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#1. [E36M3] solid strut bars and camber plates - from Sean Hester
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 10:54:03 PDT From: "Sean Hester" <seanh_race@hotmail.com> Subject: [E36M3] solid strut bars and camber plates as i parused my bill for this weeks work to my car (broken vanos, cracked thermostat houseing) there's a line item for "removal of aftermarket bar to access engine, cost $40" after i got over the shock of the criminality of them charging me $40 for that. and after i got over the scare of thinking "OH GOD!!! i hope they removed the bar at the hinge instead of removing it from the strut towers, because that would screw over my alignment because loosening those bolts would let my camber plates slide around willy nilly". and after i flogged myself for not doing it myself to save the $40 and prevent them from doing it wrong. after all that is when i thought... if i get a solid strut bar (no evil hinges) does that mean that the 5-6 times a year i have to remove it to get my engine worked on, that i'll need to get a new alignment too? is there no way to remove a solid bar without loosening the strut tower screws? ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#2. Re: [E36M3] JTD rear shock mounts - from nabli@attglobal.net
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 14:08:05 -0400 From: nabli@attglobal.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] JTD rear shock mounts The M3 factory RSMs are already firmer than the standard E36 RSMs. The JTD mounts are obviously not solid and are about the same firmness with the "HERS" bushings as the M3 RSMs. Most people don't know that there are two different RSMs used on our cars. The M3s and the older E36s use the same RSM. The E36s that used the stiffer RSMs (33 52 1 137 972) were the cars available with BMWs "Low Slung Sport Suspension". This is the BILSTEIN suspension - hint hint ;-). The problem is not whether or not they are too firm but the fact that the design of the OEM RSMs will ultimately result in separation. The JTD mounts are so simple and such a clean design they are in my opinion ingenious. The hint above (in case you are interested) tells you that even BMW used firmer RSMs for cars with Bilstein shocks or other shocks (such as the M3) that are much firmer than the standard suspensions. This basically means that if you have any aftermarket shock which is firmer and you are not using the JTD RSMs, you are WRONG. Why? I think we have all proven that the OEM RSMs won't cut it, so what makes you think they (i.e., the OEM RSMs) would fare any better with a firmer (and in many cases MUCH firmer) shocks. Cheers, Jim E. Junaidi Irwan wrote: > Date: 14 Jun 00 11:54:09 CDT > From: Junaidi Irwan <junaidi.irwan@usa.net> > Subject: JTD rear shock mounts > > Thanks to those who have answered my query about the JTD rear shock mounts. > However I still have one question left. David Holeman said that > the firmer bushing will transfer more force to the shock tower. This got me > thinking, Will they damage the shock towers in the long run since they are > supposedly pretty firm/solid? > > Thanks again! > > -Junaidi- > 95 M3 > Windy City Chapter > > ____________________________________________________________________ > Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.amexmail.com/?A=1 > > ************************************************************* > List Commands > UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. > *************************************************************
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#3. Re: Commuter car suggestions... - from Chris Casey
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 11:09:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Chris Casey <ccasey1@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Commuter car suggestions... Sean, Because both the M3 and the 328 are E36's, wouldn't you have the same trunk size & backseat size (granted 2-dr vs 4-dr difference) problems? Maybe what you're looking for is a <gasp> mid-size car? To fit that bill, there's tons of cars. To be honest, the only BMW that I would be would be the M3. I've had too many little annoying problems with mine to justify another purchase. If money is no object, I've been very impressed by my girlfriend's 1995 E420 Mercedes - the V8's got tons of power, the new tranny on the E430 (96+) is much better (it has the shift-on-command controls), the trunk and backseat are huge compared to the M3, and the car feels like a tank - ie, no safety concerns. If you don't want to drop $40K+ (even used) on your next car, there's tons of choices. I had a Saturn SL1 before my M3, and while it lacked power (85 horses!) and luxury, it got me around, and I had fewer problems in 7 years than I've had in 1 year with my M3. That car was about $12K new. Good luck with your decision. Chris Casey 99 cosmos M3/2 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com
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#4. One more tidbit - from Wayne Miller
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 14:13:32 -0400 From: "Wayne Miller" <m3@waynemiller.com> Subject: One more tidbit If anyone is interested, you can find out more information about the Lexus IS300 demonstration event at http://www.lexusistour.com . -Wayne
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#5. RE: [E36M3] E36M3 #232 - from Burgess, Kim L
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 12:04:33 -0700 From: "Burgess, Kim L" <Kim.Burgess@PSS.Boeing.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] E36M3 #232 > Subject: trunk question > And not to mention that the convertible deck lid is different configuration again. The four door has a whole different look to it. For me it was not clear at first, the doors are full frame. The windows are supported with sheet metal all the way around. Kinda' drives the design of the roof up, the possible reason for more rear head room in the sedan (I think?). These guys sure spend a lot of money to get things right! Could have cobbled together all three cars, sedan - coupe' - convertible, using most of the same sheet metal but they chose not to do so. Kinda' cool when you think about it!!
