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Thread: E36 M3 Buy and Build

  1. #1
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    1995 M3

    E36 M3 Buy and Build

    Hey everyone.

    I'ma new M3 track car owner, decided I needed a true track car and looked at many different types of cars and ended the search with a 95 M3.

    The car has already had a god deal of preparation to it for the track and I plan to continue with that, while I get familiar with the M3 on track, moving over from a C5 Z06.

    Here is what I've got to start, the first outing is in 3 weeks for a PDX at Rd Atl!

    Gave the car a full wash down, crazy amount of Simple Green and hot water before getting it into the garage for a look


    Cleaned up and into the garage


    A look at the interior, gutted with full roll cage and race seats/harnesses




    Up to get a look at the suspension and brakes



    My first job is to convert it over to wheel studs, picked up a full set from Bimmerworld.

    I've learned a lot already from reading here and hope to continue to turn this into a great track car for us.

    More to come

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    1999 M3
    Holy crap. You have a lift in your garage. Baller.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
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    Smyrna, GA
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    E36 M3 Gone,E46 M3 Next?
    Good choice in a track car!

    It definitely won't hurt as bad if you stuff the M3 versus the Z06!

    I actually drove your car and considered buying it... I bought a stock 99 M3 instead and am currently building it.

    The M3 is quite easy to work on and I've really enjoyed mine so far!

    Good luck!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie916 View Post
    Holy crap. You have a lift in your garage. Baller.
    no, he's baller because he has TWO lifts in his garage

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by JSA View Post
    Good choice in a track car!

    It definitely won't hurt as bad if you stuff the M3 versus the Z06!

    I actually drove your car and considered buying it... I bought a stock 99 M3 instead and am currently building it.

    The M3 is quite easy to work on and I've really enjoyed mine so far!

    Good luck!
    Too funny that you also checked out the car. I also was on the fence of build vs buy and ended up going this route as I thought it would save me time and a little money, not a ton.

    With us both being located fairly close maybe we could exchange some ideas now and then.

    It will be interesting to watch you build up of the 99 M3.

    Quote Originally Posted by Brent View Post
    no, he's baller because he has TWO lifts in his garage
    I guess I'll accept the complement of "Baller", I think some folks just think I'm crazy!!!

    Well a little over a year ago I decided I was tired of rolling around on the garage floor and the next day feeling like I was beaten with a bag of hammers, so I bit the bullet.

    It was a long involved journey for me as I could not make up my mind, so I documented on GarageJornal the who thing to help other folks who were thinking about a lift. Gotta say it was the best thing I did, wish I had pulled the trigger years ago.




    Anyway, you can look here at my piece on the MaxJax compared with the first lift I purchased that is now sold. Gotta say the MaxJax is a nice solution for lots of guys with minimal space to work with.

    http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75488

    Here is a video I put togheter for it as well. Maybe a few of you will decide to get one for yourself!
    http://youtu.be/UKPNUxcQkqo
    Last edited by MCMM3; 10-13-2011 at 11:10 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  6. #6
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    Apr 2010
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    98 M3
    She looks good man... Good luck to you


  7. #7
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    Too many...or...NOT
    Nice car - Prev owner/Charles didn't spare expense on the important stuff - I was contemplating abandoning my build and getting this car....you've got a heckuva deal - Good luck!!
    Nitin G. Shanbhag
    BMWCCA #101510
    87 951, 88 M3 2.5, 88 E30 S52 Project, 95 M3/2 Slicktop, 96 E36 "TrackBeater", 97 M3/4 Slicktop, 97 TJ, 98 M3/4 Daily, 00 F150 7700
    E36 TrackBeater Project Thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=884145


  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by AirDoc View Post
    Nice car - Prev owner/Charles didn't spare expense on the important stuff - I was contemplating abandoning my build and getting this car....you've got a heckuva deal - Good luck!!
    Good to hear, the cage was a big factor for us in going with this car. The #1 objective in a track car was safety and this cage looked ver good to us. Now I've got to figure out how to drive an M3 :-)

  9. #9
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    You did it! I saw you last weekend chatting with Chris and his 96 Alpine M3 at Turner, so maybe we both pushed you into it a bit.

    You're in for a ton of fun!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by stmount View Post
    You did it! I saw you last weekend chatting with Chris and his 96 Alpine M3 at Turner, so maybe we both pushed you into it a bit.

    You're in for a ton of fun!
    Believe me I didn't need much pushing!!!! But I appreciate bouncing idea off you as these cars are new to me.

    Just finished the front wheel stud conversion this evening, I'll do the rear over the weekend. The other job I want done soon is the brake ducting for as much cooling on the brakes as I can, should help both the brake wear and performance.

  11. #11
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    Jun 2007
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    marietta, ga
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    94 325 is (s52)
    Nice choice on the car, I've seen it in person and your choice to go with a caged car is a GREAT one.

