Discussion
Patrick Bateman said:
Yes but I only got a hold of the car at 122k miles. Completely missed its running-in service too. Go figure. 
(slightly) off topic... What made you go for one with no run in service? I read and was told to avoid them like the plague when I got my Z4M. It'd had to have been dirt cheap for me to consider no run-in. 
shalmaneser said:
e46m3Mark said:
Funnily enough, according to the service records, my 'running in service' was done a little late. Mind you, the rod bearings were subsequently replaced as per the BMW recall.
I've always been a bit obsessive when it comes to oil and filter changes and drive with a good degree of mechanical sympathy. That said, I'm going to start saving to have the bearings and head gasket done sometime this coming summer. Meanwhile the KW's arrived today, along with the Safety Devices rear brace. I know the SD item isn't quite as substantial as some that are available but the CSL Cup cars ran them and there wasn't a single RACP failure despite their being driven far harder than I'm ever likely too.
Whats the deal with fitting this? I guess it requires bolting through to the subframe? Does it need additional weld on brackets?I've always been a bit obsessive when it comes to oil and filter changes and drive with a good degree of mechanical sympathy. That said, I'm going to start saving to have the bearings and head gasket done sometime this coming summer. Meanwhile the KW's arrived today, along with the Safety Devices rear brace. I know the SD item isn't quite as substantial as some that are available but the CSL Cup cars ran them and there wasn't a single RACP failure despite their being driven far harder than I'm ever likely too.
Powder coated parts arrived back and have fitted all new brake lines in the rear, along with all new bushes throughout.
Edited by e46m3Mark on Thursday 17th January 10:57
Well the welding is all done. 
It seems we actually got in there just in time, as it was looking a bit on the scabby side. Just to be sure we got rid of all signs of corrosion though, the fuel tanks also came out and some localised media blasting, followed by some schultz and it's all good once more. In fact, once the newly powder coated diff' carrier etc all go back in, it'll look better than ever. The rear KW's are also in (with new top mounts) and we're just waiting on the diff' carrier bush. All being well though, it should all be ready for the geo' to be done early next week. Hopefully anyway!
If anyone has any advice on geo' settings please feel free to share.
It seems we actually got in there just in time, as it was looking a bit on the scabby side. Just to be sure we got rid of all signs of corrosion though, the fuel tanks also came out and some localised media blasting, followed by some schultz and it's all good once more. In fact, once the newly powder coated diff' carrier etc all go back in, it'll look better than ever. The rear KW's are also in (with new top mounts) and we're just waiting on the diff' carrier bush. All being well though, it should all be ready for the geo' to be done early next week. Hopefully anyway!If anyone has any advice on geo' settings please feel free to share.
Well I got the M3 back today and have to say it feels transformed. I mean it was pretty good before but now (thanks to some decent suspension, new trailing arm bushes etc and geometry) it just feels like a different car. It's just so much more nimble now and turn in is much, much sharper. Weirdly it feels like a smaller car now too. I haven't got the shocks set exactly how I'd like them just yet but overall I'm really pleased with the changes I've made.
Edited by e46m3Mark on Saturday 26th January 12:20
Excuse me if I repeat myself but I figured I would post a brief summary of what I've done in the time I've owned the E46.
It's been a busy month or two and although the E46 doesn't look hugely different there have been some significant changes underneath. One of the well known weak spots are the brakes, so the fronts are now bigger and clamped by AP 6 pot callipers, with braided lines and new fluid obviously. They're simply brilliant and look pretty good behind those Apex alloys. There was also some corrosion starting at the bottom of the front wings, where they join the sill, so it made sense to sort that now rather than let the winter roads make matters worse. Now at that point I figured I would just put some miles on the E46 and enjoy its performance but I knew the other well known E46 weak point still needed addressing and ignoring it could be very expensive indeed. E46's are notorious for literally tearing the rear differential subframe mounts from the boot floor and BMW UK had offered a 'goodwill' repair up to 10 years from when the car was new. Unfortunately mine hadn't been done and buying any E46 M3, that hasn't had the problem sorted, is a very real risk. Fortunately for me, Reddish Motorsport in Bristol had done a thorough inspection (including using a camera to view inside box sections) and found just 2 small cracks in a couple of spot welds. They actually said it was one of the better ones they'd inspected but I still figured it would be cheaper to make preventative repairs now and not risk a hugely expensive repair further down the line.
