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New member. 1998 5-speed sedan. 
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Nov 26, 2012 06:00
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This is my first BMW and I love it. I have had several Volvos including a 780 Turbo, a late 80's Mustang GT, a Honda Civic, and a VW Golf. I know it's old-ish and underpowered, but it drives like I have wanted every car I have ever owned to drive, but didn't. I haven't posted in here before aside from the first pic post so my experience with BMWs comes mostly from a roommate in undergrad that had a 77 320 and an 86 325es that we drove the hell out of and now 10 years later DDs an 88 325 vert. I picked this up in San Antonio. PO said he never left Texas with it. It came back after 26 hours without a hitch. The engine bay and underside look 10x better than my VW that is 5 years newer and has half the miles. I've got it packed away for the winter now that it is in the Northeast. It needs a number of smaller things that I plan to do in the spring but a couple of things remain unresolved. The heat only works on 90*. If I turn it to anything less than 90* degrees it blows cold. What the hell? E: In the corner is the PO's new 335 with a Dinan stage I. Oh. my. god. Power and torque everywhere. I was a little weird tho, it didn't drive like any turbo car I've driven, but then again I had never driven a twin turbo. ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Dec 5, 2012 |
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Dec 5, 2012 05:23
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I don't have a garage for projects or I would call about this. Anyone interested in a S52 swap? http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/pts/3566317227.html Too bad about the bronzit though.
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Jan 25, 2013 15:22
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MrChips posted:Well now that the temperature is well above freezing again, that rumble/vibration I had a couple days ago has completely vanished... I've noticed flat spots on my tires from parking stay around much longer and are much more pronounced when it is really cold.
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Feb 1, 2013 04:28
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This just showed up on CL near me and I'm trying to convince myself that it would be a bad idea.
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Feb 19, 2013 04:21
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ultimateforce posted:I know they aren't fast, but I liked my 318is E36 because I could drive it at WOT and not really break any speed limits. This is what I tell myself every time I get in my MKIV 2.0.
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Mar 1, 2013 03:09
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I pulled the M out of storage today and gave it a scrub.  The immediate list of things to do includes the clutch and associated bits, ICV, and track down a power steering leak. I'm also looking for a good car cover. Suggestions? E: add content ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Mar 31, 2013 |
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Mar 31, 2013 04:26
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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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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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THE BLACK NINJA posted:I need to do some reading. Yes.  I haven't turned a wrench on the the M3 since I garaged it last fall. This past week I had some time off so I dug in. I found that the hose from the IACV was sheared in half and the oil return line from the CVV was in pretty poor shape so I replaced them both. I also put on a valve cover gasket and and some new hood struts. I've got some other leaks to track down as well. It seems that the vanos oil line is leaking as is something from the power steering reservoir. I also painted the chrome ring around the grill because it seems out of place with the rest of the car. The new hose and the IACV cleaning seemed to have done the job; the idle is rock solid and light throttle response is back. I still have the clutch to do, but I'm putting off ordering one because I need to tear the old one down and see if the dual mass flywheel is still good. If it is I'll just order another OE clutch. It its bad I'm looking at ordering a lightweight FW and clutch kit combo. Any recommendations on the latter? Best part of the whole experience? I discovered that the PO had the entire cooling system replaced not long before I bought it. ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 03:47 on May 23, 2013 |
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May 23, 2013 03:37
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Viper_3000 posted:Anyone have any experience with Hankook Ventus v12 tires? Mine are starting to crack/dry rot, and these are on sale on tire rack for half of what Michelins are running. (Also does AI not have a Tire thread? I looked but didn't see one) I haven't looked up how to reply to multiple people at the same time. I had a set on my MKIV Golf and they wore down pretty fast with moderate daily use. I wouldn't get them again.
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May 23, 2013 03:43
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I'm thinking about going to look at this later this week. The vibe of the ad screams money pit...but it's cheap, and manual. I was actually hoping to find something older to replace my mkiv vw - I was cruising for E30s when I saw it. Run away? http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/3819840965.html 
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May 29, 2013 04:39
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televiper posted:xi's are more complicated than the rest, and early e46s had issues with rear subframe tearing, but other than that, rock out with your card out. I'll let you (all) know how it goes. I don't lose anything by looking - it's about 3 miles away.
