Yet another e36 328i sport coupe

Yet another e36 328i sport coupe

Author
Discussion

nosuchuser

Original Poster:

837 posts

215 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
quotequote all
Yes, really.

Bit of previous..
205 xs
Uni cars: Nissan Sunny, mk1 XR2, Capri 2.8i
Volvo 360 glt - crashed, fractured spine, scared me off rwd for a good long time.
405 sri - sold
405 mi16 - dog, sold
309 gti - loved and sold
VW Type 3 - loved and actually cried when I sold it:



And then Volvos again, needed a slag for commuting and started with a 850 2.0 10v. Way too slow so s70 T5, 940 2.3t culminating in this v70R:



At one point I had 3 volvos at the same time.. Weirdo. And some boring things like Nissan Primera, VW Polo, Fiat Panda

In 2008 I came very close to buying a 993 but other priorities took over. Still kick myself about the missed 30k c2s.

V70 got written off in 2010 after a driver didn't apply their handbrake on a hill. Much wrangling with insurance ensued and it didn't end well. Saab 95 aero replaced the v70 as the family wagon. It's ok, just ok.

After lurking on The Best //M/Barge.. thread for some time I realised I really needed a toy. Considered boxter, integra, gtv v6, westfield, usual suspects but I wanted RWD, something I could spanner the easy bits on myself and something cheap to run but still amusing. Needed 4 seats as well.

Last spring I went looking at various 328's, saw some dogs, saw some ok and one lovely one which turned out to be a cat d. Bugger. Owner claimed to have no idea.

Then this one came up on pistonheads. Yes, I paid too much for it but way less than the asking.











From Bimmer.work
Model 328i - EUR
Development Code E36 (2)
Chassis COUPE
Steering RL
Doors 2
Engine M52
Displacement 2.80
Power 142
Drivetrain HECK
Transmission MECH
Color Titansilber Metallic - 354
Upholstery Leder Standard/schwarz - P7SW
Production Plant REGENSBURG
Production Date 1998-06-04

Standard Equipment
214 Automatic Stability Control+traction
246 Steering Column Adjustment Mechanical
285 Lt/aly Wheels Bmw Styling
410 Window Lifts, Electric At Front
465 Through-load System
510 Headlight Beam-throw Contr. F Low Beam
520 Foglights
542 Check Control
853 Language Version English
Options
314 Heated Windscreen Washer Nozzles
337 M Sport Package M
354 Green Stripe Windscreen -
401 Sliding/vent Roof, Electric
428 Warning Triangle
431 Interior Rr Vw Mirror W Aut Anti-d
441 Smokers Package
473 Armrest, Front
481 Sport Seats F Driver/front Passenger
494 Seat Heating F Driver/front Passenger
498 Headrests In Rear, Mechanic. Adjustable
508 Park Distance Control (pdc)
528 Automatic Air Recirculation Control(auc)
534 Automatic Air Conditioning
554 On-board Computer
669 Radio Bmw Business Rds
674 Hifi Loudspeaker System Harman Kardon
694 Preparation For Cd Changer
704 M Sport Suspension
710 M Leather Steering Wheel
767 Individualserie Schweiz
785 White Direction Indicator Lights
786 Measures 17"-wheels
812 England Version
850 Add Fuel Tank Filling For Export
863 Europe/dealer Directory Service
880 English / On-board Documentation
962 Motorkennfeld
Information
686 Diversity-function Aerial

Original complete toolkit, first aid kit, jack and glovebox torch

Initial thoughts after I bought it and a 250 mile trip back:
It has some issues, the rear arches are full of filler and need to be cut out and replaced. Car's had a cheap respray at some point to tart it up so will need done again as the rubbers weren't removed and it's flaking around the windows (I can't help thinking the new wings are arctic rather than titan silver). Rear trailing arms and suspension components are quite rusty as well. There's also a bit of rust on the floor pan which needs investigating. Jack points need looking at as well.

Slightly annoyed I didn't pick up on the respray when I was inspecting it... Still, plenty of time to get it done.

Car has a chequered service history, first owner stopped servicing it in 2006 and bar remedial work for mot's, there's no history for the period 2006 to 2015. Second owner picked it up as a trade in and had inspection 2 done @49k early 2015 and then did the following: Refurbished alloys, replaced fuel tank straps, replaced both rear springs, new front track rod ends, replaced O/S and N/S front lower suspension arms, replaced both front wings with BMW parts due to rust.

