Dragged Out of the Salvage Yard - Bringing a Coupe Back to Life

[Outrider]

I was wondering if anybody was going to comment on the antenna.

It reminds me of the old Maxell ads where the sound blast has the effect of heavy winds.

My son would probably say "If yours doesn't look like this one, you drive too slow..."

David has the factory sport antenna sitting in a box, ready to install.

[TheBMWPartStore]

Nice work on the rebuild, here is some vehicle info for you.

Vehicle information

VIN long WBSCM9343YLC61195

Type code CM93

Type M-COUPE (USA)

Dev. series E36 (7C)

Line 3

Body type RCOUPE

Steering LL

Door count 2

Engine S52

Cubical capacity 3.20

Power 176

Transmision HECK

Gearbox MECH

Colour IMOLAROT 2 (405)

Upholstery LEDER WALK NAPPA/IMOLAROT (Q6IM)

Prod. date 1999-04-22


Order options
No. Description
260 SIDE AIRBAG DRIVER/FRT PASSENGER

413 LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT NET

530 AIR CONDITIONING

640 CAR TELEPHONE PREPARATION

658 RADIO BMW BUSINESS CD RDS

674 HIFI LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM HARMAN KARDON

692 CD CHANGER I-BUS PREPARATION

818 MAIN BATTERY SWITCH

902 SPECIAL CHECK PRESS VEHICLES


Series options
No. Description
209 LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL (25%)

243 AIRBAG FOR FRONT PASSENGER

314 HEATED WINDSCREEN WASHER NOZZLES

354 GREEN STRIPE WINDSCREEN

481 SPORT SEATS F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER

494 SEAT HEATING F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER

540 CRUISE CONTROL

710 M LEATHER STEERING WHEEL

785 WHITE DIRECTION INDICATOR LIGHTS

845 ACOUSTIC BELT WARNING

853 LANGUAGE VERSION ENGLISH

992 NUMBER PLATE ATTACHEMENT MANAGEMENT

[Outrider]

Time for an update. The project stalled a bit over rims, of all things, but the car is sitting on some Craigslist Roadstars that were marred during a tire replacement and were subsequently passed on to a mechanic who put them up for sale. But the rims are true and the (new) tires balanced up nicely.

We did a little testing on the car and noticed a few noises, so we went back to the body shop to get it up in the air and to get it aligned. When we got it up in the air, we were able to get a better idea of what might be going on.
- At some point in time, the exhaust system got pushed forward about 3/4 inch
- The left rear shock had an impact mark and was bent
- Left rear trailing arm seems bent
- Rear suspension carrier is bent
- Rear brake line broke free from the clips that keep it clear of the suspension. Temp fix in place

The way forward? Looks like a new suspension carrier and at least one trailing arm. We also need to sort out what improvements to make while we have the rear suspension in pieces. Simple things like bearings and bushings come to mind, though we'll also change over to stainless steel brake lines rather than rely on 16 year old rubber.

I'm not sure what to do about the rear suspension. My son is gung ho about getting a suspension upgrade, but that's not in the cards right away. He'll have to wait until he goes back to work this summer and can earn enough to pay for whatever he wants.

[Scarceas]

Love the project. I plan to have my kids do some sort of rebuild/restore on their first car, too. I hope it will teach them to care for the vehicle.

Bummer about the trailing arm. That is a hard to find part that is no longer available.

[Outrider]

Given that we will be replacing the rear crossmember and at least one trailing arm...

Any advice from the brain trust about what to upgrade while we've pulled these major components off the car? I see that Ireland Engineering has trailing arm bushings, subframe bushings, and rear shock mounts. Rogue Engineering has some similar parts, but doesn't seem to have the subframe bushings. I also know that there may be other good solutions out there that we simply may not know about.

I also realize that type of use matters. My son will want to try some autocrossing, but it's unlikely to be turned into a track car. So I'm not sure if there's any advantage to adding on all of the adjustable geometry components.

