e46 M3

I will just add this, I am replacing an E36 M3 with another E36 M3 because I want a fun reliable track car and I haven't driven anything much like my E36 M3 before- I can't live without one.
read into it what you like but it's the real deal.
E46 M3, I think would have been my second choice- even after several of my BMW knowledgeable friends tried to coax me that way.
 
So I drove the car in question.
Average condition (advertised as omg brand new), but not bad overall.
Definitely rolled back kms, it should post at least double of what the ODO says.
Long story short, it didn't do me as I expected. Another case of: "don't meet your childhood heroes/dreams" for me. I must be spoiled.
I even told the seller: "sorry dude, I don't want to waste your time further, and I didn't initially, but this is not what I am looking for, and I am dissapointed to learn this fact this very minute"

It would definitely DO it for me with ~ $ 8000 worth of mods, but as is, I didn't feel what I wanted to feel.
So here I sit, dissapoint, shopping N55 upgrades.
 
android25ua said:
So I drove the car in question.
Average condition (advertised as omg brand new), but not bad overall.
Definitely rolled back kms, it should post at least double of what the ODO says.
Long story short, it didn't do me as I expected. Another case of: "don't meet your childhood heroes/dreams" for me. I must be spoiled.
I even told the seller: "sorry dude, I don't want to waste your time further, and I didn't initially, but this is not what I am looking for, and I am dissapointed to learn this fact this very minute"

It would definitely DO it for me with ~ $ 8000 worth of mods, but as is, I didn't feel what I wanted to feel.
So here I sit, dissapoint, shopping N55 upgrades.
Click to expand...

So since you aren’t buying the car, can you post a link to the car in question?
 
Own one (e46)
Absolutely love it. It's not crazy fast but a lot of fun. it's performance oriented, I believe it's still pretty good by today's standards considering it's era.
I've overhauled mine, and the only thing missing is good set of shocks, but other that that the car is really solid and handles like a dream. It's also comfortable and and fit and finish is pretty nice. It has been really reliable and I can't complain so far.

Working on these is easy if you're a diy'er... Lot's of procedures available on the net.
On the other hand, if you'll mostly deal with a mechanic for your maintenance, it will be costly if you really want to keep it clean. That is probably the biggest downside of these cars. People avoid doing the necessary work on it because they don't want to drop large chunks of cash on a older car. I'm sure the car your tried wasn't the best out there to give you a proper feeling for the car. ;)

But now that I also own an M5 E39, I really don't know which one I would sell if I had too.
 
android25ua said:
So I drove the car in question.
Average condition (advertised as omg brand new), but not bad overall.
Definitely rolled back kms, it should post at least double of what the ODO says.
Long story short, it didn't do me as I expected. Another case of: "don't meet your childhood heroes/dreams" for me. I must be spoiled.
I even told the seller: "sorry dude, I don't want to waste your time further, and I didn't initially, but this is not what I am looking for, and I am dissapointed to learn this fact this very minute"

It would definitely DO it for me with ~ $ 8000 worth of mods, but as is, I didn't feel what I wanted to feel.
So here I sit, dissapoint, shopping N55 upgrades.
Click to expand...

Currently shopping for an E39 M5 and it's the same thing. I'm willing to pay the money it's worth, if the car is nice.

But unfortunately my definition of a "clean car" is not what 95% of people's definition of a clean car is. Most are shitboxes when you look underneath, shady records, shady service history, no thanks.
 
oldschoolZ said:
Currently shopping for an E39 M5 and it's the same thing. I'm willing to pay the money it's worth, if the car is nice.

But unfortunately my definition of a "clean car" is not what 95% of people's definition of a clean car is. Most are shitboxes when you look underneath, shady records, shady service history, no thanks.
Click to expand...

I feel you, went through the same thing with my previous E36 M3.

Deceided to buy a okayish exemple for a decent price and restore it. Spent the next 3 years restoring, swearing and barely driving 2-3000km/year because it was always being fixed... I think I would not do it again.

When the car was almost done restoring to a good shape, sold it :p
 
*VR6* said:
Had one E36 M3 and two E46 M3s, those saying you should get an E36 never drove the two lol. While the E46 does start to feel like an older platform, it is light years ahead of an E36 it is not even comparable...A proper E46 M3 still feels solid and well built, the interior has aged really well and thanks to the materials/quality that are in my opinion superior to the E90-E92 generation, you don’t feel like you are in a 90´s car (ok except maybe for the cupholder).

The E36 is underpowered, it has a fix steering column (lol), interior is more than dated and you’ll feel like you are in vietnam in terms of noises, rattles etc...

Otherwise although the S54 is legendary, I never quite liked the sound you really have to be a fan of it, and it does miss some torque compared to modern turbo engines. Still a great engine with reasonable power, and it’s a tank when properly maintained.

Oh and with proper wheels, a nice drop and a couple of light mods here and there, an E46 M3 still outclasses most cars out there in terms of looks, it is classy af lol
Click to expand...

I agree,

although compared to modern cars, I guess you start to feel the lack of tech inside and as mentioned before, although it has dated engineering technology, it really doesn't matter. If it's your 'fun' car, you'll love it. Driving it just feels so easy. Nimble, connected, etc. But if you plan to daily drive it, basic things like heavy doors, bluetooth, garage door openers, etc make you feel kinda old. I'd get another one if I could guarantee a clean one, but that's not so easy. Oh and yeah, do reinforce that subframe. As for the exhaust note which i'm not a fan of the stock sound, I changed my exhaust so that helped, but still has a race like raspy sound that I find sounds much better than the stock.

It's one of those cars you remember having and driving. I always felt like I was in full control over the car. I never had an issue with seating. (i'm 5'9)

Not sure what your intentions are, but I would advise, if you're planning to keep it as a weekend car and will take care of it. I would definately get one, but if you just want a 'fun' car or plan to daily drive it or winter drive it. It's really not worth it, you'll be paying too much for something likely higher in mileage and will only cost more if you end up having go through repair after repair.
 
I had this convo today... M235i is close enough and you get modern amenities. MHD Tune is around 400hp or spend a bit more for a M240i with B58. Not to mention both have brakes... You can use it everyday and the Bluetooth sorta works. Less crap cans on the market as well.

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android25ua said:
I have an eye on a clean example of the car. Stick shift.

This car has been reviewed 2348976234 times online, I know that.
I have never driven one.

Can someone with first hand or past experience, describe this car to me, in terms of long term ownership.
How does it stack up REFERENCED to the reality of the cars that are available on the market today? How much thrill/pleasure does it provide WITH RESPECT to the present time?
I hope my question is clear. This is obv for a summer toy experience. Or should I look at e36 M3 for the same purpose?

Input is welcome.
Click to expand...

I owned one for the last 10 years. Its been a great summer toy and I was able to perform most of the maintenance myself.
Now I track it and it still perform top notch. Have a look at http://m3.madrussian.net/ for in depth info on all you need to know for this car.
The stock HK sound system sucks. I never had major issues, just preventive maintenance.. probably a bit more than a standard BMW. But then again, I could have probably skip most of that and still have a decent car, not just as tight.
The E46 M3 engine is very strong.

Do it !

Depending on the mileage, you will want to look at the following maintenance to feel it as it should be :
Differential fluid change, Flex disk replacement,Some sensors.. I also found that the Inspection 2 really made a difference.

I guess its all a matter of what you want to do with the car and how mechanically inclined you are.
 
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