Zen and the Art of E46 M3 Ownership

[0-60motorsports]

Had a few days off of work after our vacation, so I dug back into the car. Unfortunately, those darn euro headers took up most of that time haha.




Onto the suspension stuff. Here is the major stuff being replaced/installed front and rear:

Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers
Front Sway - 30mm hollow - Bimmerworld
Rear Sway - 22.5mm CSL
Hotchkis front adjustable sway bar links
CSL Kingpins
Front Wheel Bearings
Control Arms / CABs / Tie Rods (Lemforder)
Rear Axels (Genuine BMW)
Rear Wheel Bearings

Related stuff that was installed when I first purchased the car:

Steering Coupling (Genuine BMW)
New Driveshaft / Guibo
Engine/Transmission mounts
Syncro Design Works Trailing Arm Monoballs
All Rear Suspension/Subframe Bushings (Genuine BMW)
Rear Camber Arms - Turner


It's been so long since I bought all of this stuff, decided to unbox and lay most of everything out to remind myself. Also I've never just bought everything all at once, so I wanted to just look at it all. Check out the tie rods haha.



And made a little bit of progress...

Very Nice. Please give us your feedback about the PSS10's. I am waiting for shipping prices to normalize so i can order them.

Once i do i will be installing them with brand new CSL Kingpins and wheel bearings all around like you but will also do the my ST60/ST40 caliper refresh and rebuild at the same time.

[bavarian3]

Nice shot of all the parts together. Looking amazing under there.

[Bimma360]

Had a few days off of work after our vacation, so I dug back into the car. Unfortunately, those darn euro headers took up most of that time haha.




Onto the suspension stuff. Here is the major stuff being replaced/installed front and rear:

Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers
Front Sway - 30mm hollow - Bimmerworld
Rear Sway - 22.5mm CSL
Hotchkis front adjustable sway bar links
CSL Kingpins
Front Wheel Bearings
Control Arms / CABs / Tie Rods (Lemforder)
Rear Axels (Genuine BMW)
Rear Wheel Bearings

Related stuff that was installed when I first purchased the car:

Steering Coupling (Genuine BMW)
New Driveshaft / Guibo
Engine/Transmission mounts
Syncro Design Works Trailing Arm Monoballs
All Rear Suspension/Subframe Bushings (Genuine BMW)
Rear Camber Arms - Turner


It's been so long since I bought all of this stuff, decided to unbox and lay most of everything out to remind myself. Also I've never just bought everything all at once, so I wanted to just look at it all. Check out the tie rods haha.



And made a little bit of progress...

[Bimma360]

Perfect opportunity to clean everything up. Doing it the right way, nice!

Yeah and "the while you're in there" spidey sense is tingling really badly. I have to keep reminding myself that if I indulge I might not get the car back on the road for months. It will be 12 months this November since I bought it.

[bavarian3]

Perfect opportunity to clean everything up. Doing it the right way, nice!

[Bimma360]

It occurred to me that I never explicitly said what my goal for this car is. Ultimately, it is to have an 80% CSL experience: In the way it looks, the touch points, the sounds, the way it feels to drive, and the way it behaves on the road. It recently dawned on me though that in doing so and starting with a comp pack slicktop, I was building myself a "CS". I haven't talked about the complete parts list yet, but regardless of what someone thinks a factory e46 M3 CS would have been, it is in this car plus more. I joked in another thread that I like badges, so...






The interior and exterior are totally put back together and basically done. I didn't take any pictures though, b/c I just wanted to start ripping the old suspension out.

Turns out, if you are replacing everything it's super easy removing all the stuff fully assembled. The joy of working on a zero rust car. Never in my life have I had control arms come out so easily! The whole process was so smooth. But in usual fashion, I can't help myself and figure while I am in there I might as well just do the euro headers and airbox I've had sitting. So I am thinking, order of operations: (1) Remove/Install headers and euro section 1, (2) Install front suspension stuff, (3) Remove factory airbox, (4) Work on O2 wiring on engine bay side, and (5) Install carbon airbox. Then onto the rear end.

[Bimma360]

So the Ospho was able to remove the black marks on the muffler? I have them on mine and can’t tell if they’re tar or something else, but they are impossible to remove.

Yeah just about all of them. Apart from washing it, Ospho was the only other thing I used.

[nyc951]

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.

So the Ospho was able to remove the black marks on the muffler? I have them on mine and can’t tell if they’re tar or something else, but they are impossible to remove.

[Arclitgold]

Looking great!

[0-60motorsports]

Thanks dude. I can't wait to get them in the car. I can't wait to start driving this car for that matter.

I bet! Looking forward to seeing it done.

[Bimma360]

The seats look so good!

Thanks dude. I can't wait to get them in the car. I can't wait to start driving this car for that matter.

[0-60motorsports]

The seats look so good!

[Bimma360]

Car still at the paint shop. 4 weeks this week. I am too nice.

In the meantime, I got the rear seat done. So whenever I do get this car back I can proceed to completely finish the interior, and the exterior for that matter.



I also picked up one of these fancy plate holders. Proceeded to immediately let the magnets fly across the table top at each other.

[Bimma360]

Center console stuff installed. That storm shiftknob is stainless, and a whopping 10.7 oz. It was peculiar to me why they didn't just make it out of aluminum, but I gotta say the weight really improves the way this thing feels shifting. The stock action just felt hallow. Pretty cool.





Took a crack at cleaning/restoring the Alcantara on the steering wheel. It's much better, but not what I had hoped. It's just not as soft as fresh Alcan. 20 years of not being cleaned once (I guarantee it). Not coming back from that unfortunately. Time for a new one I guess.



A touch-less wash before going back to the painter today.

[R60BBA]

It's primarily with the trunk. Didn't get enough paint on the bottom inner edge, and you can still see the primer in most areas down there. There are three paint knubs on the back face, and also a bit more orange peel on that surface than anywhere else on the car. They just didn't do a good job inspecting that area before I came to pick it up.

Ahh annoying but sounds easily fixable.

Look forward to further updates.