:round Just wondering who all is from MN on the boards here. We need to get together sometime this spring. I know it's a long way off still.

Peace
Scott
:beermugdr

Count me in!:D

The Land of 10k lakes thread didnt get much response(only myself:D )so I thought I would try it again. I have seen quite a few new guys on the board and I thought this would be a good place to introduce ourselves. Spring isn't too far away and for those of us that store our cars, it cant come soon enough! Maybe we can have a get-together this spring where we can all meet. Anyway,

My name is Bob, I live in Plymouth and I have a 96 Dakar Yellow M3 Coupe and a 97 Arctic Silver M3 coupe that is for sale. I have been focusing this winter on preparing my car for some track time this summer. I picked up some Recaro SRD Seats, Sparco 5 point harnesses, Speedware Harness Bar, and some R compound tires. I cant wait to pull the car out of storage!

Anyway, I know there are quite a few Minnesotans here so introduce yourselves...

Sounds good. I'm in the south metro area. Unfortunately, the snow tires and traction control are still getting a workout for a couple more months I bet. I'm swapping out the suspension in my 328 when it does warm up. beer...mmmmm.....:beer:

btw Carb - nice pic in the avatar.

Hey Bob - I'm Gary and I hang out in Savage. You can probably tell my 328 is all season car, but I manage to have a little winter fun. The sig is from an Quattro AutioX I did a couple weeks ago on Lake Cynthia. They're having another one on the 23rd. Aside from that, I did some Autox'ing and 2 driving schools last year, and plan to run with the AARRF crowd this year. Rumor has it Dakota County is back on the driving school circuit. Anyway, I haven't choked those last few, expensive hp out of my car yet, but am putting in an m3 suspension with KMACS when it warms up a little. I have the M3 10-spoke wheels and a nice 35% tint though (I think I read that those are good for 15hp)...Later!

Gary

Hi
My name is Jon from Wacky Wayzata. I am new to the board having just purchased a 98 M3 Cabrio last spring with 13k on it.
It is a blast to drive even durning the winter as we have Blizzacks and a hard top for comfort. It is mywife's daily driver so i just get it on weekends(I drive a Surburban)
I have done some little mods like smoked corners and rears,
billet covers under the hood (just put on) and some carbon fiber covers for the roundel. Have a front strut support but have not installed due to cold.
Jon

Welcome to the board guys! Rapido, I am sure we will run into each other as I am in Wayzata alot. I live around the 101/Cty. 6 area and my parents live in Wayzata.

Gary328i, I am sure that we will run into each other as well, as I intend to get involved with AARRF this summer as well. That is great news if we can run at DCTC, its a great track! I got kinda turned off with the MAC events last summer because the track at Midway was too small in my opinion. I wonder why they dont run out at the airport anymore? That wasnt too bad but DCTC was great. Definately looking forward to the AARRF track in St. Cloud too!

Are you guys members of the North Star charter(BMWCCA)? There is an advanced driving school at Brainerd in May that sounds interesting...

The trouble with AutoX, in general, is that you get 6-8 minutes of seat time, scattered in several hours of watching. AARRF has 10 minute sessions, and there's alot of them. I did their driving school last year, and it was a blast. :buttrock I'm a member of the Northstar group, but don't seem to do too much with them. Later!

Gary

Hey Bob, Gary, Jon

Steve in Duluth. Obviously not in your area but I do get around your parts occasionally. I've got a '95 Avus M3, completely stock. Stored 6 months out of the year. Don't drive it anywhere near as much as I should. I do SCCA club racing, auto-x (Miata) and the odd MAC event. I'm also a Northstar member but haven't done any of their events. May do some AARF track days this year just for the seat time. Might see you there.

Steve

I'm actually from Duluth originally. Used to be I thought 30 below was mild. Living in the cities for 10+ years, I've turned into a big sissy. Brrrrrrrrr...

Hey Bob, Gary, Jon, Stve

I am here in minneapolis. Maybe if you guys want to get together during the summer we should have each other in a contact list. Then we can set something up. It would be kick ass if we had 5+ bimmers driving around or parked somewhere. Not too many bimmers here in MN, much less nice ones.

Frank,

Also have a friend with 318ti who would also be interested.

I hear ya,

It's been brutal up here the last week and it's compounded by the lack of snow this year. Pretty miserable. Really looking forward to Spring and the racing season.

Any of you guys do the Northstar dyno day at John Haley last year?

Yeah Frank, I have few friends at work here with bmws, It would be cool to get together and see what people have tried and done to theirs.

Count me in for a get together. All of my friends have Audi's and VW's and it gets old being the only BMW. A Contact list is a great idea!! I am not sure what the best way to do it is, but if everyone wants to send me their email address, phone numbers, address etc., I could put together a list and then forward it back to everybody.

I got your info toussi1, thanks!

I have 3 BMW's, they include: '97 Dakar Dinan M3/4, '00 Dinan 540i/6 and '01 Dinan X5 4.4i('96 Dodge Neon daily driver soon to be replaced by '03 Mini Cooper "S").

My M3 is a dedicated track car. My mods are: Dinan stage III software, intake(modified custom), exhaust, throttle body, HFM, shock/strut tower braces, f/r anti-roll bars, X-brace, urethane bushings, E30 M3 aluminum control arms, rear trailing arms, Koni shocks/springs, camber plates, UUC ssk, SO3's, 17" SSR comps,
Sparco Pro 2000's(seats) and Sparco racing steering wheel. I have also had over 300 pounds removed from my interior(mostly the back seat and trunk, I still have my dash, carpet, headliner, sunroof, stereo etc.).

I have run with AARRF, MNAuto-x and Donneybrook at MHSC and BIR. I have been invited to drive with the Porsche Club this year as well. I want to be at an event every weekend. I plan on attending Northstar's driving school sponsored by Orr Auto(my mechanics) also!!

It's nice to find a bunch of fellow Minnesotans who actually want to drive their cars rather than just sit around and look at and talk about how great they are. I am all for actually driving the ultimate driving machine!!!! See ya at the track!!!!!!!!

KB:awink:

I've seen Killr B's Dakar M3 before. I think it was after the Audi driving school at St. Cloud in August, or maybe the AARRF one in July. It was trailored at a gas station just off of Hwy 10. The plate stuck in my head for whatever reason. I got the impression it was probably a track car. :pimpflash

Killr B - With that many weekends running per year, how many sets of tires to you expect to go through? Just curious, as I've just reshod the 328 with Kuhmo Exsta MXs (running a 98 m3 suspension with KMACs). Unfortunately, my car is stuck in dual purpose mode...

Gary

Gary328i: What year is your 328i? Color?(Duh!! Nevermind, saw your pic.)

I expect to go through 1-3 sets depending on how I drive, the type of tire I get etc. When you saw the car last year I was on my way back from BIR after running with Donneybrook. I have had SO3's on the car for more than 1 season and still have about 50% tread. During last season I ran at BIR once but did about 50 laps(the course is 3 miles long if I remember right), MHSC about 4 times and did 20-25 laps each time over a 1.8 mile course and 3 auto cross events as well as normal city/highway driving.

I plan on driving at a few events to use up the SO3's and then replace with R-compound on SSR comps. My mechanic and I are currently deciding which tires to use.

KB:12: :wave: :buttrock

I think your mechanic and my mechanic are the same person. I was up at Orr yesterday and saw the Bee there, complete with freshly installed racing seats. I was getting a fog light replaced (in my 1998 328i) and quizzing Scott about the misc. parts I need to get my suspension swap moving along. I think this is my 3rd fog light on the driver's side now - and I'm glad my glass coverage takes care of these. Anyway, sounds like the S03's are really tough to take that sort of beating. But the R's give a whole other level of grip, so for how much you're driving, it makes sense to me. Hope whichever you pick lasts. For reference, a friend of mine with a 99 m3 runs R compound tires on track days and likes the Yoks better than the Kuhmo's. I think he said the Kuhmo's got a bit squirmy relatively speaking. Later!

Im from Bloomington, up at school at St. Johns near St. Cloud. Count me in as well if you decide to do something this spring. Maybe Ill have my coilovers and swaybars on by then. Later. BTW...any of you have AIM??? Whats your screen name? Mines BMWturbo328

Steve

Gary328i: Scoot and Matt and GREAT!!! Matt has done a fantastic job on the KB and isencouraging me to do more. Can I resist?!!? :biglaughb

BTW, I have some M3 suspension parts if you're interested. I have replaced the front control arms and the anti-roll bars. If you're interested, make an offer. I may have my Dinan shocks and springs(Bilsteins, I believe) for sale soon as well.

drummerboybisch: I went to St. John's Prep back in '80-'81, small world. AARRF does Saturday track days at the Minnesota Highway Safety Center across from the St. Cloud Penitentiary on Hwy. 10. Come join us!!!

Originally posted by KILLR B
drummerboybisch: I went to St. John's Prep back in '80-'81, small world. AARRF does Saturday track days at the Minnesota Highway Safety Center across from the St. Cloud Penitentiary on Hwy. 10. Come join us!!!

