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#1. D'Lan Hitch for E36 M3 - from RFKoby@aol.com
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 00:14:55 EST From: RFKoby@aol.com Subject: D'Lan Hitch for E36 M3 I have installed 3 of these hitches on 2 E36 M3's, and 1 E36 325i(is). The lower rear bumper facia on the 325i(is) does NOT need to be trimmed. The lower rear bumper spoiler on the M3 does have to be trimmed. The area that you trim is the front edge of the spoiler after you remove it from the car. This edge and surface is almost parallel to the ground. This is the edge that is closest to the spare tire well. You will have to trim approximately a 1/4" of this edge off, a 3" piece near the center section. The trimmed area is NOT viewable from the rear of the car, it is only seen from UNDERNEATH the car. So don't worry about it. About strength.............. I tow a small enclosed trailer 4' X 6' to the track. It easily holds 12 tires, tools, jacks, spare parts, chairs, cooler, etc. I did have a strength issue with the hitch. Due to the tongue weight (approx. 80-100 lbs) and the rear of the car moving rather abruptly because of the stiff shocks and springs, I have broken the sheet metal in the spare tire well. I strongly suggest reinforcing the hitch before you install it. Examine the hitch, you will see that it mounts on the rear most, vertical portion of the spare tire well with a reinforcing plate on the inside. The hitch also mounts to the bottom - rear portion of the spare tire well. When the hitch is heavily / suddenly loaded, this horizontal can be forced upwards into the spare tire well, deforming, tear, and crack the spare tire well. I had to repair damage to mine when the spare tire well fractured. The spare tire well in only very thin sheet metal, and you can deform it by leaning on the center. Reinforcement is strongly advised. I have reinforced the hitches that I have installed by extending the square receiver tubing underneath the car. The square tubing is extended and another load bearing plate welded to the extension so that the additional plate distributes the load to the FRONT of the spare tire well. This extension and additional surface area in the front add significant strength to the hitch. Both the front and rear plates have a mating plate that fits INSIDE the spare tire well, and bolts thru the sheet metal to the lower plates on the square tubing of the receiver. The factory supplies a long thin bar for the internal load bearing plate in the rear. Replace this thin bar with a plate of equal size to the plate underneath. For those of you interested in this hitch, I have the factory instruction sheet / drawing. I also have digital pictures available of the hitch modifications for strength. Email me privately, picture will be available after X-mas. Bob 1995 M3 track car w/ hitch 1992 325i daily drive w/ hitch 1998 Pace trailer 4' x 6' (with 16 wheels inside) 1996 SeaDoo XP800 on a trailer 1998 Honda CBR600 1995 Yamaha KT100 powered go-kart (in the trailer also)
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#2. Re: [E36M3] My Exhaust Smells Like Eggs! :-)~ - from Matt Henson
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Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 21:40:04 -0800 (PST) From: Matt Henson <hensonator@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] My Exhaust Smells Like Eggs! :-)~ Neither. You car has gas. Bad gas. Did you use a different station than usual? Many Euro cars (like our M3's) aren't really designed for the high-sulpher US gas. So they stink if you get a particularly bad vintage. I have really good luck with Texaco. Regards, Matt --- "F. Graziano" <fgraziano@monmouth.com> wrote: > Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 23:33:31 -0500 > From: "F. Graziano" <fgraziano@monmouth.com> > Subject: My Exhaust Smells Like Eggs! :-)~ > > after running for a while my exhaust starts to smell > like eggs. My dad > said that my Cat could be shot. Is this (hopefully) > the only thing i > need to replace or is this one of those "it's > cheaper to sell the whole > freakin' car" type problems? > > Thanks, > Frank "yes i meant my car exhaust" Graziano > > > > ************************************************************* > List Commands > UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you > from the mailing list. > ************************************************************* > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/
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#3. Move to San Diego? - from Richard Sperry
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 08:11:00 -0500 From: "Richard Sperry" <richardsperry@home.com> Subject: Move to San Diego? You all may have great weather in San Diego, and are therefore able to drive your ///M3's without fear of salt and the winter.(OBMWC) but you still have to put up with the Chargers. ( GO Ravens) Have A Merry Christmas, and safe and healthy New Year. Rich in Baltimore 95///M3
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#4. Re: [E36M3] Move to San Diego? - from Jim Powell
