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I picked up a 2004 330CI (6-speed manual of course) yesterday. I've wanted one of these since I was 15, so I guess you could say the nostalgia got the best of me. It is by no means in the best condition, but I plan on giving her some much needed TLC hopefully. I knew what I was getting into before I purchased this thing, so hopefully it doesn't leave me too depressed with the repairs.
I also picked up a bone-stock 2012 R6. Unlike the BMW, this thing is practically spotless. I've had the time of my life riding this beast around town.
Awesome pick up. If you ever have questions about the E46, let me know. I lived and breathed that car for 5 years before I couldn't take it anymore. Replaced damn near everything other than the clutch and big bits.
Holy shit, what the hell were you thinking? Not only did you purchase a used BMW, but a 13 year old one at that. You'd better start a credit account at AAMCO, you're going to need it.
jessusss didn't you just buy a house too!? Damn that job must be treating you well!!! man! Congrats on the success!
Thanks man! I've been doing much better than I ever expected to be doing this early on in my life. We just had our annual raises yesterday and I was blessed with another surprise.
I swore to myself though that if I bought this I would hold off on any more toys until I get my second house in the next 3 ish years.
Originally Posted by 00TL-P3.2
Step 1: Remove or correct the placement of the 330Ci badges
Nice buys though, especially that R6
Originally Posted by thoiboi
Which begs the question, i hope it wasn't in a bad rear end accident..
2nd on debadge though!! and get an m3 emblem
So I wasn't able to find any trace of an accident on the Carfax or from the previous owner who had the car for 10 years. I will definitely be fixing the badges though. I'm pretty OCD myself.
Originally Posted by RPhilMan1
No interior shots.
Sorry, I'll grab some in the next couple of days.
Originally Posted by Aman
Congrats! Looks like a fun couple of rides.
Thanks, the R6 in particular.
Originally Posted by TylerT
I think you and I had the same urge , I still drool over cars I wanted years and years ago.
Congrats!
Haha I knew we did when I saw your thread. I don't know why I am this way, but I got a bucket list of older cars that I still want to own at some point.
Originally Posted by dallison
Conrats! I really like those too. The reliability scares me off unless the 3 series is better than the others.
I cannot speak to the newer BMWs, but the E46 in my opinion is garbage in terms of reliability. When you compare it to a 7 series though, it is very reliable haha.
Originally Posted by oonowindoo
Good thing is that E46 has plenty of aftermarket support for aftermarket or OEM replacement.
Indeed it does. I never knew there was this much aftermarket support for these things until I started researching.
Originally Posted by JBP
I've been considering one of those, I'm curious to hear how yours holds up.
If you do buy one, please know what you're getting into before you buy it. I shared the same mindset as TylerT when he bought his S4. We both understand that our cars aren't the most reliable and can get very costly to fix.
Originally Posted by SamDoe1
Awesome pick up. If you ever have questions about the E46, let me know. I lived and breathed that car for 5 years before I couldn't take it anymore. Replaced damn near everything other than the clutch and big bits.
I will have to take you up on that offer, because I'm going to be spending a lot of time wrenching on this thing. I've already ordered/received a bunch of parts I need to install to get her running at 100%. I did get lucky though with the clutch. I was able to confirm with the shop that the previous owner took it to that it was replaced along with the flywheel to the tune of almost $3k a few thousand miles ago. I do feel for the previous owner since I didn't pay a whole lot more than that for this car.
Originally Posted by Mr Marco
Holy shit, what the hell were you thinking? Not only did you purchase a used BMW, but a 13 year old one at that. You'd better start a credit account at AAMCO, you're going to need it.
I'm smart enough to make enough money to buy a new BMW, but dumb enough to buy a 13 year old one.
I will have to take you up on that offer, because I'm going to be spending a lot of time wrenching on this thing. I've already ordered/received a bunch of parts I need to install to get her running at 100%. I did get lucky though with the clutch. I was able to confirm with the shop that the previous owner took it to that it was replaced along with the flywheel to the tune of almost $3k a few thousand miles ago. I do feel for the previous owner since I didn't pay a whole lot more than that for this car.
You're going to need to swap the cooling system (water pump, tstat, expansion tank, hoses, etc) ASAP. It's basically a ticking time bomb. Also, front control arm bushings and ball joints are probably shot already and I bet at least one window regulator is broken along with the variable intake valve (careful when you remove it so the pin doesn't fall out into the intake and cause you to swear a lot) and/or the crank case vent valve. Are there any known leaks? There's an underbody tray with the sole purpose of hiding them so I'd pop it off for a few days and see what shakes out. What did you order so far?
Hit me up for anything you might have questions on. Good luck!
Congrats on both, glad to see things are going well for you! The R6 was my first bike and damn, I miss it.
It honestly never fails to put a smile on my face.
The new generation is coming out in a month or two. Maybe its time you got another one?
Originally Posted by SamDoe1
You're going to need to swap the cooling system (water pump, tstat, expansion tank, hoses, etc) ASAP. It's basically a ticking time bomb. Also, front control arm bushings and ball joints are probably shot already and I bet at least one window regulator is broken along with the variable intake valve (careful when you remove it so the pin doesn't fall out into the intake and cause you to swear a lot) and/or the crank case vent valve. Are there any known leaks? There's an underbody tray with the sole purpose of hiding them so I'd pop it off for a few days and see what shakes out. What did you order so far?
Hit me up for anything you might have questions on. Good luck!
