BMW E36 Expert
Good for you.Originally Posted by jvit27
Aside from the fact I have corrected you three times in this thread alone, I completed many of the same retrofits you post as an expert on years before you did lol. I just never said anything in your threads..
If you refer to post 35, I never said it wasn't the spot for the lumbar switches.. I said they are not lumbar switches.
(and TIS/ETK, RealOEM, dealerships, etc)
All things related to something custom non-E36 like. If there was a good close-up pic of these switches used in the lumbar switch place, I would have never said what I did.
Oh you never said anything in any of my posts. That is easy to say. So where is this car of yours then? Must be very special.
Also, I nowhere say that you said it wasn't the spot for lumbar switches...
haha that's all good. But I'm not sure about OEM coolness. M3C has done many mods, but many of these mods you see are custom and have nothing to do with OEM. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, but it's a different thing.If you're right (and you say you're never wrong about e36s) this is pretty odd on this OEM all the way car.
So yeah I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I think OP's car has your car beat in OEM coolness category.
Some I like, but wouldn't do to my own car, like having all these different switches in my doorcards, or at the side of the lower gear surround and stuff.
My car will stay as close to stock as possible, but with every option that was available fitted. I have some small things that are "OEM+" but don't take away from the factory E36 look.
I don't know his car. I'd expect such a car to be known and shown? Unless he (Jon) doesn't like to post his.Your talking to the guy that had probably the most OEM spec'ed out E36 M3 in the past 10 years. The dude knows his stuff, just because we ain't Europe doesn't mean anything, we have the internet, and eBay
And I don't hate on anyone either, even if it may have sounded like that. I'm all for OEM modding.
I know there are a few who are fitting, or have fitted nearly every OEM option.
Some are model specific, so can't be done on all cars. But what is most spec'd out?
I don't mind if someone has more than mine (I can't add more when there is nothing more to fit). Okay I have some things left to fit, but I need to find time.
It's all good.
M3C: I only just noticed the E38/E39 seat memory switches at the side of the lower gear surround. Do these have a customo function or did you manage to get seat memory working?
Last edited by MParallel; 06-03-2012 at 12:30 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
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Yea dude it's not an issue just trying to figure out what the hell is going on with all the switches lol.
Here is the car in question's spec list.
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Is there a write up on the steering wheels with the radio buttons? I really want to do this!
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BMW E36 M3 Expert
I don't like posting many details about my cars (10 BMW's since 1999), but i've added almost every option available on one or another...
A good friend of mine has one with more OEM stuff than most people even knew existed. We have been sharing info for years, and his is far and above THE most heavily optioned E36 out there.
M3C has done a really good job IMO. Lots of nice touches - quite an elite car if I do say so myself.
EDIT: Les, PM me your email and i'll send you a quick writeup I did on how to retrofit them.
Last edited by jvit27; 06-03-2012 at 01:15 AM.
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I'm just messing with you buddy- it's funny how most ppl on here are so detail oriented and perfection hungry that when someone does smth different it's almost offensive to others and they express 'hate' .
I think all ppl in this thread who offered usefull info probably have better cars than I do.
BMW E36 Expert
Sharocks, that list that you post is that Jon's car or someone elses as in that quote Jon talks about "a dismantled car" so surely not his.
It's true that many out there don't even know half the options that were available.
Since I have about every original (Euro) price and option list, I'm familiar with all.
I have to make a note that I am all about interior OEM mods/electrical goodies. Things like an OEM towhook and such are not of my interest. So I won't have all options, although I have all possible interior options.
ps "--UK 3.2 Evo gauge cluster with 3.0 oil temp gauge (MPH & Fahrenheit)". Now any UK 3.2 or 3.0 should have a MPH and Fahrenheit gauge so I wonder why that distinction is made.
If you want to see a list of my options, simply click on my signature pic. Although I see I need to update it, as some one the wishlist things are already fitted or I have the parts waiting fitment.
My engine is stock. So no massive lists there upgrades/tuning wise. Although I have an M50 intake and BBTB waiting.
The S50B30 route is mildly tempting (and these engines are all over the place here) but it's not something for now (Although every time I'm at the Nordschleife, I wish I did)
Oh well, my dream is one of those S85 conversions. Oh boy...
Some options are also mutually exclusive so you have to make a choice. I'd like the original in-dash navigation (talk about an option that most don't know!) but the space it occupies is taken by the hands-free mic of my BMW carphone. Unless I relocated some switches to a non-OEM space (which I don't like) these 2 will not exist together. I also don't want to give up my glovebox to fit the the huge CD-ROM player to run the naviagtion discs.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Member
That WAS his car. It was spec'ed heavily but it was parted out eventually but I don't stalk the guy so I have no clue after that. All I know is that, if it was a cool OEM part, that car had it
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BMW E36 M3 Expert
Special order only in the US. Very rare from the factory.
Are you serious? There's not much Jon doesn't know about E36's period! Not saying you're not an expert but ....
And I beg to differ that you're THE "walking E36 encyclopedia."
Last edited by Jim E.; 06-03-2012 at 09:47 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
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BMW E36 M3 Expert
It was one of my old cars (and that list is not 100% complete). I parted it out a few years ago and moved on.
And no UK 3.2 cluster comes with MPH/Fahrenheit. They only come in MPH/ Celsius.
Ladies & Gentleman... Jim E!
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BMW E36 M3 Expert
Ok I'm going to give credit where credit is due and you've done many things quite nicely indeed!Sharocks, that list that you post is that Jon's car or someone elses as in that quote Jon talks about "a dismantled car" so surely not his.
It's true that many out there don't even know half the options that were available.
Since I have about every original (Euro) price and option list, I'm familiar with all.
I have to make a note that I am all about interior OEM mods/electrical goodies. Things like an OEM towhook and such are not of my interest. So I won't have all options, although I have all possible interior options.
ps "--UK 3.2 Evo gauge cluster with 3.0 oil temp gauge (MPH & Fahrenheit)". Now any UK 3.2 or 3.0 should have a MPH and Fahrenheit gauge so I wonder why that distinction is made.
If you want to see a list of my options, simply click on my signature pic. Although I see I need to update it, as some one the wishlist things are already fitted or I have the parts waiting fitment.
My engine is stock. So no massive lists there upgrades/tuning wise. Although I have an M50 intake and BBTB waiting.
The S50B30 route is mildly tempting (and these engines are all over the place here) but it's not something for now (Although every time I'm at the Nordschleife, I wish I did)
Oh well, my dream is one of those S85 conversions. Oh boy...
Some options are also mutually exclusive so you have to make a choice. I'd like the original in-dash navigation (talk about an option that most don't know!) but the space it occupies is taken by the hands-free mic of my BMW carphone. Unless I relocated some switches to a non-OEM space (which I don't like) these 2 will not exist together. I also don't want to give up my glovebox to fit the the huge CD-ROM player to run the naviagtion discs.
A couple of inquiries though.
Why did you do an H1 HID conversions rather than a proper HID conversion with a real HID retrofited housing? The rebased H1 in the factory ellispoid does not give you a proper beam pattern. Jon was the first to do that and it would look similar to this:
Can you describe what your "extended leather" bits include? I'm just curious. I asume you like CF but why did you choose the "BMW Motorsport International" stuff on a non-M car rather than the CF individual components like these:
Not knocking your choice but just curious. Ambience lighting is really nice btw.
Sorry OP, didn't mean to threadjack. Your car looks really nice.
Ever consider the red "BMW Motorsport" seatbelts for your car? The contrast looks great on a black interior.
Last edited by Jim E.; 06-03-2012 at 10:41 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
BMW E36 Expert
Jim E, I'll happily anwser your questions.
(M3C, sorry about the hijack).
First I am not THE E36 expert. Who is? What makes someone THE expert. Reading back I may have sounded like an ass. It's the way I type at times, but it's hard to see what one means without seeing the person typing. Sure someone out there in the world, knows the most details. I know plenty, but likely not all. For Euro factory things, I know a great deal. Start talking about tuning etc, that is beyond me.
Okay now for your questions:
H1 conversion: I didn't want to hack up the ZKW units and install an OEM HID projector in it. I want to keep the housing stock so I can always go back. It's definitely not ideal and truth be told, my factory open parabola H7 units with halogen lights were way, I mean WAY better. This was purely a cosmetic upgrade instead, form over function. I just couldn't stand the big H7 reflectors anymore. The projector looks much better, at the sacrifice of less light. Of course I wouldn't do it if it was so bad I couldn't see in the dark, but that is not the case. And I chose OEM 3200K color to have more light instead of even less and a silly color like 8000K.
Exenteded leather was the option to have the lower dash, center console, handbrake console and complete doorcards wrapped in nappe leather.
My car didn't come with it and it took me 4 years of searching to find a set in black and that wasn't havily scratched and stuff. It's costs a ton (I had to buy pieces separately) but it's just something I really wanted.
I have all but the complete doorcards/rear quarter panels. Specially front doorcards I'm not sure about. You often hit the door fit your shoes (specially at 6'4", 245lbs and size 12 shoes) so they would get scuffed within days. And all the second hand ones I've seen all had marks. New ones from BMW are around $700 per side, something I am not going to pay. And it's all about the fun of finding nice parts second hand for cheap.
