BODYKIT HELP!!!???

[DarrenC87]

Hi,

I have a BMW E46 318i and im looking to give my car a more aggressive look.
I am looking for advice on bodykits or styling options..

Does anybody know what I can do to make my car look more aggressive?

Where can I get sport bodykits, including fog lights?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Jaybmw]

Sell it and just buy an msport e46.. body kits died out year's ago thank the lord and even back then they looked st

[Chestrockwell]

You can make it an m sport however you won’t have the suspension, seats, wheels or steering wheel, even the carbon fibre like trim inside the car. You’ll end up wanting it all and by that point the money spent could have gone towards a real m sport.

Only suggestion I have regarding your question is to have a look on eBay !

[Monty Python]

Don't bother - the insurance will probably end up costing more that the car is worth (assuming your insurer will even insure you).

[S54Love]

I'm more concerned that it's a 318i..

[E-bmw]

Don't forget the sun-strip with Darren & Tracy on it!

[Ultra Sound Guy]

And the furry dice!

[SHutchinson]

Why do you want it to be aggressive?

[Pioneer]

Assuming the OP is fairly young this is a rite of passage. I did it to my cars when I was a kid and imo shows an interest in cars rather than just being handed a new £20k hot-hatch by your folks with all the kit on already. I've had a fairly nice collection of cars over the years, some of which I wouldn't dream of modifying but fortunately we're all entitled to do whatever we want to our own cars.

Plenty on eBay to chose from

eg. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222912134220

[Monty Python]

Just another thought - what size wheels does it have and what suspension? Any body kit is going to make the wheel/tyre/wheel arch gap even more obvious.

[helix402]

I had an idea:

Before:



After:



Aggressive enough? Afraid I couldn’t draw any stanced rims.

[e30m3Mark]

If I were you, I would forget body kits and just get some wheels and suspension. BC coilovers are a relatively cheap option and you can set them a couple of inches lower than your stock ride height. There are obviously loads of wheel types but BBS type rims are a safe bet.

You can achieve a more aggressive / sporty look without spending loads on fibreglass stick on bits. If you're determined to run spoilers etc, just use OE parts from the sportier models. They'll usually bolt straight on, suit the car and you may even find them in the same colour.

I assume you drive a 318 because you're young and/or a relatively new driver? Don't be tempted not to tell your insurers about any mods you make.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

I think that what most people are alluding to on here is that the 118 is pretty underpowered to start with. If you go gluing on great chunks of grip you are going to end up with an even more sluggish car.
PistonHeads leans more towards performance, most of the ‘keen’ people on here would be more inclined to keep the car looking like a standard 118 whilst shoeing in a V8. Performance first, looks second!
If you’re young you’ll probably end up paying less insurance for body mods than for performance mods.
If you are determined to go just for looks, try the EBay links given earlier. If you want to learn more about cars and what they can really do, stick around here and don’t rise to the inevitable baiting you’re going to get!

[DarrenC87]

Ok thanks guys, Il look at wheel spacers and coilovers for my car above instead.

Im currently saving for a e46 m3 in Phoenix yellow.

Oh and to the people who wondered how young I am, im 30 so I appreciate the whole 'avoid body kits' thing, I dont wanna turn my car in to something from pimp my ride, I just wanted to give my car a bit of an edgy look to it that's all.

Thanks again guys

Edited by DarrenC87 on Tuesday 10th April 00:39

[Chestrockwell]

DarrenC87 said:

Edited by DarrenC87 on Tuesday 10th April 00:39

The E46 really is a timeless design isn’t it, god I love BMW’s

[helix402]

Looks rather smart, though I did get the grille correct in my pic! On a more serious note you have an engine which is prone to timing chain probs. As a preventative measure it is worth changing the timing chain tensioner, parts cost is around £30, takes 10 mins.
I would recommend you pay someone to do it if you don’t have much mechanical experience. The timing does not need locking when changing it but I have heard of diyers somehow mucking the timing up changing the tensioner.
Also worth popping to your local BMW dealer to see if your car is due the airbag recall. Re body kits the easy option is used Sport bumpers and side skirts in the same colour as your car.

[Monty Python]

TBH for what it is, I'd save the money for the M3.

[seriousrikk]

For ~£100 you could pick up an m sport front bumper from evilbay then get it painted.

[Chestrockwell]

Just to add, I’ve had 3 E46’s and for each one I bought I spent at least 2 weeks looking for one. I never saw a sport model in the colour your one has, a few pre facelift ones however the pre 2001 sport body kits don’t suit your one so you may have some trouble finding them in your colour.

[e30m3Mark]

Looking at those pics, it's a great looking car anyway. A 35mm suspension drop and some OE type split rims, along with maybe M3 door mirrors, would be all you need. Subjective I know.