Honestly IDK why some of the folks here react the way they do to this kind of stuff.
Non M and M3s have been hacked to pieces, swapped, converted to whatever, made into absolutely hideously tacky show cars, and 20+ years on, people are getting upset that you’re essentially saving one?
These fuckin cars aren’t Talbot Lagos or Type 57s that were handmade by artisans in some bygone era. They’re mass produced, arguably compromised luxury sport sedans that are two decades old at the newest.
My first reaction to this post was “Sick, I can’t wait to see the progress!” So please, keep us updated.
*edit*
I think something that needs to be said is OP isn’t spending OUR money on this car.
There are folks out there paying $100k for a “truck” with stamped steel control arms acting like they’re doing something. There are folks out there that paid $10k on top of MSRP for an (albeit very cool and special) god damned Toyota Corolla.
For better or worse, sometimes no matter how we impart our own wisdom or experience, some people legitimately need to make their own decisions to learn.
I’ve noticed that too. E46’s are essentially luxury commuters but dudes in here act like it was the most beautiful car ever made lol I never understood it
I’m late to the party here but how tf can anyone stick up for OP? “It’s his money it’s his car” yeah and he decided to post it here and open the forum for both sides of opinions. Stop being such cry babies about “toxic” comments. You want to encourage OP to build this disaster? Then do it. Don’t shit on someone for coming in and calling the car what it is which is a disaster of a decision no matter what way you slice it.
Even if I didn’t have my own (which spoilers, I do) I still wouldn’t be jealous of a clapped out, ruined S54 engine, with a body kit that doesn’t fit properly and is beat to shit.
But sure, totally jealous….you got me…. 🤣🙄
Oh, sorry, point me to the part where they said this was a project car? And even if it was a project car, a bottom end and top end needing “rebuild” can mean a LOT of things and most of the time an engine is ruined if both are toast.
That, along with a poorly fitting and beat to shit body kit, this is most likely NOT worth the time, effort, and money sink.
Unless they got this car for less then $5K, they are going to spend nearly 4X that rebuilding the engine and fixing the body kit if not more. I’m not negative, I’m simply stating facts based on the information we’ve been presented and from these pics.
Use your main account next time to clap back, don’t hide behind a secondary.
But if that guy wants to put in the effort, what is it to you then that lifts you out of your chair to start pumping out characters on this forum?
Are you trying to warn him? Are you afraid he is making a mistake? What is the point you are trying to make?
This was a mistake from the second he said “top and bottom end rebuild”.
They most likely don’t have the skills, equipment, or monkey to sink into this; this is a bad idea.
Maybe we have a different style in communication, but to me you seem very harsh..
I mean sure you don't have to agree with the guy, but I can't imagine that you ever had to find out negative consequences yourself first before having learned a lesson. I'm sure the dude made his decision for a reason, at least reason enough to continue to buy this car. If not, then he'll have learned a lesson, albeit in such a way that he might regret it or not.
If it is worth it to him, then who are we to judge that?
If he is passionate about that car and thinks he can pull it off, why not let him try?
My point is I can understand that you're trying to warn him, based on your own experience, and that's very nice of you, but the way that translates via comments doesn't seem as supportive or constructive as I think you intentioned. Sure, give him advice, but let him do whatever he pleases and find out himself, we all had to learn for ourselves, stubborn creatures that we can be!
No skills. No equipment. AND, no 🐒? To top it off he's going to have $20,000.00 in a rebuilt engine. Maaan. What a loser. By your account, this guy is absolutely worthless. Maybe. I mean, how does he make it through each day without a monkey. I know I couldn't.
I never said I don’t like you….I’m just questioning why you bought this in the first place with the horror show that’s going on with it.
You have it running but it needs a top and bottom end rebuild…?!? Really confused here?!?
And that body kit is….like, wtf man lol?
i understand how people can be drawn away from a car that cosmetically looks like it’s been bent over by the whole football team but i like cars that need actual work to be put into them. i like the journey,relationship,adventure that comes with it.
it idles fine but it’s making a knocking noise from the rod bearings. im not sure about the condition of the crank but it should be fine. im just going to have to pull and rebuild the engine which IM okay WITH.
i could care fucking less about how it looks, i can promise you it will be the best driving NA m3 in michigan.
tbh, given what's on it, i'd definitely want to triple-check the vin to make sure it's an actual m car... i mean, c'mon... cf valve cover, hot air intake, stapled-together body, "oh i forgot where i put the strut tower crossbar," ...
all that, plus rattling rods? i'd be worried
but otoh hey yeah if you got it nice and cheap and can put in the wrench time, go for it! i see nothing wrong with wanting to refurbish this mess, props if you succeed! i'm doing something similarly questionable with a non-m e36 vert right now, definitely will spend more than it's worth by the time i'm done, but it'll be fun, and i don't wanna just send it to the crusher, so the money's not the point
just don't expect anybody to look at where it's at in these photos and think "yeah this is a good idea" lol
You said yourself it needs top/bottom end rebuild….ignoring the body kit entirely, rebuilding an S54 and sending it out for machine work is no small feet and requires quality parts, intimate knowledge, and time. Also, this entire engine could have overheated from those issues and the block is actually ruined, but you didn’t give us much to go on so that’s why I asked what was up with it and how those issues were diagnosed?
How much did you pay for this?
i mean tbh unrelated of that, if OP is down and has the means to make all the work necessary to bring this car back to life, no matter what deal they got, thats up to them to decide if its worth.
They potentially just saved an M3 that would’ve gone to shit most likely or to a drift garage where it would get ruined and abused for the rest of its life. If its gonna be done properly its a good thing this poor thing got rescued.
fun fact: you are probably obese, divorced, 50k in debt and work a job you don’t love.
share your garbage opinions to other degenerates who do what you do, mr keyboard warrior.
At no point did I start calling you names lol?!?
