Joeys E36 328i Vert, From The Start

[J3EY]

Well guys im new on this forum but im going to transfer my build thread over for all to have a read! im from the UK so over the pond, ive had this car 5 years now and shes treated me good!

Heres how the car started its life (sorry for the crap pics)
ui


It was Boggo well for a month or 2, concidering it was my first rear wheel drive car at the age of 20 i thought its going to be fun to say the least, when i bought it november 2007, it was in good condition 86k miles with full bmw service history, heated sports seats, hard top (not pictured) and many other options.

Since then it has been transformed!
Here is a list of things that have been done.

Fitted M3 Bumpers and Skirts (thanks to bountyhunter)
Fitted M3 Mirrors
Fitted M3 Mouldings
Windows Tinted
M3 alloys wraped in goodyear
Gen 6 ccfl Angel Eyes
Hid 6000k Low Beam
Hid 6000k Fog Lights
Dave.f Kit
18 Button Obc upgrade
Front Strut Brace

Heres a few pics of her thought her transformation



During mid modification my car was keyed, ooooh dont we love ex girlfriends crazy friends!!!
heres the only pic i got of the minor damage.

The door, wing and bonnet was keyed to shreds.

Then oh joy sitting in traffic and guess what speeds up my arse!!! dun dun duuuuun..... a mini cab driver (who would have guessed it)

so off to bmw the car goes for a free repair due to a non fault accident on behalf of accident exchange, i was expecting to be given a little 1.4 mini cooper to run around in, or a 118d 5 door at the most, BUT OH MY GOD TO MY SUPRISE i had a SPANKING 57 plate 330D Convertable
heres a few crappy pics (I NEED TO GET A REAL CAMERA or atleast keel it with me!)




When i got back into the e36 to say dissapointed was a bit of an understatement, it felt slow and boring having owned a brand new car for a total of 2 weeks and 3 days and putting 3k miles on the clock (who would have guessed i was ill from work during this time as well wat a co-incedence) alltho it was due to be back after 5 days. But unfortunaltey my phone battery had died and i was in another country (well what accident exchange thought anyway).
Gave it a good wash and an extreme polish!!! SHINEY SHINEY


Topless weather


And now MOT time and ive notsed my ball joints have seased to be.... so for a replacement, car goes flying!

Passes first time, after wheel alignment of course. driving home from having ball joints done was hilarious as both front wheels faced into eachother shows just how bad they were to begin with.

Stil very far from how i want her but lets just say its slowley making progress, thanks for reading any comments welcome ears now and shes treated me good!

Enjoy the read!!

[J3EY]

Well thers a bit of a long story that happend to the vert this yeat, starting in january in the snow when it was not a good time atall, i managed to crash into a lampost (avoiding 2 parked cars and a fence)


i managed to walk home (about 2 minutes away) get some sand and throw it under the wheels to get some grip and i managed to get the car home to the driveway!

Well going to bed very stressed and waking up in the morning thinking it must have been a dream i go down stairs to look at my pride and joy and unfortunalty it was no dream!

This is what i woke up to




since it happend within the next few hours i stripped it down to asess the damage!



Were it was such a slow motion crash i managed to aim were i was going to hit, it was a 15mph slide so i aimed for the one and only bmw badge as i knew at least i would miss the chassis legs and hopefully have less damage to deal with! when stripped down i managed to get a list made up

Things i needed were
1. Bonnet
2. Nosecone
3. Cross member
4. Bumper
5. Carrier
6. Nose cone

So that was my list, on ebay that night i see someone breaking a montreal blue coupe 10 minutes away as i ring him up seeing what he has lucky for me he had it all apart from the bumper + carrier and i said how much..... a quick pause and i heard 90 squid! bargin so i got them all! alltho they were not in the best condition atleast i could be back on the road! so i re-fitted some of the parts.



then i went to mstyle in essex and picked up a brand new replica m3 front bumper for 100 pound this included m3 lip and mesh, had in on the car for a few weeks running around in primer but back on the road to say the least.

