Mike's Cosmos Black 1998 M3 Sedan (M3/4/5) - Project Concord

[mike.bmw]

I've started focusing some attention to this M345's exterior. It's very presentable as is, but there are a few items that need to be addressed.

I decided to start things out with some dent removal. I've always wanted to try my hand at PDR, so I ordered a basic set of tools from Amazon for $50. Going into this, I knew proper PDR requires a TON of skill, none of which I possessed, but I like to learn.

The biggest offending dent was one in the nose panel, about half the size of a golf ball. It's kind of shocking how not noticeable it is in photos. I took removed some plastic under the hood gently applied pressure with a few of the tools. the dent is mostly out, but the paint (which was already cracked and chipped) needs to be addressed. So, this wasn't truly paintless dent repair. When I paint the passenger door (more to come on that later), I'll sand down this area and apply prime/paint/clear. There's another large chipped area under the passenger-side headlight that also needs paint.

20240222-PXL_20240222_220236236 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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I also addressed a small dent in the hood, which likely needs a pro to clean up... but I'll keep trying. :-)

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There's a small section of clear-coat failure on the front passenger door, which exposes some primer where the base was buffed away. I already have color-matched paint and clear (aerosol), so when it gets warmer I'm going to sand that area and paint it.

[mike.bmw]

Because the factory rear floor mats were coming apart in my E36 M3, I bought a set of rear Coco Mats to match the fronts. The classic blue/black pattern pairs with the Boa Boa upholstery nicely.

It was actually quite an experience. After placing the order, Coco Mats sent a kit with a material sample, floor mat templates to verify fitment, and a branded pen! After I confirmed fitment and material choice, I was placed into the production queue.

The mats were delivered faster than expected, in about a week. They match the fronts and fit perfectly. As The Dude in The Big Lebowski said, the mats "really tie the room together."

The last items on my interior checklist are dying the rear deck black and fixing the sunroof.

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[mike.bmw]

A few small updates. My factory key fob wasn't working, so I took it apart to find one of the battery solder joints had cracked. I used my soldering iron to remedy that and replaced the battery. I also used some plastic weld to fix a cracked screw hole. It now works every time.


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While I have 5 "Stamped" Style 24s, I wanted to pick a 5th DS2 to go with the original set that came with my M3. I found an original spare on FB Marketplace still wearing its original tire (which I'll replace if I ever switch back to DS2s). A few scratches from being in storage for so many years, but overall very nice!

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Other than that, I've just been driving it and enjoying the new TC Kline SA coilovers.

20240129-DSC_7255 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

Nice to see that comfortable coilovers can be had.

How would you compare the ride to stock E36 M3 suspension? (Based on your bimmerlife posts I'm just assuming you've ridden in one with a stock setup.)

I haven't ridden in a stock E36 M3 in years, so I can't really compare it to that. The TC Klines are definitely firm, but they are compliant enough that it's not an issue. And they are leaps and bounds better than the tired H&R / Bilstein combo that was on the car previously.

[Panici]

Nice to see that comfortable coilovers can be had.

How would you compare the ride to stock E36 M3 suspension? (Based on your bimmerlife posts I'm just assuming you've ridden in one with a stock setup.)

[mike.bmw]

I replaced the tired set of Bilsteins and H&R springs with TC Kline SA coilovers. Full story here: https://bimmerlife.com/2024/01/11/ra...sion-overhaul/

20240107-DSC_6575-2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

My daughter helped:

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Mmmm, fresh parts:

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The car is an absolute joy to drive now, even in the city:

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I stopped by Bimmer Werks to swap camber plates (see BimmerLife story linked above) and get an alignment:

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And then I swapped the camber plates back (see BimmerLife story linked above).

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And then I headed over to RRT to get another alignment:

20240108-PXL_2024a0108_140059222 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

I'm running -1.7 degrees camber front and rear, with the ability to hit -3.0 degrees in the front if desired. I'm very happy with this setup!

[Panici]

Great photos!

For some reason I love the "greenhouse" clear glass on a 4-door E36.
Just looks right especially against black paint.

[mike.bmw]

I finally got around to replacing the ignition coils on my M3. The old ones seemed to be working well, but there were three different types, some of the boots had cracked, and there was cracking on the tops as well. When I saw that Turner had the Dinan ignition coils on sale, I clicked and bought

They arrived yesterday, so I spent 20 minutes installing them. As Alex Garcia and I had replaced the head gasket a few months ago, installation was a breeze and there were no surprises. It fired right up and seems to run even better than before, likely due to the previous coils being old and tired.

