The official E36 OT Thread!!

i haz 5th gear gantsa lean.... damn detent bar.

Nah, no speeding, I took the freeways with 80MPH limits.

I could probably get a little better doing 73 or so, but that's too slow. And the 3.15 doesn't help the matter vs a normal 740 2.83.

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Sucks about the battery CJ. The cold weather definitely kills them. Last winter claimed mine, and a co-worker's Honda crapped out on the very first cold night we had this year.

Originally Posted by Eight Thirty

Get a s2000 joey.

Originally Posted by Eight Thirty

i went 125 on the way to school.

stupid chevy cruze thought he had ballllssss

joey......s2000

Sigh, I haven't taken my car over 5k RPMs in at least 2 months. Stupid HG leak. I'm not sure what's more exciting, buying the actual daily or getting to womp on the BMW again.

I actually thought about an S2k, I love those cars so much. My friend bought an AP2 with like 22k on it this summer and I took it on an extended test drive, its an awesome car but the complete lack of interior space and visibility would make it not very much fun in the winter. Also the complete lack of torque and type of traffic I drive in would make it hard to have fun in it, just like the BMW is now. Below 4k rpms is kinda sluggish and there's hardly ever enough room to wind it out past that.

Originally Posted by E36 Phantom

Nah, no speeding, I took the freeways with 80MPH limits.

I could probably get a little better doing 73 or so, but that's too slow. And the 3.15 doesn't help the matter vs a normal 740 2.83.

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Yeah that's the diff the 540i has and it turns over like 2500rpms+ cruising at a reasonable speed on the highway. It could definitely do with a 6th gear to be easier on gas on the highway, but hardly anyone had a 6 speed auto back then. Screw a taller diff though.

Yeah, having the 6MT makes all the difference.

And you're tall too, right? How do you fit in the S2K? I drove a friends and could only make it around the block, my knees were jammed into the dash and head popping over the roof line. It was awful.

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I fail to see how an s2k would help in any dd situation lol. Its just a really crappy version of what joey already has.

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I'm 6'3" and I have a hard enough time fitting in the e36... I can't imagine a miata or a s2k...

Originally Posted by E36 Phantom

Yeah, having the 6MT makes all the difference.

And you're tall too, right? How do you fit in the S2K? I drove a friends and could only make it around the block, my knees were jammed into the dash and head popping over the roof line. It was awful.

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I dont.

Its out of the running, I like them, but its a terrible DD, and I'd rather have an E36 as a weekend toy because I like torque.

And James, I'm 6'3" too and I barely fit in an E36 coupe, my hair brushes the headliner constantly. The sedans have more headroom but the front doors are so short i can't rest my arm out of the window.

My girlfriend wrecked my Subaru. She has now confiscated my BMW. Fixing the subie this weekend, then I have to explain why all wheel drive is better for lovely Pennsylvania winters... Again.

Originally Posted by hiroshima

My girlfriend wrecked my Subaru. She has now confiscated my BMW. Fixing the subie this weekend, then I have to explain why all wheel drive is better for lovely Pennsylvania winters... Again.

I guess there's one benefit to an SO that can't drive stick...

Originally Posted by Shigeta

I'm 6'3" and I have a hard enough time fitting in the e36... I can't imagine a miata or a s2k...

I am 6 feet tall and I fit in all three Miatas I test drove just fine. It is all in how you have the seat set. My hair use to touch the top in my 323is. Then I move the seat up and relined it a little and now my hair on longer touches. The only car I have a hard time fitting in is my dad's Toyota Tundra.

It's a moot point for me, in both cars even with the seat fully back my knees are in the dashboard. I don't care about headroom when I can't actuate the pedals.

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Originally Posted by SlimKlim

I guess there's one benefit to an SO that can't drive stick...

That would be nice... But my BMW is automatic, and my Subaru is a 5 speed. It's a dog though. You have to really wind it out just to merge on the highway. The bimmer isn't exactly a screamer either...

Originally Posted by Shigeta

I'm 6'3" and I have a hard enough time fitting in the e36... I can't imagine a miata or a s2k...

Originally Posted by SlimKlim

I dont.

Its out of the running, I like them, but its a terrible DD, and I'd rather have an E36 as a weekend toy because I like torque.

And James, I'm 6'3" too and I barely fit in an E36 coupe, my hair brushes the headliner constantly. The sedans have more headroom but the front doors are so short i can't rest my arm out of the window.

Originally Posted by southpark11235

I am 6 feet tall and I fit in all three Miatas I test drove just fine. It is all in how you have the seat set. My hair use to touch the top in my 323is. Then I move the seat up and relined it a little and now my hair on longer touches. The only car I have a hard time fitting in is my dad's Toyota Tundra.

