Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) So I thought I might make a post to keep updated what I've been working on with my car so far. I'm aiming for a car that is street worthy and that I can take to track days to have a bit of fun with it while keeping it to a budget.What it came with:Motorsport body kit17" wheels with BMW badges on them Monroe rear shocks tinted windowsAudio: Clarion DXZ835MP head unit JBL GTO509C component speakersRE Audio XT-800.4 4 channel amp (bridged) Ascendant Audio Havoc 12" in custom ported box Sound Magus DK1800 class D mono amp Suspension: H&R rear springs Koni front struts with Dobi sport springs To go in:M3 ZF gearbox with manual conversion Stainless clutch pivot pin Short shift kit Stage 2 Competition clutch and lightweight flywheelOriginal suspension:Koni struts/H&R springs installed It's feeling a tad low on the front, may need some different springs to raise it up ~20mm Edited February 20, 2016 by Xcel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E36_Turbo 84 Report post Posted February 4, 2016 Looks like a very tidy bmw, solid base to start with using the E36 325i, this thing will be a lot of fun for you, look forward to more updates and the finished project 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 4, 2016 Thanks, yeah I am pretty happy with it so far but of course it's not perfect for it's age. I'm becoming familiar with the BMW quirks like paying $30 for a locking nut adapter just to be able to get my wheels off for example haha. Gave it a coolant flush today and the fluid seemed pretty clear so that's probably a good sign at least. It's dropping small amounts of oil but not enough to be concerned about. Otherwise the main thing it needs at the moment are new door cards, but I'm getting some aluminium panels to go in there made at the moment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 8, 2016 Today I learnt the hard way about bleeding your cooling system properly with a BMW, it's a bit more complicated than adding it straight into the radiator like in my previous cars. The symptoms of air in the cooling system were confusing me, I thought I'd added too much coolant into the expansion tank but the system had hot spots, started boiling and forcing coolant out. Unfortunately it did get hot enough that the engine stalled and started leaking some oil so I'm getting the engine compression tested tomorrow to make sure the head gasket is still good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rubix 434 Report post Posted February 8, 2016 (edited) Today I learnt the hard way about bleeding your cooling system properly with a BMW, it's a bit more complicated than adding it straight into the radiator like in my previous cars. The symptoms of air in the cooling system were confusing me, I thought I'd added too much coolant into the expansion tank but the system had hot spots, started boiling and forcing coolant out. Unfortunately it did get hot enough that the engine stalled and started leaking some oil so I'm getting the engine compression tested tomorrow to make sure the head gasket is still good. You may have warped the head, they're alloy and very prone to doing so when they get too hot. Edited February 8, 2016 by Rubix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 12, 2016 Head and headgasket appear to be fine but the coolant reservoir cracked so I got that replaced. Engine is running well again, just need to get the front lifted up a bit with 20mm spring packers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted February 12, 2016 spring packers? why not just get the correct springs? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 17, 2016 Too expensive for what it's worth and it's always a gamble when buying springs. The Dobi Sport springs I have at the moment seem to ride fine and I'm happy with the ride height now that it's been lifted. Eventually I'll probably just replace the whole lot with decent coil overs when I'm ready to get it certed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 20, 2016 Decided to replace my Lanzar Vibe amp with an RE Audio XT-800.4 gem I found on TradeMe. Not a huge upgrade in power but it's a better quality amp, looks nicer and doesn't seem to run as hot. I'm quite happy with how the suspension feels on the car despite it being a bit of a mix, but that's how it is sometimes when you're running to a budget. The wheels are rarely ever scrubbing on the arches or guards and it's still quite comfortable with much less body roll. Koni seem to be a great choice in shocks for the street. As you can see the arches now meet with the top of the tyres nicely. Next I will probably need to replace my rubber because they are snow tyres (what it came with for some reason). They don't provide the most direct road feel and wear down pretty quickly but don't seem to be nearly as dangerous to use in summer as most people say. I'm tempted to get some Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres from Hyper Drive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted February 20, 2016 Summer use isn't really the worry with snow tyres - the wet weather traction is terrible on our coarse chip roads. PS3 is a nice tyre, but if your budget doesn't stretch that far Bridgestone RE003 is a good all-rounder at a gentler price point. Going by your photo I think new rotors and pads ought to be on the shopping list fairly quickly too - I've got vinyl in my cabinet with less grooves than those things! