My E36 318is Restoration Project

[BimmerM3inGA]

Long story short: I bought a 1997 318is with 188K miles as a restoration project. It looks pretty good in the photos below, but it's in quite rough shape. The guy I bought it from is a real goober and thoroughly trashed it. For one thing, he lived on a dirt road and it was absolutely nasty.

Here's what I've found wrong with it since I've had a chance to really go through it:

It desperately needs new tires. They vibrate badly and one has cords showing. The spare is on the right rear due a blowout.

Climate control computer is fried. P.O. says he "read on the Internet how to replace the capacitor" and tried it, but it still doesn't work. Well, I decided to check his work and he replaced the wrong one! I replaced the correct one and got the system working, but he lost the faceplate control panel. It may not matter because it's not switching on the AC compressor. I checked the compressor with a known working computer and it definitely works. I had to recharge the AC, but it's ice cold.

The hood isn't closing properly.

A foglight is missing.

One headlight it new, the other is very cloudy.

Check Engine Light is on.

SRS light is on.

Engine temperature is not coming up like it should.

Shift knob is broken off.

Headliner is sagging severely - it completely blocks the view out the rear window.

The interior is partially disassembled and parts were piled in the trunk.

Clock/Temp display is dim and doesn't show up.

Various interior trim pieces are missing.

Taillights on driver side not working.

Battery won't hold a charge.

Engine idles very roughly, sounds like it might stall.

Did I mention the car is filthy?

Here's what it looked like the day after I got it home. It was fun driving in the rain with no AC to defog the windows, bald tires, and questionable lights.





Here's what I've done so far:

Found a rotted vacuum hose (for crankcase vent). Replaced it and the idle smoothed right out.

Replaced the thermostat and flushed the coolant. Engine temperature is normal now.

CEL was caused by erroneous readings from the intake air temperature sensor. After testing the sensor and finding it to be within spec, I started looking at the wiring. I found a break in the wire and a short circuit. I repaired the break and reset the CEL. Problem solved.

I diagnosed the SRS warning: Faulty passenger sensor mat, faulty driver seatbelt switch, faulty passenger seatbelt switch. The P.O. had the seats out to do a stereo install (it does have a really nice Alpine stereo). I'm thinking (hoping?) the SRS warnings are related to that. I reset the light, but it came back on. there are wires hanging out of the bottoms of the seats, but I'm going to pull them out tomorrow and have a look at the wiring. It wouldn't surprise me to find disconnected or broken wires.

Adjusted the hood pins - hood closes properly now.

Replaced the foglight.

Polished the milky headlight (passenger side). It looks brand new now!

I got new tires (Kumho ASX) and found a severely bent rim in the process. Coincidentally, it was the one that had the supposed blowout. I'm thinking now that he ran over something and caused the damage to the wheel. I found a new used wheel for $50 and the difference in the way it rides and drives is truly remarkable.

I think I found a non-working climate control computer that I can rob parts from. If that deal works out, I should have the HVAC system working. I also replaced the cabin micro filter.

I replaced the bulbs in the time/temp display and cleaned it. Good as new.

I cleaned all the contacts in the taillights and so far, they are working perfectly.

I have all the stuff to redo the headliner and found or ordered the missing interior pieces. My next project is to put the interior back together.

I cleaned at least 20 pounds of dirt off the undercarriage. I had the car on jackstands while I was waiting for the tires and took the opportunity to crawl under it with a bottle of Purple Power, a scrub brush, and a hose. It took me 6 hours working nonstop to get it clean. There are a few spots I couldn't reach, but I got most of it.

I also flushed the brakes and clutch while the wheels were off.


It's going to be nice car when I'm done, though. There aren't any serious mechanical problems. It's just dirty and needs some TLC from someone who knows what they're doing. I'll get some shots of the interior before I start taking it apart to clean and reassemble.

[Gene1219]

Cool, keep us updated

[thedude60126]

very keep the pics and updates coming

[6mil928]

Man your a hard worker. I love it. I do the same thing. I'm drawn to hard luck cases. I love the first time they hit the road after most of the work is finished. what did you give for the car. Seemed like a lot to do on it. Hope you got a smokin deal.

[marinm88]

Have fun with your new project!! if you dont mind me asking how much did you pay for it?