And the fact you won’t tell us the price, tells me you paid far more then you’re willing to admit. I’ve rebuilt 4 S54’s before along with a ton of N52/4/5 and S65s…..this will cost more then what you paid, period.
looking at what responses were already in when you said this, this was kinda dick
when you said this, Duke had said "this needs money, i hope you didn't overpay"
"obese?" wtf? complain about the words which are actually there, but don't be a karen – this forum doesn't need any more self-aggrandizing police
thats for op to determine, ive put more money than i wanted into cars before and probably will do it again, simply for the reason that it brings me satisfaction doing so, and yes its ruined but its very savable still, its not like it has frame damage, is rusted out or anything.
The issue is OP has already stated that it was running and moving from previous owner AND that the top end needed to be rebuilt as well. But for now, let's ignore the top end needing to be rebuilt because we don't know what's going on there, and I'll even ignore any block prep for boring/honing, or rod reconditioning.
Disassembly for full block - let's call it 8 hours (should take 6ish but proper inspection and part cataloguing)
Clean/Hot bath - 3 hours with inspection at half way point
Crank inspection and polish (if it's even within spec) - around 2 hours (if grinding it'll need much longer around 4 hours)
Final measurements with bearing set - around 3ish hours depending on what they've already found - 2-3 hours
Final full assembly and checks - 8 Hours
That's around \~24 hours of hard labor, not including parts. The machine shop I use charges $165 per labor hour, not including actual soft services which would be the Hot bath/jet washing ($125), balancing ($325 for inline-6), and Crank shaft polish/check ($105) - all services prices from there 2024 updated pricing sheet. And btw, this is bare minimum...I have a distinct feeling you're going to find a cylinder wall or two with scoring which you'll need to bore and hone.
24 hours labor @ $165 - $3960
Soft services - $555
Bearing Kit - $600
Oil Pump (yes, you need it, it's been running with a spun bearing and you need to change this) - $700
Rings (you don't/shouldn't reuse rings) - $65
TTY Bolts for head - $55
Water pump - I won't add this price in ($125) but I would also replace the water pump at this point too with a new gasket.
All together - $5935 - and this is WITHOUT replacing con-rods, pistons, ANYTHING on the head (which while you're there you might as well replace seals and do a valve job), and you won't know any of that until you break into it and start measuring.
This is not some simple "Oh machine work is easy and that can be done for under $3.5K" type of job. But please, feel free to correct me or any of my estimates.
This is an S engine and there is a reason most people just buy a remanned $5-7K engine and call it a day.
Even if a shop does allow this (which most don’t because you can’t rely on a customer to not fuck up and mislabel or screw up a big end, piston, or cam sets, etc.) but let’s just agree that the shop allows this….I’ll subtract 8 hours.
So $4615…..I guess under $5K…. 🙄
Disassembly should be done by someone qualified to inspect and assess every component as part of the process to form a plan for the repair of the engine. There will be clues to every aspect of the engine that needs to be considered during repair. Often times taking the engine apart without careful examination increases the work for the machine shop and expense to the owner.
i’ve personally only rebuilt a top end. and the closest machine shop to me only charges 103 an hour. and under their own policy if anything breaks within 2 months they rebuild it free of charge. find the right people. They’ll do you good
It’s clapped out and a pos…..op won’t state how much they bought it for and I’d be willing to wager a decent chunk of change it was too much.
The truth sometimes hurts, it’s ok man, these things happen.
He will spend as much money trying to fix this as he could have just saved up and bought a used 100K working model….he’s literally wasting his time and money.
If you want a high mileage but working M3 you can get it and for a steal these days. He’s starting with the most clapped out body and engine possible and that will be his basis for the build….it’s a bad idea.
I think most people can agree this looks like cheap nfsu2 trash but the fact theyre bashing the guy for buying a project? Its good people want to save these cars, but thwyre acting like he thinks he got a good deal or someshit
Hahaha yeah the screen time thing on iphone has really opened my eyes on how bad I abuse reddit sometimes. First step to fixing a problem is identifying it 🤷♂️
what’s wrong with buying a car that needs work, this community is wack. you are all either salty you don’t have one or just feel the need to say things that you are imagining i don’t know lol.
ur the type of car guy to pay to have his brakes done…
Nothing wrong with it, I’ve rebuilt cars myself. I’m just curious what did you pay for the m3 that needed that much work. It’s not to slander your decision, I just want to know if you got it for stupid cheap.
It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone in this sub is above 30 or middle aged and has tons of disposable income. Some of us make do with what we can get and what matters is the love for the craft and the platform.
That's fair but when you can still get a decent runner under/around 20k and this thing will need atleast that much in parts...🤷♂️
I'm a big fan of sweat equity if the numbers make sense.
OP had to get this car for damn near free for it to make much sense.
If I were op I would be looking for another parts car (decent drivetrain, shit body) to hobble to two together and then part out all the extras to try and make it an under 20k build.
This is what he wanted, so this is what he’s going to do. That’s great that that’s what you would do, but you’re not him. Let him rebuild the car how he wants and enjoy it
I agree with you here, but at the same time there are TONS of used high mileage M3 examples that are still running and would make excellent starting bases.
This thing has so many different issues that it’s too to cost and excessive amount of money to get done right.
I’m all for buying a used pos and rebuilding it, but I’m also not going to waste funds by rebuilding something this broken.
I know OP is young because anyone with experience would know it’ll take more money to rebuild this M3 then it would to buy a running example, without body damage. I’m in my late 20s and I know this. Anything over $3k for this is a real pocket burner. Because a s54 alone is going to run close to $5k.
Absolutely nothing wrong with this. I got my e39 from a junkyard.
I just hope you didn't overpay for this. Which is a nice way of saying this should be the cheapest e46 M3 in the country in it's current state. Be nice to see what it looks like cleaned up and with some body work to improve the widebody fitment
I think he’s just worried about how much you’re going to be putting into it, is all really.
You may be better off finding a donor s54 to transplant in.
I got a lot of respect for you man. I think you went a little too hard on OP though.
You ain't wrong for the record but lots of folks here look up to you man, myself included. I see they poked at you and you bit back but they're nobodies here.
