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I was actually considering replacing my black cube trim with wood until I found out that I could trade my cube trim for a couple complete sets of wood + cash. If it'd be that expensive to replace them if I wanted to change back, there's no way I'm getting rid of it now.
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May 4, 2013 07:16
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Probably should have checked the service records before ordering parts: Pulled out a metal impeller water pump to replace it with a composite one  I didn't think the cooling system had ever been touched.
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May 4, 2013 12:44
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Iirc, the metal prop is better than the old plastic, but the new plastic is less prone to problems than the metal (OEM vs OEM, of course). If so then it wasn't a waste since you did improve the overall reliability.
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May 4, 2013 14:01
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My '92 had the same metal OEM pump. They look pretty stout. Then again, so do the composite ones.
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May 4, 2013 14:06
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I'm considering going to look at an e36 compact. The siren's song of hatchback practicality is drawing me in. I'm looking at $500 assuming a head gasket and the cooling system. Should I even bother? It would replace a reliable-ish mkiv VW Golf 2.0 that currently serves as my makeshift mini-wagon/pickup truck and urban commuter. It looks like the base model, so the lack of a sunroof and sport seats might kill it for me. I love how sturdy the M3 feels so I started thinking about ditching for the VW for another old bmw. I would then have matching alpine white e36s. Oh god. Thoughts? http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/3779696822.html  Tempting contenders: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/3763357476.html http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/3731854201.html I just can't do an automatic. ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 16:01 on May 4, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 15:55
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That won't feel anything like an E36 M3. EDIT: unless you meant you already have one? I'm confused by your wording.
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May 4, 2013 17:38
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He does.
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May 4, 2013 17:53
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 Amusing things from doing my first round of maintenance on the E30 since I bought it. It's too god drat low to use regular ramps. Joy. Previous owner stuck a Z3 shifter in the car but left the vibration dampener on the driveshaft, so the selector arm rubs against the dampener if I push too hard into 2nd. Apparently you need to take the dampener off if you run a short shifter? This is what the internet tells me.  Also had some kind of lovely hecho en china fuel filter on the car that looked to be installed backwards, if the flow arrow on the filter was to be believed. Flow arrow should point towards the end that goes to the hard lines that run up to the engine, yes? Also there's a supersprint catback on the car but totally half-assed on there. Didn't look like they were using the right hardware at all. Amazingly, it did have a BMW OEM fuel filter! 
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May 4, 2013 21:23
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Yea, you should be able to take that dampener off without issue. They are not even on the 1991 e30. Anyone know anything about fuse 10? apparently its hooked up to a ton of stuff. Mine blew last night, and then again today about 15 minutes after replacement. I was re seating the gauge cluster on Wednesday, so i could have bumped something, but it lasted a few days. I do have the reverse light unplugged, but the wires were bare. Could just be chance that it blew after I was messing with the cluster. I taped up the wires, and have to see if it blows again.
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May 4, 2013 21:33
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ThirstyBuck posted:I'm considering going to look at an e36 compact. I've heard nothing but negative comments about the handling after they cut a few inches out of the length. Same with the e46 versions. I can't give first-hand advice though. Not to say "don't do it", just road-test and decide for yourself.
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May 4, 2013 23:12
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Captain Postal posted:I've heard nothing but negative comments about the handling after they cut a few inches out of the length. Same with the e46 versions. I can't give first-hand advice though. No one complains about e30s and it's basically the same suspension setup. It's probably the only e36 that is actually tolerable with the M42. And when you finally do the smart thing an put an M52 in it you can carry it in the backseat The only thing to keep in mind is the interior is completely unique - it shares almost nothing with a regular e36.
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May 4, 2013 23:33
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Crustashio posted:
I try and keep only one BMW running at any given time, keeps things more interesting.  e46 parts hauler out front (actually driveable), diff is on the ground in the e30 getting a new bushing. Plugs, ccv, ICV and intake cleaning, and an oil change on the e36.
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May 4, 2013 23:46
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televiper posted:Iirc, the metal prop is better than the old plastic, but the new plastic is less prone to problems than the metal (OEM vs OEM, of course). If so then it wasn't a waste since you did improve the overall reliability. revmoo posted:My '92 had the same metal OEM pump. They look pretty stout. Then again, so do the composite ones. I was going to reuse it with the o-ring from the composite pump but it had every so slight shaft play. I'll just sell it on kijiji, along with the perfectly good radiator. Thermostat was definitely toast though - it comes up to temp and stays absolutely centered on the gauge now.
