My E46 M3 Coupe
Discussion
Oh boy I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!
I'm a massive petrolhead and this is probably my favourite sub-forum, first of the day, every day, and at least 3 visits per day for updates!
Not quite sure why - I have a very wide interest in cars and you see a lot of variety here, but probably more for the stories and the whys and wherefores.
So my 'story' is below, but for those who prefer the car info and pictures, I'll make a start here.
So it's a 2001 E46 M3 Coupe, with manual gearbox and 83,000 miles on the clock. Paint is Topaz Blue and interior is grey leather. A previous owner has had the trim bits carbon-dipped that, whilst not my preference, does look pretty good and is a very good job. Pretty basic spec, no nav or heated seats, but they were pretty well specced anyway so has the electric memory seats and electric glass sunroof etc... It has some Eibach lowering springs and spacers that I would have fitted anyway and really give it a nice stance, without giving a boy racer feel - imho at least!
An eBay purchase and extremely long road trip to collect last weekend, it really is in very good all-round condition and drives extremely well. It's been quite recently under sealed and the underneath is very clean. Luckily we were able to get under the car and were happy to confirm both the seller and MOT testers view that the subframe is in excellent condition with no immediate signs of cracking. Paintwork is very good, despite the odd stone chip you would expect for a 14 year old car, and leather is also in good condition, with just a little recolouring needed on the drivers side bolster. I think I got it for around £1000 less than true market value so am doing my best to resist flipping it!
A few pictures before I ramble on....
I'm really impressed with how it drives. I've been in the industry for 13 years and have been fortunate enough to drive many nice cars, but this feels about as fast as you can realistically go whilst pushing a car to somewhere near its limits, and at the same time being very solid and comfortable. As a Brucie bonus, the wife loves the colour combination and my cousin works for a BMW dealer, so hopefully I'm well placed to enjoy this car for many years to come.
Plans? I'm hopeful that the immediate requirements amount to some minor stuff to satisfy my OCD - new boots struts (already ordered), a little leather recolouring, reattach window trims both sides (common problem). Also, I'm not a fan of the very white indicators, so will probably change these for Amber or smoked items.
Medium term it probably could use new brakes, although I learnt that they all tend to 'moan' a little. It needs a new diffuser as some of the attachments are snapped - will probably go for a CSL-style one but get it all painted body colour?
I prefer the 18" OEM wheels so will be looking to move my 19" on. The seller wasn't planning on selling up but was offered an E92 at a price he couldn't refuse, so my car has brand new Michelin Pilot SuperSports all round. Three of the wheels need a good refurb but are otherwise sound. So anybody fancies a swap or having these off me please get in touch!
Also I intend to replace the carbon dipped trim with wood. I know, I know, but I like it and I think it suits the overall demeanour of the car. So again, if anybody fancies a swap or buying my trim bits, please get in touch.
Further away? Some subframe reinforcement, maybe some good quality coilovers, a more fruity exhaust and...? Who knows.
So why this car? Here we go!
As mentioned, I work in the industry and get a very generous company car offering. They are truly lovely cars, but firstly they are mostly diesel and automatic, and secondly I don't get to keep them for long and they are never really mine. At the same time I am a big petrolhead and don't spend a great deal of money on stuff other than my young family, so can just about justify a weekend toy.
Before the kids came along I had a 944 Turbo for a few years. Turned it into a fast road/track car, did a few track days including Nurburgring and Spa. An extremely capable car but can't say that I ever fell head over heals in love with it. Just didn't really feel special enough just going out for a Sunday drive. Sold it to raise funds for a house move, bought said house, had three kids, and finally found myself in the position to get something again. Finally!
