Announcement

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:01 PM

So the car was ready to go for COTA, but Harvey caused heavy rains in my area and water levels on roads were too high to get the E46 out of my neighborhood. Rain would not stop, so I was forced to max the car out on jack stands in hopes of saving the car in case it got flooded. Water is just starting to enter the garage in this photo.

A few days later, I was able to get a ride on a military truck to get essentials. Discovered that water has gotten inside the car but could not do anything about it bc I was not allowed to stay (nor did I want to..)

Back at the house about nine days after evacuation. Removed the front carpet and put a dehumidifier inside and kept it running for a week. Did not have time to remove the sound deadening. The car was declared a total loss because it got floodwater inside. Insurance was not willing to fix it.

Ok. Cool (Hook em). I know the car will be fine or can be parted out, so I’ll keep the car and take the insurance money. Win for me, loss for you bastards

It was a sentimental value type thing too—I had put too much effort and money into the car to just let it, a fully functioning car, go. I had wanted to keep the car for double duty before the flooding. That meant keeping every mod reversible, because I wasn’t going to sell it (and still don’t, turned down a $40k offer recently) and wanted to eventually bring it back to stock. So this car was supposed to go back to stock, and I would buy a caged E46 M3.

Well, after the flooding I decided that wasn’t going to happen anymore. I would turn this into a track car and buy another M3 to use on the street. As of this post (2017/2018), I’m 22 y/o and plan on going to med school, so I really don’t need a trailer and tow vehicle as I won’t be settling down and making good money for at least eight years. So, I will be driving the car to/from events. So far, everything except sound deadening removal is reversible. I went with a harness bar instead of cage bc I’m still driving on public roads. If/when I decide to go the full cage route, I’ll simply unbolt the harness bar. IMO, the car is as safe as it can be for the track + driving to/from events.

You can see where the floodwater got to. Luckily most of the wiring was spared.

Next weekend (Sept 16), got the car back on the ground and had it towed to ABR Houston for flood inspection. Kept the battery disconnected bc I did not want to potentially damage the car. Insurance settlement still not completed bc POS geico put together a fraudulent valuation report. I was coming back to Katy from Austin every weekend for a while, while taking a bunch of difficult college courses. What a PITA

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:02 PM

Picked up this 1999 E36 M3 with 97k miles on it on Sept 28

Drove the car back to Austin next morning to go to class. Got a call later that morning that the E46 is ready, so I drove back to Houston that day to pick it up. Changed motor, trans, and diff fluids; lubricated brakes; cleaned electrical connectors. Car runs great, felt like a racecar after having driven a rental car for about a month. So now I’m driving this totaled car that’s value has still not been settled.

It was showing signs of starter failure, so I ordered a new one and left it parked in the garage while I went back to Austin in the E36

Fourteen days after buying my E36, a retarded sorority girl in her stupid tiguan backed into my E36 and totaled it...in a ****ing parking garage.

Drive it home so I can bring the E46 back to Austin for DD use. Before I do that, I have to replace the starter. I was in a rush to get back to Austin and did not think to clean the ICV and ITBs, which I later regretted

Back in Austin. Doing another alignment after making some spring and ride height changes

New eBay diffuser

At the 24h Series race at COTA. Picked up a set of scrubs for free.

Fuel pump is going out. Good thing I had a new OE unit sitting in the trunk

Installing the CSL diffuser. Not happy with fitment but whatever

Love the more aggressive look

Tire hoarder

Cleaning the dirty stock wheels

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:03 PM

12/16/2017
First track event since flooding. Car ran great. Installed AKG 75D trans mounts before the event, and they introduced terrible NVH

Cracked a fog light so I went ahead and deleted them

LED interior and license plate lights

Looks like the LEDs are brighter, but they really aren’t

I could still smell floodwater inside the car, so I had a feeling it was coming from the sound deadening, which looked filthy. Had time to remove it and so I did. Discovered a little bit of floodwater underneath. I was surprised how much all that sound deadening weighed.

Took this photo later that day. I think I replaced the rear pads

That’s it for 2017. Going from a street/track car that was very compliant for primary use, to transforming it into a dedicated track car.

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:04 PM

I had been eyeing the RTD shifter and an Alcantara wheel for a while, and I finally decided to pull the trigger in Jan. The shifter is a custom V1 model that will accept a BMW golf ball shift knob. Took a few weeks to produce, and I was able to install it with the help of a friend two days before a DE at COTA. I should have gone with black alcantara..can’t do anything about it now.

