BMW E36 325i restoration

[Herr Odo]

My daily car is a 1994 E36 325i that is still in fairly good running condition despite having chalked up 230K km.

It’s a bit dented here and there with scratches and both bumpers need to be re-aligned as they have been subject to knocks over the years. A bit of rust is starting to show up and intermittent white smoke from the exhaust.

I plan to start overhauling the engine and transmission from April, allocating 6 weeks to 8 weeks for completion including new paint job (changing colour). Though 4-speed gearbox is still OK, I decided to have it overhauled as well based on the heavy mileage and for peace of mind. No fancy upgrades as I prefer to keep it stock.

After this major job, it should enable me to use the car for another 10 more years if not more. The car has really grown on me and this is a labour of love.

The budget works out like this:


Engine overhaul: RM8,000
Transmission overhaul (including rear transaxle): RM4,000
Bodywork: RM1,000
Repainting: 4,000
Misc: 2,000 (e.g. muffler change, suspension, joint lubes, touch-ups, trim changes)

Total: RM19,000


Is this a reasonable and sufficient figure in 2015? I have a mechanic in mind to do the job but any recommendations is welcome.

 

[unstopables_7]

Hi bro , is nice to see members here restore thier ride and passionate about it , but coming from owning an e36 too , i dont see why u need to spend the Rm19k , since you said the car is running good , mainly its because e36 parts are cheap now , eg overhaul engine for Rm8k for an e36? one whole halfcut u can get it for Rm 5-6k , and u have a spare Gb if one day ur GB kong..


but , if you dont wanna go through the experience , you can still go on with your plans and having a piece of mind without worrying about engine & GB

just to add on , an e36 325 with manual is a fun fun car to drive .. better fc , cheaper maintenance , worry free , smile everything u accelerate :rock:

 

[Herr Odo]

unstopables, thanks for your feedback.
changing to a 5-speed manual would be nice but have heard horror stories from a friend in the motoring media line who faced numerous gearbox problems and oil leaks since the conversion of his e36 328i. He has since got rid of the car.

but open to ideas at this stage. where would a good place to look for manual gb and half cuts? I have this view that better the equipment you know than getting an unknown half cut, which is always a gamble as you don;t really know the history and the condition of the product. A visual inspection does;t tell the whole story and no quality inspection is done on half cuts; the seller just want to make his money and whether you get a "quality" half cut that has gone thru rigorous inspections is none of his business.


​that's why i';m more comfortable with overhauling the existing engine and gearbox that i have. as the owner , you know their history, their every little foibles, etc and u change whatever needs changing knowing that yo are getting the quality parts u pay for.

​In addition half cuts at RM6K are not exactly "peanut" amount, and the risk of experimentation is high unless u have say RM30K cash-flow to play with for this restoration in case the half cut components you use fails you in the long run.

​My philosophy is do it right the first time.

 

[Tom328]

230k km mileage for a 6 cylinder engine is not that high. I had 2 E34s which chalked up 300+k km and 400+k km, both M50 engines same as the one in the E36 325i. Both had no issues whatsoever involving the main block or head. Until one fine day when the water pump failed and warped the cylinder head.

I strongly suggest leaving it alone and not doing anything unless there is a major problem which requires dismantling/changing the head or block. Apart from that, the engine has become "one" over the past 230k km so better to leave it as such. Opening it up to overhaul will never be the same again as compared to what was fitted in the factory. Maybe you can use that bit of budget to do some preventive maintenance e.g. change the water pump, radiator etc etc. Most importantly, service it regularly or even ahead of schedule and you should see it giving you another 100k km, easily.

I don't see how a manual conversion would develop oil leaks. A proper conversion with no short cuts taken (some cut the prop shaft etc etc) should work perfectly as the car was available as a manual option from the factory. All brackets, linkages, mounting points etc are all plug and play. That is if you should want to go down the 3rd pedal route.... Otherwise, yet again, I don't see why you would want to open up the 4 speed auto if it's not giving any trouble. Change the ATF regularly and it should be able to serve you another few years. Yes it is well known that the GM 4 speed is the 328's Achilles' heel, but some have seen 300k km with it without any problem.

Good luck

 

[unstopables_7]

exactly , agree with u on "as the owner , you know their history, their every little foibles, etc and u change whatever needs changing knowing that yo are getting the quality parts u pay for." but as Tom328 meantioned it will never be the same anymore ,

and for the conversion , many have done them with happy ending bro , yes! u need the correct parts in order to have a smooth conversion journey.

if doing it right at the first time without having second thought on the $$$ then proceed bro , because i believe u posted here to ask whether is it reasonable and at 19k my answer will be a big NO .

