BMW 328i Coupe - 90s Inspired
Discussion
First off I want to say I appreciate this style of modification isn’t to everyone’s taste, especially here. I’m really posting this to document what I’ve done and plan to do to the car; and the adventures I’ve enjoyed with the car and will enjoy in the future.
My BMW 328i Coupe was purchased the tail end of last year as a fairly standard and remarkably clean example. It was sourced through a local dealer who had taken the car in part exchange from an older gentlemen who was upgrading to something newer.
The mileage was on the high side at 150,000+ but it came with stacks of service history including a receipt for a replacement engine, meaning when I purchased the car the current engine fitted only had around 12,000 miles. The price was good too, especially considering the car was at a dealer. The only downside was it was an SE rather than a Sport model I had been looking for – but I knew I could remedy that.
The owner before myself had changed a few aspects of the car. The wheels were changed to Alpina Softline’s and the taillights and indictors to M-Tech items. He had also added a K&N induction kit and Eibach lowering springs. Apart from these minor modifications it was a blank canvass for me to work on.
I drove it like this for a couple of months while planning and amassing parts.
My BMW 328i Coupe was purchased the tail end of last year as a fairly standard and remarkably clean example. It was sourced through a local dealer who had taken the car in part exchange from an older gentlemen who was upgrading to something newer.
The mileage was on the high side at 150,000+ but it came with stacks of service history including a receipt for a replacement engine, meaning when I purchased the car the current engine fitted only had around 12,000 miles. The price was good too, especially considering the car was at a dealer. The only downside was it was an SE rather than a Sport model I had been looking for – but I knew I could remedy that.
The owner before myself had changed a few aspects of the car. The wheels were changed to Alpina Softline’s and the taillights and indictors to M-Tech items. He had also added a K&N induction kit and Eibach lowering springs. Apart from these minor modifications it was a blank canvass for me to work on.
I drove it like this for a couple of months while planning and amassing parts.
The first changed I wanted to make was to add an M-Tech body kit. I much prefer the styling of the Sport models over the SE models, so wanted to replicate this.
I started by searching for the parts I would need for an upgrade and managed to stumble across another car which had all the bits I needed. It was local to me and a good price so I decided to go take a look, not long after I owned a BMW 318is Coupe in the same Boston Green colour as my car, but crucially with the M-Tech body kit I had been searching for.
The parts I needed were stripped from the 318is and fitted to my 328i, with the parts I no longer needed fitted back to the 318is so it could be sold on as a complete car. This was completed in a weekend and the 318is doner sold on again for the price I originally paid!
I started by searching for the parts I would need for an upgrade and managed to stumble across another car which had all the bits I needed. It was local to me and a good price so I decided to go take a look, not long after I owned a BMW 318is Coupe in the same Boston Green colour as my car, but crucially with the M-Tech body kit I had been searching for.
The parts I needed were stripped from the 318is and fitted to my 328i, with the parts I no longer needed fitted back to the 318is so it could be sold on as a complete car. This was completed in a weekend and the 318is doner sold on again for the price I originally paid!
With the car looking like a Sport model, I decided to start with the modifications I had been planning. I had sourced wheels for the car before I owned it, these were taken out of storage and fresh tyres fitted. The wheels had previously been fitted to a friend’s E36 BMW so I knew they would fit well with my plans.
Coilovers were ordered, fitted and adjusted allowing the car to sit how I wanted. The wheels were also fitted and the end result looked awesome. Unfortunately it didn’t last long however, as within 48 hours the aluminum sump had a large hole caused by a cambered road and a cats eye.
A new sump was fitted along with engine raisers, which should have been fitted from the start. These sit between the engine mount and engine to give an extra 20mm of clearance between the sump and the floor. It makes it practically impossible to damage the sump as it now sits above the subframe. The car was also serviced and an annoying leak from the oil filter housing remedied.
Coilovers were ordered, fitted and adjusted allowing the car to sit how I wanted. The wheels were also fitted and the end result looked awesome. Unfortunately it didn’t last long however, as within 48 hours the aluminum sump had a large hole caused by a cambered road and a cats eye.
A new sump was fitted along with engine raisers, which should have been fitted from the start. These sit between the engine mount and engine to give an extra 20mm of clearance between the sump and the floor. It makes it practically impossible to damage the sump as it now sits above the subframe. The car was also serviced and an annoying leak from the oil filter housing remedied.
