Greetings,
Joined the forum after recently acquiring an E36 320i Touring. Not my first BMW, but my first with four wheels.
I'm sure I will have plenty of questions, as I'm new to BMW cars, and I expect the Touring to be a challenge at times having never been officially imported to the US. I've already dug up a fair amount of useful information searching old threads.
I'm not new to the car hobby or motorsports, having spent almost 40 years modifying and racing cars and bikes. We currently HPDE/TT a '92 Miata, and I'm working on a Cosworth powered Mk 1 Capri, getting it ready to go back on track.
Fortunately, everyone seems to be getting along just fine so far...
Anyway, looking forward to participating in the forums here, and maybe meeting some other members here in the Southwest.
Nice cars! A Touring has always been on my list.
From where did you import it? Any issues in the process?
04M3 TiAg 69k slick-top 3 pedal
99M3 Cosmos 61k S50B32 euro 6Spd
88M3 AW 43k miles Project FS
WTB: 3.5" Eurosport/Conforti CAI
I like your stable!
Thanks!
I did not import it myself, but bought it on one of the online auction sites. Since it was already titled/registered in the US, the process was very simple for me, just a title transfer and in-state registration. The car came from Germany. I was originally looking at E30 Tourings, but ultimately decided the E36 would be better for the semi- daily driver role it's going to fill.
Thanks!
We also have a '99 Miata (Miatas are addictive, BTW!) street project that started out as an automatic with bad paint... I swapped in a manual drivetrain from a later car, and painted it last year. I have most of the parts to turbocharge it, but I've had too many other things going on and have been reluctant to pull it off the road for the work. Now that I have the Touring to drive, that may get started...
- - - Updated - - -
Here's a couple more pics of the E36 Touring...
Already have some parts inbound for it... and researching a lot more.
Time to S54 swap it!
Congrats, nice touring... I'm also in AZ, but across the valley near gilbert/mesa area
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I would strongly suggest considering LaminX film fro your fog lights at the very least. I found these to be pretty much consumables on AZ roads. Beautiful touring though!
Hah, so you had Beamers before, and now you have a Bimmer.
Love your stable too.
Nice Beemer.
I guess the bike thing started after BSA were called "Beesa", which became Beeser". This prompted BMW bikes to be called "Beemer" (rhyming with "Reemer")
The cars were originally called "Bimmer" (rhyming with "Simmer"). But people didn't know the history (especially in North America) and they
also started calling them "Beemer" like the bikes. Nowadays they even pronounce "Bimmer" as "Beemer". For example, people pronounce "Bimmercode" as "Beemercode".
My pet peeve, sorry!
I believe the BMW website has some info on this. It was Beemer for bikes, and Bimmer for cars.
Oh, I knew all that. I just never understood why anyone cared that the cars and bikes needed different nicknames.
I can only share my reasoning.....once could NEVER call a "boxer", "banger" or "vanger" by the same name!
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