As some of you may have picked up on, me and a mate (Craig) purchased Tom_vrs's BMW 328i saloon a few weeks back.

Following on from his project journal, I thought I'd start my (our) own!

The MOT is due later this month and we're also hoping to take it around the track on July 31st at Hullavington Airfield, so I thought that last night I would take it to my friendly mechanic (handily he doubles up as a fully trained current BMW technician).

Thus far I have already fixed myself:

- Replaced windscreen washer pump as previous one had failed completely, probably due to water starvation apparently

- Replaced the rubber elbow between the mass air flow sensor and the throttle body, as the previous one had perished badly.

We went around the car and have established the following to do list, for the meantime we will be keeping the car off the road due to the major faults in the front suspension .

1. Bottom ball joints on the wishbones are coming out and rattling - we will replace the complete wishbones with the ones that Tom included in his sale... this will be done as a priority as the car is technically unroadworthy at the moment (please note the car wasn't like this when we received it from Tom, so he's not at fault here ) We will also be replacing the "console bushes" with the offset M3 items to help turn in.

2. Front struts both leaking / knackered - we will replace both of these - I did gawp a little at the price of them though . Hopefully this will be done this week.

3. We will be fitting the Rogue Engineering top mounts for the rear axle, as a preventative measure rather than a cure...

4. The rear springs are weak and as such the car sits too low at the rear. We will be replacing these at some point in the near future.

5. All brake discs and pads are a bit tired, we will be replacing these with fast road use items, I expect, maybe competition pads if Craig can live with the squealing

Niggly items:

- Glovebox doesn't sit flush on right hand side

- Passenger side headlight adjustment doesnt work from in-cabin

- Alternator belt squeals in the wet

- Coolant level sensor needs replacing as it says "check coolant level" each time the car is started

Pics will follow after we've washed it and waxed it and made it look tip-top again Many thanks to Tom who was very friendly and very helpful when he delivered the car to us

Nice to see its gone to a loving home!

Bit annoyed about the washer pump and the air intake bellows, but heck it had been sat for a couple of months unused.

Told you the suspension was due a refresh :P - I still think coilovers are the way forward - AP ones seem keenly priced and I've heard reports they ride quite comfortably... Get them new wishbones and bushes fitted and it will feel like a new car!!

Keep the updates coming!! Hope you enjoy owning it as much as I did Will get them bits boxed up too, and maybe even fit this replacement tailgate loom I found

All the best lads!

I can't wait to see how this thread comes on.

Couple of other small things, I think we're purchasing the speed warning buzzer to accompany the OBC 'max speed' setting and also the external temperature sensor so that the OBC tells us a temperature if we want it to...

We fitted a nice Alpine headunit too that is compatible with the hands-free kit that Tom left in it - this set us back £88.00.

Overall plan with the car is for Craig to use it as a daily driver (so it will be kept relatively standard for the time being) for at least a year, during which time we will take it to occasional track days (eg the one on 31st July this year ) and have a bit of a laugh in it... after that we will either track it properly or sell it if the user car market picks up a bit. I can't see the car losing much more value to be honest?

Progress tonight:

- Rogue Engineering rear mounts (supplied by Tom with the car) have been fitted, old ones looked a bit tired but weren't as bad as I expected.

- Lower arms / wishbones complete with ball joints have directly replaced the old wishbones & ball joints (Tom supplied these with the car too).

- Console bushes have been replaced with the offset 'lollipop' bushes that Tom also supplied with the car.

Cost to us: £40 to my friendly family BMW technician - and a car that now turns in to corners incredibly quickly and doesn't knock or squeak at all when going over bumps or around corners - just these parts have transformed the car!

Excellent stuff!! I suspect if I'd ever had gotten round to fitting all those bits I'd never have got rid of the car! Although in fairness it didn't knock or creek when I last drove it :P

Don't forget to get a full geommetry set up (wheelsinmotion are good) when all the suspension is done

I've also heard good things about the x-brace from the convertible

Thanks Tom. Definitely need a full geometry set up done but I will wait until we've replaced the rear springs and the front struts before I invest in that!

We're looking at fitting drilled brake discs with Ferodo DS2500 pads all round for the track braking performance but this set up is a little expensive

Definitely go for ds2500s, but I'd stick with solid OEM disks personally.

Good progress there mate

Keep it up!

I agree with the OEM disc route as well, actually. Will see if I can persuade Craig it is a good idea to stick with OEM discs.

Sounds like a real fun project. Those straight sixes are awesome sounding too.

keep up the good work!!

The great thing is, now we've fitted the bits, the car is now roadworthy and clunk-free and I can drive it to work for the rest of this week. Woo!

Awww, poor Ed, what a hardship that must be! :P

Still regret selling it, and I get so much stick from Aimee and also my mum for selling it... No doubt I'll have another!

Just bought a complete set of ATE discs and pads (4 wheels' worth) for £158.24 inclusive of VAT delivered to my door by Monday morning. Will fit them ourselves

Tidy

Good stuff.

And as I forgot the handbrake shoes (oops) and they're so cheap at £28 delivered I thought I'd get some of those too ...

Picking up the BMW from it's current residence in High Wycombe tonight and will be fitting front brake discs & pads tomorrow morning at some ridiculous hour like 5am, and the rear discs, pads and shoes tomorrow evening with Craigs' help.

My friendly family BMW technician has supplied me with a couple of sachets of "brake pad paste" to stop squeal and seizure, and a couple of spare brake pad wear sensors 'cause he reckons I'll break the existing ones . He also gave me some brake disc locating screws but the new discs come with new ones anyway - a nice pleasant surprise.

Need to make sure these brakes are fitted so they can be bedded in a bit before the track day on the 31st!

And just in case I need a helping hand to do a quite simple job I found this excellent resource

BMW E36 Replacing Brake Pads And Rotors

OK So I replaced the front brakes on Wednesday morning last week at 5am or thereabouts, went very well and everything came apart and went back together easily. Had a small problem with a slightly stiff drivers' side calliper but some emery paper and elbow grease later and it's all fine!

I stupidly ordered solid rear discs when they're vented, so the rears will have to wait for the time being.

The car goes in for it's MOT today (I think, depends if they have time to fit it in) so hoping it will pass first time!! Fingers crossed

Fingers crossed Ed!

It'll be fine

Failed on two rear steel brake pipes.

Now, how do I fix that and get it passed before Friday, considering I have to leave my house at 6am on Friday with the BMW... :(

Just catching up on this and some good progress there

Shame about the MoT issue - hope you get it sorted in time

Steve

They beyond a sand back and grease up??

Yep.

£100 for labour and 2 new brake pipes to go up and over the fuel tank from the middle of the car to the back of the car later.. and I think we have a car that will pass it's partial retest tomorrow