Suj's Nimbus Clio 197 and E36 328i Trackcar

Definitely will!

A part of me really regrets not getting on the hype with the rwd stuff early on. Remember when 36’s were basically worthless…. Times have changed!

Yep, I paid £600 for my old E36, 2 owner 130k miled 328i (non-Msport) but everything was cheap, I sold my S14a 200sx for £2700 (with shit loads I'd done to it).

So it looks like there is quite a few coming to Snett, F0xy (M50B30 stroker with ITBs), Matt Pinder (Nige Pinder's son, who has a mental MK2 turbo golf, he's coming too, Matt has a S54B32 in his E36), Taney (M50B30 stroker), Chaynes in his 328i turbo....so there is gonna be as many BMWs as Clios apparently haha.
 
I got a long list of things I need to tick off, most of them a minor things now luckily (the big things have now been done).

The studs on the front were a bit too short for my liking, so I have to run 20mm spacers for wheels to clear the damper (17x9 ET42 wheels, so ET22 with spacers), but the studs didn't have a lot of thread engagement (I think it met the minimum engagement thread needed....but better safe...)

So I had ordered some studs and new smaller nuts from TRSUK.

Before,
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The studs have deadspace at the top, so it's less than it looks there.

Using the double nut method (giggity) they all came out well (and I lost most of my shins from trying to undo the nuts from each other!!!)

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I used brake cleaner on the new studs and cleaned them from any manufacturing grease, I sprayed the holes on the car and used a tap to make sure there is no crap in there. Red Loctite added to the studs and torqued to 22nm.

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All done and left to dry as I had a few other jobs to do.

The passenger front was rubbing when I went down some country lanes, it was sitting lower on that side by about ~10mm, so I raised that side by 10mm.

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There is 2 extra collars....this is because the E36 M3 ARB mounts to the damper, not the arm (I am running Eibach ARBs for a 328i, so they bolt to the arms, so I think previous owner(s) removed the tab for it)

It's so easy like this, measure from a datum point, then raise 10mm. So undo (all 3) the lower collar, then as the collars on the springs are tightened to each other, turn them with a C-Spanner and the whole body will move up and down, a nice easy job (well bottom collar needed a bit of hammer time to persuade it to move).
Job done.

Next I was hearing a clunk from the rear and last time I was under the car I noticed the spring was loose (not a little...but quite a bit!) so rear droop was not set correctly.

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Again really easy to do, undo the lower collar and rotate the body in or out depending on what you need, apart from dirty threads (wire brush, undo collar and move the body up, then collar back down to then clean the threads where it had built up, then collar went up a treat).
The droop was miles off, so I had to shorten the rear damper drastically to get the spring held in place on both sides, but that is done now.

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It was another baking day, so I finished there, the list is getting smaller (and most are minor things just in my list).

Also I hate when things are missing, like I noticed the front bleed nipple covers were not there, luckily I have a load in the tool box
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So back on it's wheels and left to dry and I torqued them this morning

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I opted for 17mm nuts (over the 19mm that were on it), I wanted black ones for stealth but they only do them in chrome, this is because the TD1.2s have a smaller hole so I have to use a wheel socket without the plastic sleeve on the 19mm but even then it scratches.

So much more thread on show, so spot on!
 
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A not so good update on the E36.

So last weekend I went to a wedding and a friend stayed at mine, he's had a few E36s before and misses them so Sunday I took him out in mine.
It was quite wet so I didn't even push it (also the shifter was doing something very odd where hard braking it would pop out of gear when in 2nd or 4th), but then it sorted itself out.

So I literally was just cruising back to mine, there is a small roundabout and as I went round, it totally snapped, not like "a little bit of slip" but full on back coming round kind of thing like something has failed on the car, I caught it, but then you know those kerbed dividers for lanes as you join your lane, I noticed that and as it slid towards it I managed to avoid that, but it then went up the kerb more or less straight on.

Being so low it ripped the bumper off then I slightly love tapped the rail.

Bumper was shite anyways, the passenger headlight cracked the glass and as the bumper was compressed up, damaged the nosecone.

My mate was shocked how the backend full on just swung round!

Picked up all the shit and drove home to assess the damage, he needed to go, so I cracked on taking stuff off to see what I need.


