The Phoenix: My Build Journal Excerpts

[Epoustouflant]

Congrats. Any interior shots? Is it Impulse cloth or m-texture?

I believe it's M-Texture, the doors and rear seats are M-Tech cloth, but the front seats are fully black leather. That's within normal specs?

I'll take more shots Saturday!

[Thoglan]

Congrats. Any interior shots? Is it Impulse cloth or m-texture?

[Epoustouflant]

Read my Build Journal on EuroConnex here.

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I've put money where my mouth is - I bought a clapped M3

Here's why.
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Truthfully, I have always wanted an E46 M3.

Back when I was shopping for an M car in 2012, my sights were set on a 2005 ZCP Alpine White - but the SMG had turned me off entirely from the car. The alternative car I could get my hands on was a IB 2005 ZCP but it had had major accidents and repairs. I instead jumped into a 2009 E92 M3 with a warranty, and haven't looked back since, or so I thought.

As many of you know, I have been pushing my E92 M3 build to the limits of my original goals, and it will be completed over the winter. My recently added E60 M5 is a much more limited build due to the nature of the car.

I grew up with the E60 M5 as my dream car, and the E92 M3 made me drool as a young 20 something whenever I'd hear one passing by, listening to its unique exhaust note reverberating against downtown high risers.

The E46 always felt like my older cousins' dream car, a Generation X poster car. It had presence for sure, but its exhaust note also sounded wonky to me. I was also told it was a car you needed to drive to understand.

And you were all right.

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My Phoenix M3

I'm incredibly excited to present my new to me E46 M3 2003 bolted to a 6 speed manual, strapped with a VF Supercharged and finished in Phoenix Yellow Metallic with an M-Tech black leather & cloth interior.

The bad:
The car needs some TLC. The paint was refreshed, and it wasn't wet sanded and polished. It has orange peel like a new Ford Mustang. r
The car has ugly (to me) 19" Breyer wheels fitted with low rent tires.
The interior needs a few parts replacement to bring it up to mint spec.

The good:
The car is mechanically very well maintained.
It recently had over 3,000$ in miscellaneous parts, bushings and other small things changed.
It had the subframe fully reinforced.

My Initial Driving Impression

These cars are incredibly hyped in aftermarket communities, yet as an outsider to E46 M3 ownership - I was often left puzzled. Some cold truths: the car doesn't sound good, it revs less than an S65/85, it isn't that light - it never really looked anything special as a driving experience - and that's the irony.

How can you tell unless you've driven one?

The second I started her up, I was already laughing. It is fitted with a lightweight flywheel and a sport clutch. It's a workout, and I loved it. It's absolutely amazing in gear, the throttle response is zap zap. It really only makes weird noises at idle with the clutch out. I can live with this as a weekender, but I would never daily something like this.

The second I hit the curved backroads leaving the previous owner's house - it all became clear.

The Front End
The front end of the E46 M3 is above and beyond the E9X M3 - all thing being equal in stock form. It is communicative, precise, and has no dead space on center. It felt like a go cart in comparison.

The Speed
This S54 has a VF Supercharger, by all accounts we're pretty sure it's a stage 1. It probably puts down 390whp and 330wtq - very much in line with my E92 M3 Stage 2. It felt incredibly similar in terms of straight line speed - and that was further validated as I tried, and failed chasing my friend driving my stock E60 M5. I simply couldn't keep up.

This does leave me worried about what a stock S54 may feel like - though the SC'ed S54 has zero engine sound, and I didn't buy an E46 for speed, I bought it for backroad fun and an undiluted driving experience.

My Future Plans
I'll be starting off with the basics: light restoration. The car needs a complete wet sand and polish, and replacement of some interior trims. We'll be removing the SC and have already secured a set of stock 18s to hold off until Winter.

My Winter goals will be to build a CSL light. I've been working to source 1:1 CSL Front bumpers, diffusers, trunks, center console - and of course, a CSL airbox. I'm also already in chats to do a reimagined CSL wheel in 1 piece monoblock forged wheel at proper pricing.

The roof might be a bridge too far at this current time - but never say never.

I'll be updating my Build Journal on this here, and at EuroConnex.co - I'm hopeful that owning an E46 M3 will also further help in sourcing more rare parts for our cars, and push brands to develop products that we want.

Feel free to provide insights, feedbacks and some do and donts I should be aware of it!

Cheers.