Zen and the Art of E46 M3 Ownership

[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.

[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.

[bavarian3]

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

[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.

[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...

[bavarian3]

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

[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.

[Bimma360]

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.

Will do! What I really wanted was to just do the factory CSL springs and struts (was the same price as the PSS10's, at least least a few months ago). But unfortunately, I wasn't confident I could get the car down to 3150 lbs without ripping out sound deadening. Really hoping the PSS10's prove to be the ideal street set up. Not looking to lower the car much from factory. I took ride height measurements, as is stock, and am leaving the PSS10's at the pre-set height from Bilstein. I am assuming they did that on purpose and for optimal shock travel haha. We'll see how much that lowers the car, and I'll go from there.

[0-60motorsports]

Will do! What I really wanted was to just do the factory CSL springs and struts (was the same price as the PSS10's, at least least a few months ago). But unfortunately, I wasn't confident I could get the car down to 3150 lbs without ripping out sound deadening. Really hoping the PSS10's prove to be the ideal street set up. Not looking to lower the car much from factory. I took ride height measurements, as is stock, and am leaving the PSS10's at the pre-set height from Bilstein. I am assuming they did that on purpose and for optimal shock travel haha. We'll see how much that lowers the car, and I'll go from there.

Funny i wanted to do the same thing but the CSL springs, the front ones, seem to be NLA, even shocks are hard to get. Max i wanted to EIbach lowering springs on CSL shocks with TMS Camber plates. So yeah the PSS10s will have to do and i do not plan on changing the height from 13.5"/13".

[Bimma360]

Funny i wanted to do the same thing but the CSL springs, the front ones, seem to be NLA, even shocks are hard to get. Max i wanted to EIbach lowering springs on CSL shocks with TMS Camber plates. So yeah the PSS10s will have to do and i do not plan on changing the height from 13.5"/13".

I measured my stock height, and roughly speaking I am at about 14"/14.5" F/R haha. It's an old car with a 100K miles, but that's where it's at currently.

[0-60motorsports]

I measured my stock height, and roughly speaking I am at about 14"/14.5" F/R haha. It's an old car with a 100K miles, but that's where it's at currently.

great, waiting for you to update with the PSS10 factory set height measurements. Thanks.

[b32hpm]

I bought the burkhart exhaust tips as well.
from your pictures it seems that the tips are protuding more than the oem tips. Is the burkhart tip longer than the oem?

[Bimma360]

I bought the burkhart exhaust tips as well.
from your pictures it seems that the tips are protuding more than the oem tips. Is the burkhart tip longer than the oem?

They for sure protrude more than stock. But funny enough, I didn't think to compare them to the stock ones when I was doing the install. When I have easier access to the back of the car, I'll confirm. But there is only one way to mount them, so they for sure are longer.

[Slideways]

They for sure protrude more than stock. But funny enough, I didn't think to compare them to the stock ones when I was doing the install. When I have easier access to the back of the car, I'll confirm. But there is only one way to mount them, so they for sure are longer.

CSL is flush with the edge of the carbon diffuser.

IMO, the Burkhart exhaust tips stick out a lot based on the picture. If that is when the exhaust is cold, they will be pushed out even more when it gets hot. It is probably easy enough to have a shop cut them down to be flush with the diffuser.

[Bimma360]

CSL is flush with the edge of the carbon diffuser.

IMO, the Burkhart exhaust tips stick out a lot based on the picture. If that is when the exhaust is cold, they will be pushed out even more when it gets hot. It is probably easy enough to have a shop cut them down to be flush with the diffuser.

Haha yeah I caught that right away. But I do like it. It was an unintended surprise.