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Patience. We waited for about six months, scanning craigslist and autotrader, until one (wonderful) loony guy in Phoenix wanted to sell his '95 M3 with 89k mi, pristine interior, flawlessly details and wonderful maintainance records. He was asking $8500. We paid him $8500 the next day. The moral of the story is, while there are only a few of them left, there are some original owners who are just now getting rid of their M's. Original owners who are just now selling are almost always the OCD type -- good maintenance history, oil changes on time, BMW inspections completed, etc. Wait for the right one, this one doesn't sound like it. EDIT FOR CONTENT FROM LATER IN THE THREAD: --------------------------------------------- Sterndotstern posted:My rule of thumb when considering any used BMW, especially E36s is: tack on no less than $1500 for parts to refresh the car post purchase. http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55 Sterndotstern posted:
Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Nov 19, 2008 |
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Apr 4, 2008 16:15
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aventari posted:and which field is this? Game show host.
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May 15, 2008 16:19
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missed_again posted:God, thinking about it this is the closest guess i've ever seen on a forum with no background information "Mad fisting assholes up to the elbow" tipped me off.
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May 15, 2008 20:29
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klosterdev posted:Apparently BMW is making a Transformer. I hate me some Bangle butts, but that car is rather astounding -- perhaps the only application of his design language that I've seen where it actually makes sense. The car itself seems more like a "rapid clay-modeler" than anything production oriented, but it's still neat to watch.
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Jun 10, 2008 17:14
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My rule of thumb when considering any used BMW, especially E36s is: tack on no less than $1500 for parts to refresh the car post purchase. The breakdown is as follows: - $300 cooling refresh - $800 shocks/springs/rear strut mounts - $250 bushings(FCAB, RTAB, transmission) - $150 alignment If you go in expecting the $1500 expense, you won't be let down by the car. If you need someone to install all this stuff for you, and aren't willing to pay the additional cost of that, strongly consider another kind of car (Corolla, Civic, etc) that doesn't have the maintenance requirements. This checklist has proven true on the last 4 BMWs we've owned. They were all >100k mile cars, though. Honestly, though, the checklist would apply to a 75k mi car, too.
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Jul 11, 2008 19:52
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ynotony posted:Cooling is the big one. Agreed, but honestly, all of them *need* addressing. Just consider it the "sales tax" on your E36.
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Jul 11, 2008 22:52
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They make several different sizes of pump -- I bought some Valvoline branded fluid pumps at Checker for $5 each. One is for diff fluid, one is for tranny fluid. I just keep them screwed onto the half-empty bottles. They'll fit the 1qt Redline or Royal Purple or whatever that you're putting in.
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Jul 14, 2008 00:43
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Mr. Toast posted:I'm not sure if this is bad form are not, so please tell, but I am parting out a '95 M3 if anyone needs anything. Vaders are gone but most of the stuff is still there, plus some AA goodies. I'd love to see a goon plop my S50 in an E30 How bad is the front end? I've got a wrecked '95 in my carport, pleading for a new bumper with sad drooping eyes every time I come home. Depending on where you are, I can either pickup or arrange shipping... Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Jul 17, 2008 |
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Jul 16, 2008 18:12
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Luk3 posted:I'm really sorry if this has been asked before, but something that has been nagging me about my 330Ci is that when shifting, especially from 1st to 2nd, it might take a couple tries to get the shifter to go into gear. I'm not really sure how to explain it any better than that unfortunately. As I go from 1st to 2nd it just sort of stops half way. Like it leaves first, goes past neutral and then just gets stuck going to second. I've made sure that the clutch is all the way in, etc etc. It would sound like worn synchros if you car was much, much older. Does the problem exist when downshifting from 3 -> 2? Any grinding noises, crunchy feedback, etc? You might try swapping the tranny fluid with a reputable synthetic -- the Royal Purple stuff made a notable difference in shift effort in my E36.