Needed new boots, pair of Wanli ditchfinders on the back, fronts were Continentals of unspecified age, shoulders cracked on all 4.

Leather appears in good condition, slight wear to driver's bolster. It's got the HK speaker setup, BMW Business radio cassette, BMW 6 disc changer in the boot. Climate control which works reasonably well, 18 button OBC etc

I'm impressed by the interior build quality so far, feels really well put together for an 18 year old car. Love the stitching on the steering wheel.

Standard apart from some parts of the airbox have been removed (still got) and the golf tee mod on the vacuum pipe on the exhaust.

On the list to do:
Engine mounts - ABS light can come on and stay on, rip in the bonnet sound proofing makes me think they need done.
Rust
Transmission and Diff oil change - First to second can be a bit awkward. The gear stick doesn't centre very well back from 5th until the gearbox is warm.
Chromed bulbs for the front indicators - Don't really want to go ambers and don't like the fried egg look
Rear pop out seals - enough said.
Creaking clutch pedal. Delrin bearings to be ordered
Bushes
Dampers - dust boots are fecked and these seem to be the original yellow dampers. Might need to be changed
Rust
Weird clunk at the back. Hopefully not shock tower mount thingies and just a loose exhaust mount
Headlight condensation..
Rust
Rear pdc's don't work.
External temp sensor missing.
Thorough check over of the brake system
Cooling system - pipe work looks good but will probably replace the usual bits over the summer.
Proper CD43 unit

HPI checked it, contacted original dealer to confirm service status, mileage ramps up evenly from the old MOT's so fairly happy it's not been clocked.

Things done so far:
Changed the passenger door actuator.. Got the old one out, couldn't get the new one in. Much swearing ensued, cracked the replacement's plastic trying to lever the fker in with a screwdriver. I had to remove the whole latch assembly and found out I'd bent the front locating pin forward when I'd removed the dead actuator so there wasn't a hope in hell of the new one going back on in situ. Now have doors and boot locking from either side. Car has factory alarm and fob but missing the key to enable/disable the alarm itself so a bit wary of messing around with it.

Replaced the cheap battery with a Bosch (Costco) and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 again from Costco. 225/45 at the front and 245/40 rears. With the £60 off, just under £400. Also changed the Saab from old, nearly worn out PS3's to PS4's.

I thought Costco had managed to fit the 225 to the 8.5 wheel and the 245 to the 7.5 on one side but after checking and measuring, looks like when the wheels were refurbed, the wrong centres were put on the 2 rims. Tyres on right rims, centres need to be swapped over. If you look at the head on shot from the vendors pics, the passenger side tyre protrudes further than drivers side. A1 Alloys in Bromley at some point then, hopefully, just centre swaps rather than full refurb.

New key, pop out seals, engine mounts and clutch bushings sourced from BMW - Not as expensive as I'd thought they'd be, mildly surprised.

Replaced the FSR as the fan wasn't working correctly. Changed bulbs in the OBC which was separated into 2 sections from some reason - all good now.

De-fried egg:



Many early morning hoons were enjoyed over the summer. Would like to get on a novice trackday at Brands at some point when they are next available. Only track experience I've had is lots of go kart racing and a couple of jollies with Palmer motorsport.

Car has been off the road since Oct, moved back and forth to stop flat spots every week or so.

Got all the parts for oil service, change belts etc and yesterday I thought I'd jack it up and check how bad the jack pad metal really is before it goes up on the stands for a week while the wheels go to the shop to swap the centres.

Found out the crossover bar behind the engine isn't a safe place for jack stands:



Time for an M3 x brace then.

Jack pad areas at back had no actual pads and have a bit of surface rust (2-3 mm deep) but having had a really good dig around, very solid under the rust. Need to get busy with a drill and wire brush and get some Bilt Hamber on them. inside the holes is dry and dusty. Front ones still had the plastic inserts and no rust but there was a lot of wet muck in the actual jack pads themselves so cleaned out. I'm tempted to drill some drainage holes in the pads.
There are also some areas where the underseal has come away and some surface rust but I think I can deal with that.

