E46 M3 owner picks up his E92 M3

[MisterClutch888]

wow can eat it off your engine bay lol.

and definitely the tint-less looks way better.

[Staszek]

Originally Posted by PYE46M3

Are they lighter then 359s?



Yes you have to heat up the film and take your time, otherwise you will leave the glue on the glass. I will be using a garment steamer from the inside which should be a little more effective. This method worked well on my E46 but it makes a mess as water droplets get all over your door panels and when you do the rear windshield, the steam makes your headliner a little wet.

Lighter than the 359's heavier than the 220m.

If I liked the look of the 220m I would keep them they are actually really nice wheels.

[PYE46M3]

Originally Posted by W///

I know my 3 piece HRE's with wider tires were lighter than the 359s. You could also feel the 220M being lighter when you picked them up.

I really like the tintless looks but living in South Carolina, the tint really does make a huge difference in the summer. I also like that I'm preserving my interior, as well as being able to ignore people when they try to race.

Something about ZCP wheels just does it for me on both the E46 and E92. BMW really nailed it with both wheels. I like 219 as well.

And yes, if I was going to park it outside on hot summer days then I would for sure leave the tint on.

Originally Posted by SAMM3Y

359 rears are about 28lbs IIRC... pretty heavy

They're such nice wheels though !

Originally Posted by MisterClutch888

wow can eat it off your engine bay lol.

and definitely the tint-less looks way better.

I'll post some pictures after I dress it. That was just a decontamination

Originally Posted by Staszek

Lighter than the 359's heavier than the 220m.

If I liked the look of the 220m I would keep them they are actually really nice wheels.

I think i like 219 better than 220. I dont know why !

[PYE46M3]

Haven't been able to do much to the car due cold weather and lots of rain. I've had it for a full 4 weeks and haven't even washed her yet. Can you believe it?

A quick update though...I swapped the plugs... thankfully it went much smoother than I anticipated



These are probably factory installed plugs




Also dropped in a fresh Mahle filter while I was at it... courtesy of rockauto wholesaler closeout deals ($10). The old one was FILTHY. look how minty the new one is

The cabin filters were in good condition.... and finally I'm all done with the maintenance.




for some reason this part of the airbox scoop was missing. really hated having to pay $60 for a new one which was not much more than the scratched up filthy junyard/ebay ones. and i forgot to buy the bolts that hold it in place.




Last but not least, I am stoked that I was able to squeeze her next to the E46. I have a two car garage but the door is only about 1.25 cars wide which is a small problem. I was planning to put the E46 on car dolleys and pushing it in the corner but luckily she's pretty compact and I was able to back it in at an angle which saves me $150 worth of car dolleys and all the hassle.

There was absolutely no way either one would sit under a car cover through the winter and summer heat.

Hopefully I can finally register the E92 next week.

[SYT_Shadow]

Sweet! Beautiful E92 and your E46 M3 is pure love as well!

I think I remember you from the M3F days! Welcome to the E9X world, glad you were able to keep the E46 as well!

My E92 is untinted, I think it looks cleaner but then my E90 is tinted and it looks great as well... hard to go wrong with beautiful cars

[W///]

You should get Imola Red E39 M5 and Techno Violet E36 M3 next

Then you'll literally have some of the best colors BMW has ever made IMO

Nice progress, enjoying the build so far.

[PYE46M3]

Originally Posted by W///

You should get Imola Red E39 M5 and Techno Violet E36 M3 next

Then you'll literally have some of the best colors BMW has ever made IMO

Nice progress, enjoying the build so far.

You nailed it man. I would kill for a mint 03 Imola or Le Mans M5. That car has been on the want list for easily a decade but I can't seem to get my hands on one. Also need to get me a IB E60 M5 manual. I have to have that V10. And then techno or daytona E36... a bag of skittles will have nothing on me by then

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Sweet! Beautiful E92 and your E46 M3 is pure love as well!

I think I remember you from the M3F days! Welcome to the E9X world, glad you were able to keep the E46 as well!

