BMW E36 M3 - US Spec

Author
Discussion

eddiecatflap

103 posts

90 months

Friday 3rd March 2017
quotequote all
Great looking car you've got there. I've enjoyed viewing your photo's on the Big Sur. A few years ago I went to California with my family for my 40th birthday. Drove from San Francisco to LA. Fantastic drive and stopped off a some beautiful places including Monterey.
Can imagine it's a great drive in your BMW.
Any updates?

TheDukeGTi

Original Poster:

202 posts

135 months

Sunday 19th March 2017
quotequote all
eddiecatflap said:
Great looking car you've got there. I've enjoyed viewing your photo's on the Big Sur. A few years ago I went to California with my family for my 40th birthday. Drove from San Francisco to LA. Fantastic drive and stopped off a some beautiful places including Monterey.
Can imagine it's a great drive in your BMW.
Any updates?
Thanks, it's a fun road, sections are closed at the moment though, due to heavy rainfall and mudslides.

Since you ask! Still having fun with the red wonder that is my M3. It’s been up and down, as per usual. I’ve been considering selling the car in favour of a new Alfa Romeo Giulia (non-QV), as my wife and I have been wanting one since it was first announced almost two years ago now. I even took some for sale photos! But I can’t quite bring myself to sell the M. Considering it’s a dedicated weekend car now, as I work two blocks from home, it really doesn’t make sense to replace it.

I also went on my first AutoX day in the M3 and had an amazing time; really getting to drive it in anger, at the limit, has really allowed me to learn exactly what it can do. It’s just ticked over 205,000 miles, and yet it takes everything I give it in it’s stride! One of the instructors drove it briefly and stated that it seems to be in decent order.

So, it looks like it’s staying. It brings me a lot of enjoyment, so why change that?

I don’t really have any pics from AutoX, only this to document in the journey I suppose:
M3 AutoX by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

Awesome day, so much fun. Some of the ‘for sale’ photo’s I took. Amazing what polishing the exhaust and a bit of trim restorer does!
BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

You can see more of the same on Flickr, should you wish.

I also attended another BMWCCA cars and coffee, where my car met it’s great grandson.
BMW M3 E36 and F60 Red by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW M3 E36 and F60 Red by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW M3 E36 and F60 Red by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW M3 E36 and F60 Red by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

Finally, I’ve been wanting to do something about the rips in my front seats. Both have come unstitched the whole way across the base as the leather has dried. They’re beyond a re-stitch, and I haven’t decided how to replace yet. So I just wanted to tidy them up a bit. I found some repair tape which hopefully should do the job.

Before:
BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

After:
BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

Not perfect, but it’ll do. Until next time!

TheDukeGTi

Original Poster:

202 posts

135 months

Sunday 19th March 2017
quotequote all
Oh, and a mileage pic, for dialogues sake I suppose.


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

nurseholliday

173 posts

191 months

Tuesday 21st March 2017
quotequote all
Love this car, your journey from start to now, and the journeys you take with it!

Great pics of the Cali countryside too.

TheDukeGTi

Original Poster:

202 posts

135 months

Thursday 23rd March 2017
quotequote all
nurseholliday said:
Love this car, your journey from start to now, and the journeys you take with it!

Great pics of the Cali countryside too.
Thanks!

TheDukeGTi

Original Poster:

202 posts

135 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
quotequote all
Hi all. Another slice of fun and progress in the M3 for your viewing pleasure.


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

Last year, I improved the front end dramatically by polishing those plastic headlights. However, the plastic headlights have always bugged me; they don't say "premium" like an M3 should. So when some geniune ZKW (US bosch equivalent for those that don't know) came up for sale locally at a very reasonable price (not the $500 they demand in some circles), I jumped on them. They needed a little love as they'd been butchered with HID's and angel eyes, which're really not my thing. But after a little love, I got them up to an acceptable standard.


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

Unfortunately, while attempting to fit, I ran across an issue where the alarm siren was fouling the back of the lights. So I wasn't able to fit them immediately, and they sat for a couple of months. More on that later.

I also managed to replace the alternator cooling vent as that had disintegrated. Not an exciting development, granted, but satisfying, nontheless.


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


Although disappointed that I couldn't fit my lights, I still continued to take the car out for regular drives, on great roads all over the bay area. Parked up with some very exotic metal, some LaFerrari's in this particular instance:


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 LaFerrari by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


LaFerrari by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


LaFerrari by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

I should say that I quickly jumped out to take those pics and was there a total of probably 60 seconds. I don't make a habit of parking across the lines in disabled parking spaces!

Some great roads around the bay area:


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

I also meet up with the BMWCCA as and when I can. They do some awesome events like the Sonoma driving tour I attented a couple of weeks ago.


BMW E36 M3 BMWCCA tour by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMWCCA tour by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMWCCA tour by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

What I (and probably the owners of mint E30 M3's) didn't anticipate was the wrong turn we took which saw ~30 BMW's of very differing values, driving down dirt tracks. I was certainly glad I was in mine rather than a brand new M3 or the afformentioned appreciating unicorns!

It was pretty fun though...


BMW E36 M3 BMWCCA tour by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 BMWCCA tour by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 BMWCCA tour by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

That day also brought to light that I needed new tyres. Ask me how I know...


Edited by TheDukeGTi on Tuesday 4th July 22:03

TheDukeGTi

Original Poster:

202 posts

135 months

Tuesday 4th July 2017
quotequote all
As mentioned, in order to fit the headlights, I needed to relocate the alarm siren. I don't have any pictures of this process. But having fitted the lights, I can say I'm so happy with the outcome, they really just bring the car up a notch.

I also had 4 new Michelin Pilot Supersports fitted, this time in OEM sizes. I had the MPSS's on before, and while I don't pretend to possess the relevant bredth of knowledge about all brands of tyres and their individual intricacies, I was very impressed with the ones these replaced.

Before, plastic headlights:


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

After, genuine glass ZKW:


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

I also managed to pick up some more rear seats, well just the back rest parts. The old ones were tatty and broken where the seatbelt's 'dispense' from the seats. The leather was brittle and sunbaked. The new ones were picked up for the pricely sum of $5, I think they might be the best bargain so far!

Old:


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

During, lathering up with leather conditioner:


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

Fitted:


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

Finally, I had some time to kill, so took some pics down at Fort Mason. I managed to get a good spot away from others.


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr


BMW E36 M3 by TheDukeGTi, on Flickr

'til next time!

Humour

297 posts

150 months

Wednesday 16th May 2018
quotequote all
A long time since the last post. Will there be a next time?

An enjoyable read, very nice photos, and the e36 is a deserving Star in this series....

You will regret in the long run if you sell btw.

TheDukeGTi

Original Poster:

202 posts

135 months

Thursday 17th May 2018
quotequote all
Thanks very much for checking in!

I'm afraid I did have to sell the M3 a few months back now, it was for the best reasons though.

Lot's of firsts in that M3, and is already very much missed, I'd have love to have kept it and stored it, but it wasn't realistic. It went to a nice guy who flew up from San Diego and drove all the way home in one night (~10hrs straight). He said it ran like a champ; even better the further he went!

You can find my new car here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...