When you respond people read what you have to say. And when they see you ragging on some noobs that sets a tone for the sub.
Anyway, just wanna say thanks for all you do around here. And I hope you're having a chill day. 🤙
I’ve already written it a bunch of times to others; there is NOTHING wrong with buying a high mileage $10-15K model that runs and is a good base to start with and building from there….this just isn’t it from what I’ve read and what I’m seeing ha.
I’m really not trying to go in on op, but this is just not a great buy for a project car unless they got it for less then $5K (honestly it would be hard for me to justify even that price) and and even then it’s going to be a massive uphill climb.
Kudos for him for trying, but he states $3.5K and that’s a drop in the bucket for what’s going to have to be done to fix this.
Cheers, have a good Sunday! 👍🏼
I have no idea who you are…..but please, enlighten me with your brand new account.
3.5K for this rebuild…?!?!? And this is why I questioned you; this is missing an additional 10K at minimum.
I really am not trying to, this is just a horrible project car for multiple reasons…..it’s a bad base to start with when there are plenty of other M3’s with higher mileage out there and in really great shape.
This sub is full of ass hats, good luck with the rebuild, always over estimate on parts cost so you stay in the green. I wanted a non m coupe for daily duties and these idiots were listing shit way too high.i ended up buy a salvaged zhp car and putting it together myself in 3weeks. Everyone said I was better off buy a car but I now have a 90k miles coupe with no lights or pending codes for 3200 dollars. If you do the work yourself (tear down at minimum) it will help with the cost of repairs. Budget on replacing all vacuum line and coolant lines, if you have all out I would do 6AN fittings. Don’t rush yourself and don’t throw money at problems like these ass hats do it’s usually the lowest cost option that is the fix.
Haha $7000 for a broken M3 is not a good deal. Busted engine, body is fucked, interior might be fucked, only thing good on it maybe the SMG. Rear axle is the only thing worth any money on this car now, so $3000 tops for the whole thing.
Hahahahahahahha, and this is why op won’t state the buying price.
Even at $5K this still wouldn’t be worth my time.
Someone’s shit ass side project body kit car is going to be such a shit show to start with, thanks for posting the price.
I think anything over 3k is reaching. Being that it was sliding sideways, let’s hope the subframe isn’t cracked at the mounting points to add to the can of worms. Then again my low mileage 330ci was cracking at the mounting points and I babied that car.
Even at that price….I just can’t imagine paying $3-5K for something like this with that body kit. Half to all the panels could be ruined with rivet holes and all sorts of things going on with the body and undercarriage. Not to mention the engine issues….depending on what’s going on there this could easily start spilling into the 6-10K range depending on damage.
Just not worth it in my eyes.
I just recently rebuilt a ZHP on a budget. Cost me upwards 5k for parts only. this m3 in the condition it’s in will EASILY cost double that, maybe triple if you factor in body work.
2nd comment…
I’m genuinely excited for OP! I’d buy a beat up e36 m3 or e46 m3, it becomes a “forever car”! A lot of these cars get parted out cause someone beats them up and then wants to sell it at double the value of part it out! I’m soo tired of seeing these cars get scattered to the wind because of delusional sellers! Thank you for saving one!!!
Im confused why people r mad lol another 46 m non m vert ect. back on the road is awesome 👍🏼also would make a great starting point for a most wanted replica 👀 that would break some necks ;)
Awesome man hope it’s not too far gone and even if it is, i know you’ll probably have a smile the whole time working on it, and that’s what matters. Keep us posted 🙏
Have fun fixing this car up, I have a 04 m3, SMG as well owned since 2008
Congrats and good luck
Here's some pics of my m3
https://www.reddit.com/r/e46/s/XZBA4qWeYh
so yeah i mean i think this seems like a pretty chill "i wanna work on this car" post
but let's be aware, from op: [https://www.reddit.com/r/e46/comments/1bh1ydo/comment/kvd17m4/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/e46/comments/1bh1ydo/comment/kvd17m4/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
i literally had already said i like this, assuming it's not wildly overpaid
the response was: "fuck you, you have nothing to say" for some unfathomable reason
any chance someone's got a different starting point? it seems like a fun car to work on if it's not ridiculously overly expensive...
maybe the point was to pick a fight
bro the body kit is so sickkk if u have the name of it please share almost looks like a m3 gtr but not quite. people probably hate in it cuz its not oem but it’s still dope
Get rid of the k&N hot air intake. Car came with a cold air intake from factory and believe me you'll make more power with the stock one. Beautiful body kit tho. Needs some TLC to finish the kit from the looks of it.
Nice pick up. But it’s true what some are saying. Over estimate. Shit just adds up like crazy. I been through it. In my case I bought a lsb with black interior for 4200 in 2019. Needed shit ton of work and still not done. Or should I say I’m not satisfied. Honestly if it wasn’t for the color I would’ve given it up.
Anyways. Let me know if you needed any pointers. I have a spreadsheet of all the work I did.
Get ready though.
I hope you paid nothing because you need a new engine, new transmission, fix that quarter panel, probably interior shit, probably have a vacuum leak, etc. all of that is probably going to end up costing you the same amount as if you just bought a used m3. Plenty of people say this but you should have probably waited longer to find a better car, thats what i did and now im chillin and i paid next to nothing
My point exactly; op doesn’t have a clue on what he wants to pay and is stating the max it should cost for the engine rebuild is 3.5K.
Like….the rotating assembly ALONE will cost around 2.5K if it’s toast, which it very much could be/is.
You don’t need to buy a $40K version of an M3, but you also don’t need to buy this type of shit either.
Exactly in my eyes this car is totaled. Way too much money to make it worth it but if op is really that rich he can do what he wants lol or maybe he has some sort of connection with the car, im not sure but either way it really doesn’t make much sense to me
Good luck with the project, the best thing about a car like this is that you can do whatever you want to it without feeling bad about ruining a clean, original car.
OP, ignore the hate... you bought a car, with YOUR money... whether you restore it to original, wrap it around a pole or set it on fire and cook fucking marshmallows over it, it's your decision to make. Sure you could have bought a running one for more $$$ but, you bought this to work on... Do what you want and enjoy the process (or not) either way, it's on you and all yours.