Thanks ! Yes I had a E46 build thread on M3F. Took a while for me to get that OEM+ look i was looking for, just need to swap the hood back to stock. Here are some pictures of the most hated color on the E46

[SYT_Shadow]

I like the color!

[martgsr]

I like it too. I remind me the first time I saw the E46 M3 and how much I was dying to get this car almost 20 years ago !

[PYE46M3]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

I like the color!

Originally Posted by martgsr

I like it too. I remind me the first time I saw the E46 M3 and how much I was dying to get this car almost 20 years ago !

Thanks! Can't believe it has been that long. I remember those days very well too. I drooled over the E46/E39 M cars back then and still do to this day. BMW was at their peak during that era


Finally some overdue interior detail...



started with removal of the tint with my garment steamer



the front windows came off effortlessly and left no glue residue behind



I didn't dare take the steamer inside the car. I knew it would get the headliner wet and soften the glue and create a disaster. It was hot outside and I slowly peeled off the rear windshield tint and luckily it didn't leave any glue residue. I gave it a final wipe down with window tint adhesive remover. Came out very well without any damage to the defroster.




are the rear side windows tinted from factory? I could not find window tint on either side to peel off. But it still looks dark to me? You can see what i mean in this picture... there is no rear windshield tint on at this point but the sides look dark




removed front seats





it was a good decision as there was a ton of old lady hair under the seats




after vacuum and light shampoo with simple green APC




I used lexol to clean up the seats..




The cleaner is one of the few on the market that foams up which IMO cleans much better than other spray on/wipe off brands. the only other foaming cleaner i know of is chemical guys.




The cleaner leaves a dry matte finish.




Looks great and feels soft after applying the conditioner




the steering wheel needed a thorough cleaning more than anything else.





used an electric toothbrush to deep clean the stitching.




pretty happy with the results !









new one !




night and day difference




The previous owner replaced the mats with non-M floor mats... decided to get new ones to button up the interior. nothing like fresh floor mats!





you can see the non-M mats in the trunk....




Decided to remove all the trim for cleaning





This material is very easy to wash and dries fast




I used simple green and scrubbed it with a brush attached to my drill.





hung them inside the garage to dry.




Now I need a week off to recover

[SYT_Shadow]

I need to hire you to detail my cars. Really impressive!

[wyatth]

What a cleaning job, love it!!

Also remember your PY from M3F, good stuff.

Good call on the tint removal. Fishbowl ftw. Mine came with 35% and I had it replaced with 70%, essentially clear but keeps the UV/heat rejecting properties.

[martgsr]

Very nice work.
What kind of brush did you use on your drill ? Any picture of it ?

[PYE46M3]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

I need to hire you to detail my cars. Really impressive!

haha, it's a labor of love. I'm just too excited I was able to get my hands on exactly what I was looking for after such a long time. I was beginning to lose hope !

Originally Posted by wyatth

What a cleaning job, love it!!

Also remember your PY from M3F, good stuff.

Good call on the tint removal. Fishbowl ftw. Mine came with 35% and I had it replaced with 70%, essentially clear but keeps the UV/heat rejecting properties.

Glad I took it off, it looks so much better and cleaner ! Luckily they will both sit in the garage most of the time away from UV rays, especially to preserve the CF roof

Originally Posted by martgsr

Very nice work.
What kind of brush did you use on your drill ? Any picture of it ?

I use these https://www.amazon.com/Scrubber-Clea...06&sr=8-4&th=1

I have one soft set for interior cleaning and one medium set for dirty work like engine bay, wheels and muffler. the cone shaped one with the extension is perfect for in between the wheel spokes and even inside the muffler tips for quick scrubbing if they're maintained relatively carbon free.

[W///]

That's really impressive and soothing to read. Don't think I've ever seen anyone take the side carpets out of the trunk to shampoo them before haha

[PYE46M3]

Originally Posted by W///

That's really impressive and soothing to read. Don't think I've ever seen anyone take the side carpets out of the trunk to shampoo them before haha

My neighbor's are convinced I'm crazy

I just want the carpet spot free and smelling fresh

[regensburg94]

This is super impressive. I've been wanting to remove my tint for a while, but unsure about whether I should do it myself or take it to a tint specialist.

You used the garment steamer only on the outside surfaces and that (+ hot day) was enough to remove by hand? Any other tips?

Would also be great to know how old you think the tint may have been. The longer it is applied the harder it can be to remove, from what I've heard.

[PYE46M3]

Originally Posted by regensburg94

This is super impressive. I've been wanting to remove my tint for a while, but unsure about whether I should do it myself or take it to a tint specialist.

You used the garment steamer only on the outside surfaces and that (+ hot day) was enough to remove by hand? Any other tips?

Would also be great to know how old you think the tint may have been. The longer it is applied the harder it can be to remove, from what I've heard.

I don't think the age of the film matters much. I think the type of film/adhesive matters more. The idea is to warm up the glue so it peels off with the tint instead of staying on the glass. If you peel it off without warming the film, the glue will remain on the glass. I honestly don't think it is something that requires a professional, MAYBE just for the rear glass because of the defroster but even that is a DIY project.

you can either use a heat gun or garment steamer. heat gun is used from the outside and it takes a little longer to warm up glass so you have to be more patient. the garment steamer can be applied directly to the film from inside or outside (obviously through the glass will take a little longer). what you DONT want to do is work on the rear windows from the inside with a steamer. that escpaing steam will collect on the headliner and pillars, soak them and loosen up the glue which results in saggy headliner. Have a friend warm the rear windows from the outside with a heat gun or steam garment and slowly and patiently peel it off. You'll easily notice if you leave any glue residue behind which is a sign that you arent warming up the glue. properly warmed up film peels off with ease.

i took a gamble with my rear glass because I had no one to help me warm it up from the outside. So i just peeled it off slowly as it was warm enough in the sun. not the best idea but I got impatient

even if you DO leave glue residue on, you can remove it with a razor and glue remover such as this: https://www.amazon.com/GILA-FR200-Wi...9977627&sr=8-3

obviously it is more work. you do not want to leave glue on the rear defroster because it is much more difficult to wipe it off back there and you can't use a razor on it. there are a lot of youtube videos on this, I would watch them and attempt it myself. aside from the rear defroster, there is really nothing major to go wrong.

ps: if you use garment steamer on the inside, cover the door panels because water droplets will get everywhere

[PYE46M3]

Quick update !

Finally time to pay some attention to the exterior of the car since I'm all done with maintenance, interior and engine bay.

Car had about 3-4 dents on the passenger door, one on hood and one on rear driver side quarter panel which i had noticed when I bought it. Luckily none of the panels need to be painted which was a huge selling point for me. I figured it would be best to fix these ugly dings now before any paint correction or sealant. Found a PDR service that operates right by a big auto mall. They have been in business since 1995 and all the local dealers send their used cars to them and they also fix dents before people turn over their lease. Paid $200 for the whole car and it took about 2 hours. The guy that did the work was definitely a pro and my E46 will be going to him soon !

Sitting in the shop.... I gave it a quick wash so dents can easily be identified.




man that is a lot of tools !





more tools




glue pulling a stubborn dent.





Mike doing his thing. This single dent took at least a half hour !




the magician's finishing touch.




another stubborn dent but this time on the passenger door.





and the results im thankful PDR is a thing





driver side





freshly washed, tintless Lagos Blue

btw mike seriously fell in love with the E92 M3

[MisterClutch888]

ordered the spark plugs thru rockauto too.

now i need to clean the fox red like you did. but the amazon link u provided, those brush looks pretty stiff, do they have softer ones?

going to untint mine as well, is very dark like probably 1% tint lol

[PYE46M3]

Originally Posted by MisterClutch888

ordered the spark plugs thru rockauto too.

now i need to clean the fox red like you did. but the amazon link u provided, those brush looks pretty stiff, do they have softer ones?

going to untint mine as well, is very dark like probably 1% tint lol

The brushes range from soft to firm depending on the color. They have a picture with color chart !

[martgsr]

Originally Posted by PYE46M3

The brushes range from soft to firm depending on the color. They have a picture with color chart !

Mine will arrive soon !