The Ring Shed. 1 Year on.
Discussion
Its a 1994 E36 Manual 325i M50 Vanos, payed 700 quid for it with 160,000 miles on the clock. But it had been well maintained over the years and it looks to have had a new engine fitted.
Well i've had the car for a year now and i'm only just getting round to finally getting it track ready. A recent 7 month deployment to Afghanistan hasn't helped but has saved me some money to spend on getting the car finished.
Here is the car 1 month after i bought it-
All i had managed by this stage was
Jamex full suspension 40mm, cambers adjusted
Gen M3 alloys,
Brakes uprated cross drilled + grooved/ mintex pads
Stripped out interior
DTS Bucket seats (Crap)
PiperX induction kit
Continental headlights w/angel eyes as i live in Germany
Front strut brace.
Parked her up in a garage and dissapeared for 7 months for a free sunshine holiday all expenses paid for in Afghan.
My ride whilst over there-
....
check the sticker on the tailgate, couldnt resist.
Whilst away i had been a busy boy on the internet (when i could get to a terminal) ordering various parts including-
Cobra Monaco bucket seats w/mounts
Eibach anti roll bars
Victor Steering wheel and Boss
HK Back box
Switch panel from a MK2 Escort
Harnesses
Full Mtec Body kit
Many thanks to my dad who went mad with the grinder and filler and patched the car up. She is now ready for spray, just waiting for the new cobra sliding seat mounts then she's off in for a new coat. Wish i had started this article a bit sooner, well from the beginning but it would have laid stagnant for a while.
Any question, criticisms or ideas to help me get the best out of this car as a road legal track car would be welcome. Wait out for updates on progress
Well i've had the car for a year now and i'm only just getting round to finally getting it track ready. A recent 7 month deployment to Afghanistan hasn't helped but has saved me some money to spend on getting the car finished.
Here is the car 1 month after i bought it-
All i had managed by this stage was
Jamex full suspension 40mm, cambers adjusted
Gen M3 alloys,
Brakes uprated cross drilled + grooved/ mintex pads
Stripped out interior
DTS Bucket seats (Crap)
PiperX induction kit
Continental headlights w/angel eyes as i live in Germany
Front strut brace.
Parked her up in a garage and dissapeared for 7 months for a free sunshine holiday all expenses paid for in Afghan.
My ride whilst over there-
....
check the sticker on the tailgate, couldnt resist.
Whilst away i had been a busy boy on the internet (when i could get to a terminal) ordering various parts including-
Cobra Monaco bucket seats w/mounts
Eibach anti roll bars
Victor Steering wheel and Boss
HK Back box
Switch panel from a MK2 Escort
Harnesses
Full Mtec Body kit
Many thanks to my dad who went mad with the grinder and filler and patched the car up. She is now ready for spray, just waiting for the new cobra sliding seat mounts then she's off in for a new coat. Wish i had started this article a bit sooner, well from the beginning but it would have laid stagnant for a while.
Any question, criticisms or ideas to help me get the best out of this car as a road legal track car would be welcome. Wait out for updates on progress
Edited by norteenick on Monday 1st June 09:25
Looking like you have the start of a good project.
Looking forward to watching your progress.
Thanks for risking it all in your career everyday while you were away.
Now knuckle down and get lots of pictures of its progress for us PistonHeaders.
Looking forward to watching your progress.
Thanks for risking it all in your career everyday while you were away.
Now knuckle down and get lots of pictures of its progress for us PistonHeaders.
Edited by wrightyrs on Monday 11th May 08:14
Update number 1-
Had a busy couple of days, spent most of yesterday trying to find an exhaust fabricator that could solve my diameter difference with the standard exhaust and the FK back box i wanted to put on. No joy unfortunately, Germans are funny about doing this sort of thing with the TUV tough inspection rules. So the FK box is going on ebay to see if someone with the kit to create an exhaust system with it can.
Started on painting the interior of the car, gone for clinical white. But think after looking at it now i might dull it down a bit with a deep shade of grey.
