RE: PH Fleet: BMW 328i (E36)

RE: PH Fleet: BMW 328i (E36)

Author
Discussion

thiscocks

3,128 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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What are the Nitrons like on the road?

James1972

98 posts

146 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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On the phone now to the RSPCA about Dale's apparent dog bothering habits ! biggrin
Top marks to his Mum on sitting there calmly on a lap as committed as that.cool

marmite monster

143 posts

228 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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love this car dale so want it to do sub 8 mins please try hard lol smile

rob.e

2,861 posts

279 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Nice write up, thanks.

Dale - do you have a full breakdown (or even a summary) of what you've spend on the car so far?

Chickentonight

49 posts

145 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Glad to see you're happy with the 328i mate, especially after the rx8 fiasco lol wink

fastgerman

1,915 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Apologies if this has already been mentioned, however...

You could buy an E36 M3 for £4k and with your driving skills, there won't be much keeping up with you.

Have you done the 325i manifold + Dave F intake, engine remap etc? Suppose to be good for 220 bhp but never bothered with my old 328i Sport and just bought an M3.

Output Flange

16,800 posts

212 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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fastgerman said:
Apologies if this has already been mentioned, however...

You could buy an E36 M3 for £4k and with your driving skills, there won't be much keeping up with you.

Have you done the 325i manifold + Dave F intake, engine remap etc? Suppose to be good for 220 bhp but never bothered with my old 328i Sport and just bought an M3.
A 328i on decent suspension (which this seems to be) will be as quick or quicker than an M3 on stock.

braddo

10,505 posts

189 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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I'm going to sound like a spoilsport but isn't the expenditure on this car now exceeding what the RX8's engine rebuild would have cost?

It would be great to know how closely the RX8 would have compared to a modified 328i like this one.

In any case: thumbup

Output Flange

16,800 posts

212 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
braddo said:
It would be great to know how closely the RX8 would have compared to a modified 328i like this one.
See my post above - the difference that decent suspension makes is phenomenal. The RX8 wouldn't compare.

Dale Lomas

218 posts

156 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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With the latest batch of upgrades/servicing, the total amount spent has exceeded the cost of a warrantied motor from Haywards.

But now the 328i is way quicker than the RX8, caged, on proper suspension, burns less fuel and <shock> is even sweeter to pitch into a quick turn on the edge of grip.

And I have an engine with a lifespan measured in seasons, not hours.

Dale Lomas

218 posts

156 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
There is a spreadsheet with all costs and expenditures so far, but it's behind a firewall next to the Roswell report, Obama's real birth certificate and David Cameron's entertainment expenses.

braddo

10,505 posts

189 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Thanks. Interesting to hear feedback on the higher spec suspension being a case of getting what you pay for.

JNo

1 posts

136 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Dale Lomas said:
There is a spreadsheet with all costs and expenditures so far, but it's behind a firewall next to the Roswell report, Obama's real birth certificate and David Cameron's entertainment expenses.
That's brilliant... LMAO

Porkerr

56 posts

208 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Enjoyable read, I have had the exact same experience -right before I also suffered from a back injury due to my beloved suspension upgrade- with Intrax Racing. What an impact it made to my car...

I seem to recognize this E36, isn't it parked at the R4R-workshop? They're the guys that bought my E36 M3 GT recently. I assume you work for them?

Salgar

3,283 posts

185 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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JNo said:
Dale Lomas said:
There is a spreadsheet with all costs and expenditures so far, but it's behind a firewall next to the Roswell report, Obama's real birth certificate and David Cameron's entertainment expenses.
That's brilliant... LMAO
Interesting first post.

Salgar

3,283 posts

185 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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I have a feeling I'm going to buy an E36 328 soon.

vsonix

3,858 posts

164 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Got some new suspension coming for mine... the current existing stock kit is knackered, the rears have sagged so much the car looks lowered even though it isn't. Nothing as fancy as these Nitron thingies - just shortened Bilstein B4s + H&R Sport springs - but at a total of ~£130 a corner fitted with wheel alignment etc looks like decent VFM. Oh, and another £40 or so for shock tower reinforcing plates as I hear these are a very sensible outlay and a minimal expenditure to avoid possible car-ruining issues further down the line.

I'm /expectinghoping the difference in car feel moving from wallowy bounce to nice, taught, fresh equipment will be equally pronounced and bring me just as much pleasure as the OP's experience.

I was actually considering the H&R Cup kit but I heard the shocks were not up to much so in the end I didn't bother. €250 is cheap as chips though, I could only find one UK stockist and they were asking for about £450!

garypotter

1,506 posts

151 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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And I have an engine with a lifespan measured in seasons, not hours.
[/quote]

Careful do not put the gypsy curse on the engine.......

I recently said when my old shed gets to 150,000 i will look at replacing the car, but at 148,500 clutch master cylinder broke, door locks started playing up, all repaired and working fine so keep it for another 25k miles.
Same thing happened to my celica always said when it gets to 250,000 it would go to scrap but at 248,700 the engine let go badly on the A3..... very sad to see it go.

I hear a few people buy 328i and install the M3 engine box etc?? any reason why??

JButler

35 posts

191 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Soo is the H&R Kit for sale?

Oddball RS

1,757 posts

219 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Have they still got my old GT3 there?