BMW E46 M3 : That's the ticket

Many thanks!

I have a fairly similar opinion in many ways as you can tell! A car people now revel over (the 323i Manual) I found myself bored by! I'll be honest, I find my Merc much nicer!

There is something different about an E46 M3, which is where I can see why the press raved about them and still do today. I have my reasons for why I say that but that can wait until the end of the update; it's something I discussed about the cars in general and how things may go .

Now, back on track....

I may as well say it to avoid keeping you folks lingering! A few of us including RetroWarwicK of this parish have been meaning to hit the Spa racetrack for quite some time. The idea was first discussed over a year ago, inevitably in a pub, where all sorts of dangerous things are suggested! This however, would soon become a reality a few months ago when I booked the track time, accomodation, and Eurotunnel for heading over! Typically, as I've aluded to in the Citroen 2CV I've been a pretty busy person lately, with a job change, a couple of evenings of getting back home later from work due to increased mileage, as well as family news testing my time limits. Couple that, with me getting the W124 ready and fit for the roads with its own set of issues the poor M3 just sat forlorn in the unit after the Retro Rides Gathering. That would all change when I got a set of wheels for it. Sure, No-one needs a set of track tyres, but like anything, they can help bring a bit of mojo back to the table with a car. Since I hadn't done a brake fluid change since I first bought the car I ended up tying those two jobs into one.

Of course, this is how the car started out:

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

It's funny, I debate an E9x M3 at times but as time goes on, I find myself wanting one alot less. Strange I know!

With the brake fluid bought and a new bleeding device obtained I made a start on preparing the car:

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

The Laser brake bleeder was more expensive than an Eezibleed. Despite being more fragile in some ways (easy with pulling up on the pump too hard!) it's much less of a faff to use compared to an Eezibleed, and far far easier to move about! Thanks to this new device I changed the wheels and had the fluid all changed within the hour. Not a bad result at all As for the brake fluid, yes, I know it's Ford brake fluid, but being Super DOT 4, it should be an improvement over most of the stuff at my local motor factors. Which brings me onto doing the oil filter, a job I'd been meaning to do since changing the big ends:

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Under my ownership, the car has only seen genuine filters, albeit a Purflux item when I first got the car. I know it was Mahle filters before that service going by the history. This filter was a Mann that I took it. Yes, it's almost half of the price of the latest BMW/Mahle item, but the Mahle item (in the OX187 flavour, not the earlier OX68D), is said to have some good filtration material in addition to more pleats than other filters on the market, including the earlier filfilter. Maybe that seems a little overkill to do on a 16 year old car, but then again, those S54 lumps don't come cheap. Considering the filter is about the same price from BMW as an oil filter for a Focus ST/Mondeo 2.5T it doesn't make much sense to save a couple of quid for the sake of it:

It was also much eaiser to install the new filter over the Mann filter, which requires disconnecting the TPS sensor every time in addition to forcing/bending it past the inlet manifold.

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjnxp2Y-aneAhVJQ8AKHQdZCY4QFjAEegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.turnermotorsport.com%2Ft-S54_mahle_vs_mann_oil_filters&usg=AOvVaw20dbnvaELBgCCfoIOn7JJn

At the same time I switched the rather tired looking ignition coils for 5 new Bosch items, thus meaning all of the coils in my M3 have now been replaced. But why did I change them? Now and again on the motorway and if the engine was getting warm from sitting behind someone slow for some time, like I did with someone in an MG Midget coming back from RRG (25mph in a 50 anyone?) the car would occasionally hiccup. Not firm enough to notice,but for someone like me, who has known the car for a couple years, it was bugging me. This is what prompted me to swap out the coils. BMW now sell Bosch items if you go to them, but it seems the factory items were indeed Bremi items, albeit different to how to the Bremi items look now:

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

With that done, it was time to drop the car back onto the ground. I wasn't particularly happy that the new wheels were in Silver over the factory's Shadow Chrome, but the paint finish isn't what bothered me. But in truth, I'm surprised at how the silver looks.

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

There was one more detail to add however to the car. Some will like the detail, others won't. I'll let you folks decide what you think? Am I a bit of a wannabe Frenchie, a racer, or simply adding a simple but different touch to the front of the car?

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Overall, the looks came out fairly well much to my surprise! I was debating flashing over the wheels with some Anthracite/Grey paint but after seeing another Mystic M3 at a show this weekend, I'm not so sure. It would have to be a light Anthracite, almost silver, which would, of course, make me have to go to more of a specialist wheel refinisher to get that kind of paint finish. It seems here, stock or similar to stock finishes may be the way forward, or maybe dark Bronze?

M3 with Dark wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

M3 with Dark wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Hmmm, choices choices!

