Still adjusting to the new forum, so not sure if this is the proper location to post this story but I'm sure Ian or another mod will properly move if need be.
10 years ago I picked up my E46 M3 in Rockville, MD from its prior owner. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd keep the car this long. I had serious thoughts about selling it in early 2015 but decided to keep it around. The car sat for a while in 2016 while I addressed the rod bearings and a bunch of other maintenance. I contemplated selling it again then but just as before, I decided to keep it. Every time I had thoughts of moving on, I reminded myself why I bought the car in the first place and how much satisfaction the car provides when rowing through the gears on a back country road. And to be honest, working on the car is pretty therapeutic as well.
Over the years I've tackled the VANOS, the RACP, the rod bearings, and oil leaks. Coilovers, brakes, wheels, and the list goes on.
These days I just drive the car occasionally on a nice weekend day or at a track event. It's seen a lot of miles under my ownership...95k miles to be a bit more precise. From the Carolina beaches to the Appalachian mountains to VIR to Road Atlanta and a lot of roads in between. My M3 still brings me the nostalgic joy I fondly remember years ago. It's difficult to emulate that feeling as time passes by and new cars come on the scene. And that's why this car still has a place in my garage. Still glad there's an active community of enthusiasts for these cars and vendors that continue to support the platform.
8/2/10 - the first time I saw the car in person and took it for a test drive
8/8/10 - retrieving the car from MD and driving it back to VA
The car presently
10 years ago I picked up my E46 M3 in Rockville, MD from its prior owner. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd keep the car this long. I had serious thoughts about selling it in early 2015 but decided to keep it around. The car sat for a while in 2016 while I addressed the rod bearings and a bunch of other maintenance. I contemplated selling it again then but just as before, I decided to keep it. Every time I had thoughts of moving on, I reminded myself why I bought the car in the first place and how much satisfaction the car provides when rowing through the gears on a back country road. And to be honest, working on the car is pretty therapeutic as well.
Over the years I've tackled the VANOS, the RACP, the rod bearings, and oil leaks. Coilovers, brakes, wheels, and the list goes on.
These days I just drive the car occasionally on a nice weekend day or at a track event. It's seen a lot of miles under my ownership...95k miles to be a bit more precise. From the Carolina beaches to the Appalachian mountains to VIR to Road Atlanta and a lot of roads in between. My M3 still brings me the nostalgic joy I fondly remember years ago. It's difficult to emulate that feeling as time passes by and new cars come on the scene. And that's why this car still has a place in my garage. Still glad there's an active community of enthusiasts for these cars and vendors that continue to support the platform.
8/2/10 - the first time I saw the car in person and took it for a test drive
8/8/10 - retrieving the car from MD and driving it back to VA
The car presently
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