New BMW driver with lots of pictures

[omega36]

Hi guys. I bought my first bimmer earlier this month and I am loving every second of it! It is a 1997 328is 5-speed. Its my first manual transmission car and I have been really enjoying driving it much more than my last car which was a 2000 Mitsubishi Galant 2.4 automatic. Now I know how a true car should drive!

So far I have replaced the brake light switch to fix the Check Brake Circuit code on the OBC and the hood lift struts which were not working at all when i got the car. Other than that the car is in excellent condition with no body damage and a very clean interior... and it runs great too!

My first mod was the K&N air intake and I love the throttle response and great sound it gives. Then I replaced the corner lights, side markers, tail lights, and fog lights with smoked lenses which gives the car a much more appealing look. I put a Pioneer head unit in and I plan on replacing the stock speakers soon. Gotta save up some money before I invest in a nice exhaust system.

I have 3 pictures from the day i got the car followed by a bunch of pictures I took after I detailed the car. Clay bar and wax really brought out the shine of the black paint! Enjoy! :cool

http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/1.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/2.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/3.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/4.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/6.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/7.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/8.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/9.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/10.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/11.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/12.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/13.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/14.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/15.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/16.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/17.jpg


http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/18.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/19.jpg


http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/20.jpg


http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/21.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/22.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/23.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/24.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/26.jpg


http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/27.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/28.jpg
http://sio.midco.net/oddysee/BMW/30.jpg

Let me know what you think :)

[bauh]

nice!

[blazedxjan]

Switch up the wheels and drop it some; you'll be cruising nice man. Good luck with it.

[xlDooM]

Very nice paint. Might want to reduce the wheel gap a little with some sports springs. Looks like you're on OEM non-sport suspension, so a good kit will improve handling and looks a bunch, and if your shocks have a lot of mileage on them, you'll even gain comfort (I was amazed by how much better my car became in every respect when I put KW springs and koni shocks on it).

[dcope]

Your interior is so clean. Seeing your armrest makes me realize I need to get mine recovered.

[MrSaikou]

Damn! Looks new!

+1 change the wheels and drop it, and you got yourself a hot ride !

[glycopene]

Looks really good man, I'm jealous of your paint! How many miles?

[SethuM]

very nice. exactly like mine, except mine is blue lol

[omega36]

Thanks guys. When I bought it had 81700 miles and now it has about 82300. Ive been driving it everyday... and taking the long way home whenever I can :D

My last car was lowered with some nice 17 inch wheels, and I plan to do even better with this car. Just need some time to save up some money...

[ponchiz318]

That's one hell of a start. The car is impressively clean. Have you checked if the suspension has been refreshed? IIRC, after 80k+ miles, you need to check the bushings for wear and tear.
Good to see you're taking your time in modding. It took me a while to get my car to where it is now.
Good luck with the car and welcome to the forum :D

[jmo69]

I'm jealous of your paint too, and the mileage. Lose the CDV and enjoy shifting again.

[amancuso]

Very nice! welcome.

[m2pc]

Wow, very nice, clean E36! :buttrock

Do you know the history of the cooling system on this car (radiator, water pump, fan, etc.)? I'd attack that first before doing anything else, as it's just about the weakest point in these cars.

Also, suspension is probably overdue for a refresh at this point. Since it's a manual car, the transmission mounts are of utmost importance (search for "money shift" on here).

Congrats on the clean new ride! :)

[omega36]

I dont know the service history but I can tell it has been very well maintained. I plan to do an inspection on the suspension parts and then try to figure out if I have a plastic or metal impeller water pump soon. Im also going to do some tune up, replace fluids and filters, and fix everything I find wrong along the way... Like today I found out the seat cushion clip is broken on one side and the door panels have crappy adhesive :mad

This car will definitely keep me busy... and thats not a bad thing :D

[leonidas]

wow, very clean indeed.
i wish i could have started with a cleaner one