Discussion
Gorgeous car!
Sorry to hear of your bad health but anyway a Laguna Seca blue M3 is still something to be proud of.
I think you may draw a blank with the DVLA and previous owner info.
They've stopped doing the Fee Paying enquiry service that gives printouts of old V5s etc.
I tried for my latest car last summer and received a letter back saying they aren't allowed to give out that info anymore unless it's a police matter.
It's a bummer for all us service history nerds.
Anyway I look forward to seeing the car progress.
Sorry to hear of your bad health but anyway a Laguna Seca blue M3 is still something to be proud of.
I think you may draw a blank with the DVLA and previous owner info.
They've stopped doing the Fee Paying enquiry service that gives printouts of old V5s etc.
I tried for my latest car last summer and received a letter back saying they aren't allowed to give out that info anymore unless it's a police matter.
It's a bummer for all us service history nerds.
Anyway I look forward to seeing the car progress.
Thanks guys. They actually came with the correct loom adaptor, so should be plug n play.
Just waiting on the call from ARM to say it's back from alignment and ready to collect. Shame about the awful bloody weather though!
Hopefully found some KW V3's although thinking I may hold out for Ohlins or Intrax?
Just waiting on the call from ARM to say it's back from alignment and ready to collect. Shame about the awful bloody weather though!
Hopefully found some KW V3's although thinking I may hold out for Ohlins or Intrax?
Really pleased with the overall stance and noticeably less tram-lining with 235's up front. Although this picture doesn't do it justice, the paintwork came up pretty well with a machine polish and there's zero corrosion on the front wing / sill now. I also fitted CSL corner splitters which make the front just a little more aggressive without being OTT.
I'm just going to enjoy it for a few weeks and then it'll go back to ARM for the boot floor strengthening and rear turret bracing. Although the engine seems fine, I'm wondering if I should send an oil sample off for a health check?
I'm just going to enjoy it for a few weeks and then it'll go back to ARM for the boot floor strengthening and rear turret bracing. Although the engine seems fine, I'm wondering if I should send an oil sample off for a health check?
Edited by e46m3Mark on Wednesday 19th December 09:33
It's a pity you had to sell your E30 but that E46 is a fantastic looking car and a worthy replacement - I'm sure it sounds immense with the carbon airbox. I've always wanted one myself but I got scared off by the running costs and bought a 130i instead which - while lovely in its own way - is a bit of an ugly duckling by comparison. Looking forward to seeing future updates.
sixpistons said:
It's a pity you had to sell your E30 but that E46 is a fantastic looking car and a worthy replacement - I'm sure it sounds immense with the carbon airbox. I've always wanted one myself but I got scared off by the running costs and bought a 130i instead which - while lovely in its own way - is a bit of an ugly duckling by comparison. Looking forward to seeing future updates.
The E46 M3 really isn't that scary to own as a used proposition if you have self control, especially for only two-three years if you just want to scratch an itch. Find one with the right work already done, especially big ticket motor items like a VANOS rebuild and rod bearings, and your outlay will be just oil changes, fuel, and tyres more or less. I reckon a normal car running budget plus an additional £1,000 a year would be my advice; 1k-ish will sort each of the following;VANOS (every 50-60k miles)
Rod bearings (every 50-60k miles)
RACP strengthening (once)
SMG-related problem solving (buy a manual and avoid it, or upgrade to a Burkhart pump for a start))
Inspection II (every 4th service, mileage dependent)
Of course I man-mathsed a coilover upgrade, 4.1 diff rebuild, underdrive pulleys, CSL bootlid, square set of wheels, upgraded ARBs, poly bushes, short shifter, Bavsound speaker upgrade, engine remap, BBK, roll cage next year, maybe a LW flywheel... it is a slippery slope indeed. You won't find many owners who regret owning one though. Best car I have ever owned.
Welcome to the E46 M3 club! I have owned mine for a number of years and have never regretted buying it instead of the 911 (996) that I turned up to buy. The 911 horror stories scared me and the test drive put me off all together, 3 different cars, all drove horribly for different reasons.
I find the M3 reliable (nothing major needing doing after initially bringing it up to scratch), can be frugal (well over 30 MPG when the company’s paying) and fits 4 adults plus a fair amount luggage.
It was the fastest the fastest car I could afford at the time which can fit my family in on rare occasions.
Knowing nothing about car mechanics, I simply hand over the keys once a year and ask to test and fix whatever needs doing - it seems to work for me!😀
I like mine being original (black and black convertible with no mods), the SMG took some getting used to, but I am big fan now; great for cruising and brutal when the urge takes you - I feel I’ll be opening up for some abuse from purists, but it’s horses for courses I would add in my defence.
Enjoy and a hoping you have a prompt return to good health!
I find the M3 reliable (nothing major needing doing after initially bringing it up to scratch), can be frugal (well over 30 MPG when the company’s paying) and fits 4 adults plus a fair amount luggage.
