Thinking of selling the wrx for an e46 m3...
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Thinking of selling the wrx for an e46 m3...
So i'm thinking of either selling or trading in my 07 wrx for an e46 m3. Mine's pretty modded so I don't think trading in would be a good idea. Parting out seems like a lot of work. I'm thinking a dark colored hard top with the manual tranny. Then all I would ever mod on it would be an ipod compatible deck, springs, and some nice wheels.
Any input on buying, selling, about m3's, anything would be great.
TIA
Any input on buying, selling, about m3's, anything would be great.
TIA
Last edited by snowflow; Feb 11, 2011 at 08:29 PM.
if you get one i think you should throw a CBE on that e46 mod list. drove my cousins husbands e46 with an agency power CBE and that thing purred in a totally different way your subie does. Lots of power, rwd, and definitely fun to drive. not a bad idea but your subaru can do a lot more an e46 can.
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Others have already shared my sentiments. The subaru to bmw progression is a real popular move, esp to an e46 m3.
I've been mulling over the same for a while, but i mainly drive my commuter nowadays. It's really hard to have anything nice in The City too. I seriously cringe whenever I see any of the countless reckless drivers & PARKERS mess a car up. I'm still looking to pick up a droptop e46 m3 or s2K before summer, but I'm keeping my bugeye as a 2nd commuter.
Just make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into. Like others said, bimmers are expensive to maintain+own. You can't just go to kragen for parts or have any backyard mechanic work on em. Hella people find that out the hard way and end up having to have fire or distress sales later. Happens w/our cars too, esp w/the kiddies that have bigger eyes than wallets or common sense.
I've been mulling over the same for a while, but i mainly drive my commuter nowadays. It's really hard to have anything nice in The City too. I seriously cringe whenever I see any of the countless reckless drivers & PARKERS mess a car up. I'm still looking to pick up a droptop e46 m3 or s2K before summer, but I'm keeping my bugeye as a 2nd commuter.
Just make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into. Like others said, bimmers are expensive to maintain+own. You can't just go to kragen for parts or have any backyard mechanic work on em. Hella people find that out the hard way and end up having to have fire or distress sales later. Happens w/our cars too, esp w/the kiddies that have bigger eyes than wallets or common sense.
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Car Info: Black 03 WRX, White 04 E46 M3
I put my WRX back to stock (winter car for Tahoe) and picked up an E46 M3 as my fun car 
Here's a post I made in a thread where another forum member was looking at e46's
A little over a year ago I parted out my heavily modded WRX (planning to use it for winter now) and purchased a 2004 e46 m3 6spd. I've always loved the car and as you mentioned, prices have dropped big time on these cars!
The WRX was fun as it was very quick however it was attracting the "wrong" type of attention. I would get pulled over for modified exhaust, tint, no front plate, etc.. even when I was just cruising in traffic at the speed limit. It was eventually time to smog the WRX so I made the decision to part it out and make the switch to the E46 M3. I love the car and do not regret purchasing it one bit
I went with the 2004+ model as all major recalls were fixed previous to the release of this model. The car had ~65K miles when purchased and I am now up to ~90K (I've been driving a lot hehe
). So far the car has been very reliable and I haven't had to replace anything major. I did have the alternator go out ~80K miles which was a quick and easy DIY fix. I also had some worn bushings which I also replaced myself while upgrading other suspension pieces. Other than the alternator the only other maintenance has been regular oil changes.
I wanted to keep the car reliable so I haven't done any power modifications other than an exhaust which the previous owner installed. I have done a lot of suspension work (Double adjustable coilovers, all bushings, etc..), brakes, and various exterior pieces. Aftermarket parts are definitely more expensive for this car however you don't have to do a lot of mods as the car is already fun to drive while stock. If you are looking for a lot of power then you will have to spend a lot (Supercharger, HPF turbo, etc.. as modifying the car N/A won't yield that great of results..).
Drive-ability is great and much more pleasant than my WRX. While the WRX was by no means cheap, the M3 makes the WRX feel "cheap". Overall when driving the car it feels very solid and smooth, even while at high speeds. I went with a high end set of coilovers (TCKline double adjustables) that ride extremely well and still handle like the car is on rails. For my WRX to handle close to the M3 it had a very harsh ride and didn't rotate nearly as well in turns.