[gettingthatflow]

you should get in on the group buy for coilovers for 400$, we only need one more 318!!!!!

[drtweak1992325i]

hey at least the body is in really good condition! Just got to fix things up with a few misc things to do.

[acp750]

awesome project, keep us updated

[bjh102]

looks good. take alot of pics!

[phenryiv1]

Subscribing...

[BimmerM3inGA]

Thanks, fellas! It has been a fun project!

I worked on the car for 10 straight hours today and got a lot done. I'll post details and photos tomorrow. But it's kind of late right now and I need my beauty sleep.

To those who have asked, I paid $2,200 for the car and spent a little over $900 on parts. A big chunk of that - a $375 chunk - was for the new Kumhos and mounting and balancing. I think I got a good deal, but not a GREAT one. I had to buy a lot of the parts the seller said he had when we made the deal, but now can't seem to put his hands on. I hope the only significant upcoming expense will be a new battery.

[BimmerM3inGA]

First, some photos:


I gave the engine a quick hose down to clean off most of the loose dirt. It still needs a good detailing, though. There was a huge wasp nest on the back of the fan shroud. The seller said the car sat for a year - and that's the one thing he's said that I actually believe.





Here's the state of the interior upon getting the car home. I pulled out the climate control and time/temp modules, but everything else is how it looked when I picked it up.



The original headliner. Lovely, no?







New headliner installed. It didn't come out perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than before. It was the first time I'd done that particular job and it was a lot more time consuming than I had expected. Actually getting it out only took about 30 minutes, but applying the the headliner material is tedious and you have to work slowly. I have the book from Pelican Parts (101 Projects for Your 3 Series) and this procedure is covered in the book. I followed it to the letter and it worked out pretty well. The headliner in my M3 also needs replacement, but I think I'll go with microsuede instead of this stuff. I hear that it's a little easier to work with - plus I like the way it looks.

While I was at it, I removed the rear package shelf because there was a thick layer of dirt between the lens of the 3rd brake light and the inside of the rear window. So much so, that you couldn't see the light at all unless it's dark outside. I cleaned everything up and put it back together at the same time as reinstalling the headliner. I debated recovering the package shelf since I had enough headliner material left over, but decided against it. Since the windows are tinted, you really can't see it from the outside and it doesn't look too bad, anyway.


Here is the headliner substrate out of the car and with all the crud cleaned off. It cleaned up very easily with the brush and some elbow grease.



I don't know why the seller took the passenger door panel off, but he did. And he tore off all the inserts that hold the panel to the door. While waiting for the glue to dry on the headliner, I pieced the door back together. But I can't put it back on yet because I had to order new clips and I don't have them yet.






Driver side floorboard with the seat out - BEFORE and AFTER cleaning of the carpet. The upside to all of this is that I've recovered about $20 of the purchase price in loose change. It was everywhere. Including the seat tracks - which explains why I couldn't move the driver's seat fore and aft.


Passenger side. I forgot to take an AFTER photo before I put the seat back in. Considering how bad it looks in this shot, the transformation is stunning. It won't fool anybody into thinking it's a new car, but it doesn't look like the same one!



Other milestones from today:

I think I have the SRS warning light issue resolved. I suspected the wiring may have been damaged or unplugged and I was correct. There are 2 plugs for the passenger seat (occupant sensor mat and seatbelt switch). Both were unplugged and laying on the floor. Same for the seatbelt switch on the driver seat. I plugged them back in when I put the seats in and reset the light. So far, it's been staying off. I drove around the block (over 15 MPH) and sat in the passenger seat (not at the same time!). I find it inexplicable why he didn't plug them back in after removing the seats. What starts with a "G" and rhymes with "tuber"?

I removed and thoroughly cleaned the center console - but it hasn't gone back in yet. More coins found there.

I put the glovebox back in.

It was hooked up to a battery charger all day while I was working, but barely cranked over when I started it after calling it a day. So it looks like a new battery is going to be a necessity. Rats!

I still have to put the rest of the interior back in. For some reason, the side panels in the back seat were removed. Naturally, they need to be thoroughly cleaned before going back in. I ran out of time on this round. So I'll get them next time.

Well, that's all for now. I'll post more the next time I have a chance to work on it.

[understr]

Wow, keep the pics coming! What are your plans for the car, dd?

