Rekpoints 05 E46 M3 Build Thread
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Car is going to be a bit louder in a few weeks courtesy of my homeboy @pynacl
More louder is better
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More louder is better
Well, That was a fail. As probably seen on @pynacls build thread. He gifted me an Eisenmann Race muffler with 86mm Le Mans tips on the promise that if I ever go with another muffler setup, I gift it back. (That is Now on record for everyone to see)
Turns out my stock muffler was welded to the section 3. Good thing we have a parts car to swap section 3 + the muffler right?
Wrong.
I undid 16 bolts to disconnect my section 3. Thanks @i_love_carsfor replacing those bolts as they came undone really easy. At this point Jake and I think to ourselves, This is going way too easy, we should check the parts car. Well turns out the section 3 bolts were both heavily rusty and rounded. So I had to put my car together and cry myself to sleep. Since the muffler was stuck on the parts car, I decide to repair the drivers side tip that was dented in the accident. I did alot of research and decided a tailpipe expander would be perfect for the job. I purchased one before I came and decided to give it the old college try. Ill let pictures speak for itself but I think its pretty much there. Just a hammer tap left and it is 99% back to normal. Will be paying a buddy to help me swap them at an Audi dealership with a lift..
The weekend wasn't all a loss because Pynacl and I went to the Imola Motorsports open house, He won a hat and I won the grand prize of a $500 2 year ceramic coating. (Will have it done this next spring.) I almost didn't win because I was too busy complaining that I wasn't winning ran up half way though them redrawing the number LOL.
Today since this weekend didn't go as planned I decided to install some bits and pieces I've had laying around for months. First was the Never Done M3 badge sticker. The old one was very faded and peeled off without a heatgun with ease. 2nd thing I did was replaced the side markers with OEM E38 amber side markers as the M3 and E38s share the same markers. In the pictures you can see the before and after a plastic polish and before and after install.
The car officially has 100% oem ambers. Yes, I am an amber butthurt, amber the world.
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Also, Some stuff to look forward to.
I have a list of things that need to be purchased/done next spring. They go as follows from most important (More likely to be done to less)
New Thermostat,
Add an electric fan controller, + install OEM AUX fan
Chrome Kidneys/Fender grills,
Front bumper repair/respray, CSL 1x1 CF rear diffuser.
New Wheels + tires (Between 3 brands. Undecided. BBS, FIKSE or Rays)
New M3 floormats+trunk mat
New nappa colby wheel,
Bluebus bluetooth audio,
F10 M5 LED ZHP knob
Genuine CSL trunk lid (If price goes down more or I find a deal)
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A few weeks ago @pynacl and I decided to meet up in Prescott Wisconsin and drive the Mississippi down to Pepin then up towards Durand for some Stone Barn Pizza. One of the last HOORAHS before putting the M3s in storage.
Great driving roads + fall colors, Cant get much better then that.
Saw a few cool cars out doing the same thing we were. A few miatas, a Z3M roadster with a Dinan exhaust and a sweet brand new Aston Martin
Shout out to Ethyn + Jake for the photos. I forgot my camera as per usual.
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Well, this is the post I dreaded making. The end of the season.
Finished up the season with an oil change from FCP at 168,984 miles!
Fully detailed the interior and removed my junk.
On my way to get a carwash with undercarriage wash I cruised to that 169k mile mark!
A few other things I forgot to update earlier from September if you haven't already noticed is that I swapped the black kidney + fender vents for some OEM chrome and I dig the look. Just need to install fog lights in the spring to complete it!
I also refinished the peeling soft touch center console with a product called Colorbond 258 BMW Black LVP paint. Gives it the OEM look WITHOUT the soft touch! I think it turned out OK. Alot of prep was my only complaint..
Car is going to be stored at my shop down the street. Non heated cold storage but at least under a roof. 4 carpet samples will be under the tires to hopefully reduce flat spotting (Mother is interior designer) in preparation for new tires come spring. Steelwool in exhaust tips, dryer sheets in cabin, trunk + engine bay and disconnecting the battery.
