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ExecuDork posted:I've never driven a BMW except my e36 1996 328is, I love it but I have no way to compare it to any other 3-series. Not counting the couple of similar cars I test-drove when shopping for this one. Another route to consider is that your digital clock might have the 'Memo' function on. It would give me 2 or 3 beeps at the top of every hour while it was on and unnerved me until I turned it off.
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Mar 28, 2013 19:30
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The 135 I was looking at was already sold. I'm kind of bummed, but maybe this is just a sign that I should wait until I can afford a 2010 with the DCT.
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Mar 28, 2013 21:49
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Cojawfee posted:The 135 I was looking at was already sold. I'm kind of bummed, but maybe this is just a sign that I should wait until I can afford a 2010 with the DCT.  I love my 2011 DCT 135. Not pictured: the $4k in hail damage it received while parked at the airport  oh yeah, and I got the windows tinted 
The Big Jesus fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Mar 29, 2013 |
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Mar 29, 2013 01:02
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Picked up the rest of my M20 intake junk today. Injector o-rings, intake manifold gaskets, oil return tube o-rings, washers, and spring. Now I get to yank the intake hopefully this weekend weather permitting and replace all that as well as stick my new injector harness and replace the entire engine harness.
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Mar 29, 2013 02:27
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So, I am looking at buying a BMW, since I want a project and something that does a little better than 14mpg this summer. I'm good with cars, but I've never touched a BMW before. Is there anything specific I need to know about, say, this?: http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3681362492.html I'm not too worried about the body damage (so long as Michigan hasn't killed the floor pans and rockers), but do they have any other major issues I should be aware of? Or is that just a generally lovely deal anyways?
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Mar 29, 2013 02:37
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IuniusBrutus posted:So, I am looking at buying a BMW, since I want a project and something that does a little better than 14mpg this summer. I don't know, that's a pretty beat up E34. You could probably find a better example for the price or not much more.
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Mar 29, 2013 02:46
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IuniusBrutus posted:So, I am looking at buying a BMW, since I want a project and something that does a little better than 14mpg this summer. Well, that thing is 4 different shades of white, and has been "updated to the 1995 front clip" meaning he wrecked it and fixed it in his garage. Also, he's a "BMW mechanic" yet it's got a busted starter and a few trim panels that need to be reinstalled - easy fixes, especially for a BMW mechanic. Why does he not do these things and either ask more for it, or have an easier time selling it?  I'd pass. Too many alarm bells on this one.
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Mar 29, 2013 02:49
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Black88GTA posted:Well, that thing is 4 different shades of white, and has been "updated to the 1995 front clip" meaning he wrecked it and fixed it in his garage. Also, he's a "BMW mechanic" yet it's got a busted starter and a few trim panels that need to be reinstalled - easy fixes, especially for a BMW mechanic. Why does he not do these things and either ask more for it, or have an easier time selling it?  I completely missed the "I am a BMW mechanic" bit. Why the hell wouldn't he just replace the starter then?How about a 325? http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/3644642887.html
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Mar 29, 2013 02:52
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IuniusBrutus posted:
That's a bit better, but I'm not sure it's a real car. The whole screenshot of an email thing sets off alarm bells in my head, as well as a total lack of any information. My bet is on scam.
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Mar 29, 2013 02:58
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Take on an E36 for a first project. Its a better platform to work with and modify. 5'ers are a good highway cruiser. The M30 (535i) is a pig on gas, find a 540i, you will have way more fun.
