Eagle

Factory head units and amps are basically unwanted parts here that can be had for no or very little cost, its easy to swap them out one at a time and re-test. If that doesn't help you probably want to test the speakers.

Id go for Michellin PS5's, they say they last quite a bit longer than PS4's. PS4's easily beat RE003 in all areas expect steering response. RE003's are a entry level performance tyre and very old tech.

+1 depends on the part but anything electrical related i always go OE\genuine unless its NLA.

Do the hidden OBC unlock and bring up the coolant temp so you can see what its actually reading under different conditions. The gauge being buffered means if it goes even a few degrees out of its normal middle range then its going straight to the red zone. Cooling system refresh is always a good idea as you probably given its probably on old\unknown parts. Never really heard of sensor failing but you can almost guarantee the thermostat and fan clutch are original. When i buy a car i usually remove the radiator at the same time and clean out all usual debris on the front of the fins and the AC condenser area.

Yeah i bet it feels like a different car going from a worn stock setup. No doubt the solid subframe bushings and M3 arms to a lesser extent are contributing too.

Some people have better mannerisms suited to presenting this sort of stuff. I noticed but given the length of the video it didn't really bother me, plus id rather have some be themselves rather than put on a fake persona.

Cant say ive heard of that one. Im running them in my Ti which has the same front end steering parts as all E36's. Works fine with the E46 purple tag rack and E36 outer ends.

Why not use E46 inner rods?

Height is perfect amount for me.

Have you checked the live data in INPA?

Yeah would great to see what the spring\strut combo drives like on a E39. Too bad you arent close.

Yeah i dont bother with them anymore, the tolerances are small that its too much much guess work to me to get the correct spec without the right tools. Even with wear the vanos rattle is rarely heard most of the time in my experience. Did you try running it up on stands to see if you could locate the source?

From the photos it looks the the bumper is the worst offender. I dont miss black paint.

I can get 6x landed from Spareto from $160 (12 euro each) so i dont think the pricing is crazy. As for Repco you probably know what it stands for.

Nothing special about the system, any ATF will work fine. Buy some reputable synthetic ATF (Valvoline Maxlife ATF at Bunnings etc is a good well priced option) . Main thing is to make sure you flush the system or do a number of drain and refills to get most of the old stuff out and the colour looking good.

Damn. Is that bleeder line under there. Should of hit me up. ive got a pressure tester.

For those interested - BMW alignment with the E36 M3 strut mounts at max positive camber. Ends up basically the same figure as stock mounts\springs with max factory negative camber, but with the nice bump in caster. Front does appear to have less grip in certain corners with less camber, but it tracks better at high speeds on rutted roads with a proper alignment. For <$250 it does alot for the money.

You forgot the subframe

Cap is usually correct

Yeah i agree that E46 certainly ain't boring and is far more well rounded for sure, but the semi trailing arm is just more lively, the car weights 200-300kg less, better weighted steering, mechanical throttle etc. The stock E30 and E36 racks just feel rubbish compared to purple tag when you drive them back to back. Its just how they are id say rather than wear so long as there is no play in it.

It is but honestly i find my 318ti auto is still more enjoyable to drive with the same purple tag rack, classic case of newer=better but less enjoyable. Something im sure you can understand when you 'downgraded' from your E46 to the E30. 4 cylinders having lighter front just adds to E30\Ti experience. I dont think its much slower if at all in the tighter corners despite being mostly stock.

Im sure its had a bit work done unlike most of the other CSL garage queeens\investment vehicles

Picked up a single Recaro SP-JC seat on fb for fairly cheap to replace the SR3. The SR3 is clearly superior for sprinted driving, but with the solid subframe mounts the body roll is much reduced so something a bit more livable makes sense more of the time. Its certainly a nicer and well featured seat compared to the average Recaro whilst still being light. The bolstering\support isn't very aggressive, slightly improved over stock sport seats i reckon with added shoulder support but slightly flatter base bolstering, basically a SR7-F. Feels so much nicer to sit in though, definitely got VW\Audi style Recaro vibe to it. Fits in the E46 better with good clearance for bolsters and airbag tensioner. Unfortunately like the SR3 it still sits about 1 inch to low for me, but its a small issue. Features include - electric recline, cooling and heating function on the remote and a manually inflatable lumber bladder with thigh support on bottom. Manually folds forward too which is a must for me in a coupe and you dont have to hold it forward like the SR3. Also matches the passenger seat better than i expected despite the Recaro branding and red stitiching

Sounds like a small amount of money well spent

NZ is great for getting less popular and rarer cars cheap, just as well because you have to spent a small fortune importing parts.