Project: 'Barn Find' - 1995 Avus Blue M3

[jaysonx]

Perhaps your "Mystery Part" is the inner piston from a blown up slave cylinder?

You very well could be right, because I had swapped in a new one a few months ago after the original left a puddle on my garage floor.

[E85STI]

Nice pickup on the magazine. I am pretty sure I bought the same one new when I was in high school as well. I later rode in a 95 Techno Violet M3 and really fell in love with the E36.

[RBNetEngr]

I’m pretty sure I still have that magazine, bought it new when it came out.


-rb

[jaysonx]

It's funny, I actually remember when I saw my first E36 M3. It was likely sometime in 1995, I was in the parking lot of a Barnes & Noble and saw a new one in Dakar Yellow (same as what's on the Car and Driver cover). As a kid I had subscriptions to both C&D and R&T since around middle school, I always checked those boxes when we did the yearly magazine subscription/fundraising jam. I never was into Motor Trend as they seemed to focus more on domestics at the time.

Reason for being at Barnes & Noble? To read more car magazines, Sport Compact Car, Option 2, DuPont Registry. The list went on and on. What a time to be alive!

[E85STI]

Reason for being at Barnes & Noble? To read more car magazines, Sport Compact Car, Option 2, DuPont Registry. The list went on and on. What a time to be alive!

Man this was my experience exactly! We used to have a Barnes & Noble next door to an AMC 20 theater. Buy tickets an hour or so before the show and wait and read car magazines. Or just go hang out at B&N and read magazine. Great times. I guess we are just old now

[RBNetEngr]

My first in-person E36 M3 was at a BMWCCA tech session with the National Capital Chapter. It was probably late 1993 or early 1994, and the car was an Avus Blue Euro model that was owned by a diplomat currently in Washington DC. This was before the US model M3 was available, and possibly even before it was confirmed to be coming to the USA, so it made seeing the car that much more special.


-rb

[jaysonx]

Reupholstered Vaders have arrived. As good as the pics look, they don't even do them full justice. They are THAT GOOD. Props to Johnny @ prestigeautoleather.com (@bmwrestoredseats on Instagram).








Reinforced Subframe and Racing Dynamics F/R Sways all got some fresh powder coat



I decided I'm going to send the front subframe off to be reinforced and powercoated as well. After that, I just need a long week to start putting the car back together!

[sirhodjibob]

Those seats look fantastic! Mind sharing how much it cost?

[jaysonx]

Those seats look fantastic! Mind sharing how much it cost?

PM'd.

The seats were a bit of a struggle item for me, for a while I thought I may go with some Recaro Pole Positions, then I moved on to wanting some custom upholstered Cobra Nogaros (like this but in Dove). The good news is that Cobra will build you a custom upholstered seat at the factory, but the bad news is they will not put any heating element in them, or M stitching, etc.

In the end, I went with the Vaders since I really am wanting to keep this car (generally) stock. Or, at the very least, having a perfect pair of Vaders on hand is never a bad thing even if I do look at an aftermarket seat down the road.

[Nova1]

Very cool! Congrats! I wonder if there’s another car make that has front seats that are as notorious as the vaders?

[Jim E.]

Seats look great! Might have to swing by and check them out.

[bluptgm3]

[QUOTE=jaysonx;30793576]Reupholstered Vaders have arrived. As good as the pics look, they don't even do them full justice. They are THAT GOOD. Props to Johnny @ prestigeautoleather.com (@bmwrestoredseats on Instagram).







The ‘Vaders do look pretty good. I do see a couple of areas of concern, what was the cost? Were any of the bolsters rebuilt and/or padded to ‘fill out’ the new covers?


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[jaysonx]

Seats look great! Might have to swing by and check them out.

Anytime! The weather is finally getting warmer - thank goodness.

The ‘Vaders do look pretty good. I do see a couple of areas of concern, what was the cost? Were any of the bolsters rebuilt and/or padded to ‘fill out’ the new covers?

Hand done with all new leather. Foam underneath was reinforced with additional bolstering.

Not the best pic for comparison, but here is the before.

[jaysonx]

Installed the new seats after cleaning the rails with a bit of POR15. Also installed my new center console w. armrest delete.





Shoutout to Jim E for hanging out at Cars & Coffee this AM. He has the cleanest F31 touring that I have ever seen.

[Jim E.]

Great get together. Some really cools cars there and some not.

Your 911t Lava is awesome. Really nice car and absolutely pristine. Thanks for the invite!

On a side note this was the first time I saw both an XJ220 and Carrera GT in person.