The car was in good condition when I bought it and solid underneath, but like all E36 BMW’s rust was present and the rear arches and weirdly the passenger’s door needed attention.
The car was sent off to the bodyshop to have the rust repaired and repainted. I also had all four arches rolled and pulled to accommodate the wheels. Rare AC Schnitzer mirrors I had sourced were painted and fitted and the chrome kidney grilles painted gloss black for a cleaner look.
The end result was stunning.
The car was sent off to the bodyshop to have the rust repaired and repainted. I also had all four arches rolled and pulled to accommodate the wheels. Rare AC Schnitzer mirrors I had sourced were painted and fitted and the chrome kidney grilles painted gloss black for a cleaner look.
The end result was stunning.
The car now looked great, just how I had imagined it, but the reality was a car which was awkward to drive day-to-day. The Brock B1 wheels are wide with an aggressive offset, this combined with the low ride height and springs which ideally should be a higher spring rate meant the wheels often caught the arches – not something I wanted after paying out a fair amount of cash having them painted!
To remedy this I fitted rear camber arms and camber top mounts to allow the top of the wheels to sit further inside the arches. This made for a more relaxed drive and meant I wasn’t wincing every five minutes listening to my wheels smash into my arches.
With this problem sorted I attended to smaller details. The passenger’s window had never worked from when I bought the car. This turned out to be a clip on the window regulator meaning the window wasn’t connected to the regulator. A cheap and easy fix.
The traction control had broken and was stuck in ‘off’ mode. This was fixed with a replacement sensor in the engine bay.
This era of BMW’s don’t come with cup holders as standard, annoyingly. A set of cup holders were sourced from America and modified to fit my UK-spec centre console. They’re fairly useless as they’re too small to hold most drinks – but it’s still easier than balancing one on your lap. The interior was also boosted by the addition of an M-Tech steering wheel and gearknob.
A front numberplate delete, which are fitted to some American cars, was bought purely for ‘show use’.
I also bought a set of OEM clear taillights from a friend to match my clear indicators. These are quite rare so I was lucky to get a set.
To remedy this I fitted rear camber arms and camber top mounts to allow the top of the wheels to sit further inside the arches. This made for a more relaxed drive and meant I wasn’t wincing every five minutes listening to my wheels smash into my arches.
With this problem sorted I attended to smaller details. The passenger’s window had never worked from when I bought the car. This turned out to be a clip on the window regulator meaning the window wasn’t connected to the regulator. A cheap and easy fix.
The traction control had broken and was stuck in ‘off’ mode. This was fixed with a replacement sensor in the engine bay.
This era of BMW’s don’t come with cup holders as standard, annoyingly. A set of cup holders were sourced from America and modified to fit my UK-spec centre console. They’re fairly useless as they’re too small to hold most drinks – but it’s still easier than balancing one on your lap. The interior was also boosted by the addition of an M-Tech steering wheel and gearknob.
A front numberplate delete, which are fitted to some American cars, was bought purely for ‘show use’.
I also bought a set of OEM clear taillights from a friend to match my clear indicators. These are quite rare so I was lucky to get a set.
I was really happy with how the car now was. It looked great, to my eyes anyway, and ran perfectly with no annoying faults. Unfortunately my cars don’t stay in this perfect condition for long and I managed to hit a traffic cone leaving a scuff on my front bumper. Luckily it didn’t damage anything else.
I had bought a LTW/GT spoiler in the meantime so sent this off along with my damaged front bumper to the bodyshop.
I’d wanted a LTW/GT spoiler since owning my first E36 BMW, and after getting my parts back from the bodyshop and fitting everything up, it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately mine isn’t a genuine spoiler, instead a replica from eBay, as I couldn’t find a genuine one for sale at a reasonable price. Most wouldn’t tell the difference, so I’m happy with it until I can find a genuine one.
I had bought a LTW/GT spoiler in the meantime so sent this off along with my damaged front bumper to the bodyshop.
I’d wanted a LTW/GT spoiler since owning my first E36 BMW, and after getting my parts back from the bodyshop and fitting everything up, it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately mine isn’t a genuine spoiler, instead a replica from eBay, as I couldn’t find a genuine one for sale at a reasonable price. Most wouldn’t tell the difference, so I’m happy with it until I can find a genuine one.
The next aspect of the car I wanted to upgrade was power, but this has been put on the back burner as last minute my car was drafted in to be driven to Austria for the yearly Worthersee show. We were meant to be going in a friend’s car but unfortunately he wasn’t finished in time so the BMW was prepped to go instead.
