Project: 2003 BMW M3

[D_Eclipse9916]

After doing a little more research on the subframe issue, I think I'm just going to check for cracks and if it doesn't have any, use BMW's foam injection method coupled with epoxying the TMS reinforcement kit. Epoxying seems to be the way to go instead of welding just in general and the foam is more cheap insurance.

Not a bad way to do it. You ahve to be careful with welding not to introduce more rust to the area.

[Beej]

Yeah, that's basically what I settled on, though I haven't gotten around to the structural foam yet. I sleep well at night.

One argument for welding that you get to tie all the layers together a bit better, as opposed to just adding another layer to reduce flex. Essentially you drill from the bottom up to #4 in this picture and rosette weld all the layers together.


In the rear, you can fill up the cavity with foam, which essentially makes it solid. Apparently you can't in the front - the cavity is huge, you can't block passageways off as you can in the rear, and the fill point is not at the top.

I just think that with stockish power and reasonable treatment, it'll be a long time before they fail - longer than I'd trust a weld to not rust.

Btw, if you want to see trunk floor failure (start issue, lol), check out the last picture in this listing: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/5260452379.html">https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva ... 52379.html</a><!-- m -->

[Senor_Taylor]

Brb. Spending money on adding style points to my car before spending money to make it not crack in half.

[RawrImAMonster]

Haha damn that thing is a piece of shit. There's no way he's getting $9000 for that.


Edit: Finally got in touch with Mid-Atlantic. As usual, their prices are way higher than other indy shops. ~$5k for the subframe reinforcement with subframe bushings :lol:

[Beej]

Just saw the Mid-A price. :lol: I'm kinda shocked BW is the cheapest, and would be surprised if it turned out to be $1k, but...I'd trust any shop with chassis reinforcement over others.

So, you've had it a few weeks now. Any extended impressions?

[RawrImAMonster]

We'll I haven't been doing a ton of driving the last few weeks. I just got my rear view mirror back from radar mirror where they fixed the infamous mirror bubble. Now that everything that needed to be is fixed/valves checked/oil changed, I'll actually do some more driving.

So far I still really like it. It really is a much much more raw car than the 135i in every way. The 135i is boring in comparison. I could still do with a little more power, but headers and a tune will fix that eventually.

There's a terrible rattle coming from somewhere around the passenger door I need to find before it makes me go mad. Some sort of plastic on plastic it sounds like. I can deal with most rattles, but this one is annoying as hell.

One I took last night. I swear I'll get pictures of the interior soon haha.

[WRXtranceformed]

Looks great, love that deep blue color. Still such a shame the communists force you to run a front plate in that state. It shreds the clean lines on the front of that car.

[Beej]

Man that looks good. Funny to hear how raw it is compared to the 135. I'm not surprised, but it's kinda weird, no?

Rattles usually infuriate me, then I want to sell the car, then I get used to it. One stupidly simple one on the passenger side was the seatbelt rattling against the release handle thingie (most often when your dumbass passengers get out and don't put the seatbelt in the right place, idiots). Both of my seatbelt adjuster things on the B pillars vibrate, particularly in winter. Touch them and they stop.

When are you moving to Richmond? Or RVA, as I might be legally bound to say.

[RawrImAMonster]

I actually ended up deciding to stay in Harrisonburg for now. I just don't want to pay $900 a month for a little apartment when I am currently paying $900 a month for a 4 bedroom house with a backyard and a garage in downtown Harrisonburg.

Plus, I'm in the process of starting a new job at my current job, so right now just isn't the best time to move.

[.RJ]

$900 a month for a 4 bedroom house with a backyard and a garage

Fuck me.

[WRXtranceformed]

That's just under what i'm paying for a 3-level 2 master suite townhome with garage in one of the nicest areas in Charlotte Hence why I'm here and not up there anymore!

[.RJ]

I would clear more than double that if I rented my TH.

[Apoc]

MOVE FARTHER

[RawrImAMonster]

I'm still flip-flopping on what I want to do about the subframe mount reinforcement. A recent thread on M3forums.net showed another failure with the reinforcement plates.