 

[Tom328]

exactly , agree with u on "as the owner , you know their history, their every little foibles, etc and u change whatever needs changing knowing that yo are getting the quality parts u pay for." but as Tom328 meantioned it will never be the same anymore ,

and for the conversion , many have done them with happy ending bro , yes! u need the correct parts in order to have a smooth conversion journey.

if doing it right at the first time without having second thought on the $$$ then proceed bro , because i believe u posted here to ask whether is it reasonable and at 19k my answer will be a big NO .

I second that big NO

 

[firdaus325]

my full restoration on my e36 325i completed, it cost me more than 20k bro. the parts never goes cheap .
happy modding bro..

 

[325iE36]

My 1995 E36 325i has seen approximately 340k kms. It has had a gear box replacement. Now I need to upgrade my leather seats and go for a paint job. Then my UDM will be good as new

 

[Herr Odo]

Five cabin parts to fix
=================

- The LCD display is busted. Can't see a thing. Get from chop shop?
- Steering wheel rewrap. wonder if that old man in Segambut shop does that?
- Glove box hinges broken and the cover is detached
- Gearshifter loose...can jiggle forward and back. Needs tightening and considering changing to a knob
- A pillar, driver's side getting loose. That old man in Segambut (after Bomin Auto) might just be the man to fix it.....i got him to fix the other side a few years ago. still holding and wondering if he's still around.

http://s1121.photobucket.com/user/platypus31/slideshow/

 

[ICEMAN 68]

hi ..it's better you have a plan to execute this journey ..or else you'll be running in rounds ...

here is some head-ups ..

overhaul the engine is a good thing and may I suggest you to do so if you want to keep the original engine no. A stroke kit for an upgrade would be good if you're considering to increase some horses ..maybe you should look into the 3.0 stroker kit which comes with the rod's, piston's and the crack. search for a good one from the local half-cut shop or any workshop around klang valley...

as for gearbox ...if ya planning to keep your current which I assume is the GM 4sp auto box ...then might else well hunt down a ZF 5 sp with about the same amount as doing the overhaul.

but if you're planning to get the manual ...pls make sure the box is complete and do give it a good check prior to the purchase ..as there are a lot of mcgyvers around there days that sells the parts which aren't complete. a complete getrag box may cost you around rm2~4k and the higher end ones like the ZF 5 may be above the 5K mark.

as for repainting ...

do find a good painter and make sure you replace all the rubber liners...also do consider removing your front / rear mirror as usually the mirror silicone glue may harden over the time... so best time to get it replace with a new mirror if possible ..the rubber liners would set you slightly above rm3k.

Also do consider a complete upholstery too if you plan to do it right ...

the rest wear and tears are subjective ...

if you want to view some ...do look out on the showroom section which I've done a complete documentation of my ride ..

enjoy ya day

 

[firdaus325]

tha hard things for e36 now was wiring issue , its start to show aging simptom .. mechanical part can get easy, but interior part hardly to get now. just learn from iceman how to do restoration

 

[Herr Odo]

Had some free time today so skipped around the Klang Valley to prepare the way for my E36 restoration plan codenamed Project Phoenix.

Checked out Pro-garage in Sunway Damansara. They eyeballed my crimson red car and quoted RM3800 for metallic paints and RM4500 for Pearl White (first choice). I wanted the wing mirrors to be painted glossy black as contrast colour, so they say it's included in the price. Both bumpers need ketuk-ing and realignment and that's extra charge. I figured another RM500 to RM1000 should cover that. Entire job is expected to take 2 weeks.

Heard from sources that Pro-Garage used to be good but lately cut corners (eg using cheaper materials when premium materials were agreed upon). I don't know how true that is so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps, 2014 Pro-Garage customers can share their opinions on this matter.

Speaking of colours, I really love Pearl White but dread the amount of maintenance required since dirt easily shows up on the paintwork plus the annual ash deposits flying in courtesy of Sumatran forest fires (committed some say by Malaysian plantation companies....it's criminal, I know). I don't like loud colours at this point in my life; subtle and timeless colours like gunmetal gray, Midnight Blue or Estoril Blue are up my alley and are under consideration.

What do you guys think? Should I go for White or settle for other "practical" colours?

Headed to Bluegreen Motor Werks. Nathan and Mike drove my car and gave their 2-sens worth. Mike the front man knows what's he's talking about and inspires confidence. They also operate a parts shop upstairs and a paint shop in Klang.

Project Phoenix is two stage:

Stage 1: Get key mechanical parts in tip top condition ie engine, gearbox and suspension.