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Mar 29, 2013 03:51
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Welcome to Honest Pete's Discount Alignment Shack! I was in my garage setting the toe on my recently acquired e36 M3, getting ready for Evo School tomorrow. It appears that 3 of my M-Contours are 7.5" and one of the rears is 8.5", which is stock on the rear for '96-'99 M3s. I was planning on buying a set of Koesi 17x8.5 K1s anyways, but what the gently caress. Tomorrow could be interesting. I also installed new rotors and Hawk HP+ pads. They bite like a motherfucker but holy hell are they loud. I was kinda stingy with the grease, I'll have to take the brakes back apart and grease the hell out of them to see if that helps. User Error fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Mar 29, 2013 |
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Mar 29, 2013 04:26
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IuniusBrutus posted:
Fake or not I normally see aftermarket headlights or taillights as a big red flag. When I worked at a dealership and a car came into my bay with Altezzas or some other such nonsense it was usually accompanied by a myriad of shade tree electric work. Speaking of 5 series, just ordered a fuel pump, thermostat, and hoses from Pelican for my 540i. Here's hoping that does the trick.
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Mar 29, 2013 04:35
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The Big Jesus posted:
Yeah, I think it was good that car wasn't there. I'm going to save up another couple thousand dollars and see about buying a 2011 later this year. Hopefully the price coming down a bit and my savings going up will meet somewhere in the middle.
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Mar 29, 2013 15:27
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Take on an E36 for a first project. Its a better platform to work with and modify. Ok, so a 92-98 3-series? Are the E30s OK to mess with, too? I really like the old-style headlamps... Is there anything specific I need to watch out for on them? Common motor, trans, electrical, whatever issues? What is a decent price on a rough, yet drivable and salvageable one? I live in a state with poo poo climate, so anything with minimal rust goes for a premium.
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Mar 29, 2013 15:31
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IuniusBrutus posted:Ok, so a 92-98 3-series? Are the E30s OK to mess with, too? I really like the old-style headlamps... E30's are plenty fine to mess with. I would recommend them, but it seems like they are really starting to go for a premium. I always figure a project car should have a few defects and a cheap price. And cheap E30's are generally in really really bad shape.
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Mar 29, 2013 15:33
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IuniusBrutus posted:Is there anything specific I need to watch out for on them? Common motor, trans, electrical, whatever issues? Unless it's been done: suspension, steering, cooling system (holy poo poo cooling system, it's the thread title for a reason), leaky seals and gaskets (valve cover, front crank, rear main, head, also door and sunroof  ), bad window regulators, and rust spots, especially on the e30s (corners of the trunk, under the doors, fender wells) but you sometimes see frame-rail rust on northern e36s, and timing belt on 6-cylinder e30s.quote:What is a decent price on a rough, yet drivable and salvageable one? I live in a state with poo poo climate, so anything with minimal rust goes for a premium. Depends on what you want, exactly. By way of example - my first BMW (which I got for the purpose of learning to work on cars and which I bought without consulting AI first) was a 1994 e36 coupe that I got for $2500 and put about that much again into fixing it up. My second was an 1990 e30 that I scored on ebay for ~$750 and then dropped a couple hundred on, replaced the timing-belt-of-questionable-vintage and drove as a beater.
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Mar 29, 2013 15:45
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Yeah, I've read that most of the 6-cylinders pretty much need a timing belt and water pump as soon as it gets home, unless it has had a recent, verified replacement. That's well within my backyard tinkering capabilites though, so no worries. Let me run three more local cars by and see if any are decent (after this I should have an OK idea of what to look for): http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3697513839.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/3622465911.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3626946846.html
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Mar 29, 2013 18:21
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Well, another issue has popped up on my 1990 325i E30 in addition to the locks not working and the passenger window being reluctant to work. (Unfortunately I haven't had the time to look into these too much yet.) As of this morning my low beams are not working. When I pull the plunger out the yellow running lights turn on, as well as the rear lights, but that is it. The headlights and fog lights remain dark. If I turn on the high beams though, all four headlights, high and low, turn on, though the fog lights remain dark. My stepdad thinks that it might be a bad connection in the headlight relay. Does this sound like it could be the problem to you guys? Also, am I correct that the headlight relay is the one that is silver with a purple stripe on it? In any case, I figure I should contribute more than just my problems to this thread so here is what my car looks like.  And I recently aquired a decal that will assist me in diagnosing the cause of the existing problems, as well as any new hard to solve problems that arise with it. 