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May 30, 2013 03:52
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BMW Thread I'm going to buy a clutch for my 98 M3. I'm just going for reliability and drivability so no lightweight flywheel/transmission chatter bullshit. Any reason I shouldn't pick up this kit? It looks like a pretty good deal. http://gripforce.com/sachs-oe-clutch-kit-and-luk-dmf-flywheel-bmw-323i-is-325i-is-328i-is-525i-528i-m3-z3/ 
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Jul 15, 2013 04:35
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I just replaced and bled the coolant in my E36 as it still had the concentration from Texas, where I bought it last year, and it was only good to 10*F. It now has face melting heat AND the temperature controls actually control the temperature. My only concern, from what I've read, is that I didn't bleed the system properly. I drove it for about 30 min after the replacement with the heater on and the gauge never moved past the center. Should I be concerned about trapped air or is everything as it should be? I think I'm just being paranoid re: thread title.
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Aug 13, 2013 11:32
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Crustashio posted:The gauge isn't supposed to move past center. Especially not when you've got the heater extracting heat from the engine. Yes I understand that is what I should expect from the gauge...My concern was that the heat was so incredibly hot afterwards and I thought maybe there was a disconnect between the gauge and what was actually going on inside the cooling system i.e my motor is getting really loving hot. I drove it again it appears that all is well.
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Aug 13, 2013 12:53
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I'd just like to reiterate what has been said here about buying used BMWs. There seems to be quite a bit of overlap between E46 and E36 M3 cars showing up here on the cheap (4-6k) but they are all deep deep in maintenance debt. I bought mine last year (knowing that it needed a lot of work) and I'm over $1k just in parts and I'm not even closed to finished. Avoid the neglected cars if you're not handy or expect to splash out in order to not drive around a rattle trap. Service records are worth their weight in gold. Mid-process of my clutch/flywheel, shifter rebuild, CVV, tie rods, LCABs, and complete fluid change. On a positive note, the car is now officially 1/2 inspected (emissions) and will get an unexpected performance bump with a lightweight flywheel as it was several hundred dollars cheaper than a new DMF. 
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Aug 20, 2013 15:11
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voltron posted:Which flywheel did you go with? I've been trying to find something that is convenient for street driving and not too light. I don't need a 7-lb wheel. I initially just got the Sachs clutch kit but when I took everything apart I found that the flywheel was toast as well. I looked around and Gripforce had an OE setup with a DMF+clutch kit for $700ish but they also had a single mass cromoly 15lbs flywheel+clutch kit for $475 so I got that. I just hope it doesn't make too much noise. It's 10lbs lighter than stock but heavier than some of the featherweights I came across. I wanted to keep everything OE as it is now my DD since I dumped the VW. Depending upon which model you have Valeo makes a single mass conversion kit with a 25lbs flywheel that is supposed to be pretty good for the e36 3er but not for the M3. ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Aug 21, 2013 |
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Aug 21, 2013 02:42
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Cooling problems got you down? Quick craigslist search for bmw+overheat* http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/4023229730.html  http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/4006931700.html    But then was offset by finding things like this: 
ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Aug 26, 2013 |
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Aug 25, 2013 19:07
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angryhampster posted:X3... My experience is second hand and anecdotal. My sister has a 2004 X3 and I completely agree with the sport version comments. She has the (m?) sport version that has the body-color matched trim that I think has aged very well. It doesn't look like it is almost 10 years old while the black trimmed models looked outdated when they came out. I think in +70k miles they have had to replace an O2 sensor and they had an issue with some common bluetooth gadget draining the battery. It handles really well for a truck.
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Aug 26, 2013 12:57
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Popete posted:So I've been having cold start rough idle issues on my 1996 M3... Clean your IACV.
