-------------------- 1 --------------------
#1. RE: [E36M3] OT: Boxster S sold - bought 330CI - from Dave DeBuhr
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:21:55 -0700 From: "Dave DeBuhr" <debuhr@comcast.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] OT: Boxster S sold - bought 330CI You know, It is this very phenomonon that has me thinking about selling the fancy UUC RSC36 exhaust on my M3. Is sounds killer, but at WOT it roars. If there was a significant performance gain, then it would make sense to my 40 year old brain. One side of my brain keeps telling me that all the gray haired Ferrari drivers have loud cars. But the other side of my brain says, "you are most certainly NOT driving a Ferrari. Grow up, dude!" The stock exhaust is calling my name! And swapping it back would be an easy way to score points with my wife who drives the car too. She hates the UUC... Dave -----Original Message----- From: Scott McClung [mailto:smlists@pacbell.net] And don't get me started on the shopping cart wing... Too often I felt like an "old man" driving a 20 year old's car in that thing. The Evo has the compramise scale tipped a bit too far on the track side of the coin. Scott
-------------------- 2 --------------------
#2. help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 - from Scott
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:27:43 -0700 From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> Subject: help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 First, I think I'll head off the basic reply: it'll never be finished -- I know. That said, there are some maintenance items I think I'm going to have to take care of in the next 6mos or so and I'm worried about cost. I'm trying to weigh the cost of keeping it vs buying something else. First, the car: '97 m3/2, 92k miles. I've done a ton of maintenance myself: cooling system, steering res & hoses, all fluids, fuel filter, control arms, shocks/struts, tie rods, front wheel bearings, front brakes, etc. Previous owner did lcabs. Here are the things I'm worrying about, that I think are next on the list: 1) clutch. It's sketchy on steep hills now. I think it's going to be time to replace it soon. While I'm in there, linkage, guibo, tranny mounts, driveshaft bearing. Etc. 2) rear end bushings. The rear end wanders a bit -- doesn't feel solid. I'd like to get all soft-parts replaced: ball joints, diff bushings, etc. 3) sunroof is starting to clunk and groan quite a bit. Any preventative maintenance I can do here? I'm lubing it. Not sure what else I can do but pray. There's a different list of things that it would take to get it "right" - front and rear bumper replacement and respray - window rubber - maybe a driver's seat leather refresh - etc. Here's the rub. I don't' have the time to do the work myself anymore (kid, work, etc.) so I'll need to pay an independent to do it. I have a couple good ones locally (Seattle), but they aren't cheap. My questions for the group are: 1) rough costs associated w/items 1-2 above? 2) anything else I'm missing in terms of big $ maintenance items? 3) I keep hearing that cars tank in value at 100k miles. Any truth to this? Ballpark cost of me going 6-digits on the odo? This is my second car, FWIW. I'm toying with a whole host of other cars to replace it with (everything from a Miata to a 997). I'm probably still money ahead keeping the thing on the road, but I realize that the maintenance $$ aren't going to appreciably add to the value of the car in the used market. In other words, they're sunk costs. Kind of like depreciation on a new car :) Thanks for any thoughts, Scott (Stiles), Seattle '97 M3/2
-------------------- 3 --------------------
#3. RE: [E36M3] Keys - from Paul L Fisher
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:38:30 -0500 From: "Paul L Fisher" <bmw@paul-fisher.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Keys For my 2000 540i it was around $200 ad I had to bring my title into the dealer. Paul L Fisher 2000 M Roadster E36/7 S52 Cosmos Black Metallic Become a BMW CCA Member! Elkhorn, WI. -----Original Message----- From: Shane Kleinpeter [mailto:sak335@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 10:29 AM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] Keys Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:28:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Shane Kleinpeter <sak335@yahoo.com> Subject: Keys Oh, and while I'm harrassing you guys with questions about my car... My buddy borrowed the car a few weeks ago and lost they key (fell off the crappy BMW key chain somehow). I only got two keys when I bought the car from the PO and the only one I have left is the valet key. My understanding is that I have to order a new key via the dealer due to EWS. Does anybody have any experience with this that can help me understand what the process is, how long it takes, how much it costs? Thanks, ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games. http://get.games.yahoo.com/proddesc?gamekey=monopolyherenow ************************************************* 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 Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com DIGEST INFORMATION: http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm ************************************************* No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.487 / Virus Database: 269.13.27/1020 - Release Date: 9/20/2007 12:07 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.487 / Virus Database: 269.13.27/1020 - Release Date: 9/20/2007 12:07 PM
-------------------- 4 --------------------
#4. Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from Jim Bassett
