Washington mornings are crisp in the fall. Past the hustle and bustle of Seattle’s technology saturated east side lie country roads that meander through the landscape. The dew turns to light frost and everything seems to quiet down. So when Mark Couts and his 1997 BMW E36 328i hit the street, you hear it long before you see it.
Mark is as tall (6’7″) as the reputation that Team Instant Party has in the Northwest, and despite being a relatively new crew, most have been around for a long while. He’s had different drift cars in the past, and they have come and gone for one reason or another. Having drifting as a hobby isn’t easy for a poor college student trying to make ends meet, as I’m sure a lot of you can relate. While making the best of it, Mark has built an amazing looking E36. Clean and mean.
The first week he had the car, it immediately went under the knife. All the requisite drifter tools were on the list. The diff was welded in true Top Ramen for dinner style; stiff KW coilovers ensure any grandma would decline a ride, and of course, Mark mounted up some new wheels because in grassroots drifting, function follows form.
The car sits on BBS Style 5 wheels, sized in 17×8 (+10 front, +20 rear), wrapped in 205/40/17 Dunlop Direzzas all around. BBS wheels, are of course, at home on a Euro car and the white on white makes this car hard to miss in the dreary traffic gorged roads of the Seattle area. Camshafts, sway bars, and the front bumper were stolen (not literally) from an M3. It also has AKG bushings, a Super Sprint exhaust and an AC Schnitzer intake.
Kid’s got heart. There are trailer queens and there are drivers. This car is a driver. As some of you may know, the Ziptied All Star Bash events have become every drifter’s Woodstock, and for the last few events, the Northwest has made a strong appearance. A caravan of Washington states peeps drive down to party and drift every time. Mark has been a part of those treks… previously in an S14, and just this last year in the E36. Throwing caution and sensibility aside, he drove his chariot 1000 miles from Seattle to Socal to participate.
Unfortunately while flogging the Bimmer on Horse Thief Mile (his favorite course at Willow Springs), the engine couldn’t handle the amount of awesome being passed through it, and Mark blew the head gasket. Thankfully this happened towards the end of the event, so he was still able to clock valuable seat time at Horse Thief – enough to make the trip worth it at least. Leaving the car in California, Mark flew back home after the event. Being a full time student, financial resources were scarce, but Mark found a solution to get his car back home. Driving down with a trailer, he was able to pick up his car and bring it back to Washington. Mark isn’t made of money, so he had to sell his daily driver in order to raise funds for an engine rebuild. This is now Marks daily/drifter, and luckily for him, the cops in Washington state aren’t as strict as California cops when it comes to modded street cars. Thank God.
The future looks bright for Mark and his steed. During the winter, plans are in motion for a bonafide racing seat and a roll cage so he can tandem with his other TIP teammates. I’m sure he has a lot more in store as well, so we’ll just have to wait and see what he has up his sleeve. Look for Mark tearing up the track at Evergreen Speedway competing in the Northwestern Formula Drift Pro Am Series that is starting in 2010. We can’t wait.
:: Lucas Perez
MC KOTS iLL!
The stance and color makes those 17×8’s seem wider. Very cool story and car! Daily Drifter, harder core than I. Livin’ the E36 Life! ha ha
That car looks awesome. Those fenders seem wider than normal though. right?
“Having drifting as a hobby isn’t easy for a poor college student trying to make ends meet, as I’m sure a lot of you can relate.”
Having a car hobby and still being in college is just hard, period. 😛
Killer awesome car, Mark! Hopefully I can meet you and her in person next year sometime, I’ll be in Spokane but I’m planning plenty of treks to Seattle for the drift scene there. My 240SX needs to see what she was practically born to do.
It doesn’t get any easier once you’re out of college. 4 kids, a mortgage and minivan payment are postponing me getting my RIDE!
It’s worth it, just making me plan it really really well. ha ha
Kids are what mess it up unless your’re making a great living. Out of college, no kids, and making a fairly decent living helps with the hobbies even with a mortgage.
you tip boys and your publicity lol lucas good write up man, tall shit props on a good lookin car, cant wait to see you out there next season with the best of the best in the nw. one thing tho, no more team instant “sandwhichs” poor walker lol
GOO tall mark!! dear motormavens: keep up the good work, and thanks for the NW coverage! these guys deserve it…
HOLY STICKERAGE!!!! Could be alot better without them imo.
Haha, TIP cars “dominate” MM!!! The cool thing is that isn’t a problem, at least for me 😛
Brilliant pics Lucas!
PS. Thanks for writting down an example of what could be my life within 3 years 😉
Damn son! TIP reppin’ hard! u got dem new sweet pics to put on yer myspace now brah!
Thanks for all the comments!
@Jaime: I must point out that these pics are the handy work of Yoshi Shindo, he took some amazing shots!
Wow that is a nice car Mark. Great job!
MC KOT pro am 2010!!! bouncing limiter 4th gear e36 on 5/8ths bank
yay mark !
MC KOT 4 Prez 2012!!!
YEAAAAHHHH dope photos yoshi.
awesome story lucas! make sure yoshi catches the details like the sunvisor and ROLLING UP THE WINDOWS next time! lol dammit.
Awesome article! thanks for all the comments.. rear fitments a little embarasssing spacers in the mail at the time.. pics turned out amazing though. ps if anyone cares its a dinan intake not a acs.
Very, very nice ride.
Great article! Good job Lucas on the writeup!
Mark get that front lip back on so it drags full time!
heyy you dont know me but i go to your college we should hang out hottie 😉
Hey mark I traded gabe my s13 sr hatch for your 328i now he has my red hatch
รับปักเสื้อ รับขุดตัดสูทสากล สูทผ้าไหม ชุดฟอร์มพนักงาน ชุดข้าราชการ
Best e36 i have ever seen.
This special US Style is really nice
That looks really fresh 😀 makes me wanna build a look a like 😀
OMG…GREAT CAR AND PICS!!!No offense more pics for wallpaperz wit out the tall owner dude…LOL!Good job mate!!!!