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Passenger headlight was pushed back (well towards passenger wing, which pushed where the indicator slots in up), bumper crash bar was a bit crumpled, bumper is held to the crash bar by push plastic rivets, they snapped and drivers side guide on the side broke.

So overall it actually was all cosmetic by looks of it.

I already had a brand new non-genuine bumper in attic, so that was the bigger things sorted already (as I said the one on there was shite which I knew about from when I bought the car), I got a passenger headlight and indicator off eBay cheap (genuine Bosch, winner), I got a bumper bar from a guy off FB who breaks them and someone has a nosecone in black (it's a pre-facelift car, so harder to get one, let alone in Boston Green).

I did a test fit of bits, need a bracket or 2 on passenger side bending back, but looks like it's all gonna be fine (I will need a passenger wing at some point, but for trackday it'll do).

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Everything is loose, so why headlights aren't sitting right yet, also the bottom taped to the bumper is a new lower splitter that I've not fitted yet.

It needs to go to paint, not sure if it will before the trackday, but I'm going to try.

They are doing loads of building work (as someone acquired this vacant land that should have been built on like 12years ago), so when I went back to do a sweep to make sure nothing sharp was on the road I went to the round about and it was covered in diesel / oil, like loads, whether it was from the trucks or someone had a monumental leak I don't know, but I do know someone got off much worse than me, as the next day when I drove past the railings just before where I love tapped and the one after were at a 45degree angle and 1 crashed car parked on the side and remnants of another on the floor. So I got away lucky!

I did go and speak to the builders, they've had loads of complaints about the dirt on floor and their trucks leaving diesel deposits, so they're getting a sweeper apparently.

So yeah a shit time, but I'm grateful it wasn't worse.
 
Time for a big and stressful update.

To fix the damaged parts, like I said I had a bumper already but I needed a pre-facelift nosecone, a guy in Birmingham had one and kept messing me about, said it he would have it ready on weekend, then said "I never agreed to anything" even though I had a message saying so....then he said he would try and get it done ASAP, I gave him the ultimatum of Weds, he said "maybe" I said i'm done, then he became a knob, so glad I didn't buy it from him.

I ordered a non-genuine one from a company on eBay (they were only based 20mins away, but they specialise in British classic car parts and their BMW range is drop shipped).

But I dropped off the bumper and grill to bodyshop on Wednesday, they had it done by Saturday morning!

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Covered in bodyshop dust, so gave them a clean and dry ready to assemble with all the bits needed (like crash bar, grills, brackets etc)

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Then on to fitting to the car, the passenger wing was bent out a bit (as indicator pushed it up) so needed a bit of MC Hammer time on it.

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I managed to source a Boston Green wing and it was right next to where my mate worked, he picked it up and plan was Tuesday to swap it over.....yeah that didn't go too well now did it LOL

The rear springs didn't have any rubber isolators on the arm, so I fitted them, there was a creaking noise (which I put down to the spring doing metal-to-metal movement) and it was.

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As I mentioned in the last post, when in 2nd or 4th and braking it would pop out of gear, of course I cannot go to a trackday and have this!

I bought some E34 engine mounts, so standard E36 engine mounts are fluid filled rubber mounts, E34 ones are solid rubber (and £12 each!)
Engine mounts are pretty easy to change...NORMALLY! you undo the mounts from the top (passenger side being a bit harder due to intake etc all in the way), then jack up the engine, undo lower bolts and slide out, new ones in, drop engine in, do up bolts.

Passenger side once jacked, the top was ripped off (common thing), then went to drivers side and the bolt wasn't loosening, spinning the whole mount (and it has a locating tab, so it shouldn't), got a torch out and looked up to find this:

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This is what happened to the other side (didn't take a pic at time, so that is subframe in my boot lol)

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Great...now I need a new subframe, but it turned out to be great and found one in Dudley off a Z3, guy was sound and took pics and it had tiny bits of surface rust, but no actual rust and only £40! Being off a Z3 it already has the threaded inserts for the underbrace.
I cleaned the surface rust off and covered it in Hammerite black.

