2003 BMW M3 - The New Daily
Discussion
I left the last post a little open ended. Why? I was in Spain at the time.
Night 1 started off with me waiting for the boat:
Night 2 had me being in between San Sebastion & Pamplona. Yup, that was one long drive! Was I loving it but also worried at the time? You bet!
More will come later. I have to get the retro ready for a car show this weekend at Shelsley Walsh!
Night 1 started off with me waiting for the boat:
Night 2 had me being in between San Sebastion & Pamplona. Yup, that was one long drive! Was I loving it but also worried at the time? You bet!
More will come later. I have to get the retro ready for a car show this weekend at Shelsley Walsh!
From where I last was with the the old girl it was fair to say that it was busy redeeming itself. For the next 3 months it was nice where the car had been spend free for once. It was 3 months in come August when I would broke this rule. Why? I needed cupholders and an SMG relay. While the relay could be justified what about the former item? This was easy ; I was going to drive the M3 down to Spain for a bit of a trip.
Given their reputation these days for many things going wrong I was apprehensive about doing so. Thoughts about the head gasket, SMG pump, VANOS and bottom end issues all went through my head. I had taken £200 s
tters previously across Europe so why worry so much about this trip? I guess when it is your pride and joy that has cost you a few quid to maintain this feeling is quite normal.
Since the car had a service during the oil cooler saga only months before I left I knew it would be a case of checking the car over. Before I knew it there was little else to do but fit the new cupholders. While there was a mixup with the colour of the cupholders being delivered to me Cotswold BMW to their credit bent over backwards to get me out of this jam.
Changing the cupholders is something any of us folk can do. It really is a simple yet very effective job in an E46. OK they are £50 but it's cheaper than damaged interior
.
I did not hesitate to fit the grey cupholders and to pack my tools and spares for the trip.
Little did I know the time for me to leave the UK for Spain would creep up very quickly! But at least the car was a joy to drive down, with me having some great company in the form of a good friend for the trip. Leaving at 6pm on a Thursday night however would hamper how much progress we made in France that day, especially when the Eurotunnel had a delay on of an hour until we actually would get onto the boat. With that in mind we made ourselves comfortable and attempted to sleep on the train and while waiting for the train with limited success.
Once in France and the time now being past 12AM we decided to call it a night and stopped off just outside Calais to rest and hit the road the next day.
This day would be testing. We would be driving from Boulogne-Sur-Mer to Pamplona, Spain. In a day. Yup, it was not going to be a short hop. With that in mind we jumped into the car and hit the autoroute. The M3 did come into its own here.
Despite it being 14 years old and with a few miles on the clock it literally cruised all of the way down through France. 4 hours felt more like 2 and even the weather was cheering up for us. This would all change when he hit Bordeaux at 4pm that day. Going through the hot traffic you could hear the car’s fan operating at maximum speed as the heat went up to 33 degrees centigrade. The car by this point had been running for 7 hours with us only stopping for lunch and fuel. Before 5PM we hit Bordeaux traffic. The car was fine albeit with the oil temps above 100 degrees centigrade and it was generally fine however. With this in mind I decided to stop off and let the car cool off for ½ an hour and let the traffic die down. Oh, and treat myself to an ice cream.
With that done it was then time to hit the road again with our next stop being Pamplona. After Bordeaux however this leg would drag on a little. However, we made it to Pamplona for 9:30 to meet up with our friend who had been there for quite some time. Not a bad time to get there really!
After having a beer and a small meal we all knew it was time to get to bed and to see what sights Pamplona had to offer. The truth is it was more than I was expecting!
Given their reputation these days for many things going wrong I was apprehensive about doing so. Thoughts about the head gasket, SMG pump, VANOS and bottom end issues all went through my head. I had taken £200 s
tters previously across Europe so why worry so much about this trip? I guess when it is your pride and joy that has cost you a few quid to maintain this feeling is quite normal.Since the car had a service during the oil cooler saga only months before I left I knew it would be a case of checking the car over. Before I knew it there was little else to do but fit the new cupholders. While there was a mixup with the colour of the cupholders being delivered to me Cotswold BMW to their credit bent over backwards to get me out of this jam.
Changing the cupholders is something any of us folk can do. It really is a simple yet very effective job in an E46. OK they are £50 but it's cheaper than damaged interior
.I did not hesitate to fit the grey cupholders and to pack my tools and spares for the trip.