I know I need to do my passenger side compliance bushing for sure. I was going to replace both of them just to play it safe. Do you think I should just do the ball joints at the same time?
Window regulator - So I don't think I have a broken window regular since they both seem to work fine, but I believe my driver side door lock actuator is broken. I need to figure how if it is indeed broken, or if it is the GCM.
Washer fluid pump - This is broken, and I ordered a new one which I simply need to throw on.
Coils/Spark Plugs - I figure I should go ahead and do the plugs since I'm almost at 100k and they're relatively easy to do. I was thinking of picking up the Bavarian Autosport High-Performance Ignition Coil Set and throwing them in while I'm in there, what do you think?
Fuel Filter - I'm going to go ahead and replace this once I get the part in. I also need to get new vacuum hoses and clamps to go with it. I hear it is quite difficult to keep the old ones in working condition during the removal process since they're so old.
Tools - Any specific tool sets/tools you recommend I invest in? I do want to do as much of the work myself as possible. I am by no means a mastertech, but I can do most of the basic jobs thanks to some YouTube and DIY guides.
I know I am still missing some stuff, but that is all that comes to mind right now. I'm going to be taking my sweet time with this whole project, so unfortunately I won't have quick updates.
I know I need to do my passenger side compliance bushing for sure. I was going to replace both of them just to play it safe. Do you think I should just do the ball joints at the same time? Yes, do it all and be done with it. The ball joints are not replaceable without replacing the whole control arm. The good news is that there is an aftermarket arm that is much better and has replaceable joints. I'd swap over to this. They make it for RWD cars only, not AWD so I wasn't able to put it on my car but tons of people did on the RWD ones. For the bushings, go with the poly bushings, they last a lot longer than the crappy OEM ones.
Cooling system - I was going to pick this kit up from ECS tuning, let me know your thoughts on it: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...7119071518kt2/This is next level crazy, you don't need most of this stuff unless there are actual issues with what is in your car right now.
Water pump with composite impeller - Yes
Water pump pulley - Yes, you'll break the old one getting the bastard off of the drive stud since you have to remove the pulley to get to the bolts to remove the pump.
Fan switch - Probably not needed unless there's an issue.
Thermostat & housing - Yes
Sealing gaskets - Yes, but the components usually come with them preinstalled...
Expansion tank & cap - Absolutely
1 Gallon Coolant - You'll probably need this...
Upper & lower radiator hoses - Absolutely, the lower hose is a lot of fun removing from the radiator.
Accessory drive belts - Depends on how the belts are right now.
Radiator drain plug - Nah, reuse the old one.
Coolant level sensor - No unless there's an issue with yours. Just make sure you reinstall it to the new tank before you fill it up. Don't ask how I know this.
Level sensor clip - Same as above. Doesn't hurt to buy a spare just in case you break the old one though.
Radiator - If your radiator itself isn't leaking, you don't need that.
Idler pulley - No unless it's broken
Hydraulic Tensioner and pulley - Probably fine, unless you've noticed issues I'd leave it be.
A/C Belt Tensioner assembly - Probably fine, unless you've noticed issues I'd leave it be.
Window regulator - So I don't think I have a broken window regular since they both seem to work fine, but I believe my driver side door lock actuator is broken. I need to figure how if it is indeed broken, or if it is the GCM. Are the issues only on one side and no other random weird things like the mirror switch not working? If so, it's the actuator and not the module. The E46 has this fun thing where if a module is failing, all kinds of strange sh1t starts to happen. The bigger fun is when the battery starts to go, it really gets interesting.
Washer fluid pump - This is broken, and I ordered a new one which I simply need to throw on. Sweet, make sure you unplug the pump for the headlight washers while you're in there. All they do is make a big mess and waste solution.
Coils/Spark Plugs - I figure I should go ahead and do the plugs since I'm almost at 100k and they're relatively easy to do. I was thinking of picking up the Bavarian Autosport High-Performance Ignition Coil Set and throwing them in while I'm in there, what do you think? Stick with OEM. Unless a coil is bad, just put the old ones back in. You'll know right away if a coil is bad with misfires and stuff, no need to replace these unless there's an issue. The high performance ones won't get you anything anyway, there's very little extra juice to be had out of the M54 unless you go FI.
Fuel Filter - I'm going to go ahead and replace this once I get the part in. I also need to get new vacuum hoses and clamps to go with it. I hear it is quite difficult to keep the old ones in working condition during the removal process since they're so old. Yes, just buy some just in case. I did the same but ended up not needing it when I got in there. Make sure you dry the fuel line before you pull the filter...
Tools - Any specific tool sets/tools you recommend I invest in? I do want to do as much of the work myself as possible. I am by no means a mastertech, but I can do most of the basic jobs thanks to some YouTube and DIY guides. Get a 36mm 12pt socket to remove the oil filter cover and some 14mm and 17mm male hex sockets for the trans and diff drain/fill plugs. You have a manual right? If no, get a fan clutch removal tool. If you have a manual, it's an electric fan so you're all good.
I know I am still missing some stuff, but that is all that comes to mind right now. I'm going to be taking my sweet time with this whole project, so unfortunately I won't have quick updates.
See in bold above. I'd also consider swapping the headlight bulbs for new if they are HID. With just shy of 100k on the clock, the bulbs are probably less than optimal now. Make sure you use OEM Philips bulbs, the aftermarket ones aren't that great. Just hit me up with questions as you have them!
02-22-2017, 12:42 PM
man! Congrats on the success!
, I still drool over cars I wanted years and years ago.
