Project Ring-shed E36 325i

[sniff diesel]

bulletproofbob said:

i just picked up a 4 door 320i on a J for £350... just needs a wing and back panel...

Could you not stretch to a '25 or '28i? I've had a E36 320 and they really aren't that quick compare to the bigger engines.

[sniff diesel]

PurelyRetro said:

Bump!
Any more updates Sniff?

Nothing since I last posted I'm afraid Charlie, just had a very heavy last 6 weeks at work (training to be a train driver and just finished my rules and regs)

A fellow Pistonheader (Chassis33) is meant to be welding the cage in for me shortly, can't wait to have that done then I can get it painted and start fitting out the interior. Will post some updates once there's progress.

[sniff diesel]

S3_Graham said:

dont suppose you know of any other cheap E36's going....

S3 is now for sale and im on the virge of getting a 195k mile Mk2 golf but would MUCH prefer a beemer..... or infact if anyone else knows of any cheap good (as can be expected) BMW's in the south area-ish!

It's just a case of scouring the classifieds on here, Autotrader, Ebay etc. Also local papers and supermarket adverts can turn up some bargains. Keep on looking, it'll be worth it in the end.

[S3_Graham]

thats what ive been doing tbh... ah well.. if you hear of any give me a shout!

thanks

[bulletproofbob]

why i didn't get a 325 or 328... its always an option to drop a lump in it later!! cheap car meant i could get coilovers, 17" alpina copies, m3 brakes and polybushes within budget for xmas fitting!!!

Edited by bulletproofbob on Monday 1st December 19:48

[sniff diesel]

bulletproofbob said:

why i didn't get a 325 or 328... its always an option to drop a lump in it later!! cheap car meant i could get coilovers, 17" alpina copies, m3 brakes and polybushes within budget for xmas fitting!!!

Ok, it's just I found that the larger engined E36's aren't really any more expensive than the smaller ones when you shop around. This 325 cost me £300 and the red one was only £25!

[bulletproofbob]

bloody hell!! i couldn't get one under six!! so i jumped at mine!!! once my bits are on i'll search out a bigger m50!! mind, you may have a spre if you keep dropping on cars at that price!!

might start looking to fab a cage...

[minimatt1967]

is it worth going for Alpina replica's? I hear they are very heavy wheels! How heavy are your Sport rim's sniff?

[bulletproofbob]

minimatt1967 said:

is it worth going for Alpina replica's? I hear they are very heavy wheels! How heavy are your Sport rim's sniff?

my standard 15's wont go over the m3 brakes when fitted, and the replica's cost me £78 for the four, so i have to use em.... got to be the cheapest 17's i'll ever find!!

[minimatt1967]

bulletproofbob said:

minimatt1967 said:

is it worth going for Alpina replica's? I hear they are very heavy wheels! How heavy are your Sport rim's sniff?

my standard 15's wont go over the m3 brakes when fitted, and the replica's cost me £78 for the four, so i have to use em.... got to be the cheapest 17's i'll ever find!!

That is cheap, fair enough

[bulletproofbob]

bless ebay eh

[S3_Graham]

i was looking for about an hour yesterday in free ad's and gumtree etc and could find anything decent!! lots of 318's and 320's but the only 325 was about a grand iirc!

which as i ve just purchased a Mk2 golf gti for £400 is out of the question!

[bulletproofbob]

get a drivw in a 320, they're not too bad!! i'll get a 2.5 motor later!!!

[bulletproofbob]

all that about prices... just bagged an mot'd 325i coupe on a J for a couple of hundred!!!! engine is now going in the saloon!!!

[sniff diesel]

bulletproofbob said:

all that about prices... just bagged an mot'd 325i coupe on a J for a couple of hundred!!!! engine is now going in the saloon!!!

Told you it could be done for the price. It's an easy swap but it is a heavy engine, I beleive the gearboxes are the same on the '20i and '25i. By the time you've sold your old 2l engine and a few bits off your donor car you'll end up with the engine for nothing.

[RobFerrari]

Wow, this is certainly interesting - i love proper shed projects like this one!

Good luck, and I hope that you get the opportunity to do some more work soon (imagines cold nights in the garage fettling with parts!!!)


Rob

[sniff diesel]

Should get more interesting over Christmas when I get 16 days off and can finally do some more work on it. Next week I'm hopefully getting the cage welded in by fellow Pistonheader Chassis33 who runs a car-preparation business. Can't wait to get it painted and start fitting out the interior.

[bulletproofbob]

ha ha, its going to be lonely this christmas.... all us in the garage/shed/drive hungover and covered in grease!!! if the coupe had been lighter i'd have ditched the saloon and tracked the 325... but as its a lard ass its engine out time... looking at diff ratio's the 320 should work well with the bigger motor, rapid to 60 anyway!!

looking forward to seeing more pics, and maybe posting a few!!

[sniff diesel]

At long last the cage is in, a huge thanks to Pistonheader Chassis33 who probably didn't realise what he was taking on. Even getting the main part of the cage through the door opening was hard enough:



With the front doors and sunroof off it made things a bit easier, but it was still a right kerfuffle. Looking back Sparco list the same cage for the coupe so maybe it's easier to get through the larger door openings of the 2 door.

Once in it was off to Iain's to be welded over Christmas:



Got it back on New Years eve and gave it a couple of coats of primer today:



Hope to get a couple of coats of Hammerite on it tomorrow.

[Munter]

Well it certainly looks strong! And what perfect temperatures for welding in the open...