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Final chapters are being written:
At last, my car will most likely stay this way for many years to come.
All good things come to an end. No matter how much I love my car and how much money and time I am willing to spend on modifying it, I have to sacrifice any major mod. plan for her in order to pursue my career and other priorities in life. Hence, I regret to say that there will not be any wide body or forced induction modification to be done on my car; at least not in the near future anyway. For now, I am just trying to maintain the car so she can stay in her top shape. With the visual help of my to be installed 18’ BBS RSII rims and M3 vader front seats, I am more than certain that my BMW will look the way that I have always dreamed of it to be. IF THE PICTURE IN THIS PAGE DO NOT FULLY LOAD, PLEASE CLICK ON THE SAME LINK (MY BMW'S GALLERY 4) TO YOUR LEFT AGAIN. DO NOT HIT THE RELOAD BUTTON
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Final transformation of my BMW
At last, I have finally mounted my 18' BBS RSII 2 piece rims/Sumitomo HTR-Z II tires on my car. The car has also been dropped an inch or so. For now, the only exterior mod. that I have left sitting uninstalled is the Philips HIDs kit. I can't wait to have it installed!
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Beautiful side view
This is pretty much what my car will look like for the many years to come. I really like the subtle look that was transformed by the AC Schnitzer roof spoiler, E46 M3 carbon fiber rear spoiler and other modified exterior parts.
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My sound equipments crammed inside the trunk
While I chose not to customize my trunk to sacrifice the space for groceries, luggage and golf clubs, I still managed to mount my PPI amplifiers, Alpine sound field processor brain, and Monster cables as cleanly as possible. They may not be much to look at, but they power my MB Quart speakers and Infinity sub very well. I am more than happy with my stereo setup.
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Two modified 325s showing off
The dark blue 325 next to my car belongs to Eric, another member on the DTM forum. Notice the yellow French fog lights and carbon fiber hood on his 325. They definitely make his car a bit more showy than the standard, OEM parts do. |
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Relaxing with my car at Crystal Lake
It’s always fun driving to Crystal Lake because of the twisty road/highway that leads to the mountain top. I usually protect my hood from paint chips by covering it with the Colgan hood bra. It’s also a good alternative to stone guard, which is fairly expensive and non removable.
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Sitting in a BMW swap meet
My car was present in a BMW meet in Pasadena, CA sometime in December, 2002. Notice the newly installed ZKW Ellipsoid headlights with Generation II Demon Eyes. Even though there were mostly E46s in the parking lot, a few E36 M3s and 326s made sure that we can catch as much attention as the modified, newer E46s do. |
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New front end makeover
My 325’s front end definitely looks a lot newer and fresher with the help of the E46 style custom chrome front grills I recently installed. I definitely like these new grills a lot better than my old blacked out front grills and stock OEM grills.
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Matching rear end
To complement the car’s chrome accent on its front nose, I installed a chrome trunk handle and license plate holder to bring out that extra shiny look. I think these chrome parts go very well together with my European taillights. |
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1st ever pistol shift conversion
This is my effort to make my tranny shift console in resemblance to the steptronic unit found on the E39 5 series. It actually looks better in real life than in the picture. I wish I could shorten the tranny shaft just a bit to make the whole assembly more BMW OEM like.
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M Roadster look alike gauge cluster
The chrome gauge rings and painted instrument cluster needles are some of my favorite mods. Even though I had to go through the trouble of taking my instrument cluster apart and then re-assemble them again and again, the final appearance is well worth my efforts. |
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DDE II with ZKW European front projector headlights
Having a pair of ZKW European projector headlights, plus Second Generation Demon Eyes is definitely one of the most apparent modifications for my BMW. They really complement my Philips HIDs very well. |
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Three E36s posing for pictures
The two modified 325s certainly don’t look too shabby compare to the black E36 M3 in the left of the picture. I love it when there’s a chance for me to take shots of E36s all sitting together! |
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My interior: All finished!
Finally, I have also completed modding my car’s interior. Check out how the entire cockpit is filled with plenty of wood trim/creamy colored leather. It’s just the way I like it! |
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My trunk ICE setup
Check out the 10’ Infinity subwoofer in a sealed box. Isn’t it a perfect match for my car’s exterior color? Besides its color, the other reason why I chose to go with Infinity is its reputation for making subwoofers that produce clear, crisp bass. |
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Another shot of my pistol shifter
Check out my new pistol shifter setup in this picture. It’s too bad that I had to get rid of the stock gearshift indicator to accommodate this modification. But it’s all good, automatic transmission are easy enough for me to operate without resorting to the indicators. |
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My interior lightening all fired up at night time
I like the amber colored display on my Kenwood eXcelon PS955 head unit and my Alpine 3342 sound field processor. They really match BMW's stock back lightening very well. |
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BBS RSII wheels and new Sumitomo HTR-ZII tires mounted
I finally have my 18' BBS RSII rims/Sumitomo HTR-Z II tires mounted on my car! These new Sumis are as grippy and comfortable as my old 17' HTR-Z I tires. |
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Left rear quarter panel shot
This is probably one of my favorite angles to look at BMW E36s. I love how the smooth lines run from the rear to front in a slightly slanted direction. How perfect! |
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Same shot, but from the opposite angle
This is another perfect shot of my 325is. I wish I had my 18’ BBS RSII rims mounted when this picture was taken. They would’ve made my car look a lot nicer. |
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The staggered tips of my R.M.S. cat back exhaust
The Race Marque System exhaust is one of the loudest exhausts I have heard on BMW E36 3 series models. This exhaust is also known as the Fox exhaust in Germany. I should have cleaned the dusts before taking the picture. |
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Awaiting for the moment of sunset
This is another most recent shot of my BMW. For the time being, the car's exterior is pretty much finished and done for. |
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Pistol shifter shifts into action
Take one last look at my pistol shifter. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate a matching wood trim shifter surrounding plate to finish this project. Hence the mismatching wood trim pieces. Oh well, I think they look good enough for me for now. |
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Shiny instrument cluster
It’s good to know that my instrument cluster still shines like new. It tends to make me forget my car’s age and instead, lets me focus on the driving pleasure that the Bimmer provides me. |
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It’s definitely worth taking a second look
Pictured is my car being looked at by some of the participants at the BMW meet in Pasadena. Over the years, the 325is definitely has accumulated some wears and tears. However, its glamour is still there for sure. |
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I still need to lower my car for an inch or so
Even though the 328 sport package springs and Koni sport struts/shocks offer a very comfortable and yet, firm ride, they still seem a bit too too tall for my taste. I can't wait to have my spare set of Bavarian Autosport springs installed in the near future. |
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Comfort zone
As Vanessa Williams would have put it, “welcome to the comfort zone”. Despite having larger rims, lowered suspension, and engine modifications, my 325’s cockpit is still quite comfortable compare to most of the modified BMWs out there. |
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A set of gorgeous rims
Yes! These BBSs are finally mine! If my information is correct (Nov. 94’ Car & Driver), the BBS RSIIs were the top of the line BBS rims introduced in 1995 to show case BBS’ cutting edge design and technology. I am sure lucky to have a set of these classic rims waiting to be mounted on my BMW. |
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Ultra cool powered vader seats
After months of searching, I’ve finally found a set of replacement seats for my car! These vader seats are not only rare to come by, they’re also pleasing to look at. I just hate those racing seats in bright colors. |