Using sheets for the time being to keep the dust off. My dad bought me an early Christmas gift of a car cover. So that will go on as soon as it gets here!
Last but not least I am pulling out the rear view mirror for a fluid change over the winter, the steering wheel and shift knob + shift boot for some changes to the driving feel for next spring.
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Those 200tw RS4s will be roached after getting cold cycled
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Those 200tw RS4s will be roached after getting cold cycled
Meh they already are. Ill have new tires waiting in the spring.
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Hope everyone is having a good Christmas with the fam! Unfortunately due to covid I don't have any extended family left to spend time with.. Take that how you will..
I decided to drive down the street and work on the M3 for a bit today. Starting from the beginning.
When I put the car into storage, I pulled the steering wheel, shiftknob/boot and rear view mirror
I stripped and resprayed the steering wheel trim, Looking back I should have just left it as it was a bunch of work. But I am happy with the results.
Steering wheel arrived on the 23rd from Tanik Wheel in Germany, I ended up going with a nappa leather re-wrap, tri color M stitch, no center stripe and I made sure he removed the old leather. (This is the only reason I didn't go with Coby wheel, He overlays alacantara/leather overtop of your existing leather) I also heard of quality of material concerns from Coby aswell. Tanik was nearly double the price with no core. But based on forum reviews it is as good as I am going to get before its just worth buying a new OEM Dakota M3 steering wheel.
Back in October I scored an F80 M3 shift knob off eBay for $60 shipped with 3k miles. It was very poorly labeled and was very excited to remove the ZHP knob for an illuminated version because I am butthurt. Well turns out the seller was an idiot.. He sent the knob in a bubble mailer with no bubble wrap in "Media Mail" For those of you who aren't familiar media mail is strictly for sending media like newspapers CDs etc. I pulled the knob out of the package and it caught a metal edge somewhere and there was a huge chunk of leather missing from the knob.. Disappointing as I wont be able to get another one for that price again.
My buddy Nick from Vermont @f80ghost on Instagram, heard what happened and bartered with me a knob for a fire extinguisher. Not as good of a deal as the original but I will take it.
I switched out the old Vinyl m color shift boot that was in the car since Jordan picked the car up in 2018 for a Race German OE style black boot. I am very impressed with the quality on this. Feels much better and looks much better then the old one.
The F80 shift knob retrofit is a bit more involved then the F10 M5 knob because you cant just switch boot frames and reuse the shift boot. As the F80 boot is smaller and not symmetrical like the F10 boot.
I needed to remove the F80 boot from the knob and chip off the 2 additional clips that were not needed. Instead of de-pinning the connector to slide though a hole I made in the shift boot, I decided to cut the wires and just re-solder the 2 wires.
I was able to do all this without cutting the wires, Not so successful for myself unfortunately. The last cut I made into the boot I got myself good with a fresh X-Acto knife. Would not stop bleeding. But you can see with picture proof. Start without a band-aid end with one. All n all very happy with how this turned out. Just need to add a zip tie to keep the boot from falling down. Ill do that probably tomorrow as I have one more project to finish up.
Last project I need to finish up is the rear view mirror. Talking to @pynaclhe convinced me to switch to an Oval mirror over keeping the SOS mirror. I was fortunate enough to have purchased an oval mirror a few years ago to retrofit into an E36 m3. It was cheaper to buy replacement glass for the oval mirror ($60) then buy a replacement SOS mirror or send it in to get refurbished $150 for both. So the other night I took on the project.
The main thing forum members complained about was blowing up their oval mirror when plugging it into an SOS wired car. The car has more power running to the mirror for the Roadside assistance and 911 buttons. To fix that problem all I had to do is de-pin pins 4 though 7. While I could have just snipped them off I wanted to do it the "Right" way. I de-pinned them from the connector and slipped some heat shrink over them and electrical tapped them to the rest of the harness. The mirror isnt installed yet as I forgot my keys and couldn't test the auto-dim.
