BMW E36 M3 3.0 Track Toy
Discussion
Tried to make a start on the Z3M shifter upgrade and shifter bush resfresh, but alas, some of the parts have vanished into thin air! I can't find the buggers at all. All the bits I can find are sat in a bag together now, waiting for me to find the remaining bits....
Oh yeah, turns out the dust shield on the passenger side needs replacing too....
Oh yeah, turns out the dust shield on the passenger side needs replacing too....
Well I haven't found those shift parts yet.....
I've been forming more concrete plans to go forward though. I've decided on buying the Meyle HD E36 front control arms/wishbones. They aren't listed as fitting the M3 by Meyle but they are all the same dimensions for non Evo cars. The Meyle HD arms also have the solid ball joints that 3.0 M3 OEM arms have. That's usually the difference between M and non M arms.
I'll also be looking to buy new rear trailing arm bushes and new front control arm bushes. Once I have those things together, I can go ahead and get an alignment to make it driveable at least.
I've been forming more concrete plans to go forward though. I've decided on buying the Meyle HD E36 front control arms/wishbones. They aren't listed as fitting the M3 by Meyle but they are all the same dimensions for non Evo cars. The Meyle HD arms also have the solid ball joints that 3.0 M3 OEM arms have. That's usually the difference between M and non M arms.
I'll also be looking to buy new rear trailing arm bushes and new front control arm bushes. Once I have those things together, I can go ahead and get an alignment to make it driveable at least.
Sold a couple of parts from other cars to fund a couple of the M3 bits this week 
No real progress as yet but as the weather has improved and the racing on TV is getting into its stride, so is my desire to get this thing on track.
I must admit though, I do still have a voice in my head telling me I'd be better off reshelling the car than getting the existing shell welded and fixed up and then replacing the crappy panels and eventually respraying it. I can't really shake it at the moment, but it is countered by another voice telling me that doing that would take a genuine M3 away from me and I'd spend lots of time and money to have a pretend M3. Does this matter? I don't know.....
I've won some braided brake hoses on eBay and was all set to use them until I then read that Goodridge and HEL list a different part number for the M3 hoses over the non M ones. I don't know if this is because there's something different or if it is just because they want to make it clear that the hoses will fit an M3 so market them separately. Other smaller hose manufacturers seem to supply a one size fits all 6 line kit. So it looks like I am going to take a punt on these and try them. Fingers crossed.
No real progress as yet but as the weather has improved and the racing on TV is getting into its stride, so is my desire to get this thing on track.
I must admit though, I do still have a voice in my head telling me I'd be better off reshelling the car than getting the existing shell welded and fixed up and then replacing the crappy panels and eventually respraying it. I can't really shake it at the moment, but it is countered by another voice telling me that doing that would take a genuine M3 away from me and I'd spend lots of time and money to have a pretend M3. Does this matter? I don't know.....
I've won some braided brake hoses on eBay and was all set to use them until I then read that Goodridge and HEL list a different part number for the M3 hoses over the non M ones. I don't know if this is because there's something different or if it is just because they want to make it clear that the hoses will fit an M3 so market them separately. Other smaller hose manufacturers seem to supply a one size fits all 6 line kit. So it looks like I am going to take a punt on these and try them. Fingers crossed.
Does it need much welding? I would stick with it tbh, your head would be fried trying to find a rust free shell and transferring over all those parts. Plus the whole insurance headache... for a car worth arguably no more than it is now.
I would get someone to weld it, underseal it as best you can, treat any body rust as on the cheap and get out and drive it. Save yourself a headache and give you more track time.
I would get someone to weld it, underseal it as best you can, treat any body rust as on the cheap and get out and drive it. Save yourself a headache and give you more track time.
Bear Phils said:
Does it need much welding? I would stick with it tbh, your head would be fried trying to find a rust free shell and transferring over all those parts. Plus the whole insurance headache... for a car worth arguably no more than it is now.
I would get someone to weld it, underseal it as best you can, treat any body rust as on the cheap and get out and drive it. Save yourself a headache and give you more track time.
Yeah I think that's the way forward to be honest. I would get someone to weld it, underseal it as best you can, treat any body rust as on the cheap and get out and drive it. Save yourself a headache and give you more track time.
If I was in your shoes I would be trying to answer two questions;
1. What did I want the car to be? Rough and ready track car or concourse minter.
2. How bad is the rust? Surface rust or structural rot.
Post up of pics of the rust and the internet can help you answer the second question but the first question is down to you.
