[Hohokam337]

Hello fellow wagonatics,

This is along overdue post on my journey with my 2001 track wagon build.

I purchased the wagon in 2019 from with around 250k on the car, paint seeming okay, at a "relatively" low cost at the time. In reality, paint had touchups, some rust, creative ways of mounting the bumpers and side skirts not to mention the dings and dents.

I drove it around a couple months this way, the M54B25 was fine and the trans felt like shifting a spoon in a cup of pudding.

Soon after I received the wagon I found the donor M3 off a salvage auction site. It had side impact damage and also some front end damage. It came from the north east so rust was in the forecast. Previous owner of the M3 made some question choices with caliper paint and another items.

As soon as the car was on the lift, I tore most of everything out. Only exceptions were the things locked in with rust

I disassembled the engine, and sent it off to a shop to be built here in Dallas. They sent head and block to be machined. The rebuild included Vanos upgrade and rebuild. Here is the part list for the engine:

There are large gaps in the build series largely due to my negligence. I'm not very good about taking progress photos. I'll continue to down in the tread.

 

[Hohokam337]

As the engine was being built, it was time to remove every from the wagon down to the metal

Received my carbon dash, and interior was nearly all gutted.

Next step was to remove allllll the sound deadening with a combination of alcohol/dry ice and heat gun and adhesive removal. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of that process

Once majority of the deadening out I sent it to the rear end assembled and reinforced. Luckily there was no previous damage to the rear end. Oh, I also had some main

I'm used Wisefab lowers and am currently debating using their uppers since I'm going with rear coil covers. My seats OMP HTE R:

A month after the rear was completed, it was off to get a cage, fender flares cut/installed and doors trimmed.

A couple weeks after the cage was finished it was dropped off at the paint shop! During that time found some a set of thicc boys 18x10. Drove down to Houston for them:

 

[Hohokam337]

It took a while, but I finally got it back from the paint shop looking fressshh

Now this is pod racing.. but really its when the real work started of putting everything together..

Starting from the rear to the front, dropped the tank to put in the a new fuel pump and clean. This is where I'm at today.

Stay tuned!

 

[bmindt]

It took a while, but I finally got it back from the paint shop looking fressshh
View attachment 922151

View attachment 922152 View attachment 922153

View attachment 922154

Now this is pod racing.. but really its when the real work started of putting everything together..

Starting from the rear to the front, dropped the tank to put in the a new fuel pump and clean. This is where I'm at today.
View attachment 922155

Stay tuned!

This build is awesome. I plan on tracking my wagon. Just not taking weight reduction this far.


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[RobE30]

Very cool! Looking forward to more updates

 

[yjsaabman]

This looks a lot like George Hill's track wagon. Interesting build.

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[Hohokam337]

This looks a lot like George Hill's track wagon. Interesting build.

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Yes, him and I discussed this. We are twins for the most part haha. Hopefully, we can have matching carbon fiber roofs too one day..

We are both in Texas, so hopefully soon we will be on the track together!

 

[yjsaabman]

I wish I could have kept my first touring to do something like this with. Honestly, the market and such these days I would have sold it with the salvage title vs stripped it and scrapped it. It was wrecked, but had no frame damage, it was all outside the front rail. That was about 7 years ago, now.

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[George Hill]

This looks a lot like George Hill's track wagon. Interesting build.

Yes, him and I discussed this. We are twins for the most part haha. Hopefully, we can have matching carbon fiber roofs too one day..

We are both in Texas, so hopefully soon we will be on the track together!

LOL, yep! BUT I'm painting my flares white so from a distance they'll be easy to tell apart, up close it'll be easy since Michael's car is so much cleaner than mine

I've challenged Michael to have it out to Cresson in May for the CCA event, so fingers crossed we'll have twins there.