The Purple Panzer
Discussion
I've ether done something that is going to be amazing... or something silly!
this Purple Panzer now sits on my drive:
1995 145,000 mile 3.0 M3 saloon
there is a couple of rust patches in the rear arches, the suspension bushes feel like they need replacing, but apart from that it seems to have warn its 16years and miles well.
it feels rock steady on the motorway and sprightly on the twisties.
Compared to the Z4M 3.2 the 3.0 doesn't get going until after 5500 ish rpm.
The Plan:
to slowly turn it into a road legal track car, as money and time allows.
order of play:
-renew bushes and check everything over
-Add lightness (grey leather interior anyone?)
-upgrade suspension dampers and roll bars
- Cage
this will be a learning experience from a mechanical and track perspective, so any advice welcome.
first question - OEM suspension bushes seem cheap compared to Power flex ones.. is it worth getting the powerflex bushes
updates to follow
Cheers
Custard
this Purple Panzer now sits on my drive:
1995 145,000 mile 3.0 M3 saloon
there is a couple of rust patches in the rear arches, the suspension bushes feel like they need replacing, but apart from that it seems to have warn its 16years and miles well.
it feels rock steady on the motorway and sprightly on the twisties.
Compared to the Z4M 3.2 the 3.0 doesn't get going until after 5500 ish rpm.
The Plan:
to slowly turn it into a road legal track car, as money and time allows.
order of play:
-renew bushes and check everything over
-Add lightness (grey leather interior anyone?)
-upgrade suspension dampers and roll bars
- Cage
this will be a learning experience from a mechanical and track perspective, so any advice welcome.
first question - OEM suspension bushes seem cheap compared to Power flex ones.. is it worth getting the powerflex bushes
updates to follow
Cheers
Custard
update 15-8-2011
Had bit of chance to get under the car an look around.
-bit of rust in the front inner arches, mainly where the alarm had just been screwed into the body work... a bit worrying
-what looks like a leaky oil cooler - the rad and AC condenser look new ish in comparison
-leakiness round rear diff... further investigation required
-one new rear shock
-no AC auxiliary belt, (explains why the AC wasn’t working), I assume i can just remove the two bits driven off this belt, AC compressor and Air pump?
£500 down and it’s not gone anywhere yet...
New oil cooler ~£220
Service filters etc ~£100
Polly bushes £195
Where is the best place to look at braded Brake lines and pads? (RS29? EBC enduro?)
(will get some more pictures soon)
Cheers
Custard
Had bit of chance to get under the car an look around.
-bit of rust in the front inner arches, mainly where the alarm had just been screwed into the body work... a bit worrying
-what looks like a leaky oil cooler - the rad and AC condenser look new ish in comparison
-leakiness round rear diff... further investigation required
-one new rear shock
-no AC auxiliary belt, (explains why the AC wasn’t working), I assume i can just remove the two bits driven off this belt, AC compressor and Air pump?
£500 down and it’s not gone anywhere yet...
New oil cooler ~£220
Service filters etc ~£100
Polly bushes £195
Where is the best place to look at braded Brake lines and pads? (RS29? EBC enduro?)
(will get some more pictures soon)
Cheers
Custard
According to the sticker its Daytona purple....
any one know where to get a rattle can or it??
i need some having attached the arches with a wire brush!
This lot arrived on friday, in time for the weekend:
Roll bar brushed down and painted with anti rust paint and new rubbers fitted.
to be fair the old rubbers seemed fine... but i guess the new ones are stiffer.
I need a bigger garage!
Oil cooler replaced as the old one leaked and looked pretty blocked
air con stuff removed (any one need it?)
but with out taking the main pully off i couldnt remove the mounting plate
it all looks good underneath, the only worrying thing ive found is this plate screwed to the side of the gear box... any ideas? is this why 2nd to 3rd is abit difficult to get???
time to get back under the car and put the front end back together..
custard
any one know where to get a rattle can or it??
i need some having attached the arches with a wire brush!
This lot arrived on friday, in time for the weekend:
Roll bar brushed down and painted with anti rust paint and new rubbers fitted.
to be fair the old rubbers seemed fine... but i guess the new ones are stiffer.
I need a bigger garage!
Oil cooler replaced as the old one leaked and looked pretty blocked
air con stuff removed (any one need it?)
but with out taking the main pully off i couldnt remove the mounting plate
it all looks good underneath, the only worrying thing ive found is this plate screwed to the side of the gear box... any ideas? is this why 2nd to 3rd is abit difficult to get???
time to get back under the car and put the front end back together..
custard
iguana said:
Daft to leave it on standard wallowmaster understeer tastic suspension. Decent coilies proper geo- at least 2.5 deg neg camber front an x brace & they are diferent Cars. Shorter rack Well worth it too but not as essential.
going to try the std suspension for at couple of track days(then I’ll be able to appreciate the change
) the options are Jamax £200 ebay specials in a couple of months
(i have hear mixed reviews)
or wait until next summer for some Gas Golds c£800
thoughts?