To replace the mirror I had to de-solder / snap out the main board connected to the old mirror. After removing the board I removed the black plastic holder and removed the old double sided tape. After putting on some 3m double sided tape I centered it on the new mirror and soldered the 2 wires back on! Honestly so simple a monkey could do it. Based on what online advertisements say, This mirror should last longer then OEM. I bet not.. See you in 15 years.
I will finish installation tomorrow and post up some before and after mirror photos.
Some cool things I am looking forward to in 2022. I am doing a full leatherique leather treatment on the seats, I have a full 2 year ceramic coating going on in the spring that I won from Imola Motorsports in Minneapolis. And last but not least, the Eisenmann race exhaust should go on eventually I just need time to get both cars on a lift and swap them over due to technical difficulties expressed in a previous post. For now I think I have everything done I wanted to do this winter. We will see if I come up with anything else.
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steering wheel looks like money well spent
Cant wait to drive it in the spring!
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A tiny update, After testing a few times the mirror did not work. Found more info online and after swapping pin 2 to pin 7 on the mirror side it worked!
Oval mirror will be glued up and installed soon.
Also got a few goodies in the mail. Finally got my hands on a set of backordered M3 floormats from FCP along with the matching trunk mat.
Now if I ever ruin them I have a lifetime warranty. Also received a new hood vent, thermostat, VC gasket, some random hardware to install fog lights and a few other miscellaneous bits I needed.
I will say the new construction on the mats are piss poor. Here are my complaints if you guys care.
Not as plush and more stiff, M3 is now a PATCH and not embroidered in, no more purple in the M colors and the funniest part. The 3 in "M3" is the wrong font.
Cant wait to actually start working on this stuff in the spring.
Next to order, New tires, AB&C pillar fabric and some fresh RBF 600
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3/7/2022
Sitting here at 3am dreaming about driving this car again. Car is in cold storage and I hope I can be driving it by the end of March? Wishful thinking as there is still plenty of snow and tons of salt on the ground up north as of now...
I have decided that everything I did to the car back in December wasn't up to my standards. Here is a slight update/explanation and solutions of everything starting from the top...
The sweet new steering wheel had a weird gap between the M trim and leather that bugged the hell out of me. (I paid a decent amount for it so I wanted perfection) I proceeded to send it back to Germany to get a new one. Should be arriving there today. Then I should be getting an ETA on my new one.
I refinished the M trim on the wheel before the original wheel came. I didn't notice at the time but it was too blue.. I ordered a brand new M wheel trim from FCP euro. Should be arriving today.
The F80 knob retrofit turned out great and I loved the knob. But unfortunately when looking at the lightly used knob right next to the brand new steering wheel it just didn't look quite right. I decided that ordering a new F10 M5 knob would be the way to go. As I can just switch boot rings and not have to go though the extra effort as I did with the F80 knob. The F10 knob is still illuminated and I can retain that.
Oval mirror retrofit was awesome, gluing back the trim wasn't as easy as I thought. I purchased a new oval mirror from a guy that switched from the oval to the BMW assist mirror that I am taking out of the car back in 2008. So I got a perfect oval mirror that doesn't need glass replacement as of now for DIRT cheap. I have already performed the de-pin. I am keeping my replacement mirror for when I need to replace it in the future. Ill run it as is for now as I don't want to risk braking the housing again.
So now I need to re-install the new steering wheel when that comes in, install the F10 m5 shift knob and oval mirror. In addition to that stuff the section 2 and OEM muffler need to be removed and the Eisenmann Race + section 2 needs to be installed as @pynacl is wanting to sell the "Parts" car. So I need to remove the stuff I need before that leaves.
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So I need to remove the stuff I need before that leaves.
