'Upping my Green Credentials' - Meergrün E36 328i Trio
Discussion
So, couple of nice things in the post today... firstly, GUMMI PFLEGE to keep my seals from disintegrating any faster than they need to. Apparently BMW no longer makes it as the newer rubbers aren't meant to need it but this is apparently the exact same formulation as BMW used to sell, so let's hope my rubbers remain good!
Also my Hartge wheels arrived! The cats were very impressed and set to checking for defects.
The kerbing is a bit rough but nothing my wheel tech can't handle, but as show/meet season is pretty much over, I'll wait until spring to get it done.
...and here she is with her new shoes on! Clearly a 20mm drop would help the front but the rear ride height looks fine as is to me... I think they looks pretty swish!
Gonna need a bigger car port soon though, this really isn't very practical!
Also my Hartge wheels arrived! The cats were very impressed and set to checking for defects.
The kerbing is a bit rough but nothing my wheel tech can't handle, but as show/meet season is pretty much over, I'll wait until spring to get it done.
...and here she is with her new shoes on! Clearly a 20mm drop would help the front but the rear ride height looks fine as is to me... I think they looks pretty swish!
Gonna need a bigger car port soon though, this really isn't very practical!
Small addition today, possibly the tip of an iceberg, who knows. I'm not normally a fan of excessive wood in interiors (makes me feel like I'm trapped inside a Grandfather clock)- but when you have a green car... and you need a new gear knob anyway, and this pops up for the right price, and then you see how much they go for new... well, it'd be rude not to! A lovely OEM leather-and-walnut wood M-tech gear knob! 
I don't think I'd want much more than this and maybe the glove box trim, though. But if anyone sees any nice bits going cheap, drop me a PM... 
I don't think I'd want much more than this and maybe the glove box trim, though. But if anyone sees any nice bits going cheap, drop me a PM... Refined Detail said:
BMW products are largely (if not solely) rebottled Einzsett ones anyway so you'll be fine with the Gummi Pfledge (N.B - careful typing 'gummi' into eBay!!)
yeah too many cartoon bears and pictures of jelly sweets. I had to turn off Safe Search to avoid overdosing on all the bright colours. 
[quote=TameRacingDriver]Wouldn't bother lowering it, mine was lowered and was crap over bumpy roads, far too hard, would bottom out. Looks fine as it is TBH. Mine looked too low as well IMO. Nice car anyway, looks tidy. Wheels look good.
I see what you're saying regarding the lowering, my 318ti Sport was lowered 60mm in the front, 40 in the back...
...it looked good (to my eyes at least)and drove beautifully, however I was starting to get really ticked off with speed bumps and oddly designed car parks - it was OK when it was just me in the car but when I had multiple passengers or a load in the boot then London speed bumps were a fecking nightmare (I don't live in London but I do go up there a lot and occasionally have to carry passengers and equipment). However the Sport springs are 20 (or possibly 25, I can't remember) millimetres lower than standard, so additional lowering is bringing the car into track configuration rather than day to day road spec.
Your car looks like a Sport though (BBS RCs, M bumper, clear corners) in which case that would explain why lowering it further could have seemed excessive.
However I am only considering lowering the car as to OEM Sport height anyway so bottoming out etc shouldn't be an issue - certainly my 328i Sport never gave me any cause for complaint... Otherwise I suppose I could go for a smidge more sidewall when it comes to new tyre time. I can definitely feel the difference in body roll on the standard setup - it's the first non-sport BMW I've had and I'm used to the slightly harder, flatter ride, she's almost a bit 'wallowy' for my tastes, bearable, but room for improvement.
I see what you're saying regarding the lowering, my 318ti Sport was lowered 60mm in the front, 40 in the back...
...it looked good (to my eyes at least)and drove beautifully, however I was starting to get really ticked off with speed bumps and oddly designed car parks - it was OK when it was just me in the car but when I had multiple passengers or a load in the boot then London speed bumps were a fecking nightmare (I don't live in London but I do go up there a lot and occasionally have to carry passengers and equipment). However the Sport springs are 20 (or possibly 25, I can't remember) millimetres lower than standard, so additional lowering is bringing the car into track configuration rather than day to day road spec.
Your car looks like a Sport though (BBS RCs, M bumper, clear corners) in which case that would explain why lowering it further could have seemed excessive.
However I am only considering lowering the car as to OEM Sport height anyway so bottoming out etc shouldn't be an issue - certainly my 328i Sport never gave me any cause for complaint... Otherwise I suppose I could go for a smidge more sidewall when it comes to new tyre time. I can definitely feel the difference in body roll on the standard setup - it's the first non-sport BMW I've had and I'm used to the slightly harder, flatter ride, she's almost a bit 'wallowy' for my tastes, bearable, but room for improvement.
Edited by vsonix on Wednesday 3rd October 20:26
sc4589 said:
I love that colour. Enjoy it! Recently entered E36 ownership, and it's really a different class.
Love your choice of alloys, were they hard to find? Just picked up a set of 16" Parallels for mine today, but always like to have a couple of sets lying around...
