Project: neglected E36

[Dave]

So, I recently acquired a 1995 BMW 325i sedan with the intent to clean it up, drive a couple weeks and sell. I've always loved the E36, so this is my chance to enjoy one for a bit and then move on quickly.

Clean it up, you say?
Yeah, this thing is filthy. Hasn't run in months, battery dead as a doorknob, and god knows when it was last cleaned. Has had a light accident in the driver corner (superficial damage mostly) and who knows whats wrong with it mechanically...

On with the show!!





There was so much debris in the trunk channel that water was actually seeping into the already nasty trunk...

[D_Eclipse9916]

oh oh oh quick, ill trade those stock front grilles for black ones.

(for jason's e36, he hates the black ones)

[D_Eclipse9916]

oh oh oh quick, ill trade those stock front grilles for black ones.

[Jake]

Welcome to the Busted Bavarian Contingent!

That looks about as gross as the E30 was when I bought it. It is amazing what you can do by pulling the seats and liberally vacuuming everywhere. How many miles?

Definitely document the cleaning/restoring process some... and let me know when it's time to pass her on. If things are right -- nonono I won't buy another one -- whatever, just let me know.

Anxious to watch the progress :thumbup:

[D_Eclipse9916]

Buy it, great chassis for a DSP or STX build.....

[Dave]

Project 1: Door handle
By far the most annoying problem that this car has is that entry through the driver door is tricky at best b/c pulling on the handle doesn't open it. The previous owner had mastered a well-timed knee bump to accompany pulling on the handle that opened the door, but I had been unable to repeat it consistently and don't have the patience to learn it when I can fix it; reaching through/entering from the side/back door is equally annoying in my opinion.

So, I set out to find the root problem. I'm not going to detail how I got the handle out but would instead refer you to this thread and this thread for ideas on doing it yourself. I will note that I was able to do this without any manipulation/removal of the window, just had to lower it down a couple inches to have room to work.

Once I got the handle out, I discovered to my surprise that it was perfectly functional. The arm linkage was intact and showed no signs of wear. I did notice that the handle did not engage smoothly, so I used my dremel to remove some of the plastic that was rubbing and now the handle mechanism moves as smooth as silk.
WARNING: Ghetto rigging ahead
From my observations, I deduced that my problem was actually that the arm was not moving far enough forward to trigger the latch mechanism. So, I tightly wrapped a relatively thick layer of aluminum foil (with an outer layer of racer tape) around the protrusion on the arm to force the latch trigger a little further forward. I used aluminum foil because it won't compress or wear over time like tape would.
Reinstalling went smoothly and I also gave the latch a shot of white lithium grease to motivate it to move more freely. You still have to pull the handle all the way for it to release, which I intended b/c I did not want the latch to be on a hair trigger (don't want it opening as a result of vibration while driving). The handle now pulls more smoothly than any other handle on the car and no longer requires a bump to open. I don't know if simply greasing it would have had the same result, but I'd consider this repair a success. And, might I remind you, it was free.

[xvxax]

So what else does this car need?

I had a friend who did the bump and pull for a year, then the door handle just snapped and he had to buy a new one. So now he has two keys, one for the drivers door, and another for the rest of the car and to start it.

[Dave]

So what else does this car need?

I had a friend who did the bump and pull for a year, then the door handle just snapped and he had to buy a new one. So now he has two keys, one for the drivers door, and another for the rest of the car and to start it.

Hard to say until I start driving it regularly. Just to get it to pass inspection it needs a new front corner marker, new windshield, and foglight (or remove pass side). I'll keep posting as things get knocked off the list.

[Dave]

Project 2: Interior cleanup
The first place I started was the most disgusting: the trunk. After I cleaned out the runoff gutter around the trunk of all the accumulated debris (so that it was stop running over into the trunk), I want to work inside. Obviously I removed all the random crap in there, and then pulled the carpet itself out. A thorough scrubbing with some carpet cleaner, a good rinse with the hose and letting it sit out and bake in the sun on a hot day did wonders for it.