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May 4, 2013 23:54
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ThirstyBuck posted:I'm considering going to look at an e36 compact. The siren's song of hatchback practicality is drawing me in. I love these, but you almost never see them in Canada. They were common (and cheap) as dirt in the UK, but not here. No idea how they drive, I just love hatchbacks and BMWs.
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May 5, 2013 00:41
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I test-drove a hatchback e36 when I was shopping for my current car. It seemed just fine, no issues, and I would have bought it except for the deal I was offered on my 328is. They're around, but not particularly common. Set your search parameters to a lower price bracket and they show up.
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May 5, 2013 02:00
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SuperDucky posted:...I try and keep only one BMW running at any given time, keeps things more interesting. But perhaps better than this,  Backov posted:I love these, but you almost never see them in Canada. They were common (and cheap) as dirt in the UK, but not here. Ditto. At least for my transportation appliance/commuter car. I have the M3 for days when I actually want to drive away from the city and not spend the entire time avoiding house-sized potholes in the "pavement." Speaking of which, I also fell into the trap of "hey, I just washed my, where's the wax? What? This claybar isn't wax! Oh fine." 3 hours later...  Also, I realize that the wording was a bit funky in my post. I meant that I would offer the guy $500 bucks total for the 318ti, not that the headgasket/cooling system would cost that much to replace. I know it is slow, but it will be nicer than my golf, it's super cheap, get better gas mileage, and hopefully just be more fun. E: makes less huge.
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May 5, 2013 04:10
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You guys rightly ignored my last post about the rusty 2002. It would have been way too much to deal with. That said, today I drove this and I'm going to buy it: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/3780135931.html It was THAT fun to drive. I had such a stupid grin on my face as I got into it going up a hill. The paint is rough and it needs some little things fixed here and there, but holy poo poo does it pull well. And it comes with documentation 2" thick. First on the agenda is to remove the "ti" (because it's not one) and get a driver's side window arm that isn't cammed out. Mat_Drinks fucked around with this message at 07:03 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 5, 2013 05:26
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I don't know much about them chassis-wise, but that looks soooo much better than the other one with the diving boards you were looking at before. Should be a bunch of fun/misery.
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May 5, 2013 06:16
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Dyscrasia posted:Yea, you should be able to take that dampener off without issue. They are not even on the 1991 e30. Must have been coincidence. taped up the rear brake lights and I've been good for a few hours
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May 5, 2013 06:59
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Finally opened up the euro grills I bought a few months ago. Surprise!!! They're lovely reproduction moldings, GODDAMN IT.
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May 5, 2013 16:11
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Moxie Omen posted:Finally opened up the euro grills I bought a few months ago. Surprise!!! They're lovely reproduction moldings, GODDAMN IT. Where did you order them from? I have OEs on my car but my Dad unfortunately got the repros...
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May 5, 2013 16:33
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Lightbulb Out posted:Where did you order them from? I have OEs on my car but my Dad unfortunately got the repros... Abrahams Motorsport. To be completely fair they do say that they're Kopi reproductions and I'm an idiot rear end in a top hat who didn't think about it, but oh well. On the plus side the euro rear plate filler I got from them is the real deal, I just gotta drill some holes in it to fit over the US plate mounts Moxie Omen fucked around with this message at 17:20 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 5, 2013 17:17
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So, I was previously hating on E39's, but what do we think of 6speed 540i's? I'm e38-skittish now, it'd be a fun boat but i dread repair costs. There are a few that appear clean on Autotrader for under 6 bills or so. I could definitely live with a V8 stick.
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May 5, 2013 21:00
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Jonny 290 posted:So, I was previously hating on E39's, but what do we think of 6speed 540i's? I'm e38-skittish now, it'd be a fun boat but i dread repair costs. Do it. E39's are pretty reliable.
