I’m not leaving the garage until this $1000 BMW starts!

I’ve only got 6 months and $1000 left in my budget to turn my rusty old BMW into a race car, and it still doesn’t run. The clock is ticking, and we have a ton of work still left to do.

As covered in the previous update, I wanted to get the car running, but that was put on hold because I ordered the wrong fuel filter. In my defense, BMW changed the fuel filter design in the middle of my model year–I will accept no blame.

While waiting for the correct filter to arrive, I stripped out the interior. I knew this would have two benefits for us: reducing weight and uncovering the rust that we would need to repair. Removing the carpet revealed that the floors definitely needed a good bit of repair, but that is on the back burner while we work to get the car running.

A few days after we stripped out the car–lovingly nicknamed the 325ish–I got the email that my BimmerWorld order was out for delivery.

Installing the new fuel filter was not easy (I now understand why BMW changed the design for later E36s), but I was able to get it put in and buttoned up.

Now to fire it up!

Still cranks, but no start.

The next thing I decided to check was the spark plugs, and I think I might have found the problem.

I started pulling spark plugs and ignition coils, and nothing looked great. Every spark plug was black, and most of the ignition coils were wet and gross.

I removed the excess fuel from the cylinders, cleaned off the ignition coils, and then installed the new spark plugs. It has to fire up this time, right?

I turned the key and discovered another issue. Apparently I didn’t have all of the injectors installed properly, so some fuel ended up on the floor of my garage. Thankfully we have plenty of kitty litter on hand, so cleanup wasn’t too bad.

The next day I went back into the garage and decided that I wasn’t leaving until I got the car to run. I jumped the fuel pump relay to verify that the injectors weren’t leaking before trying to start the car, and I was able to confirm that we have no more fuel leaks.

I sat in the car, turned the key, and still no start.

But it wanted to start. It sounded closer to starting than it had before.

I tried to think of what else I could do, and I had the idea to unplug the MAF. Then I got back in the driver’s seat and turned the key, and the engine fired up immediately. I shut it off, turned the key again, and it started up again with no hesitation.

The 325ish didn’t run great, but my hope was that replacing the MAF would help it idle better.

Thanks to the power of the internet, a new MAF arrived before I got home from work the next day, and within a couple minutes, I had the new one installed and ready to go. And sure enough, the new MAF works and the car runs better with it plugged in.

We’re just about 6 months away from the 2026 Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge presented by Tire Rack and powered by AutoBidMaster, and now that we have a running car, I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now time to tackle that rust!

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