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#6. [E36M3] am i crazy? - from Sean Hester
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 12:14:57 PDT From: "Sean Hester" <seanh_race@hotmail.com> Subject: [E36M3] am i crazy? as any list member probbaly knows by now, i just had my 4th vanos gear installed into my 95 M3 this week. this time i had the dealer contact bmw na to see if they could help figure out what was going on with my car. i figure if the local dealer can't fix it, maybe bmw na knows something they don't. what's bmw na's response? they offered no help and said that they'll not warrenty this anymore. next time it fails i have to pay for it myself. ;-( actually that pisses me off quite a bit. after my car having the same problem 4 times in a year i'd expect them to say: "we're sorry, we'll work as hard as we can to fix this for you." but instead they say "what are you doing to break your car? whatever it is, (we can't figure it out) we're not gonna fix it anymore." --------------- i've never owned a car long enough to have it break (3 years max until my M3) so i'm not used to how this goes. is the dealer refusing warrenty work for re-occuring problems normal? or just a bmw thing? ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#7. Re: [E36M3] Suspension Version 3.0 and Other cars - from Wen Liew
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 12:15:33 PDT From: "Wen Liew" <wwliew@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Suspension Version 3.0 and Other cars >Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 12:43:22 -0400 >From: "Wayne Miller" <m3@waynemiller.com> >Subject: Suspension Version 3.0 and Other cars > >Version 3.0 is the >Euro springs, UUC sway bars, stock shocks, TC Kline adjustable camber >plates >and Ground Control rear shock mounts Wayne, Would you be so kind to post the part numbers and/or the color and the number of dots on the Euro M3 front and rear springs? Did you get the 96+ springs? A while back, I was contemplating the same change but didn't come up with anything conclusive to determine if there's much of a difference between a Euro and US M3 Coupe's springs. Here's what I found: 1. The rears are the same. They have the same part number. 33-53-9-069-132 2. The fronts are different, with the last digit of the part number being different. US p/n: 31-33-2-228-170 Europe: 31-33-2-228-171 (w/o a/c, sunroof, etc) 31-33-2-228-172 (with a/c, sunroof, HK, etc) Are the Euro springs shorter? The front and rear shocks are identical, i.e., they have the same part numbers. Also, I seemed to recall that the Euro M3 Sedan has the same springs as the US M3 Coupe/Sedan. BTW, the euro part numbers came off the Euro Part CD. Thanks. Wen 96 M3/2 ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#8. Re: [E36M3] JTD rear shock mounts - from Rich Gay
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 14:25:34 -0500 From: "Rich Gay" <rich_gay@linbeck.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] JTD rear shock mounts on 6/14/00 1:12 PM, nabli@attglobal.net at nabli@attglobal.net wrote: > The hint above (in case you are interested) tells you that even BMW used > firmer > RSMs for cars with Bilstein shocks or other shocks (such as the M3) that are > much firmer than the standard suspensions. This basically means that if you > have any aftermarket shock which is firmer and you are not using the JTD RSMs, > you are WRONG. Why? I think we have all proven that the OEM RSMs won't cut > it, so what makes you think they (i.e., the OEM RSMs) would fare any better > with a firmer (and in many cases MUCH firmer) shocks. There is at least one other vendor (Ground Control) which offers an improved rear shock mount for the E36. - Rich
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#9. Re: [E36M3] M3 baby hauler - from Wen Liew
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 12:29:27 PDT From: "Wen Liew" <wwliew@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] M3 baby hauler >Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 00:10:51 EDT >From: JimShadow@aol.com >Subject: Re: [E36M3] heresy? > >My '95 is my daily driver. It is also our baby hauler. I'm >currently doing the "Mr. Mom" thing and taking care of little Danielle >during >the week, so I run all the errands, do all the grocery shopping and take >several trips to various malls, shops, etc to cure the boredom of sitting >around the house all day. The ///M3 handles it all. Groceries in the >trunk, >baby in the back. I wouldn't trade it for the world!! Jim, How do you like loading and unloading Danielle in your coupe? I drop my 2-1/2 and 4 year olds off every morning in my coupe. It used to be a PITA to get them into their seats but they can buckle and unbuckle themselves now ;-) They have also become very good backseat drivers! Nothing like your kids telling you to "step on it" so that the Conforti intake will wake dad up, yeah! Wen 96 M3/2 - kids ride to school with dad 99 ML320 - kids ride home with mom P.S. Sometimes, at traffic lights, I get strange stares because I either have 2 kids or 2 car seats in my car. Time to tint the windows. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#10. Re: [E36M3] heresy? - from Jason Bishop
