DesktopDave

[DesktopDave]

I skipped out on the rear brake work, but I have a good excuse...

...just bought a '97 M3! It's likely the worst one for sale in America. Automatic, sedan, black and (worst of all?) it's pretty rusty.



For future reference, USB iBus emulator and other related hackery like NavCoder.

[monty23psk]

Nice upgrade from an m42 powered engine. I'm sure it still likes to move when you want it to.

[DesktopDave]

Nice upgrade from an m42 powered engine. I'm sure it still likes to move when you want it to.

It's not too bad in a straight line. It's not really great around anything twisty (yet). It does have a far more sophisticated suspension but it doesn't have the 'feel' that the E30 does. IMHO the E36 isn't built as well as the E30 either.

[monty23psk]

Nice upgrade from an m42 powered engine. I'm sure it still likes to move when you want it to.

It's not too bad in a straight line. It's not really great around anything twisty (yet). It does have a far more sophisticated suspension but it doesn't have the 'feel' that the E30 does. IMHO the E36 isn't built as well as the E30 either.

Agreed, e36 might be more refined but e30 is a little more raw for the slow car, fast car feeling. More of that go-kart feeling.

[DesktopDave]

No more distractions, I promise (he said as his fingers were crossed behind his back)...I sold the M3 this week. 

Actually, it wasn't that sad. I could have saved that car but it would have taken months of work. I sold it to another E30 guy for an engine & 5-lug swap. Can't argue with that!

[DesktopDave]

Sadly, I've decided to put the car up for sale:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/202509688580

It'll absolutely be missed, but I haven't driven it for years. I'll be sticking around M42Club because it'll only be a matter of time until I find another M42 (also because I'm an admin....that kind of power is hard to let go once you've had it). The next M4x will be a little newer...I'm thinking it's time for a Z3 four banger.

[Nick_318is]

Say it isn't so! Good luck with the sale, someone's going to get a pretty great car.

[DesktopDave]

I'll miss this particular E30, that's for sure. I'm not the only one...although my wife detested it, the kids loved that little car. I've owned a lot of E30s but this sedan was absolutely the pick of the littler...best of the bunch. I was hoping to get it over 300K...but 293K isn't bad.

I'm actually selling it to fund something a little safer for the kids. I'm looking for something with a more rigid chassis, better passive crash performance, side airbags, ABS & traction control. The E30 is a great little car but I need something with a little more protection.

The E36 has a lot going for it. The handling is somewhat more refined, suspension upgrades are a lot easier, chassis electronics are more advanced. I'm a big fan of the styling too; the E36 has aged exceptionally well. There are still a lot of parts cars around too. Best of all, the four-cyl is incredibly cheap. Everyone wants an M3 so they ignore the 318i. Admittedly the E36 has its troubles too. It's a lot heavier, significant design/materials/quality control problems, etc.. In short, it still has an abundance of all those little quirks that come along with owning a classic BMW!

[monty23psk]

NO WAY! But good things do come to an end at some point. Good luck and glad to still have you around post sale. Another option is a m42 2002?

[DesktopDave]

Hard to believe, but it's been just about ten years with that car, even longer since I joined up to do my research. That's a record for me, never owned a single car for that long!

Funny you should mention an upgraded '02...BMW has made so many great cars over the years. I've always been very partial to the stodgy Neue Klasse sedans like the 2000 tilux or TI/SA. If I could afford a 2000CS that wasn't a completely rusted out hulk, that'd be another great option. They're such a quirky car, especially in US trim. Very unique. They've really grown on me over the years.

[DesktopDave]

I've been doing a little work to the car to get it ready. The rear brake lines are really crusty. They failed our PA safety inspection, time to fix them!

If you do any brake line work, I can highly recommend the newer CuNiFe (copper nickel iron) tubing. It's a little pricey but it's so easy to work. Well worth it IMHO. I bought a spool of 3/16" along with some 10mm flare nuts.


Spool of fresh line.


Driver's side hard line removed & ready to duplicate.


Caliper with new hose installed.


Here's the final product, installed on the arm. Caliper mounted, I'll bleed it all later.


Top down view. New pads too, why not? Hopefully these will last the life of the car.


The worst of it is yet to come. How does anyone fix those lines up by the splitter?

[DesktopDave]

After ten years of ownership, I sold the car today. It's heading off to another E30 enthusiast, with any luck he'll pick it up where I left off. I'll still be around to check in, delete spammers, etc..

[DesktopDave]

It's already been a year since I updated this thread...how time flies by!

No real news on the M42 front, sold off that last engine. I do have a decent looking G240 if anyone's looking for one. I also have a low-mileage G220 if anyone wants some really short ratios without swapping in a diff. They're listed at my eBay store (link to the E30 section), feel free to send offers my way if you see anything tempting. Don't forget about the M42Club discount.

I have been quite busy at the shop, just parted out a free E34. It still had the complete M50B25, top to bottom, even the DME & harness was unmolested, if you can believe that.






The E34 is so last week though. I'm working over an E24 now, she's a sad lookin' thing. I've christened her "The Black Death", since this car is more of a biological specimen than a parts car.

[DesktopDave]

I was going to post this rant on a member's problem thread, but that's not right. I'll leave it here instead.

This is just my opinion, but I have always felt that BMW's obsession with integrated pressure tanks in an unusually high-pressure cooling system is a major mistake. It's an especially toxic recipe when you add poorly-designed rubber seals and questionable materials engineering. The payout is higher efficiency and slightly better performance, but the cost comes entirely out of customer's wallets. BMW has misled customers for years, and it has seriously stained their reputation.

It's not like American or Asian competition uses different materials...radiators are supplied by the same companies, designed exactly the same way, and yet somehow these cars are paragons of durability. How many times have you heard Lexus owners complain about a cracked head? How many Hyundai owners say you should overhaul the ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM every 80k miles since it's a "service item"?

[DesktopDave]

Wow, it's been two years since I've updated this!

I'm not sure where my other post went, perhaps it'll reappear? I've gotten myself back into a 4-cyl BMW! This one is a '97 318iS, Montreal Blue over gray Clover fabric. Happily, it's also a 5-speed, and the end of the M44, at least in the coupes. Seems oddly appropriate...this one is like the omega to my previous alpha; my Brilliant Red '91 318i was the first year of the M42.

Today's fun was the driver's door latch & switch. The door lights would randomly come on whenever driving with spirit. I happened to have an E34 parts car in the driveway (not the one from above, and not the one after that. The new one). The door striker pins are identical between the E34 & later E36 apparently. I had a heck of a time keeping the backing plate near enough to thread it back in! A longer ~6" bolt from some other BMW was the key to my success. The E36 uses a learning process to set the window stop limits, so I cranked it down all the way, held for ten seconds, then cranked it up all the way, held for ten seconds. Now it's fixed. I also adjusted a really sloppy accelerator cable and checked some of the fluids.

I really love the feeling of a new project car. Clearly it's addictive. Enough motivation for me to work outside on a cold, wet, rainy day...just to fix a car. Freude am Reparieren.