Rebuilding the build that never was - S/Ced schwarz e36 vert

[Sh3rpak!ng]

I've had this car since my senior year of high school. It's been in my ownership since fall of 2009 when it was bone stock with ~98k on it. 1996 328iC schwartz 2 on tan leather interior, manual of course. I bought it with money I saved over several summers of landscaping (mostly lawn mowing) starting when I was 11. I was damn proud of it (still am).

Fast forward to now. It's changed dramatically since I bought it six years ago. Here is the original "build thread" from the beginning: build thread I didn't use to take as many pictures as I do now, mostly because I didn't really have much to show.

I've decided to do kind of a "rebuild" of sorts to get it back to the level of completeness and detail that it deserves, and that I am now capable of. It's not truly a "rebuild" because I never really built it. I just kind of bolted on parts on top of parts and I've never really felt like it was all properly integrated. I have learned so much over the past year of working on my e30 and I feel like I am finally ready to apply that experience and knowledge to my original beloved baby: the e36.

I'll be posting my progress here as well as into the original bimmerforums thread plus I'll be making a thread in the bimmerforums FI section for all of the FI related work for some experienced oversight.




Here are some pictures of the progress over the years

From the FS ad







First "mods"





Some more "mods"





After suspension









Clean engine





Reiger GT cup lip and M3 bumper - I loved the way this looked (still do)









First autox plus the BBS RKs





Wilwood 4 piston BBK all around





AA stage 2 S/C - damn the car looked good back then. I want that back.





Then I broke some ring landings - long story - I swapped in a low mile M52 (~50k miles on it)

This old block and most of the parts were used to build the s52 in my e30 :)






I moved to CA in fall 2013




Won the "rising star" award at bimmerfest in CA 2014.

Engine bay the night before









Built my second midsection (first was too loud) - this was only the second time I was welding, and second time using the HF inverter stick welder to do it










Then I hit a humongous racoon the day I got the car all back together, cleaned up and running well. It was the first time in about 2 years that I really felt the car was "finished".






After that happened, I replaced the bumper and parts, but I kinda lost interest in really getting the car back up to my standards. It felt like each time I cleaned it up and fixed it, something would break or happen shortly after.

So I started dedicating more time and effort into building my e30 which is what I did for about the past year. I DDed the e36 for about 5-6 weeks while I was swapping the e30 and that really took a toll on it... a bunch of little issues cropped up. Oil leaking everywhere, inadequate CCV, speakers/radio died, hit a bucket on the highway - cracked the new bumper, the exhaust cracked (not where I welded it - the UUC catback - might've been my fault), small fuel leak, catch can overflowed, convertible top motor broke, picked up a couple dings (all were my fault), bald tires, suspension too soft for my ride height etc..... So once the e30 was "finished" I started driving it almost exclusively.

Now that the e30 is pretty damn solid, I am ready to return to the e36 and "finish" it. With all of the experience of building the e30 behind me, I think I'll be able to take it to a level of detail and completeness that I couldn't have before.



Details and plans to come shortly.

[2mAn]

One should be a comfy cruiser (vert) and the other should be a forced induction monster ;)

[Sh3rpak!ng]

One should be a comfy cruiser (vert) and the other should be a forced induction monster ;)

Or one should be a weekend forced induction beast (vert), one should be a DE/occasional DD forced induction monster (e30), and one should be reasonably fun, yet classy DD (alpine e36 m3).

I could never take the vert backwards on power now that I've had a taste. And I always need to keep a DD which the e30 will not be suited for once it gets FI. The vert isn't suited for DD under any configuration.

The long term plans are as follows:
1) get the e36 back up to par and properly built for FI
2) buy an alpine white e36 m3 for DD
3) buy used S/C kit and install on e30 (or swap the kit from the e36... not sure)
4) turbo the e36 aiming for 500-600 hp

Part 1 should be completed this winter. Part 2 probably won't happen for a year or so. Part 3 is a long way out. No idea when part 4 will happen. I want to enjoy the cars for a while. Race the e30 more.

[efficient]

If you don't mind me asking how old are you

[Sh3rpak!ng]

I got new tires to replace the michelin pilot sports (they were nice tires). New tires are BFG g-force rivals 245/40r17. A bit stickier than the michelin's so I can actually experience full on 1st gear acceleration. I was getting wheelspin before. So I installed the new tires and promptly shredded the sidewalls on basically all 4 tires... I hadn't rolled my fenders enough and was forced to drive it to work since the e30 went down for some minor repair. The front fenders got jacked up a bit. I managed to roll the driver side nicely enough that you can't tell, but the passenger side doesn't look too great. The black paint hides it well though.





Changed my suspension setup to a set of stanceworks zero clearance coilovers. The previous setup (GC street kit) was a bit too soft for my preferred ride height and allowed a bit too much travel which was causing rubbing in the rear. It's a bit too low in the front for my taste, but it'll do for now. I think I might leave it like this and just not run another reiger lip.





Fixed the cracked exhaust. You can barely see where it cracked at the weld. I had already tacked it in this picture.