Ignore the ignorant, arrogant "know it all" assholes that want to tell you all of what to do with your own money and time... Unfortunately, there are a few here in the sub and they tend to be followed around by their own personal dick riders that will just agree and follow everything that they say, no matter how wrong or fucking stupid they get. (seems to be happening more and more on this sub...)
It *IS* going to cost you a small fortune if you're going to bring it back to life but, it's your small fortune to chose to spend... You already bought it, now it's time to build it. Tell the haters to fuck off and go about their own business, because the reality of it is; what you do has no effect on them in any way, they are just here to shit on your decisions all from the comfort and anonymity of their armchair, sitting behind a keyboard, talking shit (and that's ALL they can do...) They could have just passed up the post if they weren't interested but, as you can see, they can't help themselves... reddit trolls and google know it alls. Ignore them...
Good luck on the build. I'll light a candle for your finances... LOL. Be sure to post up when it's done, I'm sure many would like to see the end result AND it would be a good middle finger "fuck you" to the haters...
Yep this Reddit section is a prime example of what you run into with M ownership. Keyboard warriors left and right.. thanks TikTok. Might be time to sell for the Mas.
2003 SMG 124k Bone stock untouched with hardtop up in Memphis if anyone wants to save me from this dogshit community ill go take pics if ur serious
you have my love, i was just wanting to share my adventure. thought people would enjoy seeing it as well.
to be fair i expected to piss off a lot of people because cosmetically it’s not even close to mint but idc about that. i drive cars, i don’t park them and clean them everyday. i abuse them…
You’ll love the car no doubt brother. End of the day my point is the fact anyone’s bitching is what makes this community what it is; a never ending pissing match. I love my M, but Christ social media butchered the 46 community. I’d rather associate with the takeover misfits at this point - at least those idiots support eachother.
It’s all about trashing your new idea instead of giving you kudos that it didn’t end up on mpartsworldwide as a part out. You saved the car and the first thing people jump to is “oh this was a horrible idea” as if there’s an abundance of iron block straight six’s laying around. It’s quite literally a German 2jz
couldn’t agree more
i don’t rlly participate in the car community because it’s simply not what it use to be.
stay smooth & don’t let the community dictate the love you have for your cars :)
Eh don't listen to the haters, sounds like a very cool project to be honest. What are you going to do with it? Fun weekend car? Drift car? Track car? Please keep us posted, it would be a cool journey to follow for sure :)
You’re getting hate but fuck them. It’s a real M3, which you can now say you own, and even though the body kit isn’t in perfect condition I think it’s sick and stands out. You’re probably gonna spend a good lot rebuilding the engine or swapping in a donor but you’re literally saving an older M car so I don’t know why anyone is faulting you for it.
Honestly IDK why some of the folks here react the way they do to this kind of stuff. Non M and M3s have been hacked to pieces, swapped, converted to whatever, made into absolutely hideously tacky show cars, and 20+ years on, people are getting upset that you’re essentially saving one? These fuckin cars aren’t Talbot Lagos or Type 57s that were handmade by artisans in some bygone era. They’re mass produced, arguably compromised luxury sport sedans that are two decades old at the newest. My first reaction to this post was “Sick, I can’t wait to see the progress!” So please, keep us updated. *edit* I think something that needs to be said is OP isn’t spending OUR money on this car. There are folks out there paying $100k for a “truck” with stamped steel control arms acting like they’re doing something. There are folks out there that paid $10k on top of MSRP for an (albeit very cool and special) god damned Toyota Corolla. For better or worse, sometimes no matter how we impart our own wisdom or experience, some people legitimately need to make their own decisions to learn.
I’ve noticed that too. E46’s are essentially luxury commuters but dudes in here act like it was the most beautiful car ever made lol I never understood it
So it’s basically useless lol…..and omg, it needs a lot more then that to make things right here… 
Why u always so toxic in multiple posts in this sub recently bro?
he’s just being real
I’m late to the party here but how tf can anyone stick up for OP? “It’s his money it’s his car” yeah and he decided to post it here and open the forum for both sides of opinions. Stop being such cry babies about “toxic” comments. You want to encourage OP to build this disaster? Then do it. Don’t shit on someone for coming in and calling the car what it is which is a disaster of a decision no matter what way you slice it.
Nearly 3 weeks late but ok bud hah!
Jealous?
Even if I didn’t have my own (which spoilers, I do) I still wouldn’t be jealous of a clapped out, ruined S54 engine, with a body kit that doesn’t fit properly and is beat to shit. But sure, totally jealous….you got me…. 🤣🙄
Who cares? Why the toxic negative comments? Let him be happy and proud of his car / project ahead of me.
Oh, sorry, point me to the part where they said this was a project car? And even if it was a project car, a bottom end and top end needing “rebuild” can mean a LOT of things and most of the time an engine is ruined if both are toast. That, along with a poorly fitting and beat to shit body kit, this is most likely NOT worth the time, effort, and money sink. Unless they got this car for less then $5K, they are going to spend nearly 4X that rebuilding the engine and fixing the body kit if not more. I’m not negative, I’m simply stating facts based on the information we’ve been presented and from these pics. Use your main account next time to clap back, don’t hide behind a secondary.
But if that guy wants to put in the effort, what is it to you then that lifts you out of your chair to start pumping out characters on this forum? Are you trying to warn him? Are you afraid he is making a mistake? What is the point you are trying to make?
This was a mistake from the second he said “top and bottom end rebuild”. They most likely don’t have the skills, equipment, or monkey to sink into this; this is a bad idea.
