BMW Compact Track Car - 172k & no history
Discussion
I picked up a E46 325ti Compact last week, idea being to get into track days & potentially some low key motorsport stuff with it, details are thus:
- 325ti - 2.5L M54 engine
- 172k, no service history
- new brake lines & braided hoses
- 'pistachio green' with yellow half leather interior (lol)
- looks & drives like its been clocked the wrong way
- previous owner is a PH member, he bought it for an annual challenge he does with his mates, check out 1ktour on insta
The seller was a great guy, I had pace notes on the test drive & he highlighted the best place to overtake slow moving traffic. The 70 mile trip home from buying it passed without any issue, even the cruise control worked, and that classic BMW straight 6 soundtrack, mmmm.
What i got home i booked my first track days for next week - Snetterton on Wed evening & Donnington on Sunday.
Immediate jobs to be done;
- oil service
- brake pads & fluid
- 1x rear shock absorber (shock came in the book - the other ones already been done)
- coolant change
- fix temp gauge
- weight reduction
- check front bumper stability
Anything i'm missing from that list?
- 325ti - 2.5L M54 engine
- 172k, no service history
- new brake lines & braided hoses
- 'pistachio green' with yellow half leather interior (lol)
- looks & drives like its been clocked the wrong way
- previous owner is a PH member, he bought it for an annual challenge he does with his mates, check out 1ktour on insta
The seller was a great guy, I had pace notes on the test drive & he highlighted the best place to overtake slow moving traffic. The 70 mile trip home from buying it passed without any issue, even the cruise control worked, and that classic BMW straight 6 soundtrack, mmmm.
What i got home i booked my first track days for next week - Snetterton on Wed evening & Donnington on Sunday.
Immediate jobs to be done;
- oil service
- brake pads & fluid
- 1x rear shock absorber (shock came in the book - the other ones already been done)
- coolant change
- fix temp gauge
- weight reduction
- check front bumper stability
Anything i'm missing from that list?
I took the car out for a sunday morning blast around the Chilterns and WHAT A HOOT!
Awesome little thing, engine runs beautifully, gearbox is sweet and it handles surprisingly well, really doesn't feel like its 19 years old and 172k, i think it's had a pretty pampered life. Same wheelbase as the rest of the E46 family but less weight over the rear wheels makes for quite a tail happy little car...
Me and Antionio Margaretti (as it's now know), stopped to admire the rising sun together
Awesome little thing, engine runs beautifully, gearbox is sweet and it handles surprisingly well, really doesn't feel like its 19 years old and 172k, i think it's had a pretty pampered life. Same wheelbase as the rest of the E46 family but less weight over the rear wheels makes for quite a tail happy little car...
Me and Antionio Margaretti (as it's now know), stopped to admire the rising sun together
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Looks great, what did you pay, any underbody rust?
Thanks Bear. Paid a grand and a bit, underbody is pretty good, there’s a few bolts I’d dreading having to remove but overall it looks surprisingly good. Compacts are a bit less susceptible to rust as they were apparently made at a different factory.4 sleeps to go…!
Oil & filter change complete. Standard drama with me not having the right socket for the filter housing (it’s a 36mm), but easily resolved with a trip to the boys in black & orange
.
I also did a cluster test and found the temp gauge needle isn’t covering the whole range, basically 20o out so always shows the engine as a bit colder than it is.
Cluster removed & needle which will hopefully sort this, will have to wait until tomorrow to see…
Oil & filter change complete. Standard drama with me not having the right socket for the filter housing (it’s a 36mm), but easily resolved with a trip to the boys in black & orange
.
I also did a cluster test and found the temp gauge needle isn’t covering the whole range, basically 20o out so always shows the engine as a bit colder than it is.
Cluster removed & needle which will hopefully sort this, will have to wait until tomorrow to see…
MrC986 said:
OP, your car looks almost too good to track! I bought (with a PH friend) an 03 325ti M Sport about 2.5 yrs ago for £875 with 148k miles and we’ve created a relatively cheap track car....changed the suspension for coilovers & and had a suitable geometry setup, carried out a minor upgrade on the brakes (pads/fluids), stripped the seats out and put a pair bucket seats in (bolted straight to the floor with the side mounts) and put some more suitable tyres & removed the spare wheel carrier - we’ve not stripped the front part of the cabin as it gets driven to/from the track days. One last thing, if you haven’t got matching front/rear width wheels, I suggest you get some as it makes tyre choice better/more cost effective 
If you fancy some sensible track days, join the BMW Car Club (they do about 4 days a year) and the etiquette is so different to your average track day & there’s quite a few Compacts normally attending of all engine sizes.