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The next day I got under the car to try and get to removing bolts etc but once under the car on the drive, everything was untouched (as the front lower arms have a balljoint that goes through the subframe and it's so hard to get access / leverage, it is now Tuesday morning, so I called around a few garages I know (I try and do all my own work, so don't know many that I trust), everyone said no (which is understandable being such short notice), then I contacted my mate as he normally knows so many garages, then he said to me "oh yeah me and my mate just got a unit and starting a garage....it's 10mins from you" most my mates live other side of Brum so I was shocked and he said drop it off now and he'll get on it!

Driving there the popping out of 2nd and 4th was SO bad, it was scary, like even light braking (but expected, as neither engine mount is attached!)

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They specialise in Jap cars (mainly Hondas) they have had some crazy cars, they're just starting out of course, Backyard Automotive Garage.

So Zeb got started on the car and on the ramp, I thought this is perfect time to change the lower arms (and means he doesn't have to struggle to get them off the subframe), I also looked at the droplinks on front and they looked a bit crusty too, so got some too.

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He didn't get a chance to finish it all off that day, but said by 11ish Wednesday I could collect the car, which I did:

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So new steering rack, new track rod inners and ends, new arms, new droplinks, new engine mounts, everything new lol.

So I then took it for a test drive with him and it seemed to have been cured, but then a big stop in 4th and quickly back on accelerator it popped out.
So we got back to garage and on the ramp, he's looking to see if anything is loose, so am I, I then see the bolt for the gearbox mount loose on passenger side, I know I torqued this up, but it's now confusing, maybe the fact the engine mounts not being attached caused movement?

He put some blue thread lock on and tightened it up and we went back out and it's SORTED!!!! I am so happy yet now I am like "shit I got 100 things to do!)

So straight to alignment @ Aline Dudley I go with the slight rear height increase and the new front bits / subframe to get it checked.

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Car felt fantastic after alignment was set (went for 3degs front and 2.5 rear and max caster).

So now it was wash the car, check everything over (thank god I did, as I didn't connect passenger headlight...fail), wheels torque, pressures checked, car loaded ready for the next day.

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Thurs: Trackday @ Snetterton

4:30am I was on the road to pick up my mate, then we headed up M6 and by accident went past Corley Services where @PITA was waiting, but we called him and he caught up and we convoyed there, very little if any traffic and we were so early we stopped for a Maccy's brekkie (seeing a few track specd E46 and E92 M3s sitting there having a Maccys too lol).

Then we were at the track seeing loads of Clios (shock horror haha).

Got about taking all the stuff out the car into the garages, lowering tyre pressures (I went for 24 cold to start), wheel nuts torqued up and off we went out for sighting laps, I was slow as it's been a long time since I been out on track, never done Snetterton and the E36 is so new to me I was holding up @RSRowe so sorry for that haha.

Back in the pits waiting for the ones who are eager to get out go, then I went out on track. I found the track really tricky to start with, I felt so slow. I got temp into the tyres and brakes, they both felt fantastic, but I just couldn't get my swing on the track, when I nail a corner on 1 lap, the next lap I would fluff it up.

I did 2 stints and came back in as 4th popped out braking hard, I was really pissed off but I got car in the air to investigate (thanks to @burrellbloke and @EthanMenace lending me their jack and axle stands).
Indeed the same god damn bolt had undone! So I stole a 13mm spanner from @R27WTF and I was literally hanging off the fucker (well as much as I could without burning my hands more than I had lol).

Then I went out for another stint, it was spot on, getting quicker and finding a better groove, but then the stint after that it did the goddamn same thing.

I tried asking but no one near us had any stronger loctite, but then @tombate911 had some when I went to toilets (his garage was further up).
So again jacked up, touching molten lava bolts, I put some Loctite 270 on.

Went out for another stint and it was fine, so I thought it was cured, it was now Lunch (my tuition session was 2pm straight after lunch).

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Lunch was crap onsite, I'm a veggie so I asked what is veggie "we have a jacket potato"...ermm no, so went Starbucks just outside of the track.

