The unexpected E36 328i find.

nirvash

Well-known member
@M3boi

haha, mine is just baby steps compared to what's going on here!

The car is looking awesome! Well done 👌
Really looking great.

I must say the wheels fit the car really well, but my personal preference were the contours, just so right. Wheels are a very personal thing though, I'm sure you are loving the look!

Those S50 headers look awesome, I wanted a set for my E46 330i a few years ago, but ended up just going with vipers. Made good power though (180kw 310nm iirc, never really belive dynos though).
I'm sure those headers are going to make a really noticeable difference, get them on! They are a work of art..
 

M3boi

Well-known member
@M3boi

haha, mine is just baby steps compared to what's going on here!

The car is looking awesome! Well done 👌
Really looking great.

I must say the wheels fit the car really well, but my personal preference were the contours, just so right. Wheels are a very personal thing though, I'm sure you are loving the look!

Those S50 headers look awesome, I wanted a set for my E46 330i a few years ago, but ended up just going with vipers. Made good power though (180kw 310nm iirc, never really belive dynos though).
I'm sure those headers are going to make a really noticeable difference, get them on! They are a work of art..

Yeah the Contours were good on it, luckily they've gone to a good home. They now live on a mate's 328i that he's just bought, and is doing a similar project to me. So at least they live on :)

I always wanted touring car vibes so Imolas were my first choice. They won't be the last wheel for the car though, I enjoy changing up the look and always have my eyes peeled 👀
 

M3boi

Well-known member
Went for a swim yesterday evening, and the light was perfect for some decent photos. Enjoy :)

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M3boi

Well-known member
New year, straight back into making this car better and better :)

First thing to do was replace the rain tray covers, standard E36 things:

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Disgusting. Cleaned everything out before fitting the new ones.

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All the new bits, part numbers included for those that need to do the job :)

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Then onto a bit of a bigger job, fitting the E46 330i front brakes:

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Cleaned and sprayed the calipers in a high temp OEM-looking finish, and replaced all the seals, bleed valves etc:

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New 325mm vs old 294mm:

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Fitted, along with the EBC stainless lines:

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While I was down there, I got onto the job of putting set screws into the lower control arm brackets and bushings. I noticed that after pushing the car hard, the bushings were spinning inside the brackets, changing the caster from side to side. Quite a common problem apparently, and not ideal at all. So I drilled and tapped them to M6x1, and put some M6x20 cap screws in. Seems like its worked perfectly.

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Flushed and bled all 4 corners with Motul RBF660, and got the car back on the ground:

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Then straight into testing with the first early run for the year! Did 100km or so of normal driving to get some heat cycles into the discs, before completing the Endless bedding process.

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Was the brake upgrade worth it? VERY much so, especially if you want a "budget friendly" brake upgrade. The difference is extremely noticeable.

These Endless ME20 pads are ridiculous. They are quite aggressive for a street car, but they are so damn impressive. Zero fade, and the bite is awesome. I can go onto the brakes so much later, and they keep getting better with more heat. I am super impressed. What I lack in power compared to the cars I drive with, I now make up for in handling and braking which is great to see.

As good as they are, I think I'll do a less aggressive compound after these. They're almost too aggressive for what I'm doing. The M2 was on Endless MX72 pads and he is super happy with them, so I'll do those next time.

There is a trackday at Killarney on the 27th, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the car feels on track compared to my E46.

And a little teaser of another part from Japan, will post more about it another time 🙃 another MASSIVE difference.

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And as always, a run isn't complete without some footage. Enjoy :)

 

Benji

Well-known member
New year, straight back into making this car better and better :)

First thing to do was replace the rain tray covers, standard E36 things:

View attachment 20176

View attachment 20177

Disgusting. Cleaned everything out before fitting the new ones.

View attachment 20178

View attachment 20179

All the new bits, part numbers included for those that need to do the job :)

View attachment 20181

View attachment 20182

View attachment 20183

Then onto a bit of a bigger job, fitting the E46 330i front brakes:

View attachment 20185

Cleaned and sprayed the calipers in a high temp OEM-looking finish, and replaced all the seals, bleed valves etc:

View attachment 20186

View attachment 20187

New 325mm vs old 294mm:

View attachment 20188

Fitted, along with the EBC stainless lines:

View attachment 20189

View attachment 20191

While I was down there, I got onto the job of putting set screws into the lower control arm brackets and bushings. I noticed that after pushing the car hard, the bushings were spinning inside the brackets, changing the caster from side to side. Quite a common problem apparently, and not ideal at all. So I drilled and tapped them to M6x1, and put some M6x20 cap screws in. Seems like its worked perfectly.

View attachment 20192

View attachment 20193

Flushed and bled all 4 corners with Motul RBF660, and got the car back on the ground:

View attachment 20194

Then straight into testing with the first early run for the year! Did 100km or so of normal driving to get some heat cycles into the discs, before completing the Endless bedding process.

View attachment 20195

View attachment 20196

View attachment 20197

Was the brake upgrade worth it? VERY much so, especially if you want a "budget friendly" brake upgrade. The difference is extremely noticeable.

These Endless ME20 pads are ridiculous. They are quite aggressive for a street car, but they are so damn impressive. Zero fade, and the bite is awesome. I can go onto the brakes so much later, and they keep getting better with more heat. I am super impressed. What I lack in power compared to the cars I drive with, I now make up for in handling and braking which is great to see.

As good as they are, I think I'll do a less aggressive compound after these. They're almost too aggressive for what I'm doing. The M2 was on Endless MX72 pads and he is super happy with them, so I'll do those next time.

There is a trackday at Killarney on the 27th, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the car feels on track compared to my E46.

And a little teaser of another part from Japan, will post more about it another time 🙃 another MASSIVE difference.

View attachment 20198

And as always, a run isn't complete without some footage. Enjoy :)

This s the reason why I need to move to the cape...

Looks like an awesome day in the hills
 

gavsadler

///Member
Awesome updates. Really enjoy reading this thread.

When I saw you fitted Endless pads, I thought the subsequent paragraphs would provide for interesting reading, especially given that it's a street car. Those pads need heat in them to work properly, but I have not had a single complaint or negative feedback from those who have purchased / fitted / used them (albeit on Track Cars).

Just a note: the MX72 pads may be tricky to get now, as new regulations prevent Powerbrake from importing them for street use. They can only bring in the ME20 compound for Track Vehicles only. I suspect some online global shopping will be your best bet.

Overall, this car is fantastic. Hats off to you for the work carried out so far, and for enjoying it too!
 

M3boi

Well-known member
This s the reason why I need to move to the cape...

Looks like an awesome day in the hills

Do it!

Awesome updates. Really enjoy reading this thread.

When I saw you fitted Endless pads, I thought the subsequent paragraphs would provide for interesting reading, especially given that it's a street car. Those pads need heat in them to work properly, but I have not had a single complaint or negative feedback from those who have purchased / fitted / used them (albeit on Track Cars).

Just a note: the MX72 pads may be tricky to get now, as new regulations prevent Powerbrake from importing them for street use. They can only bring in the ME20 compound for Track Vehicles only. I suspect some online global shopping will be your best bet.

Overall, this car is fantastic. Hats off to you for the work carried out so far, and for enjoying it too!

Thank you so much for the comments! The M2 owner bought his MX72 pads from Powerbrake recently, so not sure if things have changed in the last month or two.

RIP to that Porsche owner's ego

Haha no egos, we're all good mates and just enjoy the driving :)
 

///M3FAN

Active member
watching that touge rip gave me goosebumps!, well done clearly your research and mods don to suspension and steering rack have really paid off!
 
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