AdiS
Well-known member
It is through a cycle of learning and growth that I have come full circle and returned to E46 330i ownership. I have always loved the E46 and a few years ago I acquired my first 330i. This particular one really set the standard and was in a better condition than I ever thought possible for an old car. For those who were not around, read about it here: http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=35998 and look here for photos:
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=35998&pid=814890#pid814890
https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=65708
I went on to sell that particular car in pursuit of the bigger dream - an E46 M3. Read about that exercise here: http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=67591
After selling my M3, I really missed my E46 330i as a daily driver. It's just such a brilliant car. Being a realist I had already accepted that it was highly unlikely that I would ever find another one as clean as the first one I owned. However, by a strange turn of fate the universe offered me a second chance. I am glad to announce that I am the owner of another immaculate, fanatic-owned E46 330i M-sport 6 speed.
The condition of a cars interior says a lot about how it has been cared for. This one certainly doesn't disappoint. There is barely a mark or worn component inside:
I bought the car unseen, after some trusted friends assured me it was the one to buy. While the car was in jhb, I had some work attended to:
Oil Service
Replaced Power Steering Reservoir cap o-ring (OEM)
Replace expansion tank (OEM)
Replaced Valve Cover Gasket (OEM)
Replaced Oil Filter Housing Gasket (OEM)
Replaced front Lower Control Arm bushings (Lemforder)
Brake Fluid Flush (OEM)
And then after a month of purgatory, the car eventually arrived in Cape Town. Filthy.
Of course the first thing I did was race home at my earliest convenience and wash it.
Next order of business was wheel alignment and rebalancing of the wheels.
Then replacing the only single worn component of the interior - the gearknob.
I also had a new OEM windscreen fitted, and had a 35% tint done all at PG Glass.
The bonnet roundel was showing cracks from age, so that was replaced.
Old
New
The car had an HID system installed in the halogen headlights. This simply would not do, so I asked the extremely resourceful Gizmo to help me find some OEM xenons. Within a week, Warren had found me a set of headlights and went and verified that they were in working condition. He also wired in the capacitors and boxed them up for shipping down the Cape Town such that I was delivered a turnkey OEM xenon solution.
The car with xenons installed. I just love the look of the OEM projector headlights.
The only issue I had with xenons is that the mounting tabs on the housings were broken. I knew this when purchasing them, and fitted them anyway. My OCD however starting getting the better of me when I noticed that the passenger side headlight wasnt sitting quite right, resulting in an uneven panel gap between the headlight and the bumper:
So I used Sankekur's ever so helpful tutorial on headlight disassembly and internals transfer to figure out what I needed to do in order to transfer the xenon components into my halogen housings with intact mounting tabs. It turns out that its very easy, the only tedious bit is teh drilling - one 22mm hole is all that is required in each halogen housing, and the rest is very easy.
Now with the internals transferred, the headlights sit better:
And here ends the first chapter of this story.
I'd like to make a point of thanking Fordkoppie and Sankekur for viewing the car on my behalf, and specifically Fordkoppie who went out of his way to help me logistically with the work that was done on the car while it was in jhb.
Pambaram, the previous owner, also deserves great thanks for taking great care of the car, as well as keeping his word in giving me first option on the car when it came time to sell.
Lastly, thanks to Gizmo for helping me with the xenons.
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=35998&pid=814890#pid814890
https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=65708
I went on to sell that particular car in pursuit of the bigger dream - an E46 M3. Read about that exercise here: http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=67591
After selling my M3, I really missed my E46 330i as a daily driver. It's just such a brilliant car. Being a realist I had already accepted that it was highly unlikely that I would ever find another one as clean as the first one I owned. However, by a strange turn of fate the universe offered me a second chance. I am glad to announce that I am the owner of another immaculate, fanatic-owned E46 330i M-sport 6 speed.
The condition of a cars interior says a lot about how it has been cared for. This one certainly doesn't disappoint. There is barely a mark or worn component inside:
I bought the car unseen, after some trusted friends assured me it was the one to buy. While the car was in jhb, I had some work attended to:
Oil Service
Replaced Power Steering Reservoir cap o-ring (OEM)
Replace expansion tank (OEM)
Replaced Valve Cover Gasket (OEM)
Replaced Oil Filter Housing Gasket (OEM)
Replaced front Lower Control Arm bushings (Lemforder)
Brake Fluid Flush (OEM)
And then after a month of purgatory, the car eventually arrived in Cape Town. Filthy.
Of course the first thing I did was race home at my earliest convenience and wash it.
Next order of business was wheel alignment and rebalancing of the wheels.
Then replacing the only single worn component of the interior - the gearknob.
I also had a new OEM windscreen fitted, and had a 35% tint done all at PG Glass.
The bonnet roundel was showing cracks from age, so that was replaced.
Old
New
The car had an HID system installed in the halogen headlights. This simply would not do, so I asked the extremely resourceful Gizmo to help me find some OEM xenons. Within a week, Warren had found me a set of headlights and went and verified that they were in working condition. He also wired in the capacitors and boxed them up for shipping down the Cape Town such that I was delivered a turnkey OEM xenon solution.
The car with xenons installed. I just love the look of the OEM projector headlights.
The only issue I had with xenons is that the mounting tabs on the housings were broken. I knew this when purchasing them, and fitted them anyway. My OCD however starting getting the better of me when I noticed that the passenger side headlight wasnt sitting quite right, resulting in an uneven panel gap between the headlight and the bumper:
So I used Sankekur's ever so helpful tutorial on headlight disassembly and internals transfer to figure out what I needed to do in order to transfer the xenon components into my halogen housings with intact mounting tabs. It turns out that its very easy, the only tedious bit is teh drilling - one 22mm hole is all that is required in each halogen housing, and the rest is very easy.
Now with the internals transferred, the headlights sit better:
And here ends the first chapter of this story.
I'd like to make a point of thanking Fordkoppie and Sankekur for viewing the car on my behalf, and specifically Fordkoppie who went out of his way to help me logistically with the work that was done on the car while it was in jhb.
Pambaram, the previous owner, also deserves great thanks for taking great care of the car, as well as keeping his word in giving me first option on the car when it came time to sell.
Lastly, thanks to Gizmo for helping me with the xenons.
raise: Enjoy being back in that deep 6!!