    Good call on the cooling ducts, it helps significantly and with something like pfc 06's at all 4 corners you'll be ready for anything.

    Enjoy! I've had the good fortune to drive an e36 (Mpostor) for some time now and continue to develop my driving with a car that has an incredible amount of capability out of the box (plus basic upgrades).

  12. #12
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    Well one job done, finished the conversion to wheel studs yesterday. Went with a set from Bimmerworld, not real long studs, but does allow for some spacer to be used if I go that route.




    Doing more reading and I think I will us the original air duct holes with 3" tubing and not pull the air from the fog light. I think I have a decent plan for those. I'll post when it comes together.


  13. #13
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    Where in ATL are you doing the work?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by checkerboard6 View Post
    Where in ATL are you doing the work?

    I'm doing the work at home in my garage. In Marietta/East Cobb area.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by MCMM3 View Post
    I'm doing the work at home in my garage. In Marietta/East Cobb area.
    I'm in West Cobb, south end of the national park.

  16. #16
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    What size studs did you go with? (kit number?)

    AND CONGRATS!!!
    '96 BMW 328i Sedan
    '04 Mini Cooper S
    www.azdrift.com
    www.projectz32.com
    BMWCCA member #444936

  17. #17
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    OK, did you ever consider an M3 with wood paneling



    No just some work building templates for brake cooling. I wasn't sure which opening I would go with but I've settles on using the original, working on the prototype now. I was trying to figure out if I wanted to go with metal or fiberglass and I think fiberglass has gotten the nod. Hope to have something together this weekend.
    Last edited by MCMM3; 10-19-2011 at 10:48 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  18. #18
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    Take out the deletes and use the foglight holes to help cool the brakes as well? Fuse the brake ducts to a custom foglight brake duct lol, it could work.

  19. #19
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    Well I needed to install a seat slider for two driver duty so while pulling the seat out I figured I'd clean out the black insulation.

    Before




    Heat gun and a putty knife and it went pretty well. I did everything around the driver area and then a bit on the passenger side that I could get to but I didn't want to remove that seat.





    After



    Now I need to get back to the brake work to be ready for the first track event. Couldn't resist a little cleanup while I was at it!
    Last edited by MCMM3; 10-22-2011 at 11:50 PM.

  20. #20
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    I'm loving it, looks good! See you at the ARRC, I'll be there.
    Vroom Vroom
    simontibbett.com

  21. #21
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    95 Hellrot M3/02 MY Z06
    Pretty cool!

    Looking forward to driving my new to me Z06 on the track next year, but may at some point make my DD M3 into a dedicated track car, though Son and I are looking at starting out with a Miata soon, those large grids look like fun!

    John
    '95 Hellrot M3 w/Dove
    AA Euro HFM Stage II (w/21# Injectors & Software) W/Gen III Exhaust - URI Crank Pully - FDM w/3 Row M Coupe Rad - 3.23 LSD - Vogtland Club Spec/Koni SA - UUC Red w/Enforcers - TMS Shims/Rear Camber Bars w/QA1 inners/Sways - VMC F/TMS R End Links - X-Brace - Perf Ultimate/SS Brake Lines - GC Tower Mounts/RTAB Shims - ZKW's w/5000K Hid - Fog Delete - Alpine 9847/Pioneer TS-C130R Kevlar Components/Pioneer PRS-X340/Stealth Box's/Wired Zune 120GB - OE LTW CF Sills/Glove Box Plate - Staggered Black M-Spoke II's w/235/40 (front), 255/40 (Rear) Nitto NT05's - Rolled Fenders!

    ***Got a '95 M3? (actually pretty common on all years! Even happened to Racer Seth Thomas! ) Check Your LSD! http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=390209

  22. #22
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    Oct 2011
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    Track Rat
    Weight savings, thus far?

  23. #23
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    Not too much to talk about, I purchased the car much as you see and just pulled out that insulation but add a slider so I think my net might have been positive 2-3# :-)

    I hope to clean out all the insulation, A/C compressor and lines, a few extraneous brakets and what not along with a few more pieces around the dash area.

    The second phase depending on progress might be to go lexan windows on the sides and back, that would be the biggest savings.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by stmount View Post
    You did it! I saw you last weekend chatting with Chris and his 96 Alpine M3 at Turner, so maybe we both pushed you into it a bit.

    You're in for a ton of fun!
    Indeed!
    Glad to see you went through with it. Look forward to seeing you out there next year---you're going to love it!

  25. #25
    Join Date
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    Chattanooga,TN, USA
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    02 M3 SMG, 92 MBZ 500E
    Lol, I looked at that car too! Nice place to start...


    ---
    I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=34.259116,-85.179965
    Brian Flanagan
    Fastech Motorsports, LLC
    Usually Sideways

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