Dream car purchased

[Obioban]

Wonderful addition!
I'd be surprised if the power steering hoses weren't leaking--so common on these cars. At this crazy low mileage vanos should be fine, however Dr. Vanos has a full refresh kit etc. You certainly can refresh for peace of mind purposes. I also upgraded the exhaust hub and you should replace the plastic chain tensioner while you are there-- I own carbon black also, it's a wonderful color.

Mileage/age is not a factor on when the VANOS fails, and better to go with Beisan parts than Dr Vanos-- they're cheaper and better.

To the OP, yes, you should do it-- as mileage/age is not a factor in its failure modes.

The minimum you should do (which is probably what you should do, given the mileage) is the pump disk (Beisan pump disk with smaller holes), cam bolts (stock bolts with loctite is fine, so long as they are accurately torqued to the factory spec), and chain guide (while you're in there use Beisan's replacement chain guide, which should last WAY longer than stock).

[DropTopKingM3]

Untouched subframes do not yield more money on resale. The first question everyone asks is if the big 3 has been done. Also it’s impossible to see any cracks while everything is still mounted. You would need to remove the entire subframe in order to see this.

[heinzboehmer]

Untouched subframes do not yield more money on resale. The first question everyone asks is if the big 3 has been done. Also it’s impossible to see any cracks while everything is still mounted. You would need to remove the entire subframe in order to see this.

Agreed. If you want to up the value with the subframe, take a bunch of pictures of its current state, have it reinforced by a reputable shop (bonus points if the shop takes pics along the way) and keep the invoice.

[yhp2009]

I would argue is that it depends. Some people/collectors like the "from factory" condition even if that means the subframe is original (granted that its inspected and "clean"). But I think someone whos looking to use the car daily or track it would be more keen to look for the big 3 sorted. Just my 2 c

[Icecream]

what a nice pick up, congrats!

[DropTopKingM3]

There’s a reason why BMW took ownership of both the rod bearings and subframe issues. Subframe issues are especially common in coupes and a bit less on convertibles. Unless you want the OPs floor to start cracking I would suggest reinforcement. Repairs extreme cracks will prevent a high repair bill in the future.

Plus whenever an m3 is on the market 10/10 people will ask about the big 3. They will lowball you if 2/3 aren’t done.

[Good]

There’s a reason why BMW took ownership of both the rod bearings and subframe issues. Subframe issues are especially common in coupes and a bit less on convertibles. Unless you want the OPs floor to start cracking I would suggest reinforcement. Repairs extreme cracks will prevent a high repair bill in the future.

Plus whenever an m3 is on the market 10/10 people will ask about the big 3. They will lowball you if 2/3 aren’t done.

BMW took ownership only after a class action against them though lol. They didn't exactly voluntarily take ownership.

[DropTopKingM3]

BMW took ownership only after a class action against them though lol. They didn't exactly voluntarily take ownership.

BMW was repairing subframes long before the class action lawsuits. They repaired subframes during the warranty period. In my area, Yonkers NY, Gabriel Sport Car of Yonkers was the official body shop that did subframe repairs for the local dealers. They did a great job on another e46 i had back in 2003.

[James31]

There’s a reason why BMW took ownership of both the rod bearings and subframe issues. Subframe issues are especially common in coupes and a bit less on convertibles. Unless you want the OPs floor to start cracking I would suggest reinforcement. Repairs extreme cracks will prevent a high repair bill in the future.

Plus whenever an m3 is on the market 10/10 people will ask about the big 3. They will lowball you if 2/3 aren’t done.

I sold my e46 m3 a few months back and 1 person out of about 13 asked about the big three. Some asked about the subframe. If you were selling on this forum, sure ppl would ask. You sell it on autotrader, you’ll have a fair number that will not ask/don’t know.

[TexaZ3]

Nice pickup.
Go Hawks!

[4004]

Considered doing subframe as a preventative measure? Depends on how you drive it, there is still a chance it will go at some point, and then you'll have an issue to deal with.
Presumably it survived the storage period fine, but worth checking rubber/plastic hoses

[oceansize]

Nice pickup.
Go Hawks!

Considered doing subframe as a preventative measure? Depends on how you drive it, there is still a chance it will go at some point, and then you'll have an issue to deal with.
Presumably it survived the storage period fine, but worth checking rubber/plastic hoses

OP is already selling his dream car due to kids....

[TexaZ3]

OP is already selling his dream car due to kids....

Haha, ok.

[4004]

That's why we have the M3 and M4 in the modern chassis, for those kids scenarios