chit chat thread

patsbimmer1

You opened the vent... bold move!

Jdesign

No Piano black?

HipMF

Drivers side external door handle just broke. I don't know why e36s even came with door cards. At a minimum they should have come with some kind of quick-release fasteners... Maybe I'll get some hood pins to put it back on with this time.

jc43089

HipMF said:

Drivers side external door handle just broke. I don't know why e36s even came with door cards. At a minimum they should have come with some kind of quick-release fasteners... Maybe I'll get some hood pins to put it back on with this time.

I just leave my door cards in the garage. The door handle is a pain, have you done one before?

HipMF

jc43089 said:

I just leave my door cards in the garage. The door handle is a pain, have you done one before?

No. I see they're kind of expensive as well, so I'm hoping I don't have to replace the whole thing...

straight6pwr

my drivers front brake caliper partially locked up on the way home from work friday night.

i felt it happen about 4 blocks from home and pulled over to confirm. i finished my drive home.

smoke was pouring from the wheel well when i got there.

i was impressed by the heat generated.

i busted out the lasers and glow sticks and had a rave so i wouldn't waste the smoke show.

taking the bus to work while waiting for parts is not fun.

ChrisO

I have no idea what thread or what member this was in but like 6 months ago someone posted that they found a non-running e34 m5 in Minneapolis. It was in a garage and looked like it had body damage.

Any info on that or why nobody here bought it?

Rekpoint

ChrisO said:

I have no idea what thread or what member this was in but like 6 months ago someone posted that they found a non-running e34 m5 in Minneapolis. It was in a garage and looked like it had body damage.

Any info on that or why nobody here bought it?

I think @Jdesign was interested. I think it had a blown motor.

ChrisO

Rekpoint said:

I think @Jdesign was interested. I think it had a blown motor.

Thats alright, it's somewhere in a dark garage weeping for a cast iron 5.3

jk

Pretty sure a s38 rebuild costs like $8000, but every other e30 m3 I see has a s50/52 in it. I'd enjoy something like that instead of it rotting in a garage.

The blown motor and trans is probably worth a few grand aswell

Earl

HipMF said:

Drivers side external door handle just broke. I don't know why e36s even came with door cards. At a minimum they should have come with some kind of quick-release fasteners... Maybe I'll get some hood pins to put it back on with this time.

Luckily they're super easy to change in compacts/sedans versus coupes/verts. You have to remove the window and rear window guide and you'll have all the room you could need. Removing and reattaching the linkage to the door latch is worst part about it. If you pull the handle and it either gets hung up or doesn't pop the door at all, your handle snapped and needs to be fully replaced. The other thing that sucks is that they did not use the same style for handles throughout e36 production. I've encountered three different ones so you will want to remove yours to at least see exactly what you have before going and searching for a replacement. There are plenty of part outs for a used one to be had=)

Jdesign

ChrisO said:

I have no idea what thread or what member this was in but like 6 months ago someone posted that they found a non-running e34 m5 in Minneapolis. It was in a garage and looked like it had body damage.

Any info on that or why nobody here bought it?

That was me. I never went to go look at it. It did have body damage and rust, I got additional photos as requested, and the motor was not blown, but I was told it just didnt run. The owner had no time or idea on what it would take to fix it and unfortunately he responded late to me and I bought something else. A lack of details made me skeptical about a 6 hour drive one way. It did have the rare M-Technic mirrors and some interesting parts that would make it worth buying for just those, but I passed up on the deal. I have his email still if you want to contact him, PM me.

jc43089

Earl said:

Luckily they're super easy to change in compacts/sedans versus coupes/verts. You have to remove the window and rear window guide and you'll have all the room you could need. Removing and reattaching the linkage to the door latch is worst part about it. If you pull the handle and it either gets hung up or doesn't pop the door at all, your handle snapped and needs to be fully replaced. The other thing that sucks is that they did not use the same style for handles throughout e36 production. I've encountered three different ones so you will want to remove yours to at least see exactly what you have before going and searching for a replacement. There are plenty of part outs for a used one to be had=)

Good to know, I replaced mine on my coupe. There are some key tricks to avoid breaking parts. Like removing the plug on the back edge of the door and reaching in with a screwdriver to push the outside trim retaining plate forward and it just comes off. Some youtube DIY videos just pull on it until it breaks... Mark where the bolts are for the window track before loosening. It was tricky to get it aligned properly. Although I was trying to get it adjust so that I can close the door without the window hitting the top because my window drop doesn't work.