Come back and went met the instructor for tuition, he complemented the car, saying he loves E36 and loves the mods i've done.
He straight away told me to be more trusting in my cars ability, first Corner I went from going in 3rd in my first few laps, to 4th, he was like "you will be doing it in 5th" and I did, seriously he was correct, the grip it had was great.
Another thing he kept warning me, I was too eager to turn in too early and too aggressively at times, so gave me so many pointers for the hairpin which made a massive difference.
Then came the corner before the bridge (I am shit with corner names lol), I kept messing it up, but again it was down to turning in too early, meant car position was still turning left when I had to brake to then go right causing rotation, made a massive difference. Then the 2nd to last corner (the longgggg right) he said the car has so much grip I can use way more throttle and no brakes than I was, then light brakes to slightly rotate the last bit right before the left turn before the straight.

He said I really listened and took on what he said, which was good to hear, but right at the end of the session the stupid gearbox was doing the same thing.

Tom mentioned he had some M8 nylocs, so I went and found him and he did indeed. I was going to replace the serrated nut on there, but as there was enough thread I thought let's double nut it and it was fine through all the sessions!!! YAYYYY!

So my mate felt a bit sick from passengering, so I went out for a couple of stints alone to put into practice what I was taught, a few trial and errors and my god I was sooo much quicker, so much more confidence in the car.
I let a Caterham go past and he did like a Team America secret signal (gif below) I wondered was he angry at me, but just carried on, he then came up to my car asking who owns it, I said me, he said something was sparking under your car, I was like oh fucking no!
Luckily it was the plastic shroud / ducting to tunnel air into the radiator had snapped off at passenger side and was held still on drivers so dragged round a few laps, I undone drivers side and threw that to the side.

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Then my mate wanted to come back out and he was like "you're so much quicker, so much smoother" the first and last corner he loved how much speed I was carrying compared to before.

That was that, end of day more or less, so started packing up, waiting for tyres to cool down so I could put tyre pressures back to road spec.
Said my fair wells to everyone and off we drove back to Brum.

After all the shit and stress before going, I am so glad the car was sorted (as I was at a point even if it was ready, that I wanted to sell my place lol).
The car was so spot on (apart from the stupid gearbox mounts), tyres (Federal 595 RS-RR) were shockingly great, the RS29 pads were phenomenal as usual, the engine was solid, temps never crept up or anything, it used no oil, the only thing I did notice was the gearbox output seal is weeping, so I will get that ordered and swapped over (I vaguely remember doing it on my old one and it was relatively easy, so will double check).

Lovely to meet everyone and have a blast on track, if anyone has any cool vids or photos of the car please share them.
 
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Oh yeah....when we were driving back to Brum, there was a crash so it diverted us through some country lanes, when I came to a junction the battery light flashed...then stopped, we thought oh no, didn't do it again.
Dropped off mate but I didn't turn off car, got home and parked on side to move Clio off drive...didn't turn back on, I had to jump start it off the (mighty) Clio, then got it on drive, still not investigated it, but I will (hoping it's battery, as once running it seems to stay on).
 
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Nice write up, didn’t realise how much trouble you had on the build up! I think I have some video I can share later next week of you in front on an early session
 
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Don’t stress about holding me up…. You weren’t.
I was kinda under the impression you’d been before so knew where to go (cus I didn’t)
Definitely a steep learning curve! Time and time again I got to T1 and said to myself I could go gone faster. Took a lot of bravery!
I wanted some tuition myself but it was all booked up

It wasn’t long before me and the boys were all told off for being too close. Was kinda gutted there wasn’t much else out on track that wanted a play…… except @IainMac :tearsofjoy: :tearsofjoy:
 
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Hell of a write-up Suj! Don't tell the others but your E36 is one of my favourites from our group yesterday. Was awesome to put faces to names and meet most of your yesterday. We'll try somewhere a bit more central next time as Snetterton is as far away from everywhere as possible! :tearsofjoy:
 
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Don’t stress about holding me up…. You weren’t.
I was kinda under the impression you’d been before so knew where to go (cus I didn’t)
Definitely a steep learning curve! Time and time again I got to T1 and said to myself I could go gone faster. Took a lot of bravery!
I wanted some tuition myself but it was all booked up

It wasn’t long before me and the boys were all told off for being too close. Was kinda gutted there wasn’t much else out on track that wanted a play…… except @IainMac :tearsofjoy: :tearsofjoy:
You boys were to slow for me sorry:poke::grinning:
 
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