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Sep 18, 2013 04:01
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98 M3 I replaced a number of items on my car over the summer including the CVV and associated hoses, vanos hose, valve cover gasket, and rear main seal (during a clutch replacement). Previously, the car didn't use hardly any oil and the oil stayed cleaned for several thousand miles. Now the car is using 1 quart every 1000 miles and the oil itself is pretty dirty after 500 miles. I anticipated using even less oil after replacing several leaky parts but now my consumption is up significantly. The car isn't leaking it from anywhere that I can see so I assume it must be burning it. Any idea how this is happening?
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Sep 24, 2013 03:10
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I rolled up to work yesterday and I found an empty spot in front of this.  Horrible phone: it's an M5 and an M3.
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Sep 26, 2013 22:23
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Kenny Rogers posted:E36 M3/4/5 best M3. Fixed that. Edit: whoops, I'm way behind that was from a page back. ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 05:29 on Sep 30, 2013 |
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Sep 30, 2013 05:21
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I'm looking for an aftermarket stereo/speakers for my E36. Both the 2.5" and 1" in the doors are completely toast and I'm sure the 6x9+1" in the back deck should also be replaced, but I'm mainly concerned with the door speakers. I know there is the bavauto/bsw stuff, but I'm not looking to pay $600 bucks. Anybody have a more economical recommendation? Also, the "mid-bass" in the kick panels is apparently a euphemism for "mid-muffled." Unimpressed.
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Oct 9, 2013 03:36
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You guys get goony for V8 power right? http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/cto/4104109224.html
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Oct 14, 2013 12:46
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I recently put new inner and outer tie rods along with new LCABs on my 98 M3. I jacked up the car last week to change the oil and hello inner tire wear! I've probably put 1500-2000 miles on the car since the new equipment was installed.  (Sorry for the lousy pics) I of course had the car aligned after putting on the new stuff, but when I got it back the steering wheel was a smudge off center so I took it back to have it squared up. And now this. The camber isn't adjustable on the front so is this just a matter of incorrect toe? Could another suspension component be worn out that would be causing this? I'm kind of done with the alignment shop after they gave back to me with the wheel off center so this would make the 3rd time I'd be taking it back to them for a simple alignment. Additionally, that tire is mostly toast now as well.
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Nov 17, 2013 18:39
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BlackMK4 posted:Yes, toe. Camber wear shows up at the end of a tires life, toe wear will murder a tire well before that. Could any worn suspension parts cause this? It was just inspected so I know the ball joints are good. Tie rods as stated are new. Front shock mounts? I'm just trying to be thorough before I take it back to the shop.
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Nov 17, 2013 19:50
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BlackMK4 posted:Was there no wear like this before you took it in or did you just notice it now? Definitely was not there before.
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Nov 17, 2013 22:08
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Goons, I've got the dreaded battery drain on my 98 M3. I put a multimeter inline between the negative battery cable and the negative terminal and I got a reading of .82 ma (IIRC). Despite pulling every fuse and every relay under the hood, the rate did not drop once during the procedure. It take the battery around 3-7 days to die down. Alternator checks out OK as does the battery (at least according to auto slum's tester). What am I doing wrong and how do I track down this infuriating problem? I already the removed both the bulb from the glove box and the trunk just to eliminate those two common variables. I think all of my battery shenanigans started when I found the glove box light staying on. I thought I had it fixed when I found that. But no. My neighbors are beginning to think I have an E3 it is plugged into a charger so often. TIA.
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Nov 30, 2013 19:12
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Jonny 290 posted:Double check your readings. .82 mA (820 uA) is a whole lot lower than .82 amps, which is what i suspect you're seeing. The former is probably totally nominal for maintaining computer memory, powering the ECUs in standby, etc; .82 amps indicates a pretty big drain. Check your grounds, check them again. I just checked the drain again today and it read .22 ma. As I understand this is a smudge high but should not be giving me the problems I am having. I guess I need to seriously consider dropping the $150 bucks for a new battery.
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Dec 1, 2013 02:19
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Adding to to the staggered chat, I threw a square set of General Arctic M/S 225s on my E36 and the decrease in traction in the dry has been an absolute hoot.