I love quick wins. They look so nice I'm not even sure I want to put the cover back on.

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And I took the M3 out for some photos early Thanksgiving morning...

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[mike.bmw]

Has it been a year already?

This past weekend marked one year and over 5,000 miles with my '98 M3 sedan. On the way home from Dulles Landing Cars and Coffee on Sunday morning, I stopped by the first place I took this five-speed sport sedan for a proper photo shoot, exactly one year later.

We've had our ups and downs, failures and successes, but there are no regrets. I'm only a few hundred miles away from hitting the 250,000-mile mark, and I'm hoping for many more milestones to come.

It's funny how things change. Prior to a few years ago, I was never a big fan of the E36 M cars. Now I love them for all of the reasons I used to dislike them. Go figure.

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And some additional photos from a few weeks ago:

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[mike.bmw]

Damn, been off the forum for a bit. Had seen some of your FB posts of this car, looks like a gem! I worked over in Concord doing a contract for almost two years, its right near Charlotte Motor Speedway so lots of sweet cars tearing down the country roads in that area. Looks like you're treating this one well, no surprise!

Thanks! I am bad about updating threads these days though.

What's new? After replacing the head gasket, I took my kids on an 11-hour 325-mile BMW CCA tour through the mountains:

20230729-DSC_2086 by mike.bevels, on Flickr


I rediscovered a film camera I've had in storage for 30 years (story here: https://bimmerlife.com/2023/08/23/sh...vintage-glass/)


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Grabbed some lunch with another E36:

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I've replaced the brake pads to match the Akebono EUR pads I have on my E30 and F31. Though I can't find the photos for this.

Replaced some cluster bulbs:

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And I've just been driving the car and enjoying it:

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Oh, and wagons.... (see the latest issue of BimmerLife magazine, in print).

DSC_0118 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[Albie325]

Damn, been off the forum for a bit. Had seen some of your FB posts of this car, looks like a gem! I worked over in Concord doing a contract for almost two years, its right near Charlotte Motor Speedway so lots of sweet cars tearing down the country roads in that area. Looks like you're treating this one well, no surprise!

[Panici]

Those "while you're in there" parts orders get expensive.
Looks great though, and glad it's running right!

[mike.bmw]

So, uhhhh, I've been busy.

I spent a while chasing down an over pressurized cooling system, refusing to believe it was a head gasket failure. After taking apart the new cooling system and re-bleeding it a number of times, I finally broke down and took it to a shop for a leak down test, which failed on cylinder four.

Upon the recommendation of good friends, I contacted Alex Garcia, a professional mobile mechanic and fellow E36 M3 owner to come to my garage and remove the head. It was a fun experience and I learned a ton. I wrote an article on BimmerLife about the experience here: https://bimmerlife.com/2023/06/28/br...oses-its-head/

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After we removed the head, I dropped it off at a local well-regarded machine shop to be tested and milled. I went on vacation for a week and when I returned I got word that the head checked out. Hurray!

After I received a gigantic order from FCP Euro, Garcia came over and we buttoned everything up, with Garcia doing the lion's share of the work. I'm happy to report the car is running well and this series of repairs has fixed the issue.

Read the full story on BimmerLife here:https://bimmerlife.com/2023/07/18/br...concord-lives/

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[mike.bmw]

I don't have many mechanical updates (which is a good thing). I've just been driving and enjoying the car.

I did install a passenger seat sensor bypass (SRS) because I was getting an intermittent SRS light.

After five months of driving the car, I finally got around to investigating why my accelerator pedal had an inch of "dead" travel at the beginning. It turns out the cable needed adjustment at the throttle body. What a simple (and quick) fix!

BMW Group Classic shared some of my photos of Project Concord on their Instagram account (here). Super excited about this! They shared some of my 1991 318is in February of 2022 and I didn't think lightning would strike twice, but it did!

It was funny to see the negative comments about the US-spec S52 engine compared to the euro engine. I guess some people have nothing better to do than to be negative. This car could have an M44 in it and I'd still love it.

Screenshot 2023-03-22 at 8.21.29 AM by mike.bevels, on Flickr

And some of the originals:

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[mike.bmw]

ah i should've been more specific. i was referring to the white e36 you took shots with. i know the LTW's had a specific spoiler, which your buddy doesn't seem to have, but was wondering if it could be one considering the LTW decal.

Ah, my bad. Nope, it's not a real LTW!

Man this thing is NICE! Looks like an absolute joy to drive. Clean glass does so much for a car too.

Thanks!