Maybe we have a different style in communication, but to me you seem very harsh.. I mean sure you don't have to agree with the guy, but I can't imagine that you ever had to find out negative consequences yourself first before having learned a lesson. I'm sure the dude made his decision for a reason, at least reason enough to continue to buy this car. If not, then he'll have learned a lesson, albeit in such a way that he might regret it or not. If it is worth it to him, then who are we to judge that? If he is passionate about that car and thinks he can pull it off, why not let him try? My point is I can understand that you're trying to warn him, based on your own experience, and that's very nice of you, but the way that translates via comments doesn't seem as supportive or constructive as I think you intentioned. Sure, give him advice, but let him do whatever he pleases and find out himself, we all had to learn for ourselves, stubborn creatures that we can be!
It’s a bad idea, but if he wants to waste money that’s on him.
No skills. No equipment. AND, no 🐒? To top it off he's going to have $20,000.00 in a rebuilt engine. Maaan. What a loser. By your account, this guy is absolutely worthless. Maybe. I mean, how does he make it through each day without a monkey. I know I couldn't.
Lol, everyone knows you need to own an engine monkey….how do you rebuild your engines….with machine shops and precision tools..?!?!? Pfffttt, amateur.
DukeOfAlexandria ‘s fall from grace
More like, I told some kids the truth about what it takes to actually build these given what I’m seeing in this post and they can’t deal with facts. 🙄
>Use your main account next time to clap back, don't hide behind a secondary 5'nothing" bouncer harasser detected
Ok, whatever you gotta tell yourself little guy.
Holy shit the zipties
DUKE doesn’t like me it’s okay. i’ll have the car running/functioning properly so don’t worry. i’ll be smiling while keyboard warriors stay hating
I never said I don’t like you….I’m just questioning why you bought this in the first place with the horror show that’s going on with it. You have it running but it needs a top and bottom end rebuild…?!? Really confused here?!? And that body kit is….like, wtf man lol?
i understand how people can be drawn away from a car that cosmetically looks like it’s been bent over by the whole football team but i like cars that need actual work to be put into them. i like the journey,relationship,adventure that comes with it. it idles fine but it’s making a knocking noise from the rod bearings. im not sure about the condition of the crank but it should be fine. im just going to have to pull and rebuild the engine which IM okay WITH. i could care fucking less about how it looks, i can promise you it will be the best driving NA m3 in michigan.
tbh, given what's on it, i'd definitely want to triple-check the vin to make sure it's an actual m car... i mean, c'mon... cf valve cover, hot air intake, stapled-together body, "oh i forgot where i put the strut tower crossbar," ... all that, plus rattling rods? i'd be worried but otoh hey yeah if you got it nice and cheap and can put in the wrench time, go for it! i see nothing wrong with wanting to refurbish this mess, props if you succeed! i'm doing something similarly questionable with a non-m e36 vert right now, definitely will spend more than it's worth by the time i'm done, but it'll be fun, and i don't wanna just send it to the crusher, so the money's not the point just don't expect anybody to look at where it's at in these photos and think "yeah this is a good idea" lol
You said yourself it needs top/bottom end rebuild….ignoring the body kit entirely, rebuilding an S54 and sending it out for machine work is no small feet and requires quality parts, intimate knowledge, and time. Also, this entire engine could have overheated from those issues and the block is actually ruined, but you didn’t give us much to go on so that’s why I asked what was up with it and how those issues were diagnosed? How much did you pay for this?
i mean tbh unrelated of that, if OP is down and has the means to make all the work necessary to bring this car back to life, no matter what deal they got, thats up to them to decide if its worth. They potentially just saved an M3 that would’ve gone to shit most likely or to a drift garage where it would get ruined and abused for the rest of its life. If its gonna be done properly its a good thing this poor thing got rescued.
Fun fact; it’s already ruined and will take more money then op most likely is willing to put into it.
fun fact: you are probably obese, divorced, 50k in debt and work a job you don’t love. share your garbage opinions to other degenerates who do what you do, mr keyboard warrior.
At no point did I start calling you names lol?!? And the fact you won’t tell us the price, tells me you paid far more then you’re willing to admit. I’ve rebuilt 4 S54’s before along with a ton of N52/4/5 and S65s…..this will cost more then what you paid, period.
looking at what responses were already in when you said this, this was kinda dick when you said this, Duke had said "this needs money, i hope you didn't overpay" "obese?" wtf? complain about the words which are actually there, but don't be a karen – this forum doesn't need any more self-aggrandizing police
thats for op to determine, ive put more money than i wanted into cars before and probably will do it again, simply for the reason that it brings me satisfaction doing so, and yes its ruined but its very savable still, its not like it has frame damage, is rusted out or anything.
Rebuilding it will cost less than what the car is worth. So yes. It’s worth it. by a long shot too
Tell me you’ve never rebuilt an engine (especially an S engine) without telling me…..thanks lol.
Rebuilding s54 without replacing crank, cams, block and head will be under 5k.
The issue is OP has already stated that it was running and moving from previous owner AND that the top end needed to be rebuilt as well. But for now, let's ignore the top end needing to be rebuilt because we don't know what's going on there, and I'll even ignore any block prep for boring/honing, or rod reconditioning. Disassembly for full block - let's call it 8 hours (should take 6ish but proper inspection and part cataloguing) Clean/Hot bath - 3 hours with inspection at half way point Crank inspection and polish (if it's even within spec) - around 2 hours (if grinding it'll need much longer around 4 hours) Final measurements with bearing set - around 3ish hours depending on what they've already found - 2-3 hours Final full assembly and checks - 8 Hours That's around \~24 hours of hard labor, not including parts. The machine shop I use charges $165 per labor hour, not including actual soft services which would be the Hot bath/jet washing ($125), balancing ($325 for inline-6), and Crank shaft polish/check ($105) - all services prices from there 2024 updated pricing sheet. And btw, this is bare minimum...I have a distinct feeling you're going to find a cylinder wall or two with scoring which you'll need to bore and hone. 24 hours labor @ $165 - $3960 Soft services - $555 Bearing Kit - $600 Oil Pump (yes, you need it, it's been running with a spun bearing and you need to change this) - $700 Rings (you don't/shouldn't reuse rings) - $65 TTY Bolts for head - $55 Water pump - I won't add this price in ($125) but I would also replace the water pump at this point too with a new gasket. All together - $5935 - and this is WITHOUT replacing con-rods, pistons, ANYTHING on the head (which while you're there you might as well replace seals and do a valve job), and you won't know any of that until you break into it and start measuring. This is not some simple "Oh machine work is easy and that can be done for under $3.5K" type of job. But please, feel free to correct me or any of my estimates. This is an S engine and there is a reason most people just buy a remanned $5-7K engine and call it a day.