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Mar 29, 2013 18:47
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Yeah check relays and fuses and stuff. Pull the fuse and check it visually and for resistance if you want. Check the voltage at the fuse socket, and between 30 and 87 in the relay socket. Check for voltage between 85 and 86 in the relay socket and toggle the lights to make sure it's switching there. Pull the relay out and put 12 volts between 85 and 86 and see if you actually hear it clicking. While you're doing this you can check resistance between 30 and 87. If all that's good, start checking the headlight harnesses. If not, start checking resistance on each side of the connections and tracing wires.
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Mar 29, 2013 19:04
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M3 badges? Really?
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Mar 29, 2013 19:06
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Moxie Omen posted:M3 badges? Really?
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Mar 29, 2013 19:20
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That eta is going to be slooooooooooooow with the automatic transmission. e: Not even a 325is, a shameful E30 with M3 badges.
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Mar 29, 2013 19:21
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Moxie Omen posted:M3 badges? Really? I am glad that I am not the only one who feels this way. I didn't do it, the previous owner did. I just haven't gotten around to removing them, though I might have managed to find a replacement 325i badge for it since the one for my car is sadly long gone. (though it is from an E36) Of course, whenever I mention removing them my brother and his friends don't seem to understand why I want to put the correct badge on because "M3s are cooler, and it makes it seem like you have an M3." The previous owner is also why the grill is all black(I am looking into swapping in a silver one eventually) and why there is a small dent in the hood below the BMW badge that I eventually want to get fixed. But mechanical stuff that matters first. jadebullet fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Mar 29, 2013 |
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Mar 29, 2013 19:46
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Yeah, it's really cool until you step on the gas and it doesn't go anywhere.
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Mar 29, 2013 19:49
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jadebullet posted:I am glad that I am not the only one who feels this way. I didn't do it, the previous owner did. I just haven't gotten around to removing them, though I might have managed to find a replacement 325i badge for it since the one for my car is sadly long gone. (though it is from an E36) Of course, whenever I mention removing them my brother and his friends don't seem to understand why I want to put the correct badge on because "M3s are cooler, and it makes it seem like you have an M3." It's always seemed especially egregious on the E30 for me, since the E30 M3 really obviously doesn't look at all like a regular old 325 and the only thing you accomplish is looking like a complete tool to anyone who actually knows what they're talking about. Black grills aren't so bad though, super simple to change though if that bothers you.
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Mar 29, 2013 20:43
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Yup, it is very simple to swap out. I actually have a grill with silver edging, but the parts where it clips in are broken. I looked into just swapping the edges, but unfortunately one is riveted, where as the other one is clipped in. But yeah, I definitely plan on swapping the badges off of it at some point in the not so distant future. School and mechanical problems have just distracted me from doing that up until this point. With the E30 M3, is there any external difference from the 325 besides the front and rear bumpers, side skirt, wing, and center brake light? (and no, I am not planning on making my 325i into an M3 imitator, though I am keeping the wing since it works very well with the lines of the car). jadebullet fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Mar 29, 2013 |
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Mar 29, 2013 20:52
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Uh literally everything but the hood and roof panel is different. Just had someone on a local forum tell me he can get rustfree e30 sedans in the northeast for 1500 or less. I love optimism 
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Mar 29, 2013 21:01
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edit: disregard and delete please.
Bhm fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Mar 29, 2013 |
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Mar 29, 2013 21:15
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Hate to bother, but any input on the two POS' I posted? They are both close and available, but I'm not going to drop cash if I can do better. http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/3622465911.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3626946846.html
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Mar 29, 2013 22:06
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325e is ungodly slow as an automatic, and that one has been resprayed and/or the paint is terrible. If you don't swap the motor/build a stroker it's going to be the most boring car on the planet. 318ti has lovely aftermarket headlights which is a very big red flag for me. Rear quarter rust on e36s isn't really "minor", it comes from the inside and you have to weld in new metal to fix it. Is there a reason you aren't looking at manuals? Older auto BMWs are frankly slow as hell. Even the 328 I drove last week was much slower than my 5spd.