I've deliberated long and hard over what to get, ranging from two seater sports cars to big AMGs and rally specials, but finally decided upon the following criteria:
At least 6 cylinders - to aid a relaxed Sunday drive being enjoyable
Manual gearbox - for the full drivers experience
At least 4 useable seats - so that this could a toy for family enjoyment, rather than just my own
Ideally isofix seat points - to aid the above and make child seat swapping easier
Rear wheel drive - my preference for driving enjoyment
In addition, it had to be something that appealed to the wife in some way ( realistically something with a premium badge and fairly luxurious) and I wanted something under 100k miles within my budget.
It really came down to E39 M5 or E36 or E46 M3. I initially thought the M5 was the one, and drove several examples. Fantastic car but I soon realised that I could only afford one at the lower end and poorer condition of those available, and the wife wasn't too impressed with them. Then comparing the two M3's, well I didn't actually drive an E36, but it doesn't have isofix and it doesn't have those phwat arches!
So the E46 won! Then it was only a question of colour combination. I wanted something quite restrained and not too common. You see quite a lot of E46 coupes in Topaz Blue, but not so many M3s. But it's not an especially 'strong' colour, so I thought grey leather would better compliment it than black.
And that's it! Thanks for reading!
Oh and by the way, I run a monthly classic and sports car and bike show at Doddington Hall, just outside Lincoln. It's called 'Horsepower at the Hall' and you can find us on Facebook and in the events section of this forum. It's every 4th Sunday from 2pm, starting this month on the 24th. Hope to meet you there!
Cheers, Ben.
I'm a massive petrolhead and this is probably my favourite sub-forum, first of the day, every day, and at least 3 visits per day for updates!
Not quite sure why - I have a very wide interest in cars and you see a lot of variety here, but probably more for the stories and the whys and wherefores.
So my 'story' is below, but for those who prefer the car info and pictures, I'll make a start here.
So it's a 2001 E46 M3 Coupe, with manual gearbox and 83,000 miles on the clock. Paint is Topaz Blue and interior is grey leather. A previous owner has had the trim bits carbon-dipped that, whilst not my preference, does look pretty good and is a very good job. Pretty basic spec, no nav or heated seats, but they were pretty well specced anyway so has the electric memory seats and electric glass sunroof etc... It has some Eibach lowering springs and spacers that I would have fitted anyway and really give it a nice stance, without giving a boy racer feel - imho at least!
An eBay purchase and extremely long road trip to collect last weekend, it really is in very good all-round condition and drives extremely well. It's been quite recently under sealed and the underneath is very clean. Luckily we were able to get under the car and were happy to confirm both the seller and MOT testers view that the subframe is in excellent condition with no immediate signs of cracking. Paintwork is very good, despite the odd stone chip you would expect for a 14 year old car, and leather is also in good condition, with just a little recolouring needed on the drivers side bolster. I think I got it for around £1000 less than true market value so am doing my best to resist flipping it!
A few pictures before I ramble on....
I'm really impressed with how it drives. I've been in the industry for 13 years and have been fortunate enough to drive many nice cars, but this feels about as fast as you can realistically go whilst pushing a car to somewhere near its limits, and at the same time being very solid and comfortable. As a Brucie bonus, the wife loves the colour combination and my cousin works for a BMW dealer, so hopefully I'm well placed to enjoy this car for many years to come.
Plans? I'm hopeful that the immediate requirements amount to some minor stuff to satisfy my OCD - new boots struts (already ordered), a little leather recolouring, reattach window trims both sides (common problem). Also, I'm not a fan of the very white indicators, so will probably change these for Amber or smoked items.
Medium term it probably could use new brakes, although I learnt that they all tend to 'moan' a little. It needs a new diffuser as some of the attachments are snapped - will probably go for a CSL-style one but get it all painted body colour?
I prefer the 18" OEM wheels so will be looking to move my 19" on. The seller wasn't planning on selling up but was offered an E92 at a price he couldn't refuse, so my car has brand new Michelin Pilot SuperSports all round. Three of the wheels need a good refurb but are otherwise sound. So anybody fancies a swap or having these off me please get in touch!
Also I intend to replace the carbon dipped trim with wood. I know, I know, but I like it and I think it suits the overall demeanour of the car. So again, if anybody fancies a swap or buying my trim bits, please get in touch.