Here are pics of my extended leather pieces:
Handbrake console / armrest hinge covers
Glovebox. The lid is covered in leather and you can see a stitchline running on top. This line is not on non-leather boxes, while there is a line on the connecting dash pieces that now continues nicely through the glovebox (see next pic). On interiors with a contrasting color top/bottom of dash, this line devides the 2 colors.
I also had the piece the window switches are in in leather, but since I have the OEM CF console, I sold it.
Which brings me to your other question. This is kinda funny, because you state "on a non-M car" yet the piece you show as a suggestion, is the doorsill cover with an ///M on it...which would in that context be just as out of place in my "non-M" car as the Motorsport ones.
Well anyways, there's always this debate about "your car is not an M" in which most people mean it's not an M3. Now you won't find any M3 logo or batch on my car.
But the "M, or better yet, M Technik" line is simply BMW's sporty accessories line. Things like the M bumpers, steering wheel, skirts, could all be factory ordered on all models. Some don't know and I have been on forums years ago where I was named an M3 wannabee, but it's all by people who have no clue what is M and what is M3.
So with that in mind. I like the BMW Motorsport logo's and I wanted something different from all the M bits that everyone has. Apart from parts that only exist as M parts of course. I used to have the ///M Clubsport sills, which were really nice, but no matching other bits.
So to offset all M bits and because I found the "blank" CF glovebox strip a bit bland, I got one with the logo (actually it started with the CF gear surround,which has no yes/no Motorsport version, so I had to have the matching glovebox piece). After that I bought the side moulding logos to have something contrast all the black and after that I finalized it by getting the Motorsport CF (look) sills. No more Motorsport bits available.
This gives my car a business-yet-sporty look, the one I always had in mind. I really love the OEM CF with the red weave and it's a shame BMW didn't do much more pieces for the E36 like matching doorhandles and gearknob, like they do for most Individual woodtrims. And to be honest, I don't like the CF ashtrays. But who knows, maybe someday I will get the rear one (as the front one is deleted for my carphone).
PS: I also had the BMW Motorsport engraved doorhandles, but after putting them on, I found it a bit over the top. I don't know why. I prefer the nice smooth ones, so went back to stock and sold them on.
PPS: forgot if it was even in the topic you looked at, but in the meantime I have also added the E38/E39 style moodlights for the inner doorhandles. Not by simply sticking a led on, but I moulded the actual transparant piece of plastic that guides the light into the E36 handle so it accepts the original ambient led you can click in. This also gives a much smoother light than one spot with a big bright orange glow.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
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BMW E36 M3 Expert
The reason I showed you the ///M CF door sill is precisely because (in Europe) back in the day, you could order a regular E36 with the M package whereas you could never get the M3 GT/LTW stuff factory ordered on a standard E36. As you pointed out, what BMW used to call BMW Technik but no longer do.
I'm pretty familair with extended leather because I have it among MANY other duplicate NLA items for the E36. I was curious if you had the seat back cover in leather but it doesn't appear so in addition to the 51452252076 shown here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...1&fg=30&hl=164
Also wan't sure if you sourced 51162251895 which is part of the extended leather package shown here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...90&hg=51&fg=35
Did you get the rear bumper mounted antenna for your phone kit?
OP, you should do a write-up on your ambient light install. It would get a lot more traction than me showing people how to retrofit the electric rear sunshade in the E36.
BMW E36 Expert
I see. Yes that is true of course. I don't think you could even spec the M doorsills with CF print, unless you went through BMW Individual. Funny enough the class II LTW/GT wing is listed as a retrofit kit for all models that fit one, although less the risers and gurney flaps.The reason I showed you the ///M CF door sill is precisely because (in Europe) back in the day, you could order a regular E36 with the M package whereas you could never get the M3 GT/LTW stuff factory ordered on a standard E36. As you pointed out, what BMW used to call BMW Technik but no longer do.
I'm pretty familair with extended leather because I have it among MANY other duplicate NLA items for the E36. I was curious if you had the seat back cover in leather but it doesn't appear so in addition to the 51452252076 shown here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...1&fg=30&hl=164
Also wan't sure if you sourced 51162251895 which is part of the extended leather package shown here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...90&hg=51&fg=35
Did you get the rear bumper mounted antenna for your phone kit?
OP, you should do a write-up on your ambient light install. It would get a lot more traction than me showing people how to retrofit the electric rear sunshade in the E36.
Thought the "extended leather" term was new. I guess I misunderstood.