I do need to find a place for the rear jack stands though while working on the rear jack pad area. Read on another forum about the toe plates just in front of the rtab mount. Will try that and see how it goes.

Had a really good dig around the rtabs. Again, fair bit of surface rust and accumulated mank. Pretty sure the rtabs are fked. I think I'll go with the Rogue Engineering black compound, read good things about them and the install doesn't seem massively hard. Famous last words.

At the front, drop links (? - Stabiliser Links on RealOEM) look fked, really rusty. Car has new wishbones and the drop links really let it down.

So, get wheel centres sorted, rtabs, oil change, belts, engine mounts, MOT, alignment, gearbox and diff fluid, overhaul cooling, change brake pads depending on wear.

Less important things: take the front bumper off, get it lined up properly with the drivers side wheel arch (maybe add a M3 lip spoiler), sort out external temp sensor (I can feel the probe in the passenger side brake duct so need to check wiring), change drop links. Will have to keep an eye on rust, there is a pinprick of rust on the body under the boot lid shutline and also some under the battery that needs to be dealt with and of course, the rear arches. Need to get the skirts off and check over the sills as well. Under the doors looks like new.

Future plans: Upgrade brakes, H&R ARB's, replace dampers with correct parts, no oil leaks present at this time. Rear springs were changed in 2015.
Then book a time with alpina527 smile then go see Jason @BW for a remap. Maybe some cams from Just Deutsch in a year or so.

Still haven't got round to the clutch bushings.

When it's been run over the winter to warm though and trundle back and forth on the drive, it can sound a bit tappety at the top, oil is a bit low but it doesn't appear to have any leaks underneath, will keep an eye on it post oil change.

And, got a CD43 off of ebay.de for a reasonable price. Should be dh'ling its merry way here as I type. Worried the autochanger is on its way out as was being a bit precious selecting disks last year.

Rear spoiler and clear indicators will be staying!

Cheers

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
quotequote all
All plans sound good. Re the rear trailing arm bushes, I use M3 ones on E46s, not sure if E36 M3 ones fit yours. There is no need for poly ones. Glad it's not "getting slammed" on cheap coilovers.

skylarking808

778 posts

85 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
quotequote all
The more 328i sports the merrier as far as I am concerned.

My rear jacking points are in a similar state. Surface rust but solid with no jack pads. I have also pondered the axle stand positioning as it would be good to attempt the work myself.

The main thing is you have an honest millage cool cult car with a straight chassis. Well that is what I tell myself when I look at the long list of jobs to do.

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
quotequote all
Axle stand can go on the diff cage.

ChrisDT

1,863 posts

189 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
Awesome, same colour as mine as well - Hoping to have mine running in 2 weeks but we shall see.

Lovely looking car! (Also like the fact you are keeping the spoiler and lenses) I'd join you for a novice day at Brands once mine is running!

dbdb

4,311 posts

172 months

Monday 20th February 2017
quotequote all
My brother had one of these briefly in the 1990s. It was metallic blue and it had the same clear indicator lenses, so presumably they were like this from the factory. They're a good looking car - I like the wheels especially. They work well with the car's shape.

BGarside

1,564 posts

136 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
Nice coupe. Mine's a humble non-sport with cloth seats and 15" style 13s but I like the drive.

It's also been a moneypit so far, but hopefully the spending will be over soon.

I've had the alpina527 manifold conversion and was mulling a BW remap so would be interested in the outcome/price when you get yours done...

rossi1

773 posts

201 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
Thought I recognised this motor, I see it on your drive everyday and often thought it looked very clean, I'm just Dow the road in locksbottom, owned my328i sport for 11 years now, running m50 mani, bbtb, simota intake, superspring backbox and decat. Had a generic map but I have recently modded it myself and so far so good.
Good to see another lovely sport on the road, oh and this is mine in Avus smile





ChrisDT

1,863 posts

189 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
quotequote all
Love that colour - i'd actually change my silver one for blue. Got a Technoviolet one round the corner from me and it's stunning!

nosuchuser

Original Poster:

837 posts

215 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
quotequote all
Yeah, that Avus is a great colour. Simota is also on list of potentials. I think BW still sell them so when I get down there for a remap...

