5 Mods you loved / 5 Mods you didn't

[MTiz]

Lots of angel eye hate in here but I love the look honestly.

Smoked corners belong in the garbage though

[old///MFanatic]

Funny to see how many people put the 4.10 gears as either their favorite or least favorite mod. There really is no middle ground haha.

Yeah it's really preference. But you may notice on this forum it's people with another car that is made for cruising seem to be the ones who dislike it. Which one can understand that it's what's comparitive to each person. And so is the arguement that the ~13% change has somehow made first gear useless. 3.62 maxes out at 40 mph while the 4.10 is 35mph. I mean really, how fast do people really need to go in first? Or rather how long/shorter is truly useless. But I digress. It's all hashed out in several 4.10 Gear Threads.

[Norocehcap]

Love

-Auto solutions SSK + ZHP shift knob + clutch stop
-KW V3
-Eisenmann Race muffler
-Steering wheel rewrap in leather
-CSL rear diffuser
-Cup holders (lol)

Hate

-Smoked lenses
-Angle eyes
-Cold air intake + cone filter which came on my car
-Window tint

[Triqzy]

MODS LOVED:

1) 4.10 BMW Motorsport gearing
2) Autosolutions SSK
3) CSLTrunk
4) Dynavin Headunit
5) Bilstein PSS9 Coil-overs

Not Loved so much:

1) Smoked front corners lens
2) UUC Transmission Mounts
3) RE El Diablo muffler (too loud for my taste, but made well)
4) BMW spring loaded trunk bump stops
5) Delrin Clutch Pedal Bushings

Funny to see how many people put the 4.10 gears as either their favorite or least favorite mod. There really is no middle ground haha.

[old///MFanatic]

MODS LOVED:

1) 4.10 BMW Motorsport gearing
2) Autosolutions SSK
3) CSLTrunk
4) Dynavin Headunit
5) Bilstein PSS9 Coil-overs

Not Loved so much:

1) Smoked front corners lens
2) UUC Transmission Mounts
3) RE El Diablo muffler (too loud for my taste, but made well)
4) BMW spring loaded trunk bump stops
5) Delrin Clutch Pedal Bushings

[Johnvu]

Would you mind sharing photos of your bracket? I have been waiting since June 2020 for mlreng.com to ship my bracket.

So unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the bracket. However I have attached a couple images of how the smg unit looks in the drug bin. I ended up using angle iron (bent and welded) to mount to the two existing points in the drug bin.

Let me know if you have any questions!

[SWRT_M3]

Here are some pictures from a forum member who bought the same kit I did, gives you an idea of what that bracket looked like:

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/c...sold#post12460

Thanks for the link, that kit works great on 2003+ M3s..... I want to relocate the pump on my '02 and the ABS makes it a bit more challenging.

[oceansize]

Would you mind sharing photos of your bracket? I have been waiting since June 2020 for mlreng.com to ship my bracket.

Here are some pictures from a forum member who bought the same kit I did, gives you an idea of what that bracket looked like:

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/classifieds/members-parts-for-sale-wtb/e46/12403-sold-smg-relocation-kit-including-csl-smg-reservoir-sold#post12460

[EthanolTurbo]

loved:
- 996 BBK upgrade - totally changed the aesthetics of the car overnight. stopping power is better, but not otherworldly. the visual update was worth it alone though, esp the 2-piece floating rotor upgrade i did
- powdercoating my BBS RGRs gloss black, another aesthetic mod that really made me happy
- exhaust work - i have RE El Diablo, Status Gruppe Section 1, Megan Catless Headers (ceramic coated) and my car sounds amazing. my favorite out the hooptie fleet
- ground control front & rear sway bars and adjustable endlinks - these changed the way the car handles overnight in the canyons, love em!
- KWV3 coilovers - best handling set up ive ever owned

HATED:
- Avin Avant 4 - total headache and poor support from Avin. i bought all the options too...quick way to waste $800
- Catless headers (without thinking it through). at first, it was WAYYYY too loud with my El Diablo section 3. then i did a second resonator to kill the rasp, it was better. the catless smell over time killed the vibe so i recently bought some high-flow cats for my section 1. never go full catless unless its truly a dedicated track car...otherwise its just not worth it. lesson learned.
- Vorsteiner full carbon fiber hood. this was installed by the previous owner but the UV finish installed by Vorsteiner is horrendous. its peeling and cracking on all the unpainted parts. seems really low quality (and its authentic)
- Vorsteiner full carbon fiber rear difussor - again, installed by the previous owner, but this thing has never fit right and always pops out of place. annoying.

