E46 330Ci 'Vert, Modifying and Restoring, plus a Harley.
Discussion
Some of you may remember previous threads of mine, none of which were too exciting or useful. I've had an e34 525i, an e46 318i and an e39 520i. I started a thread on my e46 when I got it, but I want to focus on writing a decent thread that other people can use to help them in the future, with posts focusing on roadtrips, repairs, fault finding and decent modifications. I'll also write about my Harley Davidson street 750, because it looks nice.
The car is a 2002 e46 330i sport individual. The full title is a mouthful, so I called her Kristy . I bought the car as a present to myself for passing a year and a half's worth of Army Training, and it's been my daily driver ever since. It's completed 50,000 miles since I purchased it with 100,000 miles on the clock.
The car itself was stunning when I first picked it up, having been used as a weekend car, but as usual with a daily that gets used for literally everything, the scratches, stone chips, dents have piled up. However, I've piled a small fortune into the car to make it what it is, and once the upgrades are completed, I'll turn my attention to the bodywork and let her live as a weekend car once again. When I say I use it for everything, I just got back from a trip to the Alps, where it's been slithering around icy, salt covered roads. In the summer it's got my mountain bike attached to the back, or it's full of dirty work gear.
I'll list the work done and the work planned below, and I'll go into detail in future posts. I'll also write up some of the more interesting driving experiences.
Work done
Full cooling system overhaul, including belts and the thermostat twice (Cheers ECP
Full brake system overhaul including handbrake assemblies, hoses, calipers, etc.
MV1 alloys in the bin following catastrophic failure (more on that later)
Summer and winter alloys purchased
02 sensors replaced
Fuel pumps and sender units replaced
Diff oil replaced (It's also leaking..)
Subframe bushes replaced
Rear trailing arm bushes replaced with Powerflex
Cam cover gasket replaced
Wheel bearing replaced
suspension components replaced where broken
gear knob for a new BMW item
Centre console replaced with new cupholder version
OEM satnav replaced with android headunit (Much more on this)
Work planned
Sort the brakes out again - this time with ceramic
suspension overhaul with new shocks and springs
Front bushes overhaul with powerflex items
Stitch on the new steering wheel cover that is currently lurking in my cupboard
Continue to refine the headunit install
new bumpers (current ones aren't in a great shape)
bodywork repairs
respray in the same colour
The end goal is a super nice car that I can take on a few track days and continue to use on a daily basis. At the very least I want to achieve moon mileage.
Wheels
The e46 sports or Msport comes with MV series alloys. The MV1, which was standard on all pre-facelift Sport models and also available as an optional extra, were very good for their time. Weighing 8 kilos each, they were pretty light compared to alternative offerings. They also came in staggered sizes, with 225 tyres at the front and 255 at the back (give or take)
The MV1 alloy also looked stunning, when it came out.
However, the MV1 alloys you now see rolling around the roads are generally speaking, f
ked.
The design of the wheel means it sticks out considerably from the tyre, leading to horrendous kerbing. Furthermore, the lightweight design has led to many wheels failing. Buy a set on ebay and I'll put money on at least one of the wheels having been welded.
Sure enough, when I bought my car, I discovered I had a slow puncture. I realised the alloy itself was cracked, so I purchased a refurbed set of MV1s online for £200. They needed new tyres, so I forked out for that too. Unfortunately, they had also been previously repaired. I found this out when I was on an Italian motorway, en route to Monaco from Rome. Complete blowout, resulting in me driving on metal.
My solution therefore, was to buy a brand new set of alloys. I opted for a set of deep dish, Cades Tyrus alloys with Uniroyal Rainsport tyres.
I then decided to take my car to the Alps on a snowboard trip in 2017, so I needed alloys that could support snow tyres and not be ruined by the winter weather. So I purchased a set of BBS alloys, in 17' with matching tyres.
The front wing/wheel arch was actually new and sprayed by myself with a rattle can, but I'll cover that later
I've been to the Alps with the old girl twice now, and despite severe snow in the first year, never been stuck. Brilliant fun, would fully recommend. The car does have a ski hatch, but as a snowboarder I have to take the bindings off and slide the boards down the side. The mountain bike will fit in the rear seats, with both wheels off.
