1995 BMW 320i

[Eddie Honda]

First, the little grey plastic holders for the front fog lamps. I have some fog lamps that work, but I managed to break some clips off the little grey holders that are screwed into the front bumper. D'oh!

 

Those clips wouldn't happen to be those silly pins that fall off with a hard stare?

 

1) Substitute with metal screw.

 

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?324726-Fog-Light-Bracket-Repair

 

2) buy aftermarket frame.

 

3) buy genuine BMW frame.

[Supernaut]

Those clips wouldn't happen to be those silly pins that fall off with a hard stare?

 

1) Substitute with metal screw.

 

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?324726-Fog-Light-Bracket-Repair

 

2) buy aftermarket frame.

 

3) buy genuine BMW frame.

 

No, I've actually broken the bit the foglight clips into! Actually, no, I also broke the bit that connects to the bumper on the driver's side. The passenger side foglight bracket is still in place though.

 

I tried to get creative with cable ties the other weekend when I was doing all the other work on it, but that didn't work.

 

 

 

Also thanks RBJ for the helpful info! Drilling stuff makes me slightly nervous, but I'll take the cowl off and have a look at the situation in there first.

 

I wonder if I could recreate that bit of transparent plastic with a bit of old milk bottle or something (only joking)... I assume it's meant to have remote locking/unlocking? It doesn't seem to, but I've never really tried either!

[Supernaut]

Surprise, surprise. It doesn't unlock remotely.

 

Ah well. got a couple more photos of the situation in there.

 

Normal key goes here. It turns a bit, but not any further than you would normally expect it to.

 

 

 

Then the all-metal key goes in this monstrosity on the other side of the steering column to switch the ignition on and off, and start the car.

 

 

Said monstrosity is only a few mm deep, and I assume is meant to be part of the original barrel. Possible to re-attach? Hmm.

 

 

In RBJ's photo from above:

 

 

Which end would the ignition switch 'disc' go in? Closest or furthest away?

[320touring]

It's supposed to be on the rear of the barrel.

 

The ignition barrel doesn't seem to want to go to where 'ignition' would be - it only seems to go as far as 'run'

[Supernaut]

Perhaps somebody already put a screw in, ala RBJ's suggestion, but they put it in too far?

 

Who knows...? I can't be arsed taking the steering cowling apart until the weekend either.

[Supernaut]

 

Clips for re-attaching the door card! Oooooh! Might get round to it later today, but got other business to attend to.

[Supernaut]

This is now my only car.

 

 

Majestic. It takes pride* of place in the parking space in front of the house now.

[Supernaut]

Pair of 205/55/16 tyres ordered through blackcircles from the garage who MOT'd this and did the other work on it. Avon ZV7s. Decent mid-range tyre from a brand I can at least pronounce out loud.

 

I'll get them fitted to two of the M Sport wheels, then get the Bridgestones currently on the rear in the above photo swapped over to the other two of the M Sport wheels. I also have a loose 205/55/16 Goodyear that came with the car. I may get that put on the spare (which is also a matching M Sport alloy).

 

For those keeping up at the back, this will leave me with a full compliment of matching wheels and tyres including the spare. Lovely! The OCD will be satisfied. This isn't happening until Saturday morning though.

[320touring]

Glad she's going back on the sports wheels:)

 

Happy days!

[Supernaut]

Needs a pair of fog light brackets

 

FTFY

[Supernaut]

The refund on the Mondeo's insurance covers about 90% of the cost of the two tyres I've ordered.

[Split_Pin]

Result! Did Billy buy the Mondeo?

[Supernaut]

Nope, Tayne's mate did.

 

The very same gentleman who bought my brother's E46 320i touring a while ago.

[Supernaut]

 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Thank God for that. I was losing sleep imagining E90 filth gracing that beast. 

 

I do have a pair of Kumho Ecsta 225/45x16's, never used but 18 years old. 

 

Probably be fine. 

[Supernaut]

It's now running 205/55/16s all round.

 

The front two are the Bridgestones that were on the rear E90 wheels, the rears are brand new Avon ZV7s, and the loose Goodyear 205/55/16 that came with the car has been fitted to the spare.

[Split_Pin]

Looks spot on there, nice work.

[320touring]

Looks spot on there, nice work.

Seconded. Much approved:)

[Supernaut]

What are the front outer balljoints like to replace on these?

 

Just ordered a pair of them from GSF. 56% off, so £16 for the pair of them. They were advisories in the MOT, and the steering does feel a bit floaty sometimes, accompanied by a little clunk from the front end (which you can feel through the steering wheel) now and then.

[320touring]

What are the front outer balljoints like to replace on these?

 

Just ordered a pair of them from GSF. 56% off, so £16 for the pair of them. They were advisories in the MOT, and the steering does feel a bit floaty sometimes, accompanied by a little clunk from the front end (which you can feel through the steering wheel) now and then.

E36 outer balljoints are shit. The usual approach for me is to stick E30 track control arms on ( complete with inner/outer balljoints and new rear bushes)

 

E36 ones are held in a funny way, and have not been fun to change in my experience.

[Supernaut]

Hmm. Not what I wanted to hear!

I'll have a bash at them anyway though.

 

EDIT: Looking at pictures, it seems the balljoint needs bashed out with a BFO hammer, and the new one bashed in again with a BFO hammer. Hmmmmmmm. I know my parents' neighbours (in both directions along the road from the farm) have hydraulic presses, the sort of thing you'd normally use for pressing in wheel bearings. I'm sure something could be arranged.

[Supernaut]

So to put it into pictures.

 

I've ordered these:

 

 

 

However, the whole track control arm looks like this:

 

 

So the balljoints must press into the ends there. Fun*

[320touring]

Tbh I'd return the balljoints and order 2x E30 Lemforder arms plus new lollipops with the bushes already pressed in.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Yes. Forget replacing ball joints without the special tool.

[Supernaut]

Feck.

 

I'll try to return the GSF order then.

 

 

 

 

However, if I use one of the discount codes I get from GSF I can get both of the whole E36 arms for less than the usual retail price of one. May do that.

 

I'm at the stage where I'd really like to stop pissing so much money up the wall on this car, but the front track control arms are the only thing left that really need doing, the rest is just small jobs than can be done whenever.

[320touring]

Feck.

 

I'll try to return the GSF order then.

 

 

 

 

However, if I use one of the discount codes I get from GSF I can get both of the whole E36 arms for less than the usual retail price of one. May do that.

 

I'm at the stage where I'd really like to stop pissing so much money up the wall on this car, but the front track control arms are the only thing left that really need doing, the rest is just small jobs than can be done whenever.

Buy the E30 arms, not the E36. The E36 balljoints are held in with thon daft clip, rather than pressed in.

 

They can be noisy even when new (I think there may have been an MOT note about them?)

 

The Rev can advise further

[Supernaut]

I gave the interior a proper clean this evening, then went out for a drive. Is it just me or do cars seem to drive better with clean interiors?

 

 

 

Living the dream.

 

I also saw a Toyota Soarer, a Porsche 944 and a 1970s Jaguar Coupe while out this evening. The Jag was in an awesome colour, one I could only describe as 1970s bathroom suite avocado green.

[Split_Pin]

They definitely do!

[MorrisItalSLX]

1970s Jaguar Coupe while out this evening. The Jag was in an awesome colour, one I could only describe as 1970s bathroom suite avocado green.

 

[Supernaut]

Yes, exactly that!

 

I only got a brief glance at it, as it went across a crossroads when I was sat at a traffic light.