I might have too come join you, when does it start up again?
Yea no St. johns prep here, Im at the big dawg university.

drummerboybisch: Check out [url]www.AARRF.com. They have a schedule on their website. Also see, [url]www.mnautox.com.

Hi guys. I live in NE Minneapolis & work in Plymouth. As my sig says I have a white '00 M Roadster. I got it about a year ago and love the car. No real mods yet - I actually love the car just the way it is so far.

I'd probably be up for a meet sometime after it warms up.

I'll probably be selling the Roadster for a 540i/6 this summer. Need more space. :) I really only intended to drive my car for a year or two anyway.

Nice car Dan! Is white a rare color on the M Roadster? I havent seen very many....

It's not real common - I've never seen another one in person. It's a great color for the car though.

I got a card in the mail from Orr Autoservice last week sometime telling me about an upcoming open house and seminar by the Tire Rack on performance/track tires this coming weekend. I believe it was 9am on Feb. 22nd, but I'll have to check again tonight. Could have been this coming Sunday.

I've got a 97 M3/4 and I'm wondering about the RTAB's and shocks/springs so I was going to give them a call anyway. Not real happy with Motorwerks right now. Plus I've just started to notice a bit of the old "milkshake" on the oil dipstick. Not good. :rolleyes:

-John

Motorwerks offers terrible service. Everytime either mine or my dad's car was in there, as soon we left we would end up with another problem. They also seem to be so dumb sometimes. They replaced my dad's tranny twice, only to find out all they did wrong was forgot to reset the computer...ugh. Plus they charge so much to do the same work as places like ORR.

Just called Orr and they said the open house is at 9am this Saturday the 22nd. The guy also told me to take the car on a long drive (1 hour plus) and see if that burns off the condensation in the oil. Hmm...I guess that's worth a try.

However, I also asked him whether they have seen/done a lot of RTAB repairs as I have read this is a common older E36 problem. He replied "nope, we haven't heard of that being a problem and we work on a lot of M3's." :confused:

-John

Yeah, Orr is a great resource for those of us that are out of warranty. They seem to be very knowledgable and freindly.
I too, need to have my RTAB's done before I take the car to the track. I am leaning towards the AA bushings right now.

Seems people are constantly writing about replacing the RTABs, but I'd stay away from urethane bushings unless it's a summer only car. It's just a matter of time until it squeaks otherwise.

And KB - my willpower to stop modifying a perfectly good car is also known as my wife. She's a tough sell...

I agree with you Gary, I would probably do the stock RTAB's with the GC inserts. My car on the other hand, only sees about 2000 to 3000 miles a year and the AA's come highly recommended for tracked cars.

What are the GC inserts? I assume they're from ground control. Haven't heard of those yet.

Wow, only 1 reply a few weeks ago and now all this action. I guess I need to stick with the Minnesota title vs land o 10k lakes. It's a bit late for me now, so I'll catch up on this thread tomorrow.

Glad to see some other mn locals on here.

:redspot

I think this is a picture of it. Notice the white spacers or shims...

But what's their point, what are they made of, etc...? I'm sure they add 10+hp. :-)

If you're looking for ten HP, you might try some TRD stickers? :lol:

Originally posted by ///MDriver
If you're looking for ten HP, you might try some TRD stickers? :lol:

HAHA TRD stickers, who needs those when you have a Type-R??

I thought the DTM Power ones were good for at least 12? Seriously, I would like an explanation of the GC RTAB inserts...

Here you go,

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75887&perpage=25&pagenumber=2

Thanks for the link. I'm still not convinced they're worth messing with. I'll have to take a look at them when I get into the suspension swap and see what they look like. My RTABs have (I would assume) 70K on them, so they might be due.

Cool Sig gary, was that on a lake?

I honestly dont know what they do, it looks like they take any play out of the stock bushing, but I am not sure...:dunno

Yeah. It's on Lake Cynthia about 15 minutes south of prior lake just off of Hwy 13. It was an event that the Glacier Lakes Audi guys do at least once a year. They're having another one this Sunday if you're interested. It's $30, and they apppreciate the bmws out there because then the Audi's look good. Good for some yuks, but it's tough even with traction control, snow tires and sand bags.

And on the bushing front, it seems that the GC's take some lateral play out of the bushing and make the car more predictable in turns. I'm not sure whether or not it has any impact on the rear trailing arms tearing the subfloor out (the horrible design flaw the bmw denies). Any other opinions or threads are welcome on that note. I rather like my car, and having the subfloor tear out is not my idea of a good time.

Hey everyone...well, here's my 2 second intro. I'm Scott. I have a 97 Avus 328i. It's stock for all intensive purposes. I'm thinking I will keep it that way as I will probably get an M3 in a few years, so I don't see much point in modding this car a lot.

Gary, you're the first to notice my avatar :) I like it myself. You sig is awesome. I've been thinking of trying to get some pics out in the snow. My car is probably going into the shop this month for some work though.

Anyhow, nice that there's a decent group on here. Hopefully we can all get together for some drives, autox's, and what not.

Scott

Thanks. I'm sorry to hear that your 328 doesn't look like your avatar. That'd be wild. Anyone else heading to Orr on Saturday for the tire fest?

I'm not sure yet, but I may go...

Cant, Im up at school and need to stay for a project. Oh well.

:buttrock :wave: :) ;)

Originally posted by Gary328i
Thanks. I'm sorry to hear that your 328 doesn't look like your avatar. That'd be wild. Anyone else heading to Orr on Saturday for the tire fest?

I could only dream of it looking like that. That is the Playboy BMW in case you can't see it all that well. :boobies

Speaking of events, whats with the Northstar Chapter having their Dyno event on March 1st? Seems kind of early in the year to me. Depending on the weather, I probably wont pull my car out until the end of March. :az:

Also, is anybody considering the Advanced driving school in May at BIR?

I did the dyno day last year, and John Haley bent my rear lower control arms (flimsy sheet metal!). I figured it equated to ~.1 degree of toe after some measurements. Be careful if you go so that they don't do this to your car.

And I'll be at Orr tomorrow for at least a little while - I'm picking up some of the misc. parts I need for the M3 suspension that just came in. :aroused I was also thinking about grabbing one of my Kuhmo Exsta MXs that I just put on late last summer, to see what the tire rack guy says about it...

Later!
Gary

Originally posted by M triple
Also, is anybody considering the Advanced driving school in May at BIR?

Sorry for the stupid question, but what is BIR?

Brainerd International Raceway :)

Oh, Brainerd?
:D
I once topped out a '95 M3 on my way to Brainerd. :devillook
As far as I remember, the road to Brainerd is as smooth and tempting as an Autobahn. :)

Hey I'm new to the forums. Thought this would be a good place for me to start posting. :)

I'm from the Minnetonka area (Excelsior to be exact) and I drive a lowly '94 318is. Yeah it's not much, but it's a start for a 16 year old. :) I bought it with the premium package, a Dinan ECU and Bilstein (not quite sure what stage) suspension. Not to mention the authentic M3 wheels that were thrown in. It's a fun little car to drive though. A lot of good has come from it. I let my dad drive it a few times, and I think I have him hooked on bimmers. He's looking at M3's currently. Anyways, just thought I'd introduce myself to some of the locals. :)

Originally posted by LiQUiD GHoST
Hey I'm new to the forums. Thought this would be a good place for me to start posting. :)

I'm from the Minnetonka area (Excelsior to be exact) and I drive a lowly '94 318is. Yeah it's not much, but it's a start for a 16 year old. :) I bought it with the premium package, a Dinan ECU and Bilstein (not quite sure what stage) suspension. Not to mention the authentic M3 wheels that were thrown in. It's a fun little car to drive though. A lot of good has come from it. I let my dad drive it a few times, and I think I have him hooked on bimmers. He's looking at M3's currently. Anyways, just thought I'd introduce myself to some of the locals. :)

Welcome to the boards....:wave:

A 318 is nothing to be ashamed about. Would you rather drive a bmw or a ford escort? You can pick up a DASC (downing atlanta supercharger) for reasonable, maybe $2500 if my memory serves. That would make your 318 quicker than a lot of m3's. Read up on them in the FI forum or E36 forum.

Most will say esp at your young age, to invest your money (or better yet get your parents to do it) in a good driving school. This way you learn how to handle your car much better.

Anyhow, a big long winded for just saying hi.
:buttrock Peace
Scott

Welcome! What year M3 is your Dad looking for? I have a 97 that will be for sale shortly(shameless plug). Let me know if you want more info.

Bob

He's looking for 95's to 99's basically. I'd love some more info. E-mail ( liquid-ghost@mschi.com ) , AIM, or pm. Whatever works best for you. :)

Originally posted by M triple
Welcome! What year M3 is your Dad looking for? I have a 97 that will be for sale shortly(shameless plug). Let me know if you want more info.

Bob

Why couldnt have I found you when I was looking last year?? Oh well, I like my 328.