Thanks! It seems they are indeed very rare wheels, they're original Hartge Type A made by OZ, they're a bit more common in 16" staggered fitment but for some reason 17"s are few and far between. I was a bit worried that I'd bought a useless set of wheels for a while - they were up for a very good price but located on the other side of the country so I took a punt as they looked decent enough in the pics, aside from the kerbing - however one of them has a whopping dent in it that two wheel specialists refused to risk working on as it would risk the integrity of the wheel trying to fix it. It's useable and holds air etc although I wouldn't want to risk using it for any length of time at high speeds, or put the car through an MOT with it on there just because! However by some serendipitous luck three days later I found one single one up for sale on eBay Germany, also for a very decent price - brand new, unused and never mounted on a car, and going cheap because it was missing its center cap... so I snapped it up! Now I'm just waiting for the bank balance to recover then it's down to the wheel shop to get them refurbed and re-rubbered. I hate driving about on budget ditchfinders! I have to say I am very happy with what they've done with the look of the car, I have those same 10-spoke style 32 15"s on my convertible and they look OK but they really don't suit the coupé at all and make it look lumpy, especially round the rear. And I think they are an investment in themselves, certainly I've had a lot of interest in them already! Love your choice of alloys, were they hard to find? Just picked up a set of 16" Parallels for mine today, but always like to have a couple of sets lying around...
Edited by vsonix on Wednesday 24th October 00:52
More than likely. First refusal please.
There seems to be a huge fanbase for them. As the guy said who I got the wheels from, they're a very underloved car... but those who have them, do adore them. The guy I bought mine from had it for 7 years and said that it was still more fun than the 335d he replaced it with. I'm inclined to agree.
Looking forward to seeing how this comes along...
There seems to be a huge fanbase for them. As the guy said who I got the wheels from, they're a very underloved car... but those who have them, do adore them. The guy I bought mine from had it for 7 years and said that it was still more fun than the 335d he replaced it with. I'm inclined to agree.
Looking forward to seeing how this comes along...
yeah, they're lovely cars, this is my fourth and I know there are so many more other awesome cars out there I should be experiencing but I just feel like I know where I am with an E36. We've had a couple of E46s in the family and they're great cars too but I'm not sure if they'll ever get under my skin the same way. I just love the look of them!
vsonix said:
yeah, they're lovely cars, this is my fourth and I know there are so many more other awesome cars out there I should be experiencing but I just feel like I know where I am with an E36. We've had a couple of E46s in the family and they're great cars too but I'm not sure if they'll ever get under my skin the same way. I just love the look of them!
They feel like the pair of trainers I have in the hallway. A little bit tatty, and very well used, and despite that I can't help but wear them all... the... time.I've tried an E46, and it felt brilliant but I can honestly say that the E36 is so much more beguiling. It's like a family pet- my mum and dad both approve, which is rare!
So, my first update to this thread in a while but there's been little action happening in terms of obvious changes to the car lately - mostly due to the rather horrible weather. Biggest news is the Hartge/OZ wheels have been beautifully refurbed by South West Wheel Repairs, considering they were pretty fiercely kerbed and needed a fair bit of straightening they did an excellent job. They are like new - only I opted not to repaint the center caps as I think leaving the aged hartge logo actually looks more 'authentic' than if I'd renewed it. I don't have any close-ups right now but I will get some very soon. They have been shod in new rubber all round - Kumho Ecsta HM KH31. I've had Kumho on a few cars now and they've always seen me right and behaved well in the wet, and the price is right so no need to change there.
Anyway I've got back from taking the car on her first proper long distance run - twelve days in Southern France. Door to door (I live in Devon) a thousand miles each way. On the way down I spent the night in Calais then drove all the way down to Olonzac (near where I was staying) in a little bit over eleven hours. The advantage of travelling on a Sunday - getting round the outskirts of Paris was way less stressful than usual, and there were way fewer lorries on the road so no snail-racing to cope with. I crossed over the legendary Millau viaduct although it was dark so I didn't really see much. No matter, I've been over it loads before in daylight! I must have put on another 400 miles just driving around over the time I was there, by the time I got home I'd done over 2,500 including some brisk driving on some twisty mountainous back roads, the car didn't miss a beat throughout. In fact, she seemed to get better MPG cruising on the French Autoroutes thanks to the better road surfaces, and the availability of 98 Octane in most stations meant she was running on the Good Stuff for the duration. As if to confirm she was happy, a dashboard backlight bulb that had been dead since I got the car (and on the to-do list) actually came back to life! I'll take that as a good sign, of course, and not one of pending electrical woes, haha!
Unfortunately I left my memory card with the pics off my 'proper' digital camera in France so we'll have to wait for the (better) pics from there for a while. However I still have a few from my phone...
