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      08-11-2019, 05:12 PM   #1
CaptainRacing
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Drives: 2006 BMW M3 / 2015 Porsche GT3
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Pittsburgh

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My 2006 BMW M3 6 Speed Convertible Restoration

Hello this is my 2006 BMW M3 Convertible currently with 86,000 miles that I purchased in July of 2018 with around 84,000 miles. I found the car on Craigslist and a week later drove down to Nashville Tennessee and got the car and trailered it back up to Pittsburgh. The car was originally shipped new to Beverly Hills in 2006. Then in around 2014 made its way to Nashville where a BMW Master Certified Mechanic purchased it. I spent time debating whether I should buy a E46 ZCP or a Convertible, although different, I chose the Convertible as I enjoy driving during the evening up here in the north.

During the fall of 2018 I completed my initial stages of my restoration where I repaired both mirror glasses and performed a full check up at my indy mechanic. I replaced the battery and cleaned and repaired the battery compartment as E46 M3 battery compartments are a pain. During the mid winter of 2019 I purchased 4 OEM E46 M3 ZCP Style Wheels and 4 new Michelin Pilot Sport 4s as well for the new wheels. I replaced all the interior trim as the old trim became sticky and worn out. It looks great and updates the interior perfectly. Enthusiast Auto Group was very helpful to help me locate the exact colors and pieces new. I also purchased a Bilstein B4 Performance Shock Kit as I wanted a little bit more rigidity in the convertible and to replace the old shocks. It makes a huge difference. It feels slightly stiffer than OEM but not overbearing at all and hardly lowers the car and I'm very happy with this kit. Then i wanted to repair and repaint my front bumper in OEM Schwarz Black as you can imagine an older M3 front bumper can get very beat up with road chips etc. My local body shop (which us very well known) did an excellent job welding the plastic and matching the paint to perfect standards. As a former detailer and wrapper, I can attest to the unbelievable work they did. Late February came and I decided to fix my navigation screen also. These old nav screens are susceptible to pixel burnout, so I took it to a speaker and audio place where they repaired my cars dvd system and my screen to make it look brand new and to also retro fit an OEM aux input. As I requested the OEM look stayed and was completed and it looks like it did when it came from the factory. It looks awesome right now. I took the car to my friends at my local Porsche dealer where their dent wizard fixed a few small dents and had the body looking brand new. After this in early March 2019, I took the car to my good friend Nate at North Pitt Auto Spa right in Pittsburgh PA and he took my 85,000 M3 and performed a 3 Stage Paint Correction then applied clear bra to the front bumper, hood, fenders, also on the bi-xenon lights and rocker panels then finished the car in Modesta Ceramic Coating. Words can't describe how amazed I was when he was finished. This is some of his best work and I recommend to check him out on Instagram or in person @northpittautospa.

At this stage I was ready to drive it and I mounted and aligned the new Michelins and ZCP wheels. As it was still cold I spent some more time adding a few extra things. I fixed my rear view mirror as the auto dimming was broken and had it repaired to factory standards as well as adding a Dinan Exhaust System and Dinan Stage 2 software. Adding the exhaust gives it the perfect sound with the top down as it's not too loud but not too quiet it’s a must add for any M3 owner. The software upgrade is a great addition as Dinan recommends adding it to keep any codes from coming on with the exhaust. The car pulls stronger in the lower end of the power band and comes more alive when you’re above 4500 rpm. After this I took it to get a tune up and to add some extras for peace of mind. I had all oxygen sensors replaced, new brakes and rotors all the way around as well as flushing fluids, changing spark plugs, changing air and cabin filters, and adding a new fuel pressure pump. Also I put on a new windscreen cowl as the old ones look worn out and added new wiper blades. Lastly I changed the large antenna for the Euro spec small antenna. It looks great too. I also saved every service record and receipt which makes for a nice book to have this cars history.

Now I'm glad to say my car is all ready for the summer and after months of hard work and money spent between my brother (who is a great financier) and I we can both enjoy it. Shifting through the excellent 6 speed manual transmission with the beautiful exhaust tone and great summer nights is well worth all the hard work my brother and I put into it. But as we are car enthusiasts, were always looking for new cars and looking to see what's new (If anyone's interested in it!!)
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