What's up fellas! Just remembered to check this new regional section as per convo with Killr B last week. Anyhoo, for those of you that don't know me, I'm one of the original bimmermods owners and local car nuts. Bimmermods is gone, but glad to see interest in local events again. I too am anxious for spring and getting some track time in. I've never raced, but want to learn. I currently drive a mildly modified '00 328Ci: Bilstein SP/UUC springs, Supersprint DTM w/2nd resonator removed, ECIS CAI, TC Kline racing RSM's, Rogue Engineering short shifter with WSR, cryo-treated front rotors with EBC Red pads, clear lights and M3 rear spoiler. This car is for sale, but am looking at a trade for an older 2-dr M3.

Also, if anyone needs help (beer is an acceptable form of payment when assisting or freely dispensing BS) or wants cheap installation work or custom body work give me a shout. I've done plenty of suspensions, and seems that there is a good deal of suspension work coming up for some of you. PS, if you drive an E30, the price is quaddruple, as I just did one last week and I think I tore part of my bicep trying to replace a ball joint. Argh.

Hope to see you all this spring/summer/fall. I live in Tonka Bay, near Excelsior/Wayzata area.

Hey look...boobies:boobies

Peace,
Josh

Hi Josh!

Good to see you around on the boards. You helped me purchase and install an ECIS intake in my 97 silver M3 last year sometime. I may be looking to do some suspension stuff (already replaced the RSM's myself) once it gets warm out.

Are you still doing the garage/bodyshop thing? I remember you talking about that right before bimmermods went defunct. By the way I still have the stickers on my car.

-John

Josh,
I am just about to install Dinan springs on my M coupe. I need a quote! :)

Email me sasha@brightech.com

Hey what did happen to Bimmermods anyways?

Welcome Josh! I kinda caught Bimmermod's right at the end, I had a few posts here and there but not too much activity. I really used the site to see what was going on locally.
It is suprising to see how many guys are on the west side of town. I live right around the 101/County 6 area of Plymouth/Wayzata.
I am really starting to get spring fever. Its bad enough that 3 of my buddies have S4's and get to drive them all year long, but I started to install my supercharger on my 96 M3 last week and it should be running by the weekend. Hopefully it will be cold and snowy so I dont get the urge to take it out.:evil2

Anyway, should be a great summer!

Bob

Hey Bob,

Dare I beg for a ride in your car when it's all done? :)
I am debating about either dumping $$$ into SC or not.

Are you sure? I will forewarn you that boost is extremely addicting!:evil2 I cant imagine what a blown M Coupe would be like!!! I got the chance to drive one 2 years ago and they are very fast with no mods let alone a supercharger...


yeah, no problem with the ride. Just remember I warned you.;)

If you want to check out the install let me know, I am almost done with it. And for anyone who is considering doing this I would be happy to help them out with the install. I have a big garage and all the right tools. This is my second Dinan install.

Hey Liquid Ghost, I tried to send you an email but it was returned...:dunno

Good to see you bro!! H ey, you owe me lunch!! Thanks for dropping off the RE weighted shift selector at Orr.

Originally posted by M triple
Hey Liquid Ghost, I tried to send you an email but it was returned...:dunno

Doh!

LiQUiD-GHoST@mchsi.com , not (LiQUiD-GHoST@mschi.com) Sorry about that.

Hi guys, too many pages to read right now..!
I've been a DTMPower.net member for many months but a viewer for years.... So don't hate me ;)
I'm from Minnesota, Rochester area (Lake City).
I am basically in the hillbilly area of MN and am not subjected to much BMW action. I will be making a purchase on an E36 M3 this spring, so whatever you will all be doing, count me in!

Hey Josh...Glad to see that KB got you over on these boards as well. We just need to get Sam over here now. I think he is mostly on DTM still.

Welcome erik...Lake City is too far out considering most of us are on the south or west side of the city. Sam drives up from Northfield all the time.

Sounds like we can get together a pretty good crowd here from time to time. Now I have to decide if I should try to auto-x/track an auto 328. Maybe I can do photos for you guys with the decked out cars :D

Scott

I think we should really set up a spring meet sometime as soon as it gets nice out, somewhere in the cities. It would be really cool at a park or something where we could have the cars and like a BBQ or something like that. But thats just me, anyone else got some ideas for a meet?

Anyone know where i can paint myself the Front M3 bumper I ordered? Can't do it in the house, seperate garage is way too cold and all my friends garages are not heated. Once i get it I know i can't wait till spring to install it.

I got the paint/primer/clearcoat ready.

Originally posted by M triple
Are you sure? I will forewarn you that boost is extremely addicting!

I know boost is addicting ... that's why I miss it so much. Every time I floor the M, I wait for the second turbo to kick in, but ... duh!
:evil2
Here's my old car:
http://dusty.brightech.com/~sasha/73.jpg

We should meet some time when it's warmer outside.

Nice car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by russian.mob

We should meet some time when it's warmer outside.

yeah, that sounds good. Shouldnt be too much longer.
Are you driving the M this winter?

Originally posted by M triple
Are you driving the M this winter?
I was thinking about getting a beater, but after I drove it in the snow for a while, I decided to drive the coupe. I did the bumdest things in that car in the worst weather you could possibly imagine and couldn't lose control. :)
The driving assist electronics is really advanced on BMWs.
That red car was a piece of sh*t in the snow even with traction control and snow tires as opposed to this BMW.

peace

P.S. Bob, what kind of SC are you working on? I think you mentioned Dinan, but I am not sure. Is the list price $5,999 the best deal available?
I am just trying to fugure out what to aim at.
Are there any other costs associated with the install, namely, oil cooler, etc.
And one last short question, are these engines really 'boost-friendly'?

Originally posted by russian.mob

P.S. Bob, what kind of SC are you working on? I think you mentioned Dinan, but I am not sure. Is the list price $5,999 the best deal available?
I am just trying to fugure out what to aim at.
Are there any other costs associated with the install, namely, oil cooler, etc.
And one last short question, are these engines really 'boost-friendly'?

I personally chose the Dinan kit after doing some research. It basically came down to feedback that I got from members in the Forced Induction forum on reliability. It came down to either Dinan or RMS(at the time AA was not available)and I chose Dinan based on the lack of negative comments(except the price). Not to bash RMS, but alot of people seem to have software issues. Dinan is a good choice and I am not sure what the pricing is on the M Coupe but I paid 5995 from Moterwerks, which is where you will need to go if you want one. Dinan will not sell to you directly. Frank in parts is the Dinan guy at Motorwerks and he has been great to work with, super nice guy. Do not count out AA though, they appear to have a great kit as well, and is about 1000 less than the Dinan. Check the FI forum and do a search under the screen name of RyanC. His M Coupe was the test mule for AA and everything has gone smoothly for him, although it has only been a month. He is planning on entering the One lap of America again this year and I think that would be a good test. I am pretty sure that the OLOA is sometime in May.
As for the install, I can only speak of the Dinan. I completed my first install in just over a week in a half. I was in no hurry because at the time, I had my wheels refinished and they took longer than expected. I did coilovers during that time too. With the Dinan, I am confident that I could get it done over a long weekend with someone's help. As for the AA, it looks a little more complicated to install as it has an intercooler and its own oil supply for the blower and oil cooler, the Dinan uses engine oil and no oil cooler. The only additional costs that I incurred were minor ones:

Bottle of BMW coolant= $25.00
Case of engine oil= $25.00
NGK plugs(1 range colder, forgot the #, got em in the garage)= $18.00(2 sets)
Misc. tools= $75.00

I have had no problems at 6.5 psi, and to be honest I havent seen anyone who has with the Dinan kit. People seem to get into trouble when they start playing with boost. There are guys that have bumped to 11psi and have had no problems, and there are guys that have. If you are going to bump the boost its is imperative that you cool the intake charge with either an aftercooler(RMS) or water injection(aquamist), or both. JoeDQ from Woodbury started with the Dinan kit and had it converted to the RMS stage II with aftercooler. Pretty sure he is running water injection as well. I am going the route of another board member Paul e. I have the RMS 11psi crank pulley and water injection. Paul e. hasn't had any problems with this setup for over a year. This set up is good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 360 to 370 hp!

Sorry for the long response(I'm bored waiting for my seats to show up from UPS) but I recommend you spend some time in the FI forum, there's alot of info there.

Thanks Bob, you've been very helpful.
One more question.
Are you monitoring the condition of your shortblock?
To be more specific, how often do you do a compresion test to 'see' the condition of piston rings and the head? I am quite anal about this and would have it done quite often to make sure it's not hurting the engine that was not designed for FI.

Keep in mind that I only put 1500 miles on the car since the install so I have not really been too concerned. For me, this was another reason why I chose the Dinan kit. Simply put, their stuff is bulletproof in stock form. If it wasnt, you certainly wouldnt be able to purchase it through a BMW dealership. This is an agreement that Dinan has worked out with BMW North America, so that has to tell you something about the quality of the kit. I havent done any leakdown tests as I have not felt any concern to do so. I will for the most part run at 6psi this summer when I track the car, but I will occasionally make the jump to 11 psi for street use. A leakdown test at the end of the summer may not be a bad idea...

