handgrenade

haha too understated for my liking at the moment, but I'm used to daily driving a car which everyone and his dog wants to race. so I will give it time to adjust.

thanks Josh! I think I will replace the rears with Koni's to match the fronts. I don't want to mess with the factory suspension too much, it rides well under hard cornering (when we were driving through the twisties, I was amazed how well it held itself), and the ride height is fine .. too many people just slam their cars thinking, lower COG means better handling, but they dont factor in the change in suspension geometry etc. My skyline rides fairly high compared to most modified skylines, but I chose the right amount to make sure that the geometry isnt too affected by the slight drop in height with my adjustables. Also they were HSD platform adjustables, so I was able to keep the spring pre-tension the amount I wanted and adjust height separately. I don't think I will be doing too much to the M3 suspension. The factory set up is solid, and when I had the car up on a hoist prior to purchase, we went through all the bushings which had been replaced sometime recently due to their condition. Back to new for a car like a M3 which is already 'tuned' to hit the track from showroom and drive home is something worth keeping I think.

Ok. I have found HID kits for H1 bulb types which from research the euro spec e36 sedan headlights run (one set low beam dip, one set high beam dip and one set fog lights). edit: found out which parking light I'll need to replace. Now the question is, the standard factory reflectors aren't meant for xenon lights .. does anyone in NZ sell a new set of lenses to control the lighting spread? or does everyone who installs aftermarket HID lights just drive around blinding everyone?

ah that is probably it. Is it all glued/siliconed together? or are there nice screws and such to take the lights apart? I just have bad experiences in the past with plastic japanese headlights and trying to get into them.

M3 evo 236kw? maybe if it was boosted .. then that would be enough performance to run wanky-angel eyes? haha

What colour would suit a silver car? haha

Glass it is! they are a bit foggy though .. might be moisture, or might be internal plastic bits? will have to investigate. definitely want to keep it non-wanky but still have something to show ... The e36 m3 just looks like any other m3, I know .. stealth stealth, but I can't shut up that niggling in the back of my head saying make it look more aggressive to match what is underneath!

haha well guess I have the best of both worlds then, and keep it that way .. caged, race prepped loud skyline with doof doof etc and the smooth euro cruiser with power on tap if required. might still get the HIDs though and LED foglights to suit .. maybe play with the interior factory lighting to be red to suit the dash instead of the plain yellow/orange glow when doors open etc. do they make glass e36 headlights? plastic headlights always turn yellowish after a while ..

i suppose the question is .. what isnt wanky that would help make the e36 sedan m3 look/feel more like something more aggressive?

thanks for the compliment!! I suppose I feel sometimes that I'm just driving some standard 318 E36 or something with the M3 badge .. had a lot more attention in the skyline .. people see the cage, massive intercooler and harnesses etc and it stands out .. suppose I need to get used to some undercover stealth class. Even the e30 and e46 and e92 m3's etc all had some distinctive feature that made them stand out that they are special .. e30 had massive dogbone style guards front and rear, e46 have the m-grilles and quad exhausts etc .. e92 has the bonnet bulges and the grilles as well the poor e36 is just a standard e36 sedan with very minor subtle items that make it unique. suppose I need more time to get used to a grown up car. haha. Ive seen some nice angel eyes on american new camaros and chargers while in the USA for work and they look mean, however those are some large powerful cars .. not family sedans fit for children/family like the e36 sedan.

Yeah HIDs are a definite go .. Just undecided about the angel eyes!!

I have a connection who will do an HID upgrade on my E36 Evo Sedan, however I'm wondering about the Angel Eyes option ... Is it tacky? Overdone? Trying too hard to be E46? This is all opinion based of course, so just interested to hear what people think .. I like the look of angel eyes, but on the right car .. and if it wasn't ever factory, then maybe it should be left alone. Also if I do get it done, it will be done right.