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Jul 16, 2008 19:09
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Daddy Fantastic posted:Is there anything I should have done right off the bat? Belts, anything along those lines? Covered several times in this thread and innumerable times elsewhere. Use this, replace everything that sucks: http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55 I distilled that down to a $1500 list like 1 page ago.
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Jul 21, 2008 16:21
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CornHolio posted:true/false: True, as far as I can tell. From here: http://www.eurospeed.org/m3faq/engine.html quote:Q. Why should I be concerned if my water pump has a plastic impeller?
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Jul 21, 2008 16:50
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Pissingintowind posted:My windows sometimes go up for a few inches when I engage one touch up, then back down (I assume this is the pinch protection becoming engaged due to excessive friction from a worn regulator). I dunno, it might be worth recalibrating the one-touch first. From the Bentley: quote:The front door windows incorporate a pinch-protection feature as well as one-touch up/down (1994 and later models). In order for these features to work correctly, the mechanical stop reference point must be re-initialized after repairs are carried out. I just typed all that poo poo in since Acrobat Reader can't be bothered to cut/paste from my Bentley.
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Jul 21, 2008 18:47
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Pissingintowind posted:This doesn't work for me. The window regular replacement is the next step, right? And if I do replace it, the problem should never reoccur? Presumably so. Depending on how comfortable you are driving w/o a door skin for a couple days, you can just try greasing the sliders and see if the problem goes away. If not, just order the regulator from your favorite online retailer (my E46 ate both rears while I had it, they were only like $65/ea from Autopartswarehouse.com) and wait a couple days. I used white lithium grease on the ones I installed, I'm not sure what you're "supposed" to use but that seemed to do the job.
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Jul 21, 2008 20:45
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Butt Reactor posted:Hopefully I didn't miss something similar... Yeah, a couple times. I can't be a dick and say "read the thread n00b" since it's so f-ing long, but here's my highlight reel: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2809820&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=21#post346088456 This is what you will really want to replace ASAP. http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55 This is a very good and complete inspection list.
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Jul 24, 2008 18:19
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Walmart 2-Gal Air Tank http://tinyurl.com/6xjuzy Ebay a Decent Used Impact Gun http://tinyurl.com/5jxgyy Harbor Freight Impact Socket Set http://tinyurl.com/5b5hfl One afternoon and $200 means you won't have to gently caress with stuck bolts. Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Jul 28, 2008 |
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Jul 28, 2008 07:41
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So for the folks who have had their BMW aligned: do you just go to a local independent BMW/European specialist, or do you let the Pep Boys/Firestone/Chain Store perform the alignment? The BMW shops in town charge $150 for it, but I was wondering if the process requires any special tools (beyond the alignment rack) that the local Joe mechanic won't have. Do you need to be a specialist to align a BMW? Edit: I consulted my Bentley, but it seems to indicate that the only thing that can be aligned is the front toe. WTF? Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Aug 1, 2008 |
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Aug 1, 2008 19:47
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I went with the ejaculation route, but I'm sitting here having second thoughts.
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Aug 1, 2008 20:02
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two_beer_bishes posted:I've been thoroughly beaten My sincerest condolences. I assume you don't have the magical "special tool" the Bentley calls for to remove the inner tie rod end? It looks like some sort of crow's foot tool designed and shaped to fit the inner tie rod end. Some googling suggests that the "special tool" is a 32mm crow's foot, so either a fan clutch tool or maybe a bigass crescent wrench will do the job.
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Aug 3, 2008 23:14
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TractionControl posted:I think I have a problem. This makes me happy.
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Aug 4, 2008 06:44
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kimbo305 posted:My personal fave in terms of looks, cost, and bang-for-buck is the E36. Others' thoughts? Hard to argue with them now being such a cheap and well-known commodity. I've always had a crush on the E30s and their S14s, but right now the E36 has the right blend of price and practicality. It's the definition of a daily-driven track car, unlike any of the others. Between the E36 and E46, the E36 tends to have a better ride and more neutral at-the-limit handling, particularly the (now cheap) 1995 model, though far less giggle factor from the accelerator in stock form.
