BMW E36 virgin, asking a few questions...
 

Im new to the whole BMW scene. Ive been a Honda man for all these years but ive decided to move up. I bought a 93 BMW 325i and have a couple of questions to ask.

1. How much to get a decent solid white paintjob and where? (no maaco pls. ive heard bad stories) The paintjob on it right now is a little messed but not noticeable since its white.

2. Where can i find good junkyard places for BMWs? I need a couple of parts to replace.

thank you to any replies.

1. not sure
2. affordable junk yard on marine dr

vancouvereuros.com
euroforums.ca

both mostly BMW sites and local.

How much did u pay for it, interested in getting a 3 myself, but looking at mid-late 80s one, probably crap for reliability though but I like the style.

color code for BMW Alpine white is "300".

complete respray in and out would be somewhere between $2500~infinity depending on which shop.

Affordable auto parts as mentioned before for used parts. Talk to Edward or Allan.

$75 to paint your car white

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v3...MOV06158-1.flv

the mid to late 80s have been rock solid for powertrain stuff. its just electricals that i would watch out for.

i paid $4000 on it. here's the craigslist ad: http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/cto/1168301126.html

the car is awesome to drive. only concern i have right now is when i turn my wheels, either when im moving or on a stop, i hear a screeching, groaning, noise. I tried to do a search and it could possibly be the power steering fluid needs to be changed or a worst case scenario, the power steering is shot. im hoping it just needs a good flush and fill.

oh if u guys do see the pictures, could u try looking closely on the headlights and tell me how do i fix that blur? when i try rubbing it with my nail it seems to come off but its very hard. it looks like a film of dirt or scuff but im not sure what it is.

they are common to have power steering issues in the e36. Check if the fluid's full because they leak from bad design

subframe bushing failure might cause catastrophic rear suspension failure.

ok im preparing for the worst case scenario here which is replacing my power steering pump. anyone know how much it would cost to get this done labour + parts?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/m/x/5.png
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/n/q/3.png

Has it been diagnosed as being the problem? E36/E46/E53 typically all have p/s leaks, amongst other things. Predominantly it's the p/s pressure hose and also the supply hose from the reservoir.

There were a few different P/s pumps, makes sure to specify it with a VIN. Some E36 ps pumps are cheap, other's are roughly $400 from a dealer.

As for the lenses on your headlight, the lense and body(back) comes seperately so they are replaceable. expect upwards of $250+ for a pair of lenses. You can try to do this : take it apart, rinse the inside of it with CLR. Then wetsand and polish the exterior of the lense gently.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/d/n/13.png

Here is a list of things to know about E36 BM double Us

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1159086

^ that is a nice list :lol, and also very true :)

u will get more info at ve (www.vancouvereuros.com)

+1
I can vouch for the paint brush technique. I've used it on my friends BMW.

Here's how it turned out:

http://liquidcarwax.com/wp-content/u...id-car-wax.jpg