88' Zinno M3 (Progress Thread)

[rzerob]

Here you go: http://www.ebay.com/itm/251470674390...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Thanks. I just ordered some.

[jeenyus]

finally made it all the way through this. excellent attention to detail. You should ditch that mechanical fan though.

[jhaurimn]

finally made it all the way through this. excellent attention to detail. You should ditch that mechanical fan though.

Aux fan doesnt work at the moment, so I need to sort that out first. Id like to ditch it, even though I bought a new fan clutch and fan blades :p

[thmpr464]

Aux fan doesnt work at the moment, so I need to sort that out first. Id like to ditch it, even though I bought a new fan clutch and fan blades :p

high chance it is the aux fan relay...cheap fix. It can easily be done by removing the front kidney grill.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Aux fan doesnt work at the moment, so I need to sort that out first. Id like to ditch it, even though I bought a new fan clutch and fan blades :p

Keep it. The engine driven fan moves *WAY* more air than any electric fan ever could.

[jeenyus]

Keep it. The engine driven fan moves *WAY* more air than any electric fan ever could.

Unless you're sitting in traffic and its contingent on your RPM. So let's say you idle at 900rpm, the fan is only moving as much as that rotation equals. When you're driving down the highway at 70mph your car might be running at 3k rpm, but you don't need it when going that fast cause you have 70 mph of wind blasting in the front of your radiator.

Mechanical fan can maybe move more air, but it's not as efficient or as effective as an electrical fan in traffic. Why do you think mechanical fans are only on older cars?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Unless you're sitting in traffic and its contingent on your RPM. So let's say you idle at 900rpm, the fan is only moving as much as that rotation equals.

Sitting in traffic is exactly when you need the fan to be moving as much air as the engine driven fan moves. BMW did a whole lot of validation testing (not as much on the older cars as newer, of course) that the engine driven fan would move enough air to keep the car from overheating in pretty much any conceivable conditions, including idling at 900 RPM in 100F ambient temps for extended periods.
How much validation testing has an electric fan manufacturer done? Basically zero for any given application.

When you're driving down the highway at 70mph your car might be running at 3k rpm, but you don't need it when going that fast cause you have 70 mph of wind blasting in the front of your radiator.

This is why the entire industry has used fan clutches for decades.

Mechanical fan can maybe move more air, but it's not as efficient or as effective as an electrical fan in traffic. Why do you think mechanical fans are only on older cars?

E46 M3's have engine driven fans
An engine driven fan is actually way more efficient in traffic because it moves way more air per power input than an electric fan.
An electric fan has stacked power conversion inefficiencies of both the alternator and fan motor, in addition to being smaller diameter than the mechanical fan, requiring it to turn faster to produce a given air flow. High RPM hurts fan efficiency.

[jeenyus]

It's an age old argument for sure. I didn't know that about the E46 having a mechanical fan. My Audi (2003) has a dual electrical fan so I assumed most would probably.

I don't mind the feeling of removing close to 10lbs of rotating mass though. There is something to be said about that albeit the electrical zap, but on my car it's only a 12v which is just replacing the aux fan anyway.
It's fair to say the debate will continue.

[jhaurimn]

So I havent been doing much lately with the m3 but I have something worth posting now I guess :p Been busy gaining some experience detailing. Thankfully I had some e30s to practice on.



Anyways, onto my m3. I fixed the trunk alignment. Body shop had put a spacer in the wrong spot, so it was an easy fix.


after


When I had my muffler installed last, the shop did not have it out far enough. Its bugged me ever since, and you can see it in a lot of my past pictures. I got that fixed finally.


And the most exciting news :D


Evo 2 spoiler :D :D :D I figured it was worth a shot as I have been getting more comfortable with painting/wet sanding to try and paint it myself. So I had some zinno mixed into spray cans at napa and went for it. Heres how it looked after two days of curing.


After wetsanding with 400 (pretty aggressive, if I had less than 4 coats of clear I wouldnt have used it), 1000 and 2000.


And all polished up


Thankfully, color match is pretty much dead on. Still need to get rivets from steve tomorrow before I mount it properly.


Cars all put away for winter so there probably wont be much happening until Spring....or I might have one last surprise before then ;)

[TimeMachinE30]

Super job painting. Great car.

[jeenyus]

Awesome job with the rattle can!

[AWDBOB]

My buddy has a zinno '88 m3 rotting in his yard that he will not sell me no matter what I say, and your thread makes me that much more pissed off about it.

Thanks.

[jhaurimn]

Super job painting. Great car.

Awesome job with the rattle can!

Thanks! Wet sanding is the key, and laying down enough clear.

My buddy has a zinno '88 m3 rotting in his yard that he will not sell me no matter what I say, and your thread makes me that much more pissed off about it.

Thanks.

You're welcome ;D

[jhaurimn]

;)

[Dirty_30_IS]

Someone parted out the heated washer nozzles from my car. (came on all us m3s) Since you can still buy the harness and nozzles new, I opted to put them back in. (~30 for the harness, ~50 for the two nozzles) I had new washer fluid hose sitting around and bought some clips and a t valve.



Where did you get the T-valve from? Mines cracked and doesn't disperse enough pressure for both nozzles.