Copying my build thread over from M3Forum. Will update from here moving forward. Enjoy!
First pics of the car after I purchased it from a private dealership in NC back in January 2019. Pics were taken on the drive back to my folks in Indiana, where the car say parked till spring. Somewhere around the Virginia turnpike:
6-25-2019
We'll start with the most recent development and work our way backwards: finding a band-aid that decided to come loose today and reveal a nasty RSM (rear shock mount) failure.
Last weekend, I was back home visiting family (in particular my brother who flew in for father's day) when I discovered that one of the 7 (yes, SEVEN) prior owners had decided to put a reinforcement plate on top of a failed shock mount/strut tower. I had always heard a slight rattle in the rear of the driver's side but could never track it down. I tried securing trim pieces in the trunk, checked my C-pillar covers, etc. but nothing seemed to remedy it. That was until on my drive back to Michigan from Indiana, I heard what sounded like concrete being pulsed in a blender whenever I encountered the slightest surface variation. I immediately took the next exit on the interstate and upon removal of the drivers side trunk trim panel was greeted with this:
The constant rattle I had been hearing must have been my shock rattling in this hole. Upon further investigation the missing nut that should be on the shock mount bolt had been crossthreaded and decided to back itself off. I limped the car back to a friend's place who has a garage full of tools and we chopped/pounded the hold bolt out since we couldn't get it lined up with the reinforcement plate hole and shoved a new one in. What you see below is more or less the fix that a previous owner thought satisfactory once he or she found the tower had failed.
I limped the car back to MI and dropped it off at a friend's garage who is an excellent welder. Parts are coming in and I plan on rebuilding the shock assembly (no dust covers, no bump stops, nadda when I took the wheel off to get a better look). I have no idea how long the tower has been in this condition, but the rattle has been there since I purchased the car back in January. Amazing the car has ridden fine the entire time and the shock seems to be unharmed.
Other work that's been done since before the incident include an exhaust swap (finally ditched the magnaflow thanks to another forum member meeting up and exchanging his stock M3 exhaust), all (like) "new" door panels, fan shroud replacement, fluids flushed and replaced, and amber corners. If anyone is looking to get rid of some amber tail lights hit me up! The only sets I've found on eBay are over $100, which is too rich for my blood.
Next on the list is replacing a worn vacuum line I believe to be the source of a rough idle after a cold start, replacing the rear speaker covers and some new floor mats. I will try to post some pics of the interior and other components I mentioned once the car comes back from under the knife.
9-07-19
Well it's been a while, and I feel bad for not being diligent in keeping this log updated. I have learned so much from the past 6 months or so of ownership and using this site, it feels wrong that I don't give back by posting my own findings and experiences up till now. While most of the things I've worked on are already well documented on this forum and others, I'll still mention everything that's gone down in the last few months in an effort to help others who may run into similar problems.
1. STICKING DRIVERS FRONT CALIPER
This first reared it's ugly head about a month ago. I started to notice that just before I came to a complete stop, the front brakes would make a high pitched squealing sound; not unlike the sound some brake pads make when they need to be replaced. I inspected the pads and rotors and all seemed good, so I continued to drive it cautiously. Fast forward a couple days and I start to experience intermittent steering wheel shakes and shudders above 50mph. I get back from a short drive and walk past the the driver's front wheel and can feel heat radiating off of the wheel. I kneel down and I can only hold my hand 4-5 inches away from the wheel without my knuckles starting to feel the heat to the point its uncomfortable. Crap. I start by replacing the front brake hoses (which were original) with stainless steel ones. This seemed to fix the problem, but after driving it for a week or so like this, I decided to play it safe and replaced the driver's front caliper with a rebuilt unit from Centric, along with fresh brembo rotors (P/N: 09593511, 09593411) and posi-quiet pads also by Centric.
2. FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS
Oh boy, did I learn a lesson on this one. While I had the front wheels off doing the brake work, I noticed my LCA ball joints were toast. I went on RockAuto and order some MevoTech's for like $75 for a pair. Right around the same time, I noticed several threads that were going on discussing pressing in new ball joints rather than replacing the whole arm. I was baffled that someone would go through all the trouble using a hydraulic press to put in the ball joints that cost the same as the control arm assemblies I had just purchased. Did some more digging and I tumbled down the rabbit hole of LCA geometry differences for M3 vs regular E36 3-series, as well as the different geometry between '95 and '96+ M3's. Seriously BMW, I know the first model year for cars is a test bed of sorts, but there are so many quirks to the '95 cars its a bit silly.
Anyways, I realize I've probably set myself up for failure with my cheap LCAs, so I go and order a kit form bimmerworld with '95 M3 LCA and offset bushings, in order to get close to the OEM geometry of '96+ LCA with centered bushings. Parts come in, and just before a friend is about to help me throw the new parts on, he says he has a hydraulic press and can just press the old bushings out of the original arms. Great. Luckily there's a local euro parts warehouse about 15 miles from where I live (alleuro.com), so I place an order for some lemforder ball joints (P/N: 31121126253, 31121126254) and press them in. Car now handles and rides much better.
3. BROKEN FAN CLUTCH
This one appears to not be an incredibly common failure mode, though I did come across a few posts from owners who experienced something similar. I perform an oil and spark plug change, and after a few miles of driving I noticed a lot more fan/induction noise than I used to. My first thought is that I've overfilled the oil, but after checking the dipstick on both a hot and cold engine, it appears all is normal. I drive for a little more with the same noise (an loud whirring that sounds like an industrial dryer that gets louder as the RPMs increase) and I look under the hood after a drive while the engine is running. I can see the rotational path of the clutch fan is starting to destabilize and get wonky, coming dangerously close to a hose clamp on the coolant hose that runs to the thermostat housing. Alleuro to the rescue again as I order a new Sachs clutch and Uro fan. The next morning, I go out and check underneath the car before I drive to work and notice a small puddle of dark blackish-grey fluid. It super thick, almost like epoxy and has no smell or taste (probably not my smartest move, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't some form of stop-leak). I can't tell if its from my car or someone else's that live in my apartment building, so I cautiously drive to work anyways. That day during lunch, I go out to the parking lot at work, parking in a clean spot with nothing on the ground and I see the same fluid on the ground directly underneath the clutch fan.
Uh oh. I limp the car home after work and luckily, my parts have arrived. Replace the old clutch which had given up all of its fluid along with a new fan for good measure. Whirring noise is gone and all is well.
I've gone over the budget I set for myself in the past two months will all the unforeseen repairs, and since I totaled my daily driver, I've been driving the M3 every day. Fingers crossed that it can last on Michigan roads until i get a new daily before winter arrives.
12-21-19
With winter settling in for most of the country, I thought now would be a good time to provide another small update, reflection and a little forecast for the coming year with my M3. January will mark one year of ownership for me and the bimmer. The first year has been relatively pain-free, considering I bought a 22 year old german sports car with not a whole lot of information/experience under my belt beyond what I could absorb from forums such as these and took a one-way flight to see the car before driving it home. The biggest headache during the first year was definitely finding the failed rear shock tower, which was present when I purchased the car, but I failed to notice. Knowing an excellent welder who just so happens to be an ex-professional mechanic turned home mechanic definitely saved my bacon and bank account. All the other work done to the car was nothing out of the ordinary for a car of its age imo (front lower control arm bushings, front brake pads and rotors, fan clutch, ICV hose, upper radiator hose and spark plugs).
As far as I can tell, one of the more recent of the 7 owners that came before me must have dropped some serious cash getting things fixed or up to snuff, because the engine bay was very clean and the only fluid leaks are a bit of oil on the pan, which from what I can tell is from a small leak coming from the oil pan gasket which I plan on addressing soon. This leads me onto my plans for year 2. After getting to know the car a little better, and realizing what my budget allows, as well as what makes sense for where and how the car will primarily be driven (weekends and the occasional drive to work in metro Detroit from late spring to fall), I've settled on bring the car up to a sort of OE+ spec. The powerplant will remain mostly stock; I purchased it with a Dinan intake and stage 2 tune and beyond a more free-flowing exhaust, I don't see myself doing too much more in terms of performance modifications. A list of the mod's I would like to add in the coming year are as follows (in no particular order):
- Trunk lip spoiler (E39 style)
*Note: I would like to get an original low-style spoiler, but finding one in Boston Green is practically impossible. I have a friend that says he can help me paint one, but I am leery of trying to match the color on a car that has spent 20 years in the Texas sun.
- HR OE Sport springs to bring the ride height back closer to stock. Currently sitting on HR sport springs and the ride is just too punishing, especially on Michigan roads.
- I snagged a square set of refinished contours for an amazing price, so once the tires on my staggered set wear out I'll be throwing those on.
- Depending on the ride height with the new springs, I may play around with the fitment and get some wheel spacers.
- Possibly recover the seats with new covers from LSeats. I've read mixed reviews from them but most seem to be pretty satisfied. I can't justify the cost of a full reupholster, but the Texas heat was not kind to the leather and its starting to crack in several places.
- X-brace and possible front strut tower brace if I can find a good deal. I know the X-brace is going to make the most difference, but I kind of like the look of a strut tower brace.
- Miscellaneous maintenance items that I put off till next year like vanos oil line, valve cover gasket, motor and transmission mounts, some vacuum leaks (built a smoke tester but never got the chance to try it out) and the afore mentioned oil pan gasket.
The bimmer unexpectedly became my daily driver for a few months after I totaled my daily and it performed flawlessly, transporting me reliably on several trips to Indiana and Ohio for job interviews and to visit family. I just replaced my daily today so next year the M3 should see much less use (though just as spirited). Another big thanks to all who have helped by way of sharing information and advice, the community was one big motivating factor when I decided to take the plunge and make the purchase. Happy holidays to all!
(And yes, I will try my best to post more pictures. I know people don't like staring at a wall of text).
12-31-19
Here are a few pics I snapped Christmas day after applying my just-received Lamin-X yellow fog light covers. It was 65 degrees at my folk's place in Indiana so I took the old girl out and ran her through her paces for a bit.
3-17-20
Well, before the impending recession reared its ugly head, I had planned on converting from HR Sport springs over stock front struts and crappy aftermarket rear shocks (don't even know the brand, the tubes are red??) to HR OE Sport over Konis. I've got the new springs, spring pads, Meyle HD front sway bar links, OE lemforder rear end links, new Corteco OE front strut mounts and '95 upper spring plates for the front all sitting in a box in my living room. Was planning on ordering the Konis this week but things have changed... I've got an x-brace that I found on OfferUp several months ago that's all cleaned up and ready to install, but I figured I should probably do engine and trans mounts while I'm in there. May be able to justify the price of the mounts seeing as I can get everything from FCP for about $100. Was planning on getting a rear spoiler painted and redoing the seat covers with ones from LSeat later this summer, but all of that has come to a screeching halt. Will try to update with pics if I end up installing anything.
First pics of the car after I purchased it from a private dealership in NC back in January 2019. Pics were taken on the drive back to my folks in Indiana, where the car say parked till spring. Somewhere around the Virginia turnpike:
6-25-2019
We'll start with the most recent development and work our way backwards: finding a band-aid that decided to come loose today and reveal a nasty RSM (rear shock mount) failure.
Last weekend, I was back home visiting family (in particular my brother who flew in for father's day) when I discovered that one of the 7 (yes, SEVEN) prior owners had decided to put a reinforcement plate on top of a failed shock mount/strut tower. I had always heard a slight rattle in the rear of the driver's side but could never track it down. I tried securing trim pieces in the trunk, checked my C-pillar covers, etc. but nothing seemed to remedy it. That was until on my drive back to Michigan from Indiana, I heard what sounded like concrete being pulsed in a blender whenever I encountered the slightest surface variation. I immediately took the next exit on the interstate and upon removal of the drivers side trunk trim panel was greeted with this:
The constant rattle I had been hearing must have been my shock rattling in this hole. Upon further investigation the missing nut that should be on the shock mount bolt had been crossthreaded and decided to back itself off. I limped the car back to a friend's place who has a garage full of tools and we chopped/pounded the hold bolt out since we couldn't get it lined up with the reinforcement plate hole and shoved a new one in. What you see below is more or less the fix that a previous owner thought satisfactory once he or she found the tower had failed.
I limped the car back to MI and dropped it off at a friend's garage who is an excellent welder. Parts are coming in and I plan on rebuilding the shock assembly (no dust covers, no bump stops, nadda when I took the wheel off to get a better look). I have no idea how long the tower has been in this condition, but the rattle has been there since I purchased the car back in January. Amazing the car has ridden fine the entire time and the shock seems to be unharmed.
Other work that's been done since before the incident include an exhaust swap (finally ditched the magnaflow thanks to another forum member meeting up and exchanging his stock M3 exhaust), all (like) "new" door panels, fan shroud replacement, fluids flushed and replaced, and amber corners. If anyone is looking to get rid of some amber tail lights hit me up! The only sets I've found on eBay are over $100, which is too rich for my blood.