Alignment after installing Turner monoball RTABs, FCABs, and RSMs, then off to a buddy’s house to install the shifter

One last thing I needed to do was install a new oil temp sensor. I did this the evening before the event, bad idea. Turns out that ABR overtightened the oil drain plug, causing the oil pan to strip when I removed the plug. I was not able to tighten the plug anymore, so the leak would prevent me from tracking my car.

Sitting overnight

So in the morning, I went ahead and drove to COTA, picking up a spare E36 drain plug that my friend had on my way there. Get to COTA, unpack, attend drivers meeting, then get to work to see if the E36 plug will work. Luckily it did and all I missed was the 30 min warm up session.

Boom. Done

Car ran great aside from the brake issue I’d been chasing for over a year (soft pedal for about 1”). My new Federal FZ-201 tires lost half their tread at the end of the day.

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:08 PM

Post-flood DE #2. Car ran great all day until halfway through the happy hour session. I noticed the the red battery light flickering during braking. Decided to bring it in a couple of laps later but no worries since that was the last session of the day.

I have a habit of doing things to the car the day before the event, and for this one, I installed a Brey Krause harness bar the night before.

A ride in my instructor’s 993 RSR

Another alignment...

Installing six point harnesses

Doing my second paint correction (first was the E36)

Attempting to fix soft pedal issue by replacing calipers, rotors, and flushing with Castrol SRF. Pedal is even softer now, so I figure some driving will help get any tapped air bubbles out.

At ABR to have time sert installed on oil pan drain hole bc whoever did the last oil change overtorqued the drain plug.

Traded my stock 18s plus some cash for 18x9.5 ET22 ARC-8s

Installing alternator before DE. Also bled brakes again after ~200 miles

MSR Houston with DxB

Discovered broken sway bar mount when I got home

E36 was finally repaired so I figured I should take photos

Sold the SS Race muffler

Bimmerworld Race exhaust arrived

Looks like crap, but function > form on this car, I guess

Removed sway bar so I could take the car to Austin to have mount repaired and reinforced

Having to wear earplugs on your drive is always fun

Fixed

S2R sunroof delete panel finally purchased

E36 decided to start leaking coolant, so I had that towed to Houston and drove the E46 around Austin

Car kept stalling on me on the street, and having the car turn off in the middle of intersections was starting to get annoying. So, ICV cleaning had to be done.

Friend took this at a meet

Got me a Sparco Circuit for safety reasons. I was worried I’d be too fat to fit, but it actually fits me great.

State inspection

Car wash was long overdue

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:09 PM

Went to a free autocross event in January

Hit a coyote driving from Austin to Houston

I had more important stuff going on, including studying for the MCAT (which I took on June 15), so I decided to park the car and worry about repairs after the MCAT.
Sold the E36. Their last day together

Picked up another E46 in March

Another wash

Tucked away again

Done with the MCAT, so time to uncover it

Too many spares

Back to work after a short drive around the neighborhood

Removed the PSS10s to install MCS 2WNR coilovers. Put the Bilsteins on the blue car.

I need to install the following: cooling system components, AC condenser, CSF oil cooler, SPAL fan, and all of the other parts that the coyote broke

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:10 PM

Repairing coyote damage

New right brake duct bracket

Removed AC condenser and radiator

Mahle-Behr condenser in. All of the R134 has already leaked out, so no need to evacuate it

OE radiator in. Also put a 1/4” screen in front of the condenser to protect the fins from large debris

CSF oil cooler

New air duct in

Deleted aux and mech fans, and put in a SPAL fan instead

Wired to aux fan controller

Letting it idle for a bit to monitor for leaks or abnormal temps on gauge

Driving around the neighborhood, the oil temp was higher when I was moving relative to idle temp. I’m going to see if higher speeds brings the needle down

Never forget

I’m hoping to drive the car at COTA on Friday. Still need to install new front pads, relubricate caliper guides, regrease FCABs and F sway bar, install sunroof delete panel, and do tech inspection.

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:11 PM

Removing headliner and installing sunroof delete panel. I was going to wrap the delete panel silver later on, but I got this terrible idea of painting it with “titanium silver” spray paint. Note to self: Never attempt any kind of paint work ever again. Left the headliner off because the fabric was sagging in some areas, so I had to use zip ties to secure wires and attach the dome light.

Terrible fitment in the back, so I didn’t bother sealing it. I think I’m just gonna wrap the whole roof black.

Front plate so police have no reason to pull me over

I thought I had a new set of front PFC 08s in the garage, but apparently not. Luckily the blue car had thick 08 pads installed up front, so I took those out for the silver car and put stock pads in.