Rossi, as you're local, it would be good to meet up when mines back on the road to compare noises smile

Chris - you're on for Brands smile

CD43 arrived from Germany in some serious packaging, including a couple of the blokes old t-shirts. Interesting.



Front looks good, little dink above the screw cover on the rhs but wont be too noticeable. Annoyingly the pins for the screw covers are broken except for one. Will have to see what can be done about that. Maybe some judicious blutak...
Might need a new volume knob as well.

Looking at x braces on ebay, all looking a bit rough. Found a place in Holland that will supply genuine, new for 135 euro delivered which I thought was reasonable but had a quote from Cotswold BMW, £121 delivered inc bolts and nutserts, that'll do.

Paul S4

1,181 posts

209 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
quotequote all
Just out of interest....How much was that BMW CD player ?

I have a 318iS and bought a used Rover version of the headunit to upgrade from the original factory tape player.
I did not fit it immediately, and when I did get around to putting it in the car, I found that one channel was off ! So it was too late to get any redress from the seller.
It's a pity as I like the look and quality of these OEM Blaupunct radios. I have since re-installed the original BMW OEM Radio cassette unit (!) and use an MP3 adaptor; The sound is amazing actually, and the radio quality on these units is excellent.

I seem to recall that UK BMW CD head units were expensive which is why I opted for a Rover version.

RemyMartin81D

6,759 posts

204 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
quotequote all
Heated seats are rocking horse st. That is a good spec 328i sport.

Looks exactly like my old one!

carpetsoiler

1,958 posts

164 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
quotequote all
That's a very, very good spec- especially for a Sport (they tend to be a little less hot on equipment).

Hope you don't mind, here's some guidance on your to do list...

On the list to do:
Engine mounts - ABS light can come on and stay on, rip in the bonnet sound proofing makes me think they need done.
Yes- engine mounts are a common problem. M3 ones are solid rubber and direct retrofit. There's a very real chance that the subframe itself is torn- they are not made of very thick metal. So it's best to replace the subframe at the same time. A friend of mine makes reinforced ones that solve all these issues!

Rust Yeah, good luck with that one... they all do that, sir. Jacking points, sills, rear arches, bootlids, the area directly under the bootlid, front arches... *sigh*

Transmission and Diff oil change - First to second can be a bit awkward. The gear stick doesn't centre very well back from 5th until the gearbox is warm. Redline D4 ATF. 1.2-1.4 litres. Drop it all when the engine's warm. 17mm socket. Make sure the car's level so use a ramp or a pit. For the diff, 75w140 if it's an LSD, and if it isn't, why isn't it? biggrin 75w90 for regular open diff.

Chromed bulbs for the front indicators - Don't really want to go ambers and don't like the fried egg look But it's so classic '90s. biggrin

Rear pop out seals - enough said. They're expensive from BMW, but worth doing.

Creaking clutch pedal. Delrin bearings to be ordered I've not got to the bottom of this on mine yet. I was considering dousing it in a liberal dose of white grease/lithium grease/etc.

Bushes Use Powerflex Black for front lollipop bushes and rear trailing arm bushes, Powerflex Purple for ARB bushes, subframe bushes, etc

Dampers - dust boots are fecked and these seem to be the original yellow dampers. Might need to be changed. It's old suspension, change it for a decent kit and you'll notice a night and day difference. Springs and shocks- Bilstein B10 Power Kit for mad tyte lows (not too low) and great handling, or Bilstein B12 Sportline/Pro kit for slightly more subtle and speedbump-friendly drop, as well as frankly excellent handling. I actually have a spare set of B12 Sportline suspension currently from my 328 Sport that's done about 7,000 miles tops. If you want to go coilovers, Bilstein B14, Eibach Pro Street or KW V1- I run the V1s on my daily 328 Sport and they're incredible. You need 13mm spacers for the front wheels though.

Rust Wait, what?

Weird clunk at the back. Hopefully not shock tower mount thingies and just a loose exhaust mount Two birds, one stone- new suspension kit, replace the top mounts, off you go.

Headlight condensation.. Either drill 3 large holes in the high beam light cover, or just remove them for a few days until they clear. Rinse and repeat.

Rust Oh dear Lord, is it that bad?

