If you have been following this Project Coupe on the blog, thanks for sticking with us. It's been a longer project, but also the most rewarding so far. I was just looking at the photos in the Previous Listing, and it's pretty crazy how far it's come.

The goal of the project coupes has always been to treat them like our own. If it were our own coupe we had just bought, what things would we upgrade, what things need to be fixed, what things annoy us, what could we live with? We are not necessarily striving for perfection. We want to make reliable drivers of cars that may have previously been unloved. We try to be responsible with our own budget, so we can sell what we feel are great cars for very fair prices. At the same time, we want them to be as beautiful as coupes should be and something the next owner will be proud of. You'll notice we tend to revert many things back to stock. We see it as creating a blank slate for the next owner.

The obvious exception in this case is the suspension. We complained about it being too low and harsh initially, replaced it with a stock suspension, then ended up replacing it again with a more conservative lowered suspension. The admittedly too high stock suspension just did not look right with the agressive look and sound of the ANSA exhaust. If it were my car, I wouldn't have been satisfied with that, so we found a more suitable replacement that was a functional as well as aesthetic upgrade. I also think this particular coupe looks to be begging for aftermarket wheels (not 19" E46 M3 wheels), but we'll let the next owner decide on that.

Click on the Project Coupe Articles above for more details, but here are the highlights of some of the things we've done:

Upgrades/Modifications

• Randy Forbes Subframe Reinforcement
  Unfortunately necessary in this case, but now makes me want to install the kit in my own coupe. It feels so much more solid in every way.
• Bilstien Sport Struts/Shocks with TC Kline Springs
  The stances looks just right to my eyes and it corners amazingly. It's definitely a lot stiffer than stock, but doesn't beat you up too much.
• TC Kline Rear Shock Mounts
  TC Kline branded version of the Rogue Engineering rsms we all love. The new owner will never need to tear apart the rear hatch for suspension upgrades again. Your welcome!
• ANSA Exhaust
  The aftermarket exhaust was required in order to clear the new 2nd ear of the differential mount in the subframe reinforcement kit. Luckily this one looks mean, sounds great, and I swear weighs less than half as much as the stock exhaust.

Service Highlights

• Replaced Cam Shaft Sensor
• Replaced O2 Sensors
• Replaced Passenger Rear CV Axle
• Repaired A/C
• E36 2-Ear Differential Cover
• New Differential Fluid
• New Transmission Fluid
• Fresh Oil Change
• Repaired Autodimming Rearview Mirror
• Replaced Headlight Switch
• Repaired/Repadded Driver Seat Bolster
• Glove Box Fix
• Clutch Pedal Bushings
• Door Handle Gaskets
• Lots, lots more...

Fortunately, while this coupe had not been babied aesthetically, the previous owner had done a good job maintaining it mechanically. Common things we would normally do at this mileage like replacing the water pump, clutch, flex disc/giubo and brakes had already been addressed. We have records showing he also replaced the trailing arms, tensioner and rear wheel bearings.

The couple remaining issues that we determined we would live with for now if it was our own coupe include:

• There's a small ding on each door and two on the roof in front of the sunroof. They should be very PDR-able
• The sunroof arm on the passenger side has disconnected from the sunroof motor. The sunroof still raises and lowers fine although it is a little higher on the driver side. We didn't even notice it for a while.
• The wheels aren't perfect and the rears have some rash. We decided to leave it up to the next owner to decide if they want to refinish them, replace them with aftermarket, or leave them as is.
• It has the common crack in the center console near the AC button. Hopefully Niche Motoring will have their solution available soon.

If you are wondering, I've re-fixed the glovebox since taking the photos as I didn't have one of the screws properly seated on the left side. I have also replaced all those plastic caps on the hatch panel that I had accidentally left open in the photos.

It's now ready for a new owner who is looking for a very fun driver, free of the worry of subframe issues, and appreciative of a fairly unique color combo (1 of 12). Don't worry if you are out of state, as we are more than happy to help arrange shipping. Send me an email at jon@mcoupebuyersguide.com for more details.