Choices however wouldn't be something I'd be making in terms of getting this car ready! Somehow I got the car ready and then managed to dial in the tyre pressures, something which is important to consider when going from Track tyres to normal tyres. I did mine in a bit of a layman's way, which is something Tony Angelo's Hot Rod Garage presenter discussed in only last week's episode. In short, you get an Infra Red Pyrometer (read thermometer without touching the subject) to get an idea of how warm the tyres are. If you do this on an OEM tyre at the normal pressure it's surprising what results you get, and it can help explain a little about the wear/camber issues you mau have. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules, but eventually, with a few subtle changes I got the car to behave in a manner I wanted it to. On the road anyway, the Kumho V70As were not only a Kumho tyre that I genuinely liked, but also a track tyre I could get along with! They seemed to have better turn in than the R888s I had on my 205 GTI despite the M3's extra 800kg payload! Furthermore, these things gripped! They required less warming up than the Nankang NS-2Rs on the Escort RS Turbo and were lovely! Will I buy them again? Maybe not on the M3 ; my tyre sizes aren't right ; they're a profile too short. On other cars, they certainly will be considered! They are however near Michelin Pilot Cup 2 money too it should be pointed out!

So the car was looking good and seemed to be driving good! It was time to hit the road with RetroWarwicK in tow.

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Unfortunately, we were halted by a broken down train at the Eurotunnel. That added around 2 hours onto our travelling time! Great! It was just what we needed as the kids had broken up for Half term! Yup, it was busy at the Chunnel alright! Eventually, we go on and pressed on to head to Liege:

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

It doesn't look bad now I must admit! Damn, the car does get under your skin!

M3 Spa by Charlieboy, on Flickr


Yes, a friend of mine did turn up in a Focus ST of all things!

It was then a case of refuelling on the other side of the border, and getting to the hotel! Naturally we were quite tired once we hit the hotel at 8pm, considering we left home at 7am! Sleeping however wouldn't be easy, espeically since we were all anxious, yet full of anticipation for what awaited us the next day.

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

The following morning, we all hit the track. The details weren't looking good however! The car was saying it was 1 degrees C outside and truth be told it was super warm outside, albeit it felt warmer than the 7 degrees we currently have over here! Strange eh? With that in mind it was time to hit this spot known as Spa Francorhamps. That will be reported on later. Why? I'm trying to overlay Harry's Laptimer onto the GoPro vidoes, which it seems is easier than done! But you folks can wait until then, right?

M3 Spa Times by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Well, I left you folks hanging.

In truth, with my hectic weekends, which I shall allude to soon, here is a taster of the Spa life .

Great read as always!

Thank you.

Nice write up, I must get to Spa for a track day at some point. Dropped in there briefly on my way back from the 'ring this year and it looks an impressive place in person!

Also think I spotted you in the M3 as I was on my way home

ChasR I was heading on the way out of Leamington towards the A46, took a bit of an odd route as the Aygo needed fuel (not something I get to say often! )

I know what you mean about car mats though, one of the first things I bought for the Aygo was a set of Genuine Toyota Mats... (they were actually really reasonably priced)

I may well organise a mini-meet TBH! However things are busy for me. Mainly down to my W124 not being ready yet and partly me coming down briefly with a horrible stomach bug; I wonder if the 2CV's exhaust leak was the cause of it ; it stunk of exhaust fumes in that cabin when I was driving it. I've bought a number of treats for the 2CV and fixes but until the W124 comes back I can't really take it to the unit to fix it.

So as of now, the M3 is certainly earning its keep! At least it's a comfy way to do to do it! Maybe not quite as refined as the W124 but it is a good laugh!

Speaking of which, it's about time I updated the other two threads.

But what about the mats? It's been a couple of weeks with those mats. Despite the weather being curse word, they haven't stained and they haven't moved an inch. They certainly are a great set of mats for the car .

ChasR I'd give Kevin Bird a call. He has been very helpfull dealing with me abroad. I do believe they wrote on their facebook page a while back that the had a demonstartor, but give them a call. i love my B3 set up, but would have loved it even more if it didn't lower the already low M-sport suspension.

So, the 2CV has been getting alot of atention from me, with the M3 seeming almost as if it has been forgotten about! While I am driving it, this is not the case! Why? I had an MOT to get!

It passed but the tester sucked his teeth a little at the rear tyres! They around 2mm. I know I know! I'm pushing my luck! But then the car isn't driven as much as it once was, and I'll be honest, I'm in limbo as to what to do with the tyres! The way I see it, partly down to self-infliction, these are my choices:

-Fit some new 255/35R19s on the rear : At £200 a corner fo a Michelin Pilot Sport 4/4S, this does get pricey!
-Fit CSL sizes to the 19s ; they're around £160 a corner. But you do lose a little sidewall in addition to my fronts still having tons of tread 13,000 miles later.

The other choice is to get my 18s out. They're legal, but the tyres are near useless in this weather being Kumho V70a medium compounds.

What will happen? We shall see. I suspect I'll retire it out of action for a month or two and then put on/wear down the V70as. They're not quite the right size for the M3 ; the same money as the Michelins in the 19" sizes I can get Cup IIs (defying the point I know!), or Yoko AD08Rs. Goodyear Eagle F1s are almost £100 a corner, but tyre designs are getting limited without going over to track orientated designs. We shall see what I do.