Thanks! I really have no idea what the plan is for this car. I've returned it to fully stock standard (with the switch back to factory rims) .. I think I will work on some maintenance items - get the quiet VANOS ticking sorted out before it ruins anything .. maybe a compression test/leakdown test/dyno pull, although part of me doesn't want to know what condition the engine is in after that many kms... it runs fine, plenty of power and torque .. sometimes not knowing is nicer. especially when I know a good condition s50b32 (joshs car) puts down 205kw. At the moment I'm trying to figure out how to get a bluetooth connection into the factory stereo system without replacing the headunit .. the Dice mediabridge is the best option so far - but I wouldn't be able to control the track selection from the factory headunit (unlike the e46 versions).

colleagues brother moving country and selling up. check my new rides/intro for more details. snagged it before he took it to turners i am assuming it would have gone for more at turners despite its shortcomings

haha yeah no worries man, it is a little odd - the wood trim doesn't really suit the whole performance M3 thing, however being a sedan, it is a little bit more excusable. Its proper walnut burl and good condition, probably worth something. I do like the alcantara suede finish though, wouldnt mind replacing those panels with that, and a nice alcantara steering wheel!! but then, all the interior is leather .. its been reupholstered too. I suppose at the end of the day, being a sedan, and how quiet it is (stock exhaust, everything) the wood suits it as a daily .. if I was going to modify it the way I've worked my other car, or go for a more sports sedan then it would be replaced, however im enjoying a nice handling car with power when needed, lots of low down torque and comfy suspension after daily driving the race car for 4 months!

What's wrong with the wood?

Well if I were to replace the Munroes, an upgrade would make sense .. are the stock shocks the best? I've seen some positive reviews, but usually aftermarket options (Koni, Bilstein etc) would perform better? (I suppose it depends by what your definition of 'better' is!). I would consider better to be to maintain/increase traction and grip for the least compromise in ride comfort.

Hi Josh Any suggestions on what shocks to put in the rear? considering that I will most likely leave the suspension standard with regards to springs and rideheight etc .. ? Cheers Ken

Oh I'm a mechanical engineer and a forced induction junkie, so I'll most likely be posting in the FI section .. ! Don't worry though .. no plans to add a turbo to the M3 and ruin it's N/A heritage.

Hi All, Probably have met a bunch of you on the euro cruise a few weeks back, but thought I should post in here with some photos and specs and what not. Never intended on purchasing a BMW, I was planning to buy a 'new' car in two years time when I hit a certain age milestone .. it was probably going to be an Mitsubishi Evo X. Been driving modified turbocharged Japanese cars since I got my license. 89 Mitsi Cyborg Turbo 1.6L 4wd 95 Nissan S14 96 Mitsi Lancer GSR 91 Nissan Skyline Coupe (still have this as my race car .. 220kw at the wheels, half cage, suspension, harnessed, brakes, etc) But an opportunity came up out of the blue to purchase an M3 for a good price. High kms so I was apprehensive, but thought I would have a look anyway. When I showed up, I would not have placed it at 280kms. 1997 E36 Sedan Evo S50B32 - 236kw interior reupholstered exterior resprayed - ($5000 spent by prev owner and 6 months in the shop) Carjam listed the car as 95km/day by the longest owner .. BMW dealership in Hamilton confirmed that the car was owned by someone who did a lot of open road driving/commuting. Full service history from purchase, all through Jerry Clayton, Team McMillan and Coombes Johnston. Factory standard apart from some different rims. Recent maintenance I've seen so far: Koni shocks in the front New Munroe shocks in the rear New genuine rear brake discs Bunch of suspension bushings around Brand new Bridgestone RE0002s all round, 225 fronts, 245 rears. And here are some photos. purchased condition: Factory First Aid Kit (probably wouldnt trust the original content after 17 years!) Found out my spare was the original Contour M3 rims, and preferred the aesthetics, so picked up a set to make it more standard! Will add more photos (decent ones from my DSLR soon .. phone camera isnt the best! Everything is factory standard .. everything.

Well done. The sr20de will handle whatever you throw at it. Have seen multiple examples of the stock engine boosted and running 280kw daily. Make sure you have a good tune and fuel and you'll be fine!

Its dark so will try but most likely will take them tmrw morning. PM me your email so I can send them

Yes third image.

They are the double spoke 2 rims. from the research I've done ... they are forged. your research may prove differently? decent condition, a bit of curb rash on two rims and general wear and tear after that many years. can't really see it unless you're up close. staggered set 7.5" front 8.5" rear suit e36 for offsets etc. it is the third shape in this pic actual pics of the wheels can be taken close up on request. pick up, mt roskill akl or airport. delivery can be arranged ..... depending approx sale price $600+