Zen and the Art of E46 M3 Ownership

[Bimma360]

I'm hoping you leave the inside of the trunk unpainted?! The carbon would look awesome and subtle when the trunk is open.🤤

Oh hell yeah! Hah

[Arclitgold]

This is shaping up REAL nice

[Bimma360]

Got an opportunity to snag my muffler while the car is at the shop for the driveshaft and motor/trans mounts. I plan on keeping the exhaust stock and just do a carbon airbox, so today I tried to bring some life back into this 20 year old muffler.

After a wash this is what we're working with...






Now this stuff is amazing for surface rust and yellowing on stainless steel. For the most part you're just wiping the rust away, don't even need any elbow grease.



And all done, coated in Dr Beasley's to keep it looking like this for years. Burkhart tips coated and waiting to be installed next.

[Arclitgold]

Wow nice!! That muffler looks incredible

[Bimma360]

Wow nice!! That muffler looks incredible

I can’t say enough good things about Ospho (wear gloves, it's acid). You can see it didn't quite take away all of the discoloring on that center section, but close enough, especially for a 20 year old muffler. It does wonders on aftermarket stainless exhausts even more so. Dr Beasley's is just a protective coating, it doesn't change the appearance of the metal, so what you are seeing is just 30 minutes of scrubbing with Ospho. With the wash and coating, this is about 2 hours of work from start to finish.

[bavarian3]

Following.

The muffler looks amazing and way less work than I went through to get mine like it.

[Sharocks]

Real talk if the stock muffler didn't weigh as much I'd rock one on both of my cars.

Hmmmm.

Excellent work and rather quick work to getting this car to where you want it to be.

Gives me inspo to make a build thread too.

[Arclitgold]

+1 to that!

[liam821]

Those seats look amazing! I'm interested in seeing how your carbon work turns out. I used to have a slicktop IB 😭 - I might be biased, but it's easily one of the top three colors on the M3.

[Casa de Mesa]

Love the CSL interior bit.

Got any pics of those seat installed in the car? I wish they were an option when I did mine (https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...988#post201988)

[Bimma360]

Love the CSL interior bit.

Got any pics of those seat installed in the car? I wish they were an option when I did mine (https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...988#post201988)

Your seat install looks great!

Unfortunately from mid December through the end of January I went on side quest rebuilding my "garage," which is more or less a glorified shed. So I haven't done much with the car apart from collect parts. The house was built in the 1928, and the garage is original to the house, and structurally untouched for almost 100 years. It needed a new roof. The sill plates on all three walls were also rotted out and the structure was basically just being supported by the 4 corners alone haha. So when a contractor quoted me the equivalent of building a brand new garage to restore the current structure, I was like "screw it I'll do it myself." Still have to do insulation, drywall, and a few odds and ends, but I am at point where I can get back to the car.

I don't have any great before pics, but here is one from 5 years ago haha. Followed up after its refresh, and with the E46 in its new home.

[Avedis]

Awesome start, following along

If you need a DIY for the door panels/center console:

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/main-forum/e46-2001-2006/246178-e46-m3-csl-door-panels-center-console-comprehensive-tutorial

[Bimma360]

Awesome start, following along

If you need a DIY for the door panels/center console:
https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...nsive-tutorial

Thank you! Truth be told I already had your DIY already saved. I actually read it twice already haha.

[Avedis]

Thank you! Truth be told I already had your DIY already saved. I actually read it twice already haha.

Perfect, reach out if you need anything. Looking like this is going to be a great build!

Have you considered refinishing your CSL door handles and dash trim in the same silver finish you did the SMG trim in? Feel like it would pair nicely with the silver finish on the exterior of the car.

[Bimma360]

Perfect, reach out if you need anything. Looking like this is going to be a great build!

Have you considered refinishing your CSL door handles and dash trim in the same silver finish you did the SMG trim in? Feel like it would pair nicely with the silver finish on the exterior of the car.

For now I am going to do the dash in carbon. But the door handles didn’t cross my mind. Good call. I think I’ll save that for a quick weekend project after I get the car together.