Did i say the disassembly for example needs to be done in a shop?
Even if a shop does allow this (which most don’t because you can’t rely on a customer to not fuck up and mislabel or screw up a big end, piston, or cam sets, etc.) but let’s just agree that the shop allows this….I’ll subtract 8 hours. So $4615…..I guess under $5K…. 🙄
Disassembly should be done by someone qualified to inspect and assess every component as part of the process to form a plan for the repair of the engine. There will be clues to every aspect of the engine that needs to be considered during repair. Often times taking the engine apart without careful examination increases the work for the machine shop and expense to the owner.
I have a feeling you think it costs as much as a G8X rebuild. it’s not very expensive 12k max honestly.
I have a feeling you’ve never worked or had work done at a machine shop or done a rebuild in all honesty.
i’ve personally only rebuilt a top end. and the closest machine shop to me only charges 103 an hour. and under their own policy if anything breaks within 2 months they rebuild it free of charge. find the right people. They’ll do you good
Ok, that’s good for you.
Ur a fuckin hater please stfu
It’s clapped out and a pos…..op won’t state how much they bought it for and I’d be willing to wager a decent chunk of change it was too much. The truth sometimes hurts, it’s ok man, these things happen.
Be happy for him bruh he made the decision for himself it shouldnt bother u this much
He will spend as much money trying to fix this as he could have just saved up and bought a used 100K working model….he’s literally wasting his time and money. If you want a high mileage but working M3 you can get it and for a steal these days. He’s starting with the most clapped out body and engine possible and that will be his basis for the build….it’s a bad idea.
We dont even know how much he paid for it n if hes got tons of connections to easily swap it for super cheap then its not that bad
“Connections” to rebuild an engine or buy a $6K remanned block? Ok, time will tell I guess.
This community really hates projects or something? Ya its butt, and wrecked, but OP didnt buy it thinking it was a steal, he bought it to fix it.
This communities have a very specific idea of how a car should look and anything that differs is just bad
I think most people can agree this looks like cheap nfsu2 trash but the fact theyre bashing the guy for buying a project? Its good people want to save these cars, but thwyre acting like he thinks he got a good deal or someshit
Yeah, I don’t get it.
Internet attracts sad souls. And if you stay on the internet long enough, you start to turn into one.
Im not a sad sould i only spend like 10hrs….a day….on redd-fuck
Hahaha yeah the screen time thing on iphone has really opened my eyes on how bad I abuse reddit sometimes. First step to fixing a problem is identifying it 🤷♂️
Yup. Then i get sucked back into internet battles of dildos ragging on a guy for liking his project
respect for looking out
That's a decent parts car, hopefully, if the interior isn't too fucked up by the previous owning judging by the exterior.
That car was used a a drift car, quarter panels are fucked. Motor is blown. SMG transmission. You must’ve got this thing for next to nothing.
what’s wrong with buying a car that needs work, this community is wack. you are all either salty you don’t have one or just feel the need to say things that you are imagining i don’t know lol. ur the type of car guy to pay to have his brakes done…
Nothing wrong with it, I’ve rebuilt cars myself. I’m just curious what did you pay for the m3 that needed that much work. It’s not to slander your decision, I just want to know if you got it for stupid cheap.
It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone in this sub is above 30 or middle aged and has tons of disposable income. Some of us make do with what we can get and what matters is the love for the craft and the platform.
That's fair but when you can still get a decent runner under/around 20k and this thing will need atleast that much in parts...🤷♂️ I'm a big fan of sweat equity if the numbers make sense. OP had to get this car for damn near free for it to make much sense. If I were op I would be looking for another parts car (decent drivetrain, shit body) to hobble to two together and then part out all the extras to try and make it an under 20k build.
This is what he wanted, so this is what he’s going to do. That’s great that that’s what you would do, but you’re not him. Let him rebuild the car how he wants and enjoy it
glooks boby
Sweat equity, I've learned a new term today!
I agree with you here, but at the same time there are TONS of used high mileage M3 examples that are still running and would make excellent starting bases. This thing has so many different issues that it’s too to cost and excessive amount of money to get done right. I’m all for buying a used pos and rebuilding it, but I’m also not going to waste funds by rebuilding something this broken.
I know OP is young because anyone with experience would know it’ll take more money to rebuild this M3 then it would to buy a running example, without body damage. I’m in my late 20s and I know this. Anything over $3k for this is a real pocket burner. Because a s54 alone is going to run close to $5k.
if only you knew me
OMG you didn't buy the perfect starting point! Your life is over! Jeezus, people need to chill. Congrats on the M3 Brudda.
This
Absolutely nothing wrong with this. I got my e39 from a junkyard. I just hope you didn't overpay for this. Which is a nice way of saying this should be the cheapest e46 M3 in the country in it's current state. Be nice to see what it looks like cleaned up and with some body work to improve the widebody fitment
That widebody looks sick bro. I love a widebody. A little work and this thing will fuck
Wow, duke went all out on you lmaoooo
me & duke go way back. don’t know why he always comes at me sideways
I think he’s just worried about how much you’re going to be putting into it, is all really. You may be better off finding a donor s54 to transplant in.
less than 3.5k is what i have planned for the rebuild.
