Dimitri's Dakar E36 M3 Project

[NorCal-Dimitri]

After two months of searching, I found the right E36 M3.

1998 M3
-5MT
-Dakar Yellow
-Black Interior
-DSII Wheels
-140k Miles
-No paint or body work whatsoever
-3 previous owners
-New tires
-Electric, heated vaders
-Oem wing

Mods
-Aluminum cooling parts
-Window tint
-Bilstein shocks and struts
-H&R Sport springs
-LED Interior lights

Notes about the car: car has some understeer, due to cheap front tires. Headlights and fog lights are pretty fogged; I'll probably replace the headlights and refinish the fog lights. The plastic lip on the bumper has cracked and peeling paint. The trunk has a strange rattle, sounds like a loose nut or something. No rattles while driving. The Dakar paint is fantastic and the car has only two small door dings.

Philosophy of use: I don't really do much driving, so I'd like more of a weekend car. When I do do driving, it'll be for fun or just to drive home from college. I'd like to use this car for autocross events and occasional track events on weekends that I'm free. A pet peeve of mine is when people relentlessly ask for 40 minute rides all the way to Napa; for this reason I'll be removing the rear seats (and weight reduction of course!).

Main engine performance and weight reduction goal: beat or at least compete with Dario's E46 M3. :begging

In the two months I spent searching for this car I have acquired the following items:

-Apex Arc-8s 17x9.5 et35 square in Hyperblack
-M50 manifold swap kit
-Turner rear adjustable control arms
-Mashaw Carbon Fiber LTW 4-piece wing. The only CF ltw wing made by mashaw. They originally didn't want to sell it because the finish wasn't perfect, but I'm friends with the owner, so I kinda lucked out. Not sure yet whether I want to paint it dakar or redo the finish. I'll leave it on the car for a while to see how I like the unpainted CF.
-AA Track Pipe. Currently for sale...
-Raceland SS Rep headers. Supposed to have pretty decent fitment
-Apex 90mm Stud Kit
-Used Recaro PPs with aluminum side mounts. Got a sweet deal because one of them had a cross-threaded hole. Already fixed it with the appropriate tap.
-Macht Schnell floor mounts. Currently for sale (didn't quite fit)
-One Recaro Slider. Currently for sale. Decided to go with Wedge brackets and sliders (thanks for the helpful nudge, JP)
-AP Race Bolt-in Roll bar. Yes, I know; I bought the "wannabe" roll bar that "does nothing". My original plans were to just do a harness bar and save the weight, but I got a deal on this that I couldn't refuse. On top of that, an AP roll bar saved the life of a close friend. I don't want to weld in a cage.
-Schroth Rallye Cross wrap harnesses

On the way:
-UUC Sway Bars
-Wedge brackets and sliders
-Sumitomo HTR Z III 255/40/17 all around
-X-brace

Looking for:
-24lb Injectors
-GC or TC Kline coilovers
-Vibrant resonator and muffler
-Adjustable front splitter
-Dinan CF Intake
-Dinan Strut Bars
-Underdrive pulleys, still deciding on a brand
-Tuning Tech FS Tune
-Clear Tails, smoked side markers, clear corners

Eventually:
-Blower or Sunbelt cams??
-Coby alcantara wrap and boot

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Has a sunroof, sigh.

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Let's get started!

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First mod done.

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Interior removed. These vaders must weigh more than 100 lbs a piece...

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Bumper lip resprayed satin black. Pleased with how it came out.

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[theothersawyer]

Beautiful car! One of the first few BMW's I fell in love with was a Dakar E36M owned by my now brother-in-law! Excited to see what you do with this!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Beautiful car! One of the first few BMW's I fell in love with was a Dakar E36M owned by my now brother-in-law! Excited to see what you do with this!

Thanks! Dakar is my favorite color these cars come in. I wasn't searching for a specific color, just a clean car; I totally lucked out!

