05-25-2016, 11:32 AM | #45 |
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in many ways my e46 is my favorite of the m's we own..i feel like it's really good at a lot of things, and has the best lines of them all. I found a clean car with 39k miles set up how I wanted it for a good price, so I bought even though it was smg. the smg tune helped dramatically for low cost, but I knew going in that if it blew up id do a manual swap and not mess with the smg replacements.
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05-25-2016, 06:00 PM | #46 |
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That's nuts. I wouldn't be able to fetch that for my MZ4 Coupe and it's got less mileage. And there's only 1,700 of them here in North America vs. probably 10-15 times more M3s.
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05-25-2016, 08:47 PM | #47 | |
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Wow your line up of vehicles is impressive sir!
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05-26-2016, 09:27 AM | #49 | |
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Agree...that's nuts especially because it's an SMG car. I had an 03 w/ SMG for about a month before I traded it for a 6 speed...almost nobody wants an SMG E46 M. |
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05-26-2016, 10:10 AM | #50 |
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It seems that if an M3 is Interlagos Blue and a manual, it sells for a premium. I'm torn on the $31k M3. Its in decent shape, but PPI shows rear rotors, rear bushings and some minor other things need to be replaced. And various minor cosmetic issues, like the rubber trim at the bottom of the windshield needs replacing (cracking). But...its Interlagos Blue and 6 speed!
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05-26-2016, 10:16 AM | #51 | |
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Rear trailing arm bushing (RTAB) failure on E46 M3s is very common, as is the windshield cowl cracking. I replaced my cowl on my car with an OE BMW piece (P/N 51718232894), it cost roughly $100 shipped to my door and took maybe 20 minutes to install. RTABs are a little more involved, but not much. Personally, I would not let such small items put me off of a car I felt very strongly about. Rear discs may be a different story, because the ZCP has different rotors than the base car that are costly to replace. |
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05-26-2016, 10:59 AM | #53 |
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For a "nice" manual M3 coupe with under 100k miles, you're usually budgeting high teens to low twenties. A ZCP or a really low mileage car can climb a bit higher than that.
$18k - $22k can get you a very nice, non-ZCP example pretty easily. |
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05-26-2016, 11:31 AM | #55 | |
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But I would say that the E46 M3 is slightly faster than a F30 335i M Sport RWD in stock configuration on a long track but very much faster in AutoX. This is just my observation based on vehicles/drivers in the same run group as me. |
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05-26-2016, 11:32 AM | #56 |
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if its a Manuel and has that mileage I would go for it the price is right. 31k is right. do it and rev it to 8000rpms. I was going to sell mine but im prob holding onto it. ;low miles are rare. I have the same specs but mines SMG and I love the SMG and I get mine and my vanos and subframe checked. they are all mint.
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05-26-2016, 12:02 PM | #57 |
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Magazine tests show the E92 is much, much quicker, especially in the 1/4 mile (low 12s vs low 13s). I drove my E46 back-to-back with a DCT E90 and was blown away by how much quicker the E90 felt.
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05-26-2016, 12:41 PM | #58 |
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yes its much quicker but its not much faster after I hit 80 on the odometer it felt faster. love the car. but at this point I rather get an F80. its all preference.
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06-10-2016, 10:47 AM | #60 |
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My 2004 E46 M3 is powerful, well-balanced, predictable, forgiving and is still a real joy to drive, even at 12 years of age. Additionally, the S54B32 (with cast iron block, forged steel crankshaft, individual throttle bodies, the freest flowing heads ever designed by BMW’s Motorsport Division, etc.) will definitely go down in history as one of the best naturally aspirated engines the world has ever seen. Even by today’s standards, the E46 M3’s performance is impressive, and it does almost anything that a (proficient) driver demands of it. However, if you don’t intend to track the car occasionally or routinely maintain the engine rpms above 4,500 during your daily drives, then save your money and get a standard 3-Series vehicle instead (i.e. don’t waste money on M car performance you don’t require and won’t use).
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06-10-2016, 07:18 PM | #61 |
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Exactly. I actually looked for a few month thinking that I'd buy one instead of the M2 to scratch the car itch. The only decent manuals seemed way over valued to me. So many are just thrashed or high mile SMG cars.
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06-15-2016, 03:05 AM | #62 | |
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had an E46 m3 too. SMG is not the worst thing in the world, don't listen to the naysayers. Drop in the CSL SMG management parameters and everything changes. For sure if you like rowing gears and for resale value, get the 6MT. the E46 and E9X M3s have to be kept at high RPMs for the power and intoxication. the S65 obviously better with the bigger displacement but again, keeping rpms high on the highway, i'm sure it gets tiring. turn in is sharp as expected from the M cars chassis.
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06-15-2016, 06:10 PM | #63 | |
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I was contemplating the same thing with my 2005 E46 M3 Vert but knowing I could only get 13k to 20K for it I have ultimately decided to just keep it. It is paid off and insurance is only $250 for the year. No mechanical issues whatsoever as well because it sits in a garage with a trickle charger. I think your specific M3 will ultimately appreciate overtime because it is an 2005 Coupe with Competition package. If you do not have to sell it then I would keep it.
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Driving the 2016 535i I hardly find time to drive the E46 because the technology and features in the 535i are just too good. I always thought I would need to go back to the E46 M3 to feel that raw power but in all honesty I don't. If you already have an F80 M3 then I don't think you need to add the older E46 to the stable especially when it is so hard to find one in mint condition without paying a premium. The only time I could imagine you using the E46 is for the track or to take around town once a month. It is just not as comfortable and modern as the new F80 M3 is. *I got a change to autocross and take around town the F80 M3 and M4 at a BMW event last year called UDE. Loved it but had to get a more practical sedan for daily driving and for family.* However, if you plan to make it a project car then I completely understand and hope you do find an E46 that you can add to the stable. I just do not think you would drive it as often especially with the newer and better one already in your garage. Good luck! Last edited by Takumi587; 06-15-2016 at 06:15 PM.. Reason: Experience driving with the new M3/M4s. |
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06-16-2016, 10:32 AM | #64 |
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Hello,
Some things to note about an E46 M3 (and other S54 powered cars) that hasn't really been addressed: the cost of proper maintenance. These cars are brutally expensive if you care at all to do it right. By doing it right, I mean OE or better parts/fluids and going by the book (and then some) when it comes to intervals. The other part is doing things as a system - certain things like rear trailing arm bushings and dampers go faster than everything else but as a general rule, things should be repaired as a system to provide the highest amount of reliability (in my humble opinion). The other thing about proper maintenance being truly honest with yourself about what the car should probably have done vs. what it needs (and when to do it) e.g. the cooling system should probably be done between 80-100K miles even if it's not broken (that's the general consensus for an older car with many years of heat cycles and changes in ambient temp). Of course you can let things go until they break (most do just looking at what's out there) but if you're like me and this is your toy, you don't want your day off of work ruined because your toy broke on you. Some people simply don't care about having the car in perfect mechanical condition; I have no issue with that either - whatever works for you. This is a GREAT reference for all things E46 M3 maintenance: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=190111 My car now has 95K on it and it's been dead reliable since I bought it in 2011 with 62K on it. I daily drove it for two years before it turned into a toy car that gets about 3K/year on sunny days. Stuff to look out for: 1. SMG - I love it - most people hate it and I can totally see why. It's pitiful in auto/sequential mode (which I rarely use), it's jerky, it's not especially quick at changing gears even in mode 6 (although I'm not sure a human could beat it - it's no slouch either and it's certainly more repeatable than a human will ever be), the "launch control" is do at your own risk to your drive train and it is insanely expensive to fix (pump and actuator being the two major/expensive components). For me personally as a tech guy, I think it's neat tech from yesteryear (developed in the mid/late 90s). This car is a toy car for me so I like the novelty of it all. I just love the quirkiness of it and you can tell they really spent time to try and get it right but at the end of the day, there's only so much you can do with an automated clutching system tied to a traditional clutch and manual transmission. Read the SMG technical literature and you'll start to appreciate what it's all about (again, you have to be into the out dated tech or don't bother). Most people are clueless about the