clarkson's e46 m3 and previous cars - lots of pics

clarkson's e46 m3 and previous cars - lots of pics

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clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Wednesday 19th May 2021
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Got it all back together I need to re bleed all brakes again as the peddle is still soft when you start it up , but I'll do that over weekend and try and get a mot next week.

Dextron power steering fluid




90 quid for 2 bonnet catches!!



I've lost the plastic elbow that fits into the airbox from the scoop ....I don't have a clue how


Photos are deceiving it's absolutely caked in bird poo and filthy




Clutch all works fine just the brakes to finish, any one recommend a good brake bleeder or shall I stick with 2 man pump method?

Edited by clarkson22 on Wednesday 19th May 19:11

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Friday 21st May 2021
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I'm going to get a pal to help and I have inpa at the ready , I'm just having a problem now when the car is stone cold it just cranks on first attempt but on second go it fires straight up doesn't do it when it's warm , it didn't do it before engine was out so I'm going to investigate , I have a feeling it's something to do with the tank being off or something I'll just have to go over everything !!

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Sunday 23rd May 2021
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Well the brakes are pissing me off the front discs and pads really need changing they won't pass a mot,it's around 900 quid ATE front discs and rears which are the OEM supplier so a few days on the internet and I picked these up today for 960 the disc and pads are genuine BMW with 1000 odd miles on them and there off a 2019 M4 for 60 quid more I wasn't messing around


Can't wait to fit these but I have some crap none make disc for the standard calipers so I'm going to throw them on and some brembo pads that my pal donated to get it through its mot then will get round to fitting these ,smile

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Wednesday 26th May 2021
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Cheers man I'm itching to get them on , but to pass the mot I put some cheapest of the cheap disc on 109 quid for 2 fronts!!! There not floating disks just solid 1 piece but they will only be on for a few hundred miles! The braking feels absolutey fine.
The pads donated were trw not brembo , but brand new so on they went

Got the engine bay fully back together 40 quid for airbox and both scoop parts!

And passed it's MOT with a few advisories slight corroded brake line both front and rear disk pitted but soon to have the big brakes put on!
Treated to 6 new spark plugs and a fuel filter will be here tomorrow.
Car felt fine driving it around today only put 30 miles on it but engine feels good and no banging or knocking
MOT man commented on how mint the underside was so that was nice to hear then spent half and hour talking about the engine and showing him all the rebuild pictures,

Time to put some miles on it.

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Monday 31st May 2021
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Well after the mot I've changed the fuel filter as that was the last service item


Then off to Kwik fit , my pals brother does the tracking there , plus he let me stay and watch it all , so full wheel alignment done which only took 50 mins.

I've put 200 miles on it since just driving too and back from work and the engine feels good , I've only took it to 4k and been driving, well granny style! I'm abit nervous but will drop the oil at 1000 miles and put fresh oil and filter on then, then to 8k she goes!

I've also bit the bullet and ordered some new csl alloys as one of my rears has a crack and deflates within 2 days I know I could get them welded and powder coated BUT I'd prefer new smile

Edited by clarkson22 on Monday 31st May 06:52

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Saturday 31st July 2021
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It's been a busy few days on car, done a thousand miles since I rebuilt engine so I changed oil and filter

Driver's side window reg failed so replaced that


Went to fit the M4 brakes and could not undo the Flexi to brake hard-line at front then it twisted and snapped so replaced the line and new Hel braided hose





Fresh csl alloys with new pilot sport 4's on rear super sports up front they have loads of tread left sono need to change yet


You guessed it can't ubdo the passenger side Flexi to hard-line so will replace the hard-line tomorrow and new Hel line and bleed brakes!

Going to put rear calipers on in a few weeks as there is a bit more involved

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Monday 9th August 2021
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Well the front driver's side wheel bearing started humming and had some play so changed that with fag wheel bearings and passenger side over

Also I was getting creaking noises doing full lock not all the time but still... so dismantled the top mounts and replaced the bearing

Ground off the rust on the strut and painted it

Passenger side

Passenger side done both sides also treated to new droplinks


I've got brand new inner and outer lemforder track rod ends to fit aswell at some point.

Edited by clarkson22 on Monday 9th August 17:36

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Monday 9th August 2021
quotequote all
They load for me mate, and it's the exact same way I've always done it ! Just checked on misses phone and there loading aswell??!?