[NoVAphotog]

Awesome car! Can't say I haven't looked around for one of these in the same color...probably easier to find nicer ones out your way. Friend here has one that I've ridden in and driven. Definitely interesting to compare to ZHP...they say that I made the right choice (was thinking E36M or ZHP back when I was looking)...less rattling, that much newer tech, etc...still though...the M had a certain feel!

Good luck with the project, looking forward to updates.

[Vas]

Nice car. Where did you find it?

[MiniD]

Awesome car, Dimitri. It appears that you have found a nice one! I can't wait to see the ARC8s installed!

Similar to you, a few years ago I was 19 and sold my well sorted ZHP and built a crazy cam'd E36 M3. Let me know if you have any questions, I've had a few E36 M3s!

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[Hornung418]

Sweet! Congratulations, Dimi!

[johnrando]

Wow, congrats!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Awesome car! Can't say I haven't looked around for one of these in the same color...probably easier to find nicer ones out your way. Friend here has one that I've ridden in and driven. Definitely interesting to compare to ZHP...they say that I made the right choice (was thinking E36M or ZHP back when I was looking)...less rattling, that much newer tech, etc...still though...the M had a certain feel!

Good luck with the project, looking forward to updates.

Yeah. Even out here it's hard to find one of these cars. I drove six hours to see the one I was looking at before this car. The torque and difference in weight are definitely noticeable. This car is VERY noticeably quicker with half a tank compared to a full tank.

I was in the same boat when I was searching for a ZHP. It just came down to what I was able to find a clean example of first.


Nice car. Where did you find it?

Ended up finding it in SF. The car has maintenance records from a local indy BMW shop in my area, though.


Awesome car, Dimitri. It appears that you have found a nice one! I can't wait to see the ARC8s installed!

Similar to you, a few years ago I was 19 and sold my well sorted ZHP and built a crazy cam'd E36 M3. Let me know if you have any questions, I've had a few E36 M3s!

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I think they're going to be a real pain to fit with 255s.

Good stuff! That's a great looking E36 you've got; I want that lip, lol. I'll definitely have to pick your brain about some things.

Actually, I could use some tips right now. How do I get this damn oem wing off? I've tried a plastic putty knife, fishing line, and just straight pulling with no luck at all.


Sweet! Congratulations, Dimi!

Yesss, finally! Thanks, Justin!


Wow, congrats!

Thanks, JR!

[BMWCurves]

Nice. Subbed.

[Hornung418]

Think the wing is bolted on from underneath. And if it isn't you have to heat the adhesive up before you attempt to take it off.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Think the wing is bolted on from underneath. And if it isn't you have to heat the adhesive up before you attempt to take it off.

I already managed to get the four screws out. It's just this double sided adhesive tape that's giving me a headache. I tried a hair dryer, but it didn't help. I think I'm going to need to borrow a heat gun. :(

[Hornung418]

Yeah you need to pump the paint with heat. Because it's not able to be directly heated.

[BADCLOWN]

Very clean base to start with, im jealous. Always wanted a techno m3

[Johal E32]

Very nice, hit me up. I have an E36 M3 that sits in the garage, let's go for a cruise!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Yeah you need to pump the paint with heat. Because it's not able to be directly heated.

Ended up just going ham with the hair dryer and plastic putty knife. Once I got enough space I used a pocket knife to cut the tape away like flesh.


Very clean base to start with, im jealous. Always wanted a techno m3

Thanks! Techno is the other color that I really wanted. :drool


Very nice, hit me up. I have an E36 M3 that sits in the garage, let's go for a cruise!

Sounds great! I'll be heading to the Napa area for school, so I shouldn't be too far from you.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

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It's off and this is on! :)

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Prepping for black paint...

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[Johal E32]

Right on, which school?

I think I'm going to rebuild my S52 soon, it has leaky valve stem seals and when I did a leak down test I wasn't very happy with the numbers. Still great to drive! Just leaves a cloud of smoke every time I hit the gas!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Right on, which school?

I think I'm going to rebuild my S52 soon, it has leaky valve stem seals and when I did a leak down test I wasn't very happy with the numbers. Still great to drive! Just leaves a cloud of smoke every time I hit the gas!

I'll be a sophomore at Pacific Union College.

Good stuff. Hit me up if you ever want an extra hand on the weekends!

[Johal E32]

I'll be a sophomore at Pacific Union College.

Good stuff. Hit me up if you ever want an extra hand on the weekends!

Awesome, just realized you're the same age as me! I'm a sophomore at Contra Costa College

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Awesome, just realized you're the same age as me! I'm a sophomore at Contra Costa College

Sweet. Google maps says that our school are an hour and fifteen minutes apart. We'll definitely have to meet up in Napa and go for a drive!

Btw, were you around Daly City last weekend, cruising with a silver E36 M3 sedan? I saw a wagon that looks just like yours.

[poke08]

Congrats! You really aren't wasting any time modding this thing haha. I can't wait to see it when you're done :thumbup

[fredo]

Well done, Dimitri ! :thumbsup

One lady in my neighborhood is selling her 1997 M3 with 246,000 miles for $4,500. Looks and sounds very good.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Congrats! You really aren't wasting any time modding this thing haha. I can't wait to see it when you're done :thumbup

That's because I only have three weeks to finish the major stuff, haha. No time to waste! Thanks, I'll take tons of photos when it's done.


Well done, Dimitri ! :thumbsup

One lady in my neighborhood is selling her 1997 M3 with 246,000 miles for $4,500. Looks and sounds very good.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

LS1 swap. Nuff said ;).

[Wowzers123]

Nice Dimitri, love the color!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Nice Dimitri, love the color!

Thanks, Kevin! I hope your zhp is treating you well. :thumbup

[Johal E32]

Sweet. Google maps says that our school are an hour and fifteen minutes apart. We'll definitely have to meet up in Napa and go for a drive!

Btw, were you around Daly City last weekend, cruising with a silver E36 M3 sedan? I saw a wagon that looks just like yours.

Hmm no. I was in Berkeley with the sedan and the wagon last week. Never ventured over the bridge though.

[Pip]

Is this garage at your parent's place or at college? If college... I salute you.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Hmm no. I was in Berkeley with the sedan and the wagon last week. Never ventured over the bridge though.

But you were with a E36 M3 sedan, right? I might've seen you while I was on my way to pick this car up, haha.


Is this garage at your parent's place or at college? If college... I salute you.

This isn't my college, sadly. :(

[Johal E32]

But you were with a E36 M3 sedan, right? I might've seen you while I was on my way to pick this car up, haha.


Yeah I was. The car is from Napa?

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Yeah I was. The car is from Napa?

I totally saw you then. I bought it in Daly City. I'm not super familiar with that part of the bay area.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Suspension, and sway bars are being taken off today. Ground control coilovers will be coming in the next couple days. UUC sway bars get here tomorrow. Wedge brackets should arrive sometime next week.

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Looks better after some paint...

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Bought a clean set of used headlights today for $50. It'll be a temporary fix until I get glass xenons.

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[Pip]

This car already looks awesome and only going to get better. We need to do another meet/drive in the Bay.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[Campster23]

Looks awesome Dimitri! Hope you enjoy it !


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[NorCal-Dimitri]

Here's the suspension that was on the car. Currently up for sale. I'll hopefully be picking up SA coilovers, camber plates, and adjustable sway bar end links from Ground Control next week.

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Dropping the axle-back portion of the exhaust to get this rear sway bar out.

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I made the stupid assumption that my rear links would work with the 21mm rear UUC sway bar. Looks like I'll be buying those today....

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As soon as I'm finished with the suspension, I'll be throwing the headers on and getting the custom 3" exhaust done. I'm going to follow the exhaust of this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w3UZBM2Z1k



This car already looks awesome and only going to get better. We need to do another meet/drive in the Bay.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

Thanks, Sean! A drive should definitely be put in the books. If you're up for a drive, I know some great roads in the Napa Valley.


