1998 BMW M3

That is what it seems but the cooling system doesn't instantly pressurize. Is there a scenario where coolant can get into the combustion chamber but exhaust can't get into the cooling system?

Yes. Maybe not common but possible.

You can check the plugs and possibly look into cylinders to see if any if them are cleaner than the rest. But if you put new plugs in and cleaned the piston domes real well you might not be able to tell.

The head bolts weren't torqued properly. Any recommendations for a new torque wrench?

Lot's of catching up to do. So, after I got the engine running, I went on to the next problem. A previous repair had left some rust in the trunk.

Not good. I checked the rest of the trunk for any rust, had a helper with for that. There was also a bit of rust forming in this seem where the quarter panel is braced to the narrow metal piece that runs under the taillights.

I sent it back to the bodyshop that did the repair initially to use their lifetime guarantee, and since the rock chips on the front were starting to get excessive, and the bumper had a few spider webs, I asked them to respray the bumper, hood, and grill.

Discovered that the bumper was pretty much beyond repair. While it was there. Project creep time. New bumper, oh and you guys mentioned the crooked headlight, it was broken, might as well get a pair to keep the front end symmetrical. The bumper took a few weeks to arrive, but it eventually arrived. I get a phone call saying the car is complete only to find the hood feels like sandpaper, I ask them if they usually polish the hood when they are done. They apologize and tell me they will call when it is complete.

Day before I was supposed to pick the car up I get a phone call saying the ignition is stuck in the on position. Ok... I drive down to check and sure enough it is. I look it up on the forum and it seems to be a pretty common problem. Got a locksmith over to the body shop only to be told that he could not repair it, dealer only. Great. I should also mention that the car was not washed prior to me getting it to the dealer, I figured it was due to the fact that it was immobile and stuck inside the shop. I also noted to them that my emblem had been polished off the hood. I paid my bill so I could get it to the BMW dealership.

After a significant bill, and a 2 week wait for the ignition parts to come in I pick up a clean M3. I notice something. The hood doesn't seem to be the right color silver, and there are various flecks and indentations on it as well. There is also a huge tapeline under the tail light, as well as overspray on the outside of the trunk. I guess from when the were spraying the inside of it.

I'm not to thrilled about their work. Now, since this is the same shop that screwed up the repairs the first time around, six years ago, I am reluctant to send it back to them. I figured after six years their entire staff had probably changed, or most of it. Unfortunately, even though the staff was all new, the culture is the same. When my car was there six years ago, it was there for 12 weeks. I was going back and forth with them the entire time, poor work, new scratches, etc. Generally careless and no pride in their work. For this reason, I am not even going to bother to get them to correct their work, it will never be up to my standard. Unfortunately, this means it is back to the body shop next week for another hood respray.

I hate body shops.

I dont believe anyone that tells me their body shop can do a good job, good body shops just dont exist.

I had to sell a perfectly good car because of a stupid body shop. Did not want to deal with it anymore.

Me too.

The next one had 4.8 out of 5 on google, and my mechanic said they do good work. I am hopeful.

So this body shop was smart enough to say it should have been totaled. The quarter panel was never hung correctly, and there was suspicion of more frame damage, but before they got that far the estimate was enough to total the car. Not all is bad, new build thread to come.