Rear pdc's don't work. Stick the car in reverse on ignition 2 so they 'activate'. Walk round the back. Crouch down. Head next to each sensor. Wave a hand in front of it. If it clicks, it's fine. If it doesn't, it's borked. Alternatively, get a copy of INPA and an old Windows XP laptop, and scan with INPA. You can scan each module for fault codes, and it'll tell you exactly what the problem might be.

External temp sensor missing. BONG - no, it's not -37ºC, bugger off. Plugs in the... passenger side brake duct, from memory.

Thorough check over of the brake system ATE Typ200, if you want a cheap but decent upgrade then some E46 320d/328i/325i front brakes are a good idea. Use the carriers and discs. 300mm up from 286mm, bolts straight to the original caliper.

Cooling system - pipe work looks good but will probably replace the usual bits over the summer. Water pump and thermostat are kind of a rite of passage job when you own an E36. Worth doing. Metal impeller pumps are cheap and plentiful, and an ally stat housing is a good idea too.

Proper CD43 unit Tick!

Enjoy. smile

Edited by carpetsoiler on Thursday 23 February 18:12

ChrisDT

1,863 posts

189 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
quotequote all
nosuchuser said:
Chris - you're on for Brands smile
Awesome, now that's incentive to get my car done!

nosuchuser

Original Poster:

837 posts

215 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
quotequote all
Cheers carpetsoiler, some responses:

carpetsoiler said:
Engine mounts - ABS light can come on and stay on, rip in the bonnet sound proofing makes me think they need done.
Yes- engine mounts are a common problem. M3 ones are solid rubber and direct retrofit. There's a very real chance that the subframe itself is torn- they are not made of very thick metal. So it's best to replace the subframe at the same time. A friend of mine makes reinforced ones that solve all these issues!
I've already got the standard mounts from BMW, just need to fit them, will check the subframe when next under it. Didn't know tearing was an issue, probably want to do this before fitting the nutserts for the brace.

carpetsoiler said:
Transmission and Diff oil change - First to second can be a bit awkward. The gear stick doesn't centre very well back from 5th until the gearbox is warm. Redline D4 ATF. 1.2-1.4 litres. Drop it all when the engine's warm. 17mm socket. Make sure the car's level so use a ramp or a pit. For the diff, 75w140 if it's an LSD, and if it isn't, why isn't it? biggrin 75w90 for regular open diff.
LSD would be nice, not overly fussed, not intending this to be a drift slag, more oem+. Question though, does the ASC still function if you've an LSD fitted?
Adding an LSD seems a fairly large chunk for something I'm not going to use that much..
Royal Purple Synchromax was the fluid I had in mind. And of course, make sure the filler plug will come out before draining smile

carpetsoiler said:
Rear pop out seals - enough said. They're expensive from BMW, but worth doing.
Again, got these already, prepping parts list for a respray in the far future

carpetsoiler said:
Creaking clutch pedal. Delrin bearings to be ordered I've not got to the bottom of this on mine yet. I was considering dousing it in a liberal dose of white grease/lithium grease/etc.
I've picked up the correct bushes from BMW, just need to summon the enthusiasm and back flexibility to get in there and do it! Not looking forward to it..

carpetsoiler said:
Bushes Use Powerflex Black for front lollipop bushes and rear trailing arm bushes, Powerflex Purple for ARB bushes, subframe bushes, etc
I'm torn between oem and the Rogue Engineering Blacks from CAInt. RE ones will be easier to DIY and are silicon impregnated so allegedly less likely to squeak than Powerflex, I'll have to pay someone to do the oem ones though.
Need to check the fcabs.

carpetsoiler said:
Dampers - dust boots are fecked and these seem to be the original yellow dampers. Might need to be changed. It's old suspension, change it for a decent kit and you'll notice a night and day difference. Springs and shocks- Bilstein B10 Power Kit for mad tyte lows (not too low) and great handling, or Bilstein B12 Sportline/Pro kit for slightly more subtle and speedbump-friendly drop, as well as frankly excellent handling. I actually have a spare set of B12 Sportline suspension currently from my 328 Sport that's done about 7,000 miles tops. If you want to go coilovers, Bilstein B14, Eibach Pro Street or KW V1- I run the V1s on my daily 328 Sport and they're incredible. You need 13mm spacers for the front wheels though.
Bilstein B12 Sportline sounds like the way to go, close to oem, not too low and will give a more nose down attitude. Not intending on changing the wheels and the front tyre to arch gap could be improved. Something to think about..

