Upgrading my 2004 E46?

[Remund Koh]

My dear bimmer bros,

Need your expert advice on how to upgrade my E46 in terms of looks and performance. Say i got $8,000 to spare, what would be your advice. My ride IS NOT the sports model. Let the discussions flow! Thanks a million.

Remund

 

[rex7_vtec]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

Is your ride a Coupe, Cab or Sedan.....

 

[Remund Koh]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

Dear Bimmer Bros,

Forgot to say its E46 sedan (318i). Thanks

Remund

 

[kenntona]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

$8000 probably not enough for both aesthetics and performance. Gotta prioritise which and to what extent...... this list is not exhaustive.

Engine : legally, filters, cold air intakes, exhaust (muffler, mid, headers), spark plugs.

Chassis : rims, shocks, lowering springs, sway bars, strut bar, rotors / calipers, brake hoses, brake pads

Exterior : bodykits (front/rear bumpers, sideskirts), spoiler, mirrors, clear lights, xenon, angels eyes, headlight trims, fogs, grilles

Interior : M3 Steering Wheel, paddleshift, interior trims, instrumental cluster rings, gear knob, floormats, pedals & brakes, tinting windscreens

ICE : speakers, subwoofer, amp, head unit, disc changer, capacitor, cables

 

[Remund Koh]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

Dear bro,

Wah thanks for spoiling me man. I think i'll go for these enhancements.

Engine: There's this new 'sprint' thingie at BVO. (i juz called them), Iridium spark plugs.

Chasis: Replica AC Type 4 18" rims (chio man), calipers, (What are strut bars?), shocks?

Exterior: M aero bodykit, halo headlights, little mini spoiler on boot, M3 foldable mirrors(i heard these OEM mirrors can't fit into 2004 models becos they use pins instead of cable, is it true?).

Interior: gear knobs, pedals n brakes, tinting and interior trim.

Exhaust: any recommendations? Remus?

Welcome your feedback bro!

Remund

 

[g75y]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

For $8,000, I would probably go for the following:
- Bodykit (M-Tech II?) preferably second hand
- Rims
- Instrument cluster rings
- Sprint booster
- M3 lip spoiler

 

[pg7170]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

hi Remund,

my suggestion is that u look at our very own classified section... there's many forumers selling their stuffs... n more often than not u can find something that u might want n sometimes more

8k is not a little n is definitely not a lot... but u'll maximize ur budget if u shop the used classified.

start with the aesthetics first la.. n the these are a must
1. air filter/CAI
2. pulleys
3. spark plugs
4. structs

good luck k....

 

[xuexun]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

Sorry, i also drive a 2004 318i
Just wondering, what are pulleys? I always read the forum see some post write the 4 pot valvetronic engine cannot change or something like that??

 

[kenntona]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

The underdrive pulley redistributes power from your power steering pump, alternator, and compressor back to your engine. It reduces the amount of drive needed to power your accessories. And yes, valvetronic engine cannot install pulleys. I have tried it on my PFL 318i - the buttfeel was indeed better.

But has read about some other concerns as well.

The pulleys assumes timid driving patterns. Now if a riceboy install the pulley and drag the engine at high rpms for a long period, what will happen to the rest of the accessories? They were underdriven, remember? Means all the temperature, heat issue are undermined??? I dunno. Just some issues to be thought through.

 

[kenntona]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

Remund bro,

Just a suggestion.

Chasis: drop the caliper idea - will reap off your budget. No point having excess braking power when the power is not enhanced. Strut bar and ARB are good bets if you need handling stability. As with shocks.

Exterior: Drop the M3 mirrors idea (cable incompatible). BTW, the bodykit will not come cheap relative to your budget (gotta factor the spray painting costs in). As for halo headlights - you referring to xenons or angel eyes? If xenons, it will take 15-25% of your budget.

Exhaust: Remus sounds sweetest for 4-cylinder cars, IMO. There are so many other brands - Supersprint, Sebrings......

Think about what you wanna do, and mod it slowly. It will give you more fun. Do some research here, read about the tech folders, and come to our meetup every month to have a feel what should be done first, without regret. Cheers.

 

[BMWSILVER]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

Hi !

You should join us for the meet-up and you will have lots of ideas how to MODs your car.

Look out for Steven's Car - SL2. Very nice E46 318i

 

[marcong77]

Re: Upgrading my 2004 E46?

Hi bro,
My advise on modifying your car is don't do too many things in a shot, even you have enough budget.
1) understand your ride, what are you unsatisfied about it? Looks? Performance? ICE? :juggle:
2) understand something just can't be change overnight, unless you earn 6 digits every month. Engines? Chassis? :juggle:
3) pricing?? know what you are buying and i think this forum is a great place for learning and resources.:juggle:
4) finally, understand what is your driving style?? If you are an agressive driver, I feel :juggle: concentrating on performance, suspension and tyres would delight you more. Else, concentrate your budget on asthetics.

My humble 2 cents.:singsing:

Would love to go for a meetup and see other mouth-drooling 'babes'.