engine and drivetrain Previous Owner Butchery

[Adamha]

Below are some pics of what was underneath the mystery plate in my engine compartment. The holes were hogged out at some previous point. Ugh.

Suggestions?

[gr3gric3]

I wonder if the nuts were left lose for some span of time knocking about in the holes. Might take welding a high quality large area washer or something in the original hole position to fix properly.

At the same time if you have the suspension risers installed on top and there is no movement it may not be hurting anything.

[Gthielen]

Other than inviting rust, it's no big deal. It was just an attempt to add some negative camber to inprove front end grip...in fact, if you remove the plastic top strut cover on an E46 chassis, you will find that they have slotted holes from the factory for alignment purposes as well.

George Thielen

74 inka w/ fixed neg camber plates

03 330 ZHP w/fr struts at full neg camber adjustment

[JohnN]

The PO picked up a little more negative camber. Probably only 1/2 -3/4 of a degree, but some. . .. If you were to go out and purchase some camber plates, you'd end up with the same amount of negative camber.

Those shock strut bushings need to be replaced. When you do, swap them out, check around for some spacer rings. Those rings were put in to make the bumper height match US laws. Common practice is to remove them. If you put them on-top of the shock tower, the look will be improved and you'll still have the benefit. I'm sure some-one on the board has them sitting in a box.

Cheers!

John N

[wagnerf15]

I think you'll be okay with a package of paper assholes from Office Max and super glue. There's really nothing in the front suspension that's critical anyway.....

[02tom]

My one car has similar camber adjustment on it with the federal bumper height spacers on top to cover the debauchery. I'd just paint the mystery plates and replace you strut bearings (and look for any other problems in the front steering & suspension) and be done with it until you decide to do a full restoration.

[Adamha]

Sound like rust abatement and placing the spacers on top will be the way to go for now.

Thanks!

Adam