BMW E46 330i SE

Hmm, do you know if you can get trim for the non-multifunction 'sports' steering wheel? All of the wood trims I can find have that double bar bit at the bottom, while mine is just a three spoke.

Dont you have the really old E36 style wheel?

Just get a new airbag and an M Sport wheel.
 
Sessantas are definitely the way to go. Decent price but superb performance, wear and feedback.

Steering wheel re-leather = £105, new italian leather thick soft gearbox gaiter = ~£15 and a new gear knob = £40-£50. Those will freshen up the interior considerably. The stock BMW gaiter looks flimsy and weak and coupled with the horse nob shifter it just looks.... :confused:

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:cool:
Where can you get this stuff?
 
Me and my father fitted what now appears to be the original bumper to the vehicle. The previous bumper was original, however it had a front splitter which had been attached to the vehicle poorly, so when I tried to remove it I was left with a horrible residue underneath which didn't warrant repairing.

Bought the used bumper from eBay for £47 which included shipping.

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Still rocking the Linglongs, done 8,000 miles in them now. Lovely rubber! :)

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The car failed the MoT in August 2012 due to front O/S suspension bushes. Put the car in again last week at the same garage, as I'm replacing the 330i, and it failed on the exact same part. I asked them to politely check the records again and let me know why the part only last circa 7,000 miles. They contacted their supplier and fitted them and replaced it for free.
 
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Drive carefully and no tyre with decent tread will let you down as such but drive anywhere remotely enthusiastically or decide (/have) to.stop quickly in the wet/cold and you'll regret it.

Why have an enjoyable car with terrible tyres?

Anyway not the point, bumper vastly improved what else have you left to do to it?
 
Drive carefully and no tyre with decent tread will let you down as such but drive anywhere remotely enthusiastically or decide (/have) to.stop quickly in the wet/cold and you'll regret it.

Why have an enjoyable car with terrible tyres?

Anyway not the point, bumper vastly improved what else have you left to do to it?

Thanks Rodenal, I do appreciate the sentiment here, but I have been applying the guidelines you've suggested.

If I do end up keeping the car I will certainly fit better tyres, either Continental Sport Contact 5's or Pirelli P Zero's.

The engine bay still looks awful so I'll be making steps towards making that look a bit tidier. The alloys could do with a refurb, or even fit some new MV2's, but would probably go with the former.

The interior is still in mint condition, all except the gear knob which I'd replace with a genuine BMW one from eBay for circa £50.00.

All the electrics around the car are in perfect working order, so there's very little that needs addressing. Could do with a serious detail, I just haven't had a weekend to dedicate to her yet.

I like to keep things standard, so I've got no interest in changing anything to make her "go any faster".

I rang a BMW garage the other day to see what was specified upon original purchase and they didn't mention the M3 spoiler. Were those standard at any point on the E46 330i?
 
[TW]Fox;23964124 said:
The lip spoiler was standard on Sport models.

Thanks Fox, but how does that differ from a non-Sport model? I've noticed the same age E46 330i's for sale and some do have the lip spoiler and some don't, what other differences does a "sport" model offer? Different suspension set up?
 
Thanks Fox, but how does that differ from a non-Sport model? I've noticed the same age E46 330i's for sale and some do have the lip spoiler and some don't, what other differences does a "sport" model offer? Different suspension set up?

Your car isn't a Sport - the Sport had M Sport suspension, M Sport steering wheel, Sport seats, M-Tech bodystyling, anthracite headlining, M branded door sills and 18" MV1 alloys (Which you have).

At some point somebody has added a spoiler and some Sport wheels to yours.
 
First thing I do with a 'new' car is change all filters / fluids, make sure the brakes are good and fit decent tyres. Then I'd look at cosmetics.

Safety first!

My aim is to address all points, I'm not favouring one thing over another in any particular order as the car isn't being used at the moment, I have just bought a new Clio 200 (so I understand the benefit of new tyres, without a doubt).

Making sure the safety of the car is up to scratch is going to cost around £600.00+, and I can make her look a little nicer for about £50.00. As it's not being used at all currently, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference, but all points will be addressed. Ultimately you are absolutely right with regards to safety.

My partner will soon adopt the car if the circumstances are right, I won't let her out in it without decent tyres.
 
[TW]Fox;23964171 said:
Your car isn't a Sport - the Sport had M Sport suspension, M Sport steering wheel, Sport seats, M-Tech bodystyling, anthracite headlining, M branded door sills and 18" MV1 alloys (Which you have).

At some point somebody has added a spoiler and some Sport wheels to yours.

Would the original wheels have been 18", as if I type the reg into Kwik Fit et al, it comes back as 18".

Thanks.
 
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