Don't really care for the leather seatbacks. They don't add to the interior ambiance like the other pieces. And it's just wrapped. No stitching on it anywhere. And like the doorcard, often pretty scuffed by rear passengers.
The only ultra-rare piece, that I have never seen for sale either, which I like, is the original Indivdual leather+stitched cover for the softtop stowage compartement lid.
P/N 51168167395 I have. It came with the leather piece the window switches go into. But as seats backrest covers, it doesn't feature any cool stitching.
51452252076 as well
Pretty much useless as well as you hardly see it and the nice stitchline can only be seen with the door open, but it's nice to have everything complete.
I wish BMW did a complete (upper) dash in leather, but I have never seen such a piece or confirmation on a P/N.
Not so much a retrofit as my car left the factory with it, never offered in the US market, is the factory alarm (US only got the BMW/dealer approved/installed Alpine alarms and likes) which is a totally different system and comes with the key/fob in one.
The bumper antenna. I bought it from Ebay, but quickly sold it on as I had no use for it at all.
Even better, back in 1997 if you ordered the carphone, the car (at least verts) came with a 6" long antenna at the back to get a signal.
Well now 15 years later and a GSM antenna on about every single roof here, you don't need such a big ass antenna to receive a signal.
Which made me quite happy. The antenna from my phone S/E module, doesn't even connect to an external antenna at all. I routed it to the trunk, behind the lining.
With such a strong signal all over the country (and Europe) I have 5/5 or 4/5 signal about everywhere I go.
So to fit the bumper antenna, I was like...why would I even bother. Just to have it?
The phone is controllable from the MF steering wheel. And to make things better, the CD43 headunit is also capable of communicating with the phone, which lets me browse the SIM's phonebook, without having to look at the phone's display.
Which is pretty damn awesome since BMW never even offered such a thing for this car and doesn't to away from the factory look at all.
Although this last piece isn't something I figured out, but smarter people who are wizard's when it comes to electrical stuff and figured this all out. I simply copied what they discovered.
Now it's waiting for someone who gets the rain/light sensor to work.
Last edited by MParallel; 06-03-2012 at 03:30 PM.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Member
very nice OP
EE
BMW CCA Member
Jvit27 for president.
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BMW E36 M3 Expert
Dricebrug for Monarch!!
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Wow, wow, what is going on here...I go to Disneyland with my family and few days after checking emails, find this. I want the house in order and clean before I get back, no hate between any of you....lol. No lumbars on my vaders, I feel that the leather tension-firmness is perfect and do not think it was a good idea to add lumbar feature to vaders, this is my preference. Also as stated before did not like the headlight jet wash system, those 2 black bumps in front of headlights did not look natural. There are also some other rare options that were offered with E36 and I did not like but at the same time there are some features that I wanted but they were never available on E36, so I specially designed and mostly handmade myself by using BMW and other OE parts. Did around 60 mods (features) in here and will post pictures of as many, one by one. Stay tuned. P.S. I see big names are replying on this thread, thanks for compliments and respect for all.
BMW E36 Expert
SURPRISE!
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
In need of a BMW
Good looking car you have there man!
2009 Mustang GT: JLT Cold Air Intake, Kooks Longtubes and catted X, Corsa Xtremes, FRPP 4.10s, Tune
e30 <3
really clean, I want
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I believe my 1st mod was the x-brace....
-X-brace w/buffer stop
-Front strut brace Dinan
-Rear shock brace Dinan
-High quality alu pedals debaged
-Delrin clutch pedal bushings
-BMW strut tower covers
Last edited by M3C; 06-17-2012 at 12:44 AM. Reason: correction
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-Tintet windows Lumar 50%
-V1 radar detector
-BMW Traffic Pro made by Becker
-Navigation
-Factory security system with special mods
-Clown nose alarm LED
-Electrochrome rear view mirror
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thank you for your response.
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-Magnetic engine oil drain plug
-Alpina engine oil filter cover
-Bosch H1 projector headlights
-Euro headlight electric aim adjustment
Last edited by M3C; 07-08-2012 at 10:27 PM.
Member
OP, nice car. JV you know better than arguing with idiots, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.. but good show old boy
My car would looks like that If I had the time and follow through LOLOL..
OP if you had the OE LTW wing and splitter your car would be complete.
Herr, wirf Hirn vom Himmel! ... oder Steine, Hauptsache er trifft.
88 Alpineweiss / black E30 M3 -Project.
Brilliantrot / black US SPEC 3/90 prod e34 M30b35 535i 5spd - Modded.
98.5 Tiag Silber /black e36 m3 - Modded.
99.5 Estoril Blau /dove e36 m3 - Modded.
07 Crimsonrot /black E83 X3 6spd - Stock..
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