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 06:54:41 -0800 From: Jim Powell <jsp98m3@home.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Move to San Diego? I can watch football on TV. YOU can't go to the beach today and see girls in their new bikinis. Jim <== Flys to BWI every 2-3 weeks and KNOWS that there is NO football team worth living there. Richard Sperry wrote: > Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 08:11:00 -0500 > From: "Richard Sperry" <richardsperry@home.com> > Subject: Move to San Diego? > > You all may have great weather in San Diego, and are therefore able to drive > your ///M3's without fear of salt and the winter.(OBMWC) but you still have > to put up with the Chargers. ( GO Ravens) > > Have A Merry Christmas, and safe and healthy New Year. > > Rich in Baltimore 95///M3 > > ************************************************************* > List Commands > UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. > *************************************************************
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#5. [OT] Euro Car Joke - from Andrew E. Kalman
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 10:44:52 -0700 From: "Andrew E. Kalman" <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: [OT] Euro Car Joke Five Belgians in an Audi quattro arrive at the French border. A customs agent stops them. "Quattro means four," he says. "It's illegal to put five people in a quattro." "Quattro is just the name of the car," replies the driver. "Look -- the owner's manual says this car is designed to carry five people." "You can't pull that one on me," replies the French official. "I'm placing you under arrest." "You are an idiot!" the driver says. "Call your supervisor." "He can't come right now," the official replies. "He's busy with the two guys in the Fiat Uno." -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#6. Re: Trailer hitch for E36 M3 - trimming lower rear bumper - from Holly McReynolds
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 15:50:57 -0500 From: Holly McReynolds <Hollysmac@adelphia.net> Subject: Re: Trailer hitch for E36 M3 - trimming lower rear bumper Vern & Cary: I put a hitch on my '97 M3 that I ordered from PepBoys. I had the dealer put it on. I just went out to the garage to look and all that they cut was a 1/2 inch section from the horizontal section of the lower rear bumper. You don't need to worry about the sugery showing unless you run over someone and they need something to look at while on the ground waiting for help. I have been using a "Tire/tool trailer" since '92 and it really saves the car and my back to not have to restle stuff out of the rear seat. I just bought a Z3 3.0 and plan to put a hitch on it also. I will track the M3 and autox the Z3. I can share the M3 Kuhmos with the Z3. When my E46 M3 finally gets here then I will have to buy yet another set of Track tires. Cary, I live in Snyder ouside Buffalo and I can testify the M3 makes a great winter car. The only time I have trouble is when the snow is so deep that the car gets bogged down. I spent 12 hours stuck in gridlock during the Storm of 2000 . I was comfortable, safe and warm. This is how I ended up ordering the Z3. I had a Miata I bought used last summer for autoxing. I had all that Time in the storm to think how very satisfying and safe BMWS are compared to the Miata. I pick up my Z3 on Jan 13. The dealer plans to Flat bed the Miata there for the trade in. I couldn't get it out of the driveway to a clear road to run to charge the battery. I test drove the Z3 in Early December . It was snowing but did just fine even with the Dunlop SP 8080E. Traction control and ABS really do make a difference. Anyway enjoy your trailer I had mine built here in Buffalo. It is welded steel and has 14 inch tires. On the hiway it is really is stable- I don't know its there unless I have to make a panic stop -- then I feel the weight behind my car. I had one of those little utility trailers at first and they were unstable and jack knifed at the drop of a hat. Also I could not see it to back up. I have taken the trailer as far as O'fest in Florida. Comming back from O'fest this year I got caught in a Hail/Snow storm from Erie Pa to Buffalo. The trailer did just fine-- so did the car shod with PZeroes-- slow but steady. If you'd like a picture of the trailer let me know. Holly McReynolds, BMWCCA Genesee Valley Chapter '97 M3 2001 Z3 3.0 - soon :) ? E46 M3 - when they start manufacturing and my number come up :( '95 Tire trailer > Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 11:37:58 -0500 > From: vernon@sprynet.com > Subject: Trailer hitch for E36 M3 - trimming lower rear bumper > > I have decided to get a tire trailer for my M3 for this coming season as I'm > sick of trying to stuff wet and dirty track and auto-x tires into my car > (especially with the rollbar, it has become very difficult). Vendors tell me > that for the Da'Lan hitch you must trim a section about 1 inch high from the > lower rear bumper (the black plastic piece with the upright fins). Has anyone > ever done this or examined a car with this surgery? Initially I wasn't going > to even consider this, but I checked at my dealer and that entire part is only > $75 (I was expecting $300-400). I'm thinking that measuring carefully and > using a good Dremel, this should be fairly straightforward. Any experiences > or suggestions? Thanks! > > Vern Anderson > 98 M3/2, hopefully with 6 wheels shortly..
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#7. M3 Hitch Mounting - from Ned Coonen
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 19:01:53 -0600 From: "Ned Coonen" <ncoonen@hotmail.com> Subject: M3 Hitch Mounting Vern, I had a Da'Lan hitch on my '98 M3. The trimming required is minor. Don't worry about it. You cannot see the notch unless the car is on a lift. The hitch works great. I removed mine because I trailer the car now. ....ned. '98 M3 '88 M5 x 2 ------------------------------------------------------------- Vendors tell me that for the Da'Lan hitch you must trim a section about 1 inch high from the lower rear bumper (the black plastic piece with the upright fins). Has anyone ever done this or examined a car with this surgery? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
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#8. Re: [E36M3]Long Distance M3 purchase - from JSDONE@aol.com
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 20:19:18 EST From: JSDONE@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3]Long Distance M3 purchase In response to you question on purchasing an out of state M3, mine was pretty good. Here is how it came down. Live in North Carolina, friend sent me a Florida AutoTrader. On the front page was my dream M3 Convertable. Called, discussed details, called dealer where warrenty service was done, had a friend in general area to go visually check the car out to confirm condition, talked at length to owner and discussed every detail. Agreed to pay the $155.00 plane fare one way to come get the car and owner agreed that if car was not exactly as advertised he would pay for plane trip back home and split hotel expense if everything was not up to snuff. Arrived at airport, owner picked me up, drove to dealer, discussed every inch of car, had cashiers check cashed, title transfered and headed home. Only one warrenty glitch, not owners problem. I saved $5,900.00 by flying to Fla. Done deal Regards, John
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Fuel Filter and Oil Filter; Which Brand? - from Rich Gay
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Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 21:43:39 -0600 From: "Rich Gay" <rich_gay@linbeck.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Fuel Filter and Oil Filter; Which Brand? on 12/24/00 10:33 PM, F. Graziano at fgraziano@monmouth.com wrote: > Time has come to do some routine maintenence on my M. Which fuel filter > and oil filter are recommended? i see Fram, WIX and Bosch to name a few. > Why is Fram like 10 bucks more than the Bosch fuel filter? name, > quality? Go with the OEM stuff. Steve D. at The Ultimate Garage always has 'em for a great price. - Rich
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#10. Go karting in Florida - from Ed Tang
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Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 06:15:44 -0800 (PST) From: Ed Tang <etangf1@yahoo.com> Subject: Go karting in Florida I just started karting in a 100cc formula kart. It is great. Definitely do it. We ahad the luxury of doing it in late October in Michigan where it rained, snowed and showed some sunlight. After I got in the M3 during the past 3 weeks of torrential snow, I know I've used a lot of the skills I picked up from karting. It's also a great way to do wheel to wheel racing with minimal risk and damage. That's the exciting part. I'm actually getting a kart for next summer. This racing stuff's really getting expensive. Ed Tang 95 Cosmos M3 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/