Soldato
Dat noise....hhhnnngggggg <3
cheap M3, whats the worst..
- Thread starter Matt82
- Start date
One fortnight review.
It has beyond 400 miles on it now and so far it has been an absolute gem. it hasnt come to work with me once this week, it has been sat on the driveway nice and clean under its cover.
it went to a club gti meet on monday for a bit of hooning and has been taken out here and there.
really not a lot to report. it has been driven once (sort of unintentionally) in the rain, i was out and it started to pour down. i can report that even without traction control you have to provoke it quite a lot for it to act up in the wet.
going back to the 1.8t really highlights the difference between NA and turbo, NA feel so much nicer in terms of response, especially when you have a good amount of torque available without any lag.
ive got some shiney exhaust hangers on the kitchen table waiting to go on tonight. one of the current ones are broken and its annoying.
all things being well, two new lambdas going on tomorrow too
It has beyond 400 miles on it now and so far it has been an absolute gem. it hasnt come to work with me once this week, it has been sat on the driveway nice and clean under its cover.
it went to a club gti meet on monday for a bit of hooning and has been taken out here and there.
really not a lot to report. it has been driven once (sort of unintentionally) in the rain, i was out and it started to pour down. i can report that even without traction control you have to provoke it quite a lot for it to act up in the wet.
going back to the 1.8t really highlights the difference between NA and turbo, NA feel so much nicer in terms of response, especially when you have a good amount of torque available without any lag.
ive got some shiney exhaust hangers on the kitchen table waiting to go on tonight. one of the current ones are broken and its annoying.
all things being well, two new lambdas going on tomorrow too
hangers sorted, exhaust hanging how BMW intended. im really starting to like how logically these cars are bolted together.
also had a chance to tape up the threads on the adjustable camber arms, they were the main reason i didnt want to use it in the wet, so prevent them from corroding.
the reviews regarding the cars odd steering are true, even the GF isnt keen. when you go back to the golf you see what a difference a conventional rack makes. the e36 one isnt bad, it just takes getting used to, but i really cannot see what there was to gain over a good rack to start with
also had a chance to tape up the threads on the adjustable camber arms, they were the main reason i didnt want to use it in the wet, so prevent them from corroding.
the reviews regarding the cars odd steering are true, even the GF isnt keen. when you go back to the golf you see what a difference a conventional rack makes. the e36 one isnt bad, it just takes getting used to, but i really cannot see what there was to gain over a good rack to start with
I use pistonheads as a gauge for the number of E36 M3s for sale at any particular time. its now at an all time low (particularly low, its normally about 40) so they are getting rarer!
E30 M3 [86-92] (20)
E36 M3 [92-99] (25)
Anyway, Ive completely lost track of how many miles ive put on there but it should be easily be beyond 500 now. Its with me at work again today, im getting into bad habits of bringing it to work when i really dont have to, just becaue i fancy it.
It really is a hoot to drive when you want to put your foot down and the rest of the time its happy to dawdle about comfortably. it sounds amazing. i have heard the car drive away from me twice and it sounds brilliant, its close to qualifying for charitable status. when youre dawdling through town, the optimum upshift point is about 2200rpm due to the rasp you get from the exhaust at about that point.
people dont seem to pull out on you or cut you up, being bright red seems to have its plus points.
when you do put your foot down it is capable of asking some pretty big questions so im still taking it easy with the car. if youre not hamfisted with the throttle it doesnt feel like it needs TC at all.
it is difficult to describe the way it drives in terms of response etc. its not raw and darty like a car thats on coilovers with poly bushes etc it doesnt fidget on the road either. some modified cars feel like a hyperactive puppy, always darting about, always ready to go crazy. this car feels more civilised, but not docile. the bi ratio steering rack is possibly the reason for this but you get used to it.
the car communicates what it is doing well. when the rear is about to break away it may as well give you written notification. it couldnt be clearer, whether it is a shimmy or its about to go wild, there is plenty of warning. so it is capable of civilised and berserk in one tidy 90s german package with an excellent soundtrack and some form of 90s hero status.
i dont think i could be happier with it to be honest.
E30 M3 [86-92] (20)
E36 M3 [92-99] (25)
Anyway, Ive completely lost track of how many miles ive put on there but it should be easily be beyond 500 now. Its with me at work again today, im getting into bad habits of bringing it to work when i really dont have to, just becaue i fancy it.
It really is a hoot to drive when you want to put your foot down and the rest of the time its happy to dawdle about comfortably. it sounds amazing. i have heard the car drive away from me twice and it sounds brilliant, its close to qualifying for charitable status. when youre dawdling through town, the optimum upshift point is about 2200rpm due to the rasp you get from the exhaust at about that point.
people dont seem to pull out on you or cut you up, being bright red seems to have its plus points.
when you do put your foot down it is capable of asking some pretty big questions so im still taking it easy with the car. if youre not hamfisted with the throttle it doesnt feel like it needs TC at all.
it is difficult to describe the way it drives in terms of response etc. its not raw and darty like a car thats on coilovers with poly bushes etc it doesnt fidget on the road either. some modified cars feel like a hyperactive puppy, always darting about, always ready to go crazy. this car feels more civilised, but not docile. the bi ratio steering rack is possibly the reason for this but you get used to it.
the car communicates what it is doing well. when the rear is about to break away it may as well give you written notification. it couldnt be clearer, whether it is a shimmy or its about to go wild, there is plenty of warning. so it is capable of civilised and berserk in one tidy 90s german package with an excellent soundtrack and some form of 90s hero status.
i dont think i could be happier with it to be honest.
Soldato
Good thread (y) please.keep updating!
