5 Mods you loved / 5 Mods you didn't

[jonnypax09]

You guys have other hobbies???

played golf my entire life and now just discovered Adam's Polishes, so I'm a beginner at best in detailing my M3

[Icecream]

I’m assuming you’re referring to the smell outside the car and not inside? Maybe it’s because I’m young but I really don’t find the smell of catless to be “unbearable.” I wouldn’t call it pleasant but the exhaust rarely enters the cabin so I don’t really mind it.

Inside and out (though I had a small leak at the header that made it worse), it was worse than my motorcycle. I also felt guilty about abusing the drivers behind me like that so I would have done it either way. You might just be used to it (and yeah, if you're a teen you probably don't mind, I don't think I did) but the drivers behind you probably can't stand it.

[r4dr]

Catless is a cheap covid test... lol.

[Inizes]

Low key thought I had covid when I split a restaurants “spiciest chicken sandwich” and it tasted like nothing. Turned out they only put sauce on half the sandwich and my furnace got all of the sauce and spice. I laughed but freaked me out for a second.

I’m in my mid 20s, so again my age might have a little to do with it. But I still don’t feel terribly bad about other drivers since I don’t often sit in traffic with this car. This is a weekend backroad driver for me. Ohio doesn’t have emissions testing other than the counties around Cleveland.

Anyways, not sure where I was trying to go with this, but just surprised I hear so many complaints about the smell of catless when it never bothered me too much. I can see how it could get annoying, especially with a header leak under the car that could seep into the cabin.

[Sharocks]

The deal with having no cats is, as long as your moving and your windows aren't down all the way, you won't notice it. The second you come to a stop with your windows down you will notice it. So if it bothers you, 1. Get cats 2. Drive with the windows up 3. Go faster and don't sit in traffic.

[Obioban]

I should have put no cats on my worst list. Been over a decade, so didn't think of it.

Nothing ruins the car faster other than smoking in it.

[Onefastsicilian]

High prices and tenant-friendly laws. But also high appreciation so 🤷🏻♂️

LOL sounds like NYC

[repoman89]

Like: everything I've done to it. Karb box and SSv1 with cats + PC tune, OE CSL trunk / Mile End diffuser, Nogaros, clear IR/UV blocking tint

Dislike: everything PO did to it. KW V2, AP headers (catless), SG CSL trunk / diffuser, Evolve tune.

Actually not everything he did, love the AS SSK.

[Sharocks]

Like: everything I've done to it. Karb box and SSv1 with cats + PC tune, OE CSL trunk / Mile End diffuser, Nogaros, clear IR/UV blocking tint

Dislike: everything PO did to it. KW V2, AP headers (catless), SG CSL trunk / diffuser, Evolve tune.

Actually not everything he did, love the AS SSK.

Most people don't even get cars that have what your PO did. Be thankful, I've seen some wild comebacks on these cars lol

[repoman89]

Most people don't even get cars that have what your PO did. Be thankful, I've seen some wild comebacks on these cars lol

Lol true, and I can’t really complain because he kept it in great shape and barely drove it. Plus got some decent money back selling off parts.

[M3logik]

Best:
Karbonius CSL Airbox - By far the best mod that you can do to an E46 M3.
Lang Racing CF Roof - Who doesn't like legit carbon fiber action?
OEM CSL Trunk - A beautiful piece of art. No wings allowed.
Recaro Sportster CS Seats - Beautiful aesthetic , very solid support for a street seat.
Supersprint Full (Header Back) Exhaust System - When paired with a CSL airbox, you really can't go wrong

Worst:

None that I can think of.

[jayjpl]

Loves:
- Manual swap from SMG (unsure if that counts as a mod )
- Yellow Tag steering rack
- Poly Subframe bushings
- ZHP shift knob
- Stud conversion
BONUS: Rear strut bar

Not Loves:
- Front lip or carbon splitters
- Fake alcantara re-wrap (diy, will be going to coby probably)
- smoked corners
- poly diff bushings (too much diff whine)
- *can't think of a 5th

[Grke46m3]

Great thread.

My car's purpose spans daily with baby and road trips with bike rack all the way to track.

Love:
-Ssv1 with race cats and tune (have done the CA smog thing a few times, driving around for a while on stock headers and tune, HUGE difference)
-4.10 (lot of debate on this on the forum)
-Ohlins R&T, especially running them on softer settings (even on track) with more flat ride-ish springs
-Not yet installed, but I think I will love Coolerworx Pro shifter
-Schroth Quick Fit Pro - I'm on stock seats and will stay on them for a while, so this thing is an absolute game changer to keep me planted. I also use the Simpson hybrid HANS with it (which can also be used with the stock seatbelt).

In between love and hate:
-AJ Hartman delete panel. This one is more toward love because I'm tall and gained headroom space, supposedly also dropped ~32lbs from the top of the car (although can't say I really noticed it), but, it's a pretty coin, I broke a few tabs on b/c pillars getting the old liner out and getting to the sunroof, I haven't fully sourced the new liner yet, with sunroof glass gone that eliminates a mounting point for the gorilla suction cups and mount I used for the cam. So it was a lot more work/time/$ than I anticipated.
-ST40 front kit, (I haven't installed the rear yet, sitting somewhere in the garage from when I bought a full set used a few years ago), but I experienced knockback on track before I swapped my front wheel bearings (none since then), I don't actually use the quick pad swap feature because I run PFC08 year round (and truthfully I can prob swap pads just as quickly on the stock caliper), so I'm still getting to grips with this kit. I'm leaning toward "love", sticking with it and installing the rear kit as well (retains parking brake), and running it, as the car is seeing more track time, decent pads in the right shapes/sizes for older Porsche models can be had from FCP, 355 rings (both front and rear on the kit) last a long time (fronts have seen a lot of abuse so far).

Not so love:
-Eventuri - sound-wise I can't hear it over the exhaust and the diff, power wise I'm not sure there is anything extra. Positive is that it makes getting to PS fluid easier .
-E85 kit - while there are plenty of ethanol gas stations within 10mins and paying 25% less for fuel is nice, I have to always do some math to keep it under E50 or less with my mods and stock injectors (which are not straightforward plug and play to retune and rescale new injectors). If (which is unlikely) I end up doing a true CSL box and cams, and keep stock injectors, I'll have to run even lower ethanol %, since the other mods will require more fuel and will put stock injectors closer to their max even without any ethanol. Then it's a rabbit hole for new injectors, fuel pump, wideband o2, retune, then either swapping injectors for smog every 2 years or getting a new "stock" tune to rescale the injectors. Anyway.
-SS oversized S2 - I am a rasp guy, so prefer the stock s2 here (my full system is ssv1, race cats, sport ss muffler). Butt dyno is very subjective, I think the oversized s2 does add a few hp, but oh well.
-Shifter and levers. I've tried a few, with all refreshed shifter bushings, etc, they all feel like cheese compared to my s2k. Hopefully I didn't jump the gun putting the Coolerworx Pro chassis mounted shifter in the love category even though I have not installed it yet. Loved the action of CAE/RTD that I tried in other cars.

Might add few other things if I think of something.

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Are you saying the ss oversized twin pipe resonated s2 got rid of your rasp?


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[mrgizmo04]

Are you saying the ss oversized twin pipe resonated s2 got rid of your rasp?


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*With my setup, which includes race cats in section 1 (which act as resonators), yes.

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[BMWahba]

I’m excited to do my CSL box after reading this thread 😎


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