Little did I know the time for me to leave the UK for Spain would creep up very quickly! But at least the car was a joy to drive down, with me having some great company in the form of a good friend for the trip. Leaving at 6pm on a Thursday night however would hamper how much progress we made in France that day, especially when the Eurotunnel had a delay on of an hour until we actually would get onto the boat. With that in mind we made ourselves comfortable and attempted to sleep on the train and while waiting for the train with limited success.
Once in France and the time now being past 12AM we decided to call it a night and stopped off just outside Calais to rest and hit the road the next day.
This day would be testing. We would be driving from Boulogne-Sur-Mer to Pamplona, Spain. In a day. Yup, it was not going to be a short hop. With that in mind we jumped into the car and hit the autoroute. The M3 did come into its own here.
Despite it being 14 years old and with a few miles on the clock it literally cruised all of the way down through France. 4 hours felt more like 2 and even the weather was cheering up for us. This would all change when he hit Bordeaux at 4pm that day. Going through the hot traffic you could hear the car’s fan operating at maximum speed as the heat went up to 33 degrees centigrade. The car by this point had been running for 7 hours with us only stopping for lunch and fuel. Before 5PM we hit Bordeaux traffic. The car was fine albeit with the oil temps above 100 degrees centigrade and it was generally fine however. With this in mind I decided to stop off and let the car cool off for ½ an hour and let the traffic die down. Oh, and treat myself to an ice cream.
With that done it was then time to hit the road again with our next stop being Pamplona. After Bordeaux however this leg would drag on a little. However, we made it to Pamplona for 9:30 to meet up with our friend who had been there for quite some time. Not a bad time to get there really!
After having a beer and a small meal we all knew it was time to get to bed and to see what sights Pamplona had to offer. The truth is it was more than I was expecting!
Without trying to sound bias, it's such a lovely colour; the E46 just doesn't look that dated at all and I must say yours wears the miles very well. The grey interior, however...
Any fuel figures for the trip on the continent? I've never seen better than 28, 29mpg on a steady slow cruise between 70-80mph, and lately I've been doing no better than 22 (but that is either city or high-speed Autobahn tomfoolery).
Any fuel figures for the trip on the continent? I've never seen better than 28, 29mpg on a steady slow cruise between 70-80mph, and lately I've been doing no better than 22 (but that is either city or high-speed Autobahn tomfoolery).
Nunga said:
Without trying to sound bias, it's such a lovely colour; the E46 just doesn't look that dated at all and I must say yours wears the miles very well. The grey interior, however...
Any fuel figures for the trip on the continent? I've never seen better than 28, 29mpg on a steady slow cruise between 70-80mph, and lately I've been doing no better than 22 (but that is either city or high-speed Autobahn tomfoolery).
Mystic is a great colour eh? It cleans up lovely.Any fuel figures for the trip on the continent? I've never seen better than 28, 29mpg on a steady slow cruise between 70-80mph, and lately I've been doing no better than 22 (but that is either city or high-speed Autobahn tomfoolery).
Cheers! It's an honest car. The grey is not for everyone but I do quit like it; it brightens the interior up and I've had a few cars with black leather
.As for the MPG I got 30.5MPG going down with it cruising a little over 80 on this leg. Later legs however
.It is fair to say that I was dreading the leg from Calais to Pamplona. It was a 10 hour drive with stops allowed for with almost 600 miles to cover in a day! All to be done in a car with a reputation for not being mega reliable, and high performance one at that getting on for 14 years old! You can imagine my relief that it made it down! Then again you always worry more when it is your own car.
The descent into Pamplona was stunning! A far cry from monotonous French routes
It was then time to explore Pamplona, and what a city it is! Famed for the questionable bullfighting as well as Ernest Hemmingway residing there during the 1920s. Yup, there was plenty to see, but we decided to try something different first, something carcentric. But in Spain? How? This one was simple. We took a 40 minute trip out in the M3 from the great city of Pamplona to Circuito de Navarra.
Experiencing the atmosphere at a clubman level in Spain was very interesting. Interesting enough for me to say that it was fantastic. Sure, there were pit girls and the usual stuff at the bike event but there was more. There were loads of people present to watch the entry level series where the youth would prove their worth by their skill level, not necessarily by what the bikes could do. The bar was rammed with people ordering Jamon bocadillos. Beers, soft drinks and the odd coffee were being ordered too, all being sold at reasonable prices! There was no overpriced bar here, just loads of people having a great time and watching the racing their mates and loved ones.
It was strange how the entry level events were more fun to watch than the bigger Super 1000s. There were more chances being taken and more rawness present during the racing! If there is an event on here it is well worth the visit.
After this day however we decided to chill out in the city itself. The second day was mostly spent looking at Café Iruna, a lovely café that Ernest Hemingway used to frequent, as well as a bar in the same square, again another one of Hemingway’s haunts.
