M3AN

So I lied a little and didn't do the clutch hose next, I'll revisit that in the new year. Since I'm 'The Transporter' this holiday period for four 16 year old girls I thought it best to get the stereo sorted. Everything was a mess so we stripped out the dash, centre console and rear seats and installed a Clarion head, Alpine amp and JBL components front and rear. I left the sub out for the time being because I'm going to need luggage space. I stuck with the head unit I had in a box because 1) it was there 2) it has multiple colours including a custom setting which you can match nearly exactly to the BMW amber and 3) because it's feature packed including a record feature for capturing stuff off radio, CD's or AUX and it's dual zone if I ever want to put a screen in the back somewhere. Turned out sweet.

I walked into a dealer in DE and picked it up on special. Part number 65 41 2 166 411. There's also one available with two USB slots. Will fit better in more modern BMW's I think but it's a good design and has a built in grab handle for easy extraction. Yes, seats are on the list. I'm going to see Retro in the new year to discuss options but I imagine I'll be swapping the seats over left-to-right at some time anyway to even out the harm.

I also added this decal which is slowly growing on me actually... I'm not usually one for decals and we'll see how I feel about this in Feb/Mar... I like this photo though...

Some Interior My gear knob was disgusting so I installed the ZHP one which is just fantastic, it's shorter and weighted and really improves the shift movement and engagement. Just get one. Also thanks to tips and advice here on Bimmersport I purchased Top Gaiters shift and handbrake leather boots with M coloured stitching. After initially being concerned about the fit I'm now quite satisfied and think it all looks quite good together. I also picked up a BMW USB Adapter for EUR8 but it sucks for the E36. I thought it would fit but BMW have obviously retreated from the shallow lighter of the E36 and this thing is a little too long to sit securely in the lighter socket. It's functional but doesn't look "standard" enough for me to keep it plugged in which was my intention. And it wobbles about.

Window Trim As per most E36's I've seen the window trim starts to fall apart over time. I find the worst to be the rear vent window trim but also noticed that the lower windshield trim is rooted and the bottom tabs on the upper rear window trim was also stuffed. Rear Window Trim: Fixed: That was pretty easy to do, took about 30 mins including a good clean of the crevice once the old trim was out. Cost me EUR11 all up. If you're doing this then be careful of the black tar-like adhesive that comes pre-applied, it's a bugger to clean off hands and surfaces. I recommend reinstalling from one top corner to the other then pressing the sides in, this allows for the best alignment I found. Vent Window Trim I didn't get pics of the old trim here but it was in shocking condition. As I removed both the upper and lower trim it simply disintegrated in my hands. This took me about an hour each side and the results are stunning, so much of an improvement. I could probably do it in less time now that I know all the tricks but I didn't want to rush this job and get it wrong and I spent AGES cleaning up under the old trim and removing all the adhesive so I got a near factory finish. I did note that BMW don't clear coat to the edge of the paint under that trim which I found interesting and this explains why some of my clear is chipping off right at the edges. This cost me EUR18 per side.

It Begins So the process of rejuvenating my car has begun now that I'm back in the country for a while. As above I sourced a lot of stuff from Germany when I was living over there and brought that back with me (thank goodness for 56kg of luggage allowance on Emirates, I used nearly all of it and MAF didn't even x-ray my bags!). I've not had a lot of time leading up to Christmas nor will I have much until the new year so I've just tooled around and done some basic things that have good bang-for-the buck. First up was a warrant and rego, wow registration is expensive now. Got the warrant with 3mm/3mm/3mm/3mm tread so that was lucky, will need new tyres for the next one obviously. Second up was a good wash and polish... wash completed but the polish is still waiting because 1) it was too hot out and 2) I needed a beer. So she'll get another wash and then a proper polish in the coming days. I also fixed my slow retracting driver side seat belt... seems like lots of opinions on the web but no firm answers, possible everybody has a different problem. My problem turned out to be that the b pillar trim was a little proud of the actual pillar causing the belt to rub. Removed the trim, adjusted the clip at the bottom, remounted the trim (a real PITA if you want to get that bottom clip on correctly) and voila, seat belt retracts at an acceptable speed.

So I thought I'd start a plog to document some of the things I'm doing to my car now that I've decided to return to NZ for the time being. I'll probably end up needing this thread to remember all the things I want to do. I was going to call this a "Tidy Up" thread but euroriffic already took that for his cool thread here which I took much inspiration from. Vehicle is a 9/96 Estoril Blue on Lotus White manual coupe, 3.2. Years ago now it picked up a Remus exhaust, carbon intake and BBS 18" RC's and I'm very happy with the combo. She also has aluminium doors from the Lightweight model as well which is a bonus. It's in "tidy" condition but far from mint and I want to see what I can do to bring her up to spec. 2021 Edit: Much better now, just a few more projects, mainly the original interior, and she'll be ship shape, drives like a dream. In no particular order I want to (or have completed): Get the wheels stripped, smoothed and refinished. (done, finally!) e46 (purple tag) steering rack (done) New steering tie rods (done, including adaptation for E46 rack) Z3 1.9 steering rack (done - adapted tie rods replaced with stock items) Paint needs a touch up in some spots and the clear coat is coming off a corner of one door Restore/recover front seats (some fixes applied) New shocks (done: Bilstein B8) New springs and spring pads (done: Eibach Pro Plus) New swaybars and bushes (done: Eibach Pro Plus) New OE front swaybar end links (done) Front X-Brace (done) Front strut tower bar (done) Vibra-Technics engine mounts (done) RTAB + RSB reinforcements (done) 3 spoke steering wheel (done) ZHP shift knob (done) BMW USB charger for lighter socket (done - waste of time) Braided clutch hose (done) New glove box (done) Drivers door side molding is cracked (done) New headliner, rear shelf and A, B, C pillars (all done) Replace slider clips for front windows (preventative) VANOS full rebuild w/seals and rattle kit (done) Suspension reinforcement plates (done - Rally Road RTAB and sway bar reinforcements + Z3 rear shock tower reinforcements) Rear side window weather stripping (done) Rear window weather stripping (done) Rewire stereo (done, new head, amp and speakers) Fix aircon control capacitor (done) Fix aircon itself, doesn't blow cold, need to diagnose... 3.62 diff CW&P (from e46 M3) (done) Diff seals, plugs and bolts. (done) Poly RTAB's (done - SuperPro) Laser alignment (done) Replace plastic panel under wipers (done) Fix/replace slow retracting seat belt on drivers side (done) New leather shift and hand brake boots with ///M stitching (done) Fix loose front door cards/clips (done) White LED interior lights (done) Replace spoiler stop light, original is cracked and leaking (done) Braided brake lines (done) New belts (done) Tensioners and pulleys (done) New water radiator, pump, thermostat, lines and gaskets (done) New front wheel well liners (done) New front undertray assembly (done - Turner Motorsport) I've already fixed some other bits and replaced various tools, screws, caps and covers so the car's pretty complete but there's still lots to do. I've also purchased a code tool and cable so we'll see what that turns up to add to the list. Most of this stuff shouldn't be too expensive and I'll be seeing how much I can do myself over summer because I'm not likely to be working for a little while. Have lots of parts waiting in NZ for me and I am bringing back this collection that I picked up from Germany (should be enough panel clips to last a lifetime).

EDIT: OLD AD SEE POST DATES, NOT CURRENTLY FOR SALE Hi there, I'm moving overseas so unfortunately my M3 has to go... it's a truly fantastic car, check out the TradeMe classified and email me questions or an offer. There's a bargain to be had here. Classified Ad - Click Here Happy to hear your opinions on price. Dave