya cant just throw the thing around!)

I used my big floor jack and lifted the trailer from the rear diff cradle. It was not enough......so we began propping the wheels up on different items until I could get the ramps under there...then I had to start propping the jack up...(In the end, I had it up on sturdy milk crates with a platform of plywood and 2x4s so the jack could continue to roll!....

Then it was just time to go for it and get it to go that last little bit. That rear diff is HEAVY!.....

You can see in this pic, inside the trunk, I bolted a "permanent" trunk brace. I found some nice 3/16 tubing that I flattened on one end, shaped, and bolted in place up by the fender well. it fits tight against the bumper shock mount and stiffens the whole right side up nicely!

And the piece from underneath that will be welded in place for the battery tray area...

The rear diff is out along with the drive shafts now...also took out the brake system, ect to shed as much weight as I can.

Now, we talked about the doors yesterday...and I may be thinking about keeping them functional. what do you guys think about that?

Ill weld over the door handle area and make some latch releases for inside the trailer. Not sure if I want the doors to show or not.....I was originally thinking of a nice smooth sided trailer, but the functionality of having working doors is appealing!

thanks for looking and any feedback is of course welcome!

JP

NGEE · 04-06-2013, 10:16 AM

Has the look of a chariot. Leave the doors functional, put some seats back in and you could conceivably have found an excellent way to keep the kids from ruining your car - just tow them around behind you.

320iVan · 04-06-2013, 01:25 PM

magnificent project!

good luck to you and respect!

if you sustain the trailer with car in uniform style, will be to go nuts. I always wanted turing!

07lilredwagon · 04-06-2013, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edrive90

Has the look of a chariot. Leave the doors functional, put some seats back in and you could conceivably have found an excellent way to keep the kids from ruining your car - just tow them around behind you.

HA!...good one...just cleaned dirt and stuff off the rear ash tray area....course that rubber coating they put on everything is now scuffed up!....maybe Ill put a matt clear vinyl on those pieces to protect them from further harm....

Kids!....

ahhh well..

JP

DUI Elite · 04-06-2013, 10:13 PM

love that you're being systematic about this. Makes projects like this actually happen.

Seen so many people plan big, but then cut corners and give up halfway because they didn't start it right.

awesome progress so far!