[jaysonx]

Trans Detent Fun!

So I did the entire detent replacement process based on age and miles. It honestly wasn't too terrible, but I also learned that since my transmission has always used ATF, there really wasn't much need for me to do this at all. All of the parts were (somewhat) easy to remove, and looked identical to the ones I put back in sans the added sleeves on the newer parts.



I said somewhat easy because drama was introduced while using a bearing puller to remove the detent sleeve of the reverse gear. I had read a thread here claiming this was the easiest way to get it done, and the pry method is for chumps. Well, let me tell you, in my experience, this method absolutely sucks. First, my bearing puller would not budge a 27-year frozen in-place detent sleeve that has hardly any lip to begin with. Secondly, it absolutely sucks when you introduce the variable of a bearing puller that can then break off, with part of it falling INSIDE THE DARN TRANSMISSION CASE. I was able to extract the broken part after a frustrating hour of sloshing ATF around the trans, and tilting it at every conceivable angle so that I could grab it with an extended magnet. At this point at least I have peace of mind that there is nothing else floating around inside the case.




Anyhow, with that drama resolved, I was able to finish up the job without much fuss, and the trans is now ready to be reinstalled (after one additional fluid drain / fill - just to be safe). I also replaced all external gaskets, pivot arm, pivot pin (steel), throwout bearing, shift rod bushings, etc.






After my bearing puller rant, it is at least pointing out one thing it is great for, which is the pilot bearing. 3 strong pulls and it was out, no fuss.

[sirhodjibob]

I don't think the 95s had the detent issue like the 96+ M3s do. Replacing the detents made a massive difference in my car. Props to you for DIYing it- I paid someone to do it.

[E85STI]

I know my 95 has 236k on the odo and before I pulled the transmission and engine out it the detents never had a singe issue. When I got my 98 I was shocked at how horribly seized the detents were. I had to slam it to the left to get over to the reverse position and the shifter was resting all the way to the right by 5th. Fixed now after the detent replacement but it was like night and day between the two transmissions.

[jaysonx]

I don't think the 95s had the detent issue like the 96+ M3s do. Replacing the detents made a massive difference in my car. Props to you for DIYing it- I paid someone to do it.

I know my 95 has 236k on the odo and before I pulled the transmission and engine out it the detents never had a singe issue. When I got my 98 I was shocked at how horribly seized the detents were. I had to slam it to the left to get over to the reverse position and the shifter was resting all the way to the right by 5th. Fixed now after the detent replacement but it was like night and day between the two transmissions.

+1 on this. If I had known that 95's were good, I def would have saved myself the grief here, haha. It wasn't worth the frustration but at least its done now.

[Braymond141]

I don't think the 95s had the detent issue like the 96+ M3s do. Replacing the detents made a massive difference in my car. Props to you for DIYing it- I paid someone to do it.

95 use the same ATF filled transmission that all 96 and early 97 do. There is no OBD2 (96) = transmission change here.

ATF filled 320z seem to have no detent issues from my experience. This includes my 260k mi 96 and customer cars.

[jaysonx]

Have a crank seal / rear main seal question for the group here. Once again I have the curse of the 95.

I removed my OE seal (left in photo) and have a replacement Corteco 11142249533 on right. I noticed that the OE seal has a tension ring, and the Corteco does not and generally feels more 'flimsy'. Are there any concerns with running this newer design of seal?



Quick description after a google on the Corteco 'this is a new style PTFE seal without the tension ring, comes with installation tool'

Thoughts appreciated.

[Braymond141]

I have had no issue with the ones I have installed. The only problem I run into is the seal edge not sliding on the end of the crank so I have to scrap it and try again with a new one. Make sure you use the included install tool and check the full circumference of the seal to verify it is not rolled over.

[E85STI]

I have had no issue with the ones I have installed. The only problem I run into is the seal edge not sliding on the end of the crank so I have to scrap it and try again with a new one. Make sure you use the included install tool and check the full circumference of the seal to verify it is not rolled over.

I also used the tool that came in the kit and it slid smoothly on the crank without the seal rolling over.

[Braymond141]

I also used the tool that came in the kit and it slid smoothly on the crank without the seal rolling over.

Not that it matters since you're already done, but I think the RMS of that style also says no lube. This is why the seal rolling over can be an issue.

[bluptgm3]

Not that it matters since you're already done, but I think the RMS of that style also says no lube. This is why the seal rolling over can be an issue.

Do you endorse “no lubricant” or are you suggesting that that is the cause of the seal ‘roll’ and are suggesting to use lubricant?


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