If you’re trying to build a minter, you’ve bought the wrong car. Break what you have for parts and then put the money towards a car in better condition. What you will make from breaking it plus the cost of a proper respray on top will buy a car in much much better condition to start with.
While most car projects defy financial sense, it would be completely insane to try and build what you will be able to buy from the small ads for £7K to £10K.
If however you want a rough and ready track car, a few rust scabs here and there and dodgy paint are no matter. A mate runs a similar car with rusty arches and a hole in the arch and it’s been fine for the last 4 years.
The car is roughly 20 years old, it going to have some rust, the key task is to find out if it’s structural or not. Get a wire brush on the end of a drill and get poking at the underside. It’s what I did with mine to answer the same question.
If it structural, then either weld it, break it and move on or consider a reshell, but it’s not like ebay is full of fully restored e36 body shells. You will be dealing with the same 20 year old problems on the shell you buy.
1. What did I want the car to be? Rough and ready track car or concourse minter.
2. How bad is the rust? Surface rust or structural rot.
Post up of pics of the rust and the internet can help you answer the second question but the first question is down to you.
If you’re trying to build a minter, you’ve bought the wrong car. Break what you have for parts and then put the money towards a car in better condition. What you will make from breaking it plus the cost of a proper respray on top will buy a car in much much better condition to start with.
While most car projects defy financial sense, it would be completely insane to try and build what you will be able to buy from the small ads for £7K to £10K.
If however you want a rough and ready track car, a few rust scabs here and there and dodgy paint are no matter. A mate runs a similar car with rusty arches and a hole in the arch and it’s been fine for the last 4 years.
The car is roughly 20 years old, it going to have some rust, the key task is to find out if it’s structural or not. Get a wire brush on the end of a drill and get poking at the underside. It’s what I did with mine to answer the same question.
If it structural, then either weld it, break it and move on or consider a reshell, but it’s not like ebay is full of fully restored e36 body shells. You will be dealing with the same 20 year old problems on the shell you buy.
Edited by (steven) on Sunday 3rd May 14:16
Edited by (steven) on Sunday 3rd May 14:18
Still waiting on pics of the Evo shell. I'm leaning towards using that instead at the minute, but until something concrete comes of it, I'm continuing with the small jobs on this one.
At the weekend I picked up these:
Unfortunately I can't put them on, as it turns out the mounting holes on the arch liners are too far gone
I did manage to set the front tracking using the Trackace gear I bought though, and had my first little test drive in a few weeks yesterday evening. I did enjoy that
At the weekend I picked up these:
Unfortunately I can't put them on, as it turns out the mounting holes on the arch liners are too far gone
I did manage to set the front tracking using the Trackace gear I bought though, and had my first little test drive in a few weeks yesterday evening. I did enjoy that
Here's another:
So the 3.0 is now for sale, replaced by the Evo. I just couldn't resist when an opportunity presented itself. I can't actually believe this has happened twice now, from the 328i to the M3 to the M3 Evo. Oops
Anyway, I have ordered myself another Z3 rack as I can't be bothered really taking the other one off the old car. We are also looking at ordering a set of HSD DualTech coilovers. I'm struggling a bit with this, as I'd really like the MonoPro setup, but the DualTechs would get us running and able to get started on track. My Mrs would also have to use the M3 as a daily for 3 - 6 months now by the looks of it so it probably makes a bit more sense for now.
The Evo has a carphone!
So the 3.0 is now for sale, replaced by the Evo. I just couldn't resist when an opportunity presented itself. I can't actually believe this has happened twice now, from the 328i to the M3 to the M3 Evo. Oops
Anyway, I have ordered myself another Z3 rack as I can't be bothered really taking the other one off the old car. We are also looking at ordering a set of HSD DualTech coilovers. I'm struggling a bit with this, as I'd really like the MonoPro setup, but the DualTechs would get us running and able to get started on track. My Mrs would also have to use the M3 as a daily for 3 - 6 months now by the looks of it so it probably makes a bit more sense for now.
The Evo has a carphone!
Soooo.....
Been a bit busy but then had to go away on a stag do to Ibiza, which has nearly killed me. Got back Monday and ready now to get back underneath these cars.
The 3.0 will be gone this weekend all being well. My focus is now fully on the Evo. The Evo has clearly had a blowover at some point. The paint looks very good and I can see small specs of overspray in a few places, giving evidence of this. Don't really care about that. Just happy the body itself appears pretty much rust free.