I wasn’t worried as the car had never let me down, but I still packed some spare parts as a just in case measure and made sure I had some kind of European breakdown cover.
The car managed the 1100 miles journey to Worthersee without fault. The only downside was my rear springs certainly weren’t up to the job of carrying a boot full of clothes, food, drink and tools along with a full tank of fuel as well, meaning any bump in the road had my wheels smashing my arches. I really need to fit some stiffer springs to sort this.
The drive was a little boring after the initial excitement of driving abroad with your mates had worn off. That was until we reached the Alps. The views were spectacular and the endless tunnels really woke me up after driving for a solid 14 hours.
Once we got to Worthersee the car was getting lots of positive attention, with lots of people asking questions and taking pictures – it was fantastic. I also had a fellow E36 driver to take some pictures with – he was from Switzerland but spoke fantastic English and we’ve stayed in touch.
Unfortunately on day three things didn’t go quite as planned. We had originally intended to go for a drive into the Alps to enjoy the roads and scenery. We had been given a route which would climb to 6000 feet above sea level. On the way out of town though I was stopped at a Police inspection point where the car was ruthlessly scrutinized. I was told to drive the car from the road into a car park, where I was made to remove my numberplates which were handed over to the Police along with all my documents for the car and my driving licence. I was taken to the local Police station where my offences were written up and a €1000 was calculated. One of my alleged offence was invalid insurance because they didn’t believe my insurance document was legit. I felt this was corrupt but complied anyway, not wanting more hassle, and paid the €1000 fine.
This only allowed me my documents back, to get my numberplates back I would have to raise the car to meet their rules. This meant the lowest part of the car had to be 8cm off the floor, mine was measured at 2cm. Thankfully a friend of mine was travelling from the UK to Austria later on in the week. He brought with him rear adjusters so I could raise the car to the required height, meaning I was allowed my numberplates back and could drive on Austrian soil again.
We celebrated by driving into the Alps, unfortunately not the original route planned as it was too late in the day but it was still an amazing drive with some amazing views.
The drive home was uneventful except a blowout of the front driver’s side tyre somewhere in Germany. The car performed perfectly throughout the trip, even when getting a hammering in the Alps.
Since getting back I haven’t done anything exciting with the car – I haven’t even lowered it back down yet. But I have some more plans in the pipeline to change things up so hopefully I’ll have some more updates soon.
I wasn’t worried as the car had never let me down, but I still packed some spare parts as a just in case measure and made sure I had some kind of European breakdown cover.
The car managed the 1100 miles journey to Worthersee without fault. The only downside was my rear springs certainly weren’t up to the job of carrying a boot full of clothes, food, drink and tools along with a full tank of fuel as well, meaning any bump in the road had my wheels smashing my arches. I really need to fit some stiffer springs to sort this.
The drive was a little boring after the initial excitement of driving abroad with your mates had worn off. That was until we reached the Alps. The views were spectacular and the endless tunnels really woke me up after driving for a solid 14 hours.
Once we got to Worthersee the car was getting lots of positive attention, with lots of people asking questions and taking pictures – it was fantastic. I also had a fellow E36 driver to take some pictures with – he was from Switzerland but spoke fantastic English and we’ve stayed in touch.
Unfortunately on day three things didn’t go quite as planned. We had originally intended to go for a drive into the Alps to enjoy the roads and scenery. We had been given a route which would climb to 6000 feet above sea level. On the way out of town though I was stopped at a Police inspection point where the car was ruthlessly scrutinized. I was told to drive the car from the road into a car park, where I was made to remove my numberplates which were handed over to the Police along with all my documents for the car and my driving licence. I was taken to the local Police station where my offences were written up and a €1000 was calculated. One of my alleged offence was invalid insurance because they didn’t believe my insurance document was legit. I felt this was corrupt but complied anyway, not wanting more hassle, and paid the €1000 fine.
This only allowed me my documents back, to get my numberplates back I would have to raise the car to meet their rules. This meant the lowest part of the car had to be 8cm off the floor, mine was measured at 2cm. Thankfully a friend of mine was travelling from the UK to Austria later on in the week. He brought with him rear adjusters so I could raise the car to the required height, meaning I was allowed my numberplates back and could drive on Austrian soil again.
We celebrated by driving into the Alps, unfortunately not the original route planned as it was too late in the day but it was still an amazing drive with some amazing views.
