Rejuvenating a 27-Year-Old BMW E36 328i - Project Valencia - Part 2

[@sm5970]

This channel is like a life lesson to me: do it right, do it precisely, do it neatly, don’t cut corners, be patient, and you’ll have the best product.

[@geoffwatches]

And don't take it too seriously, have a laugh

[@jimmyshao6760]

make sure to smash all china parts to smithereens when you see it

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

And keep life OEM. 🤘🤘

[@losidude11]

and smash depo headlights

[@arthurlekov2947]

​@@losidude11Every time I get a Volvo with depo headlights I take a hammer and smash them to pieces and I replace them back with the correct oem headlights, Valeo.

[@Bierrr]

The little edits showing the torque value of each bolt really add to the video. Love it.

[@muazqamar]

Omie?

[@JS-bf9dw]

yeah, I like that too!

[@brother-captaincentureasoc1930]

I have to say, you know it’s good content when 90% of people watch the whole way through! Thanks for all you do Sreten!

[@Formula1-Dave]

Other mechanics think a time-lapse of rebuilding a car in 10 minutes is good content. Nah! This is the real quality content over here on M539 ❤️

[@mczeljk]

It’s even better content, when you watch videos multiple times! Like Sreten‘s videos! I find myself going back to the M5 or Alpina B7 videos again and again

[@igormac88]

that's a very remarkable achievement. it's very hard to keep people focused for more than 30s thesew days...

[@AnontheGOAT]

@@DegweesGoogle Chrome extension like Social Blade

[@teguharifandi3489]

count me in, now it 91% :D

[@liamcosgrave5410]

Does anyone else find that they can't watch American youtube channels anymore? So calm, no drama or 30 year old's dressed like 12 year olds. No "send it" or "lets go" every other sentence......or maybe its just me. Thank you for this man. Im driving over to Frankfurt from the uk for work next week !

[@Justme-jt1ef]

I feel sorry for you kid.

[@weed46]

True.... too much fake drama and enthusiasm... Streten is chilled and let his work and cars speak for themselves

[@JMUDoc]

Given the existence of TickTock ("KZbin for pigeons", as I call it), there is a nauseating trend towards appealing to teens with sub-minute attention spans.

[@boltupright1341]

I am 💯 with you. I watch very few US creators.

[@n1ck808]

Sounds like you're watching the wrong channels lol

[@McMaster1500]

I've been following Sreten's channel almost since the beginning and I am 100% sure that there is no car channel on KZbin with the quality of content that he has. Long live this channel.

[@arthur_boi]

I agree with you mate

[@j.d.8593]

Not comparing, because there is only ONE M539 channel, but ChrisFix videos are also very high quality and go into a lot of details, there are a lot of great car channels out there.

[@alistairuysal1858]

Agreed

[@marcusott2973]

Sarah,n'tuned, she's super meticulous.

[@RunePenrod]

Agreed 100%

[@MXMotorsports]

No M Technik. No 18“ wheels. WHAT A BEAUTY 🤩 Nice work bro !

[@StephenDeTomasi]

IMHO there are much nicer OEM wheels. I think the E46 M3 wheels are a thing of beauty, but stock 328i wheels... Eh

[@eugenealymov2723]

I think this was one of the most enjoyable episodes of all time. Compounded by the fact that I used to own both an E36 and an E46. This brought back memories. Bought a Lexus after the E46 hit 450K kms and began to rust badly. But it still is the best car I've ever had.

[@ΓιωργοςΤαμπακακης-τ6ο]

It was nice because the majority of the viewers cannot afford an expensive bmw, but you can find an E36 for a fair price.... 4 months ago I bought mine for 900 euros here in Greece, 4door m50b20 with 238.000 km. It is neglected and needs some repairs, but thats the fun part right??

[@arnasambrasas8176]

You bought Project Valencia around the same time as I bought my 328i cabrio. And started making rejuvenation videos. Now rejuvenation of my 328i will be a lot easer, with a lot less foul words and broken parts. Long live the M539!

[@superjamesworld]

So glad you didn't track this car as an unmodded E36 328i is so rare these days. Fantastic work as usual!

[@zocca0134]

Agree! A couple of years ago I inherited my grandfather's '95 320i. One owner, 220 000 km but in beautiful conditions. Several people asked me what I want to mod it with, but I am planning on keeping it as stock as possible. Not as fun or fast as this 328i, but I very much enjoy driving it.

