Purchase & First Month: E46 M3
#1
08-22-2012, 03:28 AM
Purchase & First Month: E46 M3 Hi, everybody!
I've been looking forward to making a thread like this for many years and so glad that I finally get the chance to. I've been wanting an E46 M3 since they came out in 2001. I've owned a few cars between then and now - S2000s, C43 AMG, FX35 - but never quite found the right E46 M, or the timing/flip made little to no sense given whatever was going on around me.
This time around, I knew that this may be last shot at a clean example of the E46 M. The E90 M was more than I wanted to spend, and that car never hit me the same way. I am a picky buyer (colors, options, miles, condition, records, etc) and took my time. The "search" took several months until fellow member on M3F posted his car FS. The car checked all of the right boxes (more on that later), except ... it was in Italy!
The seller was a US Naval Officer and was stationed in Italy. He took the M with him, along with his A3 (DD). Facing deployment, he did not want to put the M into storage again so he made the hard decision to sell. He was the easiest guy to deal with, aside for the time difference. He had full records/receipts, had the car inspected for me, took care of shipping arrangements, and had all of the right answers to my endless emails/questions. The car had all modifications performed in the US, as well as an Inspection II about 15K ago. I spoke to these shops by phone and they remembered the car well. I finally felt comfortable with the idea of purchasing a US-spec car in Italy, and wired the funds.
The car as it arrived:
2005 (May '05 build) M3 Coupe
Carbon Black / Cinnamon
6MT, cold weather, premium, bi-xenon, NAV, etc.
- (everything except SMG, PDC and RWS - trim was wrapped anyhow and the wheels were replaced so those options are a wash, as is ZCP since everything has been upgraded except the steering rack)
2 owner, clean title, 59K [funny enough, the first owner had the car in Olympia, WA which is right near where I had the car shipped]
Modifications at time of purchase -
Powertrain:
Dinan Supercharger Kit
- Dinan Radiator, Intake, Injectors, Software, and Vortech Blower @ 4.5psi
Dinan ITBs
Dinan Exhaust
Dinan 3.91 LSD
Rogue SSK
Footwork:
RAC RG4 v1
Michelin PSS 245/275
Brembo BBK 380x6/345x4
TCK S/A Coilovers 450/500 with TCK Camber/Caster Plates
Dinan Front Tower Bar
Dinan Monoball RTABs
OEM CSL Lower Control Arms
Exterior:
OEM Euro Front Bumper
Strassentech Front Lip
OEM CSL Bootlid
Vorsteiner CSL Diffuser
CF Headlight Inserts
HID Foglights
35% Tint
3M Clear Bra
Interior:
0-60 Motorsports Steering Wheel
Leather Z Cinnamon Boots, Dash, and Shift Knob
Ultimate Aluminum Pedals
CF Interior Trim
BSW Stage II
I currently live in LA, but am from the Seattle area. I was under the impression that the Dinan kit was 49 state legal (not CA) so I had it shipped to WA for registration. Upon delivery, my brother and dad (I was in LA) tried to pass emissions and failed. I called Dinan and they said it will never pass as-is, and needs a temporary ECU installed for testing purposes. We sorted that out, I coordinate a weekend to fly up and take care of it, and that was over. Dinan was great to work with.
In August, I finally made time to make it to WA for a bit longer and planned to drive it down to CA on the 101. Before making my way south, I made a trip to Whistler and Vancouver BC. I also met with a photographer friend and will post those pictures when I get them.
Below are some pictures from my first full month of ownership. If memory serves, we completed the deal in April/May, it arrived in WA in June, and I first saw it in July. In the month since then, I've put on 3K. :thumbsup2:
Hope this read hasn't been too boring so far. On to the pictures:
Batch 1 - Delivery & first drives:
Delivery at the Seattle VPC:
Me seeing it for the first time; dad and brother put the included OEM car cover on it for me to unwrap:
First drive; pursuing a friend and fellow S54 owner in Gig Harbor, WA:
I took pictures at this spot right near home when I purchased my first car (an S2000) so I went back for some more "first pictures" in this nostalgic spot (note Euro plate frames; I think H20 or JT have shot here as well):
Batch 2, First "trip" - Vancouver & Whistler:
Road to Whistler, the Chief in the background:
More Sea To Sky highway:
Jericho Beach, Vancouver BC:
Yaletown, Vancouver (lived here for 5 years):
At UBC, my alma mater:
Batch 3 - Road Trip from Seattle to LA along the 101:
Where the 101 hits the Pacific in WA. Less than an hour after we left home, I got my only speeding ticket of the trip - a 73 in a 60 on an empty rural road. I thought it was offensive to the car to ticket it for such a small overage, but I kept shut and accepted the officer's compliments on the car.
