[///M3Fresh]

Hey Guys,

Figured it is about time I started a thread and keep updating it with the progress. I wont get too much into detail from beginning as I dont recall every little thing.

Lets just start with that the E46 M body has been my dream car since it came out in late 1999 early 2000 and I get to see it in the auto shows. Fast forwarding a few more years I would, every once in a while, see an E46 M3 zipping around. This was not too often but when it happened, it felt like time was frozen. I would stare and drool over every since one that I seen

There was one particular Tiag M3 that I used to see all the time and I used to love that. The more that I seen it the more I wanted it. So finally in late 2006 there was a local guy to me that put one up for sale. I saw the listing and I knew I wanted it! (by this time I had checked one out for sale, and that was in OH). I went to check the local car that was for sale and the guy was asking a lot more then I could afford at the time. He proceeded to tell that he was thinking of getting a E9X M and that he wanted to sell the E46 before he could put an order in, or he would be in deep sh!t with his wife

I held off and didnt show much emotional attachment to that particular, this would of been a bad purchase if I gave in that easy. I waited about 7-8 months (which the car never sold) and I still did not find an M3, but this time I had checked out another 5-6 other M3s.

So I went back one day to the guys house to check out the car that I had originally inquired for and found he had bought a E90 335i. He NEEDED to get rid of the E46. This was the right time for me to get it!! So I did!!

Here is the picture from the PPI:



I knew it would pass inspection because the guy had all the records and was the one that insisted on me getting the PPI more then me. During/after the inspection I found out that the differential had a small leak which was because the guy had a shop install 3.91 gears and they did job at putting the right oil in there (plus it was overfilled). Everything checked out and part of the deal was for the soon to be PO to redue the seals for the diff before I picked up the car next week.



When I finally brought her home!!


I drove the car Stock for about 3-4 months and then the first thing I did was Wheels and black reflectors and Umnitza AEs





Just kept it clean and drove it for a while.



decided to lower it on votgland and konis


soon after came the dynavin head unitand CF 3m dinoc my trim





two christmas's ago i bought some maintenance things and a few cosmetic upgrades




also my TOB went bad around this same time so took care of that


while i was doing all of this I decided to go through with the ST's


After all of this I started getting into lights and how they worked, so ofcourse I had to mess around with mine


at first I liked the straight cut off,


after trying a bunch of different projectors I ended with FX-R outers and h1 one inners (h1's ones have been removed since August/sep 2011)





The second winter, I decide to try a snow drift event



The next few mods were CSL, headers, borla mufflers, and front BKK










My most recent mods (2 months) has been redoing the trim and steering wheel in black alcantara.



Waiting for some parts for paint trunk/hood/front bumper


And the newest addition are these


car will be up to date by the spring, but these two pictures are the most recent I have





thats all for now!!

[///M3Fresh]

Reserved!

[Dizzeep]

Nice documentation so far. Keep up the good work. I like the alcantera trim idea. Post pics of the trim once its done please!

[kevblah]

I saw that you installed ST coilovers, and then right after that came a snow drift event? How are the ST coils holding up to the salt?

[Busabos77]

^^ exactly my thoughts... Need feedback since I might get ST's too! Very nice journal!!! Love the new wheels that you got!

[¿safxtacy!]

Came along way! Looking good! I'm gonna be doing something to the headlights pretty soon. What do you mean by inners and outers? Also where did you source the fabric for the interior? I need to wrap my pillars urgently! What kind of materials did you need/use as well?

[0-60Motorsports]

Car looks great, You just need a better camera to take pics.

[///M Dream]

Cars looking great so far, keep up the good work and be sure to keep us posted!!

[///M3Fresh]

Originally Posted by Dizzeep

Nice documentation so far. Keep up the good work. I like the alcantera trim idea. Post pics of the trim once its done please!

It acually all finished I just have not gotten proper pictures of it yet. I have yet to do it because my car is on jack stands in the garage without suspension or wheels and its hard to take proper pictures. Will update you on it also!!

Originally Posted by kevblah

I saw that you installed ST coilovers, and then right after that came a snow drift event? How are the ST coils holding up to the salt?

Yeah, To be completely honest I drove with to that one particular snow event (no snow on the way there, 3-4 hours, roads were clean) they used tracktors and such to put all the snow in the parking lot that we used. When I drove home I got slammed with a blizzard but made it home just fine, 3-4 hour drive back home. My two passengers didnt have any complaints.

I actually drove on the ST's from December of '10 to august of '11 and if you look at the pictures of when I did the Rotora bbk that was in July-August of '11 so they were fine. Way to early to tell, but I had no plans to drive the car in the snow after that. I then sold the ST's in November of '11 (car sat from august-now with an exception in Oct, a weekend when I took her out after most of the major maintenance) and when I pulled them off there was no sign of salt/snow eating away at them, but then again those symptoms dont appear until 2-3 year of winter use. Personally I Dont think you have anything to worry about, the anodized coding they used should keep them well protected. Just give them a proper washing in the spring time to get rid of any salt with a power washer.

Originally Posted by Busabos77

^^ exactly my thoughts... Need feedback since I might get ST's too! Very nice journal!!! Love the new wheels that you got!

Read above!! Dont hold back.

Only reason I got rid of them, for the ones that are wndering, is that they would not allow clearance for my new wheels guys...Or I would of kept them. I got them when they were on Sale (intrductory rate + they had a mail in rebate) so I could not pass on them!

Originally Posted by safxtacy

Came along way! Looking good! I'm gonna be doing something to the headlights pretty soon. What do you mean by inners and outers? Also where did you source the fabric for the interior? I need to wrap my pillars urgently! What kind of materials did you need/use as well?

I got this particular faric from the for sale section, but a friend of mine (recently found out..) that his mom does interior decoratig and can source fabrics, on average ~$23/yeard, so I will have to see what she can do for me!!

I just used a 3M interior spray glue, works wonders and hardens like most other epoxeys. The pillars should really be cake, or at least from the stuff that I did it seems that things like pillars or the dash trim was the easiest. The lower steering wheel trim was the hardest to get to sit right without wrinkles!

Inners = the inside part of the reflector bowls in the headlights.
Outers= the outside part, where the Bi-Xenon sits.

I am only running projectors on the outside (FX-R with a Clear TSX lens and a bit of adjusting of the lens with the bulbs for the right pink/purple color/ficker) Plans are to mount in a set of Ls 430 or LS 460 projectors in the inner reflector bowls.

Originally Posted by 0-60Motorsports

Car looks great, You just need a better camera to take pics.

I know my friend! Only reason I finally started the thread is because I am in the market for a good camera (thinking a Eos T3i) and this way I wont disapoint you guys!!!

Originally Posted by ///M Dream

Cars looking great so far, keep up the good work and be sure to keep us posted!!

Thanks!!

[m3freak86]

You're right. It is about time you started a journal! Nice progress as always man. Looking forward to seeing it this spring with the new shoes on! Hope to see you at a meet this year!