[@s12d.z]

1 hour of pure enjoyment and satisfaction, every video is better than the last. Its very rare to find people with taste in cars like you do (making the car classy and oem, hows its meant to be) especially with your kind of precision and attention to detail.Immaculate work Sreten!

[@keirr1]

These quick projects make for a good pace change after months and months of Alpina stuff. Hope to see more like this mixed in with the long projects

[@ssanford]

Always love a Mutzi cameo!

[@GlitchTTG]

Yes!!!

[@rhynerunels3751]

Sreten, you definitely should invest in a dry ice machine. Those would elevate your rebuilds to the next level and I bet you would have fun recording those sections.

[@DashDrones]

Man I miss my E36, I neglected that car and it never let me down, I'm a terrible parent! This 328i will prove to be well behaved and awesome too!

[@rafaellastracom6411]

After dogs my vote goes to the E36 as man´s runner-up best friend.

[@DashDrones]

@@rafaellastracom6411 so true🐾

[@zoomout4167]

Dude i still insist that you deserve 1 billion subscribers. You content is beyond compared with all other people . Thanks indeed

[@joshuad1716]

New coffeezilla and m539 restorations, it is a good day to be a patron :)

[@maredox]

And the E36 will live for a long time! What a punchy sound of that oldie inline 6 ❤

[@dvatp]

I've done all the work in this video personally but I still learned something -- that the check valve in the oil filter housing is replaceable. When I rebuilt my M52 I did not know a new check valve was available and wound up replacing the entire housing. Got a good deal on it but still money I didn't need to spend. Good info for future reference!

[@joshdoeseverything4575]

Just came to say great work! One thing though (im sure they needed to be changed) but a shock cartridge doesn’t necessarily always rebound, and the lack of a rebound doesnt mean its bad or good. I got brand new Koni shocks and they didnt rebound out of the box. A shock absorbs the up and down movement of the car, so as long as its hard to push it in and hard to pull it out, its doing its job. Plenty of good strut cartridges do not rebound. Plenty do.

[@av8bvma513]

Agreed. The 'Self-Extension' is when the design includes Gas Pressure control of the oil volume, this reduces the tendency to cavitation.

[@jxx90s]

You're right. I noticed the same with my E24 , ages ago, when I replaced 20 year old bilsteins by koni's. Out of the box they didn't bump up. Think they were oil filled instead of gas.

[@TheAlexion85]

This is amazing and essentially a restoration. No dealer or mechanic will ever treat your car this good. Very nice work!

[@Halleiet]

The E36 is my favorite car of all time, I still drive mine a couple times a week, but thanks for a great update Sreten! Lots of useful information I'm sure will be of great help to E36 enthusiasts everywhere!

[@scalewarmachines]

I have an e36 328i coupe manual (1996) and a 328i touring manual (1998), I am smitten by these cars. I love them to bits and will be looking to complete the set with a saloon and a cabrio with the same engine/transmission set-up. Can’t get enough of the little rascals. Glad to see a 3 series e36 on your fantastic channel.

[@golfpug]

After so much Project Chicago drama, it was so nice to see a quick and clean car be so nice to Sreten - beautiful car beautiful job

[@remie4494]

You're definitely a guy that has no fear of owning a BMW as you always take all of them by the horns Sreten!! Love it. You're showing the key to ownership. Staying on top of them!

[@chriscoyle1221]

Now you're talking!! It's been 30+ years since I started to covet one of these E36 3-series and to this day i would still love to own one. Lets go!!!

[@mben456]

Just getting to wake up and find a new M539 restorations video has been uploaded really makes the day great! Love the vids and keep up the amazing work!

[@ethangreer9313]

Thanks for bringing an E36 to the channel! I had a ‘97 318i in college. Sure it was slow and everything rattled and it smelled like crayons, but it made me smile every time I walked up to it and every time I drove it. My future wife and I both learned to drive stick on that car too. Hope to see another soon!

[@745Filipe745]

This and bad obsession are the best channels on KZbin

[@thecaristascarchannel9189]

it was like a journey back in time since i owned an 328i myself as a 18 year old, couldn´t afford a mechanic so I learned to fix almost everything myself...the car taught me so much and brought me to some guys which are my best friends now, so many memories :)

[@Peter_Mueller1975]

I've got originals Coils / Zündspulen still in my Feb. 1997 M52 5 Series too, all 6 of them. 323.000km, no missfiring.