From then on thanks to some local Spanish company we ended spending quite a bit of the day indulging in many canas and quite a lot of tapas! From mussels to strangely fried eggs it was all lovely,
The Pamplona Bullring. A place of alot of controversy ; it was confusing being there!
The day would come however that we would move onto our second destination, Valencia. In comparison to driving down to Pamplona this trip was quite a bit shorter! It was however as hot as Bordeaux the closer we got to Spain. At one point it did go hotter, 35 degrees centigrade to exact! The car’s viscous fan fully locked up on a number of occasions on the way down once the temperature went north 30.
However, Valencia does not have a reputation of being kind on traffic. I had heard from a few sources that Valencia could be a pain to drive in! How would we cope? By the looks of it some cars were forlorn already at Valencia Airport! Our fingers would be crossed.
The descent into Pamplona was stunning! A far cry from monotonous French routes
It was then time to explore Pamplona, and what a city it is! Famed for the questionable bullfighting as well as Ernest Hemmingway residing there during the 1920s. Yup, there was plenty to see, but we decided to try something different first, something carcentric. But in Spain? How? This one was simple. We took a 40 minute trip out in the M3 from the great city of Pamplona to Circuito de Navarra.
Experiencing the atmosphere at a clubman level in Spain was very interesting. Interesting enough for me to say that it was fantastic. Sure, there were pit girls and the usual stuff at the bike event but there was more. There were loads of people present to watch the entry level series where the youth would prove their worth by their skill level, not necessarily by what the bikes could do. The bar was rammed with people ordering Jamon bocadillos. Beers, soft drinks and the odd coffee were being ordered too, all being sold at reasonable prices! There was no overpriced bar here, just loads of people having a great time and watching the racing their mates and loved ones.
It was strange how the entry level events were more fun to watch than the bigger Super 1000s. There were more chances being taken and more rawness present during the racing! If there is an event on here it is well worth the visit.
After this day however we decided to chill out in the city itself. The second day was mostly spent looking at Café Iruna, a lovely café that Ernest Hemingway used to frequent, as well as a bar in the same square, again another one of Hemingway’s haunts.
From then on thanks to some local Spanish company we ended spending quite a bit of the day indulging in many canas and quite a lot of tapas! From mussels to strangely fried eggs it was all lovely,
The Pamplona Bullring. A place of alot of controversy ; it was confusing being there!
The day would come however that we would move onto our second destination, Valencia. In comparison to driving down to Pamplona this trip was quite a bit shorter! It was however as hot as Bordeaux the closer we got to Spain. At one point it did go hotter, 35 degrees centigrade to exact! The car’s viscous fan fully locked up on a number of occasions on the way down once the temperature went north 30.
However, Valencia does not have a reputation of being kind on traffic. I had heard from a few sources that Valencia could be a pain to drive in! How would we cope? By the looks of it some cars were forlorn already at Valencia Airport! Our fingers would be crossed.
Edited by SebringMan on Friday 22 September 11:18
Hopefully some of you can comment.
After a certain hosting outfit nuked a load of photos off the internet with a familiar sign many threads including mine lost alot of photos.
I've put in a fix which has brought the photos back. At least on my end they seem to have done this. Are most of the pictures from early on in the thread also OK for you guys?
After a certain hosting outfit nuked a load of photos off the internet with a familiar sign many threads including mine lost alot of photos.
I've put in a fix which has brought the photos back. At least on my end they seem to have done this. Are most of the pictures from early on in the thread also OK for you guys?
That trip looks cracking, I did the Alps/Northern Italy in my leggy 335D this summer and I know that feeling of dread when setting off that something could go wrong. BMWs just seem great at big long journeys like that and eat up the miles though, at least the big sixes do.
I checked the MOT history on that Mondeo, it ran out in 2007 so that's potentially been there since then - surely someone would have moved it by now wouldn't you think!
I checked the MOT history on that Mondeo, it ran out in 2007 so that's potentially been there since then - surely someone would have moved it by now wouldn't you think!
appletonn said:
Yep, all good for me over here!
Happy days CornedBeef said:
That trip looks cracking, I did the Alps/Northern Italy in my leggy 335D this summer and I know that feeling of dread when setting off that something could go wrong. BMWs just seem great at big long journeys like that and eat up the miles though, at least the big sixes do.
I checked the MOT history on that Mondeo, it ran out in 2007 so that's potentially been there since then - surely someone would have moved it by now wouldn't you think!
