'sup guys?
Just wanted to share the timeline of my Bimmer from start to now. It's nowhere near finished, as it is a rolling project.
History Lesson!
Back in '07 I bought my first car, a '92 VW Golf Mk3 GT Special - meaning it was a 1.8 90hp with disc brakes all around and the full GTI flare kit and sports seats.
Of course couldn't leave that stock, a set of coils followed, matched up with a set of polished ATS Cup in 7x15 ET20. The front end was changed drastically to Votex dual round headlights and an ABT frontgrille. I made the error of not keeping tabs on the usual wear and tear items and when it finally came to the time that this couldn't be ignored any longer, the list of stuff that needed replacing was way too long, so I made a spontaneous decision and sold the car.
A fresh start - 05/05/2008
I picked up my new car around the same time I put the Golf up for sale. I found it at a local used car dealer, a 2-owner E36 320i.
The car came with black fabric seats and matching doorcards, power windows (in the front, not in the rear though), power sunroof and an A/C, rest was pretty much bare.
When I got it, it had 180.000km.
And before anyone asks, no it's not Calypsored, it's the even more rare Cordobared.
As it looked when I picked it up, the typical german grandfather's car:
Let there be light - 05/10/2008
First mod was some new lighting, new headlights, red/white tails, smoked turns.
In the living room - 06/19/2008
After that, I tackled the interior. Beige, heated leather seats, which came with completely beige door cards. I ripped out the inserts of the beige door cards and placed them in my black door cards.
Also installed a new carpet as my old carpet had some big holes.
The next problem showed up: The rear bench would not fit exactly in my car, as it was a static one piece bench. My car came stock with a foldable two piece bench. So I had to fab a backing plate, I used some wood for that. The side visible in the trunk is still bare as I haven't had the motivation to put some carpet on it yet. I most likely won't either, as I have some plans for the trunk area, which I will talk about at a later point.
Going down - 06/21/2008
The interior now way more comfy, it was time to do something else.
I picked this up:
And installed it, along with all new bearings and so on, basically all the usual wear and tear items in, on and near the suspension were replaced.
Of course I didn't know that my stock wheels wouldn't fit with the coils, so I ran the winter wheels for a few days until I got new wheels.
It's all about the stretch... without the poke? - 06/27/2008
So, I got a set of used Azev A. 8x17 Et35 and 9.5x17 ET30. Tires are 205/40 and 225/35 Falken FK452.
Then I put some 15mm spacers in the front to make them 8x17 ET20.
When I went to the TÜV to have them approve the setup, they wouldn't do that. I had to remove the spacers and raise the car up again.
This was the TÜV approved height:
A friend made some new centercaps for me:
Tightening it up. - 09/24/2008
Next, a Wiechers strut brace was installed.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! - 11/23/2008
Then came the first winter.
Roar - 03/21/2009
Installed a new exhaust, just a cheap Supersport piece, but it does it's job.
Going lower - 04/19/2009
Cranked down the coils until I was almost satisfied. I figured "F*ck the Tüv, I like it low!" - until the cops pulled me over.
Then I was pulled over on 05/11/2009, received a ticket for the ride height not matching the ride height written in my car's papers. Still awaiting the consequences of that - worst case scenario: ~150€ ticket, ~400€ for retaking my driving test.
Foggy situations - 06/06/2009
"Built" myself a set of new fogs - had a set of yellow fogs lying around which were not OEM, as the previous owner just painted them yellow, so I took them apart, removed the yellow paint and painted the reflector black:
Left: My painted one
Center: Stock OEM piece
Right: One of the yellow painted ones
Just need to seal em up now and fix my driver's side fog holder then I can install them.
Spring cleaning - 06/07/2009
Cleaned the engine bay a bit and discovered that my strut bearings are pretty much destroyed even though I haven't noticed anything while driving. I replaced these last year, so I'm a bit angry about this - I know that lowering will increase wear and tear on these and other bearings, but it should be nothing to this extreme.
That was it up until now.
I'm not 100% sure about the future of the car, I know I want to keep it and keep the engine stock - I want to try to get as much kms out of it as possible, at least 400.000 km is my goal.
I do have quite some ideas, not sure when and if the stuff from these ideas will happen, though.
One thing I'm really thinking about is getting the car bagged next year, imo the pros outweigh the cons on this.
Pros:
Cops can't do isht because of lowness; able to get around everywhere, even the steepest parking garages; able to drive really, really low and just raise the car up for bigger bumps and stuff
Cons:
Expensive, need a bit more maintenance than coils
I'm really not 100% sure, I'm strongly leaning towards it, but I'd like some input on this, please. And no jokes like "bags are for pussies", k?
