BMW e36 316 Compact Modified

[aka_kerrly]

Fab32 said:

CooperS said:

Nice build, however please get rid of the M3 badge.

Why?

Indeed, although, is the badge a genuine? by which I mean it isn't a ebay knock off !?

The whole car is certainly in the same spirit of this concept by BMW


I think it's fking great - good luck finding those missing ponies, hopefully it's a relatively minor set up issue.

[RA500]

Nice, I've just built a 2.8 one, wish I had the spare funds for an M3 engine but it will do for now.

What did you find on the blowing fuses front? mine blows the same fuse every now and again and I loose temp and fuel gauges.

Link to my thread - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Fab32]

In answer to a couple of questions;

The badge is genuine; it was thrown in free when I went to an M3 breaker for a few bits to complete the conversion.

The fuse blowing turned out to be the fuel sender magnetic pickup on the pump side. If that fuse is blowing be aware all the brake lights are on that fuse so when it goes you have no brake lights!

I would check for shorts where the cables run from the body into the boot, it’s a known weak spot.

[TheEnd]

Remember the 3.2 runs a bigger fuel pump for about 5bar fuel rail pressure, and not the 3.5-ish bar E36 and M3 3.0 levels.

[Fab32]

Enda

It ran OK with the standard fuel pump in and after fixing the fuel indicator I took the opportunity to splice in an M3 fuel pump and now it won't run!

As bizarre as it sounds I really don't think it's the fuel pump that's the issue as I can hear it priming, I'm thinking best case a relay worst case the ECU might have to come to you again as it may be a DME issue.

[TheEnd]

Check things like the position of the pipes, there were two broad types of E36 fuel pumps, ones that had the return on the pump side, and ones that had a return on the opposite side.

You shouldn't have any other issues like the EWS as it has a fixed code and if it is cranking it is accepting the key.

I never found that other M3 manual ECU, I must have given it away or left it with someone by accident. I have got a spare SMG one, but they can't have the EWS removed on them so they aren't as fancy.

[RA500]

Thanks for the info, re the fuse, I will have a look the next time it goes. I hate intermittent issues, luckily it is only about every 6 months that it goes.

Just about to update my thread, re the spoilers for you.

[CooperS]

Ignore me, i was just going down the line its not an M3 so why badge it as one.

Its a great build but i suspect everyone will think your a chav who wants people to think its a M3 when all they'll see is a lowered compact 3 series.

Then why should you care and why have i spent 2 minutes typing this out.......

[RA500]

It's got the engine, so it's to show them what has just beaten them

[Fab32]

Right so time for a quick update

first of all I went looking for the missing horses, this was the old exhaust, it was badly chopped originally from allsorts of different bits of e36 including a compact and 2.8 and it pretty obvious what the problem was.



After some geeking up on the internet I was pretty sure some z3m exhausts would fit with some modification to the middle section, however that posed another problem.



The wheel well was in the way, no problem







Anyway you get the idea

and in the end I think I did a reasonable job of getting them lined up quite well



Next to the front bumper



further updates to come including some weight loss, (the car!) silly livery and some action shots

[carpetsoiler]

So much love for this. I've been toying with grabbing a tidy E36 Compact and shoving a proper engine in one for some time- I really like the design, and think they're massively underrated.

Well done for making a proper little monster. Would love to see it in the flesh at some point- where are you based? We need a mental Compact for our E36 gang...

[aka_kerrly]

carpetsoiler said:

So much love for this. I've been toying with grabbing a tidy E36 Compact and shoving a proper engine in one for some time- I really like the design, and think they're massively underrated.

Quite!!

BUT on the plus side the fact so many people overlook then means they can be dirt cheap for a nice late spec 1.9 16v.

[Fab32]

carpetsoiler said:

So much love for this. I've been toying with grabbing a tidy E36 Compact and shoving a proper engine in one for some time- I really like the design, and think they're massively underrated.

Well done for making a proper little monster. Would love to see it in the flesh at some point- where are you based? We need a mental Compact for our E36 gang...

I'm East Mids which is quite a way from Southampton but when you are in this neck of the woods look me up. Nice touring by the way, were on earth did you find heated vaders?

The car is pretty mental and to be honest in the wet terrifying.

[carpetsoiler]

Fab32 said:

I'm East Mids which is quite a way from Southampton but when you are in this neck of the woods look me up. Nice touring by the way, were on earth did you find heated vaders?

The car is pretty mental and to be honest in the wet terrifying.

I will bear that in mind- I'm frequently trawling the country for nice bits and pieces, was recently in Telford picking up a knackered carbon bonnet.

My car is mostly made of unobtanium and nice bits. They're electric, not heated, but at some point I will be retrofitting lumbar support and heating into them! More to be read here...

Yes, but the fact it keeps you on your toes makes it so much more interesting than the over-assisted, nannying dross that's sold on today's market. I'd far rather have a car that you have to work with to get the best from, rather than just aiming and firing.

[Fab32]

With the car now sitting in the garage and only really being used for track days the next sensible mod really was a cage.

I looked at loads of options including bolt in cages and premade home weld ins but really felt the only choice was a full weld pro job so I found a custom cage builder in Norwich, stripped the car and after some phone negotiation dropped it off. the results are below.









I then set about painting it to match the wheels which I am sure will be popular



Talking with the guys that did the cage I'm pleased I didn't take it on myself, it's a lot of work to do it right. If I was having it done again I would strip the dash out and have it put through the front struts but I am very please with it as it is. b


I'm obviously hoping I never need the cage.

More updates to follow

[carpetsoiler]

I really like the gold.

Then again, I'm biased, this is what my old wheels looked like...



Looking forward to the next set of updates. And sound clips!! Video = necessary.

[e21jason]

As some one who previously built an m3 compact, what have you done for a diff upgrade, and I would recommend the e36 diff cover conversion.

[F1GTRUeno]

There's a few E36 Compacts with the M3 bumpers and skirts on, perhaps source some and try and get them to fit?

They look pretty damn good.

[Fab32]

Shamefully not enough yet.

I have spare compact rear axle that I am rebuilding with polly bushes and I planning on putting an e30 LSD with e30 half shafts.

What did you do?

[Fab32]

It's in progress



It's fully primed and over the winter will go in for paint with the engine cover, bonnet, rear bumper and few other bits.