At a minimum, I think we will consider:

Rear shock mounts
Ireland Subframe bushings
Trailing arm bushings

I'm very hopeful we get this right the first time. I want to avoid hearing the "you should've changed the XXX YYY while you were in there. So simple and a $5 part that's otherwise a PITA to repair." Appreciate any advice in that regard.

[jajou318]

I would consider a different brand of subframe bushings. Although I've never had a problem with IE some of their old bushings were crap but I believe they warrantied them (still twice the work installing them again).

I would consider AKG and avoid powerflex. Reason being I had a diff mount bushing that didn't last but a couple weeks from powerflex and they didn't uphold any warranty. Luckily my installer made it right.

[jajou318]

Or just go with stock. Nothing wrong with stock. More urethane more stiff more vibrations.

[Wertles]

The new IE bushings are fine. There was one bad batch from their supplier a few years ago and IE replaced any that failed, no questions asked. I have had the new ones in my car since 2011 with nothing but good things to say about them. AKG is also a quality subframe bushing. Keep OEM for everything else.

[Randy Forbes]

The new IE bushings are fine. There was one bad batch from their supplier a few years ago and IE replaced any that failed, no questions asked. I have had the new ones in my car since 2011 with nothing but good things to say about them. AKG is also a quality subframe bushing. Keep OEM for everything else.

What he says. In fact, to elaborate, that "bad batch" actually took place__to the best of my knowledge__about a dozen (>12) years ago, and it took up to a decade for the bushes to fail (and they were still replacing them "no questions asked"). I expect I've installed well over a hundred sets of Ireland subframe bushings, and I don't see any reason to jump ship.

Besides not being able to get the correct alignment, how do you know which component is at fault; trailing arm and/or suspension carrier? Not being able to answer that question, and frequently being tasked with the installation of the Ireland weld-in adjustable toe/camber kits, I crafted fixtures, using brand new components, for each of the three (3) major pieces that make up the suspension. I even had a guy ship me a bunch of pieces from Arizona to weed out the bent ones, before he put them on his rebuild. So that's an option for you too. Depending on the severity, it's possible that a toe/camber kit will allow the car to be aligned back to spec. Knowing how much, and in which direction a component is "off" I can bias the weld in kit to compensate (ditto for taking out the excessive negative camber on the standard Z3 models).

Pretty sure the new trailing arms are available again, or very soon will be__maybe 1st week of December__IIRC from a previous thread on the subject. They are not supplied with the hub bearing installed, so you will have to make arrangements to do that. I strongly recommend that you have someone with the correct tools and prior experience do the job, as it is not as simple as pressing one out and putting the other in. You can search here for threads__and failures__on that subject too.

Bottom line: urethane for the subframe mounting bushes, new OE rubber for everything else, especially the differential cover bushing (keep it rubber) if it even needs replacing at all. Note that the Z3 and M cover bushes are not the same, and true to form, you will need the one that costs twice as much as the other; it's an ///M!

A couple shots taken during fixture construction:

[BimmerBreaker]

Randy, when will you be making strengthened "E30 DTM" style arms for our cars?

[Randy Forbes]

Nice, but you realize they mandate true coilovers, and therefore reinforcing/bracing the upper shock mount...?

Not that I haven't already done it









He has since upgraded to Ohlins...

[Outrider]

I can not let my son see those Öhlins. Beautiful stuff.

I've admired them on motocross bikes for years.

[BimmerBreaker]

You could always throw a perch for the spring onto some DTM style arms

[Randy Forbes]

You could always throw a perch for the spring onto some DTM style arms

Are you trying to get banned...?

[Outrider]

Latest update. My son is on summer break from college, which means he's back at work at the bodyshop. The next steps are to put in a new suspension carrier and a new training arm. Since those components are coming out, it's probably the right time to do a subframe reinforcement. I sent an e-mail to Randy Forbes last night to order his kit. Looking forward to getting this moving again.

[Venom13132]

Great project! Looking forward to more updates!

[Outrider]

So my son got a bit distracted in fixing up his daily driver. It was a blue cabby that had a paint failure. He repainted it in tan bedliner. He actually won first prize for his category at Waterfest this year. He's on the left with his trophy.

He likes driving without doors, something I ended up telling him not to do.