Looks awesome Dimitri! Hope you enjoy it !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, Kevin! Somehow I was only carless for a little more than a week. I'm stressed to finish this car before school starts for me.

[BMWCurves]

Geez you're really going at it. Great work! I'm excited to see it all come together.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Geez you're really going at it. Great work! I'm excited to see it all come together.

Thanks! Yeah, haha. I don't have much to finish the important parts of the car since school starts for me on Sept. 6. I think I'll be leaving the M50 swap, underdrive pulleys, 24lb injectors, and extended locking lug nuts for when I'm in school, since I can do them during the weekends on campus. Suspension, headers, exhaust, roll bar and ltw wing all have to happen before the 6th, though.

[Hornung418]

Damn boy, gonna be rollin in a fresh whip.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Damn boy, gonna be rollin in a fresh whip.

Hopefully it'll perform better than it looks. ;) Thanks!

[FL116]

Dang... you hit the ground runnin' with this thing. Congrats on the purchase! Can't wait to see more of this build!

[danewilson77]

Dang... you hit the ground runnin' with this thing. Congrats on the purchase! Can't wait to see more of this build!
+1

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[NorCal-Dimitri]

Dang... you hit the ground runnin' with this thing. Congrats on the purchase! Can't wait to see more of this build!

I could use some help from someone with experience. I unbolted the flanges, but the pipes are seized onto each other. I've tried hitting the outermost pipe with a punch and a hammer, but that yielded no results. The old man is saying to heat the outer pipe with a torch and lightly hit around the outside with a hammer. Does anyone have any ideas??

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+1

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Thanks, guys! Two months worth of parts were just screaming at me to be used. :)

[Vas]

Yup heat is the way to go

[NorCal-Dimitri]

It's been too long since we had an update. Finally got the rear adjustable control arms in. Wedge couldn't make brackets to fit my aluminum Recaro side mounts, so I fabbed my Macht Schnell E46 floor mounts (sorry Seth) with a dremel so they'd fit. The PPs feel solid and amazing. For now, the passenger side doesn't have a slider. Roll bar is installed and harnesses are mounted. I had some set backs, so unfortunately rubber, coilovers, camber plates and adjustable end links are still on the way. I ordered 15mm Apex spacers today for the front wheels so they'll clear the suspension.

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The floor mounts made it easy to get directly behind the steering wheel.

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This sort of shows the fabbing required to make these fit.

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[NorCal-Dimitri]

SS rep headers ceramic coated...

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Calipers cleaned for the usual dark blue paint.

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These showed up in the mail today. Very impressed with the quality as usual. Hopefully I'll clear the front suspension now.

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3 of 24 exhaust manifold nuts removed. They're coming out a lot easier than I thought they would. Unfortunately, as I expected, the studs are coming out with the nuts...
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[Hornung418]

Nice progress!!!

Pro tip: Don't booger the threads when you install them! That is a one way ticket to the machine shop.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Nice progress!!!

Pro tip: Don't booger the threads when you install them! That is a one way ticket to the machine shop.

Eeeek. Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to get them nice and clean before putting them back in. Is red or blue loctite recommended for the studs?

[Hornung418]

Not really. That will make getting them out again a real bitch.

I would look into an aftermarket stud option and use factory copper nuts. They aren't suppose to fuse to the studs, so maybe an overnight soak in the parts cleaner with brakleen will help them come free.

There is no torque between the two as nothing is being fastened so that might help them divorce. Just be super careful when you reinstall.

[Hornung418]

Another pro tip: turn the studs counter-clockwise by hand until you feel it seat in the threads. That will prevent cross threading.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Not really. That will make getting them out again a real bitch.

I would look into an aftermarket stud option and use factory copper nuts. They aren't suppose to fuse to the studs, so maybe an overnight soak in the parts cleaner with brakleen will help them come free.

There is no torque between the two as nothing is being fastened so that might help them divorce. Just be super careful when you reinstall.