Anyway I've got back from taking the car on her first proper long distance run - twelve days in Southern France. Door to door (I live in Devon) a thousand miles each way. On the way down I spent the night in Calais then drove all the way down to Olonzac (near where I was staying) in a little bit over eleven hours. The advantage of travelling on a Sunday - getting round the outskirts of Paris was way less stressful than usual, and there were way fewer lorries on the road so no snail-racing to cope with. I crossed over the legendary Millau viaduct although it was dark so I didn't really see much. No matter, I've been over it loads before in daylight! I must have put on another 400 miles just driving around over the time I was there, by the time I got home I'd done over 2,500 including some brisk driving on some twisty mountainous back roads, the car didn't miss a beat throughout. In fact, she seemed to get better MPG cruising on the French Autoroutes thanks to the better road surfaces, and the availability of 98 Octane in most stations meant she was running on the Good Stuff for the duration. As if to confirm she was happy, a dashboard backlight bulb that had been dead since I got the car (and on the to-do list) actually came back to life! I'll take that as a good sign, of course, and not one of pending electrical woes, haha!
Unfortunately I left my memory card with the pics off my 'proper' digital camera in France so we'll have to wait for the (better) pics from there for a while. However I still have a few from my phone...
Edited by vsonix on Monday 26th November 19:35
That looks so good. Let me know if you want to swap those wheels with a set of black BBS RC041s in the next 5 days please.
How did she fare for economy on the run? Mine typically does anywhere between 34 and 37mpg just cruising away, including the niggly town bits each end of a journey.
How did she fare for economy on the run? Mine typically does anywhere between 34 and 37mpg just cruising away, including the niggly town bits each end of a journey.
hmm I think with the time and effort I put into getting a complete set of these plus cost of the refurb I will probably be keeping them to enjoy a while longer... and as I am saving up the pennies at the moment for new shocks/springs I am really looking forward to seeing how she looks on them with a nice bit of drop 
If for any reason I do have to sell the car they'll probably go separately (or be kept if I get another E36!). No doubt I will make people aware of their availability via this thread... but I hope that time is a while off yet!
Economy was about what you say, 35-37 running on 98 Octane, although I found different brands seemed to give different MPG - E. Leclerc own brand (!) and Agip seemed to last forever and give me many miles of spirited driving, 'Avia' brand on the motorway seemed like gnats piss and the car gulped it down. Oddly enough I seemed to get better mileage on the way there rather than on the way back, although I did pick a different route to return home - around the same distance, but the road surfaces weren't as good as on the newer Autoroute that runs via Millau/Clermont Ferrand - that may have had something to do with it...
If for any reason I do have to sell the car they'll probably go separately (or be kept if I get another E36!). No doubt I will make people aware of their availability via this thread... but I hope that time is a while off yet!
Economy was about what you say, 35-37 running on 98 Octane, although I found different brands seemed to give different MPG - E. Leclerc own brand (!) and Agip seemed to last forever and give me many miles of spirited driving, 'Avia' brand on the motorway seemed like gnats piss and the car gulped it down. Oddly enough I seemed to get better mileage on the way there rather than on the way back, although I did pick a different route to return home - around the same distance, but the road surfaces weren't as good as on the newer Autoroute that runs via Millau/Clermont Ferrand - that may have had something to do with it...
Edited by vsonix on Sunday 25th November 18:49
Dammit. There I was, hoping you were a mug.
That's pretty good. When you consider the power & speed available, it's really not bad at all- one of the reasons I'll be keeping mine for the time being!
New springs & shocks are a must, the front suspension is always set so high on these- really annoys me. Any brand you're looking out for? Apparently H&R are rather good. I've got a little thread up for mine now, feel free to have a ganders.
That's pretty good. When you consider the power & speed available, it's really not bad at all- one of the reasons I'll be keeping mine for the time being!
New springs & shocks are a must, the front suspension is always set so high on these- really annoys me. Any brand you're looking out for? Apparently H&R are rather good. I've got a little thread up for mine now, feel free to have a ganders.
sc4589 said:
Dammit. There I was, hoping you were a mug.
That's pretty good. When you consider the power & speed available, it's really not bad at all- one of the reasons I'll be keeping mine for the time being!
New springs & shocks are a must, the front suspension is always set so high on these- really annoys me. Any brand you're looking out for? Apparently H&R are rather good. I've got a little thread up for mine now, feel free to have a ganders.
Hmmz just weighing up a few options really. I'm looking for a fairly mild drop, and mostly in the front, and don't have masses to spend - but I don't really like the idea of budget coilovers. That's pretty good. When you consider the power & speed available, it's really not bad at all- one of the reasons I'll be keeping mine for the time being!
New springs & shocks are a must, the front suspension is always set so high on these- really annoys me. Any brand you're looking out for? Apparently H&R are rather good. I've got a little thread up for mine now, feel free to have a ganders.
I think the most likely choice is Bilsteins but I'm not 100% sure what to go with yet. I'm thinking B10s but I have a feeling all the top mounts will need doing as well (then might as well get the reinforcement plates whilst I'm at it) so I might have to compromise for financial reasons and go B4 with whatever lowering springs will give me the drop I'm after.
[ETA] Larkspeed seem to be doing Koni STR.T shocks + H&R springs (F40mm R15mm) for £390 - that could be an option too
Edited by vsonix on Sunday 25th November 19:30
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