Started accumulating parts for the new CCV setup. You can see I decided on a color theme for the bay/car - red and black. Also pictured is the custom Saikou Michi catch can made specifically to my requirements -10an bosses for the fittings, a sight tube, and a bottom drain. Also some stainless tubing and bender to make a hardline for the radiator overflow tubing (instead of the current hose).

The new CCV setup will be: VC -> catch can -> vacuum pump -> check valve -> exhaust evac bung. The vacuum pump will be controlled by a hobb switch set to go off ~1-2 psi of boost.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

if you don't mind me asking how old are you

24

[2mAn]

3 cars? completely reasonable for a young guy like yourself. at least they arent all exactly identical

[Sh3rpak!ng]

3 cars? completely reasonable for a young guy like yourself. at least they arent all exactly identical

Right???? I totally agree. Though my gf and family think I have a screw loose (I always torque appropriately and use locktite where necessary so little do they know, that's not possible)

[zcenterb]

Nice looking bay in the above pics. Interested to see more pictures when its done.

^ Not weird at all, I'm only 21 and I have 4... 6 if you count the girlfriend's and her dad's...

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Nice looking bay in the above pics. Interested to see more pictures when its done.

^ Not weird at all, I'm only 21 and I have 4... 6 if you count the girlfriend's and her dad's...

Thanks! It's going to a whole other level :devil:

Yea, I have plans for a few more cars. The biggest issue I am starting to have is space for them all.

[mbonder]

Eh, just wait until no one in your family is surprised anymore when a box of parts shows up at the front door or another car is towed into the driveway. I lost count a while ago, but in the 14 years I've had a driver's license I've had well over 20 cars. Just picked up my first non-BMW, a 73 MGB roadster in August, so we are just getting started...

Current count is 5, but I've had as many as 7 at one time.

[iwantspeed]

Nice tire choice.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Eh, just wait until no one in your family is surprised anymore when a box of parts shows up at the front door or another car is towed into the driveway. I lost count a while ago, but in the 14 years I've had a driver's license I've had well over 20 cars. Just picked up my first non-BMW, a 73 MGB roadster in August, so we are just getting started...

Current count is 5, but I've had as many as 7 at one time.

Haha, they're no longer surprised when car parts arrive on the doorstep... they got used to that a while ago.

That MGB roadster sounds sweet! I'm not sure when my departure from strict BMW ownership will be, but I know I'd like some american muscle in my fleet. Or a cobra kit car would be badass. Or a lotus. Or a viper.....

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Nice tire choice.

I like them very much so far.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

So here is some of the plan in no particular order. I have a rather comprehensive page of notes in a notebook at home, so I'll be adding to this when I remember to take a look at it.

I'll be pulling the motor and bringing it down to the short block.

- VC nuts cadmium plated (they rusted after I wire wheeled them duh, so I'll do this as much for looks as corrosion protection)
- head skimmed and checked, maybe a valve job
- bleed and test lifters
- copper o-ring the block
- ARP studs
- OEM headgasket (elring or goetze)
- check main and rod bearing clearances
- oil pan baffle
- stewart water pump OR larger aluminum radiator - which is the better choice?
- paint block grey?
- new gaskets/seals everywhere
- chase/clean out all threads in block
- replace all pins, bushings, detents, seals, gaskets etc. in transmission
- replace the rubber hose with euro hardpipe for the euro expansion tank
- make a hardline to replace the small rubber overflow line from radiator to expansion tank
- rear subframe and differential bushings
- all chassis reinforcements available (swaybar tabs, engine mounts etc.)
- trim unneeded wires/connectors from harness
- shave and paint the engine bay
- tuck wires behind fenders
- split apart the harness, re-loom it and lengthen it where necessary for the wire tuck
- re wire headlights with heavier gauge for the HIDs? (necessary?)
- new headlights and bi-xenon retrofit with FX-R 3.0s (my current retrofitted lights will be for sale - TSX retrofitted DEPOs)
- new corner lights (probably clear OEM with a laminx tint)
- new ccv setup (VC -> catch can -> SAP vacuum pump operated with hobb switch -> check valve -> exhaust bung)
- CCV setup using black/red AN fittings
- brake calipers powder coated candy apple red with black lettering?
- M3 mirrors painted candy apple red
- new S/C oil lines made with red/black AN fittings + better bracket fabbed for the oil reservoir
- new headunit
- new amp and speakers all around
- black t-bolt clamps if I can find them
- switched power distribution block for aux gauges + other accessories
- new clips on all exterior trim
- fix the convertible top motor
- find/fix the fuel leak
- install lip on bumper
- spray intercooler black w/radiator paint for stealth
- relocate come connectors/wires in the bay for a cleaner look
- get the unneeded sensors deleted from ECU
- budget dtm shifter - use early e30 sheet metal shift carrier bolted to trans tunnel
- heat shielding on rear of engine bay and on trans tunnel to reduce radiant cabin heat
- ground all of the coil packs and test them


That's all I can think of for now