[chillindrdude]

yep, i installed a M-Performance OEM x-brace.

to my knowledge the xbrace came standard on the M3 convertibles. but not in the coupes. however, the bolt holes are present in my model year, so i simply bought one and bolted it on.

[Mywifes335]

Originally Posted by chillindrdude

yep, i installed a M-Performance OEM x-brace.

to my knowledge the xbrace came standard on the M3 convertibles. but not in the coupes. however, the bolt holes are present in my model year, so i simply bought one and bolted it on.

They're great. I think Rogue offers something beefier, but OEM should do the trick.

Yup!

Beware of shock towers failing due to metal fatigue/corrosion. One of my buddies had 2 E36s get towers replaced. It's like $300 worth of welding for a $65 part!

They'll look ok from outside but inside they're brittle and rotten.

[chillindrdude]

***update***


Did the following:
-front left tierod replacement and alignment
-Bimmerworld dual fuel pickups to address starvation
-all aluminum radiator and expansion chamber, new coolant hoses
-clutch fan delete, E-fan install, Stewart water pump

[chillindrdude]

and lastly...

mounted my trusty RE71Rs, installed studs and spacers.



a bit of a compromise in sizing. I wanted to run apex 17x8.5 wheels with 245/40/17 but ran into some funding issues (closing on a house) and had to conserve. Instead, I mounted 235/45/17 onto my stock 17x8 rims.

they are just a tad bigger in diameter and circumference compared to the 225/45/17. about 1.4% bigger.

i think it fills out the wheel well nicely. alittle more sidewall than i wanted though

[chillindrdude]

yours truly @ VIR

[W///]

How did you like the e36 at VIR?

[max_330i]

Very nice, I like the build so far. If you don't mind me asking, what was the price you paid for the car alone? I'm trying to get an idea of how much it costs to buy one and get it up to speed. The E36 M3 has always been one of my favorites.

Max

[chillindrdude]

Originally Posted by max_330i

Very nice, I like the build so far. If you don't mind me asking, what was the price you paid for the car alone? I'm trying to get an idea of how much it costs to buy one and get it up to speed. The E36 M3 has always been one of my favorites.

Max

i paid $7800. alittle steep, but was the only car that 1)wasn't a rust bucket 2)unmolested 3)had complete records and 4)passed a PPI

[chillindrdude]

Originally Posted by W///

How did you like the e36 at VIR?

it was fun while it was up and running. encountered an unrecoverable engine problem and had to retire.

car is being fixed and put together this week.

[max_330i]

Originally Posted by chillindrdude

i paid $7800. alittle steep, but was the only car that 1)wasn't a rust bucket 2)unmolested 3)had complete records and 4)passed a PPI

Those two qualifiers make it a worthwhile purchase. I'm from Chicago, and around these parts, finding an E36 that isn't rusty or beat up is nearly impossible.

Max

[W///]

Originally Posted by max_330i

Very nice, I like the build so far. If you don't mind me asking, what was the price you paid for the car alone? I'm trying to get an idea of how much it costs to buy one and get it up to speed. The E36 M3 has always been one of my favorites.

Max

Depends what you are looking for. I think to get a good/decent street car, you're looking at $10k today minimum IMHO. For a very excellent/mint condition car, you'll be looking more towards $15k.

I do firmly believe that if you are going to pull the trigger, do it now rather than later. Every time I check, the price keeps going up.

Originally Posted by chillindrdude

it was fun while it was up and running. encountered an unrecoverable engine problem and had to retire.

car is being fixed and put together this week.

Oh no, what happened? OPN was already taken care of.
Good thing these engines are horribly expensive.

[DrivenByE30]

What happened to the engine?
Hiccups?

Now that you ran it on the track once, what other mods or improvements do you see requiring or needed next?

[chillindrdude]

I money shifted.

no one to blame but myself. I was running M Performance engine mounts and UUC black durometer transmission mounts + enforce cups. was caught up in the moment, meant to shift from 3rd to 4th but ended up in 2nd.

engine lost compression. CEL came on. pulled over immediately and shut her down.

TL;DR. had "new" motor put in. It was a well maintained 134k motor, passed compression tests. I had a shop transfer my baffled oil pan (did the OPN mod), t-stat and housing, and stewart pump. I also had them delete the A/C (was on the fritz anyways), and installed smaller pulleys. Back in the car it went, but also replaced the stock flywheel with a lightweight one, new OEM clutch and AKG Motorsports shifter.

I picked her up last weekend. She feels like a new car. (basically is)





my wallet hurt....alot.

[chillindrdude]

update:

installed AFE CAI and Rennline pedals.

[chillindrdude]

Audi Club HPDE @ Dominion Raceway

ACNA_Dominion_9_2016_8 by Neil Lee, on Flickr

ACNA_Dominion_9_2016_15 by Neil Lee, on Flickr