Here’s a gratuitous pic from one of the Anglesey days I’ve done...
MrC - thanks for the message - yours look awesome, nice one. More pics plz!If you fancy some sensible track days, join the BMW Car Club (they do about 4 days a year) and the etiquette is so different to your average track day & there’s quite a few Compacts normally attending of all engine sizes.
Here’s a gratuitous pic from one of the Anglesey days I’ve done...
I’m looking to go down the same route (coilovers, seats, brakes, strip the rear), provided we make it through this weeks track days, so will probably have 1 billion questions for you, hehe…
Cheers for the wheel tip, mine are same front & rear so all good there.
Its definitely the flattering light making it look too good to track lol, heres a fairer pic…
What coilovers & pads are you running?
3 sleeps to go!!
Last nights temp gauge fix worked, woop.
Coolant change was on the cards for tonight - an arse of a job TBH!
a few nervous moments when the system seemed full but I knew it couldn’t be (due to the amount taken out vs replaced) but got to a point where I was relatively happy for a first pass, will continue to bleed and top up over the next few days - wasn’t able to get a water pump in time, so that’s on the to do list.
Only 1 pic from the exploits of the evening, hold onto your socket set tho, it’s a wild pic
Last nights temp gauge fix worked, woop.
Coolant change was on the cards for tonight - an arse of a job TBH!
a few nervous moments when the system seemed full but I knew it couldn’t be (due to the amount taken out vs replaced) but got to a point where I was relatively happy for a first pass, will continue to bleed and top up over the next few days - wasn’t able to get a water pump in time, so that’s on the to do list.
Only 1 pic from the exploits of the evening, hold onto your socket set tho, it’s a wild pic
Mr Tidy said:
They are great cars. 
If you have some spare time there is a dedicated thread for them here:- https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Cheers. Yea, I’ve found that thread, see the last-but-4 post If you have some spare time there is a dedicated thread for them here:- https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
must admit I still need to read through the full thing tho…
1 sleep to track time!
On the list for yesterday was pad replacement, I’ve opted for EBC yellow stuff all round, seemed like a good price, performance and driveability compromise. Plan was whip off all 4 callipers, pop in the pads and then onto brake fluid, the BMW gods decided differently tho!
Got the first calliper off, went to push the piston back in and it only moved a couple of mm. Harumph.
Used the pedal to move it out and tried to push it back again but nothing. Decided to go get a proper piston pusher and move onto the other side. No issues, piston back in, new pads on, calliper reattached. Dancing all round!
Back to drivers side, still no joy. By this time nowhere was left open so I had to call it a night. New calliper ordered and with very tight timelines to get it fitted.
I picked up the calliper this morning and managed to fit it over lunch, went on fine and didn’t lose too much fluid and it’s sooo shiney!
This evening i bled the brakes. I was recommend motul RBF 600 so went for this, flushed out the old and in with the new. I used a Gunson 1-person bleed kit, it uses a tyre for air pressure to save you having to push the brake pedal. Seemed to work pretty well TBH, biggest pain was jacking the car up corner by corner. Didn’t have time to test so hopefully no spongy pedal tomorrow.
I also noticed a drop link needs replacing so picked one up earlier & I’ll fit that in the morning, good job I’ve booked an evening track session
On the list for yesterday was pad replacement, I’ve opted for EBC yellow stuff all round, seemed like a good price, performance and driveability compromise. Plan was whip off all 4 callipers, pop in the pads and then onto brake fluid, the BMW gods decided differently tho!
Got the first calliper off, went to push the piston back in and it only moved a couple of mm. Harumph.
Used the pedal to move it out and tried to push it back again but nothing. Decided to go get a proper piston pusher and move onto the other side. No issues, piston back in, new pads on, calliper reattached. Dancing all round!
Back to drivers side, still no joy. By this time nowhere was left open so I had to call it a night. New calliper ordered and with very tight timelines to get it fitted.
I picked up the calliper this morning and managed to fit it over lunch, went on fine and didn’t lose too much fluid and it’s sooo shiney!
This evening i bled the brakes. I was recommend motul RBF 600 so went for this, flushed out the old and in with the new. I used a Gunson 1-person bleed kit, it uses a tyre for air pressure to save you having to push the brake pedal. Seemed to work pretty well TBH, biggest pain was jacking the car up corner by corner. Didn’t have time to test so hopefully no spongy pedal tomorrow.
I also noticed a drop link needs replacing so picked one up earlier & I’ll fit that in the morning, good job I’ve booked an evening track session
Jonny-Jimbo said:
My partner had an E46 Compact as her first car, and after a few others including an E46 325i Touring and then an Impreza Turbo she has an E36 318Ti... however, she pinches my daily most of the time, so I get to drive the Compact. It's such a fun little car, can only imagine with the extra shove the 6 pot affords it must be an absolute riot!
Nice one - sounds like you’ve got the best deal there 
depending on what your daily is!? Good engine in a small car with good handling never fails to entertain. I think the e36 shape is looking so classy now too. Still no idea what they were thinking with the front lights on the e46 compact 
Jonny-Jimbo said:
grahamgraham said:
Nice one - sounds like you’ve got the best deal there depending on what your daily is!? Good engine in a small car with good handling never fails to entertain. I think the e36 shape is looking so classy now too.
My daily tends to change depending on what's working! My E34 540i was getting a little worse for wear, so I bought a really boring, but tidy Pug 207 1.6HDi as a run about. My partners commute is longer than mine and mostly motorway miles, so she takes the Pug, which means I can use the Compact for buzzing through the lanes. I have rebuilt all of the suspension and brakes on it with new OEM parts, so it handles really nicely too, feels really nice clipping apex's etc depending on what your daily is!? Good engine in a small car with good handling never fails to entertain. I think the e36 shape is looking so classy now too.
I also didn't rate the E36 for a long time. To me they somehow always looked scruffy, but the shape has really come into it's own, particularly with the M-Sport kits. I love the design, smooth and crisp in the right places!
This is our little beasty...
They have a convenient apple shelf too!
Hilarious apple shelf - 90’s BMW designers looking after everyone’s health ey
So the track day was booked for yesterday evening, but I hadnt had the chance to test the car since oil, coolant or brake work and a drop link still needed replacing.
I cracked on yesterday morning - tested cooling again, checked oil and looked around for leaks - all seemed fine so I replaced the drop link, got the wheels on and went for a (very nervous) test drive.
Jubilation! Brake pedal feel was spot on, car got up to temp and held, some squeaking from the brakes but I expected that. So I got my tools and a spare wheel packed and headed off on the 2 hour journey to the track.
About 10 miles in there was still a lot of squeaking so stopped, had a look around, checked the wheel but torque and carried on.
Squeaking didn’t fully stop, but I had a few good chances to do some relatively aggressive stops to bed the new pads in, braked sharply and in a straight line, I was a happy boy.
Made it to the track, woo!
I cracked on yesterday morning - tested cooling again, checked oil and looked around for leaks - all seemed fine so I replaced the drop link, got the wheels on and went for a (very nervous) test drive.
Jubilation! Brake pedal feel was spot on, car got up to temp and held, some squeaking from the brakes but I expected that. So I got my tools and a spare wheel packed and headed off on the 2 hour journey to the track.
About 10 miles in there was still a lot of squeaking so stopped, had a look around, checked the wheel but torque and carried on.
Squeaking didn’t fully stop, but I had a few good chances to do some relatively aggressive stops to bed the new pads in, braked sharply and in a straight line, I was a happy boy.
Made it to the track, woo!
Edited by grahamgraham on Thursday 17th June 19:53
Track session was open pit Lane, so a few sighting laps behind a pace car and then you could just go on track whenever and for however long you wanted.
I found a spot in the paddock and offloaded tools and the spare
Turned the car on the sighting laps and engine management light came on, FFS!
After a few moments of ARGH, I decided that the car seemed fine with no nasty noises, temp was holding and I knew oil level was good so went for it. Also, if it was going to go pop then probably better at the circuit than on the way home.
Sighting laps felt surprisingly quick in a relatively unfamiliar car on an unfamiliar track, but I was very happy with how the car felt. Brakes were good, turn in was good, engine felt strong and it sounded great.
I realised at this point that I hadn’t filled the car up since the night I bought it - purchase to track day in less than 1 tank
After the sighting laps I headed straight back out and did a few laps, Snetterton is a cool track, quite technical, 2 slow hairpins, some very fast corners and a loooooong 2nd to last sweeper. Nice run off areas all over which felt reassuring. I was so glad I’d done the brakes, having confidence in them was key to enjoying the evening.