It was the fastest the fastest car I could afford at the time which can fit my family in on rare occasions.
Knowing nothing about car mechanics, I simply hand over the keys once a year and ask to test and fix whatever needs doing - it seems to work for me!😀
I like mine being original (black and black convertible with no mods), the SMG took some getting used to, but I am big fan now; great for cruising and brutal when the urge takes you - I feel I’ll be opening up for some abuse from purists, but it’s horses for courses I would add in my defence.
Enjoy and a hoping you have a prompt return to good health!
JoshMay said:
Welcome to the E46 M3 club! I have owned mine for a number of years and have never regretted buying it instead of the 911 (996) that I turned up to buy. The 911 horror stories scared me and the test drive put me off all together, 3 different cars, all drove horribly for different reasons.
I find the M3 reliable (nothing major needing doing after initially bringing it up to scratch), can be frugal (well over 30 MPG when the company’s paying) and fits 4 adults plus a fair amount luggage.
It was the fastest the fastest car I could afford at the time which can fit my family in on rare occasions.
Knowing nothing about car mechanics, I simply hand over the keys once a year and ask to test and fix whatever needs doing - it seems to work for me!??
I like mine being original (black and black convertible with no mods), the SMG took some getting used to, but I am big fan now; great for cruising and brutal when the urge takes you - I feel I’ll be opening up for some abuse from purists, but it’s horses for courses I would add in my defence.
Enjoy and a hoping you have a prompt return to good health!
I'm amazed you can get 30mpg out of it. I can get 30 out of mine but only on a very long motorway journey at 70mph or below.I find the M3 reliable (nothing major needing doing after initially bringing it up to scratch), can be frugal (well over 30 MPG when the company’s paying) and fits 4 adults plus a fair amount luggage.
It was the fastest the fastest car I could afford at the time which can fit my family in on rare occasions.
Knowing nothing about car mechanics, I simply hand over the keys once a year and ask to test and fix whatever needs doing - it seems to work for me!??
I like mine being original (black and black convertible with no mods), the SMG took some getting used to, but I am big fan now; great for cruising and brutal when the urge takes you - I feel I’ll be opening up for some abuse from purists, but it’s horses for courses I would add in my defence.
Enjoy and a hoping you have a prompt return to good health!
shalmaneser said:
I'm amazed you can get 30mpg out of it. I can get 30 out of mine but only on a very long motorway journey at 70mph or below.
I could get 33mpg if I kept my speed 130kph or below (I live in Germany) but 30mpg was very doable. Now I get mid- to high-20s at best but that’s not too bad. Are you using PULP? That’d have a small impact if you’re only using 95RON, or whatever you have in the UK.I owned one from December 12 up until June last year and am on the hunt for another one.
The OE Sachs shocks are poor quality units and wear quickly, 12,000 miles and All they are fit for is throwing over the hedge. Konis are an excellent replacement ( with for me Eibach lowered springs )
A CSL steering rack is the other best upgrade.
The OE seats are like boat anchors, I removed the rear seats as soon as I bought it, a Big noticeable difference.
I had planned on Recaro pole positions for the front.
Conti Sport M3s were superb, wet or dry, but it did tramline on these. I fitted the new Conti Sport 6s and they were simply fantastic!
The OE Sachs shocks are poor quality units and wear quickly, 12,000 miles and All they are fit for is throwing over the hedge. Konis are an excellent replacement ( with for me Eibach lowered springs )
A CSL steering rack is the other best upgrade.
The OE seats are like boat anchors, I removed the rear seats as soon as I bought it, a Big noticeable difference.
I had planned on Recaro pole positions for the front.
Conti Sport M3s were superb, wet or dry, but it did tramline on these. I fitted the new Conti Sport 6s and they were simply fantastic!
Next to the E30 M3, the E46 M3 has to be one of the best M cars you can get. Because my old man until this summer had an E46 M3 cab, I had fallen under the spell of the S54, which is why I ended up buying myself an E85 Z4M!
It sounds like you've managed to find yourself a real gem of a car Mark and it seems harder and harder to find a clean unmolested E46 M3 these days, that isn't up for silly money. I am surprised the E46 M3 hasn't started to shoot up like the E30 M3's did around 8 to 10 years ago. It's got all the right ingredients of a future cult classic (well bar the fact BMW sold a lot more of them than they did with the E30 M3).
If I hadn't gone for my E85 Z4M, I was almost certainly going to get the E46 M3 or Alpina B3 3.3 , as they just got almost everything right with them (bar the rust prevention, as I've seen so many of them have been hit with a bad case of tin worm).
Hope you get to really enjoy owning the car and it manages to dull some of the pain you must have felt parting ways with your E30 M3!
It sounds like you've managed to find yourself a real gem of a car Mark and it seems harder and harder to find a clean unmolested E46 M3 these days, that isn't up for silly money. I am surprised the E46 M3 hasn't started to shoot up like the E30 M3's did around 8 to 10 years ago. It's got all the right ingredients of a future cult classic (well bar the fact BMW sold a lot more of them than they did with the E30 M3).