The drive home was uneventful except a blowout of the front driver’s side tyre somewhere in Germany. The car performed perfectly throughout the trip, even when getting a hammering in the Alps.
Since getting back I haven’t done anything exciting with the car – I haven’t even lowered it back down yet. But I have some more plans in the pipeline to change things up so hopefully I’ll have some more updates soon.
This was the reaction I expected, although I think calling it a dog's dinner is a little harsh. 
HJR848 said:
Bad luck with the police.
Although you seem very nonchalant about being fined £1000!
I was fuming at the time but there was little I could do - the language barrier certainly didn't help. I should have paid more attention to the local laws and they perhaps wouldn't have treated me so harshly.Although you seem very nonchalant about being fined £1000!
djdest said:
Nice car but makes no sense to me. It pretty much reads that you lowered it so much that it ruined driving and enjoying it.
Unfortunately you won't get much support on here for that reason, people prefer to drive the car fully, not crawl along wincing at every bump or cats eye
I'll admit when I first lowered the car it was like this, and I wondered why I had gone so low, but now I've changed a few things including raising the engine it gets driven hard without worry. I mean it was maxed on the German autobahn, showing nearly 155MPH on the speedo, so it's capable of being driven fast.Unfortunately you won't get much support on here for that reason, people prefer to drive the car fully, not crawl along wincing at every bump or cats eye
rossi1 said:
A bit "scene" for my liking but Good to see another E36 getting some love,had my 328i sport for 10 years now and I still love it and certainly makes me smile jumping in this after driving a daily in the week ????
I think it's a bit 'scene' for most peoples liking - around here anyway - but it's how I want the car.I've got to say yours looks stunning and Avus Blue (?) is one of my favourite colours these cars come in.
Ant_ITR said:
you had an identical thing happen to me when i went to worthersee in my e36. Car looks really good quiet similar to mine, mine is Aqua Metallic
Trouble with the Police too - care to elaborate?Yours looks awesome, unusual colour too, I like it. I've got a lot more plans for mine, so maybe I'll even change the views of a few once I'm finished.
Digitalize said:
Brave posting this on here, because most members hate stance.
Looks alright though, not a huge fan of the Brocks personally, or the white tails on a dark car.
There's no way you should have paid that fine either, literally just making things up because you're English, knowing they'll probably get away with it. I'd be surprised if much of the fine was actually 'paid' either. Still, it's done now! First case I've heard of it going bad this year, only seen a few friends get small fines.
I nearly didn't post for that reason but I don't mind taking the negative comments - I understand this isn't to most people's taste.Looks alright though, not a huge fan of the Brocks personally, or the white tails on a dark car.
There's no way you should have paid that fine either, literally just making things up because you're English, knowing they'll probably get away with it. I'd be surprised if much of the fine was actually 'paid' either. Still, it's done now! First case I've heard of it going bad this year, only seen a few friends get small fines.
I love the Brock wheels and have had a lot of positive comments about them, I think you're the first person to say you don't like them. I am planning to change them soon though for something a little more special.
I paid the fine to save the hassle of trying to leave the country without number plates and documents. I originally told them they weren't having my number plates but they threatened to arrest me if I didn't comply, which would have ruined my holiday completely. Frustrating, but like you say it's done now.
darrenw said:
Ah so was that your E36 parked at Faak/Arneitz seemingly abandoned for days? I wondered what the story was!
Yes that was me - I was waiting for a friend who was driving from the UK to Worthersee to bring rear adjustment cups with him. Without these I wouldn't have been able to raise the car so not sure how I would have got it home.declasm said:
I had an aqua sport too - love that colour 
op - I think your car's looking great!
Thank you - yours looks awesome too! I really like the Style 24 wheels.op - I think your car's looking great!
hornetrider said:
I'm sorry I just can't help myself. Look at what you've done to that lovely car. Just look at it.
I appreciate it isn't to everyone's taste - as I've already said many times! - but everything I've done to the car is reversible. If I wanted I could put the car back to standard tomorrow.Ant_ITR said:
Basically the same thing as you, was staying in Velden and decided to nip to the shops to get some stuff, got pulled in for a road side check by the lovely Austrian police, then taken to the fire station up the road where they went over everything basically doing the MOT test and my fine was worked out from there, the fine came to £850 plus the fees. Wanted to pay for it on card but they drove me to the bank and made me draw the cash out. Would love to go back to worthersee again but i would just fly and rent a car, its not worth the bother of taking my own
They must like picking on E36s. It came across to me as very corrupt. I was made to rectify the faults with my car before I could drive it again - which is fair enough - but many of my friends received fine for defects but were allowed to continue using the car in the same condition; a few of them even getting repeat stops and fines for the same defects. Plus, as you've mentioned they'll only accept cash as payment. It did seem as if they treat Worthersee as a payday, targeting foreign plated cars.