Then today, went back to it this afternoon by tidying the wiring up a bit and got cracking with the ali door panels an idea i got from PHer Sniff Petrol with his E36. Turned out to be a bit easier than i thought it would be, just time consuming. And i'm no fabricator but i'm pretty happy with them. Just gotta get the rears done then apply some paint.
Check out the hole in the trransmission tunnel (next to where passenger right foot would be), found this when i ripped all the carpet out. There was a chunk of flywheel embedded in the sound proofing! Lucky for the previous owners passenger at the time and lucky for me as i know it's had a new flywheel fitted since birth.
Thats all for now, will do an update again soon. 3 weeks time and the Wiechers roll cage arrives.
Had a busy couple of days, spent most of yesterday trying to find an exhaust fabricator that could solve my diameter difference with the standard exhaust and the FK back box i wanted to put on. No joy unfortunately, Germans are funny about doing this sort of thing with the TUV tough inspection rules. So the FK box is going on ebay to see if someone with the kit to create an exhaust system with it can.
Started on painting the interior of the car, gone for clinical white. But think after looking at it now i might dull it down a bit with a deep shade of grey.
Then today, went back to it this afternoon by tidying the wiring up a bit and got cracking with the ali door panels an idea i got from PHer Sniff Petrol with his E36. Turned out to be a bit easier than i thought it would be, just time consuming. And i'm no fabricator but i'm pretty happy with them. Just gotta get the rears done then apply some paint.
Check out the hole in the trransmission tunnel (next to where passenger right foot would be), found this when i ripped all the carpet out. There was a chunk of flywheel embedded in the sound proofing! Lucky for the previous owners passenger at the time and lucky for me as i know it's had a new flywheel fitted since birth.
Thats all for now, will do an update again soon. 3 weeks time and the Wiechers roll cage arrives.
Been at it again today. On the cards were the ali sheeting up of the rear doors and fabricating some checker plate foot well plates.
The foot plates worked out very well, i got the design inc measurements from a thread on Bimmerforums. Got some reasonably priced plate and got busy with the jigsaw. Messed up one of them so had to re-visit the hardware store to get another piece of plate. Here are the pics.
Got quite a bit left over so decided to dress the transmission tunnel up a bit. Was a nightmare to measure out and to cut out the gear stick hole but i was chuffed with the outcome,
Thats the design above, was a lucky find. Planned on using checker plate but was gonna cuff my own design, which would have been s**t.
Also fitted a handheld fire extinguisher. Hoping to fit the seats tomorrow if the bloody mounts arrive. And if the alloy switch panel arrives i'll be whacking that in aswell and doing some re-wiring. Good thing i fitted the extinguisher!
The foot plates worked out very well, i got the design inc measurements from a thread on Bimmerforums. Got some reasonably priced plate and got busy with the jigsaw. Messed up one of them so had to re-visit the hardware store to get another piece of plate. Here are the pics.
Got quite a bit left over so decided to dress the transmission tunnel up a bit. Was a nightmare to measure out and to cut out the gear stick hole but i was chuffed with the outcome,
Thats the design above, was a lucky find. Planned on using checker plate but was gonna cuff my own design, which would have been s**t.
Also fitted a handheld fire extinguisher. Hoping to fit the seats tomorrow if the bloody mounts arrive. And if the alloy switch panel arrives i'll be whacking that in aswell and doing some re-wiring. Good thing i fitted the extinguisher!
The switch panel arrived this morning dropped off by a dude from DHL. Its for a MK2 Escort but i cut it down a little bit and proceeded to turn it into swiss cheese for the switches. Alot of drilling and LOADS of filing later i had achieved what i was after.
Check the pics -
Got the ringers sticker but no PH. I'll have to rectify that. To the shop!
Thats all i got done today, still waiting out on the seat mounts. Hopefully thats soon as i have to drive it to the spray shop next week! Very excited!
Check the pics -
Got the ringers sticker but no PH. I'll have to rectify that. To the shop!
Thats all i got done today, still waiting out on the seat mounts. Hopefully thats soon as i have to drive it to the spray shop next week! Very excited!