Further away? Some subframe reinforcement, maybe some good quality coilovers, a more fruity exhaust and...? Who knows.
So why this car? Here we go!
As mentioned, I work in the industry and get a very generous company car offering. They are truly lovely cars, but firstly they are mostly diesel and automatic, and secondly I don't get to keep them for long and they are never really mine. At the same time I am a big petrolhead and don't spend a great deal of money on stuff other than my young family, so can just about justify a weekend toy.
Before the kids came along I had a 944 Turbo for a few years. Turned it into a fast road/track car, did a few track days including Nurburgring and Spa. An extremely capable car but can't say that I ever fell head over heals in love with it. Just didn't really feel special enough just going out for a Sunday drive. Sold it to raise funds for a house move, bought said house, had three kids, and finally found myself in the position to get something again. Finally!
I've deliberated long and hard over what to get, ranging from two seater sports cars to big AMGs and rally specials, but finally decided upon the following criteria:
At least 6 cylinders - to aid a relaxed Sunday drive being enjoyable
Manual gearbox - for the full drivers experience
At least 4 useable seats - so that this could a toy for family enjoyment, rather than just my own
Ideally isofix seat points - to aid the above and make child seat swapping easier
Rear wheel drive - my preference for driving enjoyment
In addition, it had to be something that appealed to the wife in some way ( realistically something with a premium badge and fairly luxurious) and I wanted something under 100k miles within my budget.
It really came down to E39 M5 or E36 or E46 M3. I initially thought the M5 was the one, and drove several examples. Fantastic car but I soon realised that I could only afford one at the lower end and poorer condition of those available, and the wife wasn't too impressed with them. Then comparing the two M3's, well I didn't actually drive an E36, but it doesn't have isofix and it doesn't have those phwat arches!
So the E46 won! Then it was only a question of colour combination. I wanted something quite restrained and not too common. You see quite a lot of E46 coupes in Topaz Blue, but not so many M3s. But it's not an especially 'strong' colour, so I thought grey leather would better compliment it than black.
And that's it! Thanks for reading!
Oh and by the way, I run a monthly classic and sports car and bike show at Doddington Hall, just outside Lincoln. It's called 'Horsepower at the Hall' and you can find us on Facebook and in the events section of this forum. It's every 4th Sunday from 2pm, starting this month on the 24th. Hope to meet you there!
Cheers, Ben.
Ben,
Don't rely on an MOT tester to verify the state of the subframe - If you get the chance it's really worth a visit to a specialist, or an afternoon spent inspecting it for yourself.
Is there underseal around the subframe mounting points?
I can't see the pics at woprk but I do like Topaz blue.
Cheers,
Mark
Don't rely on an MOT tester to verify the state of the subframe - If you get the chance it's really worth a visit to a specialist, or an afternoon spent inspecting it for yourself.
Is there underseal around the subframe mounting points?
I can't see the pics at woprk but I do like Topaz blue.
Cheers,
Mark
Hi Mark, there wasn't a great deal of underseal around the subframe mounts, so we were able to get a pretty good look.
The car could use a service anyway, so will get it inspected again then.
Can anybody recommend a good specialist in the Lincoln area?
The car could use a service anyway, so will get it inspected again then.
Can anybody recommend a good specialist in the Lincoln area?
Edited by rainmasterb on Wednesday 13th April 12:06
rainmasterb said:
Hi Mark, there wasn't a great deal of underseal around the subframe mounts, so we were able to get a pretty good luck.
The car could use a service anyway, so will get it inspected again then.
Can anybody recommend a good specialist in the Lincoln area?
Geoff Steel Racing at Kirton Lindsey know the E46 inside out. I had Will fit the Schrick cams & followers in mine and always found him very knowledgeable.The car could use a service anyway, so will get it inspected again then.
Can anybody recommend a good specialist in the Lincoln area?
