blonky 2 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Some of you may remember this project: http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=28787 The conversion was given up on and the car sold on. Had a lot of wiring issues and the engine mounts caused the engine to contact the side of the engine bay and the bonnet; the shop doing the conversion really mucked it up Anyway I picked it up for a good price to occupy my weekends for the next few months First I needed to pass my WOF which required: Side repeaters to work Front control arm bushings worn Rear tyres Number of blown bulbs Front indicators to work Front brake pads and rotors low Rear seatbelt Turns out the reason why the indicators weren't working was because they weren't plugged in All easy to fix To do list: Remove ugly body kit and replace with M-sport items Fix headunit wiring Replace shocks and springs Upgrade brakes Fix shoddy E36 interior Fix leather seats New wheels New headlining Dyno tune Manual diff (originally a 4.44 auto) Exhaust that doesn't sound sh*t New gearbox with working 2nd gear Replace ugly headlights with OEM ones Boost controller Find out a hundred other things wrong as I go along First things first, took it to ST Hitec for a power run: Made a whole 113kw! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blonky 2 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 So with the knowledge it was making less than stock, I added to the list: New AFM New injectors Dyno tune With that a more respectable 213kw at the rear wheels was achieved Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blonky 2 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Next was to up the suspension... Decided on Bilstein sports with H&R springs, E46 rear shock mounts and new front mounts But not first without this problem, wheel nuts had been previously ground down and were now too short which resulted in a workshop having to easy-out a couple of them Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blonky 2 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Next was to fix the exhaust system. It had a huge boy racer muffler so that had to change... Pitstop Albany sorted that with a twin exit muffer and a resonator for a more stock look Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E30-323ti 66 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Looking good, and glad to see you rectifying all those 'tasteful' mods by the P.O. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blonky 2 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Looking good, and glad to see you rectifying all those 'tasteful' mods by the P.O. Yeah unfortunately as it turns out, can't fit OEM headlights because of the intercooler piping...unless I hack off the motorised headlight levelers? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blonky 2 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 The next thing to do was to replace the gearbox since 2nd was non-existent and 1st & reverse crunched. Bought a replacement which was stolen from my driveway So ended up getting a rebuilt unit and fitted a nice B&M short shift kit with a weighted knob - I'm sure Tristan has all but told how much of a difference it makes! Replaced the diff from 4.44 down to a nice 3.15. I used to crawl in Auckland traffic in 3rd gear because the low ratio meant 2nd was sitting at around 4k rpms at 30km/hr. Now I can happily sit in 2nd gear all day But this led to the driveshaft bearing wearing out quickly, followed by the gearbox mounts - Thanks to Ray sorted the bearing and fitted E39 g/box mounts which should handle the torque over the standard 318is ones Sorry no pics, got a bit excited with it Old rear bumper: http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/blo...zps7e33f91e.jpg Finally removed this and fitted a standard one, Ray sorted one for a mean price, front and side m-sport kit from a Ti model which fits nicely. Plate courtesy of Andy Skirts not fitted at this point ^ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blonky 2 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Next up was some 18" replica BBS wheels and fitting the skirts.. And finally made a start on the interior, bought a refurb'd headlining, reglued the door cards... And fitted half-leather powered seats from and E46 Took a bit of grinding since the mounts are slightly different between the E36 and E46 but fits nicely Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BMRBOI 8 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 I had the same issue with my cold air intake under the headlight, the leavers are just screwed in. Just twist and they come off and then seal off the hole. Yeah unfortunately as it turns out, can't fit OEM headlights because of the intercooler piping...unless I hack off the motorised headlight levelers? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blonky 2 Report post Posted August 28, 2013 So finally upgraded my headlights to OEM spec with clear corners, one of the best upgrades to date And downsized the wheels to 16" BBS Before: After: Still needs a wash... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2312 Report post Posted August 28, 2013 NICE. OEM lights are iconic for the E36 look. I rebuilt mine and clean them religiously.. so clear and crisp now. Not bad for 20 year old parts! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