Many thanks! That trip was superb with a few surprises in sight too! The strange thing is that I have access to a Mondeo 2.5T which I very nearly almost took. Despite it being leggier at 157k I trust that more than the M3! Maybe the scare stories don't help with the BMWs of which there are many!I checked the MOT history on that Mondeo, it ran out in 2007 so that's potentially been there since then - surely someone would have moved it by now wouldn't you think!
I shall have to update this thread further on the rest of the trip.
As for the Mondeo it wouldn't surprise me if it was driven with an MOT for a few years over there. It is something Ex-Pats do over there. After all, until recently it was not like the EU could be bothered to chase the owners down or even check the car with ANPRs etc. For a Mondeo it was surprisingly rust free mind you! LOL!
With me coming into Valencia things seemed different immediately. From travelling on the Spanish motorways with barely any traffic we suddenly saw many more cars around us! The cruise control would not be all that useful now! But at least I was in the right car for the job.
When it came to parking the car up however you could tell the car was hot. The temp gauge was stuck smack bang in the middle of the gauge and the viscous fan was fully locked up. Yup, it was warm alright. But at least the car could have a well deserved rest for a few days; it even had a companion in the form of a friend's E89 Z4 30i sDrive. It’s just as well as I had heard on the grapevine that Valencia is not what you would call car friendly. But for once that didn’t matter.
The accommodation was spot on for the break. In the heart of the city with it only being a stone’s throw away from the main square it certainly felt like we were living the high life! Gorgeous buildings with a chilled atmosphere and variety? This is the place! Oh, and a bit of sunshine to go with it.
But I had to be honest. Valencia is no place for a car. With that in mind a friend suggested that we store our cars at Valencia Airport while we were there. After seeing the many webs of one way streets in Valencia this seemed like a good shout in hindsight.
Without the cars at least you can enjoy a beer in the sun. Happy Days!
But a lack of cars between us would not spoil the fun, oh no! After all, a lot of the a places to visit in Valencia were accessible by foot. However, they were even more accessible by bike! It’s almost like Valencia is built for bike travel ; it’s matrix of cycle lanes make it a breeze to go around on bike ; I could have been there all day! The UK could learn a thing or two here in the quest to harmonise and reduce traffic. Make no mistake, I love my cars, but I also hate traffic jams and waiting!
With that in mind we were just lapping up the scenery. However, the day would come that we would have to leave Valencia. This would not be without sampling part of the Formula 1 track first. After all, when in Rome, even if it was on bike!
Yup, my companions on the trip were loving it on Valencia's street circuit!
The next leg of the trip would be interesting. Partly because it was very familiar territory to use. But also partly because we had a surprise in store as well.
When it came to parking the car up however you could tell the car was hot. The temp gauge was stuck smack bang in the middle of the gauge and the viscous fan was fully locked up. Yup, it was warm alright. But at least the car could have a well deserved rest for a few days; it even had a companion in the form of a friend's E89 Z4 30i sDrive. It’s just as well as I had heard on the grapevine that Valencia is not what you would call car friendly. But for once that didn’t matter.
The accommodation was spot on for the break. In the heart of the city with it only being a stone’s throw away from the main square it certainly felt like we were living the high life! Gorgeous buildings with a chilled atmosphere and variety? This is the place! Oh, and a bit of sunshine to go with it.
But I had to be honest. Valencia is no place for a car. With that in mind a friend suggested that we store our cars at Valencia Airport while we were there. After seeing the many webs of one way streets in Valencia this seemed like a good shout in hindsight.
Without the cars at least you can enjoy a beer in the sun. Happy Days!
But a lack of cars between us would not spoil the fun, oh no! After all, a lot of the a places to visit in Valencia were accessible by foot. However, they were even more accessible by bike! It’s almost like Valencia is built for bike travel ; it’s matrix of cycle lanes make it a breeze to go around on bike ; I could have been there all day! The UK could learn a thing or two here in the quest to harmonise and reduce traffic. Make no mistake, I love my cars, but I also hate traffic jams and waiting!
With that in mind we were just lapping up the scenery. However, the day would come that we would have to leave Valencia. This would not be without sampling part of the Formula 1 track first. After all, when in Rome, even if it was on bike!
Yup, my companions on the trip were loving it on Valencia's street circuit!
The next leg of the trip would be interesting. Partly because it was very familiar territory to use. But also partly because we had a surprise in store as well.
SebringMan said:
With me coming into Valencia things seemed different immediately. From travelling on the Spanish motorways with barely any traffic we suddenly saw many more cars around us! The cruise control would not be all that useful now! But at least I was in the right car for the job.