Got a good friend of mine kevin (bimmerboy) to spray the bumper and nosecone (new) for me but the bonnet was getting me down as it had a good few dents and alot of rust around it! so as i was in pease pottage car breakers (bridges) i managed to pick up a green bonnet for 40 pound and its basically mint condition just need it respraying! A friend of mine picked up a 323i convert and got the mtec kit and wanted my mirrors so i decided to let him have them as i had a spare set of ac schnitzer mirrors ive had years but never got round to painting! Washed it yesterday and heres a few pics as it stands today.








and today at the breakers again i managed to get a 5litre washer bottle and got it fitted when i got home



Few other things ive done since the begining of the journel is

1. E46 M3 front brakes
2. E36 Miltek backbox welded to a 328 center section
3. Coilovers off, lowerd on brand new oem shocks and eibach pro kit.
4. Ac Schnitzer type III alloys 18x 8.5 all round Genuine
5. M50 manifold conversion (thank you ian)

[J3EY]

Right im in the process of making my boring auto 328 in to a manual! ive just changed over the pedal box! This is all for now
Now i have 3 instead of 2

[J3EY]

Well pretty soon i will be picking up another e36 vert, but this time it will be in the M3 flavor!
The body work is imaculate not a ding or dent even a swirl mark on her, shes a late 97 with 72k miles on the clock!
Ill let the pics do the talking...




I owned this car for 3 weeks then sold for over double what i paid! so the 328 Stayed!!

[J3EY]

There is alot to update in the journal i will try to get some pictures up soon! for now here is a pic how she stands!

[J3EY]

Just got my heated vader elements from the dealers!

Now i need some hog ring pliers and hog rings!

[J3EY]

Well yesterday i popped to the breakers yard and managed to find some good parts at silly prices!

18 button obc
Digitial climate panel
e39 multi function buttons and slipring
bmw Alarm led
Complete climate control heater box from behind dash
Bmw fire extinguisher bracket



Was very pleased with my self!

Havent put any pictures of the wilwoods ive got on her at the moment but here it is....



i started a retrofit of my headlamp washers!



i dont have any pics of it finished but its so useless but just another option ticked off the list!!

and just a cheeky side pic of how she sits at the moment!!

[J3EY]

Well sad to say but my car has been out of action for just over a week at the moment due to me snapping my evo diff carrier! Pulled out of work and BANG! i thought what have i done now!

Rolled the car back to work over the pit and managed to find what had happend!!


As you can see it was a nice clean snap!

It then sat at work while i sourced a few new bits, i snapped a pic of it when i was helping with an MOT.


Managed to somehow get her on a ramp and start the dismantling process!


A few pics of the diff removed and the damage!





While its out im replacing the seals and bearings in my diff.





While it was all down and apart i found this cheeky little bugger on my diff that usually arent there!


so far so good just waiting to get going. At the same time im fitting my m20 flywheel, changing gearbox oil, few new uncracked manifolds, possibly camber arms and rebuild front wilwood brakes!

Thanks for ready! any questions fire away!!

[J3EY]

Just a little update as I've got the diff carrier being cleaned up and getting rid of any surface rust but I got a bit carried away!!!
Chrome anyone lol



Just a little pic of the bushes ive got waiting!!

[J3EY]

Well today got me a few steps closer to owning a brand new rear end lol!

I dropped the trailing arms and the fuel tank I'm preparation to put in new brake lines and weld in my plates!

Here's a few pics of what lies beneath!






Here's the tank on the deck


I then started cleaning it



This is all for today lol!

[J3EY]

Just a little bit more progress, its kinda a side project but bloody hell i miss this thing!!

Re-inforcement plates


Chassis Ground ready to start welding



And Welded in place





Some time tomorrow ill clean this up with the grinder.
Then the car will be Under Sealed

As the cars in the air its having alot done may aswell do it all at once!
This is how she currently stands!!


Thanks for reading!

[J3EY]

Done some painting last night!











The eagled eye people will notise the rear brake lines are brand new

She's alive!
Well I was hoping my wheel wouldent smash my arch when I lowerd the car so I adjusted the camber arm a bit too much!

[J3EY]

Well as today has been a good day ill add a small update!

Picked up some new wheels to replace the type 3s
In Transit


As i arrived to meet the guy i see this in the car park


A Few more of the wheels!




Specs are
8.5 et 38
9 et et 32

[J3EY]

Bit of an update!

Swapped the tyres from my type 3s ( now for sale ) onto the type twos and blimy has it changed the car for me! Not a huge fan on the chrome but It can be changed very easily!!!








Tyres on







Happy to say im over the moon!
Thanks for reading!!!

[J3EY]

Moved around a bit not far tho! All wheels fitted just need a arch roll!