Track mpg was 13.3 so I paused to fill the tank…
I had booked an instruction session so Stuart the instructor hopped in with me after a few laps on my own. Cannot recommend this enough, he was brilliant, made me so much quicker and more confident. I didn’t believe his braking points & turn on speeds to begin with, i was amazed at what speeds the old Goodyear road tyres were clinging on at!
Natural habitat of a pit garage
The rest of the evening was brilliant, I didn’t run any timing stuff but felt like I was getting quicker and quicker. I had one off onto the grass after missing an apex but got it back onto the tarmac ok. Learnt a huge amount about the car & it’s limits but overall had a wicked time whatever car you have, can’t recommend a track session enough.
Grabbed a cheeky golden hour shot on the way home
I found a spot in the paddock and offloaded tools and the spare
Turned the car on the sighting laps and engine management light came on, FFS!
After a few moments of ARGH, I decided that the car seemed fine with no nasty noises, temp was holding and I knew oil level was good so went for it. Also, if it was going to go pop then probably better at the circuit than on the way home.
Sighting laps felt surprisingly quick in a relatively unfamiliar car on an unfamiliar track, but I was very happy with how the car felt. Brakes were good, turn in was good, engine felt strong and it sounded great.
I realised at this point that I hadn’t filled the car up since the night I bought it - purchase to track day in less than 1 tank
After the sighting laps I headed straight back out and did a few laps, Snetterton is a cool track, quite technical, 2 slow hairpins, some very fast corners and a loooooong 2nd to last sweeper. Nice run off areas all over which felt reassuring. I was so glad I’d done the brakes, having confidence in them was key to enjoying the evening.
Track mpg was 13.3 so I paused to fill the tank…
I had booked an instruction session so Stuart the instructor hopped in with me after a few laps on my own. Cannot recommend this enough, he was brilliant, made me so much quicker and more confident. I didn’t believe his braking points & turn on speeds to begin with, i was amazed at what speeds the old Goodyear road tyres were clinging on at!
Natural habitat of a pit garage
The rest of the evening was brilliant, I didn’t run any timing stuff but felt like I was getting quicker and quicker. I had one off onto the grass after missing an apex but got it back onto the tarmac ok. Learnt a huge amount about the car & it’s limits but overall had a wicked time
whatever car you have, can’t recommend a track session enough.Grabbed a cheeky golden hour shot on the way home
SturdyHSV said:
The partner is learning to drive in an E36 316i compact, and you can bet we'll be tracking that once she passes.
Standard suspension it already scraps the front mud flaps on cornering so at a track day it should be hilarious
Look forward to hearing how you get on
Very cool learner car Standard suspension it already scraps the front mud flaps on cornering so at a track day it should be hilarious
Look forward to hearing how you get on
Hilarious that the mud flaps scrape, the track might claim those if you don’t remove them before lol. I can’t recommend doing one enough, a lot of fun and a safe environment to explore car and driver limits
AndrewGP said:
Good read, glad the track day went well I agree with you on getting tuition, it's a great way to build confidence and get closer to the limits!
Any idea what the engine light came on for?
Thanks I agree with you on getting tuition, it's a great way to build confidence and get closer to the limits!Any idea what the engine light came on for?
I think the light is for o2 sensors, there were some codes in there previously and the sensors look original. I’ll scan the car tomorrow to check. Need to find out ahead of next track day on Sunday!
Sorry for the slow update... busy weekend!
The engine management light turned out to be o2 sensor as suspected, I've cleared the code a few times now and it comes back when it feels like it. The car seems to be running a bit rich, power still seems ok but worth changing it for sure. o2 sensor replacement added to the list! I've also got a code for fuel tank vent valve, need to look into this a bit further - any ideas anyone?
Second trackday of the week completed on Sunday, this time at Donnington. My dad joined me for the day which was great, we both drove the car & so had the chance to do some passenger laps too. Definitely less scary than i thought it would be!
Arrived nice and early after an eventless drive up and pulled up in a garage alongside some nice gents in this...
Started the day with some instruction again, very worthwhile. Donnington is a very different track to Snetterton, the whole first half of the lap at Donnington is constantly changing direction, one corner leading right into the next. When i got it right it was great, but get the first corner wrong and you're trying to get back on the right line for a long time. I found Snetterton much more of corner-straight-corner straight-corner, giving you time to reset after each corner and get ready for the next. They were challenging in different ways.
