I'm an old man at 44 yo. I've driven MANY a car. The E36 M3 is in my top 5 all time. At least top 5 of 6 cylinder models.

I 3d printed my cup holders

I think one of the things I hate about the E36 are the headliner and the window regulators, easy to replace but the door loiners are very delicate and usually require some kind of repair before putting them back on. Seen a lot of these cars in mt time. Working on them for 18 yrs

Cut the bottom out of one of your cup holders. Cut it at that middle ridge that doesnt allow normal cups to fully sink in. It will fit a big gulp afterwards. #murica

swap out for a 95 center console. my cup holders actually work lmao.

So glad I found your channel, showing me everything I need to know about the e36 chassis. Can’t wait to keep working on mine. SUBSCRIBED!

My options were 350z and E36 as well.. Went with the e36 cause I got a really good deal on it so I went with it!

you will love the E39 M5 cup holders. .Lol .I had both the E36 M3 new and the E39 M5 ! i currently have a 2010 M6... Ps. No drinking or eating in M cars..

Try 255 square on 17x9 with a deep dish smaller diameter steering wheel & a -3 degrees of camber front -1.5 rear, keep toe at 0......completely transforms the driving feel, a lil twitchy but rotates like a dream

I have a Z3 rack, the difference is marginal at best. Real solution is 1: get a square wheel setup. The stagger looks amazing but makes it feel like shit. 2: I'm told you can use a Z4 M coupe steering rack and pinion unit and it will feel like a brand new car.

97 e36 328i owner. almost 270,000 miles on it.. daily driven. mine is a euro model. same useless cupholders and i use it to hold my house keys. steering wheel has tilt only, no telescopic. problem is.. once you've gotten the best position for your legs.. the steering wheel is too far away. My e36 definitely isn't the fastest car on the road, but it sure is the most fun to drive.

3D print re: the cup holders. I don't have experience in 3D printing but it came to mind considering how it's a pop in pop out part.

CDV delete is a must. I used to feel like my clutch "got tired" when driving around town. We've chatted about this on Facebook, but you can source an E46 330 ZHP rack for around $150 from a salvage yard, and that will help your steering somewhat also. You could wait to find a Z4M Coupe rack, which is even faster, but they're quite rare. Finally, I'm expecting a 3D printed cup holder from a friend - I'll post some pictures on your FB page when I get it. I've seen good replacements once or twice, similar to E46 cup holders, but could never find them again when it was time to buy. Overall not a bad thing when you can fix most of your complaints!

I have a e36 M3 coupe as well. The cup holders are actually called can holders, and actually work well for that application. You should also be able to move your ash tray up in the console so the two holders can be side by side and hide neatly under your arm rest. Don't drive to often with a can, but they fit down low enough to be covered by the arm rest as well.

best handling car for its purpose andnot only...always felt quite responsive to me and yes i have tried the type-r and this seems more balanced...im curious though about this build...anyway nice video and yes the m3 is a better car than many...

3D print a new cupholder! When I get my 328i in a few days, I'll model one!

1995 M3 Coupe here. NO Clutch Delay Valve baby...96'+ years only.

My 1993 318i E36 also has fixed non-adjustable steering wheel. I thougt it was because it is a cheap, basic trim level, but now I know that it's the same as in the M3, so that's actually a good thing, It has something in common with the M3 :D

In order of hate(=P): 1 - Dig through bimmerforums. Someone is working on a 3D printed solution. 2 - Only the 94 325 came with a tilt wheel . You can retrofit this but it requires you to change out quite a bit including the shaft. For a list of what you need look up a 94 325i on realoem.com 3 - Well, you're already taking care of that. 4 - CDV is definitely dumb. I also plan on getting rid of mine soon. 5 - Swap in a Z3, E46 ZHP, or E46 330i steering rack. Direct swap and faster. A smaller wheel will reduce the amount your arms have to move but the turn ratio is still the same regardless. In other words you'll still end up having to turn the wheel the same amount, it'll just feel different. Perhaps a little tougher due to smaller radius.

