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.

1 hour ago, KwS said:

Yeah this is a weird thing with the vin decoders I think. I noticed that on both the M3, and on my earlier MSport 323i that had the same 4 spoke wheel. Both listed it as "multifunction".

The wheel you have fitted is much better than the old 4 spoke, but i never really clicked with that design of wheel. Its pretty ugly imo (that giant airbag, ugh). I had planned on ditching the airbag and going for a nice Nardi wheel. Easy on that car because no passenger airbag, unlike my M328i.

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..

7 hours ago, M3AN said:

Those white dowels turned my brain to fudge.

You insert them from the outside and then grip the inside (square portion) an twist them 90* to lock them in place... much easier with the spoiler off.

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.

3 minutes ago, mzhu031 said:

Uh also, The white Dowels and the funny looking screws are the mounting hardware for the splitter. They were ebay items and I couldn't get them to fit after about 10 minutes, so gave up, might need the edges trimmer with a dremmel 

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

6 minutes ago, mzhu031 said:

Though... the new wheel, does it have 3 colour stitching? ;D

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.

10 hours ago, KwS said:

Oh cool, congrats on buying it. It was a great car and really wasnt showing its age/miles too badly when I sold it. Looks like Mark took good care of it too, and got it bit of use out of it! I saw your post about the steering wheel, recognised the interior and wondered if it was my old one. Hope to see more of it.

Hopefully Mark passed on the folder of receipts, it was massive.

I modified the headlight bulb covers to put a slot in them as the headlights fogged up otherwise. Be wise to vent them again when you get new ones. It was on stock springs, bilstein up front and stock rears. It has coil on plug, so no distributor or rotor to check, but I dont recall if the coils were original. Plugs were done when I had it, not sure if Mark has done them since, and would be due if he didnt.

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.

5 hours ago, M3AN said:

You'll never stop if you want to stay on top of it...

I've recently learnt that Bilstein don't market a B8 for the e36 M3, only the B6 (and almost every American retailer has it wrong). You can make up a B8 set though by getting Z3M B8 fronts and e46 M3 B8 rears. I have B6's (thought they were B8's) in my M3 and they're perfect for me.

 

 

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

8 hours ago, Gaz said:

Whats the outside temp sensor reading? 

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.

41 minutes ago, KwS said:

Not really, no. It's only when cold and doesn't impact driving, so after researching it a lot and finding multiple other S50B30 owners with similar cold idle issues and no answers, I decided to live with it instead of throwing more parts at it. 

It is rich when cold, so could be fuelling or temp sensor related (despite no codes and live data being good), but I have smoke tested my intake and no leaks, and new coils and plugs only made the warm idle smooth out. 

Compression test results were good, so the engine is basically happy, I think it's something the DME is seeing and isn't liking when cold. DIS is too slow and basic to help try and diagnose an issue like this, it's a real shame I can't use INPA. 

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?

6 hours ago, Gaz said:

Interesting, good work. At the rear of mine, I've got toe in on one side and toe out on the other. Bushes all look good, and wonder if these would help?

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  

23 hours ago, aja540i said:

I think you are forgetting about the Pontiac Aztek, ??

 

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 ??

On 10/26/2018 at 4:06 PM, PJB said:

Hi a number of you may have seen this car for sale a couple of months back. It's been pretty much out of sight for some years but is known to a few people and once again is back on the road with me as its third owner.

#328 was NZ new and has just clocked up 116k km. If I have this right in 1991-ish the ACS wheels and body kit were fitted and the engine was given a healthy dose of Dinan "love and attention" upping its performance ... Mileage at that time was approx 80k km.

There is no evidence of repair or rust, it's very original and except for the OBC everything works. As I understand it the same guys (guru's) have serviced and looked after it all their lives, which I find particularly cool.

That said it's needed a little recommissioning , new tires have transformed it, leather rejuvenation has made it look like new inside along with a few bits and pieces. The biggest ticket item being a NOS AC radiator.

 Next week it's booked in to spend sometime with a couple of the well known BMW guru's being dyno''d.

I'll let you know how it goes. Regards Julian

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

6 hours ago, Eagle said:

Assuming everything is installed correctly, tyres\wheels are good, what are the ride heights?

Rear - All my 80's lowered 30-40mm BMW's were about 2-3mm toed out in the rear with new shocks and sometimes springs. These were all old cars and on NZ roads so im certain the trailing arms etc get fatigued over time. Eccentric toe\camber plates was one the best mods i did with my old E30. Putting a another trailing arm in may or may not help (did on my old E30 that was with new shocks, springs, mounts ) 

Front -  Strut tower deforming or actual strut housing come to mind

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.