Not an M; Won't look like an M

[TheTynosaur]

I have another thread on here for my first car, a MK4 Jetta, but last month, my dad and I picked up a 1996 328is as a father son project. It was mechanically sound, but cosmetically, it was a mess. I have cleaned probably a collective eight hours and I still havent done the engine bay or the exterior.



I didn't think to take pictures of a lot of the little parts we've bought so far



Here is how it looked when we bought it













That spot where the PO fixed the rust didn't quite hold up, so there is rust still under it and it'll have to be sanded down and fixed.



Besides cleaning, I cleaned the headlight lenses and they look almost brand new now







After that, I changed out the tail lights because the connection in one was broken, causing the left brake light to not work







At the same time, I replaced the license plate bulbs and cleaned out underneath that piece. I didn't get any pics of how dirty this thing was except this one, so here is a taste of the amount of dirt I cleaned out of everything







Then the check engine light came on 30 miles from home and I pulled off the highway just as the car started steaming out from the hood and as soon as I turned the car off, all the coolant dumped out. The water pump exploded.







We got that fixed and then yesterday, we did the coilovers







I only got one picture when the car was down and adjusted. It was kind of bittersweet; I love the way it looks, but the camber on one wheel is off and it rubs really bad on one side and not the other, so I have to get that fixed or adjusted or something, I have no idea what is causing it yet. Also one wheel is bent, but due to the amount of rubbing, we haven't taken out out faster than about 30mph, so I'll lift the rear about half an inch soon and take it out to see if it vibrates or anything. The wheels are Mille Miglias.







We don't have any real plans for it yet besides painting the front bumper we got to replace the broken one as well as fixing and painting the rear bumper and fixing and painting the rust spot, besides that we don't have much planned. It already has an exhaust, tune, intake, and short shifter.


As for the title, I have no plans on making the car look like an M, so the bumpers and side skirts and such will stay like they are

[gianni_blanco]

non M fronts are awesome and clean mang, good luck. those are a few mods there, what numbers does this put down?

[TheTynosaur]

non M fronts are awesome and clean mang, good luck. those are a few mods there, what numbers does this put down?

Thanks

I haven't put it on a dyno yet, so I have no idea any numbers, but at 195k miles, I don't really push it

[SnazzyQ]

Finally someone with an e36 not going all m3 spec

Subbed

[MommysLittleMonster]

Mother of Pearl.

Someone with a 3-series that doesn't want to make it look like an M3? Is this real life?

Very interested to see what you do moving forward OP, looks like you've made good calls thus far.

[TheTynosaur]

I got another picture while I was cleaning out the garage this afternoon

[TheTynosaur]

Thanks, yeah I like the M stuff as much as everyone else, but I like the non-M stuff as well and I don't want to make an M clone like everyone else.

I'm not usually a fan of black wheels, but I think these look good on there so I probably won't paint them, but one is slightly bent and if it causes a vibration at high speeds, we will get it fixed, and then we'd have to paint them all anyway since there's no way we can match the metallic flake that is on them

[SHOoff11]

That thing looks awesome, I'd drive it just like that!

[SnazzyQ]

Thanks, yeah I like the M stuff as much as everyone else, but I like the non-M stuff as well and I don't want to make an M clone like everyone else.

Basically.. M stuff is cool but everyone and their mother has an M3 clone e36

[TheTynosaur]

Well in the past two weeks or so, I've washed it, put on clear side markers, and the hood release cable stopped working. I only have one really awful picture with the clear sides on it. The bumper has been off for a week because we found out we could tug on the cable when the bumper is off with a pair of pliers and get it open. When the new cable comes in, we will fix that and sand and paint the new bumper we have and put that on.



and here is how it has been sitting for a week

[CandySucker]

maybe it'd look better if you made it look like an m

I keed...good start!

[TheTynosaur]

Well, due to some problems and some resentment between my dad and me resulting in us not talking just a few days before I leave for college, this build is coming to an end. I may post some updates as we put it together to get it ready for sale, but nothing big will be happening with it anymore

[Thate34Guy]

sorry to hear about it man, that thing looked mean!

[TheTynosaur]

Well, due to some problems and some resentment between my dad and me resulting in us not talking just a few days before I leave for college, this build is coming to an end. I may post some updates as we put it together to get it ready for sale, but nothing big will be happening with it anymore

a bit of an update, me going off to college turned out to be the best thing for him and me. We certainly get along better now than ever before, so we are keeping the car and he has picked up a bunch of new parts since I've been gone and hes waiting for me to help put them on.

This car is definitely a lemon though. we still haven't fixed the rust spot, and on top of all the parts that went bad early on, the abs and traction control light came on one day when he started the car and haven't turned off. My personal opinion is that just rip all that stuff out but he isn't as fond of that idea. It sucks not being able to drive the car for ten weeks at a time, but it would never make it the 300 mile drive. Even the jetta had problems with it that have since been addressed. also I get like 20mpg in the jetta here because its all stop and go and never goes faster than 40mph, so the bmw would be really obnoxiously loud and probably get me like 16mpg and be running premium gas. it's just not practical.

[TheTynosaur]

When I was down at school the last couple months, the jetta started ticking and squealing, so after getting it back home, my dad and I considered whether it would be better for me to try to drive the BMW all the way down to school and leave the Jetta in the garage until summer. And that's what we decided to do. So the Jetta is parked at home with a squealing timing belt tensioner and bad lifters, and I had a week to get the BMW ready to drive down to Savannah.

It started the first day with getting the hood release cable put in by a shop because we didn't want to do that ourselves. then I replaced the broken fog lights because the headlights suck so more light couldn't hurt. Then I realized one of the connections is missing on the car. One fog light is better than none I suppose.





The next day I started on a medication that had some strange effects the first couple of days, and I was oddly motivated, so I spent the entire day cleaning every inch of the car and replacing the interior trim pieces and the whole armrest assembly.











Then I went over to a friend's house and rolled the rear fenders with the help of his dad. The kid that owned the car before me fixed a rust spot on the quarter panel and when we rolled that fender, a piece of mesh covered in body filler broke off. He was certainly a master at body work





And then I made the 300 mile drive all the way across the state to Savannah. Without a radio because we didn't have the code. Then the next day my dad texted me to tell me he found the paper with the code on it.



The exhaust is wonderful and absolutely obnoxious at the same time, but mostly obnoxious in town. It makes a glorious sound going up the ramp in the parking garage at one of my classes, maybe I'll get a sound clip one of these days

I have an M3 exhaust to put on it maybe this summer. I have a VW guy that will fix the Jetta when I'm gone now and I'll bring the Jetta back down to school after I go home for Sowo weekend.

But I'm still undecided on whether I'll be keeping either of these cars through the summer, I've been lusting after something else