IMG_7364.jpgIMG_7917.jpg

- - - Updated - - -

The photo here shows the suspension carrier bushing tool that's described somewhere on the forums. The M Coupe is up on the lift in the background.

Ireland Engineering Subframe bushings were installed using the tool.

IMG_7918.jpgIMG_7931.jpg

Here's the diff

IMG_7930.jpg

We're waiting on the M3 diff cover to come in. He'd like to go Rogue, but that's really over budget for him. The next big problem is the exhaust. We had a line on a very nice used Dinan exhaust that would fit the dual ear diff, but the deal fell through.

[robb1887]

We had a line on a very nice used Dinan exhaust that would fit the dual ear diff, but the deal fell through.

In a pinch the stock exhaust can be massaged to clear the diff mounts.



And by massaged, I mean beat with a hammer.

[Randy Forbes]

In a pinch the stock exhaust can be massaged in a pinch to clear the diff mounts.



And by massaged, I mean beat with a hammer.

A lot of truth in that, but there's a little more to it too

Work on the stock exhaust starts in the middle of the page here: http://spcarsplus.com/gallery3/index.php/CVR?page=16

[Outrider]

Appreciate the advice on the exhaust. David is working at a bodyshop, so banging on an exhaust with a big hammer isn't an unknown task. I just want to make sure the bends are in the right place...

[KeysCoupe]

If its not on the list yet, you might consider the Ireland camber and toe weld-in adjusters. While the rear subframe is out/replaced, the labor is pretty easy, as long as you have access to a MIG welder.
Even stock arms that are unbent can benefit from these if you lower the suspension. Your rear tires will wear much longer if you can adjust the camber, and especially the toe.
-Donny

[Outrider]

Thanks for the suggestion, Donnie. I'll look into it. Front camber plates are also under consideration. Haven't sorted out which to get, though. Lots of choices.

IE only has the normal, vs the posilock adjusters. Any thoughts?

http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/Z3-s...-steering.html

- - - Updated - - -

A lot of truth in that, but there's a little more to it too

Work on the stock exhaust starts in the middle of the page here: http://spcarsplus.com/gallery3/index.php/CVR?page=16

Thanks for this pointer. I'm going to squeeze a few turnips to see if I can pull off an exhaust. Not sure which to get, but I'm pretty sure it would be stainless and dual tip. David will want it loud, but where we live, the extra noise is just going to be a constant irritant.

[melville]

Thanks for the suggestion, Donnie. I'll look into it. Front camber plates are also under consideration. Haven't sorted out which to get, though. Lots of choices.

IE only has the normal, vs the posilock adjusters. Any thoughts?

http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/Z3-s...-steering.html

- - - Updated - - -



Thanks for this pointer. I'm going to squeeze a few turnips to see if I can pull off an exhaust. Not sure which to get, but I'm pretty sure it would be stainless and dual tip. David will want it loud, but where we live, the extra noise is just going to be a constant irritant.

Quiet is good. I'm a couple years into M Roadster ownership mit stock exhaust and I'm amazed at how much I get away with, speedwise, despite it being a bright yellow enforcement target. People don't even look up from their phones as I drive by.

This was not the case with the very slow VW Buses with LOUD exhaust.

Ask your son how many police officers he wants to meet.

[KeysCoupe]

The regular Ireland kits work well, and is likely the most commonly used. They use stock BMW eccentric bolts from another model, and their plates are made from cold rolled steel, better than some competitors.
I would advise using both positions, inner and outer, for camber and toe. When the car is lowered, not only camber changes, but toe also increases. Toe seems to be what eats your rear tires the most.
These kits can even compensate for bent trailing arms, as long as the bends aren't too severe. You can bias the location of the plates depending on how the arm is bent.
-Donny

[BimmerBreaker]

I was directed away from the posilock by everyone I talked to. Used the normal ones and very happy with them.

Even if the car isnt lowered, if the subframe is out I would add the adjustable units. Never hurts to have them and its minimal cost with the subframe out.

Hope to see more pictures of the coupe soon. The VW is certainly... interesting