Damian Kowalski's E36 328i Cabrio
Photography by Damian Kowalski
As the stance scene continues to grow, it becomes more difficult to set yourself apart from the rest, especially with one of the most popular platforms. The E36 has definitely been explored with just about every look you could possibly imagine. Damian Kowalski still managed to catch the attention of many with his take on a convertible 328i though.
The car went into his hands around the end of 2008 and was in store for quite a few changes. He first fitted a set of Kerscher RX in 8"/9" sizes. In 2009 he purchased coilovers and Rondell Model 0058 wheels in 17x8.5"/10". Damian however quickly came to the conclusion that the one-piece alloys were not what he was looking for. So shortly after he found himself three-piece RH Porsche AL-Cups in 18x9/10.5". In the meantime he bought new front and rear lamps, fog lights, steering wheel, windscreen and the rest of the M-Package. In 2010, he repainted the car, expanded the wheels to 10/11" and installed front and rear camber plates.
The beginning of 2011 started off with replacing the factory M50B25 engine with a new M52B28 including all of the accessories, transmission and exhaust. The interior received M3 Vader seats, a new dash, a steering wheel with multifunction, the original wood trim package for convertibles, Pioneer Avic 2DIN Radio HD with hard drive and navigation, and manual air conditioning was upgraded to the automatic version. The seats, door panels and the lower part of the dash was reupholstered in orange leather. Of course the wheels were due for a change again, this time the choice fell on a set of 3 piece OZ Futuras in 17x9.5" et18 / 17x11" et12. Damian decided to spread some more of that beautifully unique orange around the rest of the car, so the wheel centers and calipers were color matched to the interior. The original brakes have been swapped out for those found on the E46 330i (front 325mm / rear 320mm). The headlights were smoked and he found the original yellow glass from the version of yellow Hella's.
He began to build a custom air suspension in 2012. He gathered all of the parts that he needed and made it himself... stating that it's a very complex system with variable speed operation (fast-slow) + control to each wheel separately, two tanks for air and the remote control. While the car was disassembled he also replaced all of the suspension stabilizers, rear axle shafts and hubs. He also ordered a custom limited slip differential with a shorter 3.45 gear ratio with 40% lock-up.
With a list of proper upgrades and some perseverance, Damian's shown exactly what it takes to stand out from the crowd.
