Secniv

A wee haul from pick-a-part while in Auckland today. Can’t believe how expensive door rubbers are new! These ones are in very good shape along with the headlight lenses. Oh and the warning triangle was on the car’s options list but missing. Plus Mark was good enough to find mouldings, intake boots and engine hoses and leave them out.. what a good bugger! so had to try on the replacement boot emblem. Much tidier. and pop on the high-beam covers I wonder if the fogging is to do with seals on the covers perishing? these ones look ok. I guess some winter rain will be the proof. Also managed to score some trim clips to keep the A pillar cover in place. Hoping rear shocks arrive tomorrow.

Yeah it is somewhat ‘bulbous’ but got it for cheap and with a “lux” wash and dye came up ok plus the swap was super straight forward following this http://www.frankies-bmw.com/3series/diy/steering_wheel/bmw_3series_steering_wheel.php I quite like the Sport 3 spoke.. maybe next time..

Thanks for the tip. Yes it would be much easier with the valance off. Feels secure at the moment so will leave well enough alone for now. Valance needs a touch-up so will have another go when I take it off.

Yeah I know what you mean I ended up using the other end with a washer with them.

Thanks for confirming the plugs and fluids Mark most helpful. Know if lsd fluid was changed? Yes Msport wheel with Msport stitching. Strangely the vin search indicates a Msport multi-function steering wheel but couldn’t find much multi-functional about it.

I wondered if you’d pick it, well spotted. Yes massive folder $25k and climbing! Read your venting of headlight covers using dremel but I recall it didn’t work? Any other approach’s work you know of? Thats so funny I have much to learn M20 vs S50. 240k kms probably time to replace the springs along with the rear shocks.

So for the past 18 months I’ve had a 1988 E30 coupe project to replicate a Alpina B3 2.7 and have thought for a while I should create a plog.. but maybe the horse has bolted.. maybe I’ll get around to it.. But with buying my long held ambition and first M3 along with some inspirational plogs particularly by KwS and M3AN I could/should/would. So picking up the baton, in this case KwS’s old E36 M3 and with thanks to mzhu031 for selling it. So this was taken the day I brought it 4th April You know I’ve never had a white car and would’ve liked a racing white M3 but not for $38k lol. I have had silver and imho easy to keep looking clean. I like that it’s on 8.5’s all round but not convinced with the polished style 24s tbh maybe they’ll grow on me. I had it checked by a local Indie which highlighted a few issues all fixable Mechanically it’s in good shape and my early stage plan is to fix the above and tidy up the exterior and interior plus a few other enhancements in no particular order - Mount front lip - Replace rear shock mounts including reinforcement plates DONE - Replace rear shock absorbers with Bilstein B6’s (Bilstein B6 struts front, stock springs all round tbc) - Replace front tyres with Yokohama AD08Rs (matching new rears) - Screws for front valance - Front subframe reinforce and repair - Clean engine bay and detail - Service fluids engine, gearbox, lsd diff - Source 2nd hand front bumper support brackets, highbeam covers - Repair LH door card - Replace steering wheel with 3 spoke DONE - Clean interior including steam clean carpet and seats - Re-trim front seats - M3 floor mats - Check spark plugs, distributor & rotor - Respray boot lid and front valance - Replace brake rotors and pads - Replace exhaust back box Have completed a few of these in a burst of enthusiasm and posted under “what I did today” forum.

Awesome info thanks Dave. What springs are you running?

And today put in some reinforced rear shock mounts as the old ones were pretty flogged. But couldn’t put these back in (think they’re original)! So maybe some B6’s to match the fronts (PO)? Or could change springs and go B8’s but can you get front B6’s changed to B8 stroke? And heck where do you stop lol.

Replaced 4 spoke with 3 spoke.. horn works and airbag light goes out.. yus

Sorted

After a M30 AFM n# 027

I’m to slow lol

I have a spare connector in the vicinity (front passenger side right) but no sensor. Haynes manual a little unclear but doesn’t the (M20 anyways) use the blue temp sensor feed data to ecu to determine fueling? Spent the evening replacing vacuum lines (they looked original) see how it goes tomorrow otherwise plan b.

Thanks for that. Yeah I plan to ohms test temp sensors as it does cough and hesitate when cold as well. I've seen Youtube set-ups for smoke test using glass jar/soldering iron/mineral oil bike pump and tubes. Is this what you used? I was thinking I could use incense sticks in the jar instead of iron and oil?

You figure what was going on with the lumpy idle? I'm trying to track down similar issue on the m20b25. Going to try replacing vacuum lines and if needs be set up a smoke test or could it be fuelling do you think?

As long as there isn’t anything badly bent or broken I don’t see why not. Is this for the vert?

So in the end.. Rear: I replaced OEM bushes with aftermarket eccentric hardware with poly bushes. Front left strut was 4mm out with no cracks but concern around straightening and weakening it. Finding a straight 51mm replacement was going to be hit and miss and expensive so went with adjustable camber plates. With a specialist alignment from Avanced Wheel Alignments in Napier it now handles like it should

Yup fugly! Still Walter had one and he was pretty cool in the end.

Welcome. I have had my E30 for a year now and enjoyed fixing\replacing all those little things like seals, bushes along with bigger aesthetic and performance mods. Truely is a (costly) labour of love ??

Followed this on TM trying to figure how I could fit it in the garage (need a hoist lol). Glad it went to someone who appreciates it and looks great in white. Enjoy

After Bosch injectors 19lb (200cc) orange EV1 prefer gen 3 4 pintle (Bosch #0280155746) x6

I’d like to do it right so wielding in rear adjustable plates would be the solution. Which ones did you use? The IE Posi-locks look the best but $US230+shipping. With the new front strut mounts and spring pads I no longer bottom out. I measured ctc on the towers and is spot on at 1002mm so no deformation. I measured struts spring perch to hub centre RH was 37.8mm and LH was 37.4mm which corresponds to the diff in ride height. Subframe ball joint to strut ball joint were same. Do you think 4mm would make a 2.5deg diff in camber? Have I missed anything? cheers

Cheers Jared and good to know re your experience. i did have a horrible thought I installed the trailing arm bushes around the wrong way but I double checked and the collars of the bushes are all outboard of the arms. Wheels all torqued up.tyres idk but feel ok and the car does handle nicely in the twisty stuff. Like you say there’s no way around it other if it’s age the rear adjustable kits are the way to go or take a gamble on other 2nd hand arms being straight? I found online that factory spec between the front towers centre to centre is 1002.2mm +/-2mm. I’ll check this and should tell me re distortion yes? Strangely left front ride height is 5mm higher than right front (I checked air pressures the same). Would a strut brace help straitened up things or should I just go to adjustable camber plates?

Negative rear toe: I rebuilt the rear end on the E30 with new OEM trailing arm bushes, poly sub-frame and diff bushes. I also added a whiteline 16mm sway bar. It already sits on Bilstein shocks and springs lowered 30mm, although I’ve used additional 5mm spring pads to help clear the 16” wheels. So I took it in for wheel alignment and I have negative toe 3.5mm LH and 5mm RH. Excessive front LH camber: To complicate things there was excessive camber up front and regularly bottoming out. Thicker spring pads, new strut mounts and control arm bushes has sorted out the RH but LH is still a problem. I had a good look but nothing appears to be bent and shut lines and panels look straight.. Is it possible that the shaft in the shock is running untrue and needs rebuilding? Or any other ideas on what be going on? Comments and advice appreciated.