Antonio Margaretti (that's the car), performed really well again. Hammered round for 3 hours with not too many breaks, engine temp always fine, no brake fade and barely used any oil. A bit of brake judder under really heavy braking, warping on the front discs i think - they don't look that new to be honest. EBC yellowstuff pads & motul RBF 600 brake fluid working very well.
Then drove two hours home with the CD changer pumping out the tunes haha.
Having done two track days with only minimal work to the car i'm happy that it's a strong base so going to kick off the project in earnest. Suspension, seats, more brake work, tyres & weight reduction (not even the spare wheels was removed for last weeks' sessions) to come...
I've got a spare set of style 44 wheels for the car, they'll become the track wheels, but need to decide on a colour - i'm thinking red, maybe blue (inverse subaru!?) thoughts??
not my car but the wheel style & colour is like so:
The engine management light turned out to be o2 sensor as suspected, I've cleared the code a few times now and it comes back when it feels like it. The car seems to be running a bit rich, power still seems ok but worth changing it for sure. o2 sensor replacement added to the list! I've also got a code for fuel tank vent valve, need to look into this a bit further - any ideas anyone?
Second trackday of the week completed on Sunday, this time at Donnington. My dad joined me for the day which was great, we both drove the car & so had the chance to do some passenger laps too. Definitely less scary than i thought it would be!
Arrived nice and early after an eventless drive up and pulled up in a garage alongside some nice gents in this...
Started the day with some instruction again, very worthwhile. Donnington is a very different track to Snetterton, the whole first half of the lap at Donnington is constantly changing direction, one corner leading right into the next. When i got it right it was great, but get the first corner wrong and you're trying to get back on the right line for a long time. I found Snetterton much more of corner-straight-corner straight-corner, giving you time to reset after each corner and get ready for the next. They were challenging in different ways.
Antonio Margaretti (that's the car), performed really well again. Hammered round for 3 hours with not too many breaks, engine temp always fine, no brake fade and barely used any oil. A bit of brake judder under really heavy braking, warping on the front discs i think - they don't look that new to be honest. EBC yellowstuff pads & motul RBF 600 brake fluid working very well.
Then drove two hours home with the CD changer pumping out the tunes haha.
Having done two track days with only minimal work to the car i'm happy that it's a strong base so going to kick off the project in earnest. Suspension, seats, more brake work, tyres & weight reduction (not even the spare wheels was removed for last weeks' sessions) to come...
I've got a spare set of style 44 wheels for the car, they'll become the track wheels, but need to decide on a colour - i'm thinking red, maybe blue (inverse subaru!?) thoughts??
not my car but the wheel style & colour is like so:
Jonny-Jimbo said:
grahamgraham said:
That looks awesome, very nice esp with those wheels and do I spy a spoiler??
Hilarious apple shelf - 90’s BMW designers looking after everyone’s health ey
Yes, our 318Ti has the full M-Sport pack I think - front bumper, splitter, rear bumper, door trims and boot spoiler.Hilarious apple shelf - 90’s BMW designers looking after everyone’s health ey
I fully agree with the sentiment of getting on a track day, no matter the car. I'm building a Fiat Seicento track car with one of my mates (theres a thread on here about it). At first it was just a bit of a laugh whilst we were both furloughed last year, but we've ended up taking it seriously, buying donor cars with the 1.4 16V engine etc, looking at roll cage fabrication etc... So yes, it doesn't matter if the car is inherently sporty or not, a track day is fun in anything. I've also found I drive more sensibly on the road too now I'm doing more track sessions.
Your Seicento sounds like a brilliant project, thread link please?? totally agree that its all about the fun and learning more about driving and car control. doesn't matter what you're driving. I've found everyone has the same attitude - shared a garage with an AMG GTR & and a new RS6 at Donnington, both absolutely incredible cars - all of us there just to enjoy our cars and have a good day :-)
Time for a bit of an update on this one...
Recap:
I bought the car in June to be a track project - 172k, no history.
Changed fluids & front pads & then did a couple of track days a week after purchase
Car ran like a treat, big smiles from me!
Following the successful track days I was happy the car was a good base, so decision made to commit more effort & money, the list of mods as follows.
- Weight saving
- New discs & pads all round
- Lighter wheels & better tyres
- Suspension refresh (replace all main bushes with polybushes, coilovers & a good alignment)
- Smaller steering wheel
- Fix saggy front bumper
I've decided to go for more of a Clubsport vibe rather than full on track car, losing a little bit of on track performance to make it enjoyable for a road blast is worth it for me.
