Dotbeta's Hellrot 328i sedan build thread.

[DotBeta]

Today I decided to replace the Oil filter profile gasket, I have oil on the pan as well as on the side of the block so I'm assuming it's gone bad and seeping all over.

The whole accessory removal process was pretty straight forward, I didn't have to remove the idler to remove anything. But I did notice my tensioner pulley is a bit squeaky so I'll replace it soon. After removing the alternator I was going to break the PS pump loose and found this gem..

The inner PS bolt was backed all the way out and barely hanging on. Thank goodness it didn't cause any damage to the belt or pullies while it was backing out. popped off the pump and removed the OFM and found.

Obvious as hell signs of a bad OFM gasket. This triggered the hell out of me lol, I can't stand neglected dirty stuff like this so I got to cleaning it all up.

This is more like it, cleaned up all the nasty oil on the block, the ps hoses, transmission lines, engine bracket and whatever else I could get my hands on in the area that was filthy. I'm planning on actually having the engine bay steam cleaned so consider it prep. I don't have any pics of it all mounted back up but the process went great and now that's one less thing that could be a possible oil leak. I cleaned up the oil filter mount as well, I honestly would have taken more time on it but I have to be at work today so I needed to get done in a rush. When I fired it up it ran like shit and made my heart skip a beat but it was just the CCV hose popped off the dip stick tube, a quick reconnect and everything was perfect again lol.

I'll be doing more work on the hooptie next week.

[jc43089]

Yes m3 brakes require the m3 spindles. Look into e46 330 front brakes, 330mm rotors which is actually larger than the 325mm m3 brakes and the caliper bolts onto the non m spindle. Rotors and pads are cheaper for the same brand/type, Hawk HPS for example, when comparing e36m vs e46 330 parts. I have test fitted them on my e36 and it works great. The car is still a work in progress but you can see the fitment. The wheels are 16" contour reps, most 16" wheels do not clear them.





- - - Updated - - -



Stock 325i rotor vs e46 330 rotor

[CblockM3]

Car's looking good man, keep this thread going!

[DotBeta]

@jc43089

Thanks for the insight man I really appreciate it, right now I'm leaning on getting some 17" M contours so those 330 brakes should have no problem fitting. No rush on the brakes though until after I feel the car is where it should be maintenance wise. Most people will buy an e36 and immediately start modding it etc. but I rather make sure everything is sound and legit before I get into modifications. So far so good .

@CblockM3
Yup yup, the thread might be a little unexciting atm because there's nothing hardcore going on but before the fun starts the car has to pass my standard, proper maintenance and reliability comes first in my book. I'll tell myself the car is ready for wheels and coil overs, then I think of something else that I should do first lol. I'll literally need to force myself at this point to do it but it'll easily be the biggest facelift to the car hands down. I have a chin spoiler because it wakes up the non M front bumper, I'm a little concerned as to how low it will be in the front afterwards but I won't really know until I get on with it lol, I'm already hitting parking bricks with it so I can only imagine what it'll be like once it drops 2-2 1/2 more inches.

[DotBeta]

I'm a little tight on cash this week cause of bills n such so I decided to do some affordable DIY projects. I painted the Kidney grills, front bumper trim and lower bumper grill satin black. I feel like the sharp satin black is a good contrast against the red over the faded dark grey original trim color. I used high quality paint so fading shouldn't be bad, honestly in a week or so the sheen will have faded a bit and look better.

Before.

After 4 coats of paint.

All buttoned back up, you can see the paint shade difference a bit where the old license plate holder used to be, you can also see the new color trim and side trim difference, the black just goes way better than the faded grey. The car will be getting body work and a fresh paintjob in the end so I'll deal with it for now. I'll be painting the side trim and rear bumper trim tomorrow but I will be ordering M3 side trim because it looks way better. Next week I plan on ordering and installing the coilovers or the euro headlamps, I paid someone to do a quick restoration job on the headlamps so they look way better than they did but those angry lids kill me lol.

[Davis318]

DotBeta car looks great! Love the simplicity of it! I actual just picked a 328i auto as well for $1k! Going through a lot of the same process, biggest thing with mine was the interior was trashed. Lucked out with the junk yards.

Definitely watching this thread!

[B320i]

Really LOVING the TLC and cleanup of the vehicle, I'm a big fan of stock-style "builds."

Based on the mess of your engine, guessing mine must be due a profile gasket too. At least all that oil should be good rust protection! :P

[Twistytee]

Is that an eBay chin spoiler or did you source it elsewhere? Thinking about adding one myself for the same reason.

[DotBeta]

Thanks for the kind comments everyone I appreciate it lol. I mean in all reality it is still very stock on the outside other than some small tweaks but once the wheels and coil overs are on it'll look so much better. I'll be leaving about a 1 - 1 1/2 inch gap between the tire and the fender. I like to have a little cushion and keep camber normal instead of the dirty nasty low stance. I'll probably use some wheel spacers to have the wheels sit out a little further unless the wheels I get already compensate.

