The Official Bring A Trailer (BaT) Thread

[AbbeyRoad]

Honestly it looks great, there's nothing to be said about that. I'd kind of love to see the final invoice just out of morbid curiosity. But again it's really just subjective as to what a car is "worth" to any given person. The heart wants what it wants. Enjoy that thing!

Finally arrived. It was a long 3-4 month wait and nearly a 20 year reunion since I last owned an oh 4 back when E46s were still in prod.



Initial observations of my 6K mile 2005 E46 M3 w/ BaT/EAG provenance (rear window shade equipped!)

*It's insanely small and I love it. I guess years of putting many miles on newer Ms like the M4 CS, M4 CSL, and just getting accustomed to modern vehicles via other makes/models as daily drivers, really warped my senses around how it feels to travel (or drive) back in time. When I owned the E46 M3 back when they were still in prod, it felt roomy, coddling, lux and decently visceral at the same time. 2025 me says they feel bantamweight in dimension, feel and raw dynamically. The aged BMW leather scent is so sweet.

*It looks amazing. How I have mine to me is one of the best looking cars on the road no matter the price. I think this is what will keep me interested in continuing to own this M classic. I'm insanely detailed about exactly how I like my cars and what you're seeing is the exact manifestation of how I need my E46 M3 to look to enjoy it. I'm still blown away by its bantamweight proportions.

*S54 WOT experience is really cool. M4 CSL is immensely powerful, but the redline always felt like I was being kicked out of the party too soon. S55 in the M4 CS felt more like the S54, but neither tingles the senses through the steering wheel like the S54 all the way to 8K.

*The shifter feel still sucks today. Not a shocker. I'm used to S2000, 997 GT3 manuals. Now I went with Rogue Engineering because I thought that UUC DSSR like feel would be good enough, but having researched a bit, I have the Autosolutions SSK on order (OEM height, 25%). Hopefully this resolves things. As requested, CDV is gonzo.

*Vorsteiner CF front bumper and diffuser fitment is excellent. Rear trunk lid not so much. I had to go through two new Vorsteiner trunk lids to surmise that they just don't give af. I had EAG source a new OEM CSL lid and they came through in short order. I also have a new OEM CSL front bumper en route as I didn't know prior to purchasing that these were still available and easy to source via Schmiedmann.

EAG service from signed purchase agreement to modifications has been top notch. I had high expectations given the price I paid and they delivered. The car looks, smells and feels brand new; a true time M3chine. Here's what I had them do off the top of my head:

*All fluids and full inspection I/II service
*Every single rubber bit/bushing in the suspension OEM new
*New OEM engine and transmission mounts
*RTABs aftermarket including rear shock tower
*Rebuilt VANOS
*New OEM fan clutch and blade (brittle plastic spinning scares me)
*Install, adjust and lower KW V3s on BBS LM Hunter Roadforced
*Source, paint and install Vorsteiner front bumper, diffuser and OEM CSL trunk lid including inner shell and license plate lights (from IND)

Once tint and ppf completed, I'm going to preventatively get the rear subframe body in white reinforced by limited.slip in San Diego. He's the only shop I trust.

For posterity, I will keep adding to this binder



Interior is original flawless and it shall remain so under my enthusiast care



Best looking M car of all time matched with the best looking wheel of all time imho



Thanks, y'all!

[Nate047]

Honestly it looks great, there's nothing to be said about that. I'd kind of love to see the final invoice just out of morbid curiosity. But again it's really just subjective as to what a car is "worth" to any given person. The heart wants what it wants. Enjoy that thing!

[AbbeyRoad]

I understand BaT isn't everyone's cup of tea nor is an outfit like EAG so I hope my posts aren't coming across as anything but being a fanboy of the E46 M3 having owned one back when they were still in production. I relish memories of what a new E46 M3 feels, smells and drives like so I went and found the best example I could afford within a reasonable timeframe.

At day's end, I'm just sharing my personal auto enthusiast experience having recently sold an old truck on BaT with excellent results and now having purchased a car from EAG with zero prior history.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHUMNWQJciE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

EAG have been communicative and fair in the purchase process including routing my car thru their in-house rejuvenation shop. There's absolutely nothing special about my E46 M3 that the forum hasn't already seen so I'll end it here. Now if my ride shows up rather haggard, you may hear from me.

Enjoy yours in good health! Gracias.

[elrichmeister]

Sorry to hear that. My one purchase from BAT went super smooth, but the seller was fantastic. Do you know of particular sellers that aren't above board?

Same here, i bought my M3 on BAT. Seller was great and everything was super smooth.

[oceansize]

Based on my ongoing experience trying to purchase a car that I won on BaT, Id advise against even bidding on their platform.

Their customer service response times are lackadaisical at best and they allow scammers to continue to list cars even after complaints and attempted fraud occurs.

Sorry to hear that. My one purchase from BAT went super smooth, but the seller was fantastic. Do you know of particular sellers that aren't above board?