So, out came the rear suspension, trailing arms and diff' subframe and we were able to get a proper look at the whole rear underside. Overall it was pretty good, but there were a couple of places that certainly looked a bit scabby, so it was good that we got in there early. In fact, we even removed the fuel tanks to make sure nothing was missed. Some localised blasting to remove the corrosion and they the subframe mounts were all strengthened with shiny fresh steel, before the whole rear underside was cleaned and resealed. We also had all the subframe, V brace etc powder coated and ran all new brake lines, poly bushes throughout etc etc. If a job's worth doing blah blah blah and who wants to save their wages anyway? Anyway, it's done now and should be good for another 20 years.
Now, at this point we could have just buttoned everything up and that would be that but someone then messaged me with pics of shiny things. These shiny things took the form of KW V3 coilovers, which are just what any sensible car enthusiast would buy just after Christmas and hide from their Mrs, rather than suffer days of sarcastic comments and snipes that start with 'that bloody car'. So with that in mind, the KW's duly arrived when she was at work.
Obviously it would be too easy if they just bolted straight in so, as is the way with these things, a further chunk of cash went on new adjustable top mounts from Millway Motorsport.
I ran KW's on my much missed E30 M3 and they were great. The only problem then though, was the rears were just far too hard for Cornish roads and simply didn't have enough compliance. It was great on track but way too skittish on bumpy Cornish lanes. The V3's on the E46 actually seem pretty good so far and the springs are actually their progressive option. The rears retain the OE type separate spring and shock, as opposed to being true coilovers, so there was no need to strengthen the shock tower. I still opted to fit some spreader plates though, just to make sure. In order to dial in some more camber and castor though, I had to get some front top mounts from Millway via the excellent Hack Engineering, who are simply excellent and (along with C3 BMW in Kent) supply just about everything I'm likely to want to keep an M car in fine fettle. I also ran Millway top mounts on the E30 and their quality is just excellent. The adjustable rear camber arms came from Eibach. The other change I made was to go from a 265/35r18 square set up to running 235/40's on the front. Ordinarily I would have stuck with the 265's all round but E46's have a tendency to tramline and 265's just made that worse, so I'll keep the square set up for the track. Anyway, I was finally at the point where I could have the geometry done.
Stock E46 M3 suspension (especially on the CSL) is very good. My own car came with pretty fresh OE shocks and -45mm lowering springs from Eibach and was far nicer than I'd expected, so replacing the whole suspension set-up hadn't been all that high on my list of improvements. Yes, it rolled a little more than I like and yes, a bit less altitude would be good from an aesthetic perspective, but I wasn't looking for the E46 to be as track focussed as the E30 had been, so I asked Martin at MS Motorsport for his advice, as I knew he'd run a beautiful E46 M3 that he'd built to club sport specification. He came back to me with a fast road geometry set-up which we dialled in, although I did wonder if -4 deg' of negative camber on the front may have been a little aggressive? In fact, the car has been pretty much transformed and is just so much sharper and responsive. Initial turn in is much improved and there is still plenty of compliance, despite being firmer overall. I still need to get some more time behind the wheel but it's not far off being my ideal. The whole suspension set-up thing is such a steep learning curve though and being mainly a road car, there's always a good degree of compromise needed. I'm definitely headed in the right direction, although my rubbish driveway may need me to raise the ride height a little.
Shame as I love how it sits right now.
Unfortunately, the weather has been awful and Cup 2's aren't exactly great in snow and ice. I just can't wait for springtime to arrive so that I can start putting some miles on it. Overall though I am really happy with how things have gone so far.
Opted to go for amber indicators so just waiting on fronts now.
It's been a busy month or two and although the E46 doesn't look hugely different there have been some significant changes underneath. One of the well known weak spots are the brakes, so the fronts are now bigger and clamped by AP 6 pot callipers, with braided lines and new fluid obviously. They're simply brilliant and look pretty good behind those Apex alloys. There was also some corrosion starting at the bottom of the front wings, where they join the sill, so it made sense to sort that now rather than let the winter roads make matters worse. Now at that point I figured I would just put some miles on the E46 and enjoy its performance but I knew the other well known E46 weak point still needed addressing and ignoring it could be very expensive indeed. E46's are notorious for literally tearing the rear differential subframe mounts from the boot floor and BMW UK had offered a 'goodwill' repair up to 10 years from when the car was new. Unfortunately mine hadn't been done and buying any E46 M3, that hasn't had the problem sorted, is a very real risk. Fortunately for me, Reddish Motorsport in Bristol had done a thorough inspection (including using a camera to view inside box sections) and found just 2 small cracks in a couple of spot welds. They actually said it was one of the better ones they'd inspected but I still figured it would be cheaper to make preventative repairs now and not risk a hugely expensive repair further down the line.
So, out came the rear suspension, trailing arms and diff' subframe and we were able to get a proper look at the whole rear underside. Overall it was pretty good, but there were a couple of places that certainly looked a bit scabby, so it was good that we got in there early. In fact, we even removed the fuel tanks to make sure nothing was missed. Some localised blasting to remove the corrosion and they the subframe mounts were all strengthened with shiny fresh steel, before the whole rear underside was cleaned and resealed. We also had all the subframe, V brace etc powder coated and ran all new brake lines, poly bushes throughout etc etc. If a job's worth doing blah blah blah and who wants to save their wages anyway? Anyway, it's done now and should be good for another 20 years.
Now, at this point we could have just buttoned everything up and that would be that but someone then messaged me with pics of shiny things. These shiny things took the form of KW V3 coilovers, which are just what any sensible car enthusiast would buy just after Christmas and hide from their Mrs, rather than suffer days of sarcastic comments and snipes that start with 'that bloody car'. So with that in mind, the KW's duly arrived when she was at work.
Obviously it would be too easy if they just bolted straight in so, as is the way with these things, a further chunk of cash went on new adjustable top mounts from Millway Motorsport. I ran KW's on my much missed E30 M3 and they were great. The only problem then though, was the rears were just far too hard for Cornish roads and simply didn't have enough compliance. It was great on track but way too skittish on bumpy Cornish lanes. The V3's on the E46 actually seem pretty good so far and the springs are actually their progressive option. The rears retain the OE type separate spring and shock, as opposed to being true coilovers, so there was no need to strengthen the shock tower. I still opted to fit some spreader plates though, just to make sure. In order to dial in some more camber and castor though, I had to get some front top mounts from Millway via the excellent Hack Engineering, who are simply excellent and (along with C3 BMW in Kent) supply just about everything I'm likely to want to keep an M car in fine fettle. I also ran Millway top mounts on the E30 and their quality is just excellent. The adjustable rear camber arms came from Eibach. The other change I made was to go from a 265/35r18 square set up to running 235/40's on the front. Ordinarily I would have stuck with the 265's all round but E46's have a tendency to tramline and 265's just made that worse, so I'll keep the square set up for the track. Anyway, I was finally at the point where I could have the geometry done.
Stock E46 M3 suspension (especially on the CSL) is very good. My own car came with pretty fresh OE shocks and -45mm lowering springs from Eibach and was far nicer than I'd expected, so replacing the whole suspension set-up hadn't been all that high on my list of improvements. Yes, it rolled a little more than I like and yes, a bit less altitude would be good from an aesthetic perspective, but I wasn't looking for the E46 to be as track focussed as the E30 had been, so I asked Martin at MS Motorsport for his advice, as I knew he'd run a beautiful E46 M3 that he'd built to club sport specification. He came back to me with a fast road geometry set-up which we dialled in, although I did wonder if -4 deg' of negative camber on the front may have been a little aggressive? In fact, the car has been pretty much transformed and is just so much sharper and responsive. Initial turn in is much improved and there is still plenty of compliance, despite being firmer overall. I still need to get some more time behind the wheel but it's not far off being my ideal. The whole suspension set-up thing is such a steep learning curve though and being mainly a road car, there's always a good degree of compromise needed. I'm definitely headed in the right direction, although my rubbish driveway may need me to raise the ride height a little.
Shame as I love how it sits right now.Unfortunately, the weather has been awful and Cup 2's aren't exactly great in snow and ice. I just can't wait for springtime to arrive so that I can start putting some miles on it. Overall though I am really happy with how things have gone so far.
Opted to go for amber indicators so just waiting on fronts now.
Edited by e46m3Mark on Friday 1st February 14:29
Euro car parts and with the January 20% discount they were about £45 inc delivery. The rears were considerably more though.
I'm trying to find some of the seat material so if anyone has any leads / suggestions please shout.
Anyway, the sun is finally out and I have a couple of hours spare, so I'm off to use some super unleaded.
I'm trying to find some of the seat material so if anyone has any leads / suggestions please shout.
Anyway, the sun is finally out and I have a couple of hours spare, so I'm off to use some super unleaded.
king awesome 
Stunning car - congratulations!
Funnily enough I found myself in a similar position last fee months of 2018 - sold the z4 coupe to fund a house move, in the interim period of cheap motoring found the perfect z4 M Coupe with a load of upgrades and track goodies on it - did my best to resist but in the end bought it before completing on the house. My wife's words "you're so predictable" are still ringing in my ears!
Currently it's sat in the garage waiting for spring - and I'm becoming increasingly more impatient to drive it!!
Mine has intrax 1k2s on it currently - just be warned if you do still look to go down that route - they are very firm!
I wish I hadn't read this thread to be honest - Ive hardly driven mine and now deeply desire a csl intake and 4.1 diff!!
Funnily enough I found myself in a similar position last fee months of 2018 - sold the z4 coupe to fund a house move, in the interim period of cheap motoring found the perfect z4 M Coupe with a load of upgrades and track goodies on it - did my best to resist but in the end bought it before completing on the house. My wife's words "you're so predictable" are still ringing in my ears!
Currently it's sat in the garage waiting for spring - and I'm becoming increasingly more impatient to drive it!!
Mine has intrax 1k2s on it currently - just be warned if you do still look to go down that route - they are very firm!
I wish I hadn't read this thread to be honest - Ive hardly driven mine and now deeply desire a csl intake and 4.1 diff!!
Edited by Squidward on Thursday 7th February 17:35
Thanks guys. Yeah, that's not great parking is it? 
I've been putting a few miles on it lately, which included clipping something in the outside lane, which took off the outside carbon splitter. Fortunately I was able to retrieve it and it just needs refitting. It's still bloody annoying though! I'm away for a week soon though, so plan to have it sorted then and make a couple of other changes.
The only other thing I want to do now is have the LSD rebuilt. Well either that or replace it with a Quaiffe or Gripper unit? If anyone has any advice and/or experience in doing the same, it'd be good to hear it. The OE LSD is working but I'm sure it's past it's best. There's a bit of noise on tight turning which may be nothing but I'd guess it's just wear?
I've been putting a few miles on it lately, which included clipping something in the outside lane, which took off the outside carbon splitter. Fortunately I was able to retrieve it and it just needs refitting. It's still bloody annoying though! I'm away for a week soon though, so plan to have it sorted then and make a couple of other changes.
The only other thing I want to do now is have the LSD rebuilt. Well either that or replace it with a Quaiffe or Gripper unit? If anyone has any advice and/or experience in doing the same, it'd be good to hear it. The OE LSD is working but I'm sure it's past it's best. There's a bit of noise on tight turning which may be nothing but I'd guess it's just wear?
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