Just wanted to share the timeline of my Bimmer from start to now. It's nowhere near finished, as it is a rolling project.
History Lesson!
Back in '07 I bought my first car, a '92 VW Golf Mk3 GT Special - meaning it was a 1.8 90hp with disc brakes all around and the full GTI flare kit and sports seats.
Of course couldn't leave that stock, a set of coils followed, matched up with a set of polished ATS Cup in 7x15 ET20. The front end was changed drastically to Votex dual round headlights and an ABT frontgrille. I made the error of not keeping tabs on the usual wear and tear items and when it finally came to the time that this couldn't be ignored any longer, the list of stuff that needed replacing was way too long, so I made a spontaneous decision and sold the car.
A fresh start - 05/05/2008
I picked up my new car around the same time I put the Golf up for sale. I found it at a local used car dealer, a 2-owner E36 320i.
The car came with black fabric seats and matching doorcards, power windows (in the front, not in the rear though), power sunroof and an A/C, rest was pretty much bare.
When I got it, it had 180.000km.
And before anyone asks, no it's not Calypsored, it's the even more rare Cordobared.
As it looked when I picked it up, the typical german grandfather's car:
Let there be light - 05/10/2008
First mod was some new lighting, new headlights, red/white tails, smoked turns.
In the living room - 06/19/2008
After that, I tackled the interior. Beige, heated leather seats, which came with completely beige door cards. I ripped out the inserts of the beige door cards and placed them in my black door cards.
Also installed a new carpet as my old carpet had some big holes.
The next problem showed up: The rear bench would not fit exactly in my car, as it was a static one piece bench. My car came stock with a foldable two piece bench. So I had to fab a backing plate, I used some wood for that. The side visible in the trunk is still bare as I haven't had the motivation to put some carpet on it yet. I most likely won't either, as I have some plans for the trunk area, which I will talk about at a later point.
Going down - 06/21/2008
The interior now way more comfy, it was time to do something else.
I picked this up:
And installed it, along with all new bearings and so on, basically all the usual wear and tear items in, on and near the suspension were replaced.
Of course I didn't know that my stock wheels wouldn't fit with the coils, so I ran the winter wheels for a few days until I got new wheels.
It's all about the stretch... without the poke? - 06/27/2008
So, I got a set of used Azev A. 8x17 Et35 and 9.5x17 ET30. Tires are 205/40 and 225/35 Falken FK452.
Then I put some 15mm spacers in the front to make them 8x17 ET20.
When I went to the TÜV to have them approve the setup, they wouldn't do that. I had to remove the spacers and raise the car up again.
This was the TÜV approved height:
A friend made some new centercaps for me:
Tightening it up. - 09/24/2008
Next, a Wiechers strut brace was installed.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! - 11/23/2008
Then came the first winter.
Roar - 03/21/2009
Installed a new exhaust, just a cheap Supersport piece, but it does it's job.
Going lower - 04/19/2009
Cranked down the coils until I was almost satisfied. I figured "F*ck the Tüv, I like it low!" - until the cops pulled me over.
Then I was pulled over on 05/11/2009, received a ticket for the ride height not matching the ride height written in my car's papers. Still awaiting the consequences of that - worst case scenario: ~150€ ticket, ~400€ for retaking my driving test.
Foggy situations - 06/06/2009
"Built" myself a set of new fogs - had a set of yellow fogs lying around which were not OEM, as the previous owner just painted them yellow, so I took them apart, removed the yellow paint and painted the reflector black:
Left: My painted one
Center: Stock OEM piece
Right: One of the yellow painted ones
Just need to seal em up now and fix my driver's side fog holder then I can install them.
Spring cleaning - 06/07/2009
Cleaned the engine bay a bit and discovered that my strut bearings are pretty much destroyed even though I haven't noticed anything while driving. I replaced these last year, so I'm a bit angry about this - I know that lowering will increase wear and tear on these and other bearings, but it should be nothing to this extreme.
That was it up until now.
I'm not 100% sure about the future of the car, I know I want to keep it and keep the engine stock - I want to try to get as much kms out of it as possible, at least 400.000 km is my goal.
I do have quite some ideas, not sure when and if the stuff from these ideas will happen, though.
One thing I'm really thinking about is getting the car bagged next year, imo the pros outweigh the cons on this.
Pros:
Cops can't do isht because of lowness; able to get around everywhere, even the steepest parking garages; able to drive really, really low and just raise the car up for bigger bumps and stuff
Cons:
Expensive, need a bit more maintenance than coils
I'm really not 100% sure, I'm strongly leaning towards it, but I'd like some input on this, please. And no jokes like "bags are for pussies", k?
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