Discussion
Hi All,
Story so far....
Flooded my last car (rover 25 deathrap). Due to the flood i had a very limited time to get a new daily, the choices were MG TF 160, Clio Sport or an e46.
I had always wanted an e46 328i due to my dad having one back in the early 2000s.
I got a good deal on a 43K miler SE for below £2k Unfortunately it is an auto box (can't win them all) interior and most of the bodywork was untouched and it felt crisp and taut, although i think anything would have after the Rover! It has a retro appeal mainly due to the orange reflectors, yet has a lot of refinement for daily drives.
Saying that it has required a bit of work so far including:
New Brakes
New Battery
Thermostat
New Caliper
Rear control arm bushes
Rear shocks and springs
New tyres
New alloys (not required but lift the car)
New head unit (could not stand the un oem previous fitting with its christmas tree light diaplay!)
Has passed both mots after minor failures for handbrake and lights. One thing i have been suprised with is the low parts prices, which has made the extensive list above manageable and has improved the car. Fuel economy is acceptable and on my mixed commute of 10miles is exactly as manufacturer figures claim.
Really good car but an ongoing project so far... I like the ride comfort and handling is not too bad if the mood prevails. Although being an auto, fairly limited by this. The 328 engine is the star of the show, it is not licence losingly fast, yet has ample torque and requires more involvement to get the most performance, which i like. Another mechanical plus is the cable throttle, which makes the whole driving interface seem more connected.
Recently got some new tyres. Goodyear Efficient Grip - they suit the SE and 16's well offering low noise, a supple ride and good weather grip. If a corner has to be completed quickly they are impressive almost switching on under load, delivering the grip in a linear fashion and then once the corner is over they switch back to being a quiet, refined tyre. Have seen economy rise by 3mpg.
I also have brought one of those yellow cheap tuner chips (just to see) it does offer some peformance gains, improving torque delivery and making it more rev happy. For the low price it is good however i have taken it off as i dont want to run at increased tolerances for a long time on a near 20yr old car. In fairness super unleaded has a very similar effect.
As mentioned i have replaced the aftermarket stereo with a original OEM tape player- with a bluetooth box on the back from ebay. This works well, looks elegant and is connected instantly to my phone every time i step into the car. The phone now acts as the infotainment screen, a good thing as it is constantly updatable. Phone held via magnet, cheap from ebay but effective. Overall coat for this setup was around £50.
Some items are remaining until it is perfect. These include a large scratch along one side, and perhaps a remap.
All in all a great car, that is proving a good antidote to the modern cars that i drive at work.
Would like to hear any e46 stories of yours!
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/EjUZjxSj.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/pY6juHiu" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/pY6juHiu.jpg)
Story so far....
Flooded my last car (rover 25 deathrap). Due to the flood i had a very limited time to get a new daily, the choices were MG TF 160, Clio Sport or an e46.
I had always wanted an e46 328i due to my dad having one back in the early 2000s.
I got a good deal on a 43K miler SE for below £2k Unfortunately it is an auto box (can't win them all) interior and most of the bodywork was untouched and it felt crisp and taut, although i think anything would have after the Rover! It has a retro appeal mainly due to the orange reflectors, yet has a lot of refinement for daily drives.
Saying that it has required a bit of work so far including:
New Brakes
New Battery
Thermostat
New Caliper
Rear control arm bushes
Rear shocks and springs
New tyres
New alloys (not required but lift the car)
New head unit (could not stand the un oem previous fitting with its christmas tree light diaplay!)
Has passed both mots after minor failures for handbrake and lights. One thing i have been suprised with is the low parts prices, which has made the extensive list above manageable and has improved the car. Fuel economy is acceptable and on my mixed commute of 10miles is exactly as manufacturer figures claim.
Really good car but an ongoing project so far... I like the ride comfort and handling is not too bad if the mood prevails. Although being an auto, fairly limited by this. The 328 engine is the star of the show, it is not licence losingly fast, yet has ample torque and requires more involvement to get the most performance, which i like. Another mechanical plus is the cable throttle, which makes the whole driving interface seem more connected.
Recently got some new tyres. Goodyear Efficient Grip - they suit the SE and 16's well offering low noise, a supple ride and good weather grip. If a corner has to be completed quickly they are impressive almost switching on under load, delivering the grip in a linear fashion and then once the corner is over they switch back to being a quiet, refined tyre. Have seen economy rise by 3mpg.
