5 Mods you loved / 5 Mods you didn't

[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.

[poss]

Love:

1. SMG CSL flash (a must do) and recalibration - makes the SMG a pleasure to use
2. Topside subframe reinforcement, subframe mount plates and poly subframe bushings - peace of mind and nicely stiffened up the rear
3. Decent aftermarket strut brace - the genuine one is purely decorative
4. replace puny ski-pass subwoofer with a 10" Rockford Fosgate and 200W amp
5. SMG relocation - longer lifespan hopefully and no probs with overheating

Hate:

1. Poly engine mounts - idle vibration too much for a daily

[T-Rex]

Solid thread, and very informative as a Diff upgrade is one of the two mods I have planned for this year. My car is purely a weekend toy at this point; ~80% canyon / 20% track.

Love:

• Turner CSL Intake / HTE custom tune - The V1 box was a piece of shit; I'm cautiously optimistic the V2 box will hold up better. That said, I absolutely love the sound, power, and overall change to the powerband
• Recaro SPG - You don't know what you're missing in terms of feedback until you get a proper seat. I thought otherwise and was wrong.
• Avant 4 - Rest of my audio is nasty, 20yo HK, but I love Carplay and iBus features
• Brembo DB9/996 conversion - Outstanding performance without having to spend $6k+ on brakes; lifetime free rotors thanks to FCPEuro
• OE CSL bootlid - 'nuff said
• MAINTENANCE - not a mod, but the best thing I spend money on for the car

Hate:

• 95A Engine mounts - loved how responsive the car was, but it rattled my teeth at stop lights. Ended up removing them.
• First "performance" tune for CSL box - Dead spots all over the rev range, terrible part-throttle response. They did a great job on my ECU, but would not recommend the tune.
• Hawk HPS pads - high dust, squeaky, and not an improvement over stock
• RPI scoops - A great waste of $80
• Sylvania HID DS2 bulbs - This is a tough one, as the problem isn't with the bulbs per se. Certainly an improvement over stock, but still doesn't get close to the light output I want. I will be doing new projectors at some point.

[Inizes]

there's also living with the fact that you knowingly made your car pollute a lot more just because (_insert any sad excuse here_) that drives people to run cats

That didn’t seem to be the reason why, most people cite the smell thus my discussion about it. Not trying to make the impression I don’t care about the environment though.

[usdmej]

but just surprised I hear so many complaints about the smell of catless when it never bothered me too much.

there's also living with the fact that you knowingly made your car pollute a lot more just because (_insert any sad excuse here_) that drives people to run cats

[EthanolTurbo]

Should you be enjoying the smell of E85 being burned through your car though? Health wise that sounds terrible lol

Ingesting alcohol kills hundreds of thousands of people a year in the US, I've yet to hear of someone die from smelling it through an exhaust. 🤷♂️😉

[Duck360198]

5 LOVED:
- OEM CSL Front Seats (by far the best mod I've ever experienced)
- OEM CSL Decklid
- OEM CSL Door Cards
- Brembo GT
- Dinan Exhaust

5 HATED:
- 4.10 (previous owner of vehicle)
- Short Shifter (previous owner of vehicle)
- Multi-function steering wheel retrofit on a ZCP car (previous owner of vehicle)
- Plasti-dip Grilles (previous owner of vehicle)
- CSL Style Splitters on a standard bumper (previous owner of vehicle)

[Sharocks]

E85 solves a lot of the catless smell issues as it smells great.

Should you be enjoying the smell of E85 being burned through your car though? Health wise that sounds terrible lol

[EthanolTurbo]

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.

E85 solves a lot of the catless smell issues as it smells great.