Since I'm not dailying the car and I don't really need a ton of trunk space, I'm thinking about the Mason X - brace combined with a the structural foam upfront.

Shown at the bottom here:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.masonengineering.net/Subpages/E46.htm">http://www.masonengineering.net/Subpages/E46.htm</a><!-- m -->

Kind of sad that a torqueless NA inline 6 causes this chassis so much grief.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I'm still flip-flopping on what I want to do about the subframe mount reinforcement. A recent thread on M3forums.net showed another failure with the reinforcement plates.

Since I'm not dailying the car and I don't really need a ton of trunk space, I'm thinking about the Mason X - brace combined with a the structural foam upfront.

Shown at the bottom here:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.masonengineering.net/Subpages/E46.htm">http://www.masonengineering.net/Subpages/E46.htm</a><!-- m -->

Kind of sad that a torqueless NA inline 6 causes this chassis so much grief.

Weld it. Haven't seen a failure. One guy out of hundreds or thousands...who may not have even done it right.

Don't change your plan or spend more based on a 1% that we can't prove.

[RawrImAMonster]

There have been a bunch of failures after welding reinforcement plates. They're not too hard to find on the forums. It seems like that's just a bandaid for the problem and the cracks just move elsewhere.

Technically, welding is the most expensive route since that isn't a DIY for me. I also talked to my friend who is in the process of getting his doctorate in mechanical engineering and he seemed to think epoxying would be the way to go vs welding in an area like this. He said epoxying is guaranteed to strengthen the area while welding is kind of a hit or miss depending on how good the person is at welding.

The X brace definitely seems like a good idea, there is no doubt that will help strengthen the rear mount points, it's just debatable whether that is doing enough for the front mounts without additional reinforcement.

[D_Eclipse9916]

There have been a bunch of failures after welding reinforcement plates. They're not too hard to find on the forums. It seems like that's just a bandaid for the problem and the cracks just move elsewhere.

Technically, welding is the most expensive route since that isn't a DIY for me. I also talked to my friend who is in the process of getting his doctorate in mechanical engineering and he seemed to think epoxying would be the way to go vs welding in an area like this. He said epoxying is guaranteed to strengthen the area while welding is kind of a hit or miss depending on how good the person is at welding.

The X brace definitely seems like a good idea, there is no doubt that will help strengthen the rear mount points, it's just debatable whether that is doing enough for the front mounts without additional reinforcement.

:dunno: Everyone follows their own path.

Never seen that failure if done correctly (both epoxy and welding) on any race car I have seen (lots), and none on any E46 ive owned (3 of them). Just trying to help you from overthinking.

[*insertusernamehere*]

So I drove this thing today and really all I have to say is this is how a car should be made omg. I miss BMW so much it's unreal. I didn't even have an M but so much of it just came right back to me. 3rd gear in this car is ENDLESS it just revs and revs all the way up to 8000rpms. I was driving and Stephen says something along the lines of "dude what are you doing you know this thing revs to 8 right?" (i was doing maybe doing 6 and change, just barely pushing 7) so i was like shit, i just got the permission, 8grand it is! And oh. my. god. that extra 1000rpm~ makes all the difference. It's fantastic. I am so glad I got to drive this in more a street atmosphere and with a full interior etc, the experience is so much different. I absolutely freaking love it. I got back in the Mazda and I shit you not I verbally said, "what the fuck is this?" :lol: Motivation to finish the e30 and finish it properly. Polen stop wasting time, buy an e46 M3 now. It is worth every penny. I want one for myself. #drunkposts.

[RawrImAMonster]

Here, I finally took some pictures of the interior. It's in great shape other than the peeling cupholder section and below the e brake handle. No sagging headliner or pillars with fabric peeling. Seats are in great shape for the mileage. The bolsters actually look better than my 135i's.

[WRXtranceformed]

Dang those are in really good shape! Have you done any Lexol, etc. treatments? That will help keep them that way