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Aug 10, 2008 20:00
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kimbo305 posted:The later models had what, a 20 ftlb bump in torque? I tentatively asked a few sellers about their sales on ebay and autotrader, but no responses so far. A good '98 or '99 could probably be snapped south of 16k. Easily, but why? My preference is to pick up a well-used 150k '95 for $7k, drop $2500 of suspension, refreshed bushings, and Conforti intake/chip/injectors in it. That's some SERIOUS value for <$10k.
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Aug 10, 2008 22:01
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kimbo305 posted:I think it's hard to justify picking up a 150-200k mileage BMW _if_ there's few or no maintenance records for it. That'd be the problem for me, anyways. Granted, a newer car with fewer miles is no sure deal either. Just fewer records to be missing. With $2500, you can pretty much address everything that needs addressing: a Bentley manual, cooling, suspension, bushings front and rear, fluids etc. Obviously you need to test drive the car before buying it, but the base mechanicals are really stout. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 15-year-old M3 with 10,000 track miles on it. I've had a few E36s, and when I buy a car I always do the following: get a history report, get a few good pictures of it. If it's worth seeing, prior to test driving it, inspect the car with a pair of gloves, a jack, and a flashlight. Check for all the common issues underneath the car (leaking/blown dampers, worn bushings, bald/feathered tires, leaks from anywhere). Before you lower it down, wiggle the wheels to feel for play in the balljoints, then check the wheel bearings. Check for a lip on the brake rotor edge. Then pop the hood. Check the radiator & the thermostat housing. Check the radiator overflow tank for coolant level, powersteering and brake fluid. Check the oil and air filter. Then drive it and pay attention for any obvious issues with alignment, transmission, and engine. If any E36 - say, a 210k '93 - can get through this inspection, I say buy it.
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Aug 11, 2008 04:21
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schultzi posted:I found a local E30 325i convertible in decent cosmetic condition... at right under $2k USD Sounds like a winner. Give it a good general inspection, but if it's solid, I'd snatch it up. If you're going to the track, really, really consider a decent custom-welded roll bar. Figure on spending ~$1k-$2k for design and install. It's worth it for the vast improvement in safety and handling it will provide, since it will significantly strengthen the chassis as well as preventing your head from going splat in a rollover. Edit: ^^^ that's a problem, hmm.
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Aug 14, 2008 21:04
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Brock Landers posted:Replace the waterpump, radiator, and hoses since you need to take them out to get access to the timing belt. Also strongly consider a thermostat and housing while you're in there. E36 parts are available here, I'm sure a comparable kit is available for E30s somewhere: http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared...et=products.asp
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Aug 25, 2008 22:34
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kimbo305 posted:They said up to a point, it would understeer unpleasantly, and only after that threshold would it come around, compared to the 3 which stayed neutral throughout. Maybe something that could be tweaked with tires and some suspension component changes, but I think both those mags were disappointed with the out of the box feeling factor. Modern carmakers now only allow fast cars to understeer once they're off stability control. Fat rear tires and concerns about tire wear make that happen.
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Aug 29, 2008 04:00
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maxallen posted:Don't you mean oversteer? Not until provoked. kimbo305 posted:I understand, but does that explain why they liked driving the 3 of the same generation more? Because the chassis engineers were told not to embarass the 3.
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Aug 29, 2008 04:06
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ynotony posted:^^ could have been replaced with another plastic one. The metal impellers that superseded the plastic bladed ones were themselves replaced with a "composite impeller" type.