Originally Posted by E36 Phantom

It's a moot point for me, in both cars even with the seat fully back my knees are in the dashboard. I don't care about headroom when I can't actuate the pedals.

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Sucks to be you tall bastards, 5'7" and no headroom problems

Originally Posted by Kdoherty

Sucks to be you tall bastards, 5'7" and no headroom problems

What about armrest problems?







At that height, you could stand next to me and be a great armrest!

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Originally Posted by Kdoherty

What it all boils down to is, are you willing to be seen tooling around in a buzzy little...*shudder* mazda.

with the exception being the Miata because I like those, cue all gay jokes.

Actually, Mazda is one of the better car companies out there. When I see someone in a Mazda, I almost always give them small props for not buying a more boring alternative. You really have to take a step back and look at their lineup.

MX5: Say what you will, but nobody builds a better affordable roadster.
CX5: Seriously excellent small crossover. Looks great, and a small displacement diesel option most likely just around the corner. It's the "driver's" crossover.
Mazda6: Pretty excellent styling, especially compared to its competition (Malibu, Accord, Camry, etc.). Excellent driving dynamics. Diesel option coming soon.
Mazda5: Ugly, but is highly regarded as being an excellent driving mini-minivan, if you need one.
Mazda2: Ugly, but is known for not being a total penalty box in terms of handling.
Mazda3: The enthusiast driver's alternative to vanilla Civics and Corollas.
Mazda RX8: No longer sold, and the rotary engine was not reliable, but the car handled better than cars costing MUCH more.

Of all the car companies out there, Mazda is pretty much the only one who prioritizes sporty handling throughout most of their lineup. Also, I remember back a number of years ago when I test drove a 1st gen Mazda3. The interior was WAAAAY nicer than anything else in the segment. They have also invested heavily in club and professional motorsport racing for decades, which few car companies do, and it shows. By most accounts, Mazda is run by engineers and enthusiasts, and not by bean counters.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/05/m...more-us-sales/

The miata is actually a pretty easy to fix. With stock seats I look like a girafe in a clown car, its like Mazda wanted the driver on the car instead of in it. However, you can pop the seats out in a few minutes, take the fabric off of them and slice about 3" out of the bottom cushion, and there's about a 1.5" insert in the seat back that just slides out. Then you put the fabric back on with zipties and throw em back in.

It makes all the difference in the world, made it so my legs were only a little cramped while driving, and I actually had plenty of headroom with the top up. "Plenty" is a relative term in a miata, but it gets the job done. It also gives the seats some actual bolstering, which helps when you're flat-footing into corners with reckless abandon.

During my brief stint of 'otter ownership I told people it was a non-optional mod if you were anything over 5'6".

All this Miata talk has reminded me how much I REALLY want one. I wish I could afford a second car right now.

http://www.youtube.com/user/freddiew?v=WEROVWDp3n0

Originally Posted by cj.surr

Dead battery on the thruway in the middle of nowhere.

Back on the road after help from a super nice guy and $154 :/

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It wasnt the battery

good thing he died again in my town as luck would have it.

Dr's wifes's car to the rescue!

Originally Posted by southpark11235

All this Miata talk has REALLY gayed up this forum

Man, ain't that the truth.

Torch it.

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Originally Posted by TheFinanceGuy

i haz 5th gear gantsa lean.... damn detent bar.

my 5er does that when its cold, a bit annoying but it tends to pop back once the trans warms up

Originally Posted by E36 Phantom

Man, ain't that the truth.

Torch it.

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Miata!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



^ probably my favorite one ive seen.

built for targa newfoundland

That Martini one is awesome. Flyin' Miata does some awesome stuff. If I had more money than I knew what to do with I'd write them a check for one of their turn-key LS1 builds.

Originally Posted by southpark11235

All this Miata talk has reminded me how much I REALLY want one. I wish I could afford a second car right now.

How far/often do you drive? You can do a hell of a lot more with a Miata than a BMW with the same budget. The reason I sold mine was because I rarely had a chance to just go womp on it, and it was just a cramped, wobbly mess on the interstate.

However, if I didn't drive on a daily basis or was still in school and had lots of time and could use other means of transportation, a turbo miata is about the best bang for your buck for performance. The kit for the 1.8 is like $2500.

I'm shocked no one has asked yet, but:

Karl!? How is your first day with Legal Washington Marijuana going?

People getting baked all around?

Originally Posted by petriej

I'm shocked no one has asked yet, but:

Karl!? How is your first day with Legal Washington Marijuana going?

People getting baked all around?

I was going to ask, but figured his absence from OT meant he was, um, busy