i have owned a lot of cars in the last 5 years. Multiple 350z, toyota soarer 1JZ, wrx, is200 (+T), Is300, e46 325ci, e36 318is...... and so on My favourite is my e36 318is and is200. I still have 318is. I'm surprised to hear you would consider a 350z over an m3, given i majorly prefer my 318is with m44 over my previous z's. I would think an m3 would be leaps and bounds ahead, but i guess it depends on your driving style and preferences. Most of the rwd cars I owned were setup to drift, the e36 (other than the diff) doesn't need much tuning to drift. the handling is really nimble, enjoyable in regular driving conditions, and it takes such little effort to slide it. I have been sliding this car on stock suspension, and it's handling it a with as much ease as the 350z which had all the typical suspension fruit. I'm really looking forward to getting some coilovers in the 318is next week. Although, everyone has different preferences for driving, i know some people that LOVE the 350z, and i certainly enjoyed both of mine, enough to get a second one. the first one was my 'learner' drift car. I also loved the is200/300, and hold them on the same pedestal as e36. But to me, the 350z is more of a sports car, suited for high speed stability and grip. e36 feels more like a car intended to drift and beat on. I wonder if others share similar experiences. Ultimately I love all the mentioned cars, each for different reasons. My personal preference is the e36 because of it's driving style There are some things i dislike about the e36 though, which i will mention here. -Firstly, yeah the cupholder situation is terrible. mine actually doesn't have any options for that at all haha -Secondly, the steering wheel diameter feels too large for this car. 385mm diameter is so large for a car that is so light and nimble. it's like a bus steering wheel lol -Thirdly, the steering wheel feels really close to the driver, i wish i could tilt it backwards. but I do generally have bad driving posture, if I sit up normally this issue doesn't exist anymore. it's probably also amplified by the steering wheel size being so large. -Fourth, the sump plug. BMW engineered it to break in half if you over torque it, but i guess over the years it became further weak. mine snapped off inside the sump long ago, before my hand tool even made much resistance. I wonder how many sump plugs are in my sump, i read a technican pulled a sump from someones car (non bmw) and found many many halves of sump plugs -Fifth, on the door cards, the door handle is so close to the driver. If it were further down it would be easier to access. BMW did resolve this in the e46, so I cannot complain. I can't think of any other things right now. I don't have many complaints about this car, it really suits my preferences One thing i want to mention about the 350z, that car has the best seating position versus any car i've ever sat in. that car is amazing for driving position, and has a lot of adjustabilty. the leather seats unfortunately feel like youre sitting on rocks though :P

You make excellent videos and I share your exact feelings!! And I even installed that center led for my after market alarm!

You could take a holesaw to the rim of the cupholder and have a stainless steel insert to slide in and secure with glue, that way you have a bigger holder and the stainless will look nice, have it powder-coated for better colors if you’d like too

Solution to clutch delay valve is to remove it. The steering rack might be slow, but you get good road feel through it.

Cup holders? You mean coin holders right? They work awesome for holding your change from the drive thru! LOL

Height issue isn’t valid since in a 350z u won’t have a place at all since no space at all and getting a detachable steering wheel might help, I’m 6,1 and used to love 350z until I sat in one. Still love it it’s just not much space, at least the m3 has 5 seats haha

I'm tall torso 6' flat. I love the seating position but, holy cow it can be a bit of a pain on longer drives. Corbuea seats have solved a bit of my head room issues. I actually like 5 speeds heh. Swap rear ends for more highway cruising friendliness.

I’m also 6’4” and my 328i also has a fixed steering wheel. I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about!

To fit your legs better and still be able to reach the steering wheel good, you have to incline your seat back up. Like me you probably recline your seat back. Try to find a balance of sliding your entire seat back and play around with the recline/incline... or just buy a new seat that bolt straight to the floor board. Set it up for you and only you and bolt her down. This will give you more head room. I do this is race cars.

I know I'm late to the show, but I cut away the bottom of the cup holder with my Dremel plastic blade. I had to also cut away some of the console on both side so a simple can of soda or a bottle of water would fit. My next plan is to find a black plastic cup and use the bottom of it to glue onto the remaining top half of the cup holder. I also notice my coin holder didn't hold nickels. Not sure if maybe the car was made for Germain coins instead.

The solution for your position on your car pass for buying an after marker deep dish steering wheel... i know that its not OEM, but you can find prettys ones out there

You know, the cupholder problem ... there's a solution, which was tested long time before. Press brake, enter a bar, shop, whatever, drink, then get into your car.

For cup holders. Use a hole saw to cut them out and buy the the illuminated cup holder on geek or wish and hot glue it down. I used some front junkyard to practice on

You need a real e36 M3 man, the US M3 is just a pretender.

I just bought a mint e36 320i, first old BMW, I'm excited to work on it.

The cup holder in my 1996 works well enough. It’s just a single diameter and most cups and water bottles fit good and secure. Another person commented to get a cup holder from a ‘95. The one in my ‘96 is probably the same part.