For anyone who is looking to buy new wheels for an e46, I'd fully reccomend the BBS alloys I bought. The car handles best on 17s and a square set up, IMO. By handling I'm of course referering to handling enjoyment. There is no doubt that it grips better on big fat staggered 18s, but it also becomes more understeering and crashy on bumps.
For looks though, staggered 18s are unbeatable.
If you need a cheaper set of wheels, do not buy anything made in 18' from BMW. They are on sale for a reason and not worth the money, for the most part.
The e46 sports or Msport comes with MV series alloys. The MV1, which was standard on all pre-facelift Sport models and also available as an optional extra, were very good for their time. Weighing 8 kilos each, they were pretty light compared to alternative offerings. They also came in staggered sizes, with 225 tyres at the front and 255 at the back (give or take)
The MV1 alloy also looked stunning, when it came out.
However, the MV1 alloys you now see rolling around the roads are generally speaking, f
ked.The design of the wheel means it sticks out considerably from the tyre, leading to horrendous kerbing. Furthermore, the lightweight design has led to many wheels failing. Buy a set on ebay and I'll put money on at least one of the wheels having been welded.
Sure enough, when I bought my car, I discovered I had a slow puncture. I realised the alloy itself was cracked, so I purchased a refurbed set of MV1s online for £200. They needed new tyres, so I forked out for that too. Unfortunately, they had also been previously repaired. I found this out when I was on an Italian motorway, en route to Monaco from Rome. Complete blowout, resulting in me driving on metal.
My solution therefore, was to buy a brand new set of alloys. I opted for a set of deep dish, Cades Tyrus alloys with Uniroyal Rainsport tyres.
I then decided to take my car to the Alps on a snowboard trip in 2017, so I needed alloys that could support snow tyres and not be ruined by the winter weather. So I purchased a set of BBS alloys, in 17' with matching tyres.
The front wing/wheel arch was actually new and sprayed by myself with a rattle can, but I'll cover that later
I've been to the Alps with the old girl twice now, and despite severe snow in the first year, never been stuck. Brilliant fun, would fully recommend. The car does have a ski hatch, but as a snowboarder I have to take the bindings off and slide the boards down the side. The mountain bike will fit in the rear seats, with both wheels off.
For anyone who is looking to buy new wheels for an e46, I'd fully reccomend the BBS alloys I bought. The car handles best on 17s and a square set up, IMO. By handling I'm of course referering to handling enjoyment. There is no doubt that it grips better on big fat staggered 18s, but it also becomes more understeering and crashy on bumps.
For looks though, staggered 18s are unbeatable.
If you need a cheaper set of wheels, do not buy anything made in 18' from BMW. They are on sale for a reason and not worth the money, for the most part.
Nice car, and I am pleased you don’t let having a convertible stop you from using it for all sorts! The bike carrier is tremendous; the further a dirty MTB is from an interior the better.
Your square setup comments are very misleading. Why? Because you don’t mention what size wheels and tyres you’re running (simply 17s), and because normally when you go from staggered to square you go wider on the front than standard, thus more tyre, thus more grip, thus less understeer. I really wonder if it was better on “big, fatstaggered 18s” (grip or otherwise) due to the greater difference in unsprung mass of the 17s and what I mentioned already. Still, I agree generally that a square setup reaps rewards, and consider it one of the best changes I did with my E46 M3.
Your square setup comments are very misleading. Why? Because you don’t mention what size wheels and tyres you’re running (simply 17s), and because normally when you go from staggered to square you go wider on the front than standard, thus more tyre, thus more grip, thus less understeer. I really wonder if it was better on “big, fatstaggered 18s” (grip or otherwise) due to the greater difference in unsprung mass of the 17s and what I mentioned already. Still, I agree generally that a square setup reaps rewards, and consider it one of the best changes I did with my E46 M3.
Edited by Nunga on Sunday 6th January 23:11
Nunga said:
Nice car, and I am pleased you don’t let having a convertible stop you from using it for all sorts! The bike carrier is tremendous; the further a dirty MTB is from an interior the better.