When it came to parking the car up however you could tell the car was hot. The temp gauge was stuck smack bang in the middle of the gauge and the viscous fan was fully locked up. Yup, it was warm alright. But at least the car could have a well deserved rest for a few days; it even had a companion in the form of a friend's E89 Z4 30i sDrive. It’s just as well as I had heard on the grapevine that Valencia is not what you would call car friendly. But for once that didn’t matter.
Putting my Anorak firmly on (it never comes off these days tbh) but isn't that Coventry city centre!? Far cry from Valencia, although arguably the standard of spoken English is probably far better in Valencia.When it came to parking the car up however you could tell the car was hot. The temp gauge was stuck smack bang in the middle of the gauge and the viscous fan was fully locked up. Yup, it was warm alright. But at least the car could have a well deserved rest for a few days; it even had a companion in the form of a friend's E89 Z4 30i sDrive. It’s just as well as I had heard on the grapevine that Valencia is not what you would call car friendly. But for once that didn’t matter.
I recently did a big (740 miles) trip from Basically Coventry down to Munich where I'm living, and have the return leg in November, the E46s just eat up the miles though, it was a long day but got out feeling pretty fresh - no worse than in my 6 month old Jaguar I'd go as far to say.
Mr.Jimbo said:
Putting my Anorak firmly on (it never comes off these days tbh) but isn't that Coventry city centre!? Far cry from Valencia, although arguably the standard of spoken English is probably far better in Valencia.
I recently did a big (740 miles) trip from Basically Coventry down to Munich where I'm living, and have the return leg in November, the E46s just eat up the miles though, it was a long day but got out feeling pretty fresh - no worse than in my 6 month old Jaguar I'd go as far to say.
Guilty! I put the wrong shot up! I'll correct that at some point I recently did a big (740 miles) trip from Basically Coventry down to Munich where I'm living, and have the return leg in November, the E46s just eat up the miles though, it was a long day but got out feeling pretty fresh - no worse than in my 6 month old Jaguar I'd go as far to say.
.I am surprised at how well they eat up the miles for an old bus. Like yourself I sat in a new(ish) Jag XF and truth be told the E46 has stood the test of time quite well.
They've aged well, sat in my mates E36 and hadn't realized how old they looked. In my mind the E30 was better than the E36, maybe the doorcards age it a bit more.
Really enjoyed mine going from daily driver to Friday commuter and weekend plaything, they're not designed to sit in traffic all day, far better on the open road
Really enjoyed mine going from daily driver to Friday commuter and weekend plaything, they're not designed to sit in traffic all day, far better on the open road
Mr.Jimbo said:
They've aged well, sat in my mates E36 and hadn't realized how old they looked. In my mind the E30 was better than the E36, maybe the doorcards age it a bit more.
Really enjoyed mine going from daily driver to Friday commuter and weekend plaything, they're not designed to sit in traffic all day, far better on the open road
I thought a similar thing when I owned my E36. I could never really jell with it. It's strange as the E46 is essentially a revised E36. But then a 968 is a revised 944 and in JaguarLand an X300 is a revised XJ40. I guess all of the changes do add up over time.Really enjoyed mine going from daily driver to Friday commuter and weekend plaything, they're not designed to sit in traffic all day, far better on the open road
Anyway, let's get back!
It was fair to say that I was lovely Valencia! Like a lot of Spain you find it hard to leave the great places ; the chilled atmosphere, great food and friendly people certainly do not help here! However, the next leg would leave me with a good reason to leave!
Not a car you much of at all! We came across this old Sierra just outside Valencia. It was good to see it being used!
Leaving Valencia was like most other Spainish cities. Plenty of motorways with lots of heat. However, I never remember the speed limits changing quite so frequently as they did as I was experiencing on this trip! I guess its one way the Spanish could break up the monotony of motorway driving! Not that you really need it in an M3!
I had the car, I had the shades and the weather. What more do you need?
However I soon saw another reason to keep myself awake. That was to turn off the A7 onto the CV790 heading towards Costa Blanca, or rather, Benidorm. This road soon renewed our vigour from a driver’s perspective. I can’t say that my passenger shared my enthusiasm on some of the bends where I enjoyed myself! It was a little like the Italian job pilot scene, albeit without the snow and the Lamborghini! I was loving many of the tight bends I was contending with but also the changing camber of the corners, even if they did catch me out on a few occasions! It’s times like these that you learn more about driving as well as about your car behaves itself!
Before we knew it we had arrived into the outskirts of Benidorm, ready to have a good night’s sleep, a few beers as what most people do on a holiday, relax! That said I did bring along another passenger for the trip, in the form of a bird that I unintentionally hit!
At this point the M3 would prove it’s worth as a practical car once again! With my friend’s car being strictly a two seater it was the car of choice whenever we left the house. Not a bad way to travel in the Spanish sun you could say! Naturally we spent most of the time just chilling out rather than driving!
Before we knew it we would be well rested and travelling back to the UK. As always the M3 munched up the miles with ease as we cruised back doing a 2 night stop. This involved going through the Pyrenees and many single cross country roads as well as towns, which broke up the scenery nicely initially. It was also strange going through a tunnel where there was a 15 degrees temperature drop in comparison to outside!
It was fair to say that this trip have been epic! So right on so many levels, yet with a lot of trepidation! It was a shame to be back home, but in another, also quite a relief given the baggage an E46 M3 comes with. All in, the trip was superb and the car proved itself as a European tourer that can master many trades. Here is to the next road trip of many!
Now to decide what to do...
Great thread!
So is the car all good now?
You know you did a lot and spent a lot, but it was also a cheap car.
Then again you know it's done right and did diy so it's cheaper and probably gives you more faith in the car too.
Reading the thread reminds me of my Z4 over the last 3 years.
You got what reads like a condensed 3yr catch-up of jobs the previous owner didn't do.
Mine is an 04 on 125k miles, last 3 years and 15k ish miles.
Front discs/pads
Rear discs/pads
Front dampers and springs
Rear springs
Rear drop links
Front lower arms
Tiny bubbles starting on offside arches
New tyres all round
Rear brake pipes
Gearbox oil and diff oil
Passenger side window regulator
Starter motor
Battery
Cam cover oil seal (to do)
Oil filter housing oil seal (to do)
Wheel recondition (to do)
Half diy, half local trusted mech.
Cars aren't cheap if you like them right as they get older!
I'd keep the Z4 but it's just not getting used after our baby arrived.
Hence the desire for an M3!
Balancing paying more just to have jobs still to do, vs a cheaper car and getting stuff done right, is a tough balance to strike!
Your thread has been very valuable and inspirational so thanks for sharing!
If anything this thread has reassured me the M3 is pretty solid and suffers the usual expected stuff a BMW of that age/mileage would.
And that, sub frame mountings aside, the horror stories are rare and often over exaggerated.
Thanks again!
Dave
So is the car all good now?
You know you did a lot and spent a lot, but it was also a cheap car.
Then again you know it's done right and did diy so it's cheaper and probably gives you more faith in the car too.
Reading the thread reminds me of my Z4 over the last 3 years.
You got what reads like a condensed 3yr catch-up of jobs the previous owner didn't do.
Mine is an 04 on 125k miles, last 3 years and 15k ish miles.
Front discs/pads
Rear discs/pads
Front dampers and springs
Rear springs
Rear drop links
Front lower arms
Tiny bubbles starting on offside arches
New tyres all round
Rear brake pipes
Gearbox oil and diff oil
Passenger side window regulator
Starter motor
Battery
Cam cover oil seal (to do)
Oil filter housing oil seal (to do)
Wheel recondition (to do)
Half diy, half local trusted mech.
Cars aren't cheap if you like them right as they get older!
I'd keep the Z4 but it's just not getting used after our baby arrived.
Hence the desire for an M3!
Balancing paying more just to have jobs still to do, vs a cheaper car and getting stuff done right, is a tough balance to strike!
Your thread has been very valuable and inspirational so thanks for sharing!
If anything this thread has reassured me the M3 is pretty solid and suffers the usual expected stuff a BMW of that age/mileage would.
And that, sub frame mountings aside, the horror stories are rare and often over exaggerated.
Thanks again!
Dave
My pleasure!
Honestly? Almost. There is another update coming but my winter daily has taken the stress off the M3 ; it was near enough my only car for almost 2 years now! But it's very good for the best part. Going in a 15k mile M4 has also made my expectations more realistic ; even they have the M Clunk which I found very surprising and iffy responses when cold.
As you say it's a hard balance to strike with getting an old car good. I guess I have been here many times over and over again, even with less older machinery.
I do have more faith the in the car now than I did back in April! As you say good work is very hard to find meaning only yourself can unfortunately be the only result. But it's not always bad.
It sounds like you've done quite a bit to your Z4! I can see why an M3 is appealing in that case albeit it's hard to get rid of a car that you have bonded with too!
Your last comment is promising! I was worried it would put off people, not encourage you to think it's alright! To me I guess I expected it to be more forgiving on maintenance and repair costs but all things considered it's not bad at all especially for the miles I've piled onto it and as you say it's not too bad otherwise. It's probably also the one daily I have pushed harder than the rest with the exception on a Mondeo 3.0 V6, but as you say that was only 6 years old which does make quite a difference.
Honestly? Almost
. There is another update coming but my winter daily has taken the stress off the M3 ; it was near enough my only car for almost 2 years now! But it's very good for the best part. Going in a 15k mile M4 has also made my expectations more realistic ; even they have the M Clunk which I found very surprising and iffy responses when cold.As you say it's a hard balance to strike with getting an old car good. I guess I have been here many times over and over again, even with less older machinery.
I do have more faith the in the car now than I did back in April! As you say good work is very hard to find meaning only yourself can unfortunately be the only result. But it's not always bad
.It sounds like you've done quite a bit to your Z4! I can see why an M3 is appealing in that case albeit it's hard to get rid of a car that you have bonded with too!
Your last comment is promising! I was worried it would put off people, not encourage you to think it's alright! To me I guess I expected it to be more forgiving on maintenance and repair costs but all things considered it's not bad at all especially for the miles I've piled onto it and as you say it's not too bad otherwise. It's probably also the one daily I have pushed harder than the rest with the exception on a Mondeo 3.0 V6, but as you say that was only 6 years old which does make quite a difference.
Interesting you mention the Mondeo V6 3.0... is that an st220?
That era car are pretty bomb proof and the parts very reasonably priced.
A nice car to get fixed up and enjoy!
My brother has a TDCi version ST, first was rear ended by a skip lorry, the second still running.
He loves it and it's a really good DIY car but with cheaper parts vs an M car, so maybe that is the shock factor going from Ford to BMW M!
Then again my brother takes tractors apart for fun so he's well versed in such stuff... no doubt I'll be pestering him for help with harder jobs on an M3!
Might do the sub-frame stuff diy if he's willing to help.
Did you consider doing it yourself? You seem proficient enough, but agree that it's nice to treat yourself to other people's work sometimes
That era car are pretty bomb proof and the parts very reasonably priced.
A nice car to get fixed up and enjoy!
My brother has a TDCi version ST, first was rear ended by a skip lorry, the second still running.
He loves it and it's a really good DIY car but with cheaper parts vs an M car, so maybe that is the shock factor going from Ford to BMW M!
Then again my brother takes tractors apart for fun so he's well versed in such stuff... no doubt I'll be pestering him for help with harder jobs on an M3!
Might do the sub-frame stuff diy if he's willing to help.
Did you consider doing it yourself? You seem proficient enough, but agree that it's nice to treat yourself to other people's work sometimes
Mr Whippy said:
Interesting you mention the Mondeo V6 3.0... is that an st220?
That era car are pretty bomb proof and the parts very reasonably priced.
A nice car to get fixed up and enjoy!
My brother has a TDCi version ST, first was rear ended by a skip lorry, the second still running.
He loves it and it's a really good DIY car but with cheaper parts vs an M car, so maybe that is the shock factor going from Ford to BMW M!
Then again my brother takes tractors apart for fun so he's well versed in such stuff... no doubt I'll be pestering him for help with harder jobs on an M3!
Might do the sub-frame stuff diy if he's willing to help.
Did you consider doing it yourself? You seem proficient enough, but agree that it's nice to treat yourself to other people's work sometimes
The Mondeo was a rare one. It was a 3.0 V6 6 speed. It made getting seconhand parts a nightmare but otherwise I did love that car. t was however a car I took to many places as you can tell. Considering it cost me £3.5k in 2010 for an '05 plate I was very smitten for the money! It's become a bit of a yardstick for buying a car mind you!That era car are pretty bomb proof and the parts very reasonably priced.
A nice car to get fixed up and enjoy!
My brother has a TDCi version ST, first was rear ended by a skip lorry, the second still running.
He loves it and it's a really good DIY car but with cheaper parts vs an M car, so maybe that is the shock factor going from Ford to BMW M!
Then again my brother takes tractors apart for fun so he's well versed in such stuff... no doubt I'll be pestering him for help with harder jobs on an M3!
Might do the sub-frame stuff diy if he's willing to help.
Did you consider doing it yourself? You seem proficient enough, but agree that it's nice to treat yourself to other people's work sometimes
I did consider doing the subframe myself. Two things however changed that:
-I worked back then mostly off the driveway.
-I can spot faults and see them better than I could do years ago. But I am still learning ; everyday is a school day and I stand by that. With ETA I figured they'd know where to look for the issues, besides Redish ; for instance he stitch welded the RACP to the inner wheelarch as well as plugging a few broken spot welds. Would I have spotted them? Possibly but it is one of those. Geoff & Mark are a decent bunch of folks without extortionate rates too which is refreshing to see . The fact that I saved a small fortune in labour did help alot! I figured until now I have saved around £1.5k in labour. Ouch and yay!
There is one job I'll be tackling myself however soon. But the M3 has been brought out to play again
.I've read your whole thread, love that you use it daily and take it on roadtrips abroad!
Always had a soft spot for E46 M3's, looking into getting one myself. Now you've had the car quite some time, what does generally cost to run one everyday, annual maintenance costs, fuel costs etc?
Always had a soft spot for E46 M3's, looking into getting one myself. Now you've had the car quite some time, what does generally cost to run one everyday, annual maintenance costs, fuel costs etc?
Tezler said:
I've read your whole thread, love that you use it daily and take it on roadtrips abroad!
Always had a soft spot for E46 M3's, looking into getting one myself. Now you've had the car quite some time, what does generally cost to run one everyday, annual maintenance costs, fuel costs etc?
Cheers!Always had a soft spot for E46 M3's, looking into getting one myself. Now you've had the car quite some time, what does generally cost to run one everyday, annual maintenance costs, fuel costs etc?
The everyday costs depend on what you expect and what you consider to be reasonable. Of course those things are massively subjective ; I thought my M3 was very expensive to run in all areas until you consider alot of moderns don't exactly have cheap bits and that parts from ECP isn't always the way forward for any car out there.
The costs are detailed in the garage section of my Garage:
https://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?ca...
Out of that:
-£1.2k went towards a front end respray and tidy up like the new headlight lenses which some would argue not necessary
-I went new on some bits due to experience, risk and time where many would have tried hombrew aftermarket fixes or gone secondhand ; oil cooler is one example
-Not everyone would have done the RACP reinforcement after being given the all clear from BMW; I still have people asking why I did it.
-I also did quite a bit of the work myself bar the paint and the RACP as you know from the thread.
That said, the tyres are not much different in price to a modern Astra on 17s or 18s ; F series BMWs seem to be this much! The alternator is about the same price as things are on other cars ; My Mondeo 3.0 had a much pricier alt and that was dealer only!
Anyway, I briefly stored the M3 for a month in a unit. I did this to kerb back on the miles as well as to do a couple of small jobs over winter while I smoked around in my W124. However, it seems with me inadvertedly having a week off work I'd have a reason to pull the car out of its slumber. Why?
Yorkshire Trip (1 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrI decided to go to God's County, Yorkshire.
Yorkshire Trip (3 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt's fair to say that the scenery was stunning yet inviting!
Yorkshire Trip (6 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt may have been dirty from the 3 hour trip and my poor excuse of a clean but it still looked right at home there. I could have spent all day finding locations to take shots of the car against stunning backdrops. But after a while there is only so much snapping you can do:
Yorkshire Trip (5 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrWith that in mind it was time to get back into the car and head off to enjoy the roads in a different way but also a particular road:
Yorkshire Trip (7 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Yorkshire Trip (8 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrYup, I had come up to the one and only Buttertubs pass. And what a road it is! It was probably not the best road to tackle in an M3 at this time of year but it was certainly another way to avoid traffic and cyclists! I felt that the road was superb in its changing nature and gorgeous scenery, ableit tight for a car of this size! It also didn't help that the only thing between you and a large fall to the bottom was a bit of hosepipe!
Yorkshire Trip (10 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrBefore I knew it I was opening up the taps but not for long:
Yorkshire Trip (11 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Yorkshire Trip (12 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Yorkshire Trip (13 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Yorkshire Trip (14 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrI also took the opportunity to go to the Ribblehead Viaduct. If you have never been it is worth going to. It's certainly something to behold and if you have a dog an awesome place to go for a walk!
It's fair to say that I drove alot of Boxing day, the day that I went up! I know we have some good roads in the Midlands but wow those roads and scenery are something to behold! Going to Buttertubs pass had been on the 'to-do' list for a long time, longer than me even going to the Evo Triangle. Was Jeremy Clarkson to blame or was it my Northern friends? Who knows? It was a good road but even if the BT is not your thing there are plenty of superb roads around there that you really are not spoiled for choice!
With that in mind I took a slightly easier day the next day, going to York and seeing the Railway museum and sorting out a few other things like visiting some family based that way. It culminated into a very busy but quite a superb day all things given.
Yorkshire Trip (29 of 40) by Charlieboy, on FlickrThere is more to come and some jobs to tackle but that can wait for another time. Stay tuned and Happy New Year all.
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