Supercharged E46 M3 Racer (Build Log)

[m30dus]

It's the best part of three years since I built my last E46 race car and having sold it just over a year ago I've got it into my head that I need to build another but this time with boost.

Here are some pics of the old car the day I sold it:









Looking back now I wish I'd never sold as was one of the most memorable cars I've ever had. Needless to say I'm looking to do even bigger and better things this time round!!

Bring to the scene the donor car which I collected from Gatwick a couple of weeks ago:





To be quite honest the car is a bag of spuds despite full BMW history, 3 owners and 60k miles. On the journey home the gearbox overheated and stopped the car from starting again (god love SMG), the crankshaft oil seal has gone, and pretty much all of the electrics are shot. On the up side it was nice and cheap :-)

A quick scan of the existing panels suggests all of the paintwork is original, which on an 11 year car is good going by all accounts.



Despite the niggles the journey home to just outside of Edinburgh reminded me just how much I love the E46. I've had E92 M3's as my daily drive for the last 5 years and I really find myself asking myself why - the E46 is easily as much fun in pretty much all areas.

Quickly I set to work removing the existing interior etc:



Took the best part of a day to get it stripped down to this stage. Now to start a mass Ebay sale!!

Edited by m30dus on Thursday 31st May 21:41

Edited by m30dus on Thursday 31st May 22:18

[m30dus]

Progress in the last two weeks in the main has been in sourcing and ordering up all of the parts.

I've removed all of the redundant wiring from the wiring loom now and was quite impressed with just how much weight has been saved (in the last one I left the loom pretty much intact for the fear of knackering it!). A quick check of everything confirms nothing has been compromised and no error codes in the ECU so all is good.



After removing this lot the car has been moved to a friends garage where in the last week all of the bonded sound deadening has been removed, all glass stripped out and the engine and box removed. Not pics just at this precise moment but I hope to get some more next week when the installation of the cage starts (should be arriving tomorrow from Custom Cages).

[Terminator X]

Your blue car looks ok too

TX.

[m30dus]

The intended spec for the car is going to be something like this:

Stock 3.2 motor with uprated rods, bearings, pistons, head bolts etc
Head ported and polished with Shrick camshafts, titanium valve springs etc
ESS supercharger rated to 700hp
1000cc injectors
Custom inlet plenum with blow-off valve
Race spec aluminium radiator with motorsport viscous fan and thermostat
Uprated oil and water pumps with oil diverter valve
JRP lightweight aluminium flywheel with 3 plate clutch
Front mounted air to air intercooler
5-speed manual stickshifter and uprated rear diff
Stack dash with data logger, boost, exhaust temperature, air/fuel ratio gauges etc
100-cel motorsport cats
Supersprint lightweight racing exhaust
Intrax 3-way dampers all round
Eibach rear camber arms
Alcon 6-pot front brakes with full floating discs
Alcon 4-pot rear brakes with full floating discs
ABS removed with Alcon pedal box taking place of clutch and brake pedals (will re-plumb entire system in aeroquip)
Carbon fibre bumper, bonnet, roof, bootlid, doors
Perspex all round
Lightweight heated front screen (no heater matrix)
Custom Cages 2011 spec international cage with rear diff and front suspension turret strengthening
Team Dynamics Pro 1.2 wheels
Wheel stud conversion
Carbon kevlar Recaro front seat with Hans support
Swirl pot with twin motorsport fuel pumps

Weight target for the car is circa 1150kg so should have a power to weight ratio of somewhere near 480bhp per ton when she is done. Thats a good bit more than my Scud which is 372bhp per ton and goes like a scalded cat!!!

Rather optimistic that she will be complete to make a few days out in late July/ early August. I'm quite excited.

[carreauchompeur]

Wow, great project. How much weight are you looking to drop?

[m30dus]

carreauchompeur said:

Wow, great project. How much weight are you looking to drop?

Cheers. The last car was about 200kg overweight so I'm uber conscious to get the weight down this time. Any nut, bolt or washer not absolutely required ain't going near this car! I'm going to loose the heater matrix, ABS pump, SMG pump, A/C etc etc along with the brake servo and anything else that can go to loose weight.

A big saving will also come from running perspex windows and a lightweight heated front screen and probably most of all, carbon fibre doors.

I'm really hoping 1150kg or slightly less can be a reality, although the charger itself won't help my cause.

[S3_Graham]

I was jealous of the last car, sure this one will be great! Keeping smg?

[m30dus]

S3_Graham said:

I was jealous of the last car, sure this one will be great! Keeping smg?

Thanks Graham. I originally intended to but everyone has since advised me against it. Also there is a near 25kg weight saving if I go to an older 5-speed manual box. That's the way I intend to go.

Of course sequential would be nice but they are £10k plus and it would need regular rebuilds.

[davepoth]

m30dus said:

Quickly I set to work removing the existing interior etc:

You must get some dirty looks from the neighbours. Good effort!

[Chunkychucky]

Old car looks gorgeous stripped out with a single race bucket, and good man for wanting to ditch SMG, look forward to seeing the progress of this build

[dom9]

Will be following this one with interest!

[Gingernuts]

Will be watching this carefully. Will there be a colour change in the pipeline?

Cant beleive you actually managed to part with the old race car, its a thing of beauty!!

[m30dus]

Gingernuts said:

Will be watching this carefully. Will there be a colour change in the pipeline?

Cant beleive you actually managed to part with the old race car, its a thing of beauty!!

I'm thinking Lambo Green with CSL grey to the engine bay and interior. What do we think chaps?

[SirSamuelOfBuca]

do it! i love stuff like this one love to do a build like this!

good stuff!

[G20]

Love the cars and houses

[Gingernuts]

Interlagos blue is my favourite for the '46, but they will certainly see you coming in that colour!!

Similar colour to a race car we ran for a few years!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23355531@N06/22884675...

If ever you need a hand either prepping or servicing at events let me know, Im only up the road from you in Perth and my race car is pretty much finished so when Im onshore I will be twiddling my thumbs soon enough!

Also, if you are getting rid of M3 bits let me know, as Ive just picked up an E46 and am on the hunt for a few things.

Edited by Gingernuts on Friday 1st June 11:46

[dom9]

I always feel the Kawasaki green looks a bit more vibrant and angry than the Lamborghini colour... But maybe they are the same?!

[The_Gza]

Will be following this one with interest

Lambo Green looks good to me but a bit marmite - I'd go for my favourite BMW colour every time - Santorini Blue

Where will you be tracking it?

[rhinochopig]

I would look at spending more on the wheels and get a set of GRP doors as there tends to be little difference weight wise.

A set of forged wheels will easily absorb the savings made by swapping from CF the GRP but you'll save weight where it matters: unsprung mass.

Eg. a set of Enkei RPF1s


ETA Sorry, forgot to add it looks like it will be an interesting project.

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 1st June 19:18

[Beedub]

modus ive had the ess s/c kit for a long while.... drop me an email if you want some advice on getting more from the kit, theirs some real tried and tested ways of making the kit EVEN more special, you will love it mate, the s54 with boost is a special thing indeed :-) ive been through all the iterations of the ess kits now and currently knocking on 500hp at the wheels!!! :-)

good luck mate :-)