Stage 2:

a. Refurbish interior, repair/replace interior parts mentioned in this thread earlier and respray car with PPG Pearl White (RM5,500)

b. Upgrade in-car stereo system, exhaust, change warped/wrinkled rear windscreen tint and if I'm not broke by then, upgrade stock wheels to BBS 15 inch/16 inch wheels.

Mike quoted RM20K to RM25K to do Stage 1 and Stage 2a, an estimate that can swing lower or higher, depending on what needs changing after the car is stripped down. If capped at RM20K, engine work would only be limited to changing gaskets and cleaning up to prevents leaks (top overhaul).

Here's where it gets interesting. The price quoted includes conversion of a GM 4-speed auto to 5-speed Getrag manual (if Mike can find it, he says E36 manuals are getting rare to source from overseas.....looking forward to one from Japan, where used cars are known to be low-milers) - the conversion is around RM5000+ and includes a 7-day warranty from Bluegreen. According to Mike, a Getrag manual is better than a ZF manual, which is more sensitive and not as robust or reliable as a Getrag.

I like the way Bluegreen is upfront. If the price for the scope of work is too pricey for your taste, you have the option to reveal your budget and they will tell you what can be done within said budget.

Bluegreen is shorthanded now, having lost some manpower and is advertising for apprentice and mechanics. As a result it has a few customer BMWs that are still awaiting to be worked on. Mike says he needs to clear the backlog first over the next few weeks and the earliest he can accept a new car for restoration is April/May. The job is expected to take 3 months.

I know Bluegreen comes highly recommended by some senior forummers. Is Optimum Automotive of Kayu Ara and one called (if I'm not mistaken) Bavarian Motor Works located across the road from Optimum and on a hillock closer to Damansara Toll Plaza, of similar calibre - ie they pay attention to detail and don't take shortcuts while charging reasonable rates?

I may use Bluegreen but for now, I'd would like to weigh the options out there before I push the GO button.

I shall use this thread to document my restoration journey as and when I can find the time to do it. With pix, of course.



More on Bluegreen Motor Werks here: http://www.therakyatpost.com/motoring/2014/11/13/trusted-bmw-specialist/#ixzz3RMLy3x6S

 

[ICEMAN 68]

flash ...seems like you're all set to go ...good luck

 

[Prinze]

Flash, did you finally take the dive into manual conversion? Am toying with the idea myself...

 

[Herr Odo]

Decided to stick to my auto tranny and go with another workshop for the rebuilding of the car. More after the one-month project is completed.

 

[Prinze]

Flash, any update on your restoration? Give some details.

 

[Herr Odo]

Parts for E36 are getting harder to find unlike those for E46. The main jobs- engine/transmission/suspension have been done, but there's some delay in getting a few stuff. Power delivery is now strong and clean and gearbox operates sleekly. Giving it a shakedown over the next few days before I can declare it a job well done.


More later.

 

[Herr Odo]

See album:
http://imgur.com/a/tVBOH
&
http://imgur.com/6UlQdBz

Have been tweaking a few stuff. The steering wheel is the handiwork of Top Cushion near Subang airport. Told Ah Kit to do a tricolour band on top but he misunderstood and gave me tricolour stitching. He needs a day to get it done. Good workmanship, steering wheel delights the senses. All for RM250.

Yen Fatt’s paint job is decent though I won’t say best. Missed out a spot under the battery where a rusted hole was left unattended. Claims his foreman didn’t tell him. Nevertheless welded the gap up gave it anti-rust at no extra charge.

Getto.com.my is a place to do a wrap on your car. Reasonable pricing for small custom jobs. Check them out before Tom’s Stickers which overcharges. For example, 3M skin for side mirrors is only RM150 at Getto but Tom’s wanted RM250.

For fibreglass bodyworks and bumpers, the famed Theva in Glenmarie is the guy to look up. Says he has many BMW parts he wants to sell off including spoilers and bumper lips, etc.

If you need your LCD or meter cluster repaired, the Prudential fella nicknamed Haywire is known to be good at it. Price is reasonable and Haywire, who drive an E39, will come to you (he's the chap in the album pic, seen repairing an in-dash LCD).


Had a DIN88 battery installed for a little under RM500. anyone ever hear of Aokly brand?




<Pix of Top Cushion and Yen Fatt paintshop>
http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/newforums/index.php?/topic/20601-tricolour-m-stitching-steering-wheel/page-5

 

[Prinze]

Good stuff...on the path of part restoring my e36 coupe as well

 

[viknesht1]

Good stuff...on the path of part restoring my e36 coupe as well

Boss.. post up some photos of the finishing products!!