I also have brought one of those yellow cheap tuner chips (just to see) it does offer some peformance gains, improving torque delivery and making it more rev happy. For the low price it is good however i have taken it off as i dont want to run at increased tolerances for a long time on a near 20yr old car. In fairness super unleaded has a very similar effect.
As mentioned i have replaced the aftermarket stereo with a original OEM tape player- with a bluetooth box on the back from ebay. This works well, looks elegant and is connected instantly to my phone every time i step into the car. The phone now acts as the infotainment screen, a good thing as it is constantly updatable. Phone held via magnet, cheap from ebay but effective. Overall coat for this setup was around £50.
Some items are remaining until it is perfect. These include a large scratch along one side, and perhaps a remap.
All in all a great car, that is proving a good antidote to the modern cars that i drive at work.
Would like to hear any e46 stories of yours!
Lovely looking car OP. 
I bought an E46 325ti Sport Compact two and a half years ago in that sort of budget, but it had done nearly 80K miles!
It has needed the banana radiator replaced plus a total cooling system refresh, but I just can't see what I could replace it with at that sort of budget!
Gratuitous photo here (next to my nephew's 325i Sport Touring)! After all you can't beat Imola Red.
I bought an E46 325ti Sport Compact two and a half years ago in that sort of budget, but it had done nearly 80K miles!
It has needed the banana radiator replaced plus a total cooling system refresh, but I just can't see what I could replace it with at that sort of budget!
Gratuitous photo here (next to my nephew's 325i Sport Touring)! After all you can't beat Imola Red.
Looks good. Glad you've not "slammed it on coilovers, welded the diff and misaligned the bonnet". If you want inspiration see my old thread: search for that heading,
ANOTHER 328I, THIS ONES AN E46
The best and cheapest mod is thicker anti roll bars, I think it was 19/24mm that worked best on the 328.
ANOTHER 328I, THIS ONES AN E46
The best and cheapest mod is thicker anti roll bars, I think it was 19/24mm that worked best on the 328.
The bluetooth box can found on ebay if you search for "bluetooth adapter e46". It fits into the cd changer line and comes with an adapter harness (beware it is cheap and chinese and some of the wires on mine snapped). Functionality is pretty easy, change the mode and as long as you have bt switched on your device tracks can be skipped. There is a handsfree kit too which is ok quality. The only minor downside which is due to the nature of the reverse engineered tech, is that if you are playing the radio the handsfree wont work. The magentic clip for the phone is also from ebay and only cost £3 or so and requires a magnet on your phone. However, it is a lot less inobtrusive than other setups such as cradles, and can be easily stored in the cubby out of sight.
I did consider the 325ti, the looks have also grown on me a bit. Really like the imola red on yours. Do you miss the extra little bit of torque the 328 has or as it is a lighter manual am i missing the point there?! 80k is still a good find, a good point with that is that hopefully many of the consumables such as bushes would have been replaced before you had it.
The plan is to keep it fairly standard and not mod it too much. I think it being an auto se has dictated that. Any mods would be for little gain. Although interested to hear if the thicker arb improves handling considerably. As the ride is good and grip is good, sometimes the handling is a bit inert due to heavy car, e46 and slow steering rack. Anything to improve i would be all ears...
I did consider the 325ti, the looks have also grown on me a bit. Really like the imola red on yours. Do you miss the extra little bit of torque the 328 has or as it is a lighter manual am i missing the point there?! 80k is still a good find, a good point with that is that hopefully many of the consumables such as bushes would have been replaced before you had it.
The plan is to keep it fairly standard and not mod it too much. I think it being an auto se has dictated that. Any mods would be for little gain. Although interested to hear if the thicker arb improves handling considerably. As the ride is good and grip is good, sometimes the handling is a bit inert due to heavy car, e46 and slow steering rack. Anything to improve i would be all ears...
A Purple Tag steering rack will sort the steering. See my old thread for all you need to know about the 328.
The thicker anti roll bars reduce body roll without decreasing ride quality. If you go much thicker than he ones I fitted to my 328 you will have a slight decrease in ride quality. I run 27/21 now on my 330d Touring. Still got the same purple tag that was in my 328.
The thicker anti roll bars reduce body roll without decreasing ride quality. If you go much thicker than he ones I fitted to my 328 you will have a slight decrease in ride quality. I run 27/21 now on my 330d Touring. Still got the same purple tag that was in my 328.
Edited by helix402 on Sunday 28th May 19:13
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