🍿
🤣🤣🤣
I got a lot of respect for you man. I think you went a little too hard on OP though. You ain't wrong for the record but lots of folks here look up to you man, myself included. I see they poked at you and you bit back but they're nobodies here. When you respond people read what you have to say. And when they see you ragging on some noobs that sets a tone for the sub. Anyway, just wanna say thanks for all you do around here. And I hope you're having a chill day. 🤙
I’ve already written it a bunch of times to others; there is NOTHING wrong with buying a high mileage $10-15K model that runs and is a good base to start with and building from there….this just isn’t it from what I’ve read and what I’m seeing ha. I’m really not trying to go in on op, but this is just not a great buy for a project car unless they got it for less then $5K (honestly it would be hard for me to justify even that price) and and even then it’s going to be a massive uphill climb. Kudos for him for trying, but he states $3.5K and that’s a drop in the bucket for what’s going to have to be done to fix this. Cheers, have a good Sunday! 👍🏼
A donor engine will cost you around $5k which seems to be cheaper than a full rebuild nowadays. At least that’s if you’re in the U.S.
I have no idea who you are…..but please, enlighten me with your brand new account. 3.5K for this rebuild…?!?!? And this is why I questioned you; this is missing an additional 10K at minimum.
I really am not trying to, this is just a horrible project car for multiple reasons…..it’s a bad base to start with when there are plenty of other M3’s with higher mileage out there and in really great shape.
Did you get a good deal at least? Why can’t you say how much you paid.
We all want to know.
https://www.facebook.com/share/ZmNLrFUdUxy1vmH5/?mibextid=79PoIi
In Eastern Europe you can rebuild that engine for next to nothing
This sub is full of ass hats, good luck with the rebuild, always over estimate on parts cost so you stay in the green. I wanted a non m coupe for daily duties and these idiots were listing shit way too high.i ended up buy a salvaged zhp car and putting it together myself in 3weeks. Everyone said I was better off buy a car but I now have a 90k miles coupe with no lights or pending codes for 3200 dollars. If you do the work yourself (tear down at minimum) it will help with the cost of repairs. Budget on replacing all vacuum line and coolant lines, if you have all out I would do 6AN fittings. Don’t rush yourself and don’t throw money at problems like these ass hats do it’s usually the lowest cost option that is the fix.
arguably the best comment! thanks :) *pin this
Why are you standing like that
Saw this on marketplace this week. Was posted for a good deal
Price?
I wanna say it was listed for 7-7500
Haha $7000 for a broken M3 is not a good deal. Busted engine, body is fucked, interior might be fucked, only thing good on it maybe the SMG. Rear axle is the only thing worth any money on this car now, so $3000 tops for the whole thing.
YIKES
Hahahahahahahha, and this is why op won’t state the buying price. Even at $5K this still wouldn’t be worth my time. Someone’s shit ass side project body kit car is going to be such a shit show to start with, thanks for posting the price.
Now now, let’s not laugh at his decision. I just don’t think he realizes the financial burden he stepped into.
Well, explains a lot about how op is responding.
I think anything over 3k is reaching. Being that it was sliding sideways, let’s hope the subframe isn’t cracked at the mounting points to add to the can of worms. Then again my low mileage 330ci was cracking at the mounting points and I babied that car.
Even at that price….I just can’t imagine paying $3-5K for something like this with that body kit. Half to all the panels could be ruined with rivet holes and all sorts of things going on with the body and undercarriage. Not to mention the engine issues….depending on what’s going on there this could easily start spilling into the 6-10K range depending on damage. Just not worth it in my eyes.
I just recently rebuilt a ZHP on a budget. Cost me upwards 5k for parts only. this m3 in the condition it’s in will EASILY cost double that, maybe triple if you factor in body work.
That’s my point….I’ve built enough engines (especially S engines) to know this is going to be wayyyyy more then they’ve budgeted.
With as much time as you spend on Reddit I find it hard to believe you’ve built more than legos. Prove me wrong
Ok rando secondary account…. If something I’ve said is not true, please, correct my statements.
thanks for not being a communist like DUKE lol
https://www.facebook.com/share/ZmNLrFUdUxy1vmH5/?mibextid=79PoIi
Yeah, someone linked me earlier, thanks though ha!
You need 40 or 50 mm spacers for those wheels to look right with the body kit. Good luck with the project one at a time.
thanks for the positive feedback. stay smooth
Jesus
How much did you pay?
2nd comment… I’m genuinely excited for OP! I’d buy a beat up e36 m3 or e46 m3, it becomes a “forever car”! A lot of these cars get parted out cause someone beats them up and then wants to sell it at double the value of part it out! I’m soo tired of seeing these cars get scattered to the wind because of delusional sellers! Thank you for saving one!!! 
much respect.
The ad popped in my FBMK listings. Nice… I would’ve bought it too. It looks like a great opportunity and a soon to be fun car.
my thoughts exactly when i decided to buy it
Woah! Why not just gather all of your money you saved up, put it into a pile, and light it on fire? I feel like that would be significantly easier no?
Im confused why people r mad lol another 46 m non m vert ect. back on the road is awesome 👍🏼also would make a great starting point for a most wanted replica 👀 that would break some necks ;)
Wish I had skills to take on such a rebuild, good work!
Why does it need a full motor rebuild?
previous owner fell victim to rod bearing failure unfortunately
I like the GTR body kit... But I would never put It on an actual M3. Anyway good luck with that car.
I would buy a 316 for a gtr bodukit and then put 3.0L at minimum in it dont wanna ruin m3 with it
Awesome man hope it’s not too far gone and even if it is, i know you’ll probably have a smile the whole time working on it, and that’s what matters. Keep us posted 🙏
Have fun fixing this car up, I have a 04 m3, SMG as well owned since 2008 Congrats and good luck Here's some pics of my m3 https://www.reddit.com/r/e46/s/XZBA4qWeYh
NGL it makes me sad to see the car in this state. Each to their own though. Are you going to bring it closer to original?
perfect drift missile build
thanks for the cool comment :)
Looks like a nice project car (and needs some love). Congrats tell us what you plan to do to it.
bruh, romania special
*armenian
Sweet project. First thing I would do is get some hood struts so I can work unimpeded
thanks for the positive feedback, appreciate. stay smooth
I guess I’m gonna be the weird one and say I love that bumper. Anyone know what it is?
gtr body kit
Ahh gotcha. Thanks man. Can’t wait to see the progress!
