The Phoenix: My Build Journal Excerpts

[m3nt0s]

Any plans to redo any of the E46M group buys? After all, you did miss out on all of them up until this point!

[Epoustouflant]

If you think about it, makes perfect business sense since he won't be losing money on it and he gets moderator blessings to continue commercial posting.

Congrats on the purchase and look forward to seeing your thoughts on comparing/contrasting the difference between the two.

I've always wanted one, EuroConnex or not. I'm grateful life is giving me options I didn't have a decade ago. Obioban didn't put any requirements to owning an E46 M3 on me, but I definitely broke the news in PM to him first ahah.

I'll be putting my thoughts down as I drive it before storage time and start the Winter project.

Congrats! That car in that color in those photos this time of year... looks poster car perfect to me!

Thank you! Definitely feels fitting. Only had a minute to grab these, I should do another over the weekend!

If this is a factory PY on M-texture it is 1/6 in the US/Canada

I'm heading straight to the dealership to find out tomorrow.

Indeed… another early GenXer and when I turned to the E46M it was a 4th “fun, shitzNgigglz car”… and it delivers that in spades… I have faster cars and collector cars, but this one brings a devil may care experience that those do not. It’s just fun to Fck around in.

Congrats on the buy, great color!!

maw

Glad to hear my take resonated with you. It's definitely an "inspiring" car - to do what? I don't know yet, but it hits proper creative cords.

Congrats man, happy to have you here! Excited to see what awesome products you can help bring to the community.

Thanks for the warm welcome!d

[PipeUy]

Congratulations on the new car! Looks really nice and I like your plans for the future. You could check this page https://bimmer.work/ to see all the options the car came with, M-textur is this one: Leder M-textur/alcantara/anthrazit (F2AT).

[Obioban]

Woot!

Welcome.

390rwhp is about the upper end of a bolt on NA build, so if you want that power without the supercharger... it could be yours
(well, counting cams and TBs as bolt ons-- but stock heads, valves, springs, and bottom end)

Combine with lightness for excellence (should be easy to lose a lot of weight quickly, as the air to water cooler on the VF SC is a hefty bit of kit)

[Obioban]

If you have M texture door cards, I think you have no choice but to grab some ABEs from your group buy and do up the centers in M texture to match. There's a site currently selling M texture material that I'm blanking on ATM...

[PipeUy]

If you have M texture door cards, I think you have no choice but to grab some ABEs from your group buy and do up the centers in M texture to match. There's a site currently selling M texture material that I'm blanking on ATM...

This could be another option, they look insane.

Owner: https://www.instagram.com/bluebullet.m3/

[Obioban]

This could be another option, they look insane.

Owner: https://www.instagram.com/bluebullet.m3/

I was much more enthused with the CSs until a friend of mine got a set of them recently for his e39 M5 and I got some real seat time in them. The harness holes are way to low for anyone in the normal height spectrum, being bottom mounted means they sit about as high as stock, they're not particularly more bolstered than stock, and they're not that much lighter than stock once you get them mounted in the car. They are pretty and comfortable, but... not that much functionally better than stock, IMO.

Interesting to see Avus on an e46M.

[EthanolTurbo]

I was much more enthused with the CSs until a friend of mine got a set of them recently for his M5 and I got some real seat time in them. The harness holes are way to low for anyone in the normal height spectrum, being bottom mounted means they sit about as high as stock, they're not particularly more bolstered than stock, and they're not that much lighter than stock once you get them mounted in the car. They are pretty and comfortable, but... not that much functionally better than stock, IMO.

Agreed 100% on all accounts. I'm thinking about putting my Sportster CS in the E39 M5 and putting Recaro PP or Cobra Nogaros in the M3 because they're so much lighter and sit lower but it does really really suck that they are almost the same weight as stock.

[Toby22]

Very nice color! Top 3 m3 color in my eyes

[Obioban]

Agreed 100% on all accounts. I'm thinking about putting my Sportster CS in the E39 M5 and putting Recaro PP or Cobra Nogaros in the M3 because they're so much lighter and sit lower but it does really really suck that they are almost the same weight as stock.

Strangely (by car size), I had more stock vs stock (power seats and sunroof in both) head room in my M3 than M5. These days, with the slicktop and buckets in the M3 it's not even close.

But, I never would have been able to wear a helmet in the M5 with any sort of reasonable seat position.

My friend that did the CSs in his e39 M5 is 6'6. Because he did a slicktop on it at the same time, he can how fit in the car without reclining... but no thanks to the seats for that.

[BMWahba]

This could be another option, they look insane.

Owner: https://www.instagram.com/bluebullet.m3/

I wish you guys didn't post this lol. I've been wanting to do that since I got my car.

[keljos]

I wish you guys didn't post this lol. I've been wanting to do that since I got my car.

I'm in the same boat. Really like the design of those seats, particularly with the M Texture

[EthanolTurbo]

Strangely (by car size), I had more stock vs stock (power seats and sunroof in both) head room in my M3 than M5. These days, with the slicktop and buckets in the M3 it's not even close.

But, I never would have been able to wear a helmet in the M5 with any sort of reasonable seat position.

My friend that did the CSs in his e39 M5 is 6'6. Because he did a slicktop on it at the same time, he can how fit in the car without reclining... but no thanks to the seats for that.

What is the best way to do a slicktop in an E39? Just order the roof panel and install like an E46?

[Obioban]

What is the best way to do a slicktop in an E39? Just order the roof panel and install like an E46?

Because it was a metal roof (OE BMW), we didn't DIY it-- just sent it to a body shop and had them install it.

[Epoustouflant]

If you have M texture door cards, I think you have no choice but to grab some ABEs from your group buy and do up the centers in M texture to match. There's a site currently selling M texture material that I'm blanking on ATM...

I’m actually working on this *right* now!

We’re doing a BMW Performance seat replica in Speed Cloth for the E92 and I’m hoping to connect with the upholstery shop to do an AMX style service with new seats that are more affordable.

I just ran the VIN, confirmed this is OEM M-Texture & Alcantara finish. Supposedly 1 of 6 in Canada. Saying I’m excited about this build is an understatement.

What I’m struggling with is the front seats. They are all leather and the centers seem visibly reupholstered.

Should they be M Texture as well?