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#1. Procarparts.com & HID - from Wesley A Nicolas
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Date: 2 Oct 2001 09:36:28 -0700 From: Wesley A Nicolas <wes@nicolas.org> Subject: Procarparts.com & HID Hey there - I got my HID's from ProCarParts.com and am very satisfied. I would also suggest getting the Ellipsoid light kit too (BMP Designs, BavAuto, etc.). If you get the Ellipsoid's, be sure to get a headlight protector kit (adhesive plastic) because I held off on spending the $40 and got a nice rock chip within 2 weeks. Now I'm kicking myself. Anyway, the ProCarParts.com kit has the real Philips ballasts but the bulbs are from someone else. Seems to work great and the lighting is fantastic. Be sure to follow an install procedure like that on Jim Powell's page (http://www.apexcone.com/Lighting/HIDs/HID.html). He also has an install for the Ellipsoids, there's a link from the page I gave you. Good luck!!! Wesley Nicolas '95 M3 - Ellipsoid + HID = Awesome!
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#2. Roll Bars - from James Clay
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Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 12:43:40 -0400 From: "James Clay" <james@bimmerworld.com> Subject: Roll Bars Neil wrote: Bimmerworld only makes a custom product. Based on a friend's experience with installation difficulties it wouldn't be a good idea to buy this (or any other custom bar/cage) without the supplier having the car to ensure proper fit. Let me clarify. We do not use a free-standing Jig that we fabricated in the shop. We start with an actual E36 body that we have cut to make welding around the joints easier. Each bar or cage kit is custom built because we have a lot of configurations. We can make the center section removable, just one bar removable to make it easy to get tires in and out of the rear, bolt-in or weld-in, made to fit with or without interior for the tightest possible fit. Each bar or cage kit is constructed in a straight E36 shell - there is no guesswork on fitment, just options. It is very easy to get a poor fit from warping in the welding process or installing in a car that is bent from track use (think how difficult it is to get a strut brace in some tracked cars). We initially made bars in a jig using a MIG welder and had some fitment problems. We have now switched to using the E36 shell (which will not bend due to stresses applied) and fully TIG welding the bars (low, concentrated heat, virtually eliminates warping). Bolt-in bars and cages are not easy to make. We actually charge more for them than a similar custom cage that includes installation, but they are still not very profitable. We can pull a race shell in the shop, strip it and put a full, all options race cage in it in three days, looks like a work of art, no fitment questions later, $2500 at least. A bolt-in takes a day to build, lots of smaller tabs and sleeves to work on, possible problems with fitment due to tweaked chassis that can both kill the profit and hurt our reputation, market only gets about $600 for one. I would be willing to guess that most of the good shops that can stay busy with custom work prefer it and the bolt-ins keep getting bumped because they are used for fill-in work. If there is no source for good bolt ins, we are willing to make a few, but they are fill-in work for us and I tell customers up front that they do get bumped if we have something big come along. We have three full cars on the schedule now which will probably take until mid November to finish. If anyone wants to wait a bit, I can put you on a list. James ----------------------------------------------------------- James Clay http://www.bimmerworld.com Engineered BMW Performance BMWCCA/SCCA Racecar Rental Genuine OEM and Used BMW Parts (540) 639-9648 ----------------------------------------------------------- "Stop Lights Timed For 35mph Are Also Timed For 70mph."
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#3. re: bilstein coilovers - from andy radin
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Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 09:57:21 -0700 From: "andy radin" <fourfa@mindspring.com> Subject: re: bilstein coilovers >BTW, H&R coilovers + no rear coilover adjustors = 2" lower than stock in the rear, which is A >LOT. I'd actually be interested to get measurements of ride heights from other people... measure >from the top of the wheel well ache to the bottom of the wheel itself, assuming you're running 17" >wheels. (if you're not, just let me know what size wheel you're running Or, measure from the top of the wheel arch to the center of the wheel. That's size-independent, and BMW roundels have a convenient mark to measure against. andy r.
