Project E36 M3: Update 2

Blowing Off The Cobwebs On The Track

- Nate Hassler

I’ve owned my new-to-me e36 M3 for just about three months now, so by all rights, I’ve really just begun to scratch the surface. Spend half an hour online and you’ll see that pretty much anything you could possibly want to do with an e36 has been done, some of it nice, some... not so much. This wealth of knowledge has helped a lot with the planning phases of my build; I’ve been able to get a pretty good feel for the strong and weak points of this car by driving myself and, of course, with a lot of help from forums and research. I stand by my original goals still—restoration and preservation, moderate 50-state-legal upgrades, street-friendly suspension and braking overhaul, and period-correct European market aesthetic goodies to satisfy my need for style points.

Around town, the e36 M3 is quite comfortable and doesn’t leave a whole lot to be desired. Even by 2016 standards, the car drives well and generally has a “doesn’t suck” vibe, aside from a fairly antiquated sound system. I’m using one of those 3.5mm-to-audiocassette-tape adapters to play music through blown speakers, and let’s not forget the too-small-for-anything made-in-the-U.S. cupholders. Maybe I sound like I’m defending the car, but I can honestly live with these shortcomings. I’ll address the sound system later, and I’ll grudgingly learn to live with less coffee to go.