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Aug 30, 2008 01:01
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stump posted:The gearbox in my E36 is quite notchy to shift, and feels jerky when bringing the clutch up. Occasionally when driving hard it will crunch and not go into gear, I'm not sure but I think its usually when going 3-4. Gearbox might be on its way out. First thing to try is fluid -- I've had some good luck in both the BMW world and the Honda world with using an uprated fluid to fix crunchy transmissions. For the BMW, I'd recommend the Royal Purple Synchromax if you can find it -- it noticably reduced shifting effort and improved synchro performance. The jerkyness may be due to a CDV (clutch delay valve) which is a popular removal item on DIY forums, or it might be something else entirely. You can remove yours pretty easily at the same time as you're changing the tranny fluid, but you'll have to bleed the clutch, which (I believe) requires a power bleeder of some sort. If that doesn't help address your issue, I'd move to transmission mounts next. Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Sep 2, 2008 |
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Sep 2, 2008 23:21
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wwb posted:the brakes on my 2002 530 have started pulling hard right, typically at the end of a stop and usually when they are hot. What should I look at to troubleshoot this? 1) Tires are most often the cause of this. How old are they? 2) Jack up the car and take a look at the brake pads and rotors, front and back. You need to check both inner and outer pads and the thickness of the rotors. Make sure they're all nice and meaty. 3) While the wheels are off and you're looking around in there, see if the brake caliper pin is sticky/corroded at any point. 4) Bleed the brakes. 5) Take it to a shop.
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Sep 2, 2008 23:32
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wwb posted:stuff Both can cause a car to pull. Definitely address both items SOON.
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Sep 3, 2008 15:38
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two_beer_bishes posted:Pics! Looks surprisingly not-bad. Did you have an extinguisher in the car? Don't forget to check all the plastic bits connected to your cooling system, brake reservoir, etc.
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Sep 8, 2008 19:31
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two_beer_bishes posted:I just need some new connectors and I'll be set! Badass. Lucked out on that one, mate!
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Sep 9, 2008 21:09
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CornHolio posted:Overheating Hm. Headgasket? Also, is the radiator hose neck OK?
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Sep 11, 2008 05:45
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two_beer_bishes posted:You and me both buddy Owning a reliable DD and a "toy" car is the only way to go. I have a cheapo '95 Honda hatchback for DD and parts-getting duties, the thing has saved my bacon numerous times. "Hm, now that I'm two hours into this job, I need a $0.93 washer to finish. I'll just pop down to the dealer for that and pick up some lunch on the way." E36s really are quite reliable, you just have to replace everything BEFORE it fails, e.g. the whole (god drat) cooling system every 60-80k. Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Sep 11, 2008 |
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Sep 11, 2008 16:05
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CornHolio posted:Then again, there's always the fan clutch Do you live somewhere coolish? Fan delete mod?
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Sep 11, 2008 16:48
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CornHolio posted:Don't they have to take that off anyway? Not according to the Bentley.
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Sep 11, 2008 17:03
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CornHolio posted:Was this a factory option? I've never seen one. I believe so, I've seen it on several E36 verts locally. Pretty clean IMO.
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Sep 19, 2008 16:57
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CornHolio posted:Friendly reminder: Replace your cabin filter folks! That is straight funk nasty, man. In other news, I tossed in the understeer.com shortshift kit into the wife's 323 today. I coupled it with a ZHP shift knob and changed the tranny fluid to Royal Purple's Synchromax to help ease the increased shift effort. It is, in short, a HUGE improvement. Question for those who get their Inspection IIs done at the dealership: does fresh BMW "lifetime" tranny fluid make for notchy, stiff shifts? This car had an Inspection II about 4k miles before we bought it, and the diff and tranny fluid were changed. But the effort required to shift was notably high, especially when the transmission was cold. It is much, much, much better with the RP fluid.
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Sep 21, 2008 06:08
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:...did you have to order it online? Nah, the Checker/Schucks/Cragen stores in my area carry it in stock. You can hit up their website, it has a dealer locator which should help you locate a retailer in your area. While I use all Redline fluids in my race car, I've found that the RP products are notably excellent for street cars, particularly BMWs.
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Sep 21, 2008 19:28
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two_beer_bishes posted:Finished fixing the fire damage today Dang dude, you just slide that in there with no pics or anything? Congrats, BTW, good work.
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Sep 23, 2008 18:01
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