Back off the hols yesterday and picked the car up today after dropping it off a week ago with my local spray shop. 1000 euros later and i have a now white BM with black bonnet and alloys. I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with the result, and the new tail lights arrived today. So fitted them too.
Still waiting for roll cage though and seat mounts for the Cobras.
Wait out for pics, they are on the way!
Still waiting for roll cage though and seat mounts for the Cobras.
Wait out for pics, they are on the way!
Sorry, just re-read your op and you say that the engine has been changed. If it's been fitted with an engine from a later E36 323/328, then it will still have single vanos(M52). Double vanos(M52TU)was introduced in the E46 3 series. I would have thought that it'd be easier to fit an E36 engine+loom than to fit an E46 one.
norteenick said:
Back off the hols yesterday and picked the car up today after dropping it off a week ago with my local spray shop. 1000 euros later and i have a now white BM with black bonnet and alloys. I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with the result, and the new tail lights arrived today. So fitted them too.
Still waiting for roll cage though and seat mounts for the Cobras.
Wait out for pics, they are on the way!
Looking forward to pics.Still waiting for roll cage though and seat mounts for the Cobras.
Wait out for pics, they are on the way!
Also be interested to see how you go on with the Cobra subframes. I ordered mine and they AGES, and when I got them home the distance between the holes for the floor bolts was 16", and I needed 18" (I think, whatever, it was 2" too short). I then had to dismantle the subframe and put it back together...a bode job but it works!!
Ah, i've been told a porky then me thinks i was informed it was an M52 Double vanos. Not 100 percent on BM's. Thanks for clearing up the engine thing.
As promised here are the pics, news paper in the window is from me spraying the interior again however i didnt get up to much today as i drank far too much beer last night so spent all day on the sofa watching BTCC.
The roll cage is still being put together at the wiechers factory but should be here soon. And im STILL waiting for the subframes for the seats. Hopefully all will be in by the end of the week so i can nip down to the ring next weekend to earn the car its sticker! Also gonna have to sort the stereo out, as i'm plotting a driving holiday to Monaco via Innsbruck, Stelvio, Davos and Monza (Ferrari museum and track) in August so doing it without music will drive me insane!
As promised here are the pics, news paper in the window is from me spraying the interior again however i didnt get up to much today as i drank far too much beer last night so spent all day on the sofa watching BTCC.
The roll cage is still being put together at the wiechers factory but should be here soon. And im STILL waiting for the subframes for the seats. Hopefully all will be in by the end of the week so i can nip down to the ring next weekend to earn the car its sticker! Also gonna have to sort the stereo out, as i'm plotting a driving holiday to Monaco via Innsbruck, Stelvio, Davos and Monza (Ferrari museum and track) in August so doing it without music will drive me insane!
norteenick said:
I have an Apology to make.
PHer Sniff petrol, I just realised i nicked your project name. Sorry bud.
Anyone any ideas on how to rename threads?
No worries mate, if you want to avoid confusion try PM'ing a mod to change the title.PHer Sniff petrol, I just realised i nicked your project name. Sorry bud.
Anyone any ideas on how to rename threads?
Car looks great, must be the 4th white E36 325i saloon track car on here with Benny C's, Bulletproof Bob's and mine. Post up an engine bay picture and we'll tell you what engine you've got. I'd guess it's the M50TUB25 (single vanos, there was no M50 with twin vanos)
norteenick said:
Will post a pic of the engine later on today. Thanks Sniff. By the way I emailed you last night about the Scorpion exhaust you're selling, what are the chances of shippin it to Germany?
It should have already sold but I'm still waiting for a payment to turn up, If it's still not here by weds I'll give you a shout.sniff diesel said:
norteenick said:
Will post a pic of the engine later on today. Thanks Sniff. By the way I emailed you last night about the Scorpion exhaust you're selling, what are the chances of shippin it to Germany?
It should have already sold but I'm still waiting for a payment to turn up, If it's still not here by weds I'll give you a shout.Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff