rumatt's E46

[Nick M3]

Originally Posted by JST

Yeah, that car was 10 kilos of ugly in a 5 kg sack.

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by JST

Yeah, that car was 10 kilos of ugly in a 5 kg sack.

Practical, I'm sure (coming from someone who had an Accord Hatchback in the mid-80s.) But heinous looking.

[kognito]

When I got my E46 in 2001, my insurance company considered it a compact.

I didn't want to argue, in case they charging too little

[John V]

That article refers to the E46 as the third generation of three series. Are they using Apple numbering?

Generation 1: E21
Gen2: E30
Gen3: E36

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by John V

That article refers to the E46 as the third generation of three series. Are they using Apple numbering?

Generation 1: E21
Gen2: E30
Gen3: E36

I noticed that too -- I think they forgot the E21, or it was a translation issue (perhaps the original German version mentioned the 3 prior generations...)

[rumatt]

Originally Posted by SARAFIL

This thread is interesting but I'm scared to see the bill at the end! Has the labor already exceeded the value of the car? Time to insure it as a collectors car?

This is why it took me so long to commit to doing it. Why put so much money in an old car? But I eventually said fuck it, because

(a) This is the kind of car I want, and you can't buy it new any more. It's not like there are any other options available to me.

(b) Even if I sunk $10k into the car, then the engine blows up and I put in another $5k. (which I fully hope doesn't happen!) it's still cheaper than if I had gone out and bought a new Audi or BMW sedan. The tax alone on a new car is $4k. That pays for a nice chunk of the parts.

So fuck it. Why not?

[blee]

Originally Posted by ZBB

Wasn't sold in the US... similar to the E36 compact that was sold here for a while -- a hatchback with a shorter rear end... it also had Lexus-inspired mirrored rear lights

More info here: http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/07/19/ba...e-e46-compact/

Woah, barf.

[Plaz]

Originally Posted by rumatt

This is why it took me so long to commit to doing it. Why put so much money in an old car? But I eventually said fuck it, because

(a) This is the kind of car I want, and you can't buy it new any more. It's not like there are any other options available to me.

(b) Even if I sunk $10k into the car, then the engine blows up and I put in another $5k. (which I fully hope doesn't happen!) it's still cheaper than if I had gone out and bought a new Audi or BMW sedan. The tax alone on a new car is $4k. That pays for a nice chunk of the parts.

So fuck it. Why not?

[Plaz]

Originally Posted by ZBB

Wasn't sold in the US... similar to the E36 compact that was sold here for a while -- a hatchback with a shorter rear end... it also had Lexus-inspired mirrored rear lights

More info here: http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/07/19/ba...e-e46-compact/

Alt3zza

[blee]

Originally Posted by bren

I'll most likely end up at RRT sometime - hopefully before it completely removes itself from the car.

I would go sooner rather than later.

It looks like "minor" cracking, whatever that is, can be repaired with drilling/welding. The reinforcement plates that everyone sells help to an extent, but there are reports of owners who have developed cracks after reinforcement.

The prevailing theory on these cracks is that the subframe places too much rotational force at its mounting points on the rear axle carrier panel. This eventually causes stress-related fractures due to the constant loading/de-loading during acceleration. The plates help at the points where the subframe attaches to the panel, but the panel itself is still subject to those forces. Some of the newer solutions basically attach the panel from the subframe mounting points to the "frame rails" (wrong term?), transferring the moments to them and therefore reducing the stress on the panel.

I can't tell just how many people this actually affects, or what kind of driving is required to have cracks develop. The internet being what it is, you feel like everyone is in horrible danger of having their rear axles fall out from under them.

I think the reinforcement plates are a good idea for everyone, and if these newer solutions turn out to work well, maybe they're on the to-do list after taking care of wear items and other preventive mechanical work. Installation of these new solutions is non-trivial, but it's definitely less expensive than replacing the whole panel.