Gearbox wise, you can install a 6 speed from the e46 but you need to use a custom prop shaft. If you're really annoyed about he 5 spd, just look it up online, there's plenty of info on how to install a 6 spd. Btw, love your car! Also, about the steering rack, look up "purple rack retrofit" and also rubber doughnut delete. IIRC, there's a plug and play replacement thing from the e34 which deletes the rubber thingy for a solid aluminium part.

S52 ftw!

The rear cupholder in my 95 M3 fits cans and fast food cups perfectly, the front one is as worthless as yours.

At 7:00 the 12v adapter port has a sad face.

Hey I pulled a centre console out of a 325i at the junkyard. It was all one unit, two cup holders and a change holder. Check out some early model non-m's

The European spec cars came with more options, they wanted to sell it at a more competitive price in the US so a lot of options were lost. For instance a six speed manual, upgraded rear diff and upgraded breaks. The European spec cars were optioned with an adjustable wheel but only in height not length.

I have a 1998 328is, hate the cup holders too, I use them for change. The fixed steering wheel is something that German's thought was the perfect position, they say you should adjust your seat accordingly. I disagree with that concept and BMW has changed it since, people of different body types need to tilt it differently. If a person is really tall like you are, not ideal, or if you are short like me, I had to raise the seat up and forward, still the steering wheel was too far tilted forward. I like the steering wheel just slightly tilted, almost no tilt. That sloppy steering has an issue IMO, there is no way there should be that much play in the steering. Mine isn't even an M3 and it turns on a dime, I'm not sure what year yours is, maybe in 1998 they improved it. Beautiful car though, I am selling mine as we speak and I am going to miss it..timeless car. I got a 2015 328i, and I honestly like the old E36 look better. 225k on it, got tired of stuff breaking, time to move on. Probably worth practically nothing, only thing it has going for it is it is a 328i sport 2 door, which you can't find anywhere, they just didn't make a whole lot of them. One thing that is really impressing about the 2015 328i is the N20 engine they put in them. Not bad turbo lag, but I hate the steering...they completely numbed it down. I had a loaner 2019 328i and the steering on it was drastically better. So in 2020, it's probably back to where it should be. No 328i anymore in 2020, just the 330i.

I've had the same cup holder issue . To solve my problem I put a koozie on everything and it's rides stable . Keeps your drinks cold and actually keeps the drink sweat from dripping though those stupid teeth in the bottom and shorting out those stupid little light bulbs .

You said you were new to RWD? Damn man does that wheel control say otherwise 👍🏻👍🏻

No ones or nothing is perfect - this is as close to perfect a car can be :p, i would love a 6th though I suggest a BBTB, i just installed the riot racing one, is decent. It does need some adjustment with initial throttle actuation, however once it gets going the engine is much much more responsive, I am at 4th sometimes and it feels like I am in 5th.

2:24 oh, you mean that 'sweet' 350Z with the dented in rear quarter panel ? ; P

Maybe heat it up a little and put a can in and try to get the bottom indent to form around the can which should make it wide enough

Talk to someone with a 3D printer and give them the cup holder. Then they can make you one that will fit a cup properly !

There is cup holder rings that fit in your cup holder to hold better. My friends came with it but I've found them at the junk yard or even on ebay

You still need a cupholder upgrade? There are a few designs people have don't for 3D printers. I'm thinking about printing one off for my E36 convertible. Also going to replace all the plastic covers missing in my car.

I have a 92 M3 sedan cherry red

I'm confused as to why you would compare an E36 (M3 or not) to a 350Z to begin with. Your specific car might be built in 1999, but it was designed in the 80's. Early 80's actually. E36's never had a reputation for being well built. You can find ones from 1999 that are worse than a 1992. They all fall apart. My point is your are comparing an E36 to a modern car basically.

Add the trunk latch tend to bend and crack making the trunk not work. Its been a common issue on my E36s

Ok. I’m new here. But that sounded amazing. What engine and exhaust have you put in that 36?

That steering speed is odd... My 1991 325i E36 seems much better than that? I wonder if that's another U.S E36 thing? I'm in Australia in case you're wondering about the 91' E36 :P

The cup holder issue could be solved by simply measuring the existing one, 3d modeling an ideal version, and 3d printing with an abs plastic. If you want it to look nicer, just a little bit of sanding, primer, and paint and you’ll be ready to party.

American small cups is European large. Medium is 33cl here.

After watching you video, my advice would be by a nice daily driver and a sports car. You can't have it all if you are on a budget.