There is also Forrest motors.
Don't discount Soper as main dealer servicing is pretty competitive these days.
mwstewart said:
Geoff Steel Racing at Kirton Lindsey know the E46 inside out. I had Will fit the Schrick cams & followers in mine and always found him very knowledgeable.
There is also Forrest motors.
Don't discount Soper as main dealer servicing is pretty competitive these days.
Thanks Mark.There is also Forrest motors.
Don't discount Soper as main dealer servicing is pretty competitive these days.
Looks good! Nice colour too. I'm on my 2nd one - they drive really rather well don't they. Keep an ear out for pinking - if you're getting it then the head gasket will have gone between cylinders so you won't get the classic mayo in water/overheating problems. They're known to do it so worth keeping in the back of your mind.
Thanks for the comments and tips all. I'd rather not disclose what I paid for it, but manual coupes tend to go for between 7 and 11, depending on mileage and condition. I guess mine is probably below average mileage and I'd like to think above average condition, but I certainly paid less than the mid point of that range of values, so think I got a good deal.
Fermit - looks like you are in Slough, therefore I assume you offer a mobile service?
Fermit - looks like you are in Slough, therefore I assume you offer a mobile service?
rainmasterb said:
Thanks for the comments and tips all. I'd rather not disclose what I paid for it, but manual coupes tend to go for between 7 and 11, depending on mileage and condition. I guess mine is probably below average mileage and I'd like to think above average condition, but I certainly paid less than the mid point of that range of values, so think I got a good deal.
Fermit - looks like you are in Slough, therefore I assume you offer a mobile service?
The business is registered at Slough, but we actually live on the Notts/Derbs border, so Lincs is no issue. Feel free to call or email me if you want a chat RE what we can do for it. Done a few grey leather M3's, and they do come up lovely Fermit - looks like you are in Slough, therefore I assume you offer a mobile service?
rainmasterb said:
Thanks for the comments and tips all. I'd rather not disclose what I paid for it, but manual coupes tend to go for between 7 and 11, depending on mileage and condition. I guess mine is probably below average mileage and I'd like to think above average condition, but I certainly paid less than the mid point of that range of values, so think I got a good deal.
Fermit - looks like you are in Slough, therefore I assume you offer a mobile service?
Sorry i only asked as i just bought one with low miles as well that need brakes an tyres to bring it back up to spec.Fermit - looks like you are in Slough, therefore I assume you offer a mobile service?
BMW indie in Lincoln
Derrick Forrest motors up by the wicks and jaguar dealership, next door to Ricardo emillianos
He was a BMW master tech for years although I think he died last year his family still run the place.
Used him all the time for my BMW.
http://forrestmotors.co.uk/
Derrick Forrest motors up by the wicks and jaguar dealership, next door to Ricardo emillianos
He was a BMW master tech for years although I think he died last year his family still run the place.
Used him all the time for my BMW.
http://forrestmotors.co.uk/
em177 said:
Love the Topaz Blue. Mine is Silver Grey and yours is probably the only colour I'd rather have. What size spacers is it running?
I think 15mm front and 10mm rear, but haven't checked to be quite honest.Edited by em177 on Monday 18th April 11:52
Couple of little jobs done today.
Firstly, helped my OCD by removing a very obvious dead moth in the 3rd brake light unit!
Before.....aaaaahhhhhh!!!!!
After...
Then of a little bit more significance, I've change one of the front indicators for a smoked unit (the other unit is held on with a zip tie so wanted to be sure before I commit!).
I'm not really one for smoked or tinted lights but the indicators on these cars always seem so in your face to me, I just don't blend in very well. The choice really comes down to the sort I have fitted, or a projector style one. I had thought the projector style might suit the xenons in the headlamp unit quite well, but in the end I thought they just looked a bit after market.
I'm sure some of you will feel this style does too, but I think they give a much better look overall.
Before...
After...
Might now shadow chrome the kidney grills to help them blend in a little better?
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