Your square setup comments are very misleading. Why? Because you don’t mention what size wheels and tyres you’re running (simply 17s), and because normally when you go from staggered to square you go wider on the front than standard, thus more tyre, thus more grip, thus less understeer. I really wonder if it was better on “big, fatstaggered 18s” (grip or otherwise) due to the greater difference in unsprung mass of the 17s and what I mentioned already. Still, I agree generally that a square setup reaps rewards, and consider it one of the best changes I did with my E46 M3.
If I need to transport it in the car, it goes in a bike travel bag. Fits perfectly, the only catch is I have to lower the roof to get it in!Your square setup comments are very misleading. Why? Because you don’t mention what size wheels and tyres you’re running (simply 17s), and because normally when you go from staggered to square you go wider on the front than standard, thus more tyre, thus more grip, thus less understeer. I really wonder if it was better on “big, fatstaggered 18s” (grip or otherwise) due to the greater difference in unsprung mass of the 17s and what I mentioned already. Still, I agree generally that a square setup reaps rewards, and consider it one of the best changes I did with my E46 M3.
Edited by Nunga on Sunday 6th January 23:11
Sorry if I'm being misleading here.
The BBS alloys are on 225/17 tyres. The 18s are on 235/255/18 front to rear.
My point with regards to square setups is that having tried numerous combinations in these cars, I found the 225/17 combination to be the most fun and rewarding to drive, but if what I really wanted was absolute grip and confidence, I'd be putting the 18s back on, not least because they've got more rubber, and its more suitable rubber to boot.
Given that I don't need the extra bit of grip as I'm not racing anyone, I'm quite content to leave the 17s on. I actually left them on all summer. However, I'll put the 18s back on for the shows next spring/summer.
The above points are obviously all based on my own perception, I've not got lap times or done conclusive tests.
matthias73 said:
Wheels
The e46 sports or Msport comes with MV series alloys. The MV1, which was standard on all pre-facelift Sport models and also available as an optional extra, were very good for their time. Weighing 8 kilos each, they were pretty light compared to alternative offerings. They also came in staggered sizes, with 225 tyres at the front and 255 at the back (give or take)
The MV1 alloy also looked stunning, when it came out.
However, the MV1 alloys you now see rolling around the roads are generally speaking, fked.
The design of the wheel means it sticks out considerably from the tyre, leading to horrendous kerbing. Furthermore, the lightweight design has led to many wheels failing. Buy a set on ebay and I'll put money on at least one of the wheels having been welded.
Can confirm.The e46 sports or Msport comes with MV series alloys. The MV1, which was standard on all pre-facelift Sport models and also available as an optional extra, were very good for their time. Weighing 8 kilos each, they were pretty light compared to alternative offerings. They also came in staggered sizes, with 225 tyres at the front and 255 at the back (give or take)
The MV1 alloy also looked stunning, when it came out.
However, the MV1 alloys you now see rolling around the roads are generally speaking, f
ked.The design of the wheel means it sticks out considerably from the tyre, leading to horrendous kerbing. Furthermore, the lightweight design has led to many wheels failing. Buy a set on ebay and I'll put money on at least one of the wheels having been welded.
Have owned two E46s 330s with MV1s. Both had been kerbed plenty by previous owners, and the latter required welding on a rear after an altercation with a pothole.
It also struck me that they are way overspec (8.5j and 255-section on the rear) for a car with 150bhp/tonne.
In car entertainment
So the e46 Nav system must have been pretty good for it's time. Coming with state of the art Sat-Nav, a 6 CD changer system, TV and Harmon Kardon, it really was world class. To achieve this with the technology of the day, BMW put the GPS, TV and radio in the boot, where there is plenty of space, and put the buttons and screen up front. On my car, there was also a tape deck hidden in the front too, some later models had the CD player hidden in the front.
The issue for today's owners however, is that decent music isn't readily available on CD like it used to be, with spotify playlists taking over the burnt CD from yesteryear. Furthermore, analogue TV hasn't been a thing for a decade, so all you get on the TV function is static. On the pre-facelift car, like mine, it is also impossible to wire in Bluetooth music capability or even an aux cable, unless you do some pretty imaginative cable splicing to the CD changer. It's possible to wire in an Aux cable to the post facelift and any non sat-nav models, in case you were wondering.