While I do miss the overall speed/quickness of my WRX, the style/drive-ability/handling of the M3 outweigh it's lack of acceleration. I'm very tempted to get a HPF turbo kit for the car though
Here are some shots of my car
The WRX was fun as it was very quick however it was attracting the "wrong" type of attention. I would get pulled over for modified exhaust, tint, no front plate, etc.. even when I was just cruising in traffic at the speed limit. It was eventually time to smog the WRX so I made the decision to part it out and make the switch to the E46 M3. I love the car and do not regret purchasing it one bit
I went with the 2004+ model as all major recalls were fixed previous to the release of this model. The car had ~65K miles when purchased and I am now up to ~90K (I've been driving a lot hehe
). So far the car has been very reliable and I haven't had to replace anything major. I did have the alternator go out ~80K miles which was a quick and easy DIY fix. I also had some worn bushings which I also replaced myself while upgrading other suspension pieces. Other than the alternator the only other maintenance has been regular oil changes.I wanted to keep the car reliable so I haven't done any power modifications other than an exhaust which the previous owner installed. I have done a lot of suspension work (Double adjustable coilovers, all bushings, etc..), brakes, and various exterior pieces. Aftermarket parts are definitely more expensive for this car however you don't have to do a lot of mods as the car is already fun to drive while stock. If you are looking for a lot of power then you will have to spend a lot (Supercharger, HPF turbo, etc.. as modifying the car N/A won't yield that great of results..).
Drive-ability is great and much more pleasant than my WRX. While the WRX was by no means cheap, the M3 makes the WRX feel "cheap". Overall when driving the car it feels very solid and smooth, even while at high speeds. I went with a high end set of coilovers (TCKline double adjustables) that ride extremely well and still handle like the car is on rails. For my WRX to handle close to the M3 it had a very harsh ride and didn't rotate nearly as well in turns.
While I do miss the overall speed/quickness of my WRX, the style/drive-ability/handling of the M3 outweigh it's lack of acceleration. I'm very tempted to get a HPF turbo kit for the car though
Here are some shots of my car
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I am right there with ya, but I plan on keeping the WRX. Luckily I live in a county with no smog requirements other than when you sell it 
It is going to be the old body style M3 or a swapped RS. Maybe both :banana: The new body style is SIIIICCCKKK, but out of my price range for a while.
It is going to be the old body style M3 or a swapped RS. Maybe both :banana: The new body style is SIIIICCCKKK, but out of my price range for a while.
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I've been dreaming about owning an e46 m3 for a few years, lucky you if u end up gettin one. I think bimmers are the best looking car visually from factory, so much steez
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Wow, I didn't know so many people considered swapping in. lol
I've always liked them and I've just been feeling the need for something a little more classy and practical. As some may know, i'm part of the herrafrush fad
and so obviously my car is uncomfortable and impractical. With the m3 I would maybe do lowering springs, a pretty quiet exhaust, and some nice wheels. You guys posted some NICE pics. Dan Avon-yours looks so clean and that charcoal one is really clean to.
The maintenance does appear to really suck though and I would try to do as much myself, but def no kragen visits or ghetto engineering on a bmw. Plus I drive like a granny. I'll have to keep an eye out for a decent priced 04+ which may be tough as they're less common to find and more pricey, but thanks for the advice Dan.
Thanks for all the input so far guys. I wish maintenance wasn't so bad on these. They look sooooo good. I bet I could easily pull a couple cougars in one. LOL
I've always liked them and I've just been feeling the need for something a little more classy and practical. As some may know, i'm part of the herrafrush fad
and so obviously my car is uncomfortable and impractical. With the m3 I would maybe do lowering springs, a pretty quiet exhaust, and some nice wheels. You guys posted some NICE pics. Dan Avon-yours looks so clean and that charcoal one is really clean to. The maintenance does appear to really suck though and I would try to do as much myself, but def no kragen visits or ghetto engineering on a bmw. Plus I drive like a granny. I'll have to keep an eye out for a decent priced 04+ which may be tough as they're less common to find and more pricey, but thanks for the advice Dan.
Thanks for all the input so far guys. I wish maintenance wasn't so bad on these. They look sooooo good. I bet I could easily pull a couple cougars in one.
LOL