Water's E36 M3 (eventual Turbo) Build - Seattle, WA
Figured I'd start a build/mod thread, Newer car to me with some bigger plans to throw at it.
Catching this forum up so I can continue it. The cars different it is what it is so have a good day.
6-14-2019
97 M3 purchased with 90k Late summer of 2019
Long story short, I couldn't afford the 20k + insurance costs of a M3 being 18 at the time so 328is it was., I've owned my 97 328is for 12 years and racked up 336k on it.
Recently it's been acting up, and past year just been dilligently looking at 1 series, e60 AWD wagons and 330ZHPs to replace it with how old it was getting being my daily.
Late summer 2019 , I get a random message from a BF.c local to me member who I've met through the local Scene and we were pretty good bmw friends. He's had his M3 for 10 years and was just working to make it a awesome car and I always followed his threads on here. He was in the market to get his wife a house and asked how the market was for M3s since he hasn't been in it for a while. I actually found 2-3 local to us in the same condition as his and send em over so he can get ball parks thinking man sad to see him get rid of it.
two weeks later, at about 10 at night he messages me and asks
"what would it take to get you interested in the M3?"
"Man I wish and would love to but I can't give you what that is worth."
"How about $XXXX?"
"Wait, What? Why? SERIOUSLY? At that price man I can't not at least take a look at it."
"I want it to go to a enthusiast who'll finish it. It hasn't been moved in a year, Let me warn you its in rough shape"
"Would you have any doubt to daily it before you parked it?"
"Nope, no doubt in my mind, with new tires though."
The next weekend I drove over and checked it out. I didn't even start the car, and shook his hand.
It was rough, the car was under car cover for a year in his driveway.
Figured out the cash and picked it up the next weekend and scheduled it for a detail.
Got her home, he was in the middle of working on it wiring powered seats, lotta stuff was torn apart and in pieces, missing bolts and what not. Got a box of parts and random other things.
Went to the local dealer, got some seat bolts and couple MISC little things.
I can't tell you how excited I am to have this car after 11 years of my awesome 328 finally having a solid M3.
He's modded it to this point in every way i would have probably done and provided a great base to build off of and while others might not agree, the cars unique.
Currently has a Stage 2 chip/tune, dinan springs, CAI among a few other things.
Scheduled a detail before I even picked up the car and go her back couple days later. The interior is as mint as the outside looks minus a few trim pieces.
Thanks for reading my story. Thought it was too good to not share.
UPDATE 8-28-2019
So Been a busy few months.
Changed oil/ filter and spark plugs. to set it from square one.
Installed a front lip because whats more iconic on a E36 M3 then that. Got all the proper hardware and it was a breeze also go the lower mesh in at a later date. Had to JB weld it because all the tabs were broke on the bumper.
Picked up a Dinan bar locally for a DEEP discount, it was missing a carbon fiber piece and was tarnished really bad which almost led me to think it was fake, on top someone painted the dinan words. But little elbow grease has it shining again and I have carbon fiber ready i need to cut and refit. He also threw in a rear bar that i havent put on yet.
I love having my sunroof open specially in this summer and one of the BIGGEST thing that was bugging me was the headliner sagging. Which my previous one never had that problem. So hammered it out one day. turned out pretty awesome super happy with it and no more headliner flapping.
The car originally came with manual seats which he sold and bought heated power vaders right before he stopped touching the car. When i bought it we got the driver going so I could drive the car home. At the same time i did my headliner i figured since my passenger seat wasn't powered i had to remove the seat might as well wire the seats while i had it out and rewire the driver so it wasnt ghetto with a wire running across.
So ran to the pull apart local and cut two plugs from a car and re-ran power with a fuse to both seats. No photos but now the seat movements are functional and Bolted down.
The bad news since then, After about a month of owning it a co worker ended up pulling out of her parking spot next to me a little tight and grazed my front bumper :/ She just paid me in cash the other day so now to get it to the shop and have it resprayed. My molding actually put nice solid dent and crease in her back door/body panel. Easily over 5 grand of work on her car, i got out easy i think.
Now onto the fun part. I went to buy a M50 Manifold because its like the go to upgrade for any s52, Well after talking to him a little he ended up selling his 328i and had a buncha spare parts. Sooooo I was going to buy a M50 and he sold me on a turbo kit and M50. So now I've been reading and understanding how these work and besides a Tune everything was literally pulled off the car and stuck in a box. So preparing to get everything needed for a quick install if that is possible hoping to have it in by end of year.
Then one night i got bored at midnight, decided to get creative with my Matte black i had laying around.
Installed a alpine amp and 10 inch kicker comp to put a little bump in the trunk.
Shes coming together, after i recuperate from the Turbo and install wheels and probably coil overs will be coming....but the turbo pushed that way out there.
Got some ceramic brake pads to replace the dusters I have now....and probably some lolipop and front end maintenance to do.
This is getting to be a really fun car.
after research I found out its a AA kit, was pulled from a "Beater" Track e36. Apparently the guy had some high end cars then had a Widebody e36 that he tracked.
Gaskets : Exhaust manifold, oil pan, turbo
Need a M50 conversion kit
Oil return hoses/hardware
N54 Exhaust Bolts (Ive heard to get them because there longer, still researching)
Sourcing a stock oil pan so I can Bung the oil return line without having to delay install.
Not install yet, honestly im kind of intimidated and hoping im overthinking the install. Want to make it all bolt in with little delays as possible and strait to a tuner.
Have a 3 piece LTW wing waiting for paint, also have ground control coil overs waiting to go in. On the search for wheels, hoping to make this somewhat pretty for the summer time and just have fun driving it.
While im driving it hoping to do a little maintenance and collect the parts needed for the turbo install.