Next on the list is replacing a worn vacuum line I believe to be the source of a rough idle after a cold start, replacing the rear speaker covers and some new floor mats. I will try to post some pics of the interior and other components I mentioned once the car comes back from under the knife.
9-07-19
Well it's been a while, and I feel bad for not being diligent in keeping this log updated. I have learned so much from the past 6 months or so of ownership and using this site, it feels wrong that I don't give back by posting my own findings and experiences up till now. While most of the things I've worked on are already well documented on this forum and others, I'll still mention everything that's gone down in the last few months in an effort to help others who may run into similar problems.
1. STICKING DRIVERS FRONT CALIPER
This first reared it's ugly head about a month ago. I started to notice that just before I came to a complete stop, the front brakes would make a high pitched squealing sound; not unlike the sound some brake pads make when they need to be replaced. I inspected the pads and rotors and all seemed good, so I continued to drive it cautiously. Fast forward a couple days and I start to experience intermittent steering wheel shakes and shudders above 50mph. I get back from a short drive and walk past the the driver's front wheel and can feel heat radiating off of the wheel. I kneel down and I can only hold my hand 4-5 inches away from the wheel without my knuckles starting to feel the heat to the point its uncomfortable. Crap. I start by replacing the front brake hoses (which were original) with stainless steel ones. This seemed to fix the problem, but after driving it for a week or so like this, I decided to play it safe and replaced the driver's front caliper with a rebuilt unit from Centric, along with fresh brembo rotors (P/N: 09593511, 09593411) and posi-quiet pads also by Centric.
2. FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS
Oh boy, did I learn a lesson on this one. While I had the front wheels off doing the brake work, I noticed my LCA ball joints were toast. I went on RockAuto and order some MevoTech's for like $75 for a pair. Right around the same time, I noticed several threads that were going on discussing pressing in new ball joints rather than replacing the whole arm. I was baffled that someone would go through all the trouble using a hydraulic press to put in the ball joints that cost the same as the control arm assemblies I had just purchased. Did some more digging and I tumbled down the rabbit hole of LCA geometry differences for M3 vs regular E36 3-series, as well as the different geometry between '95 and '96+ M3's. Seriously BMW, I know the first model year for cars is a test bed of sorts, but there are so many quirks to the '95 cars its a bit silly.
Anyways, I realize I've probably set myself up for failure with my cheap LCAs, so I go and order a kit form bimmerworld with '95 M3 LCA and offset bushings, in order to get close to the OEM geometry of '96+ LCA with centered bushings. Parts come in, and just before a friend is about to help me throw the new parts on, he says he has a hydraulic press and can just press the old bushings out of the original arms. Great. Luckily there's a local euro parts warehouse about 15 miles from where I live (alleuro.com), so I place an order for some lemforder ball joints (P/N: 31121126253, 31121126254) and press them in. Car now handles and rides much better.
3. BROKEN FAN CLUTCH
This one appears to not be an incredibly common failure mode, though I did come across a few posts from owners who experienced something similar. I perform an oil and spark plug change, and after a few miles of driving I noticed a lot more fan/induction noise than I used to. My first thought is that I've overfilled the oil, but after checking the dipstick on both a hot and cold engine, it appears all is normal. I drive for a little more with the same noise (an loud whirring that sounds like an industrial dryer that gets louder as the RPMs increase) and I look under the hood after a drive while the engine is running. I can see the rotational path of the clutch fan is starting to destabilize and get wonky, coming dangerously close to a hose clamp on the coolant hose that runs to the thermostat housing. Alleuro to the rescue again as I order a new Sachs clutch and Uro fan. The next morning, I go out and check underneath the car before I drive to work and notice a small puddle of dark blackish-grey fluid. It super thick, almost like epoxy and has no smell or taste (probably not my smartest move, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't some form of stop-leak). I can't tell if its from my car or someone else's that live in my apartment building, so I cautiously drive to work anyways. That day during lunch, I go out to the parking lot at work, parking in a clean spot with nothing on the ground and I see the same fluid on the ground directly underneath the clutch fan.
Uh oh. I limp the car home after work and luckily, my parts have arrived. Replace the old clutch which had given up all of its fluid along with a new fan for good measure. Whirring noise is gone and all is well.
I've gone over the budget I set for myself in the past two months will all the unforeseen repairs, and since I totaled my daily driver, I've been driving the M3 every day. Fingers crossed that it can last on Michigan roads until i get a new daily before winter arrives.
