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#1. Re: [E36M3] 330i PP thoughts? - from Scott M
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Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 23:53:24 -0700 From: Scott M <smlists@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] 330i PP thoughts? on 6/4/04 8:41 PM, Alain van der Heide at ajvdh1@comcast.net wrote: > Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 21:38:44 -0600 > From: "Alain van der Heide" <ajvdh1@comcast.net> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] 330i PP thoughts? > > ----- Original Message ----- >> Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 17:30:39 -0700 (PDT) >> From: Scott McClung <smlists@pacbell.net> >> Subject: 330i PP thoughts? >> >> >> Has anyone on this list purchased or had significant seat time in a 330i > PP? I'm wondering how it stacks up from the perspective of an E36 M3 owner > or former owner. > > Very nice car, too bad there's no limited slip. Yeah - that is very disappointing. There is truly not that much to differentiate this from a 330i SP, the 3.5% lower rear axle is about the only tangible thing - and the steering wheel. I was thinking alternatively could get a 2002 330i SP for $10K less and put maybe $5K worth of suspension and engine mods to make it perform even better than the PP car. Of course then I start thinking what a better platform the E36 M3 is and at much better entry price points too, only downside is cabin room and a 6 year old car vs. a 2 year old car. > >> Another car I am interested in is the Mitsu Evo. While this car is > slightly heavier than an E36 by ~100lbs, the 4wd works very well in the > twisty stuff and the car seems to be tuned about right from the factory. > Plus it puts me in a brand new car with no worries for several years - full > warrantee and such. $30K is a real bargain for the performance level which > almost matches my M5 in acceleration but walks away from it in the corners. > > Two words: Kidney belt. A cow-orker used to have one, he sold it 'cause he > couldn't drive fortwo hours without his back killing him. I rode in it, and > it rides noticably rougher than my decidedly non-stock E36 M3. The > performance is pretty astonishing, and it seems to be really wired to the > road, but that comes at a price. > BMW's - even modded ones seem to have that magical combination of good ride and excellent handling that no other mfg seems to be able to match. Whassup wit dat? I am firmly a BMW guy now and have owned 3 of them, but I always want to consider options outside the genre too just to be sure. Not sure I am quite ready with the brashness of the Evo either compared to the subtle and classic beauty of just about any BMW short of the new E60 5-er - yeach.. Personally, I think the E46 3 looks good - especially lowered with good sized rubber. But the E36 M3 has a very good look to it - very subtle and classic lines. Scott > - Alain > > > > ************************************************* > Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: > > Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com > Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com > Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com > Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > ************************************************* >
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#2. Mitsu EVO... - from Richard Sperry
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Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 10:20:12 -0400 From: "Richard Sperry" <richardsperry@comcast.net> Subject: Mitsu EVO... No matter what you say about performance, it's still a Lancer...Ugly and CHEAP.
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#3. Re: [E36M3] 330i PP thoughts? - from Robert Puertas
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Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 07:23:26 -0700 From: "Robert Puertas" <Puertas@cox.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] 330i PP thoughts? I'm currently going through a similar debate, except that I'm getting a new Lotus Elise. My wife's '99 Saab 9-3 is for sale. She wants to keep the '95 M3, but really would prefer a 4-door, in yellow. Anybody ever tried to find a yellow M3 Sedan with a 5-speed? Heated seats and fold-down rear seats are also on her wish list. If you know of clean one for sale, plesae let me know... So, I've been researching options: 540i 6-speed - torque can be amusing, but it feels heavy and lacks the "tossability" of the M3. 330i PP - no lsd! feels nearly as big as the 5-series, I just can't get excited about it. WRX Sti - pretty damn impressive, if it cam in a wagon I might be tempted. A little too boy-racer, but you should drive it. Evo VIII - even more impressive, mostly because of the steering. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but this pig can fly. Mazda RX-8 - closest of all of these to the e36 M3. Less torque, but it revs fast, has great brakes and a very communicative chassis. Love it or hate it looks, but it has all of the luxuries and dynamics you expect from the BMW. Good luck, Robert Puertas
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#4. Re: 330i PP thoughts? - from Neil Maller