Weighs 3060 lbs without driver and fuel. Not bad, but I’m gonna shoot for <3000 eventually.

Arrived at storage place for at least the next couple of months

Arrived at COTA for COTA After Dark event

A rear caliper bolt backed out during the third session, so I had to get it towed back to storage

No worries though. Prepped the blue car and drove it for the last two sessions after dropping off the silver car.

Went back to storage after the event to drop off spares and tools and take a closer look at the damage.

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:13 PM

Some videos and photos from COTA

New calipers

Dropping off new NT01s, rear calipers, and rear springs

Bonus

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:16 PM

Working on the rear brakes, I decided to remove and inspect the rotors. I was surprised to find both rotors cracked almost all the way around on the inside

Which may have been caused by this. Accidentally drove on the street for a few miles with the parking brakes up a while back.

This part made contact with the wheel

I rebuilt the parking brakes, installed and bled new rear calipers, and swapped to shorter and stiffer rear springs. 650F/750R

I have two sets of rear rotors in Katy, so I’ll bring a set to Austin and install them sometime soon. I also need to bring my bleeder so I can properly bleed the brakes. I’ll also spend a day going through the car and retorquing all of the hardware I can get to and do a tech inspection.

After that, I hope to do a shakedown. Planning on doing a day at MSRH or Harris Hill in Sept. In Oct, I’m hoping to go to NOLA with NASA, then MSR Cresson for two events in Nov. I may do another event in Dec at COTA, MSRC, MSRH, or ECR. So many options lol.

I suspect I experience pad knockback at COTA due to worn front wheel bearings. I’m going to replace the front hubs to address that, but no idea if I’ll be able to get to it before NOLA.

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:17 PM

Back in Sept 2019... New street/track tires. Was curious how they’d do considering they cost $422. (They were okay)

Needed something to cover the big space left by the deleted fog lights. So I got fog light covers and riveted on plastic sheets. These should be able to hold up to debris. $23 all in.

Pretty good cupholder

Beware

Replaced the rear rotors and pads and did brake flush.

**SQ13** · 12-13-2020, 06:19 PM

Attended a DxB event in mid-Sept. Everything stemmed to go well, but after getting lunch with friends after the event, I discovered a puddle of PS fluid in the lot.

Lots of bugs died that day.

I tried to fix the leak in early Oct by replacing the affected hose.

That didn’t work out so well. Fluid leaked at the quick disconnect bc apparently it was not seated all the way...the PS cooler end was damaged, so I had to order a new one.

NICE

I ended up driving the blue car at the MSRH member day.

PS leak fix take three

Had to sacrifice some blood for the racing gods

It works!

Moved to its new resting space

Garage kitty supporting me while I wire up AIM SOLO to CAN and for continuous power.

Oil change and tech inspection, then drove it around for a bit. SOLO wiring was successful, and no issues with the car except for what sounded like tire rubbing in the rear.

**Onefastsicilian** · 12-14-2020, 11:03 AM

Nice to see another M3F member make the transition here! I remember your journal from then.

**SQ13** · 12-26-2020, 10:09 PM

I had to take the MCAT in late Jan 2020, and I decided I would stop doing car stuff until after I took it. I was supposed to do a track event in late March, but I cancelled because covid was starting to take over in Texas. Before that happened though, I worked in the COTA medical center during the WEC and GT World Challenge races and got some cool people including Bill Auberlen, James Clay, and Kevin Estre to sign my now retired helmet. Asked Bill to make his signature the biggest one.

Hyper black ARC-8s look pretty good.

At this point, the track car is tucked away in the garage while I take a road bike and use my street E46 M3 for groceries. I also started buying lots of guns, and that took away from my car hobby budget.

In June, the street car started to give me SMG issues. The car should’ve been swapped six months prior, but the $3-3.5k cost made me put it off. Here I am stranded at the grocery store, replacing the salmon relay.

Three or so months later, the SMG became problematic again, so I said fuck it, parked it indefinitely, and used the track car as my primary car. Ever drive your car while wearing a shirt with a picture of your car?

At around this time, a buddy invited me to do W2W racing in his Spec Miata. Well I was hooked, so I purchased my own racing suit, boots, and socks (owned everything else needed). And since I have this safety gear now, I figured I’d use it at all track events.

How to turn a poverty spec helmet into an expensive helmet in one step.

Attached Files

Announcement

Kong’s E46 M3 Track to Street Car Journal

Kong’s E46 M3 Track to Street Car Journal

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