Bringing home the E46 330i
A 2002 slicktop E46 330i with 103,740 miles came home with me — not a race car, but a daily driver and weekend track car we'll document from day one.
What happened
On October 11 I brought home the newest member of the garage — a 2002 slicktop BMW E46 330i, the next generation of the 3 Series after my E36. It's a fairly clean car with just 103,740 miles, an automatic, with the M Sport package, parking sensors, and blue/purple metallic paint. Clean title, passed smog.
The numbers: $3,725 all-in — $3,500 for the car plus $225 splitting a set of new tires with Adam Bomb Racing.
This one will not be a race car. It's a daily driver and weekend track car, and we're going to document the whole build and every part right here.
What I learned
- —A major service was freshly done before it came to me — new intake system top to bottom, all fluids, and every gasket and seal that matters. Buying a car with the maintenance already handled is worth real money.
- —The right project car doesn't have to be a race car. Having something to drive every day and take to the track on weekends keeps you around the sport between race weekends.
The car
2002 BMW E46 330i sedan — slicktop, M Sport package, parking sensors, blue/purple metallic, automatic, 103,740 miles, clean title, passed smog. Freshly serviced: new intake system with hard coolant lines, CCV, DISA valve, MAF and IAT sensors, all fluids, seals and gaskets, brakes, and bushings.
The people
Adam Bomb Racing again — I split the cost of a set of new tires with Adam to get the car home right. The same crew that's been part of every step of this journey.
In-car video
Next improvement
The plan: sport springs, tinted windows, a manual swap, and an exhaust first — then, maybe, a more aggressive build. Every part and every dollar gets documented in the Garage.