I must admit, I don't understand coilovers, maybe I'm too old. What are they going to give me over the standard damper and spring setup?

It would be good to have the definitive on the m-sport suspension. I've read that the 328i sport came with the avus suspension setup - is this the 704 m-sport suspension option? Anyone seen avus in an vin dump?
Guess I need to get the p/n off the current dampers and check on realoem.
There's no wallow or bounce in the damping that I recall from last years driving. I had a failing rear shock on the 95 aero earlier this year, it was very noticeable on the motorway (corkscrew motion over expansion joints) and over speed bumps (rebound severely compromised). Not felt anything like this in this car.

carpetsoiler said:
Weird clunk at the back. Hopefully not shock tower mount thingies and just a loose exhaust mount Two birds, one stone- new suspension kit, replace the top mounts, off you go.
Shock tower mounts also on list to do at some point. (along with CDV delete, purple tag rack etc etc)
While in this area - subframe reinforcement? Some say it's a must for a fast road/occasional track car. Will have to get the carpet out the boot and have a good look from above and below.

carpetsoiler said:
Headlight condensation.. Either drill 3 large holes in the high beam light cover, or just remove them for a few days until they clear. Rinse and repeat.
Got this under control at the moment - as you say, pop the covers off and let it dry out and repeat as required. New headlight bulbs at some point as well.

carpetsoiler said:
Rear pdc's don't work. Stick the car in reverse on ignition 2 so they 'activate'. Walk round the back. Crouch down. Head next to each sensor. Wave a hand in front of it. If it clicks, it's fine. If it doesn't, it's borked. Alternatively, get a copy of INPA and an old Windows XP laptop, and scan with INPA. You can scan each module for fault codes, and it'll tell you exactly what the problem might be.
Thanks, will play and see whats what. Not heard of the INPA thing, interesting.

carpetsoiler said:
External temp sensor missing. BONG - no, it's not -37ºC, bugger off. Plugs in the... passenger side brake duct, from memory.
The probe is present in the passenger side duct, need to check wiring, voltage etc. I think I'm looking for +5v to be present - again, not urgent though.

carpetsoiler said:
Thorough check over of the brake system ATE Typ200, if you want a cheap but decent upgrade then some E46 320d/328i/325i front brakes are a good idea. Use the carriers and discs. 300mm up from 286mm, bolts straight to the original caliper.
Thanks, need to get the wheels off and look at pad depth, not upgrading till I need to.

carpetsoiler said:
Cooling system - pipe work looks good but will probably replace the usual bits over the summer. Water pump and thermostat are kind of a rite of passage job when you own an E36. Worth doing. Metal impeller pumps are cheap and plentiful, and an ally stat housing is a good idea too.
Yeah, I've heard. As it's a 98 build should already be metal impeller but better safe than sorry.

All good info, from a man who knows and loves these cars - much appreciated, cheers

It does seem like I've a load to spend on the car but it doesn't need to be done all at once. I only did about 750 miles in it last year, it's just cracked 51k and I imagine I'll do about 1k this year.

nosuchuser

Original Poster:

837 posts

215 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
quotequote all
Paul S4 said:
Just out of interest....How much was that BMW CD player ?
200 euro delivered. Better get it in tomorrow and check it's working properly. Intention is to disconnect the boot change and put in android connector.

Thanks for the positive comments all.

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
quotequote all
Water pump won't be metal from the factory. I'd only recommend gen. BMW water pumps, seem too many poor quality aftermarket ones. Latest BMW ones are still plastic and last very well, they have been redesigned several times.

carpetsoiler

1,958 posts

164 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
nosuchuser said:
Cheers carpetsoiler, some responses:

I've already got the standard mounts from BMW, just need to fit them, will check the subframe when next under it. Didn't know tearing was an issue, probably want to do this before fitting the nutserts for the brace.
I'll see if I can dig out some pictures from the last two/three I've pulled that have all been torn to shreds. Rust and stress are the main causes, plus the metal just isn't thick enough. A reinforced subframe typically has a 3-4mm bit of steel welded over the top/bottom. I've got a reinforced one in the daily and I am much happier, the clicking from the engine mounts and crap throttle response was doing my head in!

