Ownership Verified: Someone stole my trunk and 2 cylinders - a compact winter beater

While the e30 is waiting to be reborn, the compact also needed some attention.

I noticed basically since the beginning that the engine doesn't warm up very quickly. This has gotten to the point that the engine wasn't warm after i got back home from a 20km drive. Fuel consumption on the last refill also confirmed that something wasn't ok.

So i got a febi thermostat for 11 eur, a gasket for the housing for a few cents and swapped things today.

Voila! The car warms up after less than 2km. I'm pretty sure the fuel consumption will also drop dramatically because of that, since it was almost 11l on the last refill, while it should be closer to 8l.

Over the weekend i need to change 2 vacuum pipes anc clean the idle controll valve and adjust the handbrake, otherwise the car won't pass MOT, which is due on november 2nd.

Next week the car also goes in for rust repairs on the rockers.
 
After failing the MOT at the first attempt because of bad front rubber brake lines, the car passed after the repairs at the second attempt and is now mot-ed and registered for another year.
 
Changed the old exhaust. Engine revs much more freely now and the car sounds a lot better aswell.



Went to see a warehouse with some friends:



Now we need to repair the rust on the rocker panels, change clutch and engine/gearbox mounts. Before ringmeet the brakes need to be upgraded to vented discs in the front and car will need new shock absorbers.

Stupid idea:
Yesterday i met people who have an e39 523i. Car itself is a piece of junk, but the engine bay and engine look like new. If i can get the car for 500eur, i could potentially do an engine swap... :p
 
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DIY-323ti. I approve.

Not that I ever liked the Compact, but the 323ti is supposedly one of the most fun E36 out there due to its construction and design.
 
That's 500 bucks I'd rather put towards the restoration...
 
Dr_Grip said:
That's 500 bucks I'd rather put towards the restoration...
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I agree, but the other part of the equation would be, that the rest of the carcass can be sold for 500 in parts and there's a spare m42 that can also be sold for some 300eur.
 
A small update.

Had a slight metal bender when reversing out of a parking space and didn't see a metal pole, because i was talking on the phone (yes, totally my fault and against my policy of not talking on phone while the car is moving.)


Random winter pic:


Car is sheduled for rust removal on the rocker panels on monday, summer rims (16" style 46) have also been purchased.

Fuel consumption in the winter months is also rather high (11-ish l/100km). City driving only on short distances and some winter drifting probably aren't helping matters.
 
nicjasno said:
Car is sheduled for rust removal on the rocker panels on monday, summer rims (16" style 46) have also been purchased.
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I thought it was just a beater?

Seems like Lastsoul's prediction was right all along :lol: (no surprise there)

Lastsoul said:
Even if you're saying a beater, I'm expecting this to be 100,1 % mint E36 Compact in few months time! :lol:
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Really love how you take care for such an unloved car, especially in just a random standard trim.
 
I still don't really get the implied hate of the Compact :p If anything, it's a natural derivative of the platform, albeit done in a budget-conscious way. And a hatchback is ever so handy.
 
10/10
Would hoon. :D
 
public said:
I still don't really get the implied hate of the Compact :p If anything, it's a natural derivative of the platform, albeit done in a budget-conscious way. And a hatchback is ever so handy.
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I have to admit ... I was recently looking at E46 325i compacts just for lulz - since prices of a good 325i/330i facelifted, M-packaged E46 coupe (even with higher mileage) has skyrocketed over here waayyy into the five digit-range*. I reckon, they're are quite a good deal right now.

*Well, they are pretty much non existant.
 
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And you can't see the nose from behind the wheel. The E36 Compact is a model of restraint in comparison to the blobby E46 one.
 
Mitchi said:
I thought it was just a beater?
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It is, but i want it to last. if i neglect this, the car will rot away and fail mot. And i don't want that.
 
Some updates needed here.

First the rust on the rocker panels was dealt with. Insides are thorougly waxed.



Summer tires have also already been purchased and are waiting for spring to arrive. Uniroyal Rainsport 3 205/55r16 on lovely style 46 rims. This should look and perform nicely.




There's also some cheap but hopefully effective upgrades coming to the car.

- thicker front arb
- ford mondeo rear arb links to replace the standard arb links (they have a ball joint on both ends as opposed to the standard bmw ones with rubber on one end)
- new rear arb links
- polyurethane arb bushings for front and rear
- vented front discs and calipers from an e46 320i
- single mass flywheel
- new clutch
- undamaged steering wheel
- front strutbrace (made by a friend, laser cut and precision welded)

A bit later, but before ringmeet:
- new shocks on all 4 corners
- redone headliner and a pillar covers
- instrument cluster upgrade to include fuel consumption meter
- bordcomputer install
This should make the car very capable. I should turbo it to get some more power out of the engine. 140hp is a bit low :(
 
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nicjasno said:
There's also some cheap but hopefully effective upgrades coming to the car.

- thicker front arb
- ford mondeo rear arb links to replace the standard arb links (they have a ball joint on both ends as opposed to the standard bmw ones with rubber on one end)
- new rear arb links
- polyurethane arb bushings for front and rear
- vented front discs and calipers from an e46 320i
- single mass flywheel
- new clutch
- undamaged steering wheel
- front strutbrace (made by a friend, laser cut and precision welded)

A bit later, but before ringmeet:
- new shocks on all 4 corners
- redone headliner and a pillar covers
- instrument cluster upgrade to include fuel consumption meter
- bordcomputer install
This should make the car very capable. I should turbo it to get some more power out of the engine. 140hp is a bit low :(
Click to expand...

Get a thicker one to the back as well, if you're going to do that. Makes the balance so much better.
 
The thicker arbs are off the table. The biggest rear arb that came on any compact was 16mm, and to get thicker ones you need to go aftermarket. So, ebay says that a front and rear h&r 29/19mm arb kit costs almost 400 eur. I'll pass on that. So i just ordered the arb lnks for front and rear and 23/16mm strongflex PU bushings for them. This will have to do.
 
Changed all 4 arb links for new ones.

Fronts for mondeo parts obviously, because the bmw arb links have a rubber bushing at the lower end, those have a ball joint at each end.




Car actually does drive better already.
 
The flywheel has been on a diet. Original weight was about 9.5kgs, and it has probably lost some 2,5 - 3 kgs.

2017-02-17_10.21.15.jpg


It's going to replace the dual mass flywheel that the car currently has (weighs about 11kgs).
 
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