[@Kattr824]

Not a boring moment. Thanks for being professional and educational 👍🏼👍🏼

[@konstimikirtychyants5862]

Nothing better than a m539 upload while on vacation in sunny Montenegro

[@st3althyone]

I was wondering where Sreten was and then I got a notification. Hooray for Sreten! It’s great seeing you again in a wrenchfest of all episodes. I can't tell you how great it feels to see your new videos. Your content is top-notch, as usual, and the editing never misses a beat. It looks like you made an excellent choice of editors because I still can't tell the difference and your content never disappoints. Seeing Project Valencia finally getting some much-deserved love and attention is a welcome sight. I can't believe how well you’re moving projects along. Let’s hope that with the editing out of your hands, you’ll have more time to crank those projects out. Not that I'm complaining about your current output, but we can all hope for more. It's also refreshing seeing Mutzy getting some much-needed love and you get a nice little break from all that wrenching. Thanks for always giving us your best, my friend. Stay safe and we’ll see you on the next one.

[@marksantos2276]

Sreten i absolutely love your longer videos and LEARNING with you.

[@sweetcorn1968]

Thank you for another great video Sreten. Last week I changed the oil and filters on my Skoda yeti, I’ve not done anything like that for 25 years but your videos have given me the motivation to do it myself.

[@tnrtnr7706]

Your channel is therapeutic thanks for what you do

[@99andrianmonk]

Another outstanding video. Sign of a true professional; makes things look so easy that anyone can do it. From my experience, not always the case with BMWs. A real testament as to how excellent a mechanic Sreten is, as well as an educator and humorist. Looking forward to next project.

[@WookieMonster01]

Wasn't going to drink today buuuut a new episode came out and so I'm having a cold voodoo ranger imperial IPA at 11:45am to enjoy this thoroughly. Cheers!

[@cunger48]

Every time i see Mutzi it puts a smile on my face. What a great dog ❤

[@MontgomeryPisswhistle]

Imagine being an old, untidy BMW, bimbling through life, feeling unloved and then happening across Sreten and you find yourself transformed into the splendid beast you were always meant to be 😍😍

[@Nind-yu4sz]

Brilliant video as usual shout out to Max , what a generous chap. 😊

[@Phaint_]

Sreten giving me content to watch when my E61 is broken, always high quality content!

[@Hmonz88]

I’ve been waiting so long for an e36 project and although it was a rather short journey, I’m happy to hear that it won’t be the last! Can’t wait for the next one. Hopefully an M3.

[@JuanLima05]

Even though I don't own any BMW, doesn't do anything like what he is doing. I just love watching your channel. Will never get bored.

[@hugoferreira3846]

That interior 😍😍 Another masterpiece video!!

[@Dal97GLX]

I just replaced the suspension on my owned since new 08 Toyota Highlander. Up until this car, I've never owned anything long enough that required a full suspension replacement. I am totally amazed at the transformation, drives like new again @ 262k miles. I've been on top of the fluid maintenance since day one, and knock on wood, I get another 100k out of it.

[@lucase3047]

Regarding the shocks, since those were twintubes it's a bit different. There is only low pressure nitrogen in there to reduce aeration from foaming, so there is little rod pressure. There was still resistance in the rear damper by seeing how you pushed and had to pull it down. So there would still be damping, sure more likely to overheat and have aeration issues, but not 100% defective as many think. If it was a high pressure monotube it would be different.

[@axxeloc79]

This has been one of my favorite episodes!!

[@marekkorona7343]

Bardzo lubię oglądać Twoje filmy. Po takim szczegółowym serwisie samochód na długie lata będzie dobrze służył. Pozdrawiam z Polski 🇵🇱.

[@alincurut]

Now this is the...princess treatment that this car deserves!

[@EVDIY]

Brilliant episode as ever. I was in Heilbronn for a month this summer and was blown away by the number of older cars around - quite often in fairly basic spec - in really good condition. Obviously lots of Audis given the proximity to Neckarsulm but plenty of BMWs as well. Your E36 would now be amongst the nicest but I left wishing there were as many nice cars to choose from in the UK where everything is just rust.

[@glogowatz_7526]

1:01:40 bro did the look (we all do, no hate, extraordinary quality video btw, never seen something this good and consistent in my entire 12 years on KZbin)

[@gordonx145]

What a pleasure to watch a living legend of the mechanical world 😊 ( side note : please tell Derek of VGG how to get audio as good as yours )

[@der_schwahn]

A tip from am bmw Mechanic: If the Alternator or AC Compressor doesnt wanna come out, put back the screws forr a few threads After that, Hit the top of the screw with a Hammer, to push back the screw nut? (dont know the englisch Word for "Mutter") and you are good to Go.

