bemused e36 m3 owner
Discussion
i have had my m3 for a couple of weeks now,and sorry to say it,but so far it is not as good as my previous car.
cavalier turbo
e36 m3 evo
it is not as quick(which i was sort of expecting to be honest) harder to drive smoothly,the gearchange is quite stiff and the clutch is quite hard to use smoothly(even after having a new one fitted)
the leather seems to be of a poorer quality as well. most of the side bolsters have little hairlines running through them,and it seems quite a "hard" leather. the interior in my old car is a lot "softer" and totally unworn despite being 3 years older.
are there some hidden depths to the "M" that i have yet to uncover?
if it can't crack a 1minute 10second lap round knockhill i will have to seriously consider whether to keep it or not.
bryan
cavalier turbo
e36 m3 evo
it is not as quick(which i was sort of expecting to be honest) harder to drive smoothly,the gearchange is quite stiff and the clutch is quite hard to use smoothly(even after having a new one fitted)
the leather seems to be of a poorer quality as well. most of the side bolsters have little hairlines running through them,and it seems quite a "hard" leather. the interior in my old car is a lot "softer" and totally unworn despite being 3 years older.
are there some hidden depths to the "M" that i have yet to uncover?
if it can't crack a 1minute 10second lap round knockhill i will have to seriously consider whether to keep it or not.
bryan
Edited by dangerousbryan on Tuesday 6th November 10:37
Then I would maintain that you bought a bad one. There is no way on earth a Chavalier would be better than an M car.
TBH, the clutch and gearbox do take some getting used to. I upgraded from a 328 sport to the M3 Evo and it felt like a completely different car. But the M3 should be pretty blistering quick as mine is. She'll take on most comers and not be embarrassed.
TBH, the clutch and gearbox do take some getting used to. I upgraded from a 328 sport to the M3 Evo and it felt like a completely different car. But the M3 should be pretty blistering quick as mine is. She'll take on most comers and not be embarrassed.
Edited by E36GUY on Tuesday 6th November 10:40
cavalier interior
bmw interior
the cavalier is not standard in anyway having a 50% power increase over standard,but it was still as easy to drive as a standard shopping trolley.
is the gearshift usually quite stiff or do i need to do something about it like change the gear oil etc.
bryan
bmw interior
the cavalier is not standard in anyway having a 50% power increase over standard,but it was still as easy to drive as a standard shopping trolley.
is the gearshift usually quite stiff or do i need to do something about it like change the gear oil etc.
bryan
it is pretty quick,don't get me wrong,i will have to stick it on the rollers to see if it has lost any horses or not.
the cavalier is definately quicker than a non evo m3 as i have raced a couple up the 1/4 mile and always seem to have won by a couple of tenths,never tried against an evo.
i will have to drive it a bit more and see if i can get used to the gearshift etc.
bryan
the cavalier is definately quicker than a non evo m3 as i have raced a couple up the 1/4 mile and always seem to have won by a couple of tenths,never tried against an evo.
i will have to drive it a bit more and see if i can get used to the gearshift etc.
bryan
Bryan,
Firstly, I'd say that an Evo won't feel as quick as a tweaked turbocharged car. It feels slower than my old Saabs for sure as you don't get that wall of torque - I had a dyno'd 308lb at 2500rpm on the Saab. But, M3's are faster than you think.
I'd definitely check the throttle cable as they often don't give full throttle - not all garages seem to check this and mine was only giving around 85-90%. If the car is std, you might also want to invest in air induction - a DaveF kit is only £165 and you will add another 13bhp. After you've done that, a decent remap could well add another 15bhp too. If you need any advice, feel free to pm me.
The gearshift is absolutely fine on mine. Hate to say it, but if there is a problem with the gearbox, it's a throw away item as it's sealed. £2k to replace.
It's also worth checking suspension, bushes and dampers. OEM dampers won't really work properly when you start to near 100,000 miles. Also, get a X Brace which goes underneath the front of the car to improve cornering. Tyre choice can also make a massive difference on M3's - Goodyear Eagle F1's are the boys to have.
I went from Focus ST3 to the M3 and I certainly thought it rang rings round the Focus in terms of handling and feel. The engine is such a peach too, but you need to get used to driving it within a hairs breath of the redline. I'm sure once you have lost the thought of your turbo grunt, you will be rewarded in spades by the M3.
Oh, get registered on e36coupe.com too.
All the best,
Jez
Firstly, I'd say that an Evo won't feel as quick as a tweaked turbocharged car. It feels slower than my old Saabs for sure as you don't get that wall of torque - I had a dyno'd 308lb at 2500rpm on the Saab. But, M3's are faster than you think.
I'd definitely check the throttle cable as they often don't give full throttle - not all garages seem to check this and mine was only giving around 85-90%. If the car is std, you might also want to invest in air induction - a DaveF kit is only £165 and you will add another 13bhp. After you've done that, a decent remap could well add another 15bhp too. If you need any advice, feel free to pm me.
The gearshift is absolutely fine on mine. Hate to say it, but if there is a problem with the gearbox, it's a throw away item as it's sealed. £2k to replace.
It's also worth checking suspension, bushes and dampers. OEM dampers won't really work properly when you start to near 100,000 miles. Also, get a X Brace which goes underneath the front of the car to improve cornering. Tyre choice can also make a massive difference on M3's - Goodyear Eagle F1's are the boys to have.
I went from Focus ST3 to the M3 and I certainly thought it rang rings round the Focus in terms of handling and feel. The engine is such a peach too, but you need to get used to driving it within a hairs breath of the redline. I'm sure once you have lost the thought of your turbo grunt, you will be rewarded in spades by the M3.