So the answer is of course to buy a new headunit that addresses the connectivity issues whilst retaining the factory appearance. There are a few options, I chose the XTRONS unit on their black Friday sale.
The aftermarket android headunits are sold as plug in and play. However, for the e46, they aren't. If you have a sat-nav model, you need to wire it to the boot where the connections live. For the non nav version, you need an aircon relocation panel and a few extra bits, readily available online.
I won't go into details, because there are plenty of tutorials on youtube, but briefly:
Sat-Nav model will require as a minimum:
1 x 5m extension cable
1 x 5m radio antenna extension cable (both available on amazon/ebay)
GPS dongle (usually included)
DAB dongle (available on their website)
If you want to do it right, you'll need to pull out the rear seats, the sill panels, floor carpet and glovebox so you can thread the extension cables along the same route that the original extension cables go. You plug into the cable that comes back from where the headunit lives, so it ends up being a big old cable salad, but hey ho. I left most of it to my mechanic, who has pulled apart these cars more times than he can remember, and has the knack of doing it without breaking things. If you don't have someone who has done it before, I'd recommend you give yourself an entire day to do this, because it's bloody fiddly.
Top tip- Whilst the rear seats are out, check the condition of your fuel pumps. I already had a new main fuel pump the year before, but the sender unit on the left hand side had failed, leading to a broken fuel gauge. The pumps are attached via a plastic housing that goes rather brittle, so on a bumpy sport suspension, can fail.
Anyway, the head unit is now in. I didn't have the radio antenna extension to hand, so I'm currently running without radio, but I really needed the internet/bluetooth functionality before the trip to the alps so I could listen to good music, have a decent GPS and watch the fast and the furious whilst sat in traffic (genuinely)
Some pics then.
This was when I got it. Note the lack of cupholders and the broken gearknob too. Both issues now sorted too.
Cupholders
Gearknob (Its not worth buying a cheap one, only get a genuine one, I've tried!)
The home screen (check out the background)
I downloaded tom tom go. With these android devices, it's imperative you download something with downloadable maps, so you don't need to keep pairing your phone internet. Also, they don't like to run too many applications at once. With the GPS dongle attached, once the maps are downloaded it's good to go whenever.
Picture I took after going to a tigers game (For the rugby fans out there)
I also downloaded BBC iplayer, spotify and youtube. Whenever I get in the car, I turn my phone hotspot on and the headunit will connect.
You can also watch DVDs, however I realised that it requires the handbrake on to work. Unfortunately, I didn't connect the required cable, so it doesn't know when the handbrake is on. I'll deal with that when I deal with the backlighting which I alos haven't had the time to connect yet, as well as the radio antenna.
Observe, the fast and the furious!
matthias73 said:
LanceRS said:
Good cars these 330s. I’ve done 45k in mine but I’m 5k behind you but as it’s going to stay a daily driver I’m sure I’ll pass you soon (am I too competitive?). I look forward to following your further adventures.
Too the moon and back? Last one back buys the beers.
There are a few excellent videos on YouTube that outline how to remove the E46 steering wheel, but one in particular was a highlight as it even described what to feel for when using the screwdriver to press the airbags springs from the back. It’s a very fiddly job to pop the airbag out but once those springs are depressed and the centre is out, it really is a doddle.
Wheel looks great; it looks like it really is a reupholstered wheel but I assume it’s stuck on?
Wheel looks great; it looks like it really is a reupholstered wheel but I assume it’s stuck on?
Nunga said:
There are a few excellent videos on YouTube that outline how to remove the E46 steering wheel, but one in particular was a highlight as it even described what to feel for when using the screwdriver to press the airbags springs from the back. It’s a very fiddly job to pop the airbag out but once those springs are depressed and the centre is out, it really is a doddle.
Wheel looks great; it looks like it really is a reupholstered wheel but I assume it’s stuck on?
You're right, the airbag is a doddle. Wheel looks great; it looks like it really is a reupholstered wheel but I assume it’s stuck on?
The wheel wouldn't come off. I would have needed an impact gun. I've not encountered a single bolt on this car that comes off easily enough, due to age, but I wasn't expecting the same to apply to the interior.
The cover is a stitch on job. Really straight forward, and would be so much easier if you could do it sat on your favourite sofa!
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