[@josephbidon4333]

I don't even like BMWs, but what an inspiration! The sheer professionalism of these restorations is a joy to watch, quality work on quality parts and no compromises or quick fixes.

[@TheChanne1-d8u]

This is the series that i watch every single day again and again

[@nzinferno]

Really enjoyed the short series, and the M52 love. Maybe an N52 next? 😃

[@jxx90s]

I vote for N54 lol

[@wujos]

nothing to fix on N52s

[@crossplanerider]

Best E36 maintanance video out there for sure. Long live the E36. Got my Compact converted with the 2.8l and some slight mods for a little bit extra power. 250km/h on the speedometer can be reached quite well.

[@CSI_tuning_solutions]

Glad to hear your compact is running well now with ur swapped b28 👍

[@crossplanerider]

@@CSI_tuning_solutions yes me also. Now from time to time some fine tuning

[@VladanUmicevic]

Overtaking expensive SUV and then give him "THE LOOK"(the look= wtf man move!) Priceless!!!

[@valentijn9]

So love this channel ! Perfect mix of personality, humor, sense of community and lots and lots of broken BMW’s…. it’s awesome. Would you ever do an E82 project? Or anything with a N52B30 engine. An ode to the last NA straight 6.

[@dariusdarabant6232]

It is amazing to see how much the VANOS unit is flexing when you apply pressure and turn the solenoid on. Maybe when the valve cover sits on top of it, that flex is reduced.

[@darius2640]

instead of using zip ties to hold gaskets in place you could use twist ties, they are reusable so you wouldn't have to cut them off, could save yourself whole 50cents per engine I reckon

[@TheDomander]

i dont even drive a bmw - but i just love all of your content, sreten - you legend!

[@sydney8382]

Moral of the story, replace everything…

[@schweppie]

Sreten, Thank you for showing us how to work on these cars, I've been following you for a while now. Yesterday I did my first ever repair on the underside of my e46, rear shocks and diff oil change. I couldn't have done it / gained enough confidence without studying your videos and can do mindset, thank you so much. I did have an oopsie moment though.. when filling the diff, a plastic part of the end of the filler pump tube fell in the diff : |, but managed to get it out luckily (only took 4 hours to do but hey! :D ). Next up the front shocks, but I'll have to watch/study some more for that I think. It looks challenging! Greetings from the Netherlands

[@Therealrichdude]

Bro, how can you drive that close to the steering wheel 😂😂😂

[@gio5898]

I thought I was the only one noticing. I’m like what??? Lol

[@Begunend20]

I swear this is my dose of therapy. Thanks Sreten!

[@sonnykaledi9278]

Sreten, your resourceful is encyclopedic. I have this E36 325i, and I will emulate every step you undertook. Thank you, and we'll done Sir ✔ 🙏 Sonny

[@chetanjiva8874]

Thank you for making this video! I had a 94 base model 316i with 1.8l 8 valve m43 engine which I bought used in 2000 and sold in 2018. The only reason I sold it was because of theft and hijack risk. It was also broken into. The thieves destroyed the dash and steering column because they could not start the car (battery in trunk was disconnected while vacationing).I fixed it and eventually sold it. This was a very reliable bmw and very easy for diy work. The electronics never gave me problems and even the air conditioning was still original. Fixed/replaced items were locks,ignition, thermostat, radiator, power steering pipe, fuel pump and the transmission. The electronics never gave me any problems except for the ABS brake module. It still had the original ignition coil module and cables. The engine was never opened in all these years because of regular maintenance and good oil. The ride quality was great on 15 inch alloy wheels.

[@mso8190]

Would have loved to see this car fully restored. Beautiful E36. Hope she finds a good home. Nice one Sreten 👍

[@ohnename1358]

If I hadn’t 4 BMW at this time, I’d go for it for sure. The new owner is a lucky man.

[@richs7107]

Great car! M52 is one of the best BMW produced, the late alusi M52tuB28 best of them all.

[@TheNikolius]

My 27 year old 328i is cussing me right now. Great video as always 👍 🇬🇧

[@joshdevdoss9041]

I love these old body BMWs, The exhaust note on that thing is amazing,

[@markanthony6128]

Watching these videos is like therapy thank you

[@TheJoaquinzman]

Sreten I found out about you 1 month ago. I’ve watch most of your videos and this will be the first time I watch a video fresh out of the oven. Never thought i would sit through hundreds of hours of video of a guy talking to himself. Thank you.

