My $8.8K 176K mile Craigslist E36M3 Journey Begins

[m3f_W///]

I've got 2 faster cars available, but I thoroughly enjoy the power output of my bone stock US S52. It's nice to be able to floor it everywhere but have just enough power to be brisk, but not go to jail. Very happy with the car as is.


Congrats and enjoy

[m3f_c_tejuco]

solid pick up, and welcome to the fam! looking forward to seeing what direction you end up taking the car in.

[m3f_nholmes]

Very nice, looking forward to future updates.


Already decided on the LS swap?

[m3f_Evtron]

Greetings from Austin


Looks like a fun project, enjoy

[m3f_InOverMyHeaders]

You guys might appreciate this 90's used car experience:::



I'm so excited to have my toy so I take my wife to dinner in it the night i drive it home.... She's already skeptical when I chirp the alpine alarm and set off the alarm leaving the house... We roll to dinner w the rear shocks missing the top bushings and she suggest my toy is unsafe.... So we arrive at trendy bar rest and I valet:::::: pull up, get out then alarm goes off and valet guy can't get it started.... Wife unhappy w my track project .... To put the final cherry on top--- I pop the pioneer faceplate off and ask my wife to carry it in her purse. Classic 90's flashback. She says no more dates in that car!



Funny how much things change on cars in 18 yrs.



Alarm going in the trashbin... stereo getting upgraded soon.

OH this cracked me up. I only removed my faceplate once when I parked in the Fashion District in LA. Funny thing is my car (not m3) got broken into years later and they tried to take the whole radio but I bolted it in good so they only took the faceplate.



I take my wife on date nights in the M3 too. Last time we went to a wine club, she likes wine more than me so she really enjoyed the drive home with the vert top down and for once she wanted me to drive aggressively.

[m3f_craac]

Saw this car on CL. GL with the build, I loved mine on track shouldn't have sold it. I pretty much just focused on suspension, chassis reinforcements, and safety/weight loss. Engine was stock and surprised lots of much faster cars in the corners at COTA.


I would say skip the ls1 swap - you've already done the vette thing why turn a BMW into a vette? Swap in an s54 if you really want more power than the s52 can provide.

[m3f_betrezra]

Thanks for the warm welcome Gents.


I'm heading up to Vorshlag in Dallas late Feb for their open house, I hope to ride in an LSX E36/46 car...... that will affect my decision on what I do this this S52 mill.


I'll probably do some basic clean-up, r&r on the old S52:::: thinking new power steering pump/lines, possibly rack...... new alternator, new starter, tune up. Check valves.


Then work on suspension, brakes..... paint, body, interior, roll bar to start...... and get some seat time......


Then see where this madness goes.


My good buddy has a 16 GT3...... was hoping an LSX swap would get me closer to playing with his porch-eeeeeeee.


BTW - don't buy bimmer parts on fleabay.... ended up getting some knock-off bmw emblems.... so bad they don't even line up with the bolt-holes..... off by 5 degrees... LOL.

Crazy what people will copy these days.

[m3f_SQ13]

Sq---- yep cota is my goal.. Will be cool to compare to my cota time in the c5z.. And the 507 c63.

I'll be there in May with NASA. If I end up buying an E36 by then, I'll probably track it instead of the E46.



Also, if you decide to get rid of the wheels, I may be interested. Need to get me an E36 first.

[m3f_tripitz]

My good buddy has a 16 GT3...... was hoping an LSX swap would get me closer to playing with his porch-eeeeeeee.

In my experience, most Porsche drivers with newer cars do not push them that hard on track. Let's just say that my previous M3 (1/2 track build) passed a lot of very high hp P-cars on track with stock power. The E36 platform, especially with a high-end track suspension (MCS for me) can really do some surprising things. A properly sorted full-track car should be able to destroy most street cars driven on track.

[m3f_W///]

Thanks for the warm welcome Gents.


I'm heading up to Vorshlag in Dallas late Feb for their open house, I hope to ride in an LSX E36/46 car...... that will affect my decision on what I do this this S52 mill.


I'll probably do some basic clean-up, r&r on the old S52:::: thinking new power steering pump/lines, possibly rack...... new alternator, new starter, tune up. Check valves.


Then work on suspension, brakes..... paint, body, interior, roll bar to start...... and get some seat time......


Then see where this madness goes.


My good buddy has a 16 GT3...... was hoping an LSX swap would get me closer to playing with his porch-eeeeeeee.


BTW - don't buy bimmer parts on fleabay.... ended up getting some knock-off bmw emblems.... so bad they don't even line up with the bolt-holes..... off by 5 degrees... LOL.

Crazy what people will copy these days.

As in valve adjustment? No need on our S52s.

[m3f_betrezra]

W// - good to know about the valve adj! Thx.


Tripiz - my buddy drives the heck out of his GT3..... it is in the shop quite a bit though.. limp mode issues.


SQ13 - I"ll keep you in mind if I sell the wheels.... I do like them for street duty.


Craac - I'm already getting used to the power in this car..... it really seemed faster in 40 deg F weather.... than today drive home in 80 Deg F. I"m sure DA affect HP/TQ..... I'll have to learn more about this engine mgt system..... suspect there is a engine coolant temp sensor and an air intake temp sensor dialing back timing as a function of temp...... also cooler good DA makes more HP...... it really seemed to SING up top in the 40 Deg weather last week.... not so much now.. Have to check plugs, wires, etc.....


Just got stock orange fr marker lights in... much better. New tail lights in much better.


A Co-worker was giving me shizzz about my new ride being a POS..... he has a new 911..... and does not track it for fear of wear and tear...... he is missing out.


On the LS..... I'll see what it looks like at Vorshlag in a few weeks..... if done in a clean/factory way...... I bet it is pretty nice setup. Don't want loud x-pipe sounds.... just a good 400 rwhp and low muffler tone....... more to come.

[m3f_nholmes]

I'll probably do some basic clean-up, r&r on the old S52:::: thinking new power steering pump/lines, possibly rack...... new alternator, new starter, tune up. Check valves.



Then work on suspension, brakes..... paint, body, interior, roll bar to start...... and get some seat time......

I just wrapped a lot of that stuff up, but I have yet to touch the motor.



I might do a dyno here soon and if the power is way off, I'll look into refreshing all of those goodies.



I'm excited to run this thing on track.

[m3f_betrezra]

NH...cool man... I'll bench race ya when I get my base-line dyno in a few weeks. I honestly have no idea what this thing is putting down..... I've been in 400-500HP rides in the past 10 yrs... so not sure what this does.

[m3f_nholmes]

I have a feeling you're going to be disappointed, even more so on a Mustang "heartbreaker" dynamometer.


My car is 183k so I'm going to guess like a 15% power loss or so due to age.


Factory is 240/240 at the crank (240/236 for the anal diehard fan bois) so I'm guessing my car is like 204/204 or so.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M5...ican_Market.29

[m3f_betrezra]

OK so my goal is 200/200 at the wheels.


on another note.... I have a strut tower brace..... but shutting the hood has put two dimples in the hood.... at the strut tower mounts towards the front on each side. Not a big deal as I'm going to have this repainted. BUT.... can you rec a good lower profile stut tower brace that will NOT dimple my hood? thx all. Not sure if this is a common issue.


I can take an air grinder to this brace.... but prefer to not do hack-saw mods just yet.