My 95 M3 has a tilt wheel

Why would you need a cup holder on an M3?

The price of350z Going down e36 m3 skyrocketing @ the Moment

If I remember correctly, I think the obd1 cars have a different styling on the cup holders. It also has an insert for can. Not sure if they are removable or not, its been a while since I've stepped foot into my 95.

Love my boosted g35 coupe However, I've always wanted an e36 or e46 m3... maybe I'll pick one up as a daily/project Nice video as well!

My 328i has completely different center area thing. I also know that you can take that peice out. Maybe get a 328 one???

Perhaps the cupholders from the e46 will work, i had in mine that where freaking awesome, wether a large soda or a small can of red bull

Try and find the Origin Equipment cup holder. Got it for my e36 a year or two back and it is by far my favorite upgrade for the e36. Only problem is they seemed to vanish but worth a shot finding a used one

My e92 m3 in 7th gear is sitting at 3500 ish. Talk about great gas mileage.

Just buy a euro spec cup holder I found one for $91 that fits the e36 m3 but I believe it depends on the year

S2000 the only other car you listed worth being compared to this future classic

You could get a 3D printed one. I've printed some minor interior stuff for my vw jetta and they come out good

cdv clutch delay valve . You can removed it. other Cars like Mercedes doesnt have one

the main thing i hate about th7s e36 is the seat, no support for your neck and head , it is a huge risk.

When my car grows up it wants to be just like yours

It's all because you don't have a proper e36M3...go try out an euro e36m3!

Bought a e36 M3 because my M3 will always always be worth more than double what a 350z would be, an it's a poorly built Nissan vs a BMW. No comparison

Ok. I had one 4years ago so I think first four reasons are irrelevant, except your height problem, that is understandable. My humble opinion is that body rigidity of e36 is low and for US market, engine! No ITB intake, single vanos.....it is not s52b32! Two main things, body rigidity and Euro spec s52b32! Bavarian perfection from Munchen!

Use cut off wheel to cup holder is what I did 😂😂

I can likely CAD and 3d print a cup holder, but i will need to know the dimensions

Cut out the last ring of the cupholder and just Do some fabricating

Hey treats on the streets, I noticed you have a little dial near your shifter and I was gonna ask what does yours do? I have one very similar and it's next to my lights and I have no idea what it's for

That’s what happens when you buy the wrong m3. The engines in these cars are not that great. The ones in Europe have 286 for 3.0 and 326for the 3.2. Makes such a big difference. The s52 is inferior to the s50b30. Nice car still

In Europe we have a completely different engine built by M. (321 hp) , in the United States is it's a shame that they only got a 328i engine , modded to 3.2. What a rip-off

3d printing will solve your cup holder problem

could do a euro delete on the cup holder all together

You would have hated the 1 cupholder in the 350z even more hahah 😂🤣 if it wasnt broken to begin with

I have a similar problem with regards to height - I am 6'2 and I have an e46.. however the problem is that my legs are actually longer than average, compared to the length of my arms, which means my knees sit just s high as yours and my arms are still a bit too stretched out :(.

Make a cup holder out of fiber glass 🤙

You can 3d print a cup holder

Join the e36 army group on fb. There is a guy that 3d prints cup holders that can actually hold a cup.

The 350z doesn't look nearly as good as an e36 m3...or any m3 for that matter. I think you made the right choice. I feel like the 350z is more of a "I wan't an m3 but I don't want huge bills or maintenance issues," which is a totally understandable and valid points, but speaking on the m3 I'm stealing from Porsche when I say there really is no substitute. Nice car.

mine tilts but sadly is not "telescopic"

youre awesome man. great content, subd.

I've been following your channel for a while and really enjoy your videos. I've noticed in some of your shots that you have a gauge pack in the little storage slot near the shifter. Where did you get that and what gauge's are included? Might make a good video (maybe you already did one and I haven't found it yet...).

Hey man love your videos! Any way I could get featured in your related feature channels tab? i have a small channel but it it is growing and could definitely use a little help in the exposure area! Btw i have you featured already so keep up the good work!

Drifts nice

Its annoying that I have to lift my arm rest to use my cup holder. ANNOYING AF!

I just got a dash mount one and mounted it there

in europ we all complain about your luxery interiour...and we all want us bumpers lol here we dont even have cupholders in most e36

I am tall and have an E46 M3. My wheel does not extend NEAR far enough! I have the same problem. Of the entire car, that is my biggest peeve!

What was that beeping when the other guy in the 99 pulled uo next to him?