12-21-19
With winter settling in for most of the country, I thought now would be a good time to provide another small update, reflection and a little forecast for the coming year with my M3. January will mark one year of ownership for me and the bimmer. The first year has been relatively pain-free, considering I bought a 22 year old german sports car with not a whole lot of information/experience under my belt beyond what I could absorb from forums such as these and took a one-way flight to see the car before driving it home. The biggest headache during the first year was definitely finding the failed rear shock tower, which was present when I purchased the car, but I failed to notice. Knowing an excellent welder who just so happens to be an ex-professional mechanic turned home mechanic definitely saved my bacon and bank account. All the other work done to the car was nothing out of the ordinary for a car of its age imo (front lower control arm bushings, front brake pads and rotors, fan clutch, ICV hose, upper radiator hose and spark plugs).
As far as I can tell, one of the more recent of the 7 owners that came before me must have dropped some serious cash getting things fixed or up to snuff, because the engine bay was very clean and the only fluid leaks are a bit of oil on the pan, which from what I can tell is from a small leak coming from the oil pan gasket which I plan on addressing soon. This leads me onto my plans for year 2. After getting to know the car a little better, and realizing what my budget allows, as well as what makes sense for where and how the car will primarily be driven (weekends and the occasional drive to work in metro Detroit from late spring to fall), I've settled on bring the car up to a sort of OE+ spec. The powerplant will remain mostly stock; I purchased it with a Dinan intake and stage 2 tune and beyond a more free-flowing exhaust, I don't see myself doing too much more in terms of performance modifications. A list of the mod's I would like to add in the coming year are as follows (in no particular order):
- Trunk lip spoiler (E39 style)
*Note: I would like to get an original low-style spoiler, but finding one in Boston Green is practically impossible. I have a friend that says he can help me paint one, but I am leery of trying to match the color on a car that has spent 20 years in the Texas sun.
- HR OE Sport springs to bring the ride height back closer to stock. Currently sitting on HR sport springs and the ride is just too punishing, especially on Michigan roads.
- I snagged a square set of refinished contours for an amazing price, so once the tires on my staggered set wear out I'll be throwing those on.
- Depending on the ride height with the new springs, I may play around with the fitment and get some wheel spacers.
- Possibly recover the seats with new covers from LSeats. I've read mixed reviews from them but most seem to be pretty satisfied. I can't justify the cost of a full reupholster, but the Texas heat was not kind to the leather and its starting to crack in several places.
- X-brace and possible front strut tower brace if I can find a good deal. I know the X-brace is going to make the most difference, but I kind of like the look of a strut tower brace.
- Miscellaneous maintenance items that I put off till next year like vanos oil line, valve cover gasket, motor and transmission mounts, some vacuum leaks (built a smoke tester but never got the chance to try it out) and the afore mentioned oil pan gasket.
The bimmer unexpectedly became my daily driver for a few months after I totaled my daily and it performed flawlessly, transporting me reliably on several trips to Indiana and Ohio for job interviews and to visit family. I just replaced my daily today so next year the M3 should see much less use (though just as spirited). Another big thanks to all who have helped by way of sharing information and advice, the community was one big motivating factor when I decided to take the plunge and make the purchase. Happy holidays to all!
(And yes, I will try my best to post more pictures. I know people don't like staring at a wall of text).
12-31-19
Here are a few pics I snapped Christmas day after applying my just-received Lamin-X yellow fog light covers. It was 65 degrees at my folk's place in Indiana so I took the old girl out and ran her through her paces for a bit.
3-17-20
Well, before the impending recession reared its ugly head, I had planned on converting from HR Sport springs over stock front struts and crappy aftermarket rear shocks (don't even know the brand, the tubes are red??) to HR OE Sport over Konis. I've got the new springs, spring pads, Meyle HD front sway bar links, OE lemforder rear end links, new Corteco OE front strut mounts and '95 upper spring plates for the front all sitting in a box in my living room. Was planning on ordering the Konis this week but things have changed... I've got an x-brace that I found on OfferUp several months ago that's all cleaned up and ready to install, but I figured I should probably do engine and trans mounts while I'm in there. May be able to justify the price of the mounts seeing as I can get everything from FCP for about $100. Was planning on getting a rear spoiler painted and redoing the seat covers with ones from LSeat later this summer, but all of that has come to a screeching halt. Will try to update with pics if I end up installing anything.
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