Cardoza's E36 M3 Build

[cardoza]

So I got the quarter panel into decent shape over the winter, though it'll still need to be fully replaced over next winter if I decide to hang on to the car that long. Anyway, got some goodies in today, and obviously I was really excited about getting them put on. BC Racing coils.



Also came across a very legit brake line install when I went to pull off the old aftermarket suspension.



Aaaaaaaand I got two of the bolts off then this happened.



I'm beyond pissed off at the moment. I was really looking forward to getting the coils on and then figure out what's needed for the wheels, but now I'm at a standstill. I was planning on getting the suspension bushings replaced at a shop so I'm thinking that I might just have it towed there and allow them to deal with it as I'm sure they'll have better tools to do so than I do.

[meech]

wow thats a lot of rust

usually its a pretty straight forward job, Wait till you have access to a torch, and preferably an impact gun it literally is night and day difference

[cardoza]

wow thats a lot of rust

Yeah, I have to say that everything has been made more difficult on this car because of the rust. But it's also why I got it for the price that I did.

usually its a pretty straight forward job, Wait till you have access to a torch, and preferably an impact gun it literally is night and day difference

I can't wait to move into a house with a garage for this exact reason. I have an electric impact but that sucks and people at the apartment complex get grumpy about making too much noise. I still think this car has great potential, but obviously it's on my shit list right now.

[cardoza]

So I got my coilover situation figured out, had a shop extract that snapped off bolt and was able to finish up getting everything installed. Then I was kind of in limbo trying to figure out what spacers I needed, ended up settling on 20mm in the rear and 35mm up front. I'm honestly not too sure what that will make my final offset with the 10.5s, but I believe it should be somewhere in the +15mm range in front and +25 in back. Still need to get tires mounted on the CCWs, all of the shops around OKC that I've called about mounting have thrown a fit once I tell them that I'm looking to run 215/40s on a 17x10.5 wheel, so that's been a process.

In the meantime, I picked up a set of roadstars to get rid of the horrendous plasti-dipped ASA AR1s (why anyone would do that to a set of wheels is beyond me), just to make it somewhat presentable. The set came with two rears and four fronts, and the 245/40s mounted on the rear don't work at all with my ride height, so in the meantime I've mounted the four fronts all around. Discount Tire refused to mount 205/40s on the front and switch the current 215/40s that are on the fronts to the rear, so I have to find another shop that is willing to do that.



My plan is to keep the roadstars as a spare set of wheels should anything happen to the CCWs. Moving onto the CCWs... I got my adapters in earlier this week and was able to do a test fit of the wheels to see where things sit. Call me crazy, but I think I might be able to make these 10.5s work up front with a slight fender pull and proper tire sizing. Oh, and a shitload of camber. These pictures show the camber completely maxxed on my BC coils, and I have another few millimeters of clearance to run camber shims to get a little bit more camber to get them under the arches. Ignore the widowmaker, I just use it to get my car high enough to fit my real jack under it, and would normally use jackstands but this was a five minute process where I had no intentions of getting under the car.

[DioXidE]

Looks awesome, love e36. My fav bmw shape!

[cardoza]

Got my roadstars mounted. Had the 215/40s that were originally on the front switched to the rear and got some 205/40s mounted on the front. In SERIOUS need of a fender roll/pull. Took it for a test drive up the road to the gas station and my rear fenders were pouring out smoke while I was driving. I would have expected the rears to camber in a little more than they did after lowering the car so much, but it looks like I have basically zero camber in back. I think there's an eccentric bolt in the rear that I can adjust to get a little bit more camber, but I'm not sure. Either way, a massive improvement from those godawful ASAs.

Fitment after first lowering it.



Couple of pics from the gas station. The fronts could use more spacing but I just threw on the 20mm spacers I had laying around.

[cardoza]

This build isn't dead!! Just been on a little bit of a hold while I've been getting some things finalized with a house that I should be closing on here at the end of the month. The roadstars wouldn't work without a good roll/pull in the rear, so I had to figure out a different solution while I wait to get the CCWs on, and I managed to stumble upon a set of Style 19s that a guy wanted to trade locally.





Had to throw some 20mm spacers I had laying around in order to clear the front brakes, and I really like how they fit, even with 205/45s. I move next week, and then will actually have a GARAGE (no more apartment lot car working!!) and am hopeful that over the winter there will be some significant progress on this build.

[cardoza]

One more in the light and after a wash.

[cardoza]

Traded the CCWs! Have this set of Dinan Enduro 3s on the way, they're one of 50 sets that were ever produced by DP Motorsports. Fitment is 17x8.5 et17 all around, so I'm thinking with a set of 215/40s they should fit nicely!! Much easier than swapping the barrels on my CCWs.

[cardoza]

Enduros are on!! Threw some 205/40s on them and I love how they fit. Got some 8mm spacers to mess around with in back.

[Orangee94]

Fuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa please donate to me cheers looking godly there m8.