Your concerns are definately valid, I felt the same way. Its a big investment and the last thing you want to do is spend that kind of money and harm your car. Again like I said before, there are alot of guys over in the FI forum that are running the Dinan kit at 6 psi and I have never heard a complaint other than the power is so addictive... and thats an understatement!:evil2

Originally posted by M triple
I will occasionally make the jump to 11 psi for street use.

How? Do you use a boost controller?

No boost controller, just a different crank pulley and belt...

HEY GUYS!!!!!!

Nice to see bimmermod boys still around! Also great to see other
BMW guys in MN also!!! I got my lightweight flywheel and new clutch and just weight a couple more weeks beore I have it
installed!!! I moved to Apple Valley.

Sorry for a dumb question, but is a lightweight flywheel making any noticable difference?
I guess it's nice to lose 10-15lbs, but is it really worth the investment?

Bob - I must get a ride in the boosted M3. I turned down Scott's offer to drive his silly-boosted m3 last fall. It was drizzling out and the last thing I wanted to do was wheel-hop around a residential area. :D Surprised to see he hasn't found us here yet. I know he's subscribed to the local bmw yahoo group (last I saw he was rolled fenders).

Scott - get the 328 out on the track! That's what I have and it's a blast. It'd be better if you have the sport suspension or aftermarket setup (hence why I'm adding the m3 setup with adjustable camber). Waiting for AARRF to get rolling...

Gary

Hey Gary, Scott is here and usually hangs out in the Forced induction forum. His user name her is JoeDQ. I am going to call him tomorrow so I will mention the regional forum to him.
And as far as the ride, no problem, anytime...

Lots of posts, I'm going to have to check in more often.

Sasha (is that your name?) I'll send you an email on the spring install.

KB, yeah, I owe you lunch, I made an appointment with your office for Monday, March 7th (I'll double check.).

Bob, I gotta check out your M3. I'm hammering out a deal to trade my 328CI for a '95 M3, and I'm trying to decide how to modify it. The big question is whether or not to supercharge it. Of course, I can't do everything at once, and want to see how to maximize my investment(s).

John, glad to see you out there, lemme know when you need any assistance. Yep, doing some bodywork/mechanical work on the side. I'm currently not working, but have some regular type (yuck) jobs I'm looking at reentering the work force (blahh). Mostly been building some ridiculous VW's with friends, on the order of 600hp VR6's, etc.

Scott, good to see you on the boards, how's the 328 treating you? Any more mods yet?

Erik, remember me, I stopped at the gas station you were at late one night to fill up in Lake City, I had the dark gray coupe, and showed you the exhaust, etc. Glad to see you posting, hopefully you can make it up here a few times this summer.

As far as bimmermods goes, Jason took a job out of state, and we decided that it wasn't really paying off battling the other internet retailers. It was fun while it lasted, and a great learning experience.

Bob, give me a call, I'm free all weekend/week and I'd really like to stop and look at your project.

Peace all,
Josh
612-805-1111

Scott - get the 328 out on the track! That's what I have and it's a blast. It'd be better if you have the sport suspension or aftermarket setup (hence why I'm adding the m3 setup with adjustable camber). Waiting for AARRF to get rolling...

See that's the prob..I have to put some other money into repairs first so no suspension upgrade for a while (not this year for sure). Plus I need to do brakes. The list is just huge. I figure by the time I got my car to what I would consider trackable, I will probably be shopping for an m3. It'd still be fun to go and do auto-x and take photos and the sort.

Josh, I will give you a call tomorrow. Maybe we can get together sometime this weekend.

Bob

Lunch on the 7th sounds great!! Be there this time or I'll never talk to you again:mad: :complain :complain .J/K :12: ;) .You have got to see The KILLR B. Holy sh*t!!!! I have done so many mods this winter I can't even remember them all; over $10,000.00 :eek: Matt at ORR is the best BMW mechanic in these here parts. I think I am crazy!! Anyway, I will drive her on the 7th.

BTW: Fan clutch delete on M3 is definitely worth while.

Josh, GREAT to finally get ahold of you. Couldn't ever find your handle or anything---Kevin H. mentioned he is speaking with you about your car and I pried your phone # from him :D but I see it's include in your message.
I'll contact you perhaps this weekend, to catch up.
Peace.

Scott- sorry to hear the 328 is a little under the weather. Hopefully you make it out to take some good photos then. I'm sure the boosted M3 guys will be happy to give us 328ers rides occasionally. :-)

Originally posted by Gary328i
I'm sure the boosted M3 guys will be happy to give us 328ers rides occasionally. :-)

I sure hope so...

Bob, yeah, this weekend would be great, help me make some decisions. Give me a call.

KB, I checked the calendar, looks like lunch is on Thursday the 6th, NOT the 7th!!! I'll be there!

Erik, yeah, good to see you out on the boards. I am looking at Kevin H's M3, it's a nice car. The credit union is giving me a bit of a snag due to it's age though, so I'm still working that out.

Peace,
Josh

Let me introduce myself as this is my first Bimmerforums posting. I too hail from the defunct BM group, but I have changed my handle as mine was already taken by someone else. My name is Paul and I have a 95 M3 cosmos black. If you want to know more about it just ask.

Josh told me I needed to check out this forum and this thread too. I miss the group that used to hang out in person.

KB- this year I am going to make it to the track and be there on time so I can race! I plan on shodding the M_CRAZY with So3's then I'll be ready to rock.

Scott, Brian, John, nice to see you guys around too.

Paul

I have not installed the LTW Flywheel but my research shows
signifigant improvement. Also I needed a new cluch, so Ifugrred I shell out the extra cash for the flywheel, since the labor is included in the clutch install anyway!

ltw flywheel (http://www.europeancarweb.com/projectcars/0109ec_projbmw/)

Good to see you Paul!!!!!:D You are on. I would love to see that black beauty at the track:buttrock. With your mods,I'll bet you're oneof the fastest straightline/in the twisties M3's in MN.

You will no longer recognize the KB. I have dropped about $15, 000.00 on her since we last saw/talked. Literally the only suspension mod I have not done is coilovers(as soon as I sell some of her transplanted parts, this will also be done). Suggestions? I was thinking of TMS's kit.

I have stripped about 400 pounds out of her. She is silly fast, just ask the black M Coupe who ran three times with me on Hwy. 100 tonight. Man those M Coupe's are slow!!!!:stickoutt :) ;) :laugh

KB

Gary-yeah, some of these guys need to give us folks a ride :D

Josh-the 328 is doing well, getting it all straightened out in about a week or so. It should be all good. Prolly won't do much to it in terms of mods...I think I'm just going to keep her running good and wait a few years to get an m3. then keep the 328 as a daily driver and mod the m3.

Paul-good to hear from you again. I hope all is going well with your audio stuff.

No not the KB, just some of her guts. Since the KB is now a dedicated track car I no longer need my Air conditioner system. If anyone is interested in a '97 M3 AC system, make an offer.

KB:cool:

Does anyone here have a DINAN badged M3, if so were you through bloomington in the last week or so??

What color was the M3?

Originally posted by M triple
What color was the M3?

Dakar Yellow

Originally posted by KILLR B
Lunch on the 7th sounds great!! Be there this time or I'll never talk to you again:mad: :complain :complain .J/K :12: ;) .You have got to see The KILLR B. Holy sh*t!!!! I have done so many mods this winter I can't even remember them all; over $10,000.00 :eek: Matt at ORR is the best BMW mechanic in these here parts. I think I am crazy!! Anyway, I will drive her on the 7th.

BTW: Fan clutch delete on M3 is definitely worth while.

Killr B, I saw your car couple of times last year. Once on University Ave and once at St. Cloud at AARRF (I think it was Sept. The last one for the year). You gave my friend Ryan a ride around the Auto X course. I can't wait to see the ride again this year. Maybe I can get a little seat time in the car at St. Cloud this year since I didn't make it back from lunch in time last year? ;)

If it was a 4-door, it was probably Killr B. Did it have polished wheels?

Josh

yeah, sounds like Killr B... It certainly wasnt me!


Bob

Originally posted by joshE46
If it was a 4-door, it was probably Killr B. Did it have polished wheels?

Josh

It might have, cant really remember the wheels. Car looked great though.

If it was dakar yellow and dinan badged, it was almost certainly KB. His car is very distinct. There are very few 4-dr dakar m3's, let alone one modified. I'm sure he can attest to that. I would love to see the killerbee now since he's done a bunch more mods.

;) I will let her know. She will be getting some interior cosmetic work in the next week. After that she qets some new coilovers. I have elected to go with TMS coilover kit for "I" and "H" prepped track cars. Should make a huge difference in performance!! :buttrock :redspot :astromile :b_blue:

See you guys at the track.

Hello to everyone in Minnesota,

I just wanted to let you guys know of this event Mazda is holding. www.mazdarevitup.com

They are holding a autox competition in June (7th and 8Th). They even give you some instruction with pro's, and it seems as it should would be fun. The cost is $39 and I think it is well worth it. I am in group 20 on the 7th if anyone else is interested.

Sean

Sounds good to me!

