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

[2mAn]

Need some JPS stickers on the E36 now

[mike.bmw]

A few updates!

I sent my instrument cluster to M Sport Parts (@Braymond141) to be fixed! Currently waiting for him to work his magic and send it back.

PXL_20250106_212759329 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250106_215313512 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

I took some photos:

20241222-DSC_3412 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20241229-DSC_4527 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20241225-DSC_3901 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20241222-DSC_3443 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20241222-DSC_3472 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20241222-DSC_3469 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

My son washed my car:

PXL_20241229_155546859~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

I removed the gloss black grilles and installed factory chrome:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEzi14zRNP_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

PXL_20250114_003630825~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250110_213420370 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250114_003530637~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

I got the cluster back from Brett / M Sport Parts today! Naturally I installed it right away.

I did manage to break the retainer/lock arm on the black instrument cluster plug (on the wiring harness, not on the cluster). It broke into 3 pieces as I was gently pushing it back into place. As a short-term fix, I zip tied the black plug to the cluster with the retaining arms in the locked position, which should keep it secure until I find a replacement.

20250128-DSC_5324 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250128-DSC_5309 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250128-DSC_5328 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250128-DSC_5330 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250128-DSC_5331 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250128-DSC_5354 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250128-DSC_5362 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

With the steering wheel installed, I was able to start the car for the first time in weeks and pull it out of the garage for some photos with the new factory chrome grilles installed.

20250128-DSC_5367 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250128-DSC_5371 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

When project threads collide...

I took a day off from work to unwind, which involved taking my M3 and 318is out for some photos. With a single driver (me) it involved driving to the location, walking home to get the other car, and so on. Let's just say it's just what I needed and I definitely got my steps in!

Inspired, I wrote something for BimmerLife about classic BMWs and classic BBS wheels https://bimmerlife.com/2025/02/11/classic-fitment/

20250207-DSC_5988 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250207-DSC_5939 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250207-DSC_5893 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250207-DSC_5853 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250207-DSC_5871 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

Steering rack, reservoir, hoses, and tie rod ends replaced!

I went with the AAE 3310N rack. It's a 2.7-turn Z3 rack that's a direct fit and sold by FCP, BimmerWorld, Rock Auto, etc. For hoses and everything else, I went with FCP's power steering kit that includes everything you need aside from the rack itself.

I had a local shop, RRT, do the installation. They only charge a couple hours labor for the install, and I would've taken it there for a custom alignment anyway, so I gave myself a break on this one and handed it over to the pros.

PXL_20250228_175608810 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250228_175322632 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250228_190639817 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250306_124619099~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250307_181155452 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[iXBeater]

Love the "family shots" with the E30. Two great cars!

[mike.bmw]

Squeaky steering resolved! I've been enjoying the new steering rack, but the constant squeaking from the wheel was driving me nuts, so I took care of it.

First I lubed up the slip ring with copper grease.

PXL_20250324_190618801~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250324_191244618 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250324_191627077 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250324_191959167 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250324_192155510 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250324_192612247 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Then I lubed up the lower steering shaft bearing with TriFlow and a crazy-long aerosol extension I picked up on Amazon.

PXL_20250327_190533383 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250327_183813436 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250327_183554363 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250327_183256024 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

Last Friday I took an early-morning trip to Washington DC to see the famous cherry blossom trees in full view. The M3's odometer rolled 255,000 miles on the way there.

20250328-DSC_9534 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250328-DSC_9558 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250328-DSC_9566 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250328-DSC_9663 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250328-DSC_9701 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250328-DSC_9708 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250328-PXL_20250328_102312284 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

PCV system replacement! It ended up being much easier than I anticipated. I've seen people have issues removing the PCV unit/assembly from under the intake manifold, but that was the easiest part of the procedure. Big thanks to FCP Euro for supplying the parts!

Here's a short video: https://youtube.com/shorts/KbdE1P-ui...b0VuXkBZF6gq0y

And some photos:

20250419-DSC_3072 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250419-DSC_3064 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250419-DSC_3087 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250419-DSC_3094 by mike.bevels, on Flickr