If I hadn't gone for my E85 Z4M, I was almost certainly going to get the E46 M3 or Alpina B3 3.3 , as they just got almost everything right with them (bar the rust prevention, as I've seen so many of them have been hit with a bad case of tin worm).
Hope you get to really enjoy owning the car and it manages to dull some of the pain you must have felt parting ways with your E30 M3!
Thanks for the positive comments guys.
I must admit I'm really happy with how the E46 is looking and the performance is still pretty impressive. Especially when you consider it's almost 17 years old now! It's much livelier than the example I drove a couple of years back but that's most likely down to the 4:1 diff' and the noise the airbox makes. I've read some comments online, where people say about the airbox being a 'pointless modification' or for people with 'more money than sense' but I absolutely love it and it was a 'must have' item for me.
Although I haven't given the brakes any kind of real workout, the AP's immediately felt way stronger than the OE callipers. The rear pads had been pretty low too though, so I had new ones fitted at the same time. The only other thing I want to do now is fit the LED rear lights I have sat here as what budget I do have left will go on the rear floor strengthening next month. Eventually I want lightweight seats, rear cage, PSD rear brace and a carbon roof but that lottery win needs to come along first.
I must admit I'm really happy with how the E46 is looking and the performance is still pretty impressive. Especially when you consider it's almost 17 years old now! It's much livelier than the example I drove a couple of years back but that's most likely down to the 4:1 diff' and the noise the airbox makes. I've read some comments online, where people say about the airbox being a 'pointless modification' or for people with 'more money than sense' but I absolutely love it and it was a 'must have' item for me.
Although I haven't given the brakes any kind of real workout, the AP's immediately felt way stronger than the OE callipers. The rear pads had been pretty low too though, so I had new ones fitted at the same time. The only other thing I want to do now is fit the LED rear lights I have sat here as what budget I do have left will go on the rear floor strengthening next month. Eventually I want lightweight seats, rear cage, PSD rear brace and a carbon roof but that lottery win needs to come along first.
e46m3Mark said:
Thanks for the positive comments guys.
I must admit I'm really happy with how the E46 is looking and the performance is still pretty impressive. Especially when you consider it's almost 17 years old now! It's much livelier than the example I drove a couple of years back but that's most likely down to the 4:1 diff' and the noise the airbox makes. I've read some comments online, where people say about the airbox being a 'pointless modification' or for people with 'more money than sense' but I absolutely love it and it was a 'must have' item for me.
Although I haven't given the brakes any kind of real workout, the AP's immediately felt way stronger than the OE callipers. The rear pads had been pretty low too though, so I had new ones fitted at the same time. The only other thing I want to do now is fit the LED rear lights I have sat here as what budget I do have left will go on the rear floor strengthening next month. Eventually I want lightweight seats, rear cage, PSD rear brace and a carbon roof but that lottery win needs to come along first.
Are you going to be going down a kinda CSL+ route with this build Mark? I've seen some real weapon of a track car builds online with the E46 M3 and it still is one of the best chassis BMW has done for a long time. I must admit I'm really happy with how the E46 is looking and the performance is still pretty impressive. Especially when you consider it's almost 17 years old now! It's much livelier than the example I drove a couple of years back but that's most likely down to the 4:1 diff' and the noise the airbox makes. I've read some comments online, where people say about the airbox being a 'pointless modification' or for people with 'more money than sense' but I absolutely love it and it was a 'must have' item for me.
Although I haven't given the brakes any kind of real workout, the AP's immediately felt way stronger than the OE callipers. The rear pads had been pretty low too though, so I had new ones fitted at the same time. The only other thing I want to do now is fit the LED rear lights I have sat here as what budget I do have left will go on the rear floor strengthening next month. Eventually I want lightweight seats, rear cage, PSD rear brace and a carbon roof but that lottery win needs to come along first.
Because the S54 is all about it's induction noise, the CSL airbox really makes the car sound so alive. It's something I am wanting to do, but it's just so expensive to get the carbon induction/box. You can't really get much more out of the S54, before you have to go with forced induction and that is a big money pit if you open that Pandora's Box!
Nunga said:
I could get 33mpg if I kept my speed 130kph or below (I live in Germany) but 30mpg was very doable. Now I get mid- to high-20s at best but that’s not too bad. Are you using PULP? That’d have a small impact if you’re only using 95RON, or whatever you have in the UK.
I’ve regularly got around 40mpg (if the trip computer is to be believed - a big IF however!), mainly when I have been stuck in the 50mph average speed regulator; cruise control on and kick back!I always use the top grade fuel (98) after a Beamer mechanic I met told that the E46 M3’s thrive on the stuff, maybe my nativity.
Edited by JoshMay on Friday 21st December 14:20
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