Hey, is anyone else going to the BMWCCA new member gathering today? I'm going, as I've never really done anything with them, and feel it'd be a good opportunity to meet some more locals. It's at the airport Hilton at 3pm, see you there!

Also just an FYI, traded my 328Ci for a '97 M3/2. Planning to pick it up this week. I'm pretty excited about it!

Later,
Josh

Hey MN guys, a quick question for you:
Does anybody know a guy who owns an M coupe and works for Motorwerks BMW in Bloomington?
Is he on the board?

Originally posted by russian.mob
Hey MN guys, a quick question for you:
Does anybody know a guy who owns an M coupe and works for Motorwerks BMW in Bloomington?
Is he on the board?

What color?

Originally posted by drummerboybisch
What color?

I think black, but the reason why I am looking for him is that I got very pissed off at Sears. They politely refuse warranty work on the tranny, which won't allow you to engage 1st/R gears when it's cold outside. They say: couldn't diagnose, burnt clutch, I am obsessive compulsive about it, etc.
I wanted talk to him and possibly check out his car to see/feel the difference.

:)

Originally posted by russian.mob
I think black, but the reason why I am looking for him is that I got very pissed off at Sears. They politely refuse warranty work on the tranny, which won't allow you to engage 1st/R gears when it's cold outside. They say: couldn't diagnose, burnt clutch, I am obsessive compulsive about it, etc.
I wanted talk to him and possibly check out his car to see/feel the difference.

:)

Ive seen a blue one there, but dont remember a black. Talk to motorwerks and see if they well uphold the warrenty.

What kind of aftermarket suspension do you MN guys have? Im really looking into it for spring and I cant make a decision what to do. I have been tossing around either the Biltstein PSS9, GC track school kit, or Koni SA and H&R sports. Any thoughts for MN?

Well, on my 96 M3 I have the following:

H+R coilovers
UUC swaybarbarians
BMP RSM's
X-Brace
Dinan front and rear strut bars
Powerflex RTAB's, CAB's, and Rear subframe mounts

The swaybars and powerflex stuff is new this year so I really cant comment. As for the coilovers, I absolutely love my H+R's! They are a very forgiving on the street and yet they are still aggressive when you want to push it. The Bilstiens are nice too, but they dont have a specific application for E36 M3's. If you drive your car all year round the coilovers are a nice choice, just make sure to coat the threads with some antiseize.

Bob

Originally posted by M triple
Well, on my 96 M3 I have the following:

H+R coilovers
UUC swaybarbarians
BMP RSM's
X-Brace
Dinan front and rear strut bars
Powerflex RTAB's, CAB's, and Rear subframe mounts

The swaybars and powerflex stuff is new this year so I really cant comment. As for the coilovers, I absolutely love my H+R's! They are a very forgiving on the street and yet they are still aggressive when you want to push it. The Bilstiens are nice too, but they dont have a specific application for E36 M3's. If you drive your car all year round the coilovers are a nice choice, just make sure to coat the threads with some antiseize.

Bob

Are the H&R's dampening adjustable or rebound??? But thanks for the tip on the antisieze.

They are neither, I have had adjustables before and they are nice... My problem is that I was always playing with them and it was frustrating.

Hi all,
I'm new to the boards... and just wanted to introduce myself...
Dave from Fargo... a severe lack of bimmers up here..

i am in the drooling, looking process right now (does it ever stop though), although I'll be buying one soon (30 days)...looking for a blue, black or silver m3 1996-1999, manual, in excellent condition...
one of the motorwerks bmw guys called me about a silver 95 that is coming in next week,
does anyone have any experience with motorworks? good / bad?
anyways... hi and stuff..

Welcome Smurf!

I have a 97 Arctic silver M3 for sale if you are interested...

Originally posted by marinated_smurf
Hi all,
I'm new to the boards... and just wanted to introduce myself...
Dave from Fargo... a severe lack of bimmers up here..

i am in the drooling, looking process right now (does it ever stop though), although I'll be buying one soon (30 days)...looking for a blue, black or silver m3 1996-1999, manual, in excellent condition...
one of the motorwerks bmw guys called me about a silver 95 that is coming in next week,
does anyone have any experience with motorworks? good / bad?
anyways... hi and stuff..

Motorwerks tends to over charge for many of their cars they sell. That is just from my experince, you can find them cheaper more often in the paper from private dealers. Or look at M Triple's.

Interesting... thanks for the info... I'll keep that in mind when he calls me back. =)
M triple, it wouldn't happen to be the one listed on Autotrader? ironically i think emailed you last week about it ... and you sent me some pics. You had mentioned that it was being slowly returned to completely stock, but didnt' have any recent pictures, have you had any chance to take new any pics?

Originally posted by marinated_smurf
Interesting... thanks for the info... I'll keep that in mind when he calls me back. =)

Yea just do some comparison shopping, if you do decide to consider Motorwerks' car, just because they seem to be always a few thousand over the going costs from other sellers. And if you need some pics or something of car Im in Bloomington, at home, until Sunday so just let me know.

Actually I havent listed it anywhere other than Roadfly. The car is in very good condition and has 58,000 miles on it. 1997 Arctic silver with Mulberry, luxury package, and every option including the forged wheels. I probably wont get serious about selling it until next month, but it is available now.

This pic shows the car with coilovers, black M contour wheels, and euro clears. The car has since been returned to stock. The only thing I left on the car is UUC TME's(tranny mount enforcers).

Originally posted by drummerboybisch
Yea just do some comparison shopping, if you do decide to consider Motorwerks' car, just because they seem to be always a few thousand over the going costs from other sellers. And if you need some pics or something of car Im in Bloomington, at home, until Sunday so just let me know.
I appreciate the offer and the info...

so M triple, what's your asking price for the car?
:D

Smurf, I would like to get $23,000 for the car.

Hello, all.
Just wanted to introduce myself as well.
I'm in West Saint Paul and have 92 325is.
I just got the car last summer but it's been surprisingly trouble free considering it's approaching 90k miles. I've went through plenty of Japanese and American sports cars and although it's not the fastest car I've ever had, it never fails to delight me on the highway. The car has a mod chip in it but other than that it's bone stock. My initial plan was just to keep this thing running till I can get an M3 but, I'm starting to feel the urge so I might start on the susupension this season. It's my first BMW so any helpful insights would be very appreciated.

Thanks.

Originally posted by virtualj
Hello, all.
Just wanted to introduce myself as well.
I'm in West Saint Paul and have 92 325is.
I just got the car last summer but it's been surprisingly trouble free considering it's approaching 90k miles. I've went through plenty of Japanese and American sports cars and although it's not the fastest car I've ever had, it never fails to delight me on the highway. The car has a mod chip in it but other than that it's bone stock. My initial plan was just to keep this thing running till I can get an M3 but, I'm starting to feel the urge so I might start on the susupension this season. It's my first BMW so any helpful insights would be very appreciated.

Thanks.

Welcome!

M Triple: you've got mail. :)

who's got a black e30 with mtech kit?

It took me a while to go thru the whole thread :) but it's well worth it. I'm new to the forum and a get-together sounds like a great idea. Please include me in your mailing list. I'm living in downtown Minneapolis and would like to know more BMW drivers in this area. I have a bone stock 95 M3 with 79k miles ready for several maintenance/mods. I'm also considering going to BIR this May. Nice to meet you all.

Lets all get together this weekend if the weather is good. Man I practically live downtown too. What color is your M3?

Originally posted by toussi1
Lets all get together this weekend if the weather is good. Man I practically live downtown too. What color is your M3?

What about us youngins away at college, hopefully there can be gatherings all summer long.

toussi, mine is a '95 in white. Hopefully I can put my 18" back on pretty soon ... I'll be free after 7 pm on Sat. Feel free to PM me for plans - others in the area are welcome to join.

3 days of fantastic weather....spring must be here really soon. Cant wait to get the winter tires off and the new suspension on.

My car wont be running yet:( I will probably be in the garage working on my car if anyone wants to stop over. I am in Plymouth.


Bob

Bob,

I would actually love to stop over. :)
I would like to see the car and the SC setup.
I'd like to discuss something with you too. :devillook

Alex

Anytime Alex!!!!

I'm out for this weekend and next as well.:bawl Gonna be out of town. I hope you all have some nice weather.

Hey guys - anyone getting ready to run with AARRF on April 17th at DCTC? I'm not sure if I'll have my car ready by then, but you never know. And is anyone here running underdrive pulleys?
Gary

I will run it if my car is ready... I have considered putting underdrive pulleys on my car too, but it is low on my list of things to do right now. I looked into it and the UUC pulleys are the set I would choose, just because of their alternator pulley design.

Update on Motorwerks...
<rant>
I have been emailing back and forth with a sales guy at motorwerks, mainly because i'm in fargo and can't get down there on a moments notice.

well on Monday this guy emails me and says "Hey we've got a great silver 96 here, ~60k miles, manual, asking 22,9 firm and when is the first that you would be able to check it out?"

no problem, i told him this weekend,

"Well, truthfully this won't last till the weekend, and it's a perfect car for you, I know it's a big purchase without seeing it, but why don't you send your down payment and copy of insurance and i'll hold it for you with the understanding that you'll buy it on saturday when you see it, price is 23,9 firm"

(notice the subtle price change)

Ummmm... No... I told him that i would never buy a vehicle sight unseen and undriven, and if it was still there on saturday when i got there, then i'll check it out....
and then i get the kicker back...