Earl

That might be a coupe thing too. Since the compact has framed windows I've never had an issue removing the guide and reinstalling without marking anything.

That is one big thing people do not seem to know when they do the handles. That's soley what that hole in the door is for haha

HipMF

I managed to get mine out yesterday. I didn't have to remove the window track because there wasn't one, so I've got that going for me.

The handle assembly was broken in multiple places. Started half-assing it back together. Hopefully it will last long enough for me to find a replacement. Current door opening procedure is:

Forget that it's broken
Try to open door
Get pissed. Give door handle the bird as I walk around car.
Open passenger door and reach across the car to grab the inside handle.
Walk back around car, grab handle, and realize door is only half open.
Repeat steps 3 and 4.
Walk back around car and get in.

Earl

#12 was not inside of your door blocking the way?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=CG53-USA-06-1995-E36-BMW-318ti&diagId=51_2055

If not I'm thoroughly surprised your window doesn't rattle around in your door when down and that it goes up and down straight. I've had the rubber "guide" fall out of mine before and it caused my clips to snap and the window to fall

jc43089

HipMF said:

I managed to get mine out yesterday. I didn't have to remove the window track because there wasn't one, so I've got that going for me.

The handle assembly was broken in multiple places. Started half-assing it back together. Hopefully it will last long enough for me to find a replacement. Current door opening procedure is:

Forget that it's broken

Try to open door

Get pissed. Give door handle the bird as I walk around car.

Open passenger door and reach across the car to grab the inside handle.

Walk back around car, grab handle, and realize door is only half open.

Repeat steps 3 and 4.

Walk back around car and get in.

Don't worry, you get used to it. Mine was broken for over 6 months. I almost forgot to use the working handle after it was fixed.

HipMF

Earl said:

#12 was not inside of your door blocking the way?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=CG53-USA-06-1995-E36-BMW-318ti&diagId=51_2055

If not I'm thoroughly surprised your window doesn't rattle around in your door when down and that it goes up and down straight. I've had the rubber "guide" fall out of mine before and it caused my clips to snap and the window to fall

Correct, it's missing. The window does rattle when down, I just never realized what the issue was. Currently don't even have the ambition to work on my project car, so working on the daily is a real chore. I will get it all fixed up properly at some point though...

Rekpoint

So I've been shopping for a new car. I plan on buying it in the spring/summer.

I've really been looking for a 335i with an n54 or im starting to look at the possibility of an E46 m3

What would you guys rather own? I think a 335i is more affordable and in my price range unless I get a deal like @i_love_cars got on his E46 m3.

If I got the m3 I'd feel obligated to buy a winter beater. E46 wagon or something.

Let me know some opinions.

patsbimmer1

I'd buy an e46 M3 every time but if you're looking to daily a car the 335i is more reasonable. The 335i is a maintenance pig and it will make you pay to drive it regularly. You may want a second car just to drive WHEN the 335i starts misfiring or becomes undrivable in some other way and if thats the case you might as well own an e46 m3. You can put an e46 m3 and a 335i in the same price range but there's gonna be a huge difference between a $12k 335i and a $12k m3. I say that not knowing what your price range is but realistically unless you're looking at m3's north of $18k the condition won't be the same as a 335i sub $15k. Buy a 335i because that's what you want to do. Mod it, break it, regret it and repeat.

Rekpoint

patsbimmer1 said:

I'd buy an e46 M3 every time but if you're looking to daily a car the 335i is more reasonable. The 335i is a maintenance pig and it will make you pay to drive it regularly. You may want a second car just to drive WHEN the 335i starts misfiring or becomes undrivable in some other way and if thats the case you might as well own an e46 m3. You can put an e46 m3 and a 335i in the same price range but there's gonna be a huge difference between a $12k 335i and a $12k m3. I say that not knowing what your price range is but realistically unless you're looking at m3's north of $18k the condition won't be the same as a 335i sub $15k. Buy a 335i because that's what you want to do. Mod it, break it, regret it and repeat.

Good points. I feel like I can score a nicer 335i for cheaper then an e46 m3. I wouldn't buy a BMW if I had to pay a shop for maintenance LOL.

For the 335i im only looking for 3 main features. 1 E92 2 Comfort Access and 3 6 speed.

So if anyone sees anything Send it my way.

WIBIMMERS

chit chat thread