Underneath it has had repairs to the jacking points and a load of underseal applied. I am slightly sceptical about the quality of the repairs, especially when I can't properly see them, but I have had it sat on stands with nothing caving in so they must be good enough. I am extremely paranoid about such things after the last car's underside.
There's now a Z3 steering rack sat in my hall for it, and a set of HSD MonoPro coilovers waiting for collection at my local UPS
VERY excited about these. I got them for just £450 on eBay with 2500 miles on them. The Evo has a bust (and I mean bust) rear top mount that it flew through its MOT with. The garage I bought the car from, the guy wasn't very "with it". I asked him if his MOT man wore big thick Coke bottle glasses and it just went over his head, Whoosh Parrot style.
Anyhow, almost everything works. The driver's door locking pin seems very stiff. If I use the key, the central locking is fine. If I use the fob, the driver door will lock, slowly, but won't pop back up.
It doesn't have much history and it's missing the Vaders unfortunately, but I can live with that as it was cheap and the engine sounded good with no weird noises or obvious Vanos rattle. I hope for good things....
Before letting the 3.0 go, I wanted to retain the Scorpion exhaust, so have had this off and given it a tidy up. I have mounted it on the Evo but with the old gaskets it was blowing, so had to await the arrival of new ones. The nuts for the exhaust were also near disintegrated in some cases and required molegrips to remove.
Started out a bit of a state:
After some cleaning and some Autosol:
And next to the standard:
Hoping to make some quicker progress on this one and get on track by the end of the month.
I have a steering joint that didn't fit the 3.0 but I do believe it will fit the Evo. I need to check this obviously, but the MOT did give an advisory on the inner steering joint, so that would be handy.
I'm looking forward to this. That's it now. Regardless of what happens. No more chopping and changing
Been a bit busy but then had to go away on a stag do to Ibiza, which has nearly killed me. Got back Monday and ready now to get back underneath these cars.
The 3.0 will be gone this weekend all being well. My focus is now fully on the Evo. The Evo has clearly had a blowover at some point. The paint looks very good and I can see small specs of overspray in a few places, giving evidence of this. Don't really care about that. Just happy the body itself appears pretty much rust free.
Underneath it has had repairs to the jacking points and a load of underseal applied. I am slightly sceptical about the quality of the repairs, especially when I can't properly see them, but I have had it sat on stands with nothing caving in so they must be good enough. I am extremely paranoid about such things after the last car's underside.
There's now a Z3 steering rack sat in my hall for it, and a set of HSD MonoPro coilovers waiting for collection at my local UPS
VERY excited about these. I got them for just £450 on eBay with 2500 miles on them. The Evo has a bust (and I mean bust) rear top mount that it flew through its MOT with. The garage I bought the car from, the guy wasn't very "with it". I asked him if his MOT man wore big thick Coke bottle glasses and it just went over his head, Whoosh Parrot style.
Anyhow, almost everything works. The driver's door locking pin seems very stiff. If I use the key, the central locking is fine. If I use the fob, the driver door will lock, slowly, but won't pop back up.
It doesn't have much history and it's missing the Vaders unfortunately, but I can live with that as it was cheap and the engine sounded good with no weird noises or obvious Vanos rattle. I hope for good things....
Before letting the 3.0 go, I wanted to retain the Scorpion exhaust, so have had this off and given it a tidy up. I have mounted it on the Evo but with the old gaskets it was blowing, so had to await the arrival of new ones. The nuts for the exhaust were also near disintegrated in some cases and required molegrips to remove.
Started out a bit of a state:
After some cleaning and some Autosol:
And next to the standard:
Hoping to make some quicker progress on this one and get on track by the end of the month.
I have a steering joint that didn't fit the 3.0 but I do believe it will fit the Evo. I need to check this obviously, but the MOT did give an advisory on the inner steering joint, so that would be handy.
I'm looking forward to this. That's it now. Regardless of what happens. No more chopping and changing
Well my luck didn't last long.
Put my fingers through part of the floor on the new one last night. It's obviously been bodged and tarted up and I'm both devastated and angry right now. But I am taking it to a garage next week for a thorough inspection and quote for repairs.
I meant it when I said this was the last one!
I had to down tools last night and go to bed as I was honestly just too upset.
Put my fingers through part of the floor on the new one last night. It's obviously been bodged and tarted up and I'm both devastated and angry right now. But I am taking it to a garage next week for a thorough inspection and quote for repairs.
I meant it when I said this was the last one!
I had to down tools last night and go to bed as I was honestly just too upset.
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