Got any more plans for it?
Got any more plans for it?
next round of improvements, pretty much in this order
- Lambda sensors (it drinks)
- MAF sensor (it drinks and id like it to go faster)
- Paint / rust (you learn a lot about a car when you polish it. rear arches are a must, wouldnt mind repainting most of the front end too)
- Enjoy it
Thats pretty much about it.
the lights are all going back to OE (ie orange indicators etc) but im sort of tempted to put a yellow film on the fogs though
- Lambda sensors (it drinks)
- MAF sensor (it drinks and id like it to go faster)
- Paint / rust (you learn a lot about a car when you polish it. rear arches are a must, wouldnt mind repainting most of the front end too)
- Enjoy it
Thats pretty much about it.
the lights are all going back to OE (ie orange indicators etc) but im sort of tempted to put a yellow film on the fogs though
Sorry to keep bumping this but just spotted a thread on the evo magazine board
http://community.evo.co.uk/forums/thread.cfm?threadID=89030&last=1#post1087987
http://community.evo.co.uk/forums/thread.cfm?threadID=89030&last=1#post1087987
Soldato
I must say, that looks really really nice. When you started this thread a good while back now, i thought it was going to be a bit of a disaster thread, but because you're obviously very handy with tools (
) you have gone some way to restoring what was once a tired, unloved car.
Well played.
) you have gone some way to restoring what was once a tired, unloved car.Well played.
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oh hai guys
Spot the difference
3mm of brick dust over the cars, but the driveway is finished!
On an exciting note, MAF ordered today and some filters. Once its been washed it can have an oil change and now that I can keep it off the road it can go back under its cover.
Spot the difference
3mm of brick dust over the cars, but the driveway is finished!
On an exciting note, MAF ordered today and some filters. Once its been washed it can have an oil change and now that I can keep it off the road it can go back under its cover.
Soldato
I put my 328 track car away for winter yesterday.. Gonna take the rollcage out and paint it.. Planning a possible engine upgrade, but not sure what at the moment.
How you finding the M3 motor?
How you finding the M3 motor?
ideally i want to have it painted before christmas, thats the biggest aim for the car for the winter. last time i used this particular paintshop they had a 3 month waiting list though.
as for the engine is lovely. its revvy (not vtec revvy) so when you do put your foot and the revs get about 6k when most cars start to go limp the S50 has another whole 1krpm still to go.
being a relatively large engine you can dawdle abotu in traffic as it has a decent amount of grunt low down in the revs too.
if you do upgrade to something s50 you should bear in mind that the main weak link for the engine are big ends which can lead to instadeath and is very expensive to repair as regrinding the crank is apparently almost impossible.
so given the age of the cars/engines and the sort of owners they are likely to have had, i would want those bottom end bolts uprated and shells replaced before i stuck it in a car. that engine work had been carried out to mine a few months before i bought it, it was one of the main pros about the car.
im hoping for more firepower from mine once the new MAF etc go on
as for the engine is lovely. its revvy (not vtec revvy) so when you do put your foot and the revs get about 6k when most cars start to go limp the S50 has another whole 1krpm still to go.
being a relatively large engine you can dawdle abotu in traffic as it has a decent amount of grunt low down in the revs too.
if you do upgrade to something s50 you should bear in mind that the main weak link for the engine are big ends which can lead to instadeath and is very expensive to repair as regrinding the crank is apparently almost impossible.
so given the age of the cars/engines and the sort of owners they are likely to have had, i would want those bottom end bolts uprated and shells replaced before i stuck it in a car. that engine work had been carried out to mine a few months before i bought it, it was one of the main pros about the car.
im hoping for more firepower from mine once the new MAF etc go on
Soldato
Really enjoying this thread. I was never a fan of the e36 in general but I've always hankered after the m3. They're getting silly cheap now, not long before they start to rocket in price.
Caporegime
Drive looks good, is the garage round the side of the house?
the driveway down the side leads to the existing garage (more of a shed IMO, designed when cars were presumably much smaller)
the new garage is at the end of the garden. the original garage will disappear and become an extension of the driveway and it will lead to the NEW garage which is much much bigger, much much better, but needs a roof. thats one of the next big expenses.
the new garage is at the end of the garden. the original garage will disappear and become an extension of the driveway and it will lead to the NEW garage which is much much bigger, much much better, but needs a roof. thats one of the next big expenses.
what a review, the main critisism is that it lacks the involvement of the original E30.
what a different world we must have lived in back then, thats all i can say. i know the e30 must have set an extremely high bar, but that must have been one hell of a raw experience.
the review doesnt go as far as to say the car is inert, there seems to be no question that its very good, but doesnt live up to the e30. i couldnt find in the article how the car compared to its rivals in terms of involvement.
i would say im a bit of a handy driver but this car, even after a month and quite a few hundred miles makes me think twice from time to time. there is no traction control safety net. if you get too eager, and there is plenty of power to make absolutely sure you get into trouble, the car is capable of asking you some very big questions which you absolutely must be ready to answer.
what a different world we must have lived in back then, thats all i can say. i know the e30 must have set an extremely high bar, but that must have been one hell of a raw experience.
the review doesnt go as far as to say the car is inert, there seems to be no question that its very good, but doesnt live up to the e30. i couldnt find in the article how the car compared to its rivals in terms of involvement.
i would say im a bit of a handy driver but this car, even after a month and quite a few hundred miles makes me think twice from time to time. there is no traction control safety net. if you get too eager, and there is plenty of power to make absolutely sure you get into trouble, the car is capable of asking you some very big questions which you absolutely must be ready to answer.