@Twistytee I looked all over for a simple not too radical chin spoiler and the market it empty, it's hard to find any sort of non M chin spoiler like mine so I decided to go the DIY route and went with the home depot chin spoiler lol. It's literally garden brick lining that I molded into a chin spoiler. I've never gotten a bad criticism about it and if I don't mention what it is no one blinks an eye, best of all it was 8 bucks. It lines up with the depth of the side gfx very well, without it the bumper sits slightly higher than the gfx do so it doesn't "flow" as well imo. It looks a bit beat up in the pic, and it does rub on a lot of park bricks and such but it hold up very well I should have wiped it down and it would have looks great. Once the car is lowered it might have to go if it sits too low but we'll see lol.


p.s. The first thing people say on average when they see the car is "lol the headlights." I'm going to replace them this week with new oem plastic ones just to get it over with for now I can't stand them anymore, it's like the car looks great but can't be taken seriously because of the headlights lmao..

[FiberFast]

Your car is looking so good. I hope to get there some day.
Dibs on the headlights! J/K, those are hideous.

[B320i]

@DotBeta - Try to see if you can source the European headlights lenses, which are glass. Much better quality than the chintzy plastic stuff you guys got in the USA.

[DotBeta]

@DotBeta - Try to see if you can source the European headlights lenses, which are glass. Much better quality than the chintzy plastic stuff you guys got in the USA.

the cheapest euro headlamps I've sourced are 175 for the set, the plastic ones are 70 a set and while I know the euros are far superior its a quick fix until I get other stuff done, I can always resell the plastic ones locally once I get the glass ones and take a small hit.

[niceast]

What's the total investment so far (aside from the 1K purchase).

reading from parts list include:
- A/C blower motor replacement and cabin filter.
- Tune up. "coil boots, plugs, oil change, valve cover gasket"
- Cooling system overhaul "water pump, thermostat and housing gaskets, cooling fan switch, G-05 coolant"
- Cam position Sensor.
- Oil filter mount gasket.
- Transmission Service (oil pan gasket, oil filter, oil change).
- Power Torque Engine and transmission mounts.
- CAI *heat shield work in progress.
- Alpine audio system with sub.
- Exterior trim and kidney grills painted satin black.
- Interior detail.
- Carpet cleaning.

I looking to get into a BMW e36 soon that needs a head gasket and has been sitting in a garage for ~5 years. Looking to do all DIY preventative maintenance.

(my first post)

[mslevin]

the cheapest euro headlamps I've sourced are 175 for the set, the plastic ones are 70 a set and while I know the euros are far superior its a quick fix until I get other stuff done, I can always resell the plastic ones locally once I get the glass ones and take a small hit.

Where are you finding Euro lamps for $175? All the ones I've seen are 300+. I really need to replace my old plastic ones.

[samy01]

am i right, you guys are looking for such lamps ?

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-...17727-223-4885

they seem to be expensive in US

[mslevin]

am i right, you guys are looking for such lamps ?

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-...17727-223-4885

they seem to be expensive in US

Yep, those seem to be the same as these: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-zkw-part...pair/e36zkwkt/

[DotBeta]

Drumroll Please....

Lots of good things coming in the following week. First and foremost I ordered a set of new headlamps and as much as I like the ones currently on the car :puke:, they gotta go and some fresh new oem's are gonna fill the shoes. Second of all I ordered 2 white 'Respect your elders' stickers from MoronM3 that will go on the back windows, the only decals that will grace the car. Third I also ordered an M3 rear diffuser to replace the non M one, it'll look great, thanks TwistyTee on the info about your install.

Right now I'm debating on either modifying the stock muffler via cutting open, removing innards and replacing with perforated steel tubing or just buying a magnaflow muffler. One is so much easier than the other lol. The diy'er in me says gut the stock one, more stories to tell lol. The search for a good deal on coil overs and wheels continues. I actually found someone who had a set of DS1 wheels for sale but the guy was asking 400 and they had curb rash on them.... I'm like guy these wheels are 250 in this condition but he wouldn't budge.

I did a few quality of life things to the car these past few days like replacing the check engine bulb in my cluster that was burnt out as well as the bulb that illuminated my fuel gauge and the light switch bulb, everything's illuminated as it should be lol. I also finished painting the side trim, then went paint crazy and painted the door handles and pillar trim. Now everything black actually matches and looks fresh which lets me move on in life lol.

Finally to end todays lil update yesterday I took the car and got it properly washed and waxed. now I'll just keep up with the exterior myself, I decided to go on a little mountain cruise this morning and snapped up some pics. I. Can't. Wait. For. My. New. Headlights. To. Get. Here! just a few more days lol. Here's a little vid I made to show off the scenery and twisties cruising down from one spot to another, I'm listening to lofi hiphop so if you're not into that just turn down the volume. I'll make an actual video, on a proper mount , of a full spirited drive another time, no hiphop just engine sonata . onto the pics.

Now we sit and wait for parts hehehehe.