"Well when you have goals you really need to reach out and grasp them and make choices instead of leaving them up to chance."

Ok... did i send it to the wrong email address, maybe i signed up for a "Thought of the day" mailing list... nope.. still coming from motorwerks...

I wrote back saying "thanks for the nice thought and helping make the choice that i won't be purchasing a vehicle from you, as i have decided to purchase from a private party."

I know, high pressure sales are part of the deal when searching for vehicles but it seemed a little out of place.
</rant>

hope everyone has great weather for getting their babies outta the garage this weekend!

Some of the people there are A holes. I went there last week to service my car since it had the "brake circuit failure" message that they supposedly fixed last time buy changing my NON oem bulbs to OEM bulbs and charged me $70....

Any ways, I go with my buddy to check out some of the cars there and we asked if we can drive the M roadster. The lady is like: Are you going going to buy it? Are you here to buy a car. Asked me where i had bought my car from, and i lied Motorwerks. She's like which sales person did you have " I said I don't remember"...

Its like you have to say your going to buy the car before they even let you to test drive it. I would never buy a car from them:
1. They rape you on service
2. Rape you on Parts
3. Rape you on their cars

sorry to hear that, I always get a sick feeling in my stomach when I have to deal with salesman at dealerships...


Now buy my car!!!!!! :D ;)

I disconnected my battery a while back, and get this, Motorwerks actually gave me my code for free. Other than that, my car has only gone to Orr. I don't know if Motorwerks is the "trendy" dealership to hang out at, but I avoid it like the plague.

Frank Jershe in parts is the only reason I go there. He is a good guy and seems to know his stuff.

Now buy my car!!!!!!

hehe...:dunno
we'll see... i found an mint estoril blue 98 with only 20k miles on it that i'm going to check out...

but i definitely haven't forgotten about yours :cool:

anyone going to the autoshow at the convention center?

http://www.twincitiesautoshow.com/

Originally posted by marinated_smurf
hehe...:dunno
we'll see... i found an mint estoril blue 98 with only 20k miles on it that i'm going to check out...

but i definitely haven't forgotten about yours :cool:

anyone going to the autoshow at the convention center?

http://www.twincitiesautoshow.com/

I went last weekend, on opening day. It was small from past years and there wernt some of the cars there that I was expecting, but overall not too bad. BMW had a good display from what they have had in past years, Id recommend going, especially to see the 745iL, what a big car. PLus 2 M3's, 2 Z4's, M5 and the normal rest of the line. Plus the new VW's, porches, and audis. So quit sitting and go but your M3 and head on down.

It was worth it just to see the Audi RS6!!!!!!:eek2:

Originally posted by M triple
It was worth it just to see the Audi RS6!!!!!!:eek2:

What did you think of the Lancer Evo in person?? As my friend would say its still an econo car on steroids...in person it converys that same message, just kinda a blah car.

You know what, I really like the EVO in that color. It does so much more for me than the yellow. I spent about 10 minutes walking around the car really going over it. Did you notice the underside of the rear wing? It's carbon fiber!!! Did you look at the brakes? Brembo's all the way around!!! How about the Recaro's?

Would I buy one? No... No matter how much performance that thing has packed into it, like your friend said, its still a little economy car at heart. You can get alot more for your 30 grand.


Did you check out the RX-8???:love1

How about the S4 avant???:love1

So many cars, so little money.... lol

Originally posted by M triple
You know what, I really like the EVO in that color. It does so much more for me than the yellow. I spent about 10 minutes walking around the car really going over it. Did you notice the underside of the rear wing? It's carbon fiber!!! Did you look at the brakes? Brembo's all the way around!!! How about the Recaro's?

Would I buy one? No... No matter how much performance that thing has packed into it, like your friend said, its still a little economy car at heart. You can get alot more for your 30 grand.


Did you check out the RX-8???:love1

How about the S4 avant???:love1

So many cars, so little money.... lol

The RX-8 looks like the bat mobile in my opinion. I like the new S4's other than, why a V8, Im gonna miss the 2.7T. OH well im not desiging them. Yea the Lancer does have a lot of benefits, recaros, brembos, and such...still rather have a 350Z for the money...id really like the track edition.

Man do i love that 911turbo, id take that baby any day.

The best car of the show was RX8. Case closed. That car looks so much better in person. None of the rags did a good job at photographing that gem.

Originally posted by russian.mob
The best car of the show was RX8. Case closed. That car looks so much better in person. None of the rags did a good job at photographing that gem.

Id disagree with the RX-8 being the best looking car. Nothing beats the new pimp mobile the concept lincoln continetal. J/K!! Im just in love with the porsche turbo.

Hey guys, I thought I'd drop a line here for the first time, I'm usually on other forums.

Would someone please let me know when any of you guys plan to get together in the Twin Cities? It's always cool to spend a night driving around in a pack with some people who share the same enthusiasm about their cars. I used to do it with my vette, and it was a blast--not to mention an attention getter from anyone on the streets. I'm not a member of any clubs around here yet, but maybe you guys could shed some light on them and what they're about.

Actually, I was just a total loser driving around by myself tonight (Saturday) between downtown St Paul and downtown Minneapolis and the north suburbs. :help It was still fun although I didn't have anyone with me this time and the bars didn't sound like fun tonight with the amount of studying I still have to do.

Anyway, I'm the U of M guy driving around a 01 steel grey 330xi that is all stock except for new tires and a soon-to-be tint job. I always keep an eye peeled for other 3 series drivers, so if someone in a 330xi is frantically waving at you to get your attention, it's probably me!! Which, by the way, does anyone know who does a very good job tinting around here? Later folks and keep me updated when everyone wants to meet up...

Dabigjdog@aol.com

Here's some huge pics of my car taken in a Roseville Park about 3 weeks ago...
http://home.attbi.com/~jwachtl/

Originally posted by jasonwachtl
Hey guys, I thought I'd drop a line here for the first time, I'm usually on other forums.

Would someone please let me know when any of you guys plan to get together in the Twin Cities? It's always cool to spend a night driving around in a pack with some people who share the same enthusiasm about their cars. I used to do it with my vette, and it was a blast--not to mention an attention getter from anyone on the streets. I'm not a member of any clubs around here yet, but maybe you guys could shed some light on them and what they're about.

Actually, I was just a total loser driving around by myself tonight (Saturday) between downtown St Paul and downtown Minneapolis and the north suburbs. :help It was still fun although I didn't have anyone with me this time and the bars didn't sound like fun tonight with the amount of studying I still have to do.

Anyway, I'm the U of M guy driving around a 01 steel grey 330xi that is all stock except for new tires and a soon-to-be tint job. I always keep an eye peeled for other 3 series drivers, so if someone in a 330xi is frantically waving at you to get your attention, it's probably me!! Which, by the way, does anyone know who does a very good job tinting around here? Later folks and keep me updated when everyone wants to meet up...

Dabigjdog@aol.com

Here's some huge pics of my car taken in a Roseville Park about 3 weeks ago...
http://home.attbi.com/~jwachtl/



Yea P&L automotive in Edina does a awesome job, as well as this shop in EP which I cant think of the name right now. Some people have luck at...Zbart I believe, personally I wouldnt recommend it. I say P&L.

I used Ziebart twice. They are good and quick.
Tint job was around $200.

I think the shop in EP that drummerboy is thinking of is Auto Visions. Although the owner is a complete ass, he can tint windows like nobody I have ever seen. I have been taking my cars there for over 10 years and I highly recommend him.

Ok, thanks alot guys...now I have 2-3 shops to check out compared to my 0 before. Hmmm....can't wait to get outside today with it being close to 70... :buttrock I'll be down by Como park, Lake Calhoun, and all around town today driving in a few hours. Anyone joining?

Hola, got back last week from my trip to Portland OR to deliver my 328Ci, and pick up my 97 M3. Man, is this car a trip! So much fun to drive. Just got the wheels refinished and new tires. I'll finish detailing it this week, including a new front bumper cover, and then it'll be available for viewing...hahaha. It's a Cosmos black over black luxury edition coupe, with Dinan software, CAI, and Dinan/Koni suspension. Got some goodies on the way, such as an Xbrace, TME's, and clutch stop. I'll see you all around this summer, and at some events.

Peace,
Josh

PS, my new plates will read M3NTAL, so you can keep an eye out for that one!

jasonwachtl,

I live on campus too, probably haven't seen my car much since I only take it out in the weekends and only when the weather is good. Lets just say I probably would never park it anywhere on campus but my house because I am so anal about parking it.

One of my buddies has a Black 318ti which you maybe seen around, another has a Black 328i . I've seen so many bmw's around campus its getting pretty common. Most I see are E46.

What do you guys think about having a weekly, every other week, or monthly get together. I was thinking of something along the lines of Fuddruckers off of 394 in St Louis Park. That place is fairly central, never busy, and has a good size parking lot. They also have good burgers!!!