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Mar 29, 2013 22:18
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Crustashio posted:325e is ungodly slow as an automatic, and that one has been resprayed and/or the paint is terrible. If you don't swap the motor/build a stroker it's going to be the most boring car on the planet. Good on the 318 - I kind of want a 4-door, anyways. I strongly prefer manuals, but IIRC some of the reading I've done has said that a 5-speed swap isn't too bad in these cars, and wouldn't be beyond my skill level. If the thing can't get out of its own way without a trans AND a motor though, probably will just pass.
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Mar 29, 2013 22:21
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5 speed swap on OBD1 cars isn't too bad, although it's still going to be cheaper to just buy a manual. OBD2 cars (1996+) are not that straightforward if you want it to be done properly with working traction control etc. Basically you need to program the car.
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Mar 29, 2013 22:30
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Just put the correct size tire(205/50/16) on these wheels. Looks and drives significantly better than the 205/45s that were on it before. I still need to paint them black or some other color. '91 318i
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Mar 29, 2013 23:40
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I've got a 2000 BMW 323i that has a problem I can't seem to diagnose. Every couple weeks since January, the car cranks but won't start. It seems to do this relatively randomly, but since it started dying it never has been drawing the 14v that i've heard is necessary to charge the battery. I've replaced the battery twice since the start of 2013, and replaced the alternator last May. I've had a couple people tell me it might be the voltage regulator, but it seems like that should have been replaced with alternator. Is there anything else obvious to look at before I head down the road of diagnosing a mysterious electrical problem?
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Mar 30, 2013 03:15
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I just got over the cranks but won't start problem on my 1990 325i. I know it is a different model and everything but check all of your wire junctions to make sure that they are tight. My problem was that the passenger side junction's screws were slightly loose causing a faulty connection.
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Mar 30, 2013 15:12
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Moxie Omen posted:It's always seemed especially egregious on the E30 for me, since the E30 M3 really obviously doesn't look at all like a regular old 325 and the only thing you accomplish is looking like a complete tool to anyone who actually knows what they're talking about. Black grills aren't so bad though, super simple to change though if that bothers you. Pretty much. Anyone who cares enough about cars to be interested by a ///M badge on the trunk probably also knows enough about cars to know it's fake. The only people it'll impress are those narrow selection of people who know just enough about cars/bimmers to have heard of an M3 and that it is somehow special, but have never actually seen what one looks like.
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Mar 30, 2013 19:40
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I wish I had a house so I could own an E30. 
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Mar 30, 2013 22:38
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User Error posted:I also installed new rotors and Hawk HP+ pads. They bite like a motherfucker but holy hell are they loud. I was kinda stingy with the grease, I'll have to take the brakes back apart and grease the hell out of them to see if that helps. Don't bother, just get used to your car sounding like a school bus when stopping. I've got HP+ on the miata and the bite is excellent, the noise, well you get used to it.
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Mar 30, 2013 23:12
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My two Bimmers just after I bought the 128i last summer: I am considering letting the '87 325is go. It was the first car I bought myself, and I have said that I would never sell it. But with the 128i as a modern incarnation of essentially the same car that is faster, better handling, more practical (rear seats lay down, more interior room, 1/7th the mileage), and basically just as fun to drive minus the nostalgia factor....I am unsure. The E30 only costs me like $400 a year to keep on the road, but I hardly drive it. It is an effort to keep fresh gas in it. It almost seems like it would be better to find a good enthusiast home for it? Plus the cash would go far in my plans to build a nice shop/garage. Keep it or sell, what do you think?
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Mar 31, 2013 01:41
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If it's rustfree and well kept you can probably get 3-4k for it. Bronzit isn't the most sought after colour. If you want to see what you could get, post an ad on r3vlimited at a high price and see what kind of offers you get.
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Mar 31, 2013 01:58
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