Another pro tip: turn the studs counter-clockwise by hand until you feel it seat in the threads. That will prevent cross threading.

Sweet, thanks for the help. I'm currently at 17/24.

That's my favorite trick that my old man taught me!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Exhaust manifold removed. 20/24 studs came out with their nut.

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This was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be...

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The meat got mounted today. 255/40/17 Sumitomo HTR Z III. They're supposed to be great, especially for the price. They'll do while I do more tire research and get my fitment together.

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The usual darkish-blue coming right up...
Gonna go to slotted UUC rotors when these need to be replaced.

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[BMWCurves]

I'm going to be sad when you go back to school and you have less time to work on your car on a daily basis. I'm loving these updates!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

I'm going to be sad when you go back to school and you have less time to work on your car on a daily basis. I'm loving these updates!

I'm actually putting all of the things that I can do at school aside for now. I'll still have the M50 manifold, 24lb injectors, 3.5" hfm, CAI, Euro clears, and extended locking lug nuts to do. :biggrin There's still more fun to be had!

Another update: just resprayed the lower grill. I'll post a photo when it gets reinstalled tomorrow.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Update:

running out of things to do. Headers cranked down, lower grill resprayed, fog lights refinished, resonator and muffler acquired, diffuser cut to fit the two 3.5" tips, and inevitable rust from the OEM wing tail light wiring hole sanded off with a dremel, and rubber acquired. Picking up the GC Street/School coilover kit w/ adjustable sway bar end links this Thursday.

I've decided that I'm going to ditch doing cams, 24 lb injectors, a 3.5" Porsche hfm, and a CAI and instead just save up for a blower. Looking to buy the AA or Dinan kit once I've got the money.

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Sanded down with a dremel afterwards. Turned out quite nice. If I touched it up with paint, it'd almost look OEM.
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Here's the inevitable rust spot with these cars that have the OEM wing. The wiring for the taillight goes through here and is almost always rusted. Any suggestions on what to seal it with?
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Lower grill looks a lot better. Used the same satin paint as I used on the lip. The lower grill on this car comes off 20 times more easily than the grill on the ZHP, haha.
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Before photo with the Mother's refinishing kit.
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[FL116]

I love Vibrant Performance! Those mufflers have an awesome sound!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Picked up some goodies from Ground Control yesterday; went with 525/600 spring rates. Very impressed with the quality and ride. I'm comparing them to the TC Klines that I had on my E46.

Mounted the coilovers and adjustable sway bar end links. Maxed out the front camber while I get the wheels fitted. Trevor from GC said the max on the hybrid plates was about four degrees. I'll do some geometry tonight to see exactly where we're at. I set the rear control arms to approximately 2.5 degrees. The car is rocking some crazy toe right now and it's causing the rears to rub. No rubbing in the front. I'm getting all four fenders rolled next week, from there I'll back off the camber to hopefully -3.5 and -2.0.

With the 15mm spacer, there's about 5mm of clearance between the tire and strut.

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LTW mounted. Removed the window tint right after.

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I love Vibrant Performance! Those mufflers have an awesome sound!

Yeah! I can't wait to get the exhaust done. I drove it today with just the long-tube headers and it was almost undriveably loud.

[ELCID86]

Wow. Great progress! I love it.


Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

[Hornung418]

Yeah! I can't wait to get the exhaust done. I drove it today with just the long-tube headers and it was almost undriveably loud.

My favorite part of driving with open headers is coasting in gear and its complete silence and the slightest touch of the loud pedal awakens a demon beast under your hood and it just shouts at you. The 8 am trip to the exhaust shop was quite entertaining in the neighborhood.

[slater]

The meat got mounted today. 255/40/17 Sumitomo HTR Z III. They're supposed to be great, especially for the price. They'll do while I do more tire research and get my fitment together.

i've run these before. intially they were very good, but after about 50% wear they get really greasy. won't be buying them again.

excellent progress on the car!

peter

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Wow. Great progress! I love it.

Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.