03-19-2013, 11:22 AM	#45
07lilredwagon Captain 40 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 07 328 wagon Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	So no good project worth its salt would be rewarding without complications! Found some rust through under the trunk lip that had been bondo'd and was coming back through in nice large rust areas...luckily, I have caught it before it rotted past the double weld seams that go into the trunk and below the bumper.... If I can find a panel for this section, Ill get it...but for now Im planning on honing my welding skills here....(of which I have very few at the moment!) The trunk floor was bashed in on the battery side and surprisingly hammered back into reasonable shape in about an hour... There are a couple of rust through spots where the battery was....and a mysteriously missing support rail that used to exist just to the left of the battery tray/trunk floor. The fun is just beginning....I have started to make some cardboard templates to get a feel of how this thing is going to look, as well as figure out how to build some structure into the front end so that the trailer toungue and support arms will have a solid area to mount to.... Time to flip this thing on its back and remove the differential and drive shafts and get an idea of what I have to build off of.... JP
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03-19-2013, 11:28 AM	#46
eric@helix 208 Rep 1,161 Posts Drives: 01 M Coupe, 08 135i, '12 328i Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (0)	Hilarious! Keep it up, and keep posting progress shots.
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03-23-2013, 07:39 PM	#47
07lilredwagon Captain 40 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 07 328 wagon Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	So Ive managed a little more progress...though I realize Ive had to take a few steps backwards to get to the point I can move ahead again... I decided to take care of the rot in the trunk area first because I need to give that area structure again before flipping the beast on its back to figure out my welding procedure for the trailer tongue/under body supports/frame rails. The passenger side bumper mount has been seriously compromised with that support brace having been cut out of the car inside the trunk.... Im going to weld a steel pipe in its place, which should be just fine...recreating that octagonal shape in steel will take (me) too long and Im not sure if I can do it anyway with the limited resources I have here for metal fab..... So heres where Im at: Welds cut out of outer floor pc.... floor under the battery area to be replaced: view inside the trunk: You can see the mock up of the support brace and below that, the cardboard template for the floor piece. Ive begun fabricating the cradle which Im mounting to the bumper brackets...this will allow the trailer to be rolled on its back..... more later! thanks for looking JP
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-27-2013, 08:09 PM	#48
07lilredwagon Captain 40 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 07 328 wagon Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	Update:....budget news: sold a wiper relay-15.00...bought some nice smoked tail lights 60.00.... Figured out that I need a minimum of 7' for the trailer tongue. This length will reach the rear differential support which is very solid. Ill be able to build a bracket or two and bolt or weld the tongue in at that location as well as 4 other points up toward the front of the trailer. (I found that the front has more flex than anticipated....These cars are really well designed) So in tying the front end and back end together using the trailer tongue as a frame member AND adding two other braces to further strengthen the floor pans, I should be good to go!.... More pics to follow soon JP
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03-27-2013, 08:35 PM	#49
NGEE Fuck it dude, let's go bowling. 883 Rep 2,479 Posts Drives: 1M Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not Massachusetts iTrader: (0)	Jaysus christ. I'm tired just looking at all that work. Major props to you, sir, for ambition and balls. I mean, moving the wife's car out of the garage for THIS? Sub'd
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03-27-2013, 10:03 PM	#50
kmeghtx Private 1 Rep 69 Posts Drives: E90 335i Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i E90 [9.50]	awesome, def sub'd this thread as well!
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03-27-2013, 10:16 PM	#51
GmoBmw Captain 34 Rep 645 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: California iTrader: (8)	This is going to be awesome. __________________ 2007 BMW 335I- JB4 G5,DCI,VRSF DPs,NT555r Drag Radials Daily Driver
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03-31-2013, 02:41 PM	#52
07lilredwagon Captain 40 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 07 328 wagon Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	thanks, boys! Had a buddy here knowledgeable in fabrication work and he says that Im pretty much on track...He had a great suggestion....a front tailgate. I thought about using an S-10 tailgate before but gotta get some measurements, ect....wouldnt it be cool? more importantly, it would be the shape I want for the front of this thing...NOT boxy is what Im going for! JP
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03-31-2013, 07:22 PM	#53
Karbon First Lieutenant 21 Rep 363 Posts Drives: 2010 335i Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southwest Florida iTrader: (0)	Such great progress! I wonder though. Are you keeping the doors intact so you can open then or are you sealing them shut permanently? You'd probably have to install custom locks of course... OR! Maybe there's a way to tie in the electric harness a way to unlock the trailer doors when you unlock the car? That would be spiffy. __________________ (SOLD)2010 Alpine White 335i - Sports Package, Premium Package, Navigation, Comfort Access 2016 Infiniti 3.0t Q50S
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04-03-2013, 10:23 AM	#56
07lilredwagon Captain 40 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 07 328 wagon Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	Got the trunk sheet metal cut out and shaped.....getting ready to weld the panels in...Ill take a few photos soon....this is getting exciting!...with these pieces back in the trunk, I can rest easier with moving forward. Once that darn brace is in...then I can really get going again! JP
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04-03-2013, 10:50 AM	#57
NGEE Fuck it dude, let's go bowling. 883 Rep 2,479 Posts Drives: 1M Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not Massachusetts iTrader: (0)
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04-03-2013, 12:29 PM	#58
Efthreeoh General 17303 Rep 18,727 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Highly impressed, Sir!
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04-04-2013, 07:10 AM	#59
07lilredwagon Captain 40 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 07 328 wagon Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	Got a bit more done last night!....(yawn!) My welding skills leave a lot to be desired...but its amazing how much more strength that floor has now with just that smaller piece tacked in place. Its got a ways to go yet, but Im happy so far. The larger piece where the battery was is just held in place now by a floor jack...but the fit there will be good...Im overlapping this piece like the original was and seam sealing the outside. the little piece is butt welded so had to be cut to fit right in the hole I made...which was tough to do...Im going to have to get creative with the weld puddle here and there! (mig) thanks for watching my progress and I enjoy any comments. JP
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04-04-2013, 08:25 AM	#60
Turb0Surge Lieutenant Colonel 91 Rep 1,555 Posts Drives: BLACK e90 335i Join Date: May 2012 Location: Lincoln, CA iTrader: (0)	Subbed! __________________
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04-04-2013, 10:05 AM	#61
Ark10bimmer Private First Class 4 Rep 186 Posts Drives: 2010 335i xdrive Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Hot springs Arkansas. iTrader: (0)	Interesting. Great work!
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04-06-2013, 08:50 AM	#62
07lilredwagon Captain 40 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 07 328 wagon Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	Okay...so some real progress made yesterday....A friend of mine came over to help out and we got a lot done!...... Looks like Im crating it up for truck freight, but no...... In order to be able to work on the underside items, including the welding, removal of the drive system, and cleaning up the floor pan..I decided to simply turn the thing over...well, at least I thought it would be straightforward...Ended up having to get pretty creative to do it safely. (Found out ya cant just throw the thing around!) I used my big floor jack and lifted the trailer from the rear diff cradle. It was not enough......so we began propping the wheels up on different items until I could get the ramps under there...then I had to start propping the jack up...(In the end, I had it up on sturdy milk crates with a platform of plywood and 2x4s so the jack could continue to roll!.... Then it was just time to go for it and get it to go that last little bit. That rear diff is HEAVY!..... You can see in this pic, inside the trunk, I bolted a "permanent" trunk brace. I found some nice 3/16 tubing that I flattened on one end, shaped, and bolted in place up by the fender well. it fits tight against the bumper shock mount and stiffens the whole right side up nicely! And the piece from underneath that will be welded in place for the battery tray area... The rear diff is out along with the drive shafts now...also took out the brake system, ect to shed as much weight as I can. Now, we talked about the doors yesterday...and I may be thinking about keeping them functional. what do you guys think about that? Ill weld over the door handle area and make some latch releases for inside the trailer. Not sure if I want the doors to show or not.....I was originally thinking of a nice smooth sided trailer, but the functionality of having working doors is appealing! thanks for looking and any feedback is of course welcome! JP
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04-06-2013, 10:16 AM	#63
NGEE Fuck it dude, let's go bowling. 883 Rep 2,479 Posts Drives: 1M Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not Massachusetts iTrader: (0)	Has the look of a chariot. Leave the doors functional, put some seats back in and you could conceivably have found an excellent way to keep the kids from ruining your car - just tow them around behind you.
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04-06-2013, 01:25 PM	#64
320iVan Private 95 Rep 70 Posts Drives: G31 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Moscow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW X5 [0.00]	magnificent project! good luck to you and respect! if you sustain the trailer with car in uniform style, will be to go nuts. I always wanted turing!
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04-06-2013, 10:13 PM	#66
DUI Elite ///M at Heart 90 Rep 1,954 Posts Drives: 06 SGM E90, 15 BSM E84 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (4)	love that you're being systematic about this. Makes projects like this actually happen. Seen so many people plan big, but then cut corners and give up halfway because they didn't start it right. awesome progress so far!
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