system and/or have no appreciation for it. They think it should be quick like a double clutch which it absolutely isn't (I've driven DCT on track at the BMW PC - it's brilliant - single clutch sequential transmissions from any MFG aren't even close). The first thing I ask someone when they start bashing SMG is how long they daily drove with one. Nearly everyone will say they haven't even driven one - it's quite comical actually. Anyway, I could go on about it but unless you're a geek like me, I would highly recommend waiting for a 6MT - the SMG is pretty cool though if you take the time to learn how it works and understand its limitations. There is definitely a learning curve with it as well - I feel like it takes 1000 miles to get the hang of it and many more thousands to start to enjoy it's quirkiness 2. You've I'm sure read about inspection II's - this is important. If you can't do it yourself, it's a couple grand in parts and labor. This must be done regularly - work isn't especially hard. The diff fluid is really effing expensive if you want OE stuff is about all I can say about it. Adjusting the valves is easy if you're handy with tools and understand basic mechanics. 3. Suspension. This car EATS suspension stuff (not unlike any other BMW). OE (read: not durable) RTABS last 30K miles, stock shocks last about the same, worse if you lower them and by 80-90K you can expect EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING to be completely shot out back even if it's not driven hard (these cars are old now). The front might go a little longer depending on your road conditions - mine wasn't too bad after 95K but I replaced it anyway. ECS tuning has some nice packages that will give you an idea of what you need to replace your suspension - that is just the price of parts. If you're not handy, have tools, time and a garage, you're going to pay a mint to have it all put in. Suspension makes or breaks any BMW and the M3 is no different. This car is night and day different with 80K suspension vs. new. If you want a well sorted M3, you have to do the suspension. I'm well over 4K after doing my suspension with OE stuff and Koni shocks. Suspension also includes (again, my opinion) exhaust mounts, engine mounts, trans mounts, guibo, center bearing, wheel bearings, new mounting hardware/nuts/bolts etc. I'm definitely on the high side but I insist on doing things exactly correct. 4. VANOS - another fairly expensive weak point. 5. Rear subframe. I can almost GUARANTEE that ANY E46 M3 you look at unless it literally has no miles on it will have developed hairline cracks near the subframe mounts. Mine has them (getting repaired in a couple weeks), they all do. Watch the videos on YouTube from Redish Motorsports to get an idea of the problem. This is something that HAS to be addressed and there aren't a lot of shops that are interested in doing the work unless you live on one of the coasts. Most shops that will touch the car are at 12-1500 bucks to install the plates (like Turner's kit). Turner themselves in MA quoted me 1500 and change I think. To me, if you're not willing to do this part then don't even bother buying an E46 M3 as this could turn into a real nightmare. As an FYI - any body shop will just want to replace the floor which doesn't fix the issue. 6. Like the suspension - the cooling system is a major liability after 80K miles (this is a BMW thing, not just an E46 M3 thing). Expect 1200-1500 in parts to do it properly plus labor. That's all I have for now. Perhaps you just want a fun toy for a year or two - that's cool too - you can probably forego a lot of the stuff above and just use up whatever is left in whatever you buy - I think a lot of people are this way (which is why it's important to have someone look at the car before you buy it). Good luck with your search. Good ones are out there but be aware that even spending 25K on a mint one with 35K on it doesn't get you out of the woods. The suspension is still going to need to be addressed and you have that subframe to worry about. I keep an eye on E46 prices and they're all over. I think you can get a solid car for 15K, a mint one for 22-25 and a cherry '06 ZCP interlogs blue show piece for 30-35. |
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06-16-2016, 11:28 PM | #65 |
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I'm a long time reader but virtually never post. I hope this is appropriate etiquette in the thread... I am selling an absolutely mint California car with 17K original miles. It's a time machine vehicle, feel free to message me if interested.
Forgot to clarify this is a 2005 Interlagos E46 M3 ZCP w/SMG Cheers, |
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09-13-2019, 12:01 PM | #66 |
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Looking to find my M3 Conv a new home
Anyone know where I can find those who might appreciate and would like to get their hands on a 06 M3 convertible...imola red with black interior; 6 speed about 67k miles. I'm the original owner and don't want to sell her to someone on the generic car sale sites who might not appreciate the e46 m3.... Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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