REVscene Automotive Forum - BMW

This thread is so dead.. and I don't lurk any Euro Forums but I just needed to talk a little Euro trash talk...

So a bit of history:

Original Cali owner had the wheels/GC coils, tint, CSL bumper, Brembo's, intake and exhaust installed.

Here it is for a VMR photoshoot.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/...f3a8a080_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5289/...3f0ef3df_b.jpg

Once her (It was a woman...) lease was up, it went to Auction in Cali, and was bought by Grand Prix Motors in Portland. Below is the for sale ad:

Grand Prix Motors Inc. | 2004 BMW M3 Coupe 2D

Here are some pics form the ad...

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...4PN56596_2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...PN56596_12.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...PN56596_16.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...PN56596_26.jpg

A man from Seattle bought the car from Grand Prix in late 2010 if I'm not mistaken, here are a couple pics from when he owned it. (He added a tune, and about 10k worth of upkeep and mods lol had some bad luck with a couple mechanical breakdowns.)

During his ownership it looked like this...

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...-41-01_743.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...-41-14_465.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...-13-04_861.jpg

And then finally April 2012 I saw the car pop up for sale on CL just hours after he posted it, and I was pretty much instantly sold based on the Mystic/Nappa, year, miles, condition... and the Brembo's didn't hurt either. I sent him to BMW for an inspection, had a couple very minor issues and knocked off 800$ form the asking price, then sent him money via wire transfer and got on the export paperwork. (He was forced to put the car up for sale after the mill he worked at cut all OT hours, he also had an SC'd stang with 700hp)

Went and picked it up a couple weeks later and was very happy when I first saw (and heard) the car, I videotaped him driving up the Seatac to pick me up... creeper style.

After buying it, I decided it needed some work and it went from this:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo2-1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo3-1.jpg

To this: (How it currently sits)

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...bo/photo-2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo3-2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo4-2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo5-1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo5-2.jpg
http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...83082928_n.jpg

I also bought these SSR's but they were not BBK friendly after all :(

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo2-2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/photo1-2.jpg

I had to remove the tinted windows and lights they drove me a little crazy... the dark wheels were also a bit much. Tint removal went very well btw :D

I spent about 10k on the car after buying it, CSL trunk, CSL Bootlid, paintwork, oem headlight lenses,tinted corner lights, oem tail lights, oem side marker lights, Dynavin, M3 floormates and trunk mat, KW v2, Vorschlag Camber plates, RSM's, CSL header and cat pipes, MS spacers and stud kit, etc.. lot's of interior bits also purchased brand new from BMW to replace any parts that had any imperfections... I spent a lot at Tisher BMW lol Parts for this BMW are cheaper than the parts I used to buy for my Hondas... figure that out. (CSL wheels were a banging deal at Tisher, 450 each ish.)

Anyway, all that is left for me right now is to get a new - quieter exhaust, a single or pair of CSL seats or recaro PP in leather/suede insert, and to have blue interior trim wrapped in 3m Dinoc, havent decided on finish... maybe the brushed graphite. Oh and a plate frame... vmr lol.

Enjoy... if you enjoy anyway lol.

Edit, just for shits and giggles, a couple of the previous cars...

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...bo/stipic2.jpg
2012 STI was a piece of shit, don't buy one.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/IMG01104.jpg
B18C-R Swapped EM1 for "winter" car.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...orethepull.jpg
Engine bay shot of PY ITR after everything was cleaned up... I installed A/C in this ITR, the engine bay was a disaster when I got it, AJ hack special.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...rbo/night3.jpg
Interior was mint (Cause I replaced every panel with new OEM ones...)
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...bo/oemlip1.jpg
I liked this car a lot, but after break in issues with my condo building, it wasn't safe to keep any longer..
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/IMG00068.jpg
Side shot again..
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/IMG00093.jpg
Another clean engine bay... I also installed A/C in this ITR before I sold it.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/IMG00049.jpg
Another mint ITR interior because I replaced a bunch of parts...
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...o/IMG00194.jpg
Had to sell s2k when i started my business and was poor :(

And on one final note, the reason I think I like the M3; it feels very much like an ITR to me, at least when compared to how most other cars feel. I'm a die hard honda guy, I have owned a lot of cars, this is probably less than 20% of the vehicles I have owned... and most cars I owned were built, swapped, or clean as fuck.

S2k is an awesome car, ITR is an awsome car, and E46 M3 is an awesome car... I think the M3 basically has taken me to the point that the only other car I could possibly want that would be considered "nicer" is a 997 GT3.. and that's on my list of things to do, but no rush right now, I'll see how long I can keep the romance with the M3.

Oh I also have 2012 F150 FX4 with Lux pkg, I actually love that truck. (Even though it just sits in front of my office all day collecting dust.