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Monday 9th August 2021
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No problem mate smile

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Friday 20th August 2021
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More fun with the car! Diff started clunking again , I thought the new M16 front bolt had come loose...no the rear powerflex bush insert had snapped because I had put Bush's wrong way round last time , the domed part is ment to be against the subframe! Whoops and I had a weird clunk going round bends, that was the st cheap Camber arms, the bushes had slid out ! So new diff bush's ordered. New powerflex Camber arms and 4 lemforder ball joints ,


Rear disk shield cut up for the new calipers and discs

Bought a tool to press out the old balljoints and put new ones in....so easy took 2 mins per ballpoint

New one in

Top one was totally shot

Calipers and discs on and new braided hose, you can use the m3 handbrake shoes which I did or buy M4 ones


Replaced the driver's side brake line where it connects above the diff


Driver's side all on



Managed to man handle diff in one my own with a jack got that all tightened up ,


just a few undertrays to go on and anti roll bar got to re bleed the brakes all round , got new lemforder inner and outer tie rods and lemforder boots to go on front Sunday and go for 4 wheel alignment again next week

Edited by clarkson22 on Friday 20th August 20:51


Edited by clarkson22 on Friday 20th August 20:55

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Saturday 21st August 2021
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Cheers mate I'm tempted to spray the calipers yellow, not sure though!

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Sunday 22nd August 2021
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I kind of like the blue aswell but there was a silver E46 M3 with same f8x brakes painted yellow with csl's at a small car meet the other night and I must admit they looked fantastic!!

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Wednesday 25th August 2021
quotequote all
Got the front lemforder inner and outer tie rods on with lemforder boots , but for some reason they only put 2 clips in with the pack instead of 4 so Ty wraps are on till new clips arrive



New pilot sport 4's on front and 10mm hubcentric spacers for front and rear,


Off for alignment tomorrow smile


clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Thursday 26th August 2021
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Hopefully nothing needs doing to it now *touches wood* I've near enough replaced everything ! The next job is to fit a brace like the Vince bar or s.m.e x brace that goes in boot and the botls from subframe bolt through it and it connects to top mounts and chassis legs, I think I'm going to make it rather then spend 600 oon a brace ..we shall see soon

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
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Had the alignment done , front and rear , feels good now !



clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Monday 30th August 2021
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Decided to spray calipers yellow, I couldn't be arsed taking them off and having to bleed them so I just taped everything up and got to work

Stuck the sticker then layed some 2k aerosol over it
2k used









The exhausts off to fit new lambda sensors when they arrive

Edited by clarkson22 on Monday 30th August 18:10


Edited by clarkson22 on Monday 30th August 18:11

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Friday 3rd September 2021
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Still waiting on lambda sensors so decided to refresh the whole handbrake assembly with f80 items , exactly the same as m3 but the m3 handbrake shoes are 30mm and these are 20mm the E46 M3 shoes fit fine but for 59 quid from beamer I changed it all




clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Wednesday 17th November 2021
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The headunit gave up the ghost so no tunes while driving!
So bought the newest eonon double din and the HVAC relocation panel and fitted them , the eonon unit loads up fast has maps and everything I need not bad for under £300 not had any problems yet.


Relocation panel isn't Installed there just getting it working
Then I got some pioneer speakers for the front and fitted them


Adapters on



All fits fine and has improved the sound but I need to swop all the speakers now!

Managed to buy some second hand genuine led rear lights and the adaptors from beamer

Spent 2 days getting NCS expert to work but managed it and coded the lights


Adaptors plugged in

Before

After with a timed shot of hazards on


No errors and all works as it should
Still need to change the lambda sensors!!!


clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Wednesday 17th November 2021
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Well scrap that there for a convertible! Didn't even notice when installing them ! Just noticed when I went to wash car....FFS


Awaiting some coupe ones now

clarkson22

Original Poster:

471 posts

166 months

Friday 19th November 2021
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Got the coupe LEDs!! Much better



Got some bargain 6x9 's for the Harmon kardon basket , brand new won for 20 quid on eBay!!
Fit straight in all screws line up




Sound has improved but it will never be amazing running through the Harmon kardon amp, but still sounds better than before espicailly when on louder volume! I'll eventually replace the front tweeters and rear shelf speakers.

I'm going to order a Vince style bar for the extra subframe reinforcement soon.