E46 M3 weekend/summer car

I have some other exterior trim that needs some revitalization if not outright replacement so I'll probably try to ceramic coat as much as I can in a perhaps vain attempt to combat UV

No black plastics renewed as of yet but I did get time to fully detail the OEM wheels off of the car this morning.

Once they are dry, into TireRack storage bags and then out of the garage and into the basement for long term storage. It's doubtful they will ever go back on the car (assuming I never sell) but who knows. Either way I need the garage space back.

Wheels have been stowed away in the garage.

Car guys plastic restorer made a big difference on the hood vent. Hopefully it will hold up well.

Finally, HF sale last week meant that I ended up bringing home a steam cleaner. Tried it out for detailing the engine bay without chemicals and so far I've been pretty impressed.

DelVal BMW CCA drivers school at NJMP Lightning booked for mid-August.

I've driven Lightning before for TNIA and a regional SCCA time trial but both were in my E36. I'll be curious to see how the E46 does in comparison. 

Hawk Blue brake pads front and rear are on order and will get installed before the event.

I expect to be able to save the Hawk pads that are currently on the car as backup for the event.

Why go with such an old school pad?  Plus they're notoriously hard on the rotors and don't have a great heat tolerance.  I'd run Hawk DTC 60's or 70's instead

In reply to docwyte :

Ended up with these based on availability at Tire Rack, price and the fact that I'm a pretty rank novice and don't expect to be pushing the car particularly hard.

2 days at NJMP Lightning with a very cool and helpful in-car instructor and safe and serious drivers in my beginner and intermediate run groups made this event a blast.

Classroom time was meh but still proved useful and was interactive enough to keep my interest.

I ran 4 30 minute sessions on Saturday in Beginner and made some decent awareness, if not execution gains. My major mental block was braking quickly and effectively in all corners but primarily turn 1 at the end of the straight. Speeds entering the braking zone there were between 120-130 for me.

Day 2 I had two beginner sessions in the morning and felt like in each I was finally improving my braking, linking turns 2,3 and 4 smoothly and gaining speed in the lightbulb. Most importantly I found a measure of consistency and became more comfortable with speeds entering turn 1.

Got a ride along in my instructors E46 M3 on R comps for a session and gained a healthy appreciation for his skills and my room to grow.

I got bumped to intermediate and finished the day with a single intermediate session where I got to practice with pointbys to clear high horsepower traffic and got 5 or 6 really clean laps with zero traffic.

The temps both days maxed at 84 so it was reasonably comfortable in the car out on track. Oil temps would climb more than I'd like by the end of a session but water temps, tires and brakes all held up well and gave me no surprises.

Dropped the car at BimmerWorks a few weeks ago for oil change, rotors and street ceramic pads (goodbye screaching into every stop sign and light) and new rod bearings.

Old bearings showed visible wear but nothing extreme or worrisome. At 85k miles I was happy to have the peace of mind of preventative maintenance and not sweating every oil change keeping fingers crossed that it's glitter free.

Picked it back up the other day and thrilled to have it back. Using new bearing break-in miles as an excuse to promote it to daily for a month or so.

For those of us keeping score at home, you now have three M3s (effectively)? The s52 swapped e36, and two e46 M3s? I'm envious!!

In reply to dyintorace :

You are correct. The E36 is extremely inoperable and will likely stay that way for the next few years. This silver M3 is my long term keeper. Bruiser is likely a short timer that will get me hours on track reliably for several years and then move on down the road to a new home.

~100 bearing break-in miles done and hit a little milestone

trumant said:

...
At 85k miles I was happy to have the peace of mind of preventative maintenance and not sweating every oil change keeping fingers crossed that it's glitter free.

Like this?? <facepalm>

My weekend just got way more fun. 

I think I am going BE + ARP this time, problem is that they are backordered until late April. 

Will call Bimmerworld tomorrow and see what they say.

Oh no!!!!!! Good luck with parts availability and getting her back on the road again.

In reply to trumant :

Props to BimmerWorld. They will ship them to me before the end of the week. 

Now to find ARP bolts, they were out of stock. 

I am done derailing your thread with my e46 problems lol. 

As I've been trying to rack up more miles lately I've noticed that my drivers seat back is flexing and a bit creaky when I'm pitching the car into corners.

While it makes me realize just how much better the feel of fixed back seats are, I'm not going in that direction with this car.

Not looking forward to trying to isolate the noise and fingers crossed that removing the seat is not needed.

Pulling Sunday sushi getter duty tonight

Haven't made an update on this car for quite some time. Mechanically all is well, the body and paint show use but not abuse and I'm around 86,500 miles these days.

While this used to occupy a spot in the driveway it's now been banished to a remote, rented garage awaiting a deep detail and sale/auction photos.

While I'm sure I'll miss the car, Bruiser, my track M3 remains plated, registered and street legal(ish) and this just won't see the use and care it should have.

Only recent service updates are state inspection, oil change and new rear tires in the last 30 days.

Took the M3 out of the garage for the first time since it was banished offsite. It struggled to start and after 20 minutes of driving with the AC on full blast in 96F heat, the water temps were high and creeping higher.

Shut down the AC and kept it below 3k rpm for the ten minute drive back to the garage and was able to get it back down to normal water temps thankfully.

I wasn't expecting to make a service appointment for the car anytime soon but looks like plans are changing.

Boo. 

In doing some BMW forum research apparently this has happened to folks with a failing battery or alternator causing the auxiliary fan to not be able to power on.

Given the starting troubles I'm beginning to wonder if I was just asking to much of the electrical system.