lonelydora:
Conductor, drop me here. ***spreads mat***

laivwire:
but a myriad of issues developed on the way. First, the faults in no particular order

1. After asking a partner to help check the car 'statistics' before take off, he checked but forgot to lock in the bonnet. As soon as we got on the freeway, next thing was the bonnet flipping back on high speed and smashing into the windshield-

- Badly cracked windshield
- Twisted hood

2. Still enroute, gear selector fell out and car won't disengage from Gear 4. Pushed on until we arrived at a narrow, rough hilly part of the road and had to work some DIY magic

- Bad gear selector

3. Fuel pump totalled due to some kangaroo work done earlier
4. Faulty Wipers: this particularly made me suffer
5. Ugly door panels
6. Bad hind suspension system , vibrates loudly around 80 km/h
7. Noisy and bad clutch release bearings
8. Headlamps and pointers are out
9. Broken AC vents
10. Screwed stereo: Needs manual support to work
11. Slick tires
12. Bad fuel guage (made me sleep overnight in a unknown village)
13. No reverse light
14. No horn
15. Engine in desperate need of servicing
16. Leaking Silencer (I couldnt hear myself think with this)
17. No handbrakes
18. Kick starter went kaput (I pushed like hell in traffic jams)
19. Instrument cluster won't light up
20. Rusty trunk lock
21. Trunk light missing
22. Tail lights wont just come on


Thats all I can remember now.

Disclaimer: This post is not to discredit the seller in any way. He was as honest as canbe with this deal. He was also quite hospitable and offerred me a good price.

Pictures will be posted accordingly

chukel:
I sincerely hope u bought this ride nothing more than 50k

Exponental:
Op..... I think you love the adventure (attached to the car) much more than the car itself. Happy adventuring!

Coldplay007:
I think you should join the BMW whatsapp group they will help you out.
Write your number on the BMW thread or send a PM to yungboss.

chukel:
I sincerely hope u bought this ride nothing more than 50k

Originalsly:
And you said you have only a cetain amount of cash to spend for now? Bro...to restore this ride is for people drowning in cash.i suggest you write this one off as a bad buy....keep it as a source for spares...and save to buy another but tok. You have no idea what it takes to maintain a BMW....much less to restore one that been so messed up by owner and mechanics. And your guy that forgot or didn't know to lock the hood.... God be with you if he is the one that knows more about cars...or you took him along for his pushing muscles? Whatever....this would be interesting....very interesting.

Siena:
I admire restoration projects, but...

...personally, I feel this E36 is too far gone. That boot lid does not need welding, it needs replacement, way too much rust. The same goes for the hood - there was a ton of filler to begin with, there's going to be loads more.

The finish of the paintwork suggests it's been painted in the past, and badly too. More filler in the doors and fenders. Then add the longest g list of other items that require attention, and you have a car that's ripe for a part-out.

I could understand if this was a desirable or rare model, or even a high-spec car. But it's not. It's a base model E36 Beemer, the E36 was not a particularly successful model, and yes, that includes the M3. Admittedly, the iconic E30 was a hard act to follow.

The only way this will be even remotely worth saving, would be if parts were replaced, and this was a ground up restoration to factory, as new condition. Cut corners, or fix this up on the cheap, and you end up with a car that is mediocre and sub-standard, making you ask yourself the age-old question at the end:

Was it worth it? Especially when you see mint examples around, with others for sale for less than yours cost you.

Another aspect that caught my attention - 4 days turnaround? Really? I'm a certified automotive tech, with a fully-equipped workshop at my disposal, and I can assure you the bodywork alone (even just the visibly damaged areas) will take the best part of 2 weeks or more. The whole project (going by your list)? Estimate 5-7 weeks, unless you're just "papering over the cracks". Because one thing that the E36 was notorious for was rust, and as work progresses, more will be found. Boot lid, rear arches, lower doors, front , leading edge of bonnet, sill panels being prime areas of rot.

I'm not trying to put you off, just letting you know what you're up against. I tell it like it is.

Good luck!