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Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:08:58 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: 330i PP thoughts? on 6/4/04 11:11 PM, Scott McClung <smlists@pacbell.net> wrote: > Has anyone on this list purchased or had significant seat time in a 330i PP? > I'm wondering how it stacks up from the perspective of an E36 M3 owner or > former owner. A friend of mine has a 330i PP, which I've driven both on the street and at Gingerman with the TC Kline/Koni DA suspension we installed, and on the street with the stock setup. The E46 shell is noticeably stiffer than the E36, and although on paper they're conceptually similar, the E46 suspension simply works better. When I first drove the original new E46 328i, I remember thinking that this was a platform that could easily handle another 100 hp (and so it has turned out with the E46 M3). Although both my friend's PP and my M3 have the same TCK suspension and rather aggressive 450F/500R spring rates, the PP rides firmly but acceptably, whereas the M3 requires, let's just say "motivation" to drive on a daily basis. Because it's very quiet and civilized, the PP is deceptively quick in a "Surely I wasn't going that fast officer!" sort of way. Nonetheless, even though the PP engine specs may seem close to those of the E36 M3, it isn't as fast. However for street driving the difference isn't all that meaningful. The sixth gear is nice to have. The PP's Alcantara interior is simply wonderful. All in all the PP is a terrific daily driver that's also capable of fun at the track or in spirited street driving. > Another car I am interested in is the Mitsu Evo. While this car is slightly > heavier than an E36 by ~100lbs, the 4wd works very well in the twisty stuff > and the car seems to be tuned about right from the factory. Plus it puts me > in a brand new car with no worries for several years - full warrantee and > such. $30K is a real bargain for the performance level which almost matches > my M5 in acceleration but walks away from it in the corners. Another friend has an Evo. While it's great fun on the track (at least if you don't mind watching the gas gauge needle taking a nosedive as you watch) it's not an easy car to live with on the street. Its suspension is bone-jarring. The Evo interior is a definite step up from the sh!tbox WRX, but nowhere near BMW levels. Many people would find the Evo's appearance a little indiscreet for everyday us. On the plus side one can host a tailgate party on the rear wing. Neil 96 M3
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#5. Re: Euro E36 diesel FAN 11 52 2 243 303? - from Neil Maller
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Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:13:30 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: Euro E36 diesel FAN 11 52 2 243 303? on 6/4/04 11:11 PM, "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> wrote: > Neil wrote: > "Yeah, my engine fan, when I last was running one, is a Euro diesel item > with fewer blades and less pitch. Clearly it would consume less power, > although oddly enough it makes more noise, of an irritating whiny kind, > than the original." > > Can anyone confirm this is the correct p/n? > Euro E36 diesel FAN 11 52 2 243 303 Yep, that's the one I bought. It's used on a Euro 325td. > Where is a good place to source? I ordered it through The BMW Store in Cincinnati for $41. It took a couple or three weeks to arrive from the Fatherland. Neil 96 M3
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#6. Re: [E36M3] Kosei K1 Racing Rims - Feedback wanted - from dhogg
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Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 11:21:24 -0400 From: "dhogg" <dhogg@suscom.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Kosei K1 Racing Rims - Feedback wanted Tire Rack says mid-July availability. Rats. Reminder: Wheels are a wear item for a raced/frequently tracked car. They don't last forever and when they let go it's, um, inconvenient. A good friend had the rim separate from the hub on his fancy 3-piece forged wheels (10 years old) at the Jefferson 500 a couple weeks ago at Summit. It was a blessing for him that his runoff area was grass & mud. Could have been very ugly. Dave Hogg
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#7. Re: [E36M3] 8 years/80,000 miles warranty - from Andrej Dolenc
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Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 11:28:13 -0400 From: Andrej Dolenc <adolenc@erols.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] 8 years/80,000 miles warranty The warranty on the cats is 8yrs / 80k miles, correct. I managed to get mine replaced because the heat shield attached to the cat was rattling (with 500 miles until 80k, sneaking it in at the last minute, woohoo!). Really don't know how you would go about getting an independent to do the warranty work though. Andrej '97 M3 Newman, Christopher <CNewman@LSAC.org> wrote: > Hello, > Not too long ago, someone posted about a warranty on catalytic > converters. > If they went bad before 8 years or 80,000 miles they were replaced under > warranty > because they were emissions related. > If you did have a bad catalytic converter, would this be something only > BMW dealers could fix ? > Or would an independent shop also be able to perform the warranty work > if necessary ? > Just curious. Thanks for any comments.