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:59:10 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator On Tue, September 25, 2007 8:28 am, Shane Kleinpeter wrote: > Battery is less than 8 months old. Have not checked > fluid levels but it's sealed (Interstate MT 91). FWIW, you can (and should) check the fluid levels - the MTP-91 is NOT a sealed battery. At least neither of my 2 are. The covers are in the center of the top, underneath where the handle is. Jim Bassett
-------------------- 5 --------------------
#5. Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from Shane Kleinpeter
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:11:23 -0700 (PDT) From: Shane Kleinpeter <sak335@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator OK, I had pretty much the exact experience, including melting the leads to one of my multimeters. I've pretty much been convinced to buy a battery tender and forget about it. There is a part of me that hates being defeated by a stupid car, but at this point I don't have the time to invest. I'm going to check grounds and the water in the battery to make sure but otherwise I'm going to wait for whatever is wrong to fail completely. Shane --- loweseaton@aol.com wrote: > Shane, > > OK, then I think you are at the point I was trying > to diagnosis a low current drain.? I don't have much > help there, just cautions.? If your dealership > charges $90/hr, that is cheap.? Last time I checked > our local dealers (2 years ago), they were at > $135/hr.? I'm sure the current rate is over $160/hr > by now.? Even my preferred local independent was > $95/hr three years ago so I'm sure he is way over > $100/hr now.? My preferred independent shop warned > me that tracking down a low current drain is not > easy and could get expensive.? He said it might be > an hour or it might be 20 hrs labor.? I did the math > - 20 x $95 = $1,900.? I bought a battery trickle > charger for $17 instead and used it for 2 years. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Got a little couch potato? Check out fun summer activities for kids. http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=summer+activities+for+kids&cs=bz
-------------------- 6 --------------------
#6. Re: [E36M3] Jacks - from Brian Ruiz
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:31:09 -0700 From: "Brian Ruiz" <eurowerke@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Jacks Hahah Reed, nice one. Bill, I store mine open, to account for pressure changes in the cylinder of the jack from temperature flux in the garage. Two days ago, it was raining and 58 degrees here in crazy So Cal, now it's 82 degrees out! ?:-| My jack is a pretty heavy steel USA made Nascar branded jack that I got at Costco several years ago before they switched to some Taiwanese units. Brian On 9/25/07, Reed Nicholson <reedthis@comcast.net> wrote: > > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:14:37 -0700 > From: "Reed Nicholson" <reedthis@comcast.net> > Subject: RE: [E36M3] Jacks > > > I'm just not comfortable discussing such a personal issue on the list... > > Reed/Seattle > > > > > I'm wondering how everyone stores their jacks: > > > > Open, lightly closed, or snugly closed. > > > > Tnx, > > > > Bill > > Ft. Worth > > 2/22/99 Coupe > > > > > ************************************************* > 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 > Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com > Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > ************************************************* > > >
-------------------- 7 --------------------
#7. Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from marty
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:31:10 -0400 From: marty <mfraiser@earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator righto - the water can and will evaporate. It seems most car batteries are deemed 'maintenance free' which I think must mean it's slightly more difficult to see and remove the covers than one with obvious screw caps. They are neither sealed nor maintenance free. I'll probably need a battery by next spring (mine is around 5 years old) but looking on Interstate's site I thought the MTP-91 had been discontinued with no replacement. It's been a few months since I looked and did look by car model. Are people still able to buy those new? marty Jim Bassett wrote: > FWIW, you can (and should) check the fluid levels - the MTP-91 is NOT a > sealed battery. At least neither of my 2 are. The covers are in the center > of the top, underneath where the handle is. > > Jim Bassett > >
-------------------- 8 --------------------
#8. Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from Jim Bassett
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:07:14 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator On Tue, September 25, 2007 11:38 am, marty wrote: > Are people still able to buy those new? The one in the M3 was purchased 3 months ago - replaced with the alternator went out and drained the previous battery. Dunno if it was one my parts guy happened to have on-hand, or was ordered new for me. Jim Bassett
-------------------- 9 --------------------
#9. Re: [E36M3] Jacks - from Carlos Lopez
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:13:13 -0400 From: "Carlos Lopez" <clopez98m3@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Jacks I store mine open but only because the flux capacitor in my car sometimes changes the oil film thickness on the piston bearings, I use shockproof oil in my jack for that reason. I also relieve the pressure on the canuter valve every once in a while to keep the jack handle actuation optimal. Hey you asked. Carlos 98 M3 goes faster than 88mph
-------------------- 10 --------------------
#10. RE: [E36M3] Re: question marks in messages - from Jim Bassett
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:14:08 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: question marks in messages On Tue, September 25, 2007 9:48 am, Reed Nicholson wrote: > I seem to be getting more messages like this with the question marks > following most of the periods. > What's up with that? Is there a way I can fix it? From what I can tell, it appears to be an AOL thing - I see it on another list, only in messages from AOL users. Jim Bassett