My budget is getting seriously squeezed since I'm having trouble finding a decent trailer for reasonable money, and may have to by a new one ....
Cheers
Custard
Thanks Iguana, so useful stuff, looks like i should save up for some inverted BCs as a value/performance option.
As for trailers i like the look of the scania topline on your website
...possibly a bit too big for the driveway tho
just got a vectra to tow with, so need a light trailer >550kg. 14ft.
ideally a brian James clubman 2000kg trailer or a woodford 2500kg standard
all the stuff on Ebay is ether too big or too old/knackered or with in a few hundred pounds of a new one.
if you can suggest anywhere else to look, or someone selling that would be useful
cheers Custard
As for trailers i like the look of the scania topline on your website
...possibly a bit too big for the driveway tho
just got a vectra to tow with, so need a light trailer >550kg. 14ft.
ideally a brian James clubman 2000kg trailer or a woodford 2500kg standard
all the stuff on Ebay is ether too big or too old/knackered or with in a few hundred pounds of a new one.
if you can suggest anywhere else to look, or someone selling that would be useful
cheers Custard
Update
Rear trailing arm bushes replaced
Rear roll bar bushes replaced
Rear top mounts replaced with OEM items
rear arch bubbling fixed
Cheap ebay strut braces:
that look like they will break at the first sign of a corner....
now onto the interior....
rear trim removed
tackling the spaghetti in the front:
shiny thing:
Rear trailing arm bushes replaced
Rear roll bar bushes replaced
Rear top mounts replaced with OEM items
rear arch bubbling fixed
Cheap ebay strut braces:
that look like they will break at the first sign of a corner....
now onto the interior....
rear trim removed
tackling the spaghetti in the front:
shiny thing:
F2CSL said:
Looking at this thread has suddenly made me loose the urge to buy a E36 and track it, hows the budget going?
Sorry to hear that, what's worrying you?My main inspiration is that its lot cheaper the run and fix than the Z4 on track.
Although learning about mechanicals is also fun.
My main concern that it's reliable.
if you want some inspiration have a look at this story:
http://www.bmwowner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&a...
custard
Laird said:
I've seen/heard of this before. You best sit down before I tell you what has happened.
OK?
Right...
At some point in your car's life, someone has decided to check the integrity of the clutch (I suspect) and rather than remove the gearbox, has simply taken an angle grinder to the bell housing and et voilà.
More common than you would imagine, but that does look like a particularly big hole/nasty botched job.
and if the worst happens 5 speed boxes are about £80..
cheers
Custard
DaveR said:
Not the most exciting question but.... what did you do to address the rear arch bubbling - and do you have faith in whatever you did lasting longer than the strut braces? 
clean out the arches, at some point i'll get in there with a grinder / wire brush and repaint them.Angle grinder until you see shiny smooth mettel, some dodge paint/curer stuff that my cousin, an MG / iron oxide specialist, uses then some normal paint
it aint pretty, but will hopefully work.
its not as if its going to be driving through salt and spray too often (ever?) for the rest of its life
Custard
Rust repair:
needs to be rubbed back and tidied up with some Daytona Violet, but will do for the mo.
8Js all round
Used rally slicks £30 each ebay:
Original corroded wheels mid clean up:
Primer, the plan is brake dust friendly anthrecite... but white does look good:
Ebay is a dangerous place!
any idea how to mount them?
a little switch relocation:
Cheers Custard
needs to be rubbed back and tidied up with some Daytona Violet, but will do for the mo.
8Js all round
Used rally slicks £30 each ebay:
Original corroded wheels mid clean up:
Primer, the plan is brake dust friendly anthrecite... but white does look good:
Ebay is a dangerous place!
any idea how to mount them?
a little switch relocation:
Cheers Custard
First proper outing on saturday, very good fun.
Car was reliable and felt strong, I was surprised how well balanced the car was, very adjustable on the throttle through the corners to balance under/oversteer.
the standard suspension does role abit, but was fun:
but it did lead to some serious outer edge wear on the front tyres!
Car was reliable and felt strong, I was surprised how well balanced the car was, very adjustable on the throttle through the corners to balance under/oversteer.
the standard suspension does role abit, but was fun:
but it did lead to some serious outer edge wear on the front tyres!
Edited by custardkid on Monday 31st October 17:46
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