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#8. m3 replacement? - from Chris Conner
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Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 12:54:39 -0400 From: Chris Conner <chris@digital7.com> Subject: m3 replacement? I decided to finally give in to the boost cravings I've had for so long. F/I on the m3 doesn't make sense financially, so I started looking for other cars. I first test-drove an Evo. I got in it as quickly as I could, because it is really just horrendously ugly. This particular model had 1k miles on it, so I showed it no break-in sympathy. The car was eager to rev, and sounded nice. Around town the suspension did not impress me. It was somewhat choppy, and gave the car a cheap feel. The interior also contributed to the cheapness of the car. I had walked in looking to buy an evo, and walked out with a grin from the boost, but absolutely no intention of purchasing it. Fast forward a month, and I am trying to test drive a WRX Sti. I had bad experiences with the sales force in 3 different dealerships. Their favourite trick seems to be telling you they have a car you can test-drive, but when you make the trek in, the car is either sold, or is simply not there. One of the sales managers actually took my m3 out without permission because I had begun talking numbers with a sales rep. (We were considering trading the m3, and he asked if he could drive it - I said yes, but not that night, as I still have H&R race springs, bilsteins, 18s, etc - It isn't a friendly car to drive) I finally walked into a local dealer, after Alex (hyperm3) told me they had a nice new White STi on the lot. 2 days later, I drive it home. I managed $1800 under MSRP. It is an 05 Aspen White model with short-shifter, boost gauge, auto-dimming mirror, and security system. It had 15 miles on it when I bought it. It now has only 100. Break-in is 1000 miles, and I am not supposed to rev over 4k. This is the most indescribable automotive torture that I can imagine. The car begins making boost at around 3600 rpms, and I shift at 3900. I am very impressed with the car so far. It handles great, the big brake setup is great, engine is great. I can't wait to actually be able to drive this car. It has tons of cool little features (and some big, like the wing and hoodscoop, ha). There is the intercooler water spray, driver-adjustable shift-light in the tach, 6 disc in-dash cd changer, awesome seats, etc. I will report back once I start boosting. I have also begun looking at Stage 1 kits for this car. $2200, 380hp, 360 lb-ft. Hmmm, yeah. I'm curious to see what type of attention this car gets. My lowered black m3 with 18" BBS RKs got me tons of attention, mostly unwanted. http://m3.digital7.com/stim3.jpg Anyone interested in a cosmos 99 with 79k miles, mostly stock except for performance software, s50 intake manifold, stainless brake lines and zimmerman x-drilled rotors? Just did new RTABs, exhaust hangers, and front tie-rods. I am looking to get around $21.5. Chris
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#9. Re: 330i PP thoughts? - from Roger Baker
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Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 09:55:13 -0700 From: Roger Baker <RogerBkr@netscape.net> Subject: Re: 330i PP thoughts? The Evo is really a "Throw Away" car. A buddy of mine bought one and I drove it a couple time, including at Thunderhill. Not as fast or fun as my modded e36 M3 track toy, but is well tuned out of the box (except for brake pads, which suck, along with $400 brake jobs). Back seat room isn't great. The whole interior is very cheap, so unless your back seat customers are car guys who can appreciate the drivetrain they'll just think you're shuttling them around in your son or daughter's car. I haven't driven the PP, but own a 02' 330i Sport Pkg for my daily driver. Overall, a roomier, smoother, quieter, nicer, more luxurious vehicle than the e36. Nicer daily driver for certain, but doesn't have the balance and feedback of the stock e36M3, but probably more potential. The factory made some stupid suspension choices with it, but after a few subtle mods it's good enough so I'll keep it for my daily driver. I changed the alignment (knock out the factory dowel pins in the strut hats & you can slide the strut mounts inward for an extra .5 negative camber, reduce toe f/r, even out r camber), changed the front control arm bushings to the Powerflex Bimmerworld sells (the factory one's are junk), R4S pads, re-do the tire pressures (and soon change to Pilot Sports). Quite a nice improvement in handling. The stock settings has major understeer & leaves the front tires squealing at slow-moderate speeds. Other major stupidity is no limited slip diff. There have been several times I've been on roads where the traction control gets _completely_ confused, and if I had a limited slip it wouldn't have been a problem. Also installed all the Jim C/Eurosport intake, software, Rogue pulleys & Borla Exhaust. Maybe it's just me, but anyone that orders the Sport Pkg should get a car more like this from the factory. Suspension is still too soft however, but the PP is stiffer out of the box. If it was available when I bought, I would have purchased the PP. Only thing I don't like is the cube trim on the interior. You need to drive one & see. -- Roger Baker Scott McClung <smlists@pacbell.net> wrote: >Has anyone on this list purchased or had significant seat time in a 330i PP? I'm wondering how it stacks up from the perspective of an E36 M3 owner or former owner. > <snip> > >Which brings me back to my point. I may go back to an M3/4 but I am considering all options at this point (including just keeping the M5). One of the interesting ones is the new 330i PP. I drove a '01 330i Sport and felt this was a great chassis - tuning was a bit soft and the steering was waaay too light. But the PP stiffens things right up and the steering got heavier in '02 in response to complaints about the '01's. I have not driven one, but if anyone has experience in them I'd appreciate any feedback. > <snip> > >Another car I am interested in is the Mitsu Evo. While this car is slightly heavier than an E36 by ~100lbs, the 4wd works very well in the twisty stuff and the car seems to be tuned about right from the factory. Plus it puts me in a brand new car with no worries for several years - full warrantee and such. $30K is a real bargain for the performance level which almost matches my M5 in acceleration but walks away from it in the corners. > >
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#10. Leaky steering rack - from Chip Mitchell
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Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 13:11:01 -0400 From: Chip Mitchell <chipm@uga.edu> Subject: Leaky steering rack I noticed my rack boots were "squishing" when I squeezed them, so I undid one of the clamps and was rewarded with about a quart of ATF in my face. What are my options? Can the seals be replaced, or do I have to replace the rack? Thanks, ChipM