BillyBob
Active member
Hey gents..
Most of you will remember the E36 M3 project I had going in December 2011 - it went a little farther than the last pics I'd posted, getting the suspension sorted, prepping it for a spray job, etc - but eventually the whole garage shortage issue saw me sell the car and buy a busa which I could put in the front of the garage while still fitting a car behind it.
I then sold my little Civic Turbo, and got a more civilized daily driver - another Opel Turbo Coupe (had one back in 2005).. but alas, I got gatvol of the continuous maintenance and sold it.
So, presenting my new daily:
A 2004 E46 330i M-sport 6-speed manual
It's not specced exactly the way I'd have wanted it (no electric seats, business CD without a changer, no sunroof, no xenons), but the trim spec + colour, Silver Gray body colour, manual transmission and the tidy price I got it for more than made up for that, and eventually swayed my decision.
A couple of pics..
Even the SO likes it... but then again, her ovaries would probably applaud the idea of me buying just about any 4-door car.
A few small niggles I need to sort out:
* A few minor dents and scratches on the body work + get the front bumper aligned properly
* A new oil level sensor (dealer will take care of that later this week) + oil change
* Cats are shot to hell - strangling the motor - will take it to TNT to get a full set of headers (eliminating pre-cats) + new downpipe and replace the main cats with resonator boxes
* Needs some leather TLC on the driver's seat bolster - not ripped or worn through, but the scuffed area mars what is otherwise a fantastic looking black nappa interior. Same goes for the steering wheel - want to try avoiding a re-trim on the steering wheel, but will see what happens. (Could anyone recommend a good leather detailer / restoration company in JHB?)
* Gear knob needs to be replaced or re-done completely - the leather's torn and there's cracking / bubbling in the little centre badge.
* Clutch delay valve is annoying the hell out of me - it needs to go - might as well bleed the brakes / clutch, power steering and cooling systems and replace all fluids for peace of mind while I'm at it.
All in all, a bit of TLC and elbow grease, and she'll be perfect.
Then, a future wishlist for 19" CSL reps, a remap and possibly even a Nav retrofit if I can lay my hands on the bits cheap enough.
Hope you guys like it.
Apologies for poor quality pics - snapped them in fading light.
Bawb
Most of you will remember the E36 M3 project I had going in December 2011 - it went a little farther than the last pics I'd posted, getting the suspension sorted, prepping it for a spray job, etc - but eventually the whole garage shortage issue saw me sell the car and buy a busa which I could put in the front of the garage while still fitting a car behind it.
I then sold my little Civic Turbo, and got a more civilized daily driver - another Opel Turbo Coupe (had one back in 2005).. but alas, I got gatvol of the continuous maintenance and sold it.
So, presenting my new daily:
A 2004 E46 330i M-sport 6-speed manual
It's not specced exactly the way I'd have wanted it (no electric seats, business CD without a changer, no sunroof, no xenons), but the trim spec + colour, Silver Gray body colour, manual transmission and the tidy price I got it for more than made up for that, and eventually swayed my decision.
A couple of pics..
Even the SO likes it... but then again, her ovaries would probably applaud the idea of me buying just about any 4-door car.
A few small niggles I need to sort out:
* A few minor dents and scratches on the body work + get the front bumper aligned properly
* A new oil level sensor (dealer will take care of that later this week) + oil change
* Cats are shot to hell - strangling the motor - will take it to TNT to get a full set of headers (eliminating pre-cats) + new downpipe and replace the main cats with resonator boxes
* Needs some leather TLC on the driver's seat bolster - not ripped or worn through, but the scuffed area mars what is otherwise a fantastic looking black nappa interior. Same goes for the steering wheel - want to try avoiding a re-trim on the steering wheel, but will see what happens. (Could anyone recommend a good leather detailer / restoration company in JHB?)
* Gear knob needs to be replaced or re-done completely - the leather's torn and there's cracking / bubbling in the little centre badge.
* Clutch delay valve is annoying the hell out of me - it needs to go - might as well bleed the brakes / clutch, power steering and cooling systems and replace all fluids for peace of mind while I'm at it.
All in all, a bit of TLC and elbow grease, and she'll be perfect.
Then, a future wishlist for 19" CSL reps, a remap and possibly even a Nav retrofit if I can lay my hands on the bits cheap enough.
Hope you guys like it.
Apologies for poor quality pics - snapped them in fading light.
Bawb