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May 5, 2013 21:45
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Jonny 290 posted:So, I was previously hating on E39's, but what do we think of 6speed 540i's? I'm e38-skittish now, it'd be a fun boat but i dread repair costs. Usual 5 series issues, which is to say it can get expensive. Cooling system (rad, expansion tank, pump), pcv valve, viscous coupling, o2 sensor, maf sensor, control arm bushings, thrust arm bushings, valley pan gasket, dead pixels, broken sunroofs, leaky door/window seals etc. Those are the kinds of things to look out for in an over 100k car. Make sure the PO replaced cooling system parts (radiator and pump primarily) with quality parts, a lovely knockoff replacement will be a $$$$ bill shortly down the road. There are no particular issues specific to the v8 or 6 speed, in fact the v8 has more reliable VANOS seals than an i6 would (with age, the VANOS will still rattle etc) and the 6 speed is more or less bulletproof. Condition and service history is EVERYTHING here. This is the kind of car you can turn key and drive forever if it was well kept, but it's also the kind of car that can throw you a $1000 repair bill once a month if it wasn't well kept and driven hard. Spend more initially and get something that won't rape you with repair bills. I was looking for a 540i before I decided to buy an e30 instead, and I really didn't see anything under $8000 that I would touch with a 10 foot pole. Yeah there's $5000 and $6000 540i 6speeds, even with M-Sport trim sometimes, but I can usually find $2000-4000 in poo poo that will need to be fixed soon on all of those, right away. In general though they're pretty awesome cars and more or less the middle ground between a 5 series and m5, but without the m5 tax in value/parts/labor.
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May 5, 2013 21:52
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Drunken Lullabies posted:Yeah there's $5000 and $6000 540i 6speeds, even with M-Sport trim sometimes, but I can usually find $2000-4000 in poo poo that will need to be fixed soon on all of those, right away. Where are these 2000-4000 E39's you speak of? I would be well willing to take on a challenge. edit vvv HURR I red gud! BrokenKnucklez fucked around with this message at 00:33 on May 6, 2013 |
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May 6, 2013 00:05
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$2-4K in repairs, not for the car.
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May 6, 2013 00:18
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Last night I drove 100km with the "your fuel tank is nearly empty" light on. I was surprised when I made it to the last open gas station in the province, having driven through three towns with closed stations, I had been expecting the car to just die at any point for the last 30 minutes of that drive. I'm sure I annoyed a few other drivers by nursing it along carefully at 85km/h - I'm pretty happy that I was able to keep the needle stuck on 6L/100km for so long. How big is the fuel tank on an e36? I pumped just over 60L into mine, I thought the tank capacity was 60L and that I must have been literally on fumes for the last few kilometres.
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May 6, 2013 16:59
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The insurance company just waved $2500 under my nose to see if I'd bite. I laughed and said "nosir, we are several thousand dollars apart" He found one ragged out sedan in st. louis for 2900 and 'called the local dealership' and they said that mine was worth 2k. Keeps going on about miles, miles, miles. I need ammo!
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May 6, 2013 20:58
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Jonny 290 posted:The insurance company just waved $2500 under my nose to see if I'd bite. I laughed and said "nosir, we are several thousand dollars apart" Documentation is key to a project car. When my little E30 went up in flames, I gave them every receipt and then I used the shop rate to show how much each part to redo would cost. I darn near ended up getting exactly what I had into it minus deductible and about 100 bucks.
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May 6, 2013 22:14
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ExecuDork posted:How big is the fuel tank on an e36? I pumped just over 60L into mine, I thought the tank capacity was 60L and that I must have been literally on fumes for the last few kilometres. I think BMW underrates the fuel tanks. Officially my E46 is 16.6 gallons but I've put over 17.5 in it many times after similar "how can there not be a 24/7 gas station here!?!" situations.
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May 6, 2013 22:45
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If any of you E46 drivers out there have replaced your thermostat with a Wahler in the last nine months or so, go have a look for leaks around the temperature sensor. I just caught mine leaking today after seven months; while I was at my favourite indie shop getting the replacement, they said Wahler had a quality control issue late last year that caused their supplier and others to simply throw away their remaining stock of thermostats for that very reason. Look here: 
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May 7, 2013 01:27
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So I was just driving home from the gym and about 2 blocks from home I press the clutch in to shift and it goes all the way down. Then doesn't come up. I was able to rev-match shift down and a random dude helped me pull my car into some driveway so I could take a look. Found these on the floor:  E36 M3 (1999). I was able to get it home by shifting it into first with the car off and starting it--probably not the best thing, but goddamn it's got a powerful starter because it started right up while rolling itself forward. Drove the last two blocks in first gear. Um, is this something I can jury-rig to drive the mile or so to my mechanic, or am I going to have to get it towed?