Speaking of track orientated cars, I ended up splashing even more cash before the MOT! But it's the RR way right? Mods come before the necessities? I am joking there! I've fancied upgrading the brakes. They weren't bad at Spa or on 30 minute taster sessions, but it's always nice to have an improvement. I'm talking about the Big Brake Kit (BBK) conversions, but I'll digress. Given what happened to me on the Escort RS Turbo, with the Wilwood vs. Sliding Cosworth Caliper setup , I took these as lessons learned, especially with how the 'terrible' brakes on Stags weren't too bad on my car, which we found why for why they were on most other cars (That's me and Roger Keys, the next owner of the car). So, let's get started. I saw my choices as follows:

• Porsche Boxster setup ; this can be either on stock discs or CSL items. From my calculations, these run a significantly smaller Effective Piston Area (EPA) than a stock M3 caliper 4535mm² vs. the M3's 5655mm². Yes, they may flex less, but not enough to make up that kind of difference (what do the brake peeps reckon here? . Many people praise this setup, but I do also wonder how many of those cars ran the correct pads and not wrong compound but cheaper 330i pads which motor factors gladly sell to owners, in addition to the condition of the fluid in addition to the discs; most owners will skimp on the latter due to costs ; they're £160+ now thanks to market forces in the correct floating format. When The Boxster setup is around £700-800 to do with discs, adaptors, pads and lines, it will make more sense for people to change the lot in one go.
  
  Some of you will say : change the master cylinder ; then I'll have to play with the rears. Boxster rears are similar to the front of a Boxster, due to a very different weight distribution etc. to the M3, so that solution will require more head scratching, and that's before you consider the DSC getting confused by things.
• K Sports ; Some of these run a similar or larger disc area to the stock M3 setup and EPA, but there have been quality concerns with these. Pads also get much more expensive.
• AP Racing/'True' Brembo setups,Stoptech. An all round conversion can come to £3k+ ; way more than I am willing to spend on a car not worth alot. I know you can't put a price on brakes, but I want a mild improvement from what I am, not something huge ; maybe I'll regret saying that...

So I wanted what everyone did, the moon on a stick. But I was aware that compromises would have to be made. What would I do? Enter Stage Left:







I paid more than I wished for on a set of brakes from a Z4 M. But why one of those? Simple ; they're the same brakes an M3 CSL came with. The differences?

• Larger front Disc Area : These run 345mm vs. the stock 325m. So at least the looks will improve too!
• Larger Front Carriers : While the front calipers are the same, the carriers are larger to accomodate the front discs
• Larger rear piston area : these go up to 46mm vs. the factory 42mm ; There is no doubt this was done to redistribute the braking bias with the larger fronts

These came with nearly-new genuine discs which are in surprisingly amazing condition! These shall be kept for a rainy day! As for the fronts? They're lipped but not massively and they are still surprisingly well within tolerance. So I'll use those and replace when they finally die.

When the Z4 M came out and the M3 CS (with the CSL brakes) the braking had more praise but the braking feel was criticised, especially on the CS cars. While I am sure part of it was down to a lack of 4 pot calipers and having to stop 1600kg of car I do wonder how much was down to the slider bushes. My sister's car improved massively with new slider bushes installed. Many owners have reported good results with the Brass slider bushings for the calipers. So, after a couple of beers one night, my poor judgement got the better of me and I ended up ordering a set of these:



People say these can get dirtier due to being exposed but then the factory ones are also exposed. Furthermore, I tend to clean these anyway when the brake pads are changed, despite most people not doing this.

My plan for comparisons is to do a few stops, possibly on the track where allowed as follows

• Factory setup
• CSL setup with the pads it came with ; aftermarket pads, but not factory Textars
• The above with the Pagid RS pads

So, with the Pagid Racing pads and the modified CSL setup, will the brakes improve or will it be a waste of cash? Should I sell the setup and get setups that work for other people? Time will tell. But at least I'm making the car a little more different .

As I said in the thread pauly22 started, I always want to do things to cars I've not owned ; I figured I may as well make it this one, without going too far obviously and compromising it for road use.

People use both .

I'm intrigued too. I know Sam Robinson used them on his M3 with him running a BBK up front but stock calipers on the rear. He seemed to be pleased with the results as some other folk. But I suspect I'll kill off the set on the car first. As you saw, the front discs while OK, won't go back on the car again ; they won't be long for this world after a track day; I'm really surprised I didn't kill them at Spa. they began to fade a little later on in the day but they did keep on going, albeit I did nurse/brake on a couple of times as you can tell from the video .

For the Boxster setup I'd have gone with CSL discs ; after all the adaptors are the same money, but the discs are the same price ; £150+ each, so it's almost a no brainer to go wih the Boxster items. I did think what you said was the case, in addition to potentially the 330i pads being used and potential overbraking now being 'aided' by theoretically less braking.

Worst case scenario, I guess I can always sell the carriers off. I'll have the larger calipers on the back to work with other calipers anyway. We shall see indeed. This of course depends on my patience to run the differing setups .