LSD would be nice, not overly fussed, not intending this to be a drift slag, more oem+. Question though, does the ASC still function if you've an LSD fitted?
Adding an LSD seems a fairly large chunk for something I'm not going to use that much..
Royal Purple Synchromax was the fluid I had in mind. And of course, make sure the filler plug will come out before draining smile
An LSD is the single best thing you can do to the car, apart from a decent suspension kit. True story. ASC does still function, but to be honest you're highly unlikely to need it if you find a good, tight diff. An LSD doesn't signify a drift slag, it's actually a really, really useful bit of kit for keeping the car utterly planted when blasting down your favourite country road on a Sunday morning. But that's just my £0.02.

I've picked up the correct bushes from BMW, just need to summon the enthusiasm and back flexibility to get in there and do it! Not looking forward to it..
It's horribly cramped down there. Take out the driver's seat if you want to be a bit better off. 4x 16mm, and the plug for the seatbelt pretensioner. smile

I'm torn between oem and the Rogue Engineering Blacks from CAInt. RE ones will be easier to DIY and are silicon impregnated so allegedly less likely to squeak than Powerflex, I'll have to pay someone to do the oem ones though.
Need to check the fcabs.
I've never had an issue with Powerflex RTABs squeaking. Having installed my fair share of both poly and standard ones, I'd take poly ones every single time. Standard ones are a tosser to get out, and even worse to reinstall! You can put the poly ones in the arms in less than a minute.

Bilstein B12 Sportline sounds like the way to go, close to oem, not too low and will give a more nose down attitude. Not intending on changing the wheels and the front tyre to arch gap could be improved. Something to think about.. Well, I do have the kit just sat patiently down the side of my house. tongue out I'll grab pics of it on the car. It handled very well but coilovers are where it's at for me.

I must admit, I don't understand coilovers, maybe I'm too old. What are they going to give me over the standard damper and spring setup?
Significantly less roll, more fluid handling, easy and instant adjustability of ride height, and in the case of the KWs, immense build quality. If you try them then they make perfect sense.

It would be good to have the definitive on the m-sport suspension. I've read that the 328i sport came with the avus suspension setup - is this the 704 m-sport suspension option? Anyone seen avus in an vin dump?
Guess I need to get the p/n off the current dampers and check on realoem.
There's no wallow or bounce in the damping that I recall from last years driving. I had a failing rear shock on the 95 aero earlier this year, it was very noticeable on the motorway (corkscrew motion over expansion joints) and over speed bumps (rebound severely compromised). Not felt anything like this in this car.
If your shocks are yellow then I'm pretty sure that's the Avus pack.

Shock tower mounts also on list to do at some point. (along with CDV delete, purple tag rack etc etc)
While in this area - subframe reinforcement? Some say it's a must for a fast road/occasional track car. Will have to get the carpet out the boot and have a good look from above and below.
Don't waste your time, late E36s are very well sorted. The boot floor issue only affected very early E36s and E46s. It's very, very rare on the standard E36, even amongst bigger power ones and drifted ones. Do, however, do a CDV delete and purple tag rack.

Thanks, will play and see whats what. Not heard of the INPA thing, interesting.
You can get it off eBay for about £35 including an OBD2 USB cable and the circular port adapter. smile

All good info, from a man who knows and loves these cars - much appreciated, cheers
You are more than welcome. Enjoy it, they're very, very fun cars with a few choice upgrades!

It does seem like I've a load to spend on the car but it doesn't need to be done all at once. I only did about 750 miles in it last year, it's just cracked 51k and I imagine I'll do about 1k this year.
Worth it. biggrin
Edited by carpetsoiler on Friday 24th February 00:29

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
The yellow dampers are part of the Avus pack. They are Bilsteins, the closest aftermarket ones are B6s. I've never seen a 328 Sport that wasn't build with the yellow Bilsteins.

TroubledSoul

4,589 posts

193 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Lovely car mate. From experience, please do check under the boot seal rubbers immediately for rust. I've also just found a hole behind the rearmost arch liner on the offside too. Great.

Get your battery out and check the floor beneath it, also under the spare wheel. Known rust areas.

The Z3 rack is better than the E46 purple tag. It's rarer but they are out there. Purple tag rack is a good alternative though.

Otherwise, enjoy the car thumbup