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 20, 2016 Summer use isn't really the worry with snow tyres - the wet weather traction is terrible on our coarse chip roads. PS3 is a nice tyre, but if your budget doesn't stretch that far Bridgestone RE003 is a good all-rounder at a gentler price point. Going by your photo I think new rotors and pads ought to be on the shopping list fairly quickly too - I've got vinyl in my cabinet with less grooves than those things! Ah I will try to find some cheaper Bridgestones, but the PS3's are on special currently ($239 ea). Yes the brakes will be getting replaced with a 330i conversion after the manual conversion is sorted. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1162 Report post Posted February 20, 2016 What was the model of the old lanzar vibe amp? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted February 20, 2016 What was the model of the old lanzar vibe amp? Lanzar Vibe 410 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted March 9, 2016 (edited) Update: Designed door panels and got them cut out with a cnc plasma cutter on 1.6mm aluminium. It was a bit rough around the edges so I attacked it with grinding tools and a wire wheel. I've managed to install the door panels so that they fit well with some steel reinforcing around the handles to reduce flex. Going to cover them in black vinyl so they don't look so nasty. ATF was drained then exhaust, drive shaft, head shield, ATF cooler and lines have been removed. Engine is tilted back and we're trying to remove the bolts holding the transmission on. Currently our ratchet extensions are proving to be too flexible with the length required to clear the automatic transmission. Sprayed the bolts with CRC and will try them again tomorrow. Edited March 9, 2016 by Xcel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
russellc2 9 Report post Posted March 9, 2016 Not sure if you have already tried taping the flexi joint / extensions to get those bolts out of the gearbox... From memory I had around 3 long extensions connected to get them! Prick of a job!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted March 9, 2016 Not sure if you have already tried taping the flexi joint / extensions to get those bolts out of the gearbox... From memory I had around 3 long extensions connected to get them! Prick of a job!! That sounds like a good idea actually, will have to give it a go in the morning. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted March 11, 2016 So we ended up making our own socket extension with some steel tube and finally got the automatic transmission out, but what a mission. The surprising thing was the weight difference between the two. The automatic is 95 kg including torque converter and ZF manual only 36 kg (excluding clutch and flywheel). 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted April 23, 2016 Haven't been posting progress but the car is now a manual and I've been driving it around like that for 2 weeks now. It's been a headache, the competition clutch was riveted the wrong way so the clutch disc was rubbing against the guide bush and making an awful squealing noise. Easy fix with a grinder but we were having trouble bleeding the hydraulics and then the clutch pedal wouldn't keep pressure. Had to replace the master cylinder with a brand new one which solved that problem. The only issue remaining is shuddering (clutch chatter) when slipping in first/reverse which is probably related to my clutch kit - avoid competition clutches in my opinion. I think it's time to put this project on hold so I can have a car that can actually be used and not spend a month on jack stands. I'll need a 3.15 LSD at some point though because the gearing is a bit short and fuel economy suffers at 100kph doing around 3600rpm. It's probably not the most interesting one to share on here anyway because my budget it pretty low. Here is a photo I took of it way up on the ranges anyway. Quite impressed that it got up the gravel road without issue despite being lowered and it's a lot of fun around the twisties. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tawa 150 Report post Posted April 23, 2016 Mine get a bit of clutch shudder with the g220 and NZAD lightweight flywheel also; I think it's as much related to the lash in the gearbox as anything else. How do you find the rev hang between shifts? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xcel 7 Report post Posted April 24, 2016 How do you find the rev hang between shifts? Seems pretty normal to me, I haven't noticed revs hanging and the clutch grabs pretty firmly. The gearbox has taken a bit of getting used to though, you can't throw it between gears quickly like some cars due to how notchy it is. 1st/3rd and 2nd/4th are quite close together laterally so it's quite easy to go from 1st to 4th by accident, not sure if it's the short shift kit or just how the gearbox is designed. I have to make sure I don't select reverse when going for first too haha. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1162 Report post Posted April 24, 2016 What diff ratio do you have at the moment? And is it a 5 speed box? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