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 12:32:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Jason Bishop <jason@secondhat.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] heresy? Hmmm.......... I am very suspicious of somebody who races and complains about ride quality of a M3. doesn't wash, sorry. I suspect the disatisfaction element is caused solely by the lack of reliability of the M3. and hence the constant worry. With a rental car, there is no worry. don't have to care about anything. Same as with my ford courier pickup. A wheel could fall off, I could side swipe a cement girder. who cares! soo... instead of thinking automatic tranny commuter car... think *disposable*. thats the key. honda civic, toyota chicane i mean toyota camry... something like that. drive it into the ground and then get another one. it will get you to work everyday and give you more time to futz with the M3. I have the same situation with my M3 daily driver and my 2002tii. M3 is the reliable commuter and parts chaser for the 2002... which has worked a total of 6 continuous months over the 4 years ive owned it :) Ok, I'm off to le mans today (via sfo->paris). I'd offer to tape it from speed vision for somebody... but I won't be home :) If anybody knows of good camping close to the action I would be interested. I wasn't able to get a campground on the track itself... but I think I can just make due with a parking spot... or the side of a road... Jason
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#11. RE: [E36M3] am i crazy? - from Andy Korczynski
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 14:32:42 -0500 From: Andy Korczynski <Andy@casskor.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] am i crazy? I think its time to sell your car and get a new m3. Sounds like you may have a lemon, or the cause of the problem is something that would cost the dealer a whole bunch to fix and they dont want to deal with it. Maybe you should try another dealer or just get a new E46 M3... -----Original Message----- From: Sean Hester To: E36M3 Sent: 6/14/00 2:22 PM Subject: [E36M3] am i crazy? Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 12:14:57 PDT From: "Sean Hester" <seanh_race@hotmail.com> Subject: [E36M3] am i crazy? as any list member probbaly knows by now, i just had my 4th vanos gear installed into my 95 M3 this week. this time i had the dealer contact bmw na to see if they could help figure out what was going on with my car. i figure if the local dealer can't fix it, maybe bmw na knows something they don't. what's bmw na's response? they offered no help and said that they'll not warrenty this anymore. next time it fails i have to pay for it myself. ;-( actually that pisses me off quite a bit. after my car having the same problem 4 times in a year i'd expect them to say: "we're sorry, we'll work as hard as we can to fix this for you." but instead they say "what are you doing to break your car? whatever it is, (we can't figure it out) we're not gonna fix it anymore." --------------- i've never owned a car long enough to have it break (3 years max until my M3) so i'm not used to how this goes. is the dealer refusing warrenty work for re-occuring problems normal? or just a bmw thing? ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ************************************************************* List Commands UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. *************************************************************
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#12. 0-60 Times - from John Payne
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 13:41:06 -0600 From: "John Payne" <jpayne@peakss.com> Subject: 0-60 Times Has anyone recorded a 0-60 time under 5.2 secs. out there with a non-turbo/supercharged M3? I'd like to hear from anyone who has timed their car, and what times they got??? And more importantly, what mods they had??? chips, exhaust etc.