[BimmerM3inGA]

Its ultimate fate has yet to be decided. My original intention was to sell it, but I'm starting to get attached to it. On the other hand, I don't need 4 cars (3 of which are E36's). So I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach.

What's a TJ and ZJ V8?

[understr]

What's a TJ and ZJ V8?

Jeep Wrangler = TJ
Jeep Grand Cherokee V8= ZJ
I actually have a regular Cherokee now too and its an XJ

Body codes.

[BimmerM3inGA]

Ah, I was thinking those were Jeeps, but wasn't sure.

[Boss999]

i want to see the post op pics... goodluck. its a 318. love those

[Pierre3400]

Looks great! ITs gonna be a sweet car when ur done!

[phenryiv1]

New headliner installed. It didn't come out perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than before. It was the first time I'd done that particular job and it was a lot more time consuming than I had expected. Actually getting it out only took about 30 minutes, but applying the the headliner material is tedious and you have to work slowly. I have the book from Pelican Parts (101 Projects for Your 3 Series) and this procedure is covered in the book. I followed it to the letter and it worked out pretty well. The headliner in my M3 also needs replacement, but I think I'll go with microsuede instead of this stuff. I hear that it's a little easier to work with - plus I like the way it looks.

What did you use as headliner material, and from where did you purchase it?

Other milestones from today:

I think I have the SRS warning light issue resolved. I suspected the wiring may have been damaged or unplugged and I was correct. There are 2 plugs for the passenger seat (occupant sensor mat and seatbelt switch). Both were unplugged and laying on the floor. Same for the seatbelt switch on the driver seat. I plugged them back in when I put the seats in and reset the light. So far, it's been staying off. I drove around the block (over 15 MPH) and sat in the passenger seat (not at the same time!). I find it inexplicable why he didn't plug them back in after removing the seats.

Do you have the reset tool, or is there a procedure for resetting the light?

[BimmerM3inGA]

I got the headliner material from Pelican Parts. They sell it on a roll by the yard. It takes a little over 1 yard to do a 2-door E36. I couldn't find it on their web site, so I called to order it. It's kind of expensive at $25/yard, but I couldn't find anything locally that would work. A really good fabric store would probably have it.

I have a reset tool. The only other procedure I know of to reset it without the tool is to make an appointment at your dealer.

[EverydayGetaway]

you should get in on the group buy for coilovers for 400$, we only need one more 318!!!!!

I'm interested! What brand, where do I sign up?

Nice work on the 318 dude! I think mine's having the same problem yours was with the AC, I'm gonna take a look at it once I have the time.

[BimmerM3inGA]

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted an update. Between work and life, it's been hard to get around to it. Anyway, I finished the car and it turned out beautifully. Everything works and it looks and drives fantastic.

Just to see what would happen, I listed in Craigslist and had an eager buyer in 3 days! I wanted to keep it, but don't really need 4 cars. But I loved the way it drove and sipped gas. I may have to find another one.

I created a before and after gallery to show how it looked when I got it, and how it looked when I sold it.

BEFORE

AFTER

I ended up taking $4400 for it. I probably could've held out for more, but there was no sense in being greedy. Besides, now I have the money to invest in the next project.

[Bjelke]

A credit to you mate. Well done. Nice writing too.

I don't know where I'd find the time to undertake a project like this, but I'd love to do it.

You blokes in the US get some amazing bargains on 2nd hand E36s. Just picked up a 1997 328i here in OZ for $15,500(AUD) and needs another $4,000 spent on it to make it what it should be.

Edit: For your info, you'd probably get $10-$11K for it here. With the exchange rate that's over $7K (USD).

[brunp]

good stuff and congrats on the rebuild. It looks great. It is always nice to see someone resurrect a car into something as stunning as that.

I got a create deal on an E36 328iS from Toronto and slowly converting it into an M3 look-alike and also going to do some engine mods. But for now, I am doing some cosmetic TLC at the moment to make the car look like new.

I will see how much I get done over the winter, but it is easier to do work when it is not bloody cold, so the stuff I am getting now will likely sit in my basement until spring time. :-)

Paul

[bimmer335i07]

Wow... AWESOME work!

I wish I could be as dedicated to my car as you are. Or at least have the knowledge and skills to do the work and of course a garage. lol!