Oh, get registered on e36coupe.com too.
All the best,
Jez
Edited by JezF on Tuesday 6th November 11:08
Get it on a decent set of rollers, I would say 70% of all evo's i've ever done have been broken in some way. When things are wrong they can produce as little as 240bhp, also check that the valve clearances were checked at the last inspection, as this can have an effect on the power.
the S50 engine will never feel as fast a turbo car, but they are quick when working properly
the S50 engine will never feel as fast a turbo car, but they are quick when working properly
You lot need to realise that M3's might not be the fastest cars in the world!
Looks like a Cavalier 4x4 to me, which the Police Forces used to use. 200+bhp and this guy said his had 50% more power. As you have no idea what other mods he had, you are way too quick to judge.
Compared to my old car, the E36 M3 is a pig, but it didn't do a very good job of being a family car!
Looks like a Cavalier 4x4 to me, which the Police Forces used to use. 200+bhp and this guy said his had 50% more power. As you have no idea what other mods he had, you are way too quick to judge.
Compared to my old car, the E36 M3 is a pig, but it didn't do a very good job of being a family car!
Edited by JezF on Tuesday 6th November 16:12
my M3 done a 1/4 in 38.8 http://www.york-raceway.co.uk/results_frame.html # Y681 August 5th 2007 
and the 3 Chav owner's here would like to disagree with you too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ0-zkEyHIE
I've driven hundreds of cav's and can't say I like them much, in fact they're bloody awful, but I can get plenty of people that disagree with me so its each to there own I guest
and the 3 Chav owner's here would like to disagree with you too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ0-zkEyHIEI've driven hundreds of cav's and can't say I like them much, in fact they're bloody awful, but I can get plenty of people that disagree with me so its each to there own I guest
Edited by Cliffv8 on Tuesday 6th November 17:58
Definitely check the throttle cable freeplay. On my E36 M3, the throttles weren't getting anything near wide-open when I first bought it - I adjusted a lot of slack out of the throttle cable under the bonnet (takes 2 minutes to do) and it felt immediately better.
The other thing is make sure you're using all the revs ! It only really starts flying when the 2nd Vanos cam advance happens at ~5500 rpm. That will be a big difference to your old car
Cliffv8 said:
my M3 done a 1/4 in 38.8 http://www.york-raceway.co.uk/results_frame.html # Y681 August 5th 2007 and the 3 Chav owner's here would like to disagree with you too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ0-zkEyHIE
I've driven hundreds of cav's and can't say I like them much, in fact they're bloody awful, but I can get plenty of people that disagree with me so its each to there own I guest
good going that. were you there for the last one on the 14th of october? there was an estoril blue one and a pale blue one with a cage in? and the 3 Chav owner's here would like to disagree with you too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ0-zkEyHIEI've driven hundreds of cav's and can't say I like them much, in fact they're bloody awful, but I can get plenty of people that disagree with me so its each to there own I guest
Edited by Cliffv8 on Tuesday 6th November 17:58
the castle coombe clip was over a 12 month period.so yes cars will crash,some bmw's i notice as well.
bryan
the bullet said:
Dude... You got to be kidding a vauxall cavalier better than an M3 round a track? I'll wake with blue & pink spots next... Sounds like your M3 needs a serious overhaul, or maybe you just need to get used to how a car should really feel round a track.
i didn't say it is quicker round a track than the m3. i am hoping to god it;s not really. but i hope the m3 will be a lot more fun.the cavalier is sort of point and shoot with no finesse what so ever.
bryan
dangerousbryan said:
good going that. were you there for the last one on the 14th of october? there was an estoril blue one and a pale blue one with a cage in?
the castle coombe clip was over a 12 month period.so yes cars will crash,some bmw's i notice as well.
bryan
and the pale blue one was a 325 and this must be your cav then http://www.richardsmith.fotopic.net/p45910066.html
you'll have to get along to BMW club track day at Croft in the spring £150 and open pit think you'd start to enjoy it then Edited by Cliffv8 on Tuesday 6th November 19:24
Hi there got to be something wrong with the M3 For a start gearbox oil theres a sticker on the side of the gearbox with is colour coded for which type of oil used mine is orange wrong oil will make the gears hard to get in gear then i would get the car valve clearance checked and engine dianostics and vanos unit This car should fly mate
Having gone from turbo cars to an M3, they aren't all that quick feeling and need to be revved. This is partly because the power delivery is linear and lacks turbo thump in the mid range.
Its a lovely car but not the rocket ship its cracked up to be. IMHO obviously.
And you're right, the leather is a little hard and can tend to crack. Happens on all that I've seen.
If I had to choose again, I would prob go for something else. GTS Skyline. Lacks leather but great noise and has all the other attributes an M3 has.
Its a lovely car but not the rocket ship its cracked up to be. IMHO obviously.
And you're right, the leather is a little hard and can tend to crack. Happens on all that I've seen.
If I had to choose again, I would prob go for something else. GTS Skyline. Lacks leather but great noise and has all the other attributes an M3 has.
Cliffv8 said:
dangerousbryan said:
good going that. were you there for the last one on the 14th of october? there was an estoril blue one and a pale blue one with a cage in?
the castle coombe clip was over a 12 month period.so yes cars will crash,some bmw's i notice as well.
bryan
and the pale blue one was a 325 and this must be your cav then http://www.richardsmith.fotopic.net/p45910066.html you'll have to get along to BMW club track day at Croft in the spring £150 and open pit think you'd start to enjoy it then Edited by Cliffv8 on Tuesday 6th November 19:24
bryan
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