[@V8.77]

The E36 is a beautiful machine. Manly, yet elegant. Thanks Sreten, all the best dude.

[@PCarDriver87]

You know you've made it when people give you perfect wheels for free. We love you, brother!

[@MikeBMW]

As a 1990 e34 (525i and 535i) and an e32 1990 750iL owner, Sreten's videos are pure gold as an example of thorough and proper work techniques! Awesome stuff, thanks! :)

[@slacko1971]

Ahh You are a man with an eye for quality, I would say you own the cream of the BMW crop disregarding insanely priced rarities. Both e34 and e32 were light years ahead of the competition in every possible way. Sadly the e36 was built to a price and it showed, I was working in a dealership when they were released and couldn't believe the quality or lack there of that BMW used in the materials.

[@petec2583]

Best demonstration I've ever seen of how variable cam timing works.

[@crisholmurb007]

I think Mutsi should be a permanent member of the cast in this channel!

[@marmo75]

E36 is a timeless classic, kudos

[@Greaseman762]

words will never describe how much I enjoy Stretens content

[@t_spana]

This might be the most important E36 video I've seen. Thank you.

[@ronniejarvis2679]

I miss BMW’s golden era so much

[@thinkeightsix]

The test drive brought back memories of road trips I took when I lived in Germany years ago.

[@andym9176]

Takes me back 22 years, especially the sway bars which i seem to remember having to change after they rotted out… that steering wheel is a thing of beauty, the 328i sports coupe (or poor man’s m3) is still a fave of mine…

[@TerrasClip]

The best thing is that these videos are not only pure entertainment but they can be educational as well, lots of invaluable information can be gained.

[@pr7606]

I know nothing about beemer motors but enjoy the precision and the fine detail to each repair.

[@LorenzoA483]

I've been waiting for a while for you to get your hands on an E36, so glad it finally happened!

[@Bezu99]

Saw this on a Romanian youtube channel, gorgeous.

[@vladdutz20]

I had the pleasure to film it and managed to have a small chat with Sreten about the car :)

[@bekiro28]

You are probably the only guy in earth, fixing a car like you will keep it for next 20 year, knowing you gonna fix and sell it. For this reason alone you deserve a huge respect. i wish i could buy a bmw from you one day. This could be a 3 seperate video, but you cut it short and sweet. Thanks for the effort to entertain us brother.

[@guilhermeechergui0p]

Fun fact, here in Brazil one of the best brands of shocks is Monroe, I had a car who the shocks gone bad, and changed for de original ones, not even 2 years later gone bad again, changed for Monroe ones as a recomendation of the mechanic, btw your videos encourages me to maintain the maintanace the best as I can, Thank you.

[@jasonlouis5498]

Thank you for refreshing this wonderful car! The e36 is a special car to me and I hope I always own one… yes they squeak and rattle but driving one always wins you over. E36 best car!!! 😎

[@vorsprungdurchtech]

The only person I would ever consider buying a BMW from is YOU! You are more thorough than the dealer and you go way above and beyond on everything. Great content!!

[@jxx90s]

Love his work! But without youtube revenue there would not be much of a business case for a seller to make money on cars by doing it this way which is the right way lol.

[@fuelman2265]

The highlight of my day when a new episode comes on air…. YOU ARE THE BMW GURU❤

[@dylanrc2994]

I had no idea what a cool channel this is!

[@helicocktor]

Ooooh my dad had one of these. Awesome car, made me fall in love with cars. Had lots of problems though. Iirc he blew the top gasket twice, VANOS broke twice, lots of electrical issues, also overheated quite often. I live on the equator and this car was probably made for cooler, dryer climates. Hates hot and humid tropical climate. Best thing was he switched it for a Mk 4 Supra (yuppp) but kept it less than a year since my mom got angry at not having a car that could properly fit a family. Me and my brother, we didn't mind though. We loved sitting in the backseat of the Supra while dad did some pulls.

[@dumitrescugeorgedaniel4877]

I love your videos , I'm a young mechanic with no experience and I would love to learn how to repair cars . Thanks for all the work you do , Sreten ! :)

[@jw200]

I have owned 5 E36s and I love them. I did all the repairs by myself. Because I have all the tools and equipment for this. I love doing all myself. Next planning to buy E39. Never owned this and would like to try. Probably will make YT channel about my garage stuff including E39.