Haystack Rock @ Canon Beach, OR:
Manzanita Beach Overlook, OR:
A little shut-eye on our first night:
Day 2 of 3, a pull-off just before entering the Redwoods/Crescent City:
Endless photo-bombs by my co-pilot. Somewhere just South of Crescent City:
Gotta love the fog! (GoPro videos/pictures coming later):
Bumped into this clean 993 C4S somewhere outside of Crescent City in NorCal. Very nice guy with a CO plate also traversing the Redwoods that morning with a GoPro:
Driving through a Redwood:
Entering what I think is Avenue of Giants:
Spent night 2 at a friend's in SF (best picture of the bunch):
Day 3 was most of the same so I took fewer pictures.
Spontaneous stop at Dinan HQ on the way, Morgan Hills CA:
All in all, we drove 34 hours over 3 days and just under 1600 miles, averaging ~23mpg. Car performed flawlessly, with oil never even thinking of going over 210F despite 45F swings during a day (60-105F).
Batch 4 - Misc Pictures:
Same friend/car, iphone picture taken during the shoot that I will post more of later:
'' @ Alki Beach, Seattle:
Interior (it came with a Cinn knob which I swapped to the ZHP piece; I initially plasti-dipped the alum ring at the base of the knob to blend like the parking brake, but was unhappy with the finish so I peeled it and am now content with the aluminum ring:
In the end, I couldn't be happier. The car is as, or better, than described. I knew it had some imperfections (a disconnected DICE, normal road rash for a 3M'd 60K car, etc). My dad accidentally put the front into a curb at the emissions testing on day 1 (not used to driving lowered cars), so that ding was under "my ownership." If I had the money to modify to my heart's content, this is pretty much how I would have done it - down to the spring rates and final gear ratio. I was not looking for a modified car, but this one felt right. It feels so solid yet compliant, firm and planted yet forgiving, smooth and linear in it's power delivery, loud when I want and quiet when I want. I will never know what each little modification did to the end package, but I have driven several stock cars to know, "holy shit..." Oddly enough, the blower was the last modification to earn my initial interest. But wow do I love it now; smoother than stock!
I have and will continue to make small changes (ZHP knob, OEM aux, CPI RT3, SS clutch line/-CDV, etc), but nothing major. I also plan on removing the front lip (it's seriously stuck to the bumper so I need to buy another Euro front first and sell mine as a package), removing the CF headlights, removing the Dinan trunk badge, powder coating the calipers silver when they need an overhaul, and adjusting the ride height (pinch higher and leveled). My big expenses will be maintenance (luckily Inspection II done not long ago) and bulletproofing (I will reinforce the subframe in a few weeks, along with other reinforcement plates). I have every intention of keeping this car forever.
Thanks for reading!
I've been looking forward to making a thread like this for many years and so glad that I finally get the chance to. I've been wanting an E46 M3 since they came out in 2001. I've owned a few cars between then and now - S2000s, C43 AMG, FX35 - but never quite found the right E46 M, or the timing/flip made little to no sense given whatever was going on around me.
This time around, I knew that this may be last shot at a clean example of the E46 M. The E90 M was more than I wanted to spend, and that car never hit me the same way. I am a picky buyer (colors, options, miles, condition, records, etc) and took my time. The "search" took several months until fellow member on M3F posted his car FS. The car checked all of the right boxes (more on that later), except ... it was in Italy!
The seller was a US Naval Officer and was stationed in Italy. He took the M with him, along with his A3 (DD). Facing deployment, he did not want to put the M into storage again so he made the hard decision to sell. He was the easiest guy to deal with, aside for the time difference. He had full records/receipts, had the car inspected for me, took care of shipping arrangements, and had all of the right answers to my endless emails/questions. The car had all modifications performed in the US, as well as an Inspection II about 15K ago. I spoke to these shops by phone and they remembered the car well. I finally felt comfortable with the idea of purchasing a US-spec car in Italy, and wired the funds.
The car as it arrived:
2005 (May '05 build) M3 Coupe
Carbon Black / Cinnamon
6MT, cold weather, premium, bi-xenon, NAV, etc.
- (everything except SMG, PDC and RWS - trim was wrapped anyhow and the wheels were replaced so those options are a wash, as is ZCP since everything has been upgraded except the steering rack)
2 owner, clean title, 59K [funny enough, the first owner had the car in Olympia, WA which is right near where I had the car shipped]
Modifications at time of purchase -
Powertrain:
Dinan Supercharger Kit
- Dinan Radiator, Intake, Injectors, Software, and Vortech Blower @ 4.5psi
Dinan ITBs
Dinan Exhaust
Dinan 3.91 LSD
Rogue SSK
Footwork:
RAC RG4 v1
Michelin PSS 245/275
Brembo BBK 380x6/345x4
TCK S/A Coilovers 450/500 with TCK Camber/Caster Plates
Dinan Front Tower Bar
Dinan Monoball RTABs
OEM CSL Lower Control Arms
Exterior:
OEM Euro Front Bumper
Strassentech Front Lip
OEM CSL Bootlid
Vorsteiner CSL Diffuser
CF Headlight Inserts
HID Foglights
35% Tint
3M Clear Bra
Interior:
0-60 Motorsports Steering Wheel
Leather Z Cinnamon Boots, Dash, and Shift Knob
Ultimate Aluminum Pedals
CF Interior Trim
BSW Stage II
I currently live in LA, but am from the Seattle area. I was under the impression that the Dinan kit was 49 state legal (not CA) so I had it shipped to WA for registration. Upon delivery, my brother and dad (I was in LA) tried to pass emissions and failed. I called Dinan and they said it will never pass as-is, and needs a temporary ECU installed for testing purposes. We sorted that out, I coordinate a weekend to fly up and take care of it, and that was over. Dinan was great to work with.
