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The... E36

10K views 78 replies 27 participants last post by  Jose 
#1 · (Edited)
Well as all my cars I like to make a thread to document everything I've done to the car.

Story:
I sold my E39, 540I 6 Speed/Sport and was daily driving my E30 325is when it
started leaking oil out of the tranny weep hole. I got on craigslist looking for anything that ran/drove and just happen to come across an e36.
Many many texts thought out the night and the next morning I drove 2 hours to purchase this car blind. For the price I wasn't expecting anything but I figured the scrap yard would give me my money back in scrap alone so it was worth it.

Lucky for me I drove it home 2 hours, washed it many many times and got it to clean up a little bit. So here it is.

Purchase Price: $500.

1992 325I, 5 Speed
Burgandy Exterior
Tan Interior
218,xxx miles
Runs/drives with some issues. Windows/sunroof has no power.
2nd gear is gone, rest of great though.
Done dents/dings. Hood is trash, couldn't get it to clean up.

Some quick snap shots I took this evening before it got too dark.
They'll do.




























Alright, I'm going to start keeping tabs on everything here so I have somewhere it's documented.

Purchase Price: $500

Complete Black Leather, 3 obd1 M50 intake manifolds and other misc. $200.
New Clutch Master Cylinder $60
New Clutch Slave Cylinder $40
SOLD: One OBD1 Intake Manifold = +$80
New Bosch O2 Sensor = $15 + $2 S/H( Closeout at Rockauto.com )
New Duralast Gold Battery, free replacement Plus upgrade: $40
 
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#9 ·
I did back to black. that's why the mirrors/door trim look good. the bumpers are actually painted that gray.... The parts that are black on the bumpers are what has peeled off.

If I get a tranny it would have to be cheap. Like Junkyard cheap. Since it's nothing but a beater that is saving me money I've decided at least until Christmas to leave it alone.
 
#10 ·
Headed to a local Junkyard because they cut me a deal I couldn't refuse on a complete
Black e36 Interior.
 
#11 ·
Alright so Just got back from the junkyard. Literally took all day because of a damn power seat with a stuck track despite using my battery to tap into the harness to move the pass. one forward to access the rear bolts. the driver side I literally had to take apart. Track and all.

Here's a quick cell phone shot for now until I upload the photos from the 5D.

Still have to go back and get the dash and some small odds and ends....
He said to pay him when I come back for the Dash next week.

 
#14 ·
Better pics.

My Dog had to test out the new rear seats. :lol: He'll be using them the most anyway.



Door Panels. The 4th wasn't any good. I also got all the accessories, switches etc...


Nasty Carpet. Still it's black. So Cleaning and dying should make it nice....


Some Random Interior pieces. Rear Seat carpet, Front Arm rest, Rearview mirror (mines leaking glue) Kick panels, other pieces. More not pictured.... Oh well/.



Front Power Seats, with belts/trim etc....



Everything together including small odds/ends I didn't take pictures of.



1st trip to junkyard for interior swap successful!
 
#15 · (Edited)
The black is gonna look good.

As far as the trans go I could work a deal out with you. I just need to sell it so I can replace it with a v8 5spd.
 
#17 ·
Update:
I'm going back Saturday to grab the dash and a few other things including some interior wire harness.
I gave them $100 for eveything you see pictured. I'm hoping only to have to give them $50 for the dash/wiring. We'll see.
It's a deal because the owner saw me in my uniform, and on my side job I stopped by just to look at the car and I was in the ambulance so I'm assuming he dropped the price for me. Either way it's a hell of a deal and I should have no problem selling my tan interior for the same or more. Which would be fuking awesome! lol

So, Plans.
Once I get everything else I need interior wise from the junkyard I'll order some other stuff.

Between swapping the interior I'm going to be laying down sound deadening material through out the entire interior.
I'm also looking for other materials to make the interior quite and sealed up.

After laying all that down I will be running new wire for the stereo equipment.
Just from a new head unit to each individual speaker so the stereo equipment is independent from the factory harness.

Then, Once all of that is done I can put in the new black interior.

This isn't a race car, It's my daily driver and I want to get into a car and drive something that feels comfortable, nice and enjoyable.

It's not my old Audi, I'm not trying to turn it into one. But If I can make the car a little nicer and more comfortable for me as the driver and owner I will enjoy the car much more.

So that's what I'm thinking about right now about the car.

I'm not using dynamat, It's stupid priced. So I'm researching for the best value material.

I look forward to having a head unit with aux input, bluetooth and some other modern features.
 
#18 · (Edited)
A lot of people on a budget use "Quick Roof", which you can pick up from Lowes, Home Depot, etc..Or second skin I hear works pretty well. Ive never used any sound deadening, so I have no personal inputs.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Yeah I'm doing a lot of research to find the most value in a product. I'd like to keep the
sound deadening material around $100. It looks like I'll be able to recoup the cost when I sell my current tan interior since it's pretty mint and that's after recouping the cost of the new intr itself. I'm pretty stoked about that. Until I pay off the credit cards I'm trying to live poor. Even then, having the smallest amount possible into this car is my goal. I picked up 3 OBD1 M50 intake manifolds I hope to make a couple hundred between the 3 and some Green top injectors I got from the yard for 20bucks.
Which will go back towards the car and come off from either a head unit or whatever else I buy. I would REALLY like some new glass projector headlights.... A lot.

It's one of my pet peeves/picky things is having good headlights for the best possible Night driving experience. Yet another reason I miss my old Audi.

Thanks, I'll check it out along with everything else.

It wont be this week, Maybe next week. But I'll be making a timelapse of the whole swap of course just like I did working on the 540i valleypan...
 
#20 ·
I picked up 3 OBD1 M50 intake manifolds I hope to make a couple hundred between the 3 and some Green top injectors I got from the yard for 20bucks.

It's one of my pet peeves/picky things is having good headlights for the best possible Night driving experience.
Yea, a OBD1 intake usually brings around $100 a piece. So once you sell them you'll be able to get some new name brand headlights.


Also, any word on selling the e30? lol I really want another e30.
 
#22 ·
Update:

Went to the junkyard this morning and picked up more stuff.
Dash, A set of Fold Down rear black seats ( Just to resell )
Some small pieces here and there, the rear deck lid, rear speakers ( Aftermarket, why not it's included in the package price.... )
driver air bag ( Just to resell ) OBD1 M50 Intake mani (Just to resell )
I also cut out a pretty large section of body harness to transplant into mine since mine
seems to have had a wire get hot and melt.

All in all, for 100% of everything I've gotten this trip and the last couple I payed $200.
I'm going back to grab a few small things but they'll be free because the deal I made with the junkyard was 100% of the intr for $200. I left everying under the dash and what not. I didn't think it was worth trying to take and resell. I didn't need it.

Pictures tonight
 
#23 ·
So I'm spending some time tracing down the Viper alarm system that was installed by
seriously a first timer.... Lucky for me the wires aren't tapped, their stripped a 1/4 inch and
the Viper alarm wires are just wrapped around the oe wiring. So that part of it is good.
Problem is something somewhere burnt up and caused one or two oe wires to melt all the way to the trunk.

I'm assuming it's the trunk latch wires. I grabbed a good harness from the junkyard but I'm just trying to remove the alarm system and get the oe wires covered back up.
 
#25 ·
So I got the viper alarm system pulled out, along with the last stereo/disk changer that was all shit







Looks so much better

 
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