Yeah get yo ass out there and turn some bolts
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So a huge update as I am very behind with this thread. Eisenmann was removed from @pynacls parts car. Paid a shop down the road $300 to remove and re-install my welded section 2+muffler to the parts car. Only to find out the Eisenmann was sorta butchered up. Brackets were cut, rewelded to other places and was actually welded to the car on some places. Whoever "Rebuilt" that car was a total hack. I decided that I wasn't going to let such an expensive muffler go to waste. One email to Eisenmann and another to IND and I ordered a set of new stainless brackets that I will have my local machine shop weld to the muffler to make it usable again. at $90 shipped to my door. I couldn't say no still waiting on those..
In the meantime, @pynacllent me his stock muffler that I could pare up to the stock section 2. I installed both of those to prepare for the car to be pulled out on April 21st. Knowing I froze the 200TW Hankook RS4s, I was looking for a better option for more street driving then track driving. After consulting with @jgustyand @patsbimmer1I decided on a set of Michelin PS4s tires from non other then BLAINS FARM AND FLEET. Huge thanks to Pat as I got the set of new tires for $1003 installed utilizing their B3G1 sale. Name dropping Pat also included no fuck-ups to my wheels aswell, its hard to find good help around these parts as @KaiserRollsknows. Only problem with the new tires is that they rub on the fender liner when turning. I will let that self clearance.
Before pulling the car out I had to install my new Tanik wheel from Germany with no trim gap, a new steering wheel trim piece, the new rear view mirror, new floormats front and rear, new F10 m5 knob retrofitted to the E46 boot frame and finally a BLUEBUS. I scored 2 bluebusses, one for $300 and one on ebay for $200. Knowing they were still unavailable I was checking eBay one night to see how much the one I bought for $300 was going for. Only to find one listed for $200 that I purchased instantly. Ended up selling the $300 one for $420 on ebay. Scumbag decided to file a chargeback. So we will see what happens with that.
The BlueBus is fantastic, displays coolant temp, auto plays and displays music, tons of other options with it. LED displays RED when disconnected and GREEN when connected. Not to mention, it sounds fantastic. Truly an awesome open source device for the I-Bus equipped cars. Even plugged it in to my computer to rename it "M3" when connecting to it on Bluetooth. I still need to install the phone adaptor that goes to it as the M3 is factory equipped with the BMW Assist system and I couldn't find the plug. I did though install it with the USB wire connected and routed it for easy updates. So that's cool. I also purchased an OEM BMW sunshade for my birthday as a gift to myself as they came back in stock
Having not seen @pynaclsince my birthday weekend. We took a drive on the St. Croix river starting in Prescott Wisconsin ending in Durand just south of Menomonie for some Stone barn Pizza. When I woke up of course I had to start the day on the wrong foot. My new mirror already started leaking. Cant say it wasn't expected but didn't expect that so soon. Will send it out to Radar Mirror to redo it for me as I don't want to break any tabs. Mid way though the drive I got pulled over and got my first speeding ticket. Lets just say, I found a lawyer that will handle that one, as it wasn't one I could just let slide.
On Thursday I did a full "Leatherique Treatment" to the interior of the car. I am happy to say the seats are softer then ever and cleaner then ever aswell. While I was doing that something cool showed up via UPS. I scored a Supersprint non-catted section 2 X pipe for $225 shipped to my door. After @pynacls experiment I really wanted a resonated X pipe. But at $225 I couldn't say no. If I don't like the sound I will add a resonator for not much more.
Fast forward to this weekend the 15th I participated in the CVSCC (Chippewa Valley Sports Car Club) Auto-X at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair Grounds. I had a blast of a time. Fastest time being 52.73. Beating out a 2018 m3 in the Novice class and a bunch of other noobies. My twin brother got second place in his 128i and can no longer be in the novice class.. Shout out to Ethyn and Sam for the photos and video of my last run of the day. Also, 0 cones hit though the day, so I think I can go faster...