Thank you!


My favorite part of driving with open headers is coasting in gear and its complete silence and the slightest touch of the loud pedal awakens a demon beast under your hood and it just shouts at you. The 8 am trip to the exhaust shop was quite entertaining in the neighborhood.

Exactly! Getting up to the speed limit is a pain. I drove it 30 mins to a local cars and coffee today and I think I have hearing damage. In fact, my ears are still ringing.

A lot of old people live around me; if only you could see the nasty scowls I've gotten.


i've run these before. intially they were very good, but after about 50% wear they get really greasy. won't be buying them again.

excellent progress on the car!

peter

Hmm, that's disappointing. I'll probably go with Contis once these go out then. Thanks for the input!

[BMWCurves]

Awesome work, it looks really clean and well done. All too often I've seen overcooked (see: overly flashy modified) E36 M3's that just don't look well executed.

After refreshing my suspension last weekend, the springs in the rear spring perches look hilariously small :rofl

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Awesome work, it looks really clean and well done. All too often I've seen overcooked (see: overly flashy modified) E36 M3's that just don't look well executed.

After refreshing my suspension last weekend, the springs in the rear spring perches look hilariously small :rofl

Thanks! I really appreciate hearing that.

Haha, no kidding. TINY

[MiniD]

Looking good, Dimitri.

[Johnmadd]

Much respect man. This car is quality enthusiasm.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Looking good, Dimitri.


Much respect man. This car is quality enthusiasm.

That input means a lot to me, guys! Thanks for the good words! I'm having such a blast with this car. :thumbup

[az3579]

Might I recommend an oil pan baffle? These cars are notorious for lifter tick after autocross runs or hard cornering (left to right).

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Might I recommend an oil pan baffle? These cars are notorious for lifter tick after autocross runs or hard cornering (left to right).

Hmmm, I haven't heard about that; I guess I've got some reading to do. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Hornung418]

Hmmm, I haven't heard about that; I guess I've got some reading to do. Thanks for the suggestion!
Would over fill by half a quart for events. Then suck a half quart back out with a power bleeder. Install a baffle when it truly is necessary.

[az3579]

Hmmm, I haven't heard about that; I guess I've got some reading to do. Thanks for the suggestion!

A few guys I used to autocross with told me all of their E36 M3's do that.


Would over fill by half a quart for events. Then suck a half quart back out with a power bleeder. Install a baffle when it truly is necessary.

Overfilling doesn't always help. My E46 does that as well after hard runs on a twisty autox course and it still ticks, even being overfilled.

[Mike V]

Nice build thread!

255s on 9.5 with 15mm spacers? Wow that must be a tight fit. My 255s were rubbing on 9" SSR Comps with no spacer. I had to get 245s and put the 255s on the back of the old RX-7. I didn't want to mess with rolling the fender lips.

The ticking is a non-issue really. It only happens for me after autocross runs and goes away on the way home after around 5-7 miles of normal driving. The extra half-quart thing has never worked for me in the many S50's and S52's I've autocrossed over the years. My current M3 sedan has 202k miles, so it doesn't seem to affect longevity much. I don't autocross that car anymore though. Strangely enough, my 99 M Coupe is always silent at the autox. It might be mileage-related, since it only has 59,xxx miles on it or maybe I'm not driving fast enough. Ha!

Enjoying your build thread. Keep the updates coming!

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Would over fill by half a quart for events. Then suck a half quart back out with a power bleeder. Install a baffle when it truly is necessary.




Overfilling doesn't always help. My E46 does that as well after hard runs on a twisty autox course and it still ticks, even being overfilled.

I'll run it a few times overfilled and see how it plays out. I'll install a baffle if it's pretty persistent.


Nice build thread!

255s on 9.5 with 15mm spacers? Wow that must be a tight fit. My 255s were rubbing on 9" SSR Comps with no spacer. I had to get 245s and put the 255s on the back of the old RX-7. I didn't want to mess with rolling the fender lips.

