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Figured I put up some pics of my current daily, now that I've actually done a couple things to it. As much as I loved my Passat, which was still going strong at 250k, I started pining for another 5 speed daily, so I started the search and decided to take the e46 plunge. Everyone and his brother (or sister) has one, but I really loved my last BMW, and for once I liked the idea of having a car that could be found pretty much any day in the local pull a part.
Found a nice 2003 325i with just 80k on it and scooped it up. Here it is the day I got it, 100% stock, and rocking the 4x4 status.
In the process of replacing bushings etc, I put a set of cheap lowering springs on it to make it at least acceptable. I also removed the rear muffler, just cause...
Before:
After (only the front dropped):
And then the rear:
Ok, so now the height was at least livable, but seriously, where are the rear tires? The stock 16x7et47 sat so far into the wheel wells, it was appalling...
So, switched to a set of e90 style 284s I had lying around. 17x8et34, I honestly did not like the way these looked sitting in the shop, but once I slapped them on the car, they looked way better than I expected, which almost never happens
I did the exhaust again, this time cutting it all the way up front at the manifolds, then a 2-1 Y pipe, through a cherry bomb extreme (because I put that s*** on everything) and a turndown behind the bumper. Forgot to take any pics of that...
Then after installing 12mm spacers in the rear and rolling my fenders in the dark, I got tired of having to work in the driveway, so I dragged some crap out of the garage.
Then I got rid of even more crap, and found out I could fit three cars inside at once
The massive garage cleaning also included installing a new stereo, flat screen and xbox, new beer fridge, and converting one of the stalls to a dedicated parts room, so now I was basically looking for excuses to be in the garage. Which meant after replacing every fluid I could think of in all the cars, it was time to rip the bimmer's suspension off again. This time went for a set of D2 coilovers, 9k/9.5k springs.
Somewhere along there I also picked up a set of larger brakes from a junkyard 330 which I rebuilt, Painted purple and yellow with the help of my three year old daughter, and installed.
Old and sad:
Size comparo of the 325i vs 330i rotor:
New and flashy!
Per protocol when you only get about 1 hour a night to mess with your car, I had to install the fronts one night, then the rears a couple days later. With 9ksprings in front and 4k in the rear it drove...Weird...
I also found out the first day that the front was too low to traverse the necessary speed bumps to get to my parking spot at the office. I spent the day searching for a new job, but ultimately decided to raise the front a half inch instead.
I did a bunch of other small repairs, added and aux port, replaced the speakers and tapped into the factory harness in the trunk so the car is amp/sub ready, but pictures of all that stuff is boring.
Anyway, I just finished aligning it and am reasonably satisfied with the current setup, here's where it is now:
Oh right, I also polished the headlights up.
That's it for now, and probably for a while. When the cleaning is done I will actually find myself with one indoor parking spot left open, so something new will be moving in
Found a nice 2003 325i with just 80k on it and scooped it up. Here it is the day I got it, 100% stock, and rocking the 4x4 status.
In the process of replacing bushings etc, I put a set of cheap lowering springs on it to make it at least acceptable. I also removed the rear muffler, just cause...
Before:
After (only the front dropped):
And then the rear:
Ok, so now the height was at least livable, but seriously, where are the rear tires? The stock 16x7et47 sat so far into the wheel wells, it was appalling...
So, switched to a set of e90 style 284s I had lying around. 17x8et34, I honestly did not like the way these looked sitting in the shop, but once I slapped them on the car, they looked way better than I expected, which almost never happens
I did the exhaust again, this time cutting it all the way up front at the manifolds, then a 2-1 Y pipe, through a cherry bomb extreme (because I put that s*** on everything) and a turndown behind the bumper. Forgot to take any pics of that...
Then after installing 12mm spacers in the rear and rolling my fenders in the dark, I got tired of having to work in the driveway, so I dragged some crap out of the garage.
Then I got rid of even more crap, and found out I could fit three cars inside at once
The massive garage cleaning also included installing a new stereo, flat screen and xbox, new beer fridge, and converting one of the stalls to a dedicated parts room, so now I was basically looking for excuses to be in the garage. Which meant after replacing every fluid I could think of in all the cars, it was time to rip the bimmer's suspension off again. This time went for a set of D2 coilovers, 9k/9.5k springs.
Somewhere along there I also picked up a set of larger brakes from a junkyard 330 which I rebuilt, Painted purple and yellow with the help of my three year old daughter, and installed.
Old and sad:
Size comparo of the 325i vs 330i rotor:
New and flashy!
Per protocol when you only get about 1 hour a night to mess with your car, I had to install the fronts one night, then the rears a couple days later. With 9ksprings in front and 4k in the rear it drove...Weird...
I also found out the first day that the front was too low to traverse the necessary speed bumps to get to my parking spot at the office. I spent the day searching for a new job, but ultimately decided to raise the front a half inch instead.
I did a bunch of other small repairs, added and aux port, replaced the speakers and tapped into the factory harness in the trunk so the car is amp/sub ready, but pictures of all that stuff is boring.
Anyway, I just finished aligning it and am reasonably satisfied with the current setup, here's where it is now:
Oh right, I also polished the headlights up.
That's it for now, and probably for a while. When the cleaning is done I will actually find myself with one indoor parking spot left open, so something new will be moving in
"Effy" E60 BMW 530xi 6MT [N52] 
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