-------------------- 11 --------------------
#11. Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 - from Mark D
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:11:42 -0400 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 Scott wrote: > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:27:43 -0700 > From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> > Subject: help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 > > First, I think I'll head off the basic reply: it'll never be finished -- I > know. That said, there are some maintenance items I think I'm going to have > to take care of in the next 6mos or so and I'm worried about cost. I'm > trying to weigh the cost of keeping it vs buying something else. > > First, the car: '97 m3/2, 92k miles. I've done a ton of maintenance myself: > cooling system, steering res & hoses, all fluids, fuel filter, control arms, > shocks/struts, tie rods, front wheel bearings, front brakes, etc. Previous > owner did lcabs. > > Here are the things I'm worrying about, that I think are next on the list: > 1) clutch. It's sketchy on steep hills now. I think it's going to be time to > replace it soon. While I'm in there, linkage, guibo, tranny mounts, > driveshaft bearing. Etc. > 2) rear end bushings. The rear end wanders a bit -- doesn't feel solid. I'd > like to get all soft-parts replaced: ball joints, diff bushings, etc. > 3) sunroof is starting to clunk and groan quite a bit. Any preventative > maintenance I can do here? I'm lubing it. Not sure what else I can do but > pray. > > There's a different list of things that it would take to get it "right" > - front and rear bumper replacement and respray > - window rubber > - maybe a driver's seat leather refresh > - etc. > > Here's the rub. I don't' have the time to do the work myself anymore (kid, > work, etc.) so I'll need to pay an independent to do it. I have a couple > good ones locally (Seattle), but they aren't cheap. > > My questions for the group are: > 1) rough costs associated w/items 1-2 above? > 2) anything else I'm missing in terms of big $ maintenance items? > 3) I keep hearing that cars tank in value at 100k miles. Any truth to this? > Ballpark cost of me going 6-digits on the odo? > > 1. Highly depends on the area. I'd think clutch is around 4-6 hours labor + $700-$1000 parts and rear subframe bushings are a huge job. I'd save that until they're really bad and go with just rear ball joints and rear trailing arm bushings which I'd say fall into 2-3 hours + parts. Grand total estimate of $2000-$3000 but probably more if you do every ball joint, etc. 2. You're forgetting about O2 sensors (upwards of $350), air injection pump ($200+), shocks/struts ($300+), brakes ($1000+) and probably something else I've either replaced or going to replace. How is your climate control computer? They go and need worked on (not replaced). Your ignition coils could go and take out your DME (huge cost). We're all driving potential money pits if things don't go well and some of the most affordable cars on the road if things do. 3. M3's definitely do not tank in value after 100K. Couple thousand $ max. But you already spent that on maintenance. I've not seen many if any cars that hold their resale better. From what I've seen M3 buyers care about maintenance and care. > This is my second car, FWIW. I'm toying with a whole host of other cars to > replace it with (everything from a Miata to a 997). I'm probably still money > ahead keeping the thing on the road, but I realize that the maintenance $$ > aren't going to appreciably add to the value of the car in the used market. > In other words, they're sunk costs. Kind of like depreciation on a new car > :) > > If you go ahead with the maintenance keep it or list it high citing the maintenance. If you want to sell, don't do the maintenance and lowball it (considering still that you've done quite a bit of work already). If you keep it, you're falling down a slippery slope, but at nearly 200,000 miles and over $5K spent, I can't imagine driving another car and will likely put a new engine in once it can't pass emissions. I've pondered these decisions when comparing keeping mine versus buying a newer E36 versus buying an older E46 and I decided to just keep mine... Haven't regretted it so far. Still feels newer than my girlfriend's passat with 70,000 miles as long as I keep up with bushings and suspension. I'm not sure I'd keep it if I were paying someone else's labor prices. I'd probably go buy a civic Si or something. Parts are reasonable, labor isn't. My $0.02. PS: I don't know if you're like me but if you have access to other brands of cars, try to drive them a little before you decide to sell the m3. That's what convinced me to keep the m3 honestly. BMW cars are just better, especially a well cared for m3. Thanks, Mark
-------------------- 12 --------------------
#12. Re: [E36M3] Jacks - from mdriver13@aol.com
Top
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:18:21 -0400 From: mdriver13@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Jacks open...is this the right answer??? Looks like Google time... cheers, Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe Philly Region SCCA 2005/2006 Philly Region BSP Champion Sponsored by WCC & Rogue Engineering -----Original Message----- From: Bill Sharp <M3@cueframe.us> To: E36M3 <e36m3@bmw-m.net> Sent: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:48 pm Subject: [E36M3] Jacks Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:46:23 -0500 From: Bill Sharp <M3@cueframe.us> Subject: Jacks I'm wondering how everyone stores their jacks: Open, lightly closed, or snugly closed. Tnx, Bill Ft. Worth 2/22/99 Coupe ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com