I'm planning to go back next year despite all of this, but like you will fly and rent a car.
The Worthersee trip had taken its toll on the BMW. The clips for the front indicators were broken, which I found out when they fell off the car while driving fairly quickly on a German autobahn. The blowout in Germany meant I was using an original BMW wheel for the front, which was a completely different size, width and offset to the Brock wheel on the other side which made the car horrible to drive. The new sensible ride height really didn’t suit the wide wheels and stretched tyres either – it looked ridiculous. It was also filthy inside and out.
I had lost a lot of love for the car, so it was parked up and not used for a number of weeks.
I decided it was a waste sitting around doing nothing, so started rectifying these problems. Genuine indicators were purchased and fitted. Coilovers were adjusted to their original height and new tyres put on the front wheels, so I could have four matching wheels again.
The car was then detailed to get it looking its best again.
Despite all this I was still bored with the car so decided to change a few things to rekindle my interest.
Although the car sounded great with the K&N air filter fitted, I wanted some more noise. I managed to pick up a non-branded custom exhaust from eBay for just £19. For that price if I didn’t like it I could simply sell it on!
It was fitted and sounds great without being excessively loud. I’ll get some videos at some point.
The next thing to change was the wheels. I was bored with the Brocks, so bought some OZ Mito wheels locally which needed refurbing. They were given to Elie at Voodoo Motorsport to be rebuilt. He’s one of the best in the business for split rims. The wheels were built wider with brand new Radinox dishes to make them 17-inch x 8.5j front and 17-inch x 9.5j rear. These have a less aggressive offset than the Brocks so they’re kinder on my arches.
The springs were also changed for a slightly stiffer set to help out further. The car also had an oil and filter change to keep everything running sweet. This definitely rekindled my love for the car.
I had lost a lot of love for the car, so it was parked up and not used for a number of weeks.
I decided it was a waste sitting around doing nothing, so started rectifying these problems. Genuine indicators were purchased and fitted. Coilovers were adjusted to their original height and new tyres put on the front wheels, so I could have four matching wheels again.
The car was then detailed to get it looking its best again.
Despite all this I was still bored with the car so decided to change a few things to rekindle my interest.
Although the car sounded great with the K&N air filter fitted, I wanted some more noise. I managed to pick up a non-branded custom exhaust from eBay for just £19. For that price if I didn’t like it I could simply sell it on!
It was fitted and sounds great without being excessively loud. I’ll get some videos at some point.
The next thing to change was the wheels. I was bored with the Brocks, so bought some OZ Mito wheels locally which needed refurbing. They were given to Elie at Voodoo Motorsport to be rebuilt. He’s one of the best in the business for split rims. The wheels were built wider with brand new Radinox dishes to make them 17-inch x 8.5j front and 17-inch x 9.5j rear. These have a less aggressive offset than the Brocks so they’re kinder on my arches.
The springs were also changed for a slightly stiffer set to help out further. The car also had an oil and filter change to keep everything running sweet. This definitely rekindled my love for the car.
After the last update, I did very little with the car beyond regular maintenance and taking it to multiple shows and events.
I had owned the car for nine months or so, and had enjoyed every single minute of it and the adventures I had. But after 14,000 miles I decided it was time for a change and sold the car which made way for a new project: Toyota Supra – Childhood Dream
This was the most reliable car I have ever owned! The only problems I had, that weren't self-inflicted, were the traction control playing up and a dead battery. It was a fantastic car and I wouldn't hesitate to own another in the future.
I had owned the car for nine months or so, and had enjoyed every single minute of it and the adventures I had. But after 14,000 miles I decided it was time for a change and sold the car which made way for a new project: Toyota Supra – Childhood Dream
This was the most reliable car I have ever owned! The only problems I had, that weren't self-inflicted, were the traction control playing up and a dead battery. It was a fantastic car and I wouldn't hesitate to own another in the future.
Edited by Bradley1500 on Wednesday 25th January 11:14
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