I am open to any suggestions and ideas as to where and when works best for you guys. :az:

Bob

Josh,

Glad to hear you got an E36 M3!

Where did you get your wheels refinished? My oem wheels are curb rashed all to hell and I was thinking of doing something about it.

Also, let me know when you're installingyour TME's & x-brace as I've got some I need to put on too! Do you still have access to a lift? I'll be putting in my ZKW's & DDE's one of these days as well.

-John
97 M3/4

Hey John, went to Precision wheel in Hopkins. It's $395 for a set of 4. A bit extra if you need welding or repairs.

I'll be doing the X-brace probably this weekend, but not sure yet, trying to get some paintwork done too, so it depends on time. I don't have access to a lift, so I'm not sure how to go about it. I think I can do it on stands, I replaced an entire engine cradle for a friends VW on stands, and it has to be easier than that!

Josh

I did my TME's on jackstands and it was no sweat. I need to do them on my new car so if you guys want to make an afternoon of it, I have the tools. The x-brace can almost be done without jackstands, its that easy!!!

Where did you guys order the xbrace from and for how much? Thanks, Im hopefully getting one ordered soon so i can install it while im home over easter break.

Hi guys - The M3 suspension is mostly in, just have the front sway bar and the rear springs left. Anyone have the special tool you need to remove the driveshafts from the diff? Looks to be an external torx bit that is needed. Other solutions to remove the rear springs are acceptable too. Thanks!
Gary

Bought the xbrace from Pacific BMW, $110, plus $13 to ship.

For removal of rear springs, you just need to push down real hard on suspension, you can use a lever too. I just had a friend stand on the brake rotor hub. Actually, the first side I did myself just by pushing down with one hand, and pulling at the bottom of the spring with the other. Be sure to wear heavy gloves and be careful. It might be easier to remove both old springs at same time, before putting either one back in. I haven't tried this, but it may prevent the preloading that can make the other side difficult (through the sway bar). The first side tends to be the easiest I've found when installing stiffer springs. The shorter ones are much easier to install as well. If you need a hand, call me and I can swing by if you're not too far out. I'm busy tonight, but Wednesday may work well.

Josh

M triple, a get together in St. Louis park sounds like a good idea. Count me in!

Josh E46, what's your experience with Precision Wheels? Is this a place you'd recommend?

Re: Precision Wheels
I just checked out their web site and they do not seem to be able to refinish chrome wheels.

Does anyone know a place in MSP area to do this?

MN salt sucks!

Thanks Josh - an interesting method to say the least. I'll probably take another look at it tomorrow. What "the book" says is to disconnect the shock while supporting the trailing arm and then dsiconnect the drive axle, and then slowly let the spring uncompress. If it's as easy as you say to yank them out, I'll probably just disconnect the shock and give it a try. Thanks!

Gary

Gary, Its really easy to do the rear springs but there are a few tricks. For starters, make sure the car is out of gear and the parking brake is off. Get yourself a 2x4 about 4 feet long, and like Josh said, use it as a lever. Stick one end where the rear control arm mount is, and then simply push down across the top of the rotor, works great! I wouldnt recommend standing on the rotor for 2 reasons. First, the parking brake is off and the car is out of gear so that rotor will spin freely, good recipe to end up on the floor, Secondly, you have more control with the lever. It is possible to damage the driveshaft if you force it down to far...

Bob

Toussi, we should meet up sometime around campus. I know what you mean by parking, but I always try to scour the lot for an Audi to park next to so I don't get some extra door dings. I always see a black 318 hatchback parked across the way in the daily hawkeye lot(I think)...is that one of your friends?

That meet-up in SLP sounds good every other week for sure. Good news too, after your recommendations, I have an appointment on April 7th at Auto Visions in Eden Prairie for a nice tint job. Probably gonna get the metallic silverish mirrored look, as I think it would go well with a steel grey and aluminum trim.

So, you guys are putting springs in, but how about exhaust systems? I've decided that my next mod to buy in the month is a UUC exhaust with DTM tips for $700 at Turner Motorsports. I'd rather just go for an exhaust first than get cold air or a software upgrade. More sound quality and cosmetic if anything. Who should I go about calling to see if they'll install it for me? Is this something that most regular places like Midas or something would do? Is there a specific shop that handles exhaust installs even if you didn't buy the system through them? Sorry for asking all these questions, but I'm new to the modding thing and I don't know who does what in the Twin Cities area. Thanks in advance and everyone has been really helpful so far...

Hey, great to see lots of people still on here. I'm up for meets either every other week or maybe monthly. Maybe change up some spots would be cool too.

jason-exhaust is something you can do with another person to give you a hand. Otherwise, I would hit up Orr to do the work.

Too bad my cars out of commision til I get her fixed up. Blew a belt and took out the fan and who knows what else. So I gotta get some parts on order. Hopefully my radiator is intact.:devillook

Carb,

I probably sound like a total dumba$$ when I ask this, but don't you need to do some welding to put an exhaust on? Or do they come bolt on now?

Oh yea, I checked out UUC's website and apparently they're re-designing the exhaust so that you can tune the volume level and stuff. Will be available early April. Pre-order for $590 vs 690! I'm gonna get on this one in a week or two when I get paid!!

Jason, Just about every exhaust out there is a direct bolt on for your car, no welding needed.

Carb_328, check out Bimmerparts.com. If you havent dealt with these guys let me tell you they are amazingly fast. I have ordered quite a few things from them and I'm always amazed how fast it gets here. They have a special on a E36 cooling package right now for $250 or $325 with the clutch fan. You get everything, new radiator, thermostat, aluminum thermostat housing with seal, water pump with metal impeller, upper and lower hoses, and both belts. You may even want to consider the clutch fan delete mod. I did it over the winter and they say its good for 5 to 10 hp. Here's a couple of links:

Special at bimmerparts:http://www.bimmerparts.com/item.wws?catpk=&sku=17111469179KIT&qty=1&mfr=OEM&storepk=300033&price=250.00&cookieID=0WX1A21OK&clientid=bimmerparts.com

Fan clutch delete: www.understeer.com

Jason- what M Triple said....

M Triple...I'll check out bimmerparts. I need to do a thorough check and see what I need first. I don't think everything is hosed. The radiator is what I really need to inspect. I should already have a metal water pump since I have a 97. Anyhow, thanks for the link. Hopefully I'm not too bad off.

Edit: Well upon further inspection, it looks like I'm in better shape than I thought. My radiator looks intact. The big radiator hoses look good. There is a small hose that runs on the top of the radiator that I will need (any idea what this one is called or a p/n?). I will need new belts and a fan. Overall better than I expected. I picked out like 5 blades out of my engine bay. Damn those suckers were everywhere. I'm glad this shouldn't be as bad as I thought.

Originally posted by M triple
Gary, Its really easy to do the rear springs but there are a few tricks. For starters, make sure the car is out of gear and the parking brake is off. Get yourself a 2x4 about 4 feet long, and like Josh said, use it as a lever. Stick one end where the rear control arm mount is, and then simply push down across the top of the rotor, works great! I wouldnt recommend standing on the rotor for 2 reasons. First, the parking brake is off and the car is out of gear so that rotor will spin freely, good recipe to end up on the floor, Secondly, you have more control with the lever. It is possible to damage the driveshaft if you force it down to far...

Bob

Gary, Bob is exactly right. I've always had the parking brake on, so standing on the hub wasn't a problem, but I think Bob's onto something, and his way may make it easier probably based on allowing the CV joints to fully flex for you. Also be careful not to damage the dust shield or plastic clips around the brake lines, etc. with the lever. It's not too bad to do it by yourself if you can control the leverage. If you're not comfortable, use a buddy.
If you want a hand, give me a shout. But if you follow Bob's tricks, I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is.

I too have always used Todd at Auto Visions and the quality of work has always been exemplary.

I've used Precision wheel for two full sets, and 1 odd wheel and have been pretty happy. I think the quality of the paint could be better at times. I plan on returning one of the wheels I just got back, and maybe two. I already have a chip in one, and there is a serious amount of what appears to be sandblasting residue on the lip of one of the others within the paint. They have a warranty, and I will take advantage of that, as they are less than a week old!

Josh

PS, they don't touch chrome or multi-piece wheels.

Summer is almost here:redspot

Carb, That hose you are refering to is the "Coolant overflow hose", hope that helps.


Bob

Yeah, I had my car out today and put about 60 miles on it!!!!! I dont know if you have checked the forecast....

HALF A FOOT OF F*#%&@# SNOW BY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!


Gotta love the weather around here...


:rolleyes:

I'll keep you posted on how the springs go this weekend...

Well It's done!!!
I got my new Sach Clutch and TMS LTW flywheel installed yesterday. The car revs much quicker and drops much quicker. Accelerating...I can feel that there is a little bit less torque, but that is quickly overcome by much faster acceleration. It's weird to get use too!

Originally posted by 98M3Brian
Well It's done!!!
I got my new Sach Clutch and TMS LTW flywheel installed yesterday.