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#4. re: euro lights - from andy radin
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Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 10:02:33 -0700 From: "andy radin" <fourfa@mindspring.com> Subject: re: euro lights "I just received my Euro headlamps. I was hoping someone could lend me a hand here... I'll need to buy the euro connectors to install them on my car. Can someone post the part number(s) for the connectors? They're ZKW's BTW. Much appreciated!" another option that makes the Euro headlamp installation totally reversible: buy a spare pair of 9005 and 9006 bulbs, carefully cut away the metal bars and remove the bulbs from the plastic housing, and solder the Euro connector (didn't this come with your lights?) to the metal prongs left behind. Insulate with shrink wrap or tape, and plug your new Euros directly into the US sockets. andy r. 98 m3/2
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#5. H1 HID kit - from Ed Tang
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Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 10:35:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Ed Tang <etangf1@yahoo.com> Subject: H1 HID kit "Bill P" wrote: > > Has anyone bought the H1 (or other) HID kit form > this company > (www.procarparts.com). I read a few posts that > people have gotten them from > here. I called and talked to a rep. He told me that > they are "GENERIC and > made in Taiwan". The ballasts are Philips and made in Germany. The bulbs are probably made in Taiwan and do look cheap. I'm not sure about the harness. If you go to the Philips site, there are only 3 vendors that they authorize to do the conversion kit. I got mine at autolamp-online. They are an authorized dealer but located in GB. I happen to have ordered them a week before the WTC but they arrived at my door on that day, so I lucked out. You also have to sign a waiver that you acknowledge that the conversion is for off road use only. The shipping is free but the kit is $600. I installed it with a friend who also bought the kit but from procarparts. His bulbs were made in Taiwan and it didn't fit into the Euro H1 recepticle. He had to send them back to get a new set of bulbs. According to him, they do look cheap when compared with mine. Side by side we believe my bulb operates at a higher temp, maybe 200 deg, so it is only slightly brighter. Also, no matter how we aimed his, his lights always have a void in the beam pattern throught the center. Our conclusion is that we got what we paid for. I spent $150 more. His lights are still much better than stock and the difference really is minute. They do indeed work well though. They may be cheaper but they work as advertised. Ed Tang 95 Cosmos M3 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Listen to your Yahoo! Mail messages from any phone. http://phone.yahoo.com
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#6. Re: [E36M3] Bilstein Bumpstop modification - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 13:55:35 EDT From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Bilstein Bumpstop modification Ah! The Bilstein bumpstop controversy returns. I thought I had killed off Bilstein and persuaded everybody to use Koni. <g> Yes, I have opened up my front Bilsteins and cut the darn bumpstop down to nothing. Ahmad - Are your Bilsteins brand new / never mounted on the car? If they are brand new, it is fairly easy. If on the car, then it will involve completely removing your front struts and removing the springs. A little bit of work. You have H&R sport springs? That helps alot. I've removed and replaced H&R sport springs without using a spring compressor. I can do a tech write up for Suzy's web site. I even have pictures. I'll see what I can do tonight. Lowell Seaton '95 M3 Dallas, TX
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#7. RE: [E36M3] Re: Want a fast sports coupe? - from alex.fadeev@verizon.com
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Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 13:32:34 -0500 From: alex.fadeev@verizon.com Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: Want a fast sports coupe? peter@guagenti.com [mailto:peter@guagenti.com] wrote: > > Does this bother _anyone else_ but me? The whole point of the > E30M3 was to create a no-holds-barred, barely street legal, > racing version 3-series. That's what always excited me about > that car. Peter, I thing you fell victim to BMW marketing about the E30M3 cars. I've noticed that most E30M3 owning CCA members like to brag that their car is the only true "barely steet legal M car", but that is over looking the fact that the E30M3 offered for sale in the US had very little in common with the car that BMW raced in Europe. Reality check: no TRUE track E30M3 ever raced with 190 hp engine, AC, stock suspension and cushy rat-skin leather interior! There were a few (500?) copies of Evo II and III E30M3s sold in Europe, but even those never got close to the race-spec 350+hp race and 450+hp qualifying engines. The US-bound E30M3s were and are just the comfy/luxo/porky versions of the TRUE E30M3s that raced in Europe. Just like the E36 and E46 M3s that have followed them. > And now we have the GTR. With this car in existence, the M3 is > no longer the ultimate 3-series. May as well call it what it is > -- the 332csi -- and let the GTR have the M3 name. > Maybe I'm over-reacting a bit, but it just sounds silly to me to > have the M-car, and the M-car Deluxe. For the past 15 years BMW > has been building up the M-badge to mean the best, the ultimate > BMW. By releasing the GTR and not simply upgrading the existing > M, the M-badge just means pretty damn good. Hmm, hasn't it always been that way? Oh wait, I know how we can resurrect the ///M badge glory of yore though a bit of creative ///Marketing: 1. Rename to GTR into an E46m3 Evo II! (E30M3 US owners will fall for this!) 1. Announce that the US E30M3 was meant to have been called 323is all along! (E30M3 US owners might hate this ;-) ;-) alex f
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Bilstein Bumpstop modification - from Ahmad Lutfeali
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Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 14:13:58 -0400 From: "Ahmad Lutfeali" <m3_racer99@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Bilstein Bumpstop modification Thanks for the info Lowell. The shocks are out of the car. The shocks were installed w/H&R Sports by Turner. The ride (in the front espeically) was BOUNCY here in Boston roads. I called Turner up and found out they do not recommend nor do they perform bump stop mod. I got a decent writeup on bump stop mod. by Juan Rico (forwarded to him by Jim C). I am looking forward to getting these done and have my car not bounce around on bumps. Please keep us posted on the detailed procedure or pics. Thanks again. Ahmad
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#9. M3 cold braking steering wheel shake - from Scott King
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Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 14:39:28 -0400 From: "Scott King" <vw8vgti@hotmail.com> Subject: M3 cold braking steering wheel shake <html><div style='background-color:'><DIV> <P>Colin,</P> <P>Are still running the original stock suspension? I had a very similar situation and after replacing my stock shocks/springs at 50k the shimmy has completely gone away. My shocks/struts were completely toast and after the install and a quality alignment, I'm happy to say things are straight and true and shimmy free. Just a thought...</P> <P>Scott K.</P></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href='http://go.msn.com/bql/hmtag_itl_EN.asp'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></html>
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#10. Inability to Dyno E46 M3's - from Chad Armstrong
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Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 12:20:38 -0700 From: Chad Armstrong <caarmstrong@epicor.com> Subject: Inability to Dyno E46 M3's Hey All, I have heard a rumor and would like to hear from all of you about it validity. I have heard that you cannot dyno an E46 M3. Ok, here's what happens...the car senses that if the back wheels start turning at a much higher rate than the front wheels at 6500rpm the computer kicks something like a rev-limiter. So in turn you cannot find out peakHP on a Dyno. So has anyone actually dynoed an e46 M3 that could either validate or kill this rumor? If it is true then it make me wonder what BMW is trying to hide. Also if true will the "chip" tuners be able to take out this feature. Thanks, Chad Armstrong 99 M3 Confortied and Eibached. 85 911 Race Car...too much to list