In August, I finally made time to make it to WA for a bit longer and planned to drive it down to CA on the 101. Before making my way south, I made a trip to Whistler and Vancouver BC. I also met with a photographer friend and will post those pictures when I get them.
Below are some pictures from my first full month of ownership. If memory serves, we completed the deal in April/May, it arrived in WA in June, and I first saw it in July. In the month since then, I've put on 3K. :thumbsup2:
Hope this read hasn't been too boring so far. On to the pictures:
Batch 1 - Delivery & first drives:
Delivery at the Seattle VPC:
Me seeing it for the first time; dad and brother put the included OEM car cover on it for me to unwrap:
First drive; pursuing a friend and fellow S54 owner in Gig Harbor, WA:
I took pictures at this spot right near home when I purchased my first car (an S2000) so I went back for some more "first pictures" in this nostalgic spot (note Euro plate frames; I think H20 or JT have shot here as well):
Batch 2, First "trip" - Vancouver & Whistler:
Road to Whistler, the Chief in the background:
More Sea To Sky highway:
Jericho Beach, Vancouver BC:
Yaletown, Vancouver (lived here for 5 years):
At UBC, my alma mater:
Batch 3 - Road Trip from Seattle to LA along the 101:
Where the 101 hits the Pacific in WA. Less than an hour after we left home, I got my only speeding ticket of the trip - a 73 in a 60 on an empty rural road. I thought it was offensive to the car to ticket it for such a small overage, but I kept shut and accepted the officer's compliments on the car.
Haystack Rock @ Canon Beach, OR:
Manzanita Beach Overlook, OR:
A little shut-eye on our first night:
Day 2 of 3, a pull-off just before entering the Redwoods/Crescent City:
Endless photo-bombs by my co-pilot. Somewhere just South of Crescent City:
Gotta love the fog! (GoPro videos/pictures coming later):
Bumped into this clean 993 C4S somewhere outside of Crescent City in NorCal. Very nice guy with a CO plate also traversing the Redwoods that morning with a GoPro:
Driving through a Redwood:
Entering what I think is Avenue of Giants:
Spent night 2 at a friend's in SF (best picture of the bunch):
Day 3 was most of the same so I took fewer pictures.
Spontaneous stop at Dinan HQ on the way, Morgan Hills CA:
All in all, we drove 34 hours over 3 days and just under 1600 miles, averaging ~23mpg. Car performed flawlessly, with oil never even thinking of going over 210F despite 45F swings during a day (60-105F).
Batch 4 - Misc Pictures:
Same friend/car, iphone picture taken during the shoot that I will post more of later:
'' @ Alki Beach, Seattle:
Interior (it came with a Cinn knob which I swapped to the ZHP piece; I initially plasti-dipped the alum ring at the base of the knob to blend like the parking brake, but was unhappy with the finish so I peeled it and am now content with the aluminum ring:
In the end, I couldn't be happier. The car is as, or better, than described. I knew it had some imperfections (a disconnected DICE, normal road rash for a 3M'd 60K car, etc). My dad accidentally put the front into a curb at the emissions testing on day 1 (not used to driving lowered cars), so that ding was under "my ownership." If I had the money to modify to my heart's content, this is pretty much how I would have done it - down to the spring rates and final gear ratio. I was not looking for a modified car, but this one felt right. It feels so solid yet compliant, firm and planted yet forgiving, smooth and linear in it's power delivery, loud when I want and quiet when I want. I will never know what each little modification did to the end package, but I have driven several stock cars to know, "holy shit..." Oddly enough, the blower was the last modification to earn my initial interest. But wow do I love it now; smoother than stock!
I have and will continue to make small changes (ZHP knob, OEM aux, CPI RT3, SS clutch line/-CDV, etc), but nothing major. I also plan on removing the front lip (it's seriously stuck to the bumper so I need to buy another Euro front first and sell mine as a package), removing the CF headlights, removing the Dinan trunk badge, powder coating the calipers silver when they need an overhaul, and adjusting the ride height (pinch higher and leveled). My big expenses will be maintenance (luckily Inspection II done not long ago) and bulletproofing (I will reinforce the subframe in a few weeks, along with other reinforcement plates). I have every intention of keeping this car forever.
Thanks for reading!
Last edited by wyatth; 08-22-2012 at 03:35 AM.
#4
08-22-2012, 04:55 AM
Congrats brother, the E46 M3 along with the E39 M5 will sure go down in the history books as one of those classic cars. The lines of that car are bar none and we will never see anything as clean from BMW again. Late 90's - Early '00 car design at it's best. Your car sounds like it's quite the beast, thanks for sharing