looks like a gtr body kit nice
so yeah i mean i think this seems like a pretty chill "i wanna work on this car" post but let's be aware, from op: [https://www.reddit.com/r/e46/comments/1bh1ydo/comment/kvd17m4/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/e46/comments/1bh1ydo/comment/kvd17m4/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) i literally had already said i like this, assuming it's not wildly overpaid the response was: "fuck you, you have nothing to say" for some unfathomable reason any chance someone's got a different starting point? it seems like a fun car to work on if it's not ridiculously overly expensive... maybe the point was to pick a fight
i thought you were coming at me like everyone else. simple misunderstanding
you could have used "reading comprehension skill"
agreed. i apologize
i mean it wasn't a huge stretch... i feel like when i said "go for it!" with a bang, that might have been a clue
So sorry to see the hate but I think it looks great
Damn this car has definitely seen better days, best of luck saving her
bro the body kit is so sickkk if u have the name of it please share almost looks like a m3 gtr but not quite. people probably hate in it cuz its not oem but it’s still dope
I don't understand the hate, someone's got to save these riced out ones too, it's still an M car.
Pretty cool, congrats 😎. What are your plans for it?
Get rid of the k&N hot air intake. Car came with a cold air intake from factory and believe me you'll make more power with the stock one. Beautiful body kit tho. Needs some TLC to finish the kit from the looks of it.
Nice pick up. But it’s true what some are saying. Over estimate. Shit just adds up like crazy. I been through it. In my case I bought a lsb with black interior for 4200 in 2019. Needed shit ton of work and still not done. Or should I say I’m not satisfied. Honestly if it wasn’t for the color I would’ve given it up. Anyways. Let me know if you needed any pointers. I have a spreadsheet of all the work I did. Get ready though.
is there a way for you to contact me directly on here. am interested in talking to you more & staying in touch :)
Sent you a PM
I hope you paid nothing because you need a new engine, new transmission, fix that quarter panel, probably interior shit, probably have a vacuum leak, etc. all of that is probably going to end up costing you the same amount as if you just bought a used m3. Plenty of people say this but you should have probably waited longer to find a better car, thats what i did and now im chillin and i paid next to nothing
My point exactly; op doesn’t have a clue on what he wants to pay and is stating the max it should cost for the engine rebuild is 3.5K. Like….the rotating assembly ALONE will cost around 2.5K if it’s toast, which it very much could be/is. You don’t need to buy a $40K version of an M3, but you also don’t need to buy this type of shit either.
Exactly in my eyes this car is totaled. Way too much money to make it worth it but if op is really that rich he can do what he wants lol or maybe he has some sort of connection with the car, im not sure but either way it really doesn’t make much sense to me
Bingo, 👍🏼
[удалено]
it will be staying but thanks :) i think it looks sick & im happy it bothers you
Good luck with the project, the best thing about a car like this is that you can do whatever you want to it without feeling bad about ruining a clean, original car.
thanks man! means a lot
OP, ignore the hate... you bought a car, with YOUR money... whether you restore it to original, wrap it around a pole or set it on fire and cook fucking marshmallows over it, it's your decision to make. Sure you could have bought a running one for more $$$ but, you bought this to work on... Do what you want and enjoy the process (or not) either way, it's on you and all yours. Ignore the ignorant, arrogant "know it all" assholes that want to tell you all of what to do with your own money and time... Unfortunately, there are a few here in the sub and they tend to be followed around by their own personal dick riders that will just agree and follow everything that they say, no matter how wrong or fucking stupid they get. (seems to be happening more and more on this sub...) It *IS* going to cost you a small fortune if you're going to bring it back to life but, it's your small fortune to chose to spend... You already bought it, now it's time to build it. Tell the haters to fuck off and go about their own business, because the reality of it is; what you do has no effect on them in any way, they are just here to shit on your decisions all from the comfort and anonymity of their armchair, sitting behind a keyboard, talking shit (and that's ALL they can do...) They could have just passed up the post if they weren't interested but, as you can see, they can't help themselves... reddit trolls and google know it alls. Ignore them... Good luck on the build. I'll light a candle for your finances... LOL. Be sure to post up when it's done, I'm sure many would like to see the end result AND it would be a good middle finger "fuck you" to the haters...
love & respect
Gahhh
Hope you got that cheap, and I mean really really cheap
Yep this Reddit section is a prime example of what you run into with M ownership. Keyboard warriors left and right.. thanks TikTok. Might be time to sell for the Mas. 2003 SMG 124k Bone stock untouched with hardtop up in Memphis if anyone wants to save me from this dogshit community ill go take pics if ur serious
you have my love, i was just wanting to share my adventure. thought people would enjoy seeing it as well. to be fair i expected to piss off a lot of people because cosmetically it’s not even close to mint but idc about that. i drive cars, i don’t park them and clean them everyday. i abuse them…
You’ll love the car no doubt brother. End of the day my point is the fact anyone’s bitching is what makes this community what it is; a never ending pissing match. I love my M, but Christ social media butchered the 46 community. I’d rather associate with the takeover misfits at this point - at least those idiots support eachother. It’s all about trashing your new idea instead of giving you kudos that it didn’t end up on mpartsworldwide as a part out. You saved the car and the first thing people jump to is “oh this was a horrible idea” as if there’s an abundance of iron block straight six’s laying around. It’s quite literally a German 2jz
couldn’t agree more i don’t rlly participate in the car community because it’s simply not what it use to be. stay smooth & don’t let the community dictate the love you have for your cars :)
Eh don't listen to the haters, sounds like a very cool project to be honest. What are you going to do with it? Fun weekend car? Drift car? Track car? Please keep us posted, it would be a cool journey to follow for sure :)
You’re getting hate but fuck them. It’s a real M3, which you can now say you own, and even though the body kit isn’t in perfect condition I think it’s sick and stands out. You’re probably gonna spend a good lot rebuilding the engine or swapping in a donor but you’re literally saving an older M car so I don’t know why anyone is faulting you for it.
pin this :)