Brian, Who did you have install it? I have the same setup and I am wondering if it is a DIY or should if I should pay someone?

I guess it's a good thing that I still have snow tires on mine.
:)

Although, I raced my friend in his VW GTI 1.8T yesterday and we were dead even with me having absolutely no traction. Blizzaks suck in good weather!

:biglaughb

Hey, at least with the snow coming I'll get to try out my new tires and see how they compare to the old conti's that came stock. I'll be the guy doing doughnuts in the unplowed parking lots at 3am!Go Pilot Sport A/S on awd!!

M-Triple...Brian's not on here a lot. I can answer one of your questions. He had the install done at Orr. I think it was partly warranty type work with the clutch, but I may be mistaken.

AHHH SNOW!
Not again ....

Yeah, I just put the snow tires away for the season, and yet again, I've jumped the gun. Last year I did the same thing, but then my summer tires were basically bald. New tread might actually get me somewhere, but not in 6". Good excuse to call in for a vacation day I think.

Speaking of the snow, I got a chance to try out my new Kumho MX's in that slush the other night. It went pretty well actually as long as I was easy on the throttle. Stopping on the other hand was a little more difficult. Not only that, I was without my front bumper! I sold it that night to a guy with a Ti, and I don't have the new one painted yet and had to get the car home. I should have it together in a week or so. Until then, I hope the weather sucks so I don't feel bad driving the Silverado!

Josh

I just moved here from the east coast and lookig forward to getting connected with fellow bimmer owners out here. My name is Chris I'm locate up in Roseville. I had a quick question for you guys, I was wondering if anyone could recommend any tuner shops locally that work on BMWs.

I look forward to getting together this spring for a few beers.

Chris

Welcome to MN!! My main office is in Roseville, let's have lunch sometime. I have a '97 Dinan Dakar M3/4.:clap: :buttrock

Scott---you are 50% correct.

I did get the work done at Orr
Nothing done on warranty

The engine revs much faster. The clutch pedal feels lighter though. Makes me question if the correct part was sent.

Welcome Chris. Look forward to meeting you and seeing your car. As to your question...I'm sure the general consensus here is to utilize Orr as your main mechanics/tuners. I don't have their phone, but it's in the book. Check the 1st Minn. thread, i think it's in there too.

Matt and Scott are the only names you need to know.

952.922.1797.

Anyone know if ORR does alignments by chance?

killr B and chris, I'm in Roseville too. Let me know if you want to meet up sometime for drinks

any of you guys have blue headlights Xenon style on an e36 i think?

I got fake HID in my headlights and even faker HID in my fog lights.

Yes, the real HIDs.

I was wondering if anyone was interested in meeting up on Friday in St. Paul. I have a group of fiends that are DSMer that meet up on University. Typically there are groups of other car enthusiasts that all meet up there. It would be great to have a group of Germany's finest roll up there. If anyone is interested send me an email and based on where everyone is coming from we can find a central place to meet.

Hey guys - Springs beat me again. :bawl The rakish dragster look is starting to grow on me anyway.

Speaking of Kuhmo Mxs (Josh), I'm running them as well. I'm really curious as to how well they'll hold up on track days. Haven't pushed mine too hard yet as the suspension is still located somewhere between 328 and M3, and the first events are later this month. Speaking of which, is anyone going to the AARRF events this month?

And I might be game for a Friday meeting, although I'm from Savage and will be at Orr later in the day for yet *another* climate control head. Did you know BMW installs refurbs as standard practice? And they charge $300 for one? Glad for the warranty right now...

Gary

I need some urgent help on recommendations for a place to mount and balance big rims/low profile tires. :95 I wouldn't trust my 18" rims to anyone so your suggestion will be appreciated. If there are places I should stay away from, feel free and let me know also. Thanks for your input in advance.

man,

I have done a lot of research on this subject. A lot of places claimed that they could swap tires on wide rear rims, but when I stopped by and they put a wide chrome rim on their machine - they politely apologize and send you to the dealership. They offered to mount the tires any way, but were not going to be responsible if the rim got scratched.

The only place that actually HAS special machines for big rims (<22") is Hopkins Firestone. They specialize in custom wheels.
1201 main Street, Hopkins, MN 55343.
952-922-1797

Originally posted by man
I need some urgent help on recommendations for a place to mount and balance big rims/low profile tires. :95 I wouldn't trust my 18" rims to anyone so your suggestion will be appreciated. If there are places I should stay away from, feel free and let me know also. Thanks for your input in advance.


Stay away from Discount Tire especially the one in Eden Prairie. They mounted mined alst year, and in the process of mounting the rims onto the hub they stripped the threads on my rear hub. Plus their balancing job was terrible, it took them a few tries to get it right (for free of course cause I bitched) but finally took it to Sears to have them redo the hub and they finally got it right.

I'm willing to meet friday depending on Time. I live near university.

Orr claims to do tires, don't they?

Now this is something I've wanted to verify for a while. Rumors have it that Sears take mounting and balancing jobs out to the Tire Plus up on the hill. I've used that particular Tire Plus on my 17" and they are fine. Does anyone know anything about it?

Originally posted by man
Now this is something I've wanted to verify for a while. Rumors have it that Sears take mounting and balancing jobs out to the Tire Plus up on the hill. I've used that particular Tire Plus on my 17" and they are fine. Does anyone know anything about it?

From what I understand Sears does there own stuff, up until a certain profile which then they go to Tires Plus on the hill which has the equipment to handle the bigger rims with the low pros. I had a long talk to their service manager awhile back about this, when we were trying to solve the problem with Discount tires terrible balancing abilities.

Originally posted by drummerboybisch
then they go to Tires Plus on the hill which has the equipment to handle the bigger rims with the low pros.

Actually, I think it's the Sears that has the right equipment to do larger wheels. But they charged me $156 last time I changed tires.
It's funny, but Tires Plus sent me to Sears to do the tires ... :D

I just talked to my service guy at Sears and here is the verdict - Sears has a new machine to mount the big wheels/low profile tires but Tire Plus has the Hunter to balance them better.

Hey mob, do you know if Hopkins Firestone uses Hunter for mounting and balancing?

Re: Hopkins Firestone

One of the techs from Tires Plus on Lake St said that they have the right equipment for mounting/balancing of larger wheels.
I am going there on Saturday.

I usually go to the Tires Plus at Ridgedale, the same one mentioned above that Sear's used. They have a machine that is called an "octopus"(I think that's what they called it). I was very hesitant the first time I used them, but everything went fine.

As long as you make sure they know how concerned you are about them possibly damaging your wheels, I think you will be fine as well.

I have used Hopkins Firestone and they do a very good job too...

Hopkins Firestone is one of the best if not the best tire shop in the cities. All the nba/nfl guys etc take their autos there. I haven't personally been there, but everyone I have ever talked to mentions them first.

Funny you say to stay away from DT in EP drummerboy. I got my wheels there and have had decent luck with them. Now that I think about it though, it did take them forever to get my wheels balanced properly. I had to go back about 4 times. Maybe not such a good place.

I won't goto tires plus. I have had work done at several tires plus on my work truck and usually don't have a good experience. Haven't personally been to the one by ridgedale though.

I can't meet up this weekend as I'm still waiting on a new fan and belts. Hopefully in the near future.

Hey Carb...at least Im not the only one. The thing that bothered me the most about them was the terrible customer service. What happened to the customer being right...they argued like Mother F'ers when I claimed they stripped the hub. I sat and watched the guy through the big window not hand thread one of the lugs in. He just took the air gun with the bolt on it and shoved it in the hole and spun away...then had the dumb founded look on his face of why it didnt go in properly. Oh well, between me and my dad we got them to finally pay for it, and Im never going there again, so all is well now.

The Tires Plus right next to my house in Savage is run by a chump as well. I went in there on Saturday and talked with a few guys about assembling my M3 struts with the KMAC mounts, and they said $40. I get in there the next day and halfway through the job, some lackey says it gonna be $82 instead. I ended up paying $50 and the manager wouldn't come talk to me even after I started arguing with the kid at the register. He just hid in his office. Wuss. On the other hand, when I brought my car into the Savage Goodyear (no more Tires Minus for me) for an alignment, those guys were fun. We messed around with the adjustable mounts, and it was a good time.

I took my car to Tire Plus in Ridgedale last night. As always I asked to go into the garage area and watch them do the job. Proficency between mechanics can vary a lot. And like M triple says if you stand there and let them know in a nice way that you're concerned then they will take the time to do it right. The "split spoke" option (splitting the weights so that they can be hid behind the spokes) on the Hunter didn't work too well. Balancing using the regular method seems to be fine. Vibrations are gone and I'm happy.

Friday after work sounds promising. Where is the group going again? Please let me know.

I'm in for Fri, let me know
Dabigjdog@aol.com

Friday sounds good for me too, depending on the weather.

Somebody decide on a time and place.

Bob

Here is the weather tommarow:

http://www.weather.com/weather/detail/55414?dayNum=1

University at 6:00?

I wish I could go...although Ill be in the garage working on slapping on the summer rubb