After studying from all angles.. on a gorgeous crisp bright winter's day, btw (love it!).. I've determined for myself that using wheel spacers on the rear of the Coupe to bring the tires out a bit and "simulate" a lowered look... isn't quite gonna work.

Just my opinion.. but when looking at the car from the side, dead on square, no amount of bringing the wheel out is going to envoke this visual trick. I do think, though, that it would work visually from all the other viewing angles. Let's call it, 3 out of 4. Not bad.

So I'm thinking that for this to really work, the car will have to be lowered slightly (which I'm trying to avoid), and then add the wheel spacers.

I just read a tech article piece in Bimmer where Mike Miller said that there are three differenct thicknesses of spring perch rubber pads available for the E36. About 5mm difference between each of the three. All factory parts. Does anybody know if our cars have this option, or perhaps if the 3 series uses the same ones we do?

He had brought it up, because the guy writing in was asking if it was possible to lower his 3 series a half inch. Mike's response was that no after market spring kit would do that (little), but, that the guy had the option available of replacing the spring pads with shorter ones.

A half to three quarters of an inch. That's all I'm after as well. Has anybody tried this spring pad replacement trick?

Lastly, would a half inch of lowering make the rear negative camber tire wear thing worse? (seems too small of an amount to effect it).

Thanks folks.