Great, my rear ashtray cover just disintegrated as soon as they became NLA. My luck.
Photography by David S. Wallens
During the last two-plus decades, we’ve watched the E46-chassis M3 go from a desirable new car to a desirable track car to, now, a desirable car in stock condition.
A while back, while filming a buyer’s guide on the E46-chassis BMW M3, BimmerWorld’s James Clay reminded us of something: BMW isn’t likely to stock replacements of the special M3 parts forever.
In addition to the special engine, the E46 M3 also got special fenders, a special hood, special gauges and so on.
While our car is in pretty good condition–thank you, Kevin, the previous owner–not everything has been immune to time.
The fabric covering the B-pillar covers had come loose, the fender badges had turned black, and the rear ashtray’s lid had disintegrated. The headliner is starting to get a little saggy, too. (Some good news: The A- and C-pillars have already been recovered with factory parts.)
On a track car, you’re likely not going to worry about these soft items. But on a clean street car? We figured we should heed James’ advice and stock up on those special M3 parts while they’re still available.
“What happened with E30 M3 is going to be the same as what happens to later model M cars, including the E46 M3,” notes Daniel Curtis, BimmerWorld’s web and data manager. “The components that are unique to the M3 are the ones most at risk of going away. And before those items go away, the prices may surge until there are none left in the dark corners of various warehouses.
“I mention the E30 M3 in particular as it had the perfect storm for hard-to-find and expensive parts: low production and uniqueness to the non-M models,” he continues. “Combine any predisposition for failure, add a few decades’ time, and it can be a challenge to find certain pieces for those.”
Parts availability for the E36-chassis M3, however, doesn’t seem as dire, he explains: “That’s due to the U.S. engine and drivetrain sharing most of its DNA–and tons of parts–with the U.S. M50/M52 as well as the bodywork, chassis and suspension–mostly the same, with exceptions here and there.
“So I’d say parts obsolescence hasn’t been quite as savage for the U.S. E36 M3 as the more bespoke Euro E36 M3 or E30 M3 examples. But it’s certainly not future-proofed, either.”
While the E46-chassis M3 is newer than the E36, Daniel notices some worrisome similarities with the E30 M3: an engine with little crossover plus, again, the unique bodywork.
“As even the newest examples of the E46 M3 now approach 20 years old, the effect will continue to increase,” he continues. “On the flip side, BMW made far more E46 M3 examples than E30 M3, and the count of vehicles produced and on the road often factors into how long parts remain readily available. The window is still open to buy most E46 M3 parts.”
When the time comes, which parts will BMW discontinue first? Daniel notes that no heads-up is given. “A big price hike is sometimes a warning,” he says, “but not always a great lead to chase.
“But it is often true that after a price escalation comes the dreaded news no one wants to hear: ‘This item is now no longer available–NLA!’ Once buying new and unused isn’t an option, you see the price on the secondary/used market swell with demand and similarly limited supply.
[Welcome to Fritz Wagner’s stockpile, where BMW M1 Procar parts await their next assignment]
“There’s no crystal ball to say what’s next on the chopping block, but investing in preventative maintenance and fresh, quality parts today may help avoid staggering prices or availability issues tomorrow. Auto parts typically have an incredible shelf life, so if you think your BMW needs–or will need–something refreshed, buying it right away could be a tactic to ensure you have it when it’s time to do the job. You may even avoid some cost creep and/or inflation in buying sooner rather than later.”
Daniel shares an example of something that might soon become obsolete. “I just learned that S54 fuel injectors went NLA,” he explains. “We managed to get a handful more just before they hit zero, but predictably at a much higher cost than previous.”
Daniel reminds us that multiple parts sources exist, too, which can help keep the pipeline full: “In addition to our great relationship with BMW and selling Genuine BMW parts, BimmerWorld is lucky to work directly with hundreds of OE, OEM and aftermarket solutions providers.
“If the original Genuine part does go NLA, we often have other options still available. In some cases, we’ll engineer our own solutions or tap manufacturing partners to help meet needs. So if doomsday parts hoarding isn’t your thing, you can simply call us when there’s a need and we’ll give you a rundown.”
We placed our BimmerWorld order, picking up new BMW-brand fender emblems ($50.68 each), B-pillar covers ($123.73 each) and rear ashtray lid ($63.00, but now NLA).
We didn’t order a new headliner, though, as just the shipping would have cost a few hundred dollars. We might purchase one via our local BMW dealer or get it retrimmed by a local outfit. Still, we ordered a new sunroof motor cover ($20.99) in case the original gets damaged during removal.
Will these parts make the car faster? Likely not, but when we roll onto the Pebble Beach greens in a hundred years, we’ll thank ourselves for planning ahead.
Great, my rear ashtray cover just disintegrated as soon as they became NLA. My luck.
Slippery said:Great, my rear ashtray cover just disintegrated as soon as they became NLA. My luck.
In that buyer guide video, James did mention buying parts before they went NLA. Turns out he was right.
So what I'm hearing is that I should buy a whole second car to replace all the parts I'll need.
I used to do this. The result was a garage full of parts that I might need, someday. It got to be too much, and the last few years I've been selling a lot of stuff off. Might I someday have an issue where I needed one of those parts? Sure, maybe, but for enthusiast cars there always seems to be a way to get parts if you've got a couple bucks to spare, or the aftermarket eventually catches up where there's enough demand. Being overwhelmed with parts made me realize I'd rather save the money and spend a little more later on if needed.
I do hear both sides of the argument. I might also have some 911 seals and parts stashed away, too.
I have tons of parts stashed away for my S2000 but I'm also running into issues with finding OEM parts. Honda will sporadically do some production runs and if you're lucky enough to be looking when they are in stock, it's like winning the lotto (see me finding red interior trim push tabs). The problem is real for my 01 Sequoia as well. I've been in need of new front door latches for two years now. Every junk yard I've scoured has been absent of them. There are replacements on eBay for $40 that last 3-4 months. Toyota just start pumping them out again at $250 a door.
With the rate at which BMW parts return to a fine dust, I'm surprised they won't keep some parts going. It's like a self-licking ice cream cone for them. Whenever I started wrenching on my M3, 3 things would break in the process of fixing one thing and it was usually the plastics, like an ash tray cover.
I had a basement full of VW Corrado parts. My wife called the basement a junkyard. Many parts are NLA on that car and I came to the realization that I just don't want to own a car where I need to be a parts department.
I started a collection when I was younger and worked at a GM dealership in the parts department. Every year, we would go through inventory and throw out stuff that had been on the shelf for five years without being sold. Mostly trim stuff, as the bigger stuff we'd order from the local (180 miles away) GM warehouse.
So, If anybody needs a Cavalier 2.5L F.I. badge, or a X-11 rear decklid sticker...
In reply to racerfink :
X-11 for the win. :)
I drive an e28 and an e30 BMW. Fortunately they seem to be more durable than newer BMWs, but they are 35 and 37 years old...there are a lot of parts that are NLA, but considering their age I'm impressed with how many parts are still available from the dealer; if they were a GM or Ford product I doubt there would be anything available.
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