[CblockM3]

Looking CLEAN man! Here is the link to the rear window molding, looks like it almost doubled in price from when I bought it in 2015. Still well worth $56 though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-OEM-92-9...item2a6c4c447a

[DotBeta]

Looking CLEAN man! Here is the link to the rear window molding, looks like it almost doubled in price from when I bought it in 2015. Still well worth $56 though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-OEM-92-9...item2a6c4c447a

Thanks for the link and compliment lol. I'll have to order it next week, gotta cool off the wallet lol.

Also the youtube video I uploaded is done, check out the link in my last post.

[FiberFast]

I hate the fact that your four door is cleaner than my coup. Mine looked almost that good when I got it. Don't leave it out in the rain cause your clear will peel right off. Least my engine bay is cleaner than yours :p

[DotBeta]

I hate the fact that your four door is cleaner than my coup. Mine looked almost that good when I got it. Don't leave it out in the rain cause your clear will peel right off. Least my engine bay is cleaner than yours :p

Believe me the car has it's share of dings, dents, paint chips and imperfections. The hood, roof and trunk have oxidation on them as well as some hail damage, there's not much I can do about it right now but own it and keep moving forward with the more important parts of the build taking priority. I'll just need to keep up with the buff and wax and the paint will look good but the roof sucks up polish and loses its sheen pretty quick. I already have a replacement hood and trunk lid, I'm planning on fixing the roof myself and painting it gloss black and I'll take pcs of everything, it's all just a matter of when I feel like doing it lol. @Fiberfast Your build thread is awesome btw I've read through every page and dig it.

Today I'm debadging the 328i logo on the trunk lid, I heated and popped it off with dental floss but there is this black rubber sticker stuff that's really hard and I'm not too sure how to go about removing it without hurting the paint. Does anyone have any tips??

"update"

The glue is hard as a rock so I cleaned it up as good as I could and decided to paint the 328i emblem black and reinstall it on the trunk lid, it'll look different in a good way and that was the last chrome piece on the car so bye bye chrome.

[jc43089]

you can soften the foam adhesive residue with an oil like PB blaster, then most of it will come off, remove the last with rubbing alcohol and then polish to remove any scratches from the scrubbing.

[DotBeta]

you can soften the foam adhesive residue with an oil like PB blaster, then most of it will come off, remove the last with rubbing alcohol and then polish to remove any scratches from the scrubbing.

I ended up painting the emblem black and sticking it back on, it looks good, I'd rather have it gone but I have another trunk lid I'm gonna pop on and I'll leave it out then. Besides I think the black emblem is p neat, don't see it much around here anyways. just a filler till the new trunk lid is on.

I got my decals in the mail today, I'll post pics in this thread of em once the headlights show up so I can bundle the pics.

[DotBeta]

Out with the old:

In with the new. Such a big difference and while I settled for regular us spec headlamps for now it was worth it. I still need to adjust them but they look great. unfortunately this happened when I was removing the pass blinker:

it had a small crack from a rock and I managed to finish it off removing it. I guess this is a good excuse to get some darker smoked blinkers, I feel like these may be a bit too clear. Moving on..

I tried to debadge the hooptie and to my dismay while it came off easy enough the glue underneath was like cement, nothing I threw or soaked it in would soften it up. for the sake of not damaging the paint I decided to paint the emblem black and put it back on, looks good.

lastly I threw on the decals I got from moron95m3, really digging them! Eventually I will order the same style but in the german flag colors and replace them, I think it'll blend it better than the stark white, regardless they are awesome .

The M3 rear diffuser hasn't shown up yet, as a matter of fact as of 5/12 it stopped getting tracking scans so I'm a little worried it's disappeared or got lost, have to wait and see. I sadly sold the black BMW today for a chunk of change but this trains tops for no one and it's mostly going toward the upgrades fund. I'll be updating priority's in the OP shortly. Once/if the diffuser gets here I'll post some pics of that.

Also I've ran into my first official hiccup since the cam positon sensor. the car has started to have a hard start, initial start ups after sitting overnight will usually leave it cranking for 5-10 seconds before it finally fires up, after that it runs perfect all day and starts up like normal usually. I replaced the crank position sensor without really diagnosing it, just wanted to replace it anyways for peace of mind. The symptom hasn't changed to I'm guess it's now fuel related, does the M52 have an external fuel pressure regulator on the rail? I'd guess maybe its going bad but I'd really like some input on what you think could be the problem is now that the crank sensor is out of the picture.

[DotBeta]

Spent a small fortune not rly on interior led lighting and rear led license plate lights. They say for off road use only but I've seen plenty of people around here with led lights on their plates. if I get pull over and hassled about it so be it I'll swap em back. the interior itself is a totally different change, it's so clean and white lol. I admit I do miss the warm inviting yellow light hue a bit but the cool white looks clean and modern.

I got my first official compliment on the car today at work post headlamp swap which was nice lol. Now that the new lights are on people can admire the cars clean look over the silly painted eyelids. Rear diffuser still hasn't shown up yet which sucks I think it's lost, I'm going to contact the seller and hope for the best.

This coming week will hopefully see coil overs, I'm looking at the ones on sale on EDC, the name slips my tongue but they're normally 800+ and are on sale for 570. I'll keep you peeps updated.