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Dec 29, 2013 14:16
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emanonii posted:I'm thinking it's time that I replace battery on my e36 convertible... I slapped a 1000CCA Bosch from pep boy's in my e36 sedan. I think they were doing a 20% coupon at the time. Cranks like a sum bitch when it's -10...like today. Not the standard battery, but, at least in my car, all you need to do is move the battery clamp down two holes to accommodate the slightly longer battery.
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Jan 29, 2014 04:27
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Pretty Boy Floyd posted:A manual '01 e46 wagon showed up on craigslist in my area, but it has 180k miles. What would you guys think of that? Jumping on this bandwagon, there is a manual 2002 wagon nearby with "bad valve stem seals". Owner says it goes through a quart every 300 miles. Car has 200k on it and had recent suspension and cooling system refresh. It can probably be had for $1000. Automatic head gasket + guides and seals job? Sounds like it could be a veritable rabbit hole of repairs. Thoughts?
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Feb 9, 2014 03:18
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I just put on a new set of muffler hangers on my e36 three months ago. They are now broken. Again. Anybody considered a more sturdy solution? I'm looking at hacking these combined with a rubber interface of sorts between the metal mount and the car. But OMG what about the NVH? My car rattles a lot already so I'm more concerned with the exhaust not hanging down.  Also, E30 touring? Yes please.
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Feb 10, 2014 18:23
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1998 M3 What is the normal death process of a crank sensor on our cars? I have gotten a p0355 code on three separate occasions when the car has acted up. No power, won't rev ect… It has happened each time when the weather has been transitioning rapidly hot/cold. I thought when they went bad they would just drop dead. If the car is shut off it will start back up and run normally. BFC is a hot mess dog pile of opinions. ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Feb 19, 2014 |
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Feb 19, 2014 05:38
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Popete posted:Lucky my e36 M3 does have front seat warmers. Ugg. I leave for work at 6 in the morning and the seats are so cold when it is 0*F out that I eventually just tossed a blanket over the entire seat. It doesn't help that I essentially wear pajamas to work. How hard would it be to add heated seats to an e36 m3?.
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Mar 1, 2014 11:04
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Popete posted:This is it, finally installing the coil overs I bought back in December on the e36. This is my first time messing with any suspension parts, what can expect time wise for a complete Ground Control install? Also I need to install new wheel well lining on the driver side if anyone has tips for that. I'm in the middle of replacing suspension bits on mine: struts, shocks, links, bushing, mounts ect. This is the first time I've gotten elbow deep into any suspension. I'm very surprised how easily everything came apart. Had I not been missing new strut bumpers I think I would have had it already back together. I also need a new fender liner.  Caveat - my car spent its life in Texas. PB Blaster not necessary. Unrelated. My brother is looking at a 2003 E39 540ia. 160K but it looks really clean. Evidently the "bottom line" price is $6k. What do you fellas think of that price for this car? I told him if everything was immaculate then to consider it i.e. no suspension problems and a recent cooling system refresh. Here are some really crappy pics  
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Mar 11, 2014 15:36
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DEUCE SLUICE posted:
Where are you located? I know of a nice looking 2002 325 manual wagon with a bad motor nearby. I've been toying with the idea of picking it up myself, but like you I should contain myself to one car and one motorcycle - and I don't have an extra garage for it.
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Mar 16, 2014 21:52
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| # ¿ May 5, 2024 10:58 |
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For all my fellow e36 owners with the inevitably blown mid-range speakers/crappy stereo. I just did a cheap upgrade that made riding in my car feel about 10 years newer. 1. Head unit: a great match with the dash lights and integrates a phone into the car. http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130X6600BT/Pioneer-DEH-X6600BT.html 2. Tweeters: $10 bucks http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AQ8NVW/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 3. Midranges: $20 bucks http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc6fd00-04-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer-4-ohm--264-1126 4. More door clips. 5. 16 gigs of music that flush mounts to the front of the radio. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FYNSZA/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 There is another vifa speaker ($70/pair) that has been used on other bimmer boards but I haven't read of anyone using the one listed above. Those listed here drop in too with a little man handling ThirstyBuck fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Apr 8, 2014 |
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Apr 8, 2014 05:06
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