With all that in mind, it was time to cue the music & break out the spanners!
Recap:
I bought the car in June to be a track project - 172k, no history.
Changed fluids & front pads & then did a couple of track days a week after purchase
Car ran like a treat, big smiles from me!
Following the successful track days I was happy the car was a good base, so decision made to commit more effort & money, the list of mods as follows.
- Weight saving
- New discs & pads all round
- Lighter wheels & better tyres
- Suspension refresh (replace all main bushes with polybushes, coilovers & a good alignment)
- Smaller steering wheel
- Fix saggy front bumper
I've decided to go for more of a Clubsport vibe rather than full on track car, losing a little bit of on track performance to make it enjoyable for a road blast is worth it for me.
With all that in mind, it was time to cue the music & break out the spanners!
As Colin Chapman said "Simplify, then add lightness". I can't do a lot about the simplification, but I can certainly add lightness. Obvious benefits are that removing stuff is free & it should improve acceleration, braking and cornering (and fuel economy!).
I decided to focus on removing stuff for now, rather than going for replacing parts with lighter weight versions, maybe we'll come to that in the future...
I started by de-badging the car, every gram counts right!!
Next was removing the spare wheel - yes, i'd done two trackdays lugging a spare wheel around under the car
On the compact, the spare hangs underneath the boot in a plastic cradle thing - the wheel came out easy - 12.0 kg saved
The hanger was more of a pain, but got that off for another 3.4 kg
The spare was a little rusty had clearly never been used, but was still fully inflated which was pretty impressive.
|https://thumbsnap.com/WjW2Si2g[/url]
After that, I set to work on the interior proper, from this:
to this:
to this:
[url]
Everything was easy to remove apart from one bolt on the rear backrest (there's always one), classic BMW deciding to use a torx bolt, it was very tight & i ended up stripping the head so it got the drill treatment. cue metal savings everywhere inside the car. doh.
Byeeee!
I decided to weigh everything so i knew what i'd saved - 73.6 kg in total - pretty significant for a c. 1300 kg car.
The rear seat backs, spare wheel & front undertray were over half of this and were probably some of the easiest bits to get out - so if you need quick & easy weight saving, do those first.
In the spirit of the clubsport vibe - i'm keeping everything in the cabin for now. I replaced the tape headunit with a CD unit so i can keep the tunes pumping without the CD changer. It's only got front speakers but they work fine on their own.
There was more I could've taken out of the rear - rear wash & wipe + boot trim were the next obvious candidates, but i'm conscious that all the weight is coming out of the rear and I don't want to destroy the balance of the car so left it there for now.... apart from the wheels, which we'll come onto later...
I decided to focus on removing stuff for now, rather than going for replacing parts with lighter weight versions, maybe we'll come to that in the future...
I started by de-badging the car, every gram counts right!!
Next was removing the spare wheel - yes, i'd done two trackdays lugging a spare wheel around under the car
On the compact, the spare hangs underneath the boot in a plastic cradle thing - the wheel came out easy - 12.0 kg saved
The hanger was more of a pain, but got that off for another 3.4 kg
The spare was a little rusty
had clearly never been used, but was still fully inflated which was pretty impressive.|https://thumbsnap.com/WjW2Si2g[/url]After that, I set to work on the interior proper, from this:
to this:
to this:
[url]Everything was easy to remove apart from one bolt on the rear backrest (there's always one), classic BMW deciding to use a torx bolt, it was very tight & i ended up stripping the head so it got the drill treatment. cue metal savings everywhere inside the car. doh.
Byeeee!
I decided to weigh everything so i knew what i'd saved - 73.6 kg in total - pretty significant for a c. 1300 kg car.
The rear seat backs, spare wheel & front undertray were over half of this and were probably some of the easiest bits to get out - so if you need quick & easy weight saving, do those first.
In the spirit of the clubsport vibe - i'm keeping everything in the cabin for now. I replaced the tape headunit with a CD unit so i can keep the tunes pumping without the CD changer. It's only got front speakers but they work fine on their own.
There was more I could've taken out of the rear - rear wash & wipe + boot trim were the next obvious candidates, but i'm conscious that all the weight is coming out of the rear and I don't want to destroy the balance of the car so left it there for now.... apart from the wheels, which we'll come onto later...
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