Next stop, interior carpets. This was a little odd: the front carpets actually ended up cleaning up way better than the rears; I thought it was strange since front seats see so much more use than rears. Anyways, some carpet cleaner, a shop vac, a stiff bristled brush, and some elbow grease got them cleaned up pretty darn good. The rears still have a couple permanent stains, but overall the carpets are in pretty good shape.

Center dash cleanup. This is always the easiest but still takes time to do it right. I don't use armor all or any of that crap, just a clean rag with some water can do wonders, without any fear of damaging the surface with harsh chemicals. The steering wheel shows some wear and so does the shifter boot, but otherwise this cleaned up very nicely.

Finally, I cleaned the actual seats. Let me just say, they were pretty filthy. I started out just using a wet rag to get all the light stuff off the seat like dust and dirt. Then, I used a medium-bristle brush (like 50 cents at IKEA) and water to really agitate the more ingrained dirt and scrub off other residue. I actually pulled out the back seat to get to it better and get everything cleaner overall. It took quite a bit of time to do this right for all four seats, but there was a dramatic change in before and after.





The driver front seat has a pretty big gash in it, and passenger side has a small tear too. The heaters in them both work, but I may look into having them recovered, or find replacements if I can (tan heated ones don't seem to be easy to come by, so please let me know of somewhere I can find some). I've still got the OEM headunit too, so once it's running I will probably switch that back over as well.

[WRXtranceformed]

Wow that cleaned up nice man, amazing what some elbow grease will do!

[CaptainHenreh]

Dayum. Have you thought about stitching up the gash in the driver's seat? I mean, this thing is just money in the pocket anyway, are you going $newseats worth of value on the exit?

[JustinG]

Lemme know if or when you plan to sell this my little cousin needs a first car. Good candidate?

[SlimKlim]

Lemme know if or when you plan to sell this my little cousin needs a first car. Good candidate?

Definitely, especially if he really appreciated it, that thing would be absolutely mint in a couple years. Never underestimate the power of a bored teenager in love with his first car. I bothered with my poor Saab so much that you could shave in the reflection of the paint.

Or on the flipside, its old, cheap and pre-broken in, so if he fucks it all to hell no one can get that upset.

[Dave]

Thanks Rex, I haven't ruled out that idea yet, just haven't quite gotten to the seat repairs yet.

This might be a good candidate for a first car, let's see how it stands once I'm done working on it.

All this said, I'm already unhappy with the speed of progress I'm making. My posts are significantly delayed compared to when the work is actually done, but I was hoping to have it up for sale at this point and it isn't quite to that point yet. However, more progress in 3...2...

[Dave]

Project 3: Replace and clean up lights.
So, the car has been in a small accident at some point. The bracket on the front light was cracked (and poorly repaired with epoxy), the turn signal was shattered, and the fog light was non-existent. The fender and hood are also a bit wrinkly, but those won't prevent it from passing state inspection...


So, I sourced a replacement fog light + bracket, turn signal housing (+ socket b/c the insulator that holds the bulb in place had disappeared), and front headlight. Then, I polished both headlights to get them looking like new again. Overall, another job that turned out rather well:

[Dave]

Project 3.04: Replace hood roundel.
What's the point of doing all this work if the badge looks like shit. That's all BMW drivers care about anyways :lol:

So, I removed the old silver dinner plate that my roundel had become and replaced it with a fresher one. Piece of cake.

[Maengelito]

Project 3: Replace and clean up lights.
Then, I polished both headlights to get them looking like new again. Overall, another job that turned out rather well:

Did you use one of those headlight polish kits? It looks great

[ScottyB]

i need to try this headlight polishing sometime. really nice.

[D_Eclipse9916]

^^^ 1000 grit wet sand, 2000 grit wet sand (this part takes forever), then metal polish, and then to finish it up Plastx. It will have it looking like brand new. I should post up what ive done for my friend's headlights, its ridiculous how that simple can bring them back from the dead.

[Maengelito]

I know how to do it but it is a pain in the ass. If he used one of those kits, I'd prefer to go that route.