Thank for checking it out, hoping to have a bunch of updates.
Catching this forum up so I can continue it. The cars different it is what it is so have a good day.
6-14-2019
97 M3 purchased with 90k Late summer of 2019
Long story short, I couldn't afford the 20k + insurance costs of a M3 being 18 at the time so 328is it was., I've owned my 97 328is for 12 years and racked up 336k on it.
Recently it's been acting up, and past year just been dilligently looking at 1 series, e60 AWD wagons and 330ZHPs to replace it with how old it was getting being my daily.
Late summer 2019 , I get a random message from a BF.c local to me member who I've met through the local Scene and we were pretty good bmw friends. He's had his M3 for 10 years and was just working to make it a awesome car and I always followed his threads on here. He was in the market to get his wife a house and asked how the market was for M3s since he hasn't been in it for a while. I actually found 2-3 local to us in the same condition as his and send em over so he can get ball parks thinking man sad to see him get rid of it.
two weeks later, at about 10 at night he messages me and asks
"what would it take to get you interested in the M3?"
"Man I wish and would love to but I can't give you what that is worth."
"How about $XXXX?"
"Wait, What? Why? SERIOUSLY? At that price man I can't not at least take a look at it."
"I want it to go to a enthusiast who'll finish it. It hasn't been moved in a year, Let me warn you its in rough shape"
"Would you have any doubt to daily it before you parked it?"
"Nope, no doubt in my mind, with new tires though."
The next weekend I drove over and checked it out. I didn't even start the car, and shook his hand.
It was rough, the car was under car cover for a year in his driveway.
Figured out the cash and picked it up the next weekend and scheduled it for a detail.
Got her home, he was in the middle of working on it wiring powered seats, lotta stuff was torn apart and in pieces, missing bolts and what not. Got a box of parts and random other things.
Went to the local dealer, got some seat bolts and couple MISC little things.
I can't tell you how excited I am to have this car after 11 years of my awesome 328 finally having a solid M3.
He's modded it to this point in every way i would have probably done and provided a great base to build off of and while others might not agree, the cars unique.
Currently has a Stage 2 chip/tune, dinan springs, CAI among a few other things.
Scheduled a detail before I even picked up the car and go her back couple days later. The interior is as mint as the outside looks minus a few trim pieces.
Thanks for reading my story. Thought it was too good to not share.
UPDATE 8-28-2019
So Been a busy few months.
Changed oil/ filter and spark plugs. to set it from square one.
Installed a front lip because whats more iconic on a E36 M3 then that. Got all the proper hardware and it was a breeze also go the lower mesh in at a later date. Had to JB weld it because all the tabs were broke on the bumper.
Picked up a Dinan bar locally for a DEEP discount, it was missing a carbon fiber piece and was tarnished really bad which almost led me to think it was fake, on top someone painted the dinan words. But little elbow grease has it shining again and I have carbon fiber ready i need to cut and refit. He also threw in a rear bar that i havent put on yet.
I love having my sunroof open specially in this summer and one of the BIGGEST thing that was bugging me was the headliner sagging. Which my previous one never had that problem. So hammered it out one day. turned out pretty awesome super happy with it and no more headliner flapping.
The car originally came with manual seats which he sold and bought heated power vaders right before he stopped touching the car. When i bought it we got the driver going so I could drive the car home. At the same time i did my headliner i figured since my passenger seat wasn't powered i had to remove the seat might as well wire the seats while i had it out and rewire the driver so it wasnt ghetto with a wire running across.
So ran to the pull apart local and cut two plugs from a car and re-ran power with a fuse to both seats. No photos but now the seat movements are functional and Bolted down.
The bad news since then, After about a month of owning it a co worker ended up pulling out of her parking spot next to me a little tight and grazed my front bumper :/ She just paid me in cash the other day so now to get it to the shop and have it resprayed. My molding actually put nice solid dent and crease in her back door/body panel. Easily over 5 grand of work on her car, i got out easy i think.
Now onto the fun part. I went to buy a M50 Manifold because its like the go to upgrade for any s52, Well after talking to him a little he ended up selling his 328i and had a buncha spare parts. Sooooo I was going to buy a M50 and he sold me on a turbo kit and M50. So now I've been reading and understanding how these work and besides a Tune everything was literally pulled off the car and stuck in a box. So preparing to get everything needed for a quick install if that is possible hoping to have it in by end of year.
Then one night i got bored at midnight, decided to get creative with my Matte black i had laying around.
Installed a alpine amp and 10 inch kicker comp to put a little bump in the trunk.
Shes coming together, after i recuperate from the Turbo and install wheels and probably coil overs will be coming....but the turbo pushed that way out there.
Got some ceramic brake pads to replace the dusters I have now....and probably some lolipop and front end maintenance to do.
This is getting to be a really fun car.
after research I found out its a AA kit, was pulled from a "Beater" Track e36. Apparently the guy had some high end cars then had a Widebody e36 that he tracked.
Gaskets : Exhaust manifold, oil pan, turbo
Need a M50 conversion kit
Oil return hoses/hardware
N54 Exhaust Bolts (Ive heard to get them because there longer, still researching)
Sourcing a stock oil pan so I can Bung the oil return line without having to delay install.
Not install yet, honestly im kind of intimidated and hoping im overthinking the install. Want to make it all bolt in with little delays as possible and strait to a tuner.
Have a 3 piece LTW wing waiting for paint, also have ground control coil overs waiting to go in. On the search for wheels, hoping to make this somewhat pretty for the summer time and just have fun driving it.
While im driving it hoping to do a little maintenance and collect the parts needed for the turbo install.
Thank for checking it out, hoping to have a bunch of updates.
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