Here's one after overspray has been removed. This is right after using the brass brush, I haven't washed it up yet.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Ready to mount.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Nice! I am actually picking up a set of 16" set of 42's to have as a matching set to my 17's lol
Looking good man
Thanks Thrifty, I think those 42's will look pretty sweet until I get my Style 68's or the DS1's refinished.
I thought I had everything for my cooling system but I accidentally ordered the upper expansion tank hose instead of the lower one. I ordered that hose, 25 door trim clips, and added on a fuel filter and air filter to get free shipping. I also ordered the driver's side M3 moulding that I was missing. I ordered the M3 badge for it to fill the empty rectangle. I'll be cutting Talon Grip self adhesive rubber to cover up the M3 symbols before it hits the road anyway.
Nice work so far!
CBlock
Thanks Cblock. It's not over, but when I get the parts I have stockpiled on it will be pretty sweet in my book.
I was in the neighborhood of a guy who posted up some M3 parts today, so I picked up a pretty cherry gauge cluster for a good price.
Higher speed and tach range, even has the factory stickers still on it. I would have taken those off the first day.
The only problem is that the gauges have 140-ish k on the clock. Either I will have to wait until the mileage matches or take a serious ding to the mile count.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
It's been a while since I spent some time researching the gauge cluster swap but I swapped an M3 cluster into my 328i with unknown mileage and swapped the memory plug to the new cluster. My actual mileage showed up in the new cluster with a tamper dot. There is a sequence you then go through to remove the tamper dot and now my correct mileage shows up in the new cluster with no evidence of swapping or tampering.
CBlock
I will look into that Cblock. What I had read said to swap the memory plug but that it would default to the highest reading.
The guy I got the gauges from has the M3 brake master cylinder/ABS unit/reservoir from the same car. I am going to pick those up for the future install of the M3 Brake calipers, spindles and rotors I got a while back.
Well, I ordered M3 side moulding clips from a big vendor. Or at least I thought I did.
I did a parts search for the 1997 M3 that my side trim was sourced from. The clips they sent were for a standard E36 trim which is 11/16" wide, the M3 clips are 1" wide.
I called customer service and the guy insisted that they were supposed to fit (that's what his computer was telling him). I sent marked up photos with measurements and pulled the perfectly mounted door moulding off the M3 door I just put on the car to prove they weren't the right ones (I really really didn't want to pull that off). I didn't have any other clips to look at beside the ones that were in place and that I didn't want to break taking them off.
I found the right ones on the site and just placed another order. I don't have the patience to wait for a return and a credit to be applied to the right parts.
And... it's going to be over 60 degrees this weekend. Now I am not going to have the parts.
Thanks guys.
But oh well, I have plenty of other more important stuff to work on anyway. but it would have only taken a few minutes to get the trim on.
Last edited by Deus Ex Machina; 01-19-2018 at 07:16 PM.
We have very similar cars man, congrats on the purchase! This is my ‘94 325i w/ 18’s for reference...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I checked yours out when you updated the photos in one of your posts I think. Yours is cleaner than mine aesthetics wise right now. That's a nice sedan!
Here is the information I put together. Both of these were from the parts search specific to the 1997 M3 I sourced my side trim from. Both show that they fit the M3, but the ones shown as side moulding are incorrect. The ones listed as "For M-Technic Package" are the correct ones, but the way they are listed led me to believe that they were for the side skirts and not the side moulding.
Excellent info
Broke into the cooling system today, removed everything. I wet sanded the thermo sealing surfaces with 1000 grit and alcohol lightly, then cleaned with acetone on a microfiber. Did the same to the water pump o-ring seating collar.
The thermostat, thermo housing, Stewart's water pump and aluminum water pump pulley are installed and torqued (well no torque on the pulley yet until the new belt is on).
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Last edited by Deus Ex Machina; 01-20-2018 at 07:55 PM.
My Mishi shroud/fan setup doesn't fit the aluminum radiator that's on the car, so I am just going to save it and get a Mishi X-Line radiator for it later.
I had a fan clutch and stock style expansion tank as a backup, so I decided to use those for now.
I test drove the car, it runs perfect, temp stays dead center. That's the good.
The bad is that the expansion tank is leaking at the bottom fitting. Aaaargh!
I set it up so I could get to the clamp, so It looks like I will be swapping in the Aluminum Mishi Tank as soon as possible.
Finally got rid of the bottlecaps.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
The 42's look great!
Never knew they'd fit on a monster truck lol
I was indeed, but it was all in good fun I was there not too long ago, sort of miss its practicality.
What do you plan on doing to that beast, suspension wise? I think with everything youve got in line for it, that should be one of the last pieces to your puzzle, no? A slight drop will really bring together what you have done so far.
Last edited by Thrifty S50; 01-27-2018 at 12:33 AM.
I really don't need a stiff track coil over setup, I will end up at some point either upgrading to fresh Bilsteins or maybe an H&R touring set of coil overs with a moderately lower ride height. Not altogether sure yet.
Definitely am not going with a slammed/cambered setup, I really don't like that, and I don't want to have to roll fenders.
Swapping to the Style 68's at some point will be necessary to accommodate the M3 brakes. Or the DS1's, or swap them out like tennis shoes to amuse myself.
I don't mind the stock ride height so much at this point, it will be down the road before I bother with it.
Last edited by Deus Ex Machina; 01-28-2018 at 12:08 PM.
Well I got this today for a low price. The clear is yellowed somewhat and there is a small amount of epoxy cracking right around the BMW roundel.
I know how to fix all that no problem.
Not 100% sold on the NACA ducts (I prefer OEM style smooth carbon), but I will give it a shot. If I don't like it I can make a little money once it looks new.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Got my M3 side trim clips and grommets in the mail Saturday. I popped on the trim and used forever black on it. Since most of the trim came from an M3 that was wrecked in the trunk, but the rear bumper strip was the stock badly faded piece (and the drivers door piece is brand new), I expected some issues with matching.
I was surprised at the results, I figure I will have to go over the back strip many times for it to stay a deep black long though.
.
Next up, the side skirts and the diffuser..
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Last edited by Deus Ex Machina; 01-30-2018 at 09:21 PM.
I just spray painted My trim. Its been a few years and they still look good, Minus the front ones chipping a little from rocks. I tried that back to black crap and i would have to apply it like every week for a result that please me. Wasnt about to keep giving Mothers my money to maintain the deep black color.
---- EDIT ----
Your fender gap doesn't look nearly bad as before, i think it was just the angle you took that picture. Looking good!
Last edited by Thrifty S50; 01-31-2018 at 12:44 PM.
I will probably end up replacing the rear bumper trim eventually. All of the rest isn't faded to any degree.
I adjusted the gap by eye when I was installing the M3 fenders and door. I readjusted the door slightly after install. It's not perfect but it is within my range of tolerance for now.
Thanks, there are a lot of way nicer E36's out there (and on this forum) but I am pretty happy with the way it is shaping up, especially from where it started.
Last edited by Deus Ex Machina; 02-01-2018 at 02:37 PM.
Worked on it some more today... so close.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Bookmarks