Can you show me the 2 piece floating rotors you used? Also, what issues did you encounter with the Avin Avant 4?

[SWRT_M3]

I ended up having to fabricate my own since everything 2002 and below have the ABS unit in the drug bin. Two huge recommendations for relocation:

1. Don't cheap out and try to fabricate your own lines locally. I did this and they couldn't get the fittings to the SMG manifold right. Two reinstallations later, I decided to get Burkhart lines and never had a single issue.
2. Use Burkart engineering fluid. Apparently it is more viscous than the standard CHF fluid, which means the pump doesn't have to run as long to achieve target pressures, resulting in longer life.
3. When relocating the pump, put a water proof electrical connecter on the pump motor. This makes swapping motors a breeze in the future!

The SMG Relocation gave me the most peace of mind lol.

Would you mind sharing photos of your bracket? I have been waiting since June 2020 for mlreng.com to ship my bracket.

[Johnvu]

For the guys who have done the SMG relocation, is there a kit you guys recommend or just done by a shop?

I ended up having to fabricate my own since everything 2002 and below have the ABS unit in the drug bin. Two huge recommendations for relocation:

1. Don't cheap out and try to fabricate your own lines locally. I did this and they couldn't get the fittings to the SMG manifold right. Two reinstallations later, I decided to get Burkhart lines and never had a single issue.
2. Use Burkart engineering fluid. Apparently it is more viscous than the standard CHF fluid, which means the pump doesn't have to run as long to achieve target pressures, resulting in longer life.
3. When relocating the pump, put a water proof electrical connecter on the pump motor. This makes swapping motors a breeze in the future!

The SMG Relocation gave me the most peace of mind lol.

[oceansize]

For the guys who have done the SMG relocation, is there a kit you guys recommend or just done by a shop?

I rebuilt my SMG pump and bought a relocation kit and then DIY'd the move. The best kit, the one I used, is NLA and came from an old forum member.

You might try this (they sell the lines also) :

https://burkhart-engineering.com/en/shop/bmw/bmw-m/bmw-m3/halter-set-smg-2-hydraulikeinheit-verlegung-bmw-e46-m3-inkl-csl/

or

This guy (Robert, good dude) used to have a bracket but I don't see it now (i would email him).

---

https://mlreng.com/products/e46-m3-s...relocation-kit

[eXpensiveGears]

For the guys who have done the SMG relocation, is there a kit you guys recommend or just done by a shop?

[beefaroni]

Cool:
1. Coding M-Track mode
2. Aux input
3. GC race coilovers/sways
4. taking care of the cam bolts, vanos, RBs, and subframe for peace of mind
5. AFE Intake (for just a smidge more induction noise)

Less cool:
1. UUC Evo shifter (didnt improve things as much as hoped)
2. Turner High Kick rear spoiler since it isnt fitting as nice as expected
3. Solid diff bushings because noise
4. Spal fan because there are still circumstances where the temp will creep up and it would be nice to not have to think about it
5. RBF 600 brake fluid because it breaks down and needs flushing so often

[umichchris]

loved:
- 996 BBK upgrade - totally changed the aesthetics of the car overnight. stopping power is better, but not otherworldly. the visual update was worth it alone though, esp the 2-piece floating rotor upgrade i did
- powdercoating my BBS RGRs gloss black, another aesthetic mod that really made me happy
- exhaust work - i have RE El Diablo, Status Gruppe Section 1, Megan Catless Headers (ceramic coated) and my car sounds amazing. my favorite out the hooptie fleet
- ground control front & rear sway bars and adjustable endlinks - these changed the way the car handles overnight in the canyons, love em!
- KWV3 coilovers - best handling set up ive ever owned

HATED:
- Avin Avant 4 - total headache and poor support from Avin. i bought all the options too...quick way to waste $800
- Catless headers (without thinking it through). at first, it was WAYYYY too loud with my El Diablo section 3. then i did a second resonator to kill the rasp, it was better. the catless smell over time killed the vibe so i recently bought some high-flow cats for my section 1. never go full catless unless its truly a dedicated track car...otherwise its just not worth it. lesson learned.
- Vorsteiner full carbon fiber hood. this was installed by the previous owner but the UV finish installed by Vorsteiner is horrendous. its peeling and cracking on all the unpainted parts. seems really low quality (and its authentic)
- Vorsteiner full carbon fiber rear difussor - again, installed by the previous owner, but this thing has never fit right and always pops out of place. annoying.