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May 7, 2013 03:50
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Been said before: "Starter (noun): device to start a car moving" Personally, I'd pay for the tow - call your shop first and try to get the truck to put your car directly into a bay. If the shop doesn't have their own tow truck or other way to move a car into / out of a bay, they'll charge you for that.
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May 7, 2013 04:13
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MrChips posted:If any of you E46 drivers out there have replaced your thermostat with a Wahler in the last nine months or so, go have a look for leaks around the temperature sensor. I just caught mine leaking today after seven months; while I was at my favourite indie shop getting the replacement, they said Wahler had a quality control issue late last year that caused their supplier and others to simply throw away their remaining stock of thermostats for that very reason. I did this a little more than a year ago, what should I be looking for in that picture exactly? The shape there or is there a date code I can't make out on the photo? Should be alright because I bought it from a LordCo which probably had it in stock for years at that point.
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May 7, 2013 04:40
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That looks like broken master cylinder parts to me. Be sure to have a look under there and make sure there's no brake fluid coming into the cabin. Also: PLASTIC Clutch Master Cylinder parts?! 
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May 7, 2013 04:40
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priznat posted:I did this a little more than a year ago, what should I be looking for in that picture exactly? The shape there or is there a date code I can't make out on the photo? The area I circled is where the leak seems to develop; it might just weep out, or as it was in my case, it might come pissing out like an angry blue water pistol with the car running and hot. Either way, look for evidence of coolant leakage below. I haven't heard if anyone has mentioned date codes for the affected parts, if I find out I'll be sure to post what dates are affected and where to look for the code.
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May 7, 2013 06:49
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I will check that out, thanks! Wahle was one of the OEM suppliers? I can't recall exactly the brand but it was original OEM, I remember that much. Any others for that part?
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May 7, 2013 07:56
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Kenshin posted:So I was just driving home from the gym and about 2 blocks from home I press the clutch in to shift and it goes all the way down. Then doesn't come up. That looks very similar to the bits that broke on my MK4 VW Bora/Jetta. Common problem on them, it was just the connection onto the pedal itself. It was about £20 in parts and half an hour of doing Houdini impressions trying to fix it.
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May 7, 2013 12:17
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| # ? May 18, 2024 16:23 |
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I am looking to buy an E30 of some kind, but I don’t know anything about them. So, BMW goons, I have the following initial questions but will first describe what I want the car for. Most importantly, the car will not be a daily driver. It will be driven probably only on Fridays and at least half of the time by my girlfriend. The car would see a mix of garage and snowy Colorado winter days and nights outside. We will also autocross and maybe track the car a couple times a year. Basically, I want a fun, light, cool car that can pick up groceries once in a while and also turn a reasonable time on course. I imagine that I would remove things like the AC and stuff like that for weight/simplicity sake but I would not strip out the interior or anything like that. The car won’t be used in the snow but I will retain the heater for my girlfriend’s sake. I do not want an AWD model. It will probably end up with bike racks on it since that always seems to happen no matter what my plans are. I would like to buy something driveable and spend less than 5K (obviously less is better). I am not afraid of maintenance or repairs. That said, I don’t want to buy a money pit or something that spends more of its time down than running. Here is my list of initial questions if anyone feels like answering them. I’m open to any and all information you guys feel like sharing. I was thinking 3XX. Should I also consider 5 series? I want light weight RWD goodness. Are there differences among 325/328/whatever besides motor? I don’t care about interior features. Which years/models should I steer clear of? Which years/models are more desirable and why? What is the best motor for flogging and modification? An NA->FI conversion is likely, although these may have different answers and I understand that. If I can get a satisfactory NA motor built that would be awesome. What motors can be easily swapped in place? I’m reasonably familiar with Subarus which are like legos. Am I going to get (relatively) destroyed by the cost of aftermarket parts? I have no problem buying used for this car. High on the list would be a good suspension and brakes. Motor mods later on and dependent on many things that I obviously do not yet know. How hard are these cars to work on? My dad has a 2008 335is and it looks like a spaghetti monster nightmare under the hood. I’m guessing something 20 years older will be “better” in this regard though. How hard is it to swap a manual into an automatic car? I simply will not drive an automatic long term, but I’ve noticed a couple clean examples in my price range that are automatics. What are the major known issues, and what should I be looking specifically at/for when I check out cars to potentially buy? Thanks!
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May 7, 2013 15:46
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