My Slow Burn (E46 M3)

[eforty6_m3]

I'll be honest, I clicked the thread because you called it "Slow Burn" and that's the name of a great Nashville Hot Chicken place near me...and wouldn't you know it I've already ordered takeout...

Pretty car. I don't blame you for paying up for those ZCP wheels. I would LOVE to find a set for a $1000 premium for my car. I also have test driven those Accord Sports (2.0t) and was VERY impressed with the driving dynamics and especially the powertrain tuning. Hopefully yours is still treating you well.

I also have those graphic prints of the headlight and taillight charts. My wife found that artist online and bought both as a Christmas present for me. Very cool artwork.

HA, that's fantastic! I mainly titled it that because I'm not building a race car or a drift car. It's a second/weekend car that I plan on having for a long time to come. And I plan on slowly adding to it, trying to make it OEM+ and keep it clean and driveable. Slowly, but surely!

But that is an awesome name for a chicken place.

Yeah, knowing $1000 for ZCP wheels in great shape with good tires was essentially a STEAL, I had to pull the trigger. And man am I glad I did!

I really do like the Accord. Though the CVT tranny is starting to wear thin on me. The 1.5T is a tiny motor but does move somewhat OK. My lease is up in February, so I'm already trying to think of what's next. By that point, the M3 should be paid off, so I'll have more money to spend on the daily. As of now, I think I'm between an F80 M3 and a G20 M340i. Would love an E90 M3 DCT, but I would prefer something newer with modern amenities and a warranty. I can't have all 3 vehicles in my household out of warranty. Plenty of time to make a decision, though. Hopefully life can get back to normal sooner rather than later so I can test drive some other cars.

Yeah, I got in on those prints early when they popped up on Kickstarter. The're pretty sweet and you don't see them very often. Thanks, again!

[Inizes]

What kind of shaving did you have to do on the inside of the key hole cover near the door handle?

[eforty6_m3]

What kind of shaving did you have to do on the inside of the key hole cover near the door handle?

None whatsoever. Popped right in, no problems.

[Inizes]

Was the part number 51217002277? I figured trimming would be needed to get around the lock.

[eforty6_m3]

Was the part number 51217002277? I figured trimming would be needed to get around the lock.

Yup, that's the part number! In full disclosure, I didn't swap the lock onto the keyhole delete, so that's probably why I didn't have any issues. I figured it wasn't necessary, since I can't access it with my key, anyway, and the door still looks correctly with the keyfob.

[Inizes]

Ahh that’s probably why. If I do it, I would want to keep the lock under the cover, so in case of emergency I can pop the cover off and still get to the lock to open the door.

I suppose worse case you can go in through the trunk since you have the lock removed?

[eforty6_m3]

Ahh that’s probably why. If I do it, I would want to keep the lock under the cover, so in case of emergency I can pop the cover off and still get to the lock to open the door.

I suppose worse case you can go in through the trunk since you have the lock removed?

Yeah I was going to swap the lock with the delete, but I had some issues getting it out from the old piece, so rather than risk breaking something, I let it be.

And yep, worst case, I climb my ass through the trunk. But hopefully worst case doesn't happen, ha! Maybe I'll give removing the lock another shot sometime soon and swapping that on.

[eforty6_m3]

Did a little something on Saturday since the weather was (finally) cooperating. Threw two car seats in the back of the M3 and went on our first family drive in it:





Stopped at my parents house to let the kids run around in the backyard for a bit. My dad is considered essential, so he still needs to go to work. And since he works at a plumbing warehouse with lots of trucks in and out per day, we decided we'd have to keep our distance from them. So, unfortunately, my kids haven't been able to hug/kiss their grandparents for well over a month. But we try to Facetime (oddly enough, they live 7 minutes away in the same town) them often and even hang out in their yard from a socially allowable distance from time to time. Took one shot of the M3 in their driveway as one of the neighbors stared at me, probably wondering why the hell I was taking a photo of my own parked car (if they only knew!):



And finally found some free time yesterday to get my new PedalHaus pedals installed:

[eforty6_m3]

Some minor updates, nothing all that exciting. Picked up a 2005 BMW M3 Coupe/Convertible Sales Brochure in really good condition off eBay:











I also stole an idea from Tbonem3 and swapped out the non-///M oil cap for an ///M version (which I didn't know was a thing until seeing his build thread):






I also took one more step in getting the suspension dialed in. I lowered the height of the rear driver-side coilover, as it was previously sitting right around 1/2" higher. After letting it settle for a day or so, I took it for a drive during lunch today to get it completely settled. Haven't checked measurements, but just by the "finger in the wheel well" test, I can tell it's VERY close. Once the rear is set, I'll move onto the front. I think I want to raise the front a bit to reduce some of the camber and get the tires a bit more flush with the fender.

During that lunch joyride, I stopped at my old stomping grounds which has been vacant for a while now (they're fixing it up and turning it into a more modern retail/business/lifestyle plaza instead of the "indoor" mall it used to be) and took some photos. Nothing special, just some shots with my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Which reminds me, I really need to bust out my Canon 40D and get back into using that more:

[eforty6_m3]

Almost forgot. For all my fellow auto enthusiasts, I HIGHLY recommend checking out this book:



Easy ready that's very relatable and enjoyable!

[BMWahba]

I need a link on that keychain!

[KhanArt]

Nice another fellow OG'er! I was following before OG was even a thing. I know your car is well taken care of from the way we are wired. Love the garage, need those socks!

[eforty6_m3]

I need a link on that keychain!

Store looks to be closed due to COVID, but reopening soon:

https://stitchboots.com/

[eforty6_m3]

Nice another fellow OG'er! I was following before OG was even a thing. I know your car is well taken care of from the way we are wired. Love the garage, need those socks!

Yes sir! Same here. OG hadn't blown up quite to this level when I get hooked.

And thanks for the kind words, man. Right back at ya! I follow you on IG and am a huge fan of your car! If you don't already, feel free to give me a follow. I try to post M3 content at least twice a week!

[eforty6_m3]

Filled up the tank for the first time this season last week. And the car looked clean, so had to: