Cockroach Individual M3 6/28/2026 x5 or m3? PWR 55mm Rad

[samthejam]

Welcome!

So was the mystic or topaz blue car pictured near the beginning your dad's when new? Very cool. Also cool your car is individual with black sapphire - hopefully the paint can be saved?

It was a ZCP, so it was Interlagos Blue.

This car has been repainted quite a few times, so unfortunately nothing original really to save. I know it was at least repainted once for the CF trunklid. I found some very old Instagram post that showed the car that was in Primer on the quarter panels. The crinkled fender has bondo.

[Tbonem3]

Welcome!

So was the mystic or topaz blue car pictured near the beginning your dad's when new? Very cool. Also cool your car is individual with black sapphire - hopefully the paint can be saved?

[samthejam]

Also forgot to mention wired in and replaced the Ambient Air Temp sensor as that was causing CEL and intermittent climate control in wet weather.

[samthejam]

Hey Guys, wanted to document my new to me M3 build here.

I am a long-time E28 enthusiast. I have a 528e that is my first car, a track/street hybrid I built. It's had many M30s put in it, dogleg transmission, diff I built, coilovers, all spherical bushings,. However it still has A/C, cruise control, and a niceish Mocca cloth interior I imported from Russia before covid so it is somewhat palatable on the street. I put 20,000 miles on it last year, taking road trips to tracks like Road Atlanta and Barber. It then takes me back home and then to work the next day. It isn't shiny, but it's loved, enjoyed and a long term money pit.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
382236441_2674085969434972_3752035176532954767_n by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Build Thread here:

https://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=126811

I had a M535i that I had for about a year but never fell in love with.

Build Thread Here:

https://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=159736

The opportunity came to trade that car for this E46 M3. I jumped on it. Here is the story so far.

My friend Alejandro picked this car up for a song. A 2005 Individual "Black Sapphire Metallic" Coupe M3. It was loved at some point has a Vorsteiner Carbon Trunk Lid, real carbon diffuser, carbon interior trim bits, carbon for the engine cover. It only has the KW rear springs and perches for some reason. It was also fairly low miles 101k.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Untitled by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr




With the prices of S54s and these cars going through the moon, I decided to just do it. My father had one from new that I used to drive on track and drove around the paddock when I was like 13. So these cars especially their engines and sound are very emotional to me.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr



It was parked because the SMG line to the slave cylinder failed. He had spares from parts cars, he just built a E46 Touring with a S54 swap and parted out 3 M3s to do that. So he had some spares. Prior to that failing, the cars horrific wheels that were on it were so heavy and with Houston roads obliterated the front ball joints. So much so they drove it until it failed and damaged the left front fender. They then only fixed that side with the right side being about to fail.

Untitled by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Untitled by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Untitled by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

He was able to get the car, and just had a shop diagnose the SMG and bleed the system. I joked with him about trading and then it became a reality. Now before I could drive the car the wheels had to go. So we did that. I then took it on a long test drive 20 miles as is, balljoints shaking. Hadn't touched fluids or anything. Needed to verify the car had decent bones to be a rolling restoration I needed. My M535i, I had it to where it was a turnkey spare car with A/C. So if I were to do this trade, I need to at least know if my E28 is down I can get in this and get to work. It passed the test and he agreed to include a lot of used bits the car needed to be more complete.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I then went to Road Atlanta, the following day upon my return. I got to work. I swapped the bad control arm out with a used one and got a front bumper on the car and took it home.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Once I got it home, I did an oil change. Luckily the dealer had a filter and Autozone had some Castrol 10W-60. I am a bit sad to see the old TWS oil I remember using to top off my dads car is no longer available. I read the specs of this oil and it appears to be the same as the old stuff. Will probably just stick to running this since it is available locally.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I found taillights from a ZHP Coupe, that I could actually look at.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I put Halogens in the car, as the Xenons were fucked and these had the trims. Lost high beams doing that.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Alarm kept going off and tracked that down to the hood sensor missing its hardware. Cobbled something together from E28 hardware from some partouts.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


I ordered the rod Bearings and the diff bushings, and was driving the car around. I went to visit my dad who is 80 miles away one way, and the fan decided to make love with the very very questionable shroud. Alejandro rescued me, AAA wouldnt come get me. So he flat towed me back to my dads like 20 miles. Gave me used parts to get me back on the road. That was a long night.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

The next weekend, it was time to install the box of parts.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I planned to do the rod bearings, diff bushings and power steering pump in one weekend. It was a bit bold, as again the 3 hour round trip to my dad each day. I prefer to do it at his shop because A/C and he has a lot more tools, so it is worth the trek. Saturday was the diff bushing, which were FUCKED. It was making a horrendous noise, had car in S3 for the SMG and was doing some right footwork so it didn't sound like the diff was coming through the floor on shifts.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


I was somehow able to press out and press in the new BMW bushing, didn't wanna go aftermarket for this. I pressed in too far and had to press it back. Can't wait for the foam to fail in 20 years.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

You can see I opted for the E36 M3 diff bushings, instead of the OE/aftermarket ones. I still wish I would've gone with the OE cover, just because. However with all the parts being ordered at once it just wasn't in the budget.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I found a crack in one of the subframe mounts visible with subframe in. So this will all have to come out again anyways, will be doing everything at that time. At least this will make the car driveable for now to fix all the other stuff. So the diff took all day. I took my dads car home, so when I got back Sunday morning car wouldn't be hot and have to wait for it cool down to do the rod bearings.

I have owned this car for two weeks at this point, and am petrified of opening this thing up but it must be done.
I went with OE Bearings and bolts. Man that torque procedure is an absolute nightmare.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

At first I was a bit upset I was in there doing it as it didn't look horrid. I then found #2.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

Here is how they all looked.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

New to me used pump.
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr

I was able to finish it all in one day and drive home, didn't get home until midnight. Odo pick before heading home. I am doing the 1200 mile break-in which I know is controversial. I know rod bearings should never need to break-in as in theory they don't touch anything. However I don't see harm in being overly cautious with the cost of this engine. There is a also still a intermittent misfire and belt squeak. Those parts are on the way (coils, plugs and belts/pulleys).

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr
Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


I also phoned a local friend who helped me code my LCM for the Halogens, so I have highbeams again. Also put on the CSL firmware for the SMG with the ECUWorkz tool and flashed the SMG module with the 255 software. Following this I got INPA setup on my Windows XP laptop, also got it working in it English.

Currently waiting on maintenance parts listed above and I got some used GC coilovers off Ebay for it. I think I will try and find 2 more rear wheels and run that square setup until Apexes. Order of attack is bushings alignment, put SRF and pads in it, vanos and then rear subframe reinforcement/bushings.

Cockroach First Upload by Kurvenkamph Motorsport, on Flickr


Currently have 102,880 on the car. Currently have 522 miles on the break-in, hoping to hear this thing at 8k rpm soon.

Thanks for reading.

- Sam