The ticking is a non-issue really. It only happens for me after autocross runs and goes away on the way home after around 5-7 miles of normal driving. The extra half-quart thing has never worked for me in the many S50's and S52's I've autocrossed over the years. My current M3 sedan has 202k miles, so it doesn't seem to affect longevity much. I don't autocross that car anymore though. Strangely enough, my 99 M Coupe is always silent at the autox. It might be mileage-related, since it only has 59,xxx miles on it or maybe I'm not driving fast enough. Ha!

Enjoying your build thread. Keep the updates coming!

Thanks! Yeah, it's pretty tight. At least a 12mm spacer is needed to clear the suspension. Right now the car is probably a little over -3.5 degrees in the front. I haven't driven it hard enough to get a front rubbing in hard corners. At full lock, they do rub the fender liners slightly. I've been trying to solve the rubbing in the rear, which I think was being caused by excessive toe in. I did a self alignment to see if reducing the toe would help, but since I managed to break the rear glass, I haven't been able to drive it. Next week I'll be rolling all of the fenders and backing off the camber.

That's interesting to hear. I guess the only way to find out is to run this car. :respect

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Forgot to ad this. A few days ago while re-mounting the wing to seal it from water, an accident happened. I thought my buddy had a hold of it, so I took a hand off to thread a bolt. The wing slid down the trunk lid and manage to break the rear glass. Still trying to figure out how this piece of carbon fiber managed to do that...
Good to know that next time I need to break a window that the perfect tool is bolted to my trunk.

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[Pip]

I saw that earlier on instagram or FB. Sorry to hear about that and hopefully you'll be able to get it replaced shortly. Wouldn't want to be without the ///M at school.
From my Surface Pro 3

[NorCal-Dimitri]

I saw that earlier on instagram or FB. Sorry to hear about that and hopefully you'll be able to get it replaced shortly. Wouldn't want to be without the ///M at school.
From my Surface Pro 3

It's getting a mobile replacement tomorrow morning thankfully. I'll be bringing it over to the Napa Valley as soon as it's finished! :)

[squashman702]

Any updates on this? Just bought one myself. Going LS/T56.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/squashman702/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150924_183140_zpstqj6phar.jpg (http://s243.photobucket.com/user/squashman702/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150924_183140_zpstqj6phar.jpg.html)

[BMWCurves]

Nice! Is it me or does the grille look uneven?

[squashman702]

Nice! Is it me or does the grille look uneven?

It's uneven.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

Any updates on this? Just bought one myself. Going LS/T56.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/squashman702/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150924_183140_zpstqj6phar.jpg (http://s243.photobucket.com/user/squashman702/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150924_183140_zpstqj6phar.jpg.html)

Excellent! I love that color. As for updates, I received my Motorsport Hardware extended lug nuts; the quality is fantastic and the machining is beautiful. I also got the car aligned. The specs are -3.5 degrees and 0 toe in the front. -2.5 degrees and a 16th of an inch of toe in the rear. I'm hopefully going to do my rtabs and fcabs this weekend. I signed up for my first autox, November 21st in Sonoma. Sorry for the lack of updates, school has kept me busy.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

It's been a while, but I've made some fair progress recently. In the last month I've added an oem x-brace, some new CF BMW roundels, Powerflex Rtabs and Fcabs, and TMS OEM motor mounts. I also recently flushed the power steering fluid and gave the car some much needed love with the rotary buffer and the random orbital. The car looks and feels like a million bucks now. I'll add some photos when I get home this weekend.

I've been working a lot lately and I managed to round up the funds necessary to buy a used supercharger kit. I'm hoping to find a VF kit and piece together my own intercooler. If anyone knows of anybody selling a used SC kit (AA, Dinan, VF, RMS, doesn't matter a whole lot), please let me know. First things first though, the car needs a compression and leak down test to make sure it's ready for it. My end goal is 325+ whp at 7 psi or less.

[Vas]

Wow

[BMWCurves]

Wow

+1. 325 whp on such low boost...:drool

[NorCal-Dimitri]

+1. 325 whp on such low boost...:drool

Haha, I'm incredibly excited, but I'm a little discouraged that I haven't been able to find a kit yet. It seemed that there were quite a few for sale two months ago, but I can't even find one now.

[Hornung418]

Almost a year with no posts...what the heck is going on with this thing?

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[theothersawyer]

My brother in law just sent me this!

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2309845-1998-E36-M3-Dakar-Yellow

[Hornung418]

Aww man! Dimi, sell me your Recaros?

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[FL116]

That is unfortunate.

[NorCal-Dimitri]

My brother in law just sent me this!

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2309845-1998-E36-M3-Dakar-Yellow

Oh boy, haha.


Aww man! Dimi, sell me your Recaros?

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Not parting the aftermarket goodies just yet, but if I do I'll let you know!


That is unfortunate.

I know and I'm incredibly sad. I need something more practical right now and that's currently looking like a 4 runner.

[FL116]

A zhp isn't practical?

[Hornung418]

A zhp isn't practical?
Track ready M3 is quite uncomfortable if you have a professional job. Maybe a Friday car, but a comfortable vehicle would be ideal. 😞

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[FL116]

Track ready M3 is quite uncomfortable if you have a professional job. Maybe a Friday car, but a comfortable vehicle would be ideal. 😞

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Well I know the m3 isn't practical, but a zhp is. I was just wondering why he is choosing a 4runner? 4 runners are great, just wondering why he's choosing it. I actually almost got one a couple years ago. I like em a lot

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[Hornung418]

Well I know the m3 isn't practical, but a zhp is. I was just wondering why he is choosing a 4runner? 4 runners are great, just wondering why he's choosing it. I actually almost got one a couple years ago. I like em a lot

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I think the mountains in Oregon might have something to do with the decision. But hopefully he chimes in!

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[FL116]

I think the mountains in Oregon might have something to do with the decision. But hopefully he chimes in!

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That would be fun. I hate that we have no mountains in florida...

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[NorCal-Dimitri]

ZHPs are great cars and all, but I need something that needs to be maintained minimally. I don't have the time to do that kind of makntenance myself. I was planning on getting a beat up accord or Camry, but then I drove a friends 4 runner on some of the dirt roads around Bend, OR and I had a blast. I'm also going to be going to school in Washington in an area that has a good amount of snow. That's pretty much how I came to the decision to go for a 4 runner. I guess you could say the mountains around here were definitely a factor

[FL116]

ZHPs are great cars and all, but I need something that needs to be maintained minimally. I don't have the time to do that kind of makntenance myself. I was planning on getting a beat up accord or Camry, but then I drove a friends 4 runner on some of the dirt roads around Bend, OR and I had a blast. I'm also going to be going to school in Washington in an area that has a good amount of snow. That's pretty much how I came to the decision to go for a 4 runner. I guess you could say the mountains around here were definitely a factor

Very nice. If Florida had more off-road trails or mountains, I would definitely have some sort of off road vehicle, and definitely not a zhp. Lol

[squashman702]

Let me know if you decide to sell the LTW wing.

[Campster23]

ZHPs are great cars and all, but I need something that needs to be maintained minimally. I don't have the time to do that kind of makntenance myself. I was planning on getting a beat up accord or Camry, but then I drove a friends 4 runner on some of the dirt roads around Bend, OR and I had a blast. I'm also going to be going to school in Washington in an area that has a good amount of snow. That's pretty much how I came to the decision to go for a 4 runner. I guess you could say the mountains around here were definitely a factor

So we both sold our cars at the exact same time haha.. Loved Mysti!! Really going to miss her. Seems like she will be goin to a loving home in Minnesota tomorrow. Have been talking to the new owner for about a week and he's flying down tomorrow to drive her back up.


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[GotZHP]

Great looking M3. Like what you have done thus far. This is one of the few cars in yellow that I think looks great in it.

Question - What became of the Vaders?