Next event will be the BMW spring Picnic on the 28th I am helping @wasnt m3put on. Cant wait to see my MKE friends again.
Bonus pic of me leaving the UW-Stout Auto Club car show that my business sponsored.
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Quick little update, Returned from the Badger BMWs Spring picnic with an M3 loaded with 4 printer paper boxes full of 80s-2010s Roundel magazines and I also picked up a set of BBS RC300/301s from @i_love_cars off his new E39. Playing some Tetris we were able to fit everything into the car for the 4 hour drive home. Thank god for moving blankets. Now I need to find a daily they will fit on once the E36 gets cleaned up and sold.
This weekend I decided to visit @pynacl have a ton of beer and work on a few projects. First on the agenda was to replace the valve cover gasket on the M3. When blasting heat you could smell a bit of oil though the vents. So glad to have that done finally, We also ended up installing fog lights. But an update on that will have to wait. Due to the connectors having junk in them. I need to pull them apart and clean them. Or just replace the contacts and reassemble. Also have OEM fog surrounds on order as my nice amazon once didn't seem to want to click in (They clicked in the imola parts car so they stayed on it). Enjoy some rare pictures of me ACTUALLY working on this car as its usually just me fucking around.
The second major project I wanted to complete was to help wash & detail @pynacls Imola red parts car. He had never washed the car since he bought it and it was time to go to fund some house projects... Or another car, I know how it is.. Anyway, Id say it came out fantastic. We had a little argument on how much to sell it for. He was happy with 7k. I said list it for $8500 and accept 8k. After 150 messages at 8500 someone from Wausau came and bought it yesterday. Less then 24 hours after posting. Nice come up on a parts car @pynaclthe E46 m3 gods were looking out for you.
Next on the list of things to do include a new starter, as I have started to have some issues in MKE. I bet @wasnt m3was ecstatic pushing my ass in the Walmart parking lot LOL. Order more headliner material + better glue to redo my butchered A+c pillar job, Finish up the fog install with new connectors, contact RADAR mirror to see what the ETA is on having my rear view mirror glass replaced, Source a full set of clear corners, sides and tails. (I know the ambers did not last long. But the car will look better with clears with what I have planned this next season) and last but not least buy some base and clear coat for a piece I have been sitting on for 3 months.
Still no update from IND when my fucking Eisenmann muffler brackets will get here to repair my muffler. But once those are here I can start digging into making this a tiny bit louder.
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Starter update, Started the job on Saturday. It took 2 hours to disassemble and remove the starter. (1 of those hours was just fucking with the intake manifold clamps) Finished the job up today as I had to wait for the proper intake manifold clamp tool. Took an hour to put everything back together and 3 minutes to re-install the manifold clamps with the proper tool. Way better then struggling for an hour.
While the intake manifold was off I took time to remove the ICV and spray it out with some carb cleaner so the flap could move freely. Wasn't an issue more just a while I was in there type deal. I did the same by also cleaning the throttle bodies. They weren't too dirty but now they are fresh and clean. I also lubed up the throttle body springs + long metal thing with white lithium grease spray.
AFE calls to re-oil your filter every 30k miles. The filter was no longer blue. So while it was out sitting I cleaned it with the supplied cleaner. Hosed it out, waited for it to dry and re-oiled the filter.
I 100% credit how fast I did this to the new tools I purchased. Got an awesome deal on a Milwaukee fuel mini impact, ratchet and impact drill. The proper tool to remove and install the manifold clamps. And this crazy harbor freight T handle ratchet so I could reach the starter from on top of the engine bay.
Besides looking like crap there was no visible failure on the old starter. Even the gear was solid, Just inconsistent. But took it on a test run today and